REVIEW: ‘The Book Of Boba Fett,’ Episode 7 – “In The Name Of Honor”

The Book of Boba Fett Episode 7 closes out the series in style, thanks to director Robert Rodriguez delivering an all out war between Fett (Temuera Morrison) and the Pyke Syndicate. “In The Name Of Honor” finds Fett and his forces, including Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), outgunned and outnumbered by the Pyke’s forces-which include gunslinger Cad Bane (Corey Burton) and a massive pair of Scorpeck droids.

Rodriguez gives the episode the appropriate pace, opening with Fett and his allies crafting a plan and then slowly escalating the action until Mos Espa is engulfed in all-out war. And what action it is: Fett and Djarin have a shootout with the Pykes, Black Krrsantan holds off a wave of Trandoshans when the other crime lords turn on Fett, and Fett’s pet rancor ends up playing a major role in the final fight. I never thought I would see a kaiju battle a giant robot in Star Wars, but that’s the beauty of this franchise: almost everything goes.

And after two episodes that more or less served as Season 2.5 of The Mandalorian, Fett once again takes center stage. Refusing to give up Mos Espa to the Pykes, he faces off against Bane in a final battle. Fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars will more than likely enjoy this showdown, as Bane served as a mentor to a younger Fett during the series. Bane even offers a “final lesson” to his protege: “Look out for yourself, anything else is weakness.” Suffice it to say, Fett proves him wrong. His allies prove vital in the battle against Bane and the Pykes.

Morrison also showcases the ferocity that lies underneath Fett’s stoic demeanor. He doesn’t deliver threats, he delivers statements. When the Pykes have him cornered, Fett offers them a deal. Leave or the sands of Tatooine will be littered with their bodies. Sure enough, that’s what happens. Fett also uses the weaponry the Tusken Raiders gave to him, paying tribute to the people who saved his life while avenging their murder. I just wish we had seen more of this in the series proper, as the first four episodes did a great job of fleshing him out as an actual character

This leads me to Djarin’s appearance in the series. While he’s grown to be one of my favorite characters in the Star Wars universe, it feels like writer Jon Favreau was more interested in Djarin’s story than Fett’s story; the episode even ends with a tease for Djarin’s next adventure. There could have been a way to fold Djarin into the story without feeling like Favreau was rushing to get to the next season of The Mandalorian. It ultimately undercut Fett, who the series was supposed to be about.

The series also continues to under-utilize Shand, and that’s a shame because her expertise is what kept Boba alive. In fact, given the ending and the way she planned out the final fight, I feel like this series should have been called The Book of Fennec Shand. Clearly she would have been a better daimyo than Fett. I hope this isn’t the last we see of Wen in the role, as she’s expressed her love for the Star Wars universe and deserves to have a meatier role.

The Book of Boba Fett Episode 7 serves as a microcosm of the series’ highs and lows while delivering the massive fight it’s been building up to. Ultimately, I feel about this series the same way I did Hawkeye. It has a strong first half, followed by a second half that got weighed down with fan service and a growing cast of characters.

All episodes of The Book of Boba Fett are now available to stream on Disney+.