‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Ep. 4 – ‘The Gathering Storm’
We’re officially past the halfway point in The Book of Boba Fett. And while things are progressing slowly, they are progressing.
We’re still simultaneously watching Boba Fett’s recent past through his bacta-fueled flashbacks. We’re also catching up to his present-day attempts to be Tatooine’s next top crime lord. But how much past is there at this point? And what’s left to do? Let’s review.
Meeting Fennec Shand
None of us really questioned how Fennec Shand came to be partnered with Boba Fett. It felt relatively straight forward and obvious… And this episode rehashes pretty much exactly what we already knew.
After losing his new Tuscen family, Boba spends an unknown amount of time wandering the desert. But he’s not alone– he’s got his only remaining friend and trusty steed, the Bantha. He seems to be periodically checking in on Jabba’s palace to see when guard shifts are low. Only that never happens, so he continues to wander.
At some point explosions in the middle distance attract his attention. We’ve seen this scene from another point of view in The Mandalorian. He follows the explosions and finds a nearly dead Fennec Shand in the sand. Boba quickly brings her to a mod shop to get a cybernetic fix-up and the rest is history.
Like I said, there’s nothing particularly novel or unexpected about this. We all expected this was more or less exactly how this meeting would have gone. It’s not like Boba is known for his skilled cybernetic work. What was fun, though, was how much the mod shop felt like a tattoo parlor.
Take the relaxed posture of the person receiving the mod when Boba entered with her friends milling about the waiting area. Or the way the modder worked. Apparently in the Star Wars universe, I’d disappoint my mother with cybernetics. That’s pretty neat.
Getting The Ship Back
When Fennec wakes up, Boba tells her that he has no interest in money or her bounty. Instead, he knows who she is and needs her help. Turns out, his ship has been parked in Jabba’s palace for the last few years and Boba would like to get it back. Fennec makes quick work of this between mapping out the palace and taking out guards. But Boba is obviously out of practice. First there’s a cat-like droid that he has a difficult time catching and neutralizing. Then there’s the embarrassing display of trying to get his ship out of the garage.
I’d like to think that he hadn’t forgotten how to drive the ship he’d had his entire life. It’s been a few years since he’d been in the driver’s seat. Who hasn’t left their car at home during college and immediately backed it into a neighbor’s car when they came back from break?
Sometimes you need to re-remember old skills. Boba said that the ship was in good condition but something was rusty. I don’t think the rusty thing in question was the ship.
From there, Boba has some “scores to settle”, by which he means “murdering all of those bikers who killed the Tuscens”. But first, he needs to get his armor out of the Sarlacc. Only, the armor wasn’t in the Sarlacc anymore; he had escaped in it.
In fact his armor was instrumental in his escape. It made this scene feel messy and unnecessary, except to add another scene of Fennec and Boba becoming friends. Or it showed that Boba’s had one too many concussions, either way.
Back To The Present
Boba wakes up and is told that his body is finally 100% healed. Whether this means that we’re done with flashbacks remains to be seen. But it looks as though the bacta baths may be at an end.
From there we head to The Sanctuary where Black Krrsantan is choosing violence. He seemingly attacks a group of Transdoshans because he’s in a bad mood.
Madam Garsa Fwip uses all of her charisma to try and talk the Wookiee down and keep her bar peaceful. After a moment’s thought, Krrsantan decides that dismembering a Transdoshan sounds like more fun than a bar tab wiped clean. Of course, Boba hires him on the spot.
Now with Fennec, two Gamorrean guards, five cool teens, and Black Krrsantan to act as his muscle, Boba invites the leaders of the local crime families over for a chat. He makes them a proposition. Don’t turn against him when the Pykes come calling. In exchange Boba will make sure all of them get insanely rich.
It seems like a good deal; do literally nothing now for mountains of riches later. But will these crime bosses hold up their end of the bargain? Fennec and I are both dubious.
What do you think is next for Boba Fett and his new crew? Do you think the various bosses will keep their word or do you think they’ll turn on him? Do you think we’re done with flashbacks for the rest of the season? Let us know in the comments!
May The Force Be With You, Adventures!
