It's been 3 years since the story of The Mandalorian bled into The Book of Boba Fett with "Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian," and it's a mistake that I have yet to fully understand. As the first live-action Star Wars TV show, The Mandalorian was indeed tasked with setting up various spin-offs in the same universe, particularly in season 2. This led to character cameos from the likes of Bo-Katan Kryze, Ahsoka Tano, and even Boba Fett, who would then be the first to lead his own spin-off series.

It was then that The Book of Boba Fett was born, with the spin-off having been announced in a post-credits season that played after The Mandalorian season 2 finale, promising an arrival in just a single year's time. While the Boba Fett-centric story did deliver on its deadline, it certainly wasn't what audiences were expecting it to be. In fact, it wasn't even what cast expected it to be, with star Ming-Na Wen initially thinking she was filming The Mandalorian season 3. This is because the series quickly went from being Boba Fett-centric to Din Djarin-centric.

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One Of The Mandalorian's Best Episodes Is In A Whole Different Show

This Would've Been The Perfect Season 3 Premiere

On January 26, 2022, "Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian" premiered, making good on the foreshadowing of Din Djarin's return that had been provided at the end of episode 4 a week prior. While many expected the titular Mandalorian to have a brief appearance, however, this 50-minute episode followed Din Djarin entirely, giving audiences a look at how Din has struggled ever since giving up Grogu to the Jedi. This Bryce Dallas Howard directed episode has since been regarded, and rated, as one of live-action Star Wars' very best to date.

Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, Din Djarin, and Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars
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The only problem is that it's in the entirely wrong show. "Return of the Mandalorian" would have made for an extremely powerful season 3 premiere in The Mandalorian, but it was instead placed in Boba Fett's spin-off - a decision that still has me scratching my head to this day. This episode, which sees Din struggling with the Darksaber, being formally excommunicated from his Mandalorian tribe, and building a new ship with Peli Motto, provides the basis for The Mandalorian season 3's story, and does little to nothing to contribute to Boba Fett's.

"Return of the Mandalorian" gave us everything we wanted, and now, it's just a story told in the wrong place.

The true tragedy, though, is that, in retrospect, The Mandalorian season 3 has officially proven this to be a massive mistake. There's truly no comparison between "Return of the Mandalorian" and "Chapter 17: The Apostate," the latter of which now serves as the season 3 premiere. If anything, "The Apostate" is mainly a recap of "Return of the Mandalorian" and the rest of Din Djarin's The Book of Boba Fett arc for viewers who didn't watch the spin-off series. "Return of the Mandalorian" gave us everything we wanted, and now, it's just a story told in the wrong place.

This Choice Hurt Not Just The Mandalorian, But Also Boba Fett

His Show & His Character Have A Weaker Legacy Now

Of course, the consequences of this decision didn't just hurt The Mandalorian. It also stunted The Book of Boba Fett, giving the appearance that no one really cared as much for Boba Fett's own story - despite the fact it's his show. The fact that Boba himself doesn't even appear a single time in this episode is absolutely mind-boggling. From this point on, the show became just as much Din Djarin's as it was Boba Fett's, and that gave Boba even less time to truly grow and develop as a character. He didn't receive the attention he deserved.

Boba Fett at Cloud City in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and a black and white image of Boba Fett without his helmet on in The Book of Boba Fett episode 1.
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As a result, the legacy of The Book of Boba Fett is one of confusing decisions and weak storylines, which has ultimately hurt Boba Fett's own legacy as a character. Now, unfortunately, Temuera Morrison has yet to return to Star Wars again as Boba, despite there being opportunities to - particularly in The Mandalorian season 3. I know I'm certainly hoping for this to change, as are many others, but it's an unfortunate result of this decision to tie The Mandalorian so closely with The Book of Boba Fett.

The Mandalorian's Story Has Yet To Recover From This Decision

Things Haven't Been The Same For The Show Ever Since

Din Djarin sits on public transportation and looks out the viewport, with his jetpack next to him.
Image via Disney+

It's not as if what happened with "Return of the Mandalorian" only affected The Mandalorian in the short-term. In fact, this episode is what kickstarted an apparent reversal of Din Djarin's arc, taking him from a Mandalorian who's grappling with his beliefs and his identity in favor of caring for his child to a bounty hunter who's strictly adhering to his Mandalorian Way yet again - essentially bringing back what we first had in The Mandalorian season 1. If this pattern continues in the The Mandalorian and Grogu movie, then it can be traced back to this episode.

All 3 seasons of The Mandalorian are now available on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra, but because The Book of Boba Fett has yet to be released in that physical format, presumably because of its reception, Din Djarin's story isn't even complete in that format - highlighting this disted issue even further.

This may not have been much of an issue if "Return of the Mandalorian" was, indeed, The Mandalorian season 3 premiere. It's the fact that this important character development for Din Djarin, along with his quick reunion with Grogu just two episodes later, happened in an entirely different show that has given it such an odd legacy. It's a true shame, because I know this is one of my personal favorite episodes, and it's highly revered in the fandom. I just wish it had been a part of The Mandalorian, giving itself and Boba Fett their respective times to shine.