Max’s Review | The Book Of Boba Fett: Chapter 2 (The Tribes Of Tatooine)

The Book Of Boba Fett Chapter 2 had suspense, action, mystique, cultural references, and even a few laughs!

Sometimes first impressions aren’t the best things to go by. The first chapter of The Book of Boba Fett disappointed me greatly, but Chapter 2…well let’s just say, I want to join the Tusken Raider tribe now. The story picks up where it left off. Fennec and Fett bring the last surviving assassin back to Boba’s palace and question him. He is a member of a highly-skilled group of assassins, but not so skilled to be able to kill Fett. The assassin is not afraid of being executed, but fears Boba’s rancor in the pit bluff and spills the meilooruns.

BOBA’S ULTIMATUM

The Mayor sent him to kill them, so Boba pays him a visit. I laughed out loud at the mayor’s receptionist who tells Boba that he doesn’t have an appointment. Boba walks in anyway, and the Mayor is revealed to be an Ithorian who speaks through a translator. Seeing an Ithorian as a crime boss would have struck me as odd 15 years ago; as Legends portrayed Ithorians as peaceful gardeners. But I like that Canon has made it clear that every species has its good apples and bad apples. We aren’t too clear at first if the Mayor is lying about sending an assassin, but then we learn it is the work of the Twins.

RETURN OF THE HUTTS

The Twins are Jabba’s cousins and my god, I love the aesthetic of Hutt twins. One is female and the other is male, and they sit on the same procession. They think Boba’s new territory is theirs and Boba says, “You can rule over my dead body.” The Twins don’t follow up on the challenge and decide to let things fall where they will….for now. Yet, my nerdgasm began when I saw who is working for them. Quite a familiar face if you’re a fan of the comics.

FLASHBACKS

Chapter 2 sets up stuff for the present, albeit briefly. But the real meat of the episode shifts back to when Boba began living among the Tuskens. The tribe taught him how to fight with a Gaffi stick, and Boba taught them how to use modern technology. It’s a wonderful trade-off. The Tuskens costumes are fantastic, and you can tell the bulk of the money went to their design. We get such a great look at how the Tuskens live as a people, and there are so many parallels to Native Indigenous Americans. From the clothes to the tents to the Bantha’s and even towards an exotic vision quest or two. I also loved the fighting and the action that is displayed. Boba helps his new tribe take down a hovertrain that comes around every day and shoots at them.

I got major Snowpiercer vibes from this hovertrain. And it reminded me of The Mandalorian during the fight sequence when Boba and the Tuskens jump from speeder to top of the train. The real message of this episode resonates with the fact that, oftentimes, cultures and indigenous peoples are often abused and exploited. The Tuskens ancestors hold a stake in the Dune Sea, and nobody respects that connection as they are regarded as savages. Except for Boba, of course.

VERDICT

I take back every bad thing I said about this show. It just needed a few more seconds in the microwave. Chapter 2 had suspense, action, mystique, cultural references, and even a few laughs. I legitimately chuckled when that droid train pilot abandoned ship and scurried away. I’m not a huge fan of melding comedy into sci-fi. BUT when it flows organically, it’s often marvelous. I cannot wait to see more of Boba’s time with the tribe and more of the Twin’s true intentions.

My only critique of this episode was that I noticed how unsophisticated some of the masks were on the Trandoshans on Mos Espa. (I’ll excuse it because they obviously spent the costume budget on the Tuskens) and the fact that Boba is the worst sign language speaker in the entire galaxy. It’s a good thing the Tuskens are sharper than we realized. I have such a newfound respect for these people and see things from their point of view.

To close, I will also say that I am in LOVE with Ludwig Gorasson’s original score. It gives me Goosebumps. HEY!

The Book Of Boba Fett is now streaming on Disney Plus.

Max Nocerino

Max Nocerino is a regular Staff Writer for The Future of the Force. He is a passionate Star Wars fan and loves the literature of the galaxy far, far away. Follow him on Twitter where he shares his love of the Force frequently!