[Editor’s note: The following containsspoilersforThe Book of Boba Fett, Episode 1, “Stranger In a Strange Land."]
Star Warsfans everywhere were surprised to see Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) return from the dead inThe Mandalorian.What isn’t a surprise is the arrival of a whole new show,The Book of Boba Fett, which follows the bounty hunter as he escapes from the Sarlacc and attempts to fill the empty throne that once belonged to Jabba the Hutt.
This first episode, “Stranger in a Strange Land,” answers many of the questions that fans have had since Boba Fett first returned, from how he escaped the belly of Sarlacc to how he spent his time with the Tusken Raiders of Tatooine, and the following will break down the episode and offer a little more clarity on where it left off.
RELATED:‘The Book of Boba Fett’: Why You Recognize That Torture Droid’s Voice
Escaping the Sarlaccand Facing the Tusken Raiders
The episode jumps right into answering one of the biggest questions regarding Boba Fett; how did he escape the Sarlacc? If you’ve read the comics and books, you might already know the answer, but for those who don’t, here are the basics:
In an ingenious move of survival, Boba Fett uses the oxygen of a dead Stormtrooper to breathe as he begins to dig and punch his way through and out of the Sarlacc. After a lot of climbing through Sarlacc guts, Fett bursts his way out into the Tatooine desert, only to find that Jabba’s barge is in ruins.
He then promptly passes out, which is understandable after having crawled through the fleshy walls of the giant monster that was trying to digest you. While unconscious, Boba Fett’s armor is stolen by Jawas who, while they traded the armor to Cobb Vanth back in Season 2 ofThe Mandalorianfor only a camtono of silicax oxalate crystals, seem to have no problem stripping it off Fett and running away with it.
After this, left alone without his armor in the scorching desert suns, Fett is awoken by Tusken Raiders, who tie him up and drag him back to their village. In what may be an even more humiliating moment than getting thrown into a Sarlacc by a blind man (by accident no less), Boba Fett is beaten up by a group of young kids (ouch) and left tied to a pole with a small Rodian.
Fortunately, the bounty hunter hasn’t lost his touch completely and escapes in the desert… before the Tusken Raiders catch him again, viciously attacking him and capturing him once more.
All of the above takes place during a flashback, while Boba is back in Jabba’s former palace, floating in a bacta tank that is doing wonders for his skin.
The Art of Being a Crime Lord
Boba’s awoken from his bacta-nap by Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), who Fett rescued in Season 1 ofThe Mandalorianafter she had been shot and left for dead by Toro Calican (Jake Cannavale) and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), who, to be fair, returned after she’d been shot and thought she’d already perished. As they walk together, Fett mentions that “the dreams are back,” hinting at some repressed trauma from his time in the Sarlacc (and even a bit before).
With Fennec at his side, Boba Fett begins the process of taking over a crime syndicate, although Fett is set on ruling with respect; as various people (mostly aliens) come to pay tribute to Fett, the episode focuses on the friendly banter between him and Fennec, as well as Fett’s mercy: when the Mayor of Mos Espa sends a rather shady emissary rather than come himself, Fett allows the man leave alive after refusing the Mayor’s request for money and getting threatened in response.
Regardless, it’s clear that ruling won’t be as easy as Fett hopes, even with his efforts to rule with a little more compassion and humility.
He and Fennec march into Mos Espa and end up in a cantina, where they briefly meet Madame Garson (Jennifer Beals), who feels as though she’ll be playing a larger part in the show as it continues. As Fett and Fennec leave, they are surrounded by a group of henchmen—possibly working with the Mayor—and a chase quickly breaks out. While Fennec is instructed to “bring them back alive,” Fett returns to the palace for another dip in the bacta tank and the flashbacks continue.
Flashbacks Are Back
Picking up where the last flashback left off, Boba Fett and the Rodian are marched across the desert, passing by a group of looters, and instructed to dig for water; along with strange pods of water, the two also manage to dig up a large four-armed lizard monster. In a move that recalls the way Leia killed Jabba the Hutt, Fett strangles the creature with his chains, earning the respect of the Tusken Raiders, as well as his freedom.
The End (of the Episode)
This is where the episode ends, setting up Boba Fett’s future relationship with the Tusken Raiders which, based on his ownership (and exceptional wielding) of a Tusken Gaderfii inThe Mandalorian,seems to be a positive one. Considering Fett’s struggle to take control of Jabba’s palace and syndicate, as well as this new clash with the Mayor of Mos Espa, his good rapport with the Tusken Raiders may come in handy in the future.
Based on the extensive flashbacks throughout the episode, as well as Boba Fett’s seemingly common dreams regarding his past, it seems that Fett still has a lot of reckoning to do when it comes to his past; hopefully,The Book of Boba Fettwill address more than just the audience’s questions, but those of the characters as well.
