Warning: the following contains SPOILERS for The Book of Boba Fett.
Book of Boba Fett has been called boring and disappointing soon after its release. That being said, the first couple of episodes show that Disney still has a lot to offer in its reign over one of the most beloved franchises in the history of entertainment.
For starters, the lead role in The Book of Boba Fett is perfectly cast, as actor Temuera Morrison steps into the titular role of Star Wars' most notorious bounty hunter. Morrison first appeared in the Star Wars universe as Jango Fett in 2002's Mos Espa spaceport, the largest city on Tatooine.
The Book of Boba Fett is a deep look into the life of Boba Fett as he tries to wrestle control of the criminal empire that once belonged to his former boss, Jabba The Hutt. The highly ambitious series combines elements from the antihero, crime, western, and sci-fi genres. Despite how many of the establishing elements in The Book of Boba Fett are pulled from different places across canon Star Wars media, the series succeeds at going where no other Star Wars show or movie has gone before.
Disney Star Wars Has Mostly Just Repeated Past Movies
Although Book of Boba Fett uses Star Wars canon to go in a completely different direction. The fact that Boba Fett is a crime lord struggling with vivid dreams makes The Book of Boba Fett closer to antihero series like The Sopranos and Ozark than it is to any other canon Star Wars show or movie. This has allowed The Book of Boba Fett to build a world that feels relevant and original despite its main setting being the familiar desert world of Tatooine. In short, the series takes full advantage of Star Wars' long-established lore in order to tread new and unexplored ground.
The Book Of Boba Fett Avoids Disney's Star Wars Mistake
The Book of Boba Fett's originality is definitely what sets it apart from any other Star Wars series or movie. For instance, although Fett's escape from the sarlacc has echoes of Star Wars Legends, the series puts its own unique cinematic spin on the event. Even more notable is the deep dive into the warrior culture of the Tusken raiders. Not only is Boba Fett's backstory with the Tusken tribes on Tatooine an unexpected turn, it also gives an intelligent and knowable identity to the mysterious Tuskens, which, up until now, have mostly served as cannon-fodder for both heroes and villains in previous Star Wars stories. Simultaneously, The Book of Boba Fett also explores how Boba Fett and Fennec Shand (Ming Na Wen) struggle to maintain order as the new criminal warlords of Mos Espa. Interestingly, Boba Fett's actions to stop the high-speed train that was harassing the Tusken tribe that saved him could lead to trouble for him in Mos Espa down the line.
Moreover, since The Book of Boba Fett reveals that the Tusken Raiders are an intelligent people that lay ancestral claims to territories in the desert, the vengeful actions of Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones are revealed to be much darker than initially revealed. Combined with Boba Fett's visions and psychedelic dreams, The Book of Boba Fett certainly has its hands full in of combining genres and narrative elements, which are expected to come together in the end. In fact, these events suggest that later in the series, Boba Fett might have to choose between helping the Tusken tribes and fulfilling his role as the new daimyo of Mos Espa. By going in a completely different direction than its predecessors, The Book of Boba Fett manages to avoid Disney's previous Star Wars mistakes and create something truly original.
The Book of Boba Fett Isn't Perfect, But Is Good For Future Star Wars Shows
The Book of Boba Fett hasn't necessarily perfected its storytelling yet. At the same time, it's only released just a couple of episodes, and each one has been a promising sign for the Star Wars franchise. As most of Disney's shows like Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars: Andor are also built around characters or timelines that fans already know about, this is a good sign of how Disney is still able to take things in different directions, do the unexpected, and deliver actually original content within an already prominent franchise.
The Book of Boba Fett is exactly what Disney's Star Wars reign needs in the modern era of sci-fi, in which both old and new fans expect much more than rehashes or reboots of tired old Star Wars themes. Not only does The Book of Boba Fett bring something totally new to the narrative, it also doesn't fail to pay tribute to the established Star Wars canon. Although The Book of Boba Fett season 1 still has a long way to go, so far, it certainly seems that Disney is finally learning from its previous mistakes when it comes to handling the Star Wars franchise.
The Book of Boba Fett releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.