The Book of Boba Fett Episode 4 Review
What’s the most valuable thing in the Star Wars Galaxy overall? Is it credits? The kyber crystals that the Jedi use for their lightsabers and the Empire abused to make the Death Star? Is it the Force itself? If you were to ask Boba Fett, then it’s something even more important: loyalty.
Think about it; really think about it. The events in every Star Wars movie and media could be seen as the results of the loyalty people show to one another. Luke and Rey had the loyalty and trust of their friends who were willing to risk everything to help them, and it went both ways. As a result, Luke and the Rebellion bested the Sith, and the Empire tore itself to shreds thanks to its “survival of the fittest” mentality. In the time since his escape from the Sarlaac, Boba Fett has come to view loyalty to one another as the most important thing in life: help others, and they will help you in return. In The Book of Boba Fett’s fourth episode, this new mindset gets hammered home as Boba prepares to go to war for Tatooine.
That, and he gets payback against the Sarlaac.
When Mando Found Fennec in the Desert
In this episode’s bacta-tank flashback, we get the last and most recent event in Boba Fett’s life, the one that everyone speculated about in The Mandalorian. Boba Fett found Fennec Shand after Mando left her for dead, and saves her by having cybernetics added by a modder. While he says it’s because he needs help getting his ship, the Slave I (NOT SORRY!), back, there’s a more altruistic reason. Boba Fett knows what it’s like to be left for dead in the desert of Tatooine, and thus refuses to let it happen to Fennec. His experiences with the Tusken Raiders have taught him a great many things, but empathy seems to be one of them. It ends up serving him well, as after getting the Slave I back, Fennec repays his kindness by agreeing to stick around for the time being, especially once Boba explains his new outlook on life.
Boba Fett is Fed Up With Working For Idiots.
Now, many fans have complained about Boba Fett’s characterization in this series, saying that this isn’t the Boba Fett we know. However, just what does that mean, exactly? Boba Fett was the breakout character of the original trilogy. Despite getting so few lines, fans latched onto him, seeing him as this complete and utter badass in the vein of old western anti-heroes. But as the prequels have shown us, there is more to him than being a badass. He is a clone of his father, a father he loved and lost in the Clone Wars. He had to fend for himself at a very young age, which molded him into the lone wolf we see in the classic films. He was undeniably cool, but remember where working as a bounty hunter got him:
Boba’s near-death experience and being taken in by the Tuskens sparked a realization in him: relying on yourself is good, but at some point, it could get you killed. Moreover, Boba Fett has become fed up with the people he worked for, always ready to double-cross each other for the sake of greed. Even if he was Jabba’s favorite bounty hunter, the Hutt would likely have turned on him if he would profit from it.
As Boba Fett explains around a campfire to Fennec, he’s tired of dealing with people’s Poodoo and willingness to kill when there might be a better path. Essentially, he’s becoming a crime lord to tell all the other crime lords, “you’re stupid, you’re doing it wrong, and I’m going to show you the right way.”
Loyalty Breeds Loyalty
While it is true that in nature, the creatures that are better than everyone else will survive and be on top, there’s also another truth: loyalty breeds loyalty. Boba Fett’s trying to prove that by showing loyalty to those working for him, they will serve him of their own accord, and thus be far more effective for it. And despite the initial slow start, it’s starting to bear fruit. In the flashback, Fennec Shand repays Boba’s kindness by helping him get his ship back, get revenge on the speeder gang that wiped out the Tusken village, and then blow up the Sarlaac. That’s right: Boba Fett uses the Slave I to send a seismic charge down the Sarlaac’s throat, getting revenge for his most infamous moment in pop culture.
In the present day, that same loyalty continues to be rewarded. Rather than leave the show, Black Krrsantan returns, and, after ripping off a Trandoshan’s arm, gets offered a job by Boba. It may be because he remembers how Boba showed him mercy before, but Krrsantan accepts.
At the episode’s end, we see the moment from the trailer with Boba sitting down with the crime bosses of Mos Espa. Rather than being weak as before, here Boba looks like a true lord, and even uses his Rancor to great effect. He ends up getting the bosses to stay out of his war with the Pykes, and should they honor that, they will be rewarded when the dust settles.
Boba Fett Goes to War
We have three episodes left in the first season of The Book of Boba Fett, and all the pieces seem to be in place. Now, Boba’s growing family will likely fight the Pyke’s for control of Tatooine. Only, Fennec suggests they get some more muscle. Cue the theme music to The Mandalorian.
This may just be a gigantic tease, but given how fans were right about Boba Fett in the first season of The Mandalorian, it’s likely to be accurate. The Mandalorian may return to Tatooine to help Boba Fett as a way of repaying him for helping rescue Baby Yoda. Loyalty breeds loyalty. If this is true, then the last three episodes are likely to be well worth the wait, and the complaining.
I Give “The Gathering Storm” a 3/5
Fun Facts
- In the original Expanded Universe, Boba Fett would return to Tatooine every year just so that he could shoot the Sarlaac from orbit on his ship. So, him killing it is cathartic for his fans.
- Why do Wookies hate Trandoshans? Because Trandoshans are infamous for capturing and enslaving the Wookies. So, Black’s reaction is a bit understandable.
- I don’t care what Disney says, I’m still calling Boba’s ship Slave I!
I got the “loyalty” idea for this from hearing a review for the episode from the Star Wars YouTuber, Star Wars Explained. He said Boba’s explanation reminded him of a George Lucas quote: “The more I studied anthropology, it became very obvious to me that one of the most important issues humans have to deal is that the group that cooperates are much stronger than they are cannibalizing themselves.” In other words, working together is better than fighting each other.
That’s why the heroes almost always win. They work together and are genuinely loyal to each other, while the Sith are always at each other’s throats.