REVIEW: ‘The Book of Boba Fett,’ Episode 2 — “Chapter 2: The Tribes of Tatooine”

The Book of Boba Fett Episode 2 presses its foot on the gas this week, building off of elements of the premiere with remarkable speed as well as craft. “The Tribes of Tatooine” sees Fett (Temuera Morrison) and Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) confronting the Mayor of Mos Espa over the attempt on Fett’s life. However, it turns out that Jabba the Hutt‘s cousins were the ones who ordered the hit on Fett, as they seek to reclaim Jabba’s territory. More flashbacks reveal Fett’s time with the Tusken Raiders, and how he helped them stop the Pyke Syndicate from decimating their numbers by launching an assault on the Pykes’ hovertrain.

Executive producer Robert Rodriguez and Wen have compared the series to The Godfather and King Conan, and those influences are especially strong in The Book of Boba Fett Episode 2. Though Fett has now claimed his place as daimyo of crime in Mos Espa, he’s finding that it won’t be as easy to shift from bounty hunter to crime lord-the two positions hold entirely different stakes, similar to how Conan the Barbarian struggled to transition from an adventurer to a ruler. And like The Godfather, the series is split between the past and the present, showing how Fett grew accustomed to life with the Raiders. I also loved the appearance of a character who had previously only been shown in Marvel’s Star Wars comics-it’s always fun to see characters from Star Wars comics and novels end up in the films and television shows, and vice versa.

The past sections are definitely the most interesting part of the episode, with Fett learning the Tuskens’ ways and in turn helping them with their struggles against the Pyke Syndicate. Not only does this let director Steph Green deliver some well-crafted action sequences (especially when Fett and the Tuskens attack the train) but it also continues the trend of showing that the Tuskens are more than mindless savages. They have their own customs, including the forging of their trademark gaderffii sticks, and know Tatooine better than anyone else who lives there, having been on the planet since there was water there. The beauty of Star Wars‘ television efforts is that they often add new depth to corners of the Star Wars universe, and The Book of Boba Fett is no exception.

The past sections also reveal more about Fett via a “vision quest” involving a strange lizard, and how he will always struggle to survive. Series producer and writer Jon Favreau fleshed out the traditions of the Mandalorian race in The Mandalorian and Fett is no exception; having lost his father Jango and his armor he is for all intents and purposes a man without a home. It’s no wonder that he takes to the Tuskens and helps them; they essentially become his surrogate family and help him to do what he does best: survive. I can’t help but feel a bit of worry, though: Fett was shown to be traveling on his own during Season 2 of The Mandalorian which could spell trouble for the Tusken tribe he befriended.

The one issue with this episode is the lack of things to do for Shand. Wen has described being in the Star Wars universe as a dream role, and she proved to be a formidable character on The Mandalorian and The Bad Batch. Here, not so much. I know we’re only two episodes in but I hope that Shand gets to have a standout moment of her own. Her knowledge of how the criminal underground works could be a great asset to Fett, and much like her boss she knows a thing or two about survival-I’d hate to see that wasted.

The Book of Boba Fett Episode 2 continues to build upon the series’ premise, showcasing how its titular character became a formidable force in both past and present. With the main threat to Fett’s rule now exposed, it remains to be seen how he outmaneuvers the Hutts and keeps his position as daimyo of Mos Espa.

New episodes of The Book of Boba Fett premiere Wednesdays on Disney+.