The Book of Boba Fett, S1E2-3
Jan. 15th, 2022 10:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerRecently we watched episodes 2 and 3 of The Book of Boba Fett. These episodes continue the things that were good about the premiere, particularly the rich visuals and the moody setting, while developing enough of a narrative arc to keep the story interesting. They continue to humanize Boba Fett and introduce new villains and challenges to give the story room to run, though they continue to underuse co-star Ming-Na Wen and in fact seem to deliberately marginalize her with a clunky face shield in several scenes.
The episodes continue the premier's approach of splitting time between two stories: Fett's time with the Tuskens after escaping the sarlacc, and "present day" with Fett and partner Fennec Shand establishing themselves as warlords on Tatooine. Watching both episodes in one sitting was helpful because they tell such related parts of a story. Ep. 2, clocking in at 13 minutes longer than eps. 1 and 3, spends most of its time in flashback, which ep. 3 complete. Likewise, ep. 2 introduces new challenges Fett faces in the present day, and ep. 3 spends more time fleshing them out.
Fett roughs up a gang of bikers at a cantina and steals their bikes. He then trains the Tuskens how to ride the bikes and crafts a plan to counterattack the Pykes' hover-train next time it comes through. The plan succeeds; Fett and the Tuskens wreck the train, and Fett questions the survivors. They are running "spice"— a now laughable euphemism for drugs. Fett tells them they will have to pay a toll to cross Tusken land in the future. In a brief scene in ep. 3 the local Pyke-in-charge tells Fett that they're already paying a toll to the biker gang. Fett vows that he'll eliminate the gang... but when he returns to the Tusken camp he finds the gang have just destroyed it. Did the Pyke send them?
In the present-day timeline of eps. 2-3 Fett discovers a new foe, and old foe, and makes new allies. The new foe is "The Twins", a pair of Hutts who claim Jabba the Hutt's former empire. They are surprised when Fett stands firm against their threats and vow this will be war. They send a wookie warrior to assassinate Fett in his sleep. Fett, Shand, the Space Orcs— I mean, Gamorreans— and the Space Millennialls fight him off and capture him. The Hutt Twins visit again to "apologize" for sending an assassin and ominously status they are dropping their claim as it has been promised to someone else.
Oh, right, the Space Millennials!
They're not the villains, though. A local merchant complains to Fett that a gang of youths with cyborg enhancements are stealing his water. Fett and Shand go to investigate and find a small group of conspicuously dressed young people, with brightly colored space-mopeds, hanging out drinking water.
The showrunners telegraph that the water is an extravagance, like the much maligned avocado toast that supposedly prevents Millennials from being able to buy houses. Plus, how is it that they can't afford water but can afford cybernetic implants and brightly colored space-Vespas that look like the oversized iPhones of a galaxy far-far-away? Oh, and they're unemployed despite owning these fancy iMopeds. Total Millennial stereotyping, here.
The young adults have a good side. They're stealing but only from a dishonest merchant who tripled his prices on a necessity of life. Fett offers to pay their debt, at a discount, if they work for him. They agree. And in addition to helping fight off one foe (spoilers above) they help him chase down another foe in episode 3's final scenes.
Fett goes to confront the city's near-useless mayor after learning of his latest attempt to stir up trouble. The mayor's obsequious majordomo stalls for time and flees out the back door. The mayor isn't even there. Fett and the Space Millennials aboard their Apple-designed space Vespas chase down the majordomo, who confesses that the mayor is in league with the Pyke now. The episode ends with one of the Space Millennials watching the spaceport and seeing that groups of Pyke fighters are arriving. Yup, don't mess withdrug spice dealers! 🤣
The episodes continue the premier's approach of splitting time between two stories: Fett's time with the Tuskens after escaping the sarlacc, and "present day" with Fett and partner Fennec Shand establishing themselves as warlords on Tatooine. Watching both episodes in one sitting was helpful because they tell such related parts of a story. Ep. 2, clocking in at 13 minutes longer than eps. 1 and 3, spends most of its time in flashback, which ep. 3 complete. Likewise, ep. 2 introduces new challenges Fett faces in the present day, and ep. 3 spends more time fleshing them out.
Spice Trade and Space Millennials
In the flashback timeline Fett continues his recovery with a Tusken tribe. Having been accepted by the tribe by fighting off a sand monster, he continues his training with the tribe's best warrior in their style of combat with a wooden staff. Meanwhile two villains are introduced: a biker gang who mostly ignore the Tuskens but are a scourge to the Human moisture farmers in the region, and the Pyke, who come zipping through on a hover-train periodically and seem to shoot all the Tusken they see just for sport.Fett roughs up a gang of bikers at a cantina and steals their bikes. He then trains the Tuskens how to ride the bikes and crafts a plan to counterattack the Pykes' hover-train next time it comes through. The plan succeeds; Fett and the Tuskens wreck the train, and Fett questions the survivors. They are running "spice"— a now laughable euphemism for drugs. Fett tells them they will have to pay a toll to cross Tusken land in the future. In a brief scene in ep. 3 the local Pyke-in-charge tells Fett that they're already paying a toll to the biker gang. Fett vows that he'll eliminate the gang... but when he returns to the Tusken camp he finds the gang have just destroyed it. Did the Pyke send them?
In the present-day timeline of eps. 2-3 Fett discovers a new foe, and old foe, and makes new allies. The new foe is "The Twins", a pair of Hutts who claim Jabba the Hutt's former empire. They are surprised when Fett stands firm against their threats and vow this will be war. They send a wookie warrior to assassinate Fett in his sleep. Fett, Shand, the Space Orcs— I mean, Gamorreans— and the Space Millennialls fight him off and capture him. The Hutt Twins visit again to "apologize" for sending an assassin and ominously status they are dropping their claim as it has been promised to someone else.
Oh, right, the Space Millennials!
They're not the villains, though. A local merchant complains to Fett that a gang of youths with cyborg enhancements are stealing his water. Fett and Shand go to investigate and find a small group of conspicuously dressed young people, with brightly colored space-mopeds, hanging out drinking water.
The showrunners telegraph that the water is an extravagance, like the much maligned avocado toast that supposedly prevents Millennials from being able to buy houses. Plus, how is it that they can't afford water but can afford cybernetic implants and brightly colored space-Vespas that look like the oversized iPhones of a galaxy far-far-away? Oh, and they're unemployed despite owning these fancy iMopeds. Total Millennial stereotyping, here.
The young adults have a good side. They're stealing but only from a dishonest merchant who tripled his prices on a necessity of life. Fett offers to pay their debt, at a discount, if they work for him. They agree. And in addition to helping fight off one foe (spoilers above) they help him chase down another foe in episode 3's final scenes.
Fett goes to confront the city's near-useless mayor after learning of his latest attempt to stir up trouble. The mayor's obsequious majordomo stalls for time and flees out the back door. The mayor isn't even there. Fett and the Space Millennials aboard their Apple-designed space Vespas chase down the majordomo, who confesses that the mayor is in league with the Pyke now. The episode ends with one of the Space Millennials watching the spaceport and seeing that groups of Pyke fighters are arriving. Yup, don't mess with
