The Book Of Boba Fett Chapter 6 “From The Desert Comes A Stranger” brings back fan favorites, introduces a new one to live action, and plays like a movie.
After struggling through four mediocre episodes of The Book Of Boba Fett, fans and finally getting the show they want and deserve. Last week Chapter 5 gave us back the Mandalorian, and Boba Fett wasn’t even shown. This week, with The Book Of Boba Fett Chapter 6, more fan favorites are brought in, a badass character from the animated show finds his way to live action, and the title character even makes a (very small) appearance.
With Dave Filoni directing this chapter, there was no chance it wasn’t going to be epic. And that is exactly what it is. The best Boba Fett episode by far, and quite honestly, the best The Mandalorian one as well. There is just one episode left and it is to be assumed this series is going to go out with a bang.
Warning: The Book Of Boba Fett Chapter 6 Spoilers Ahead
Right from the start of The Book Of Boba Fett Chapter 6 is was clear the plan is continue the theme of Chapter 5. The first four episodes of this series were dull, and it felt like nothing was happening. Now things have been kicked into high gear with the return of Din Djarin, and would you believe that was just the start of cameos? Poor Boba Fett has taken quite the back seat in his own show, but I don’t hear any of the viewers complaining.
Chapter 6 catches fans up on Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant) and what he has been dealing with since giving Boba back his armor. The opening scene shows him dealing with some Pykes, who are of course still in the movie Dune and dealing Spice — a plot point I won’t ever get behind but sure, it could be worse I guess.
The cameos don’t stop there however. Let’s just say I didn’t spend much of my time watching The Book Of Boba Fett Chapter 6 with my butt in my chair — because I was bouncing up and down, screaming, clapping, and even teared up a few times.
The previous episode left off with Mando saying he needs to go see a little friend, which we know to be Grogu. He plans to deliver him the armor that he had made for him, since he is a Foundling after all. When he arrives at what is soon to become Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy (you know, the one that Kylo Ren destroys in the future), Ahsoka greets him. Per usual, she talks some sense into him and explains that Gorgu seeing him will only set him back in his training.
My only issue with this scene is that I can’t imagine Grogu wouldn’t have sensed him immediately, although it does seem like he feels him leave when his ship takes off to head back to help Boba Fett. Ahsoka takes the armor to Luke, who decides he will use it as a test for poor little Grogu.
Will he choose to take Yoda’s lightsaber and become a Jedi or the armor and become a Mandalorian? Chances are we will not know the outcome until The Mandalorian Season 3 at the end of this year, but maybe, just maybe, they will let us know in the Boba Fett finale.
A fair chunk of the episode is spent with Grogu training alongside Luke, who even compares him to Yoda. He is training him to use the Force in a handful of scenes that will bring longtime Star Wars fans back to the original trilogy. It is so good to have this little guy back, and to see him actually working with Skywalker was not something I expected from this show. Then again, this has turned into The Mandalorian season 3, which is when I did expect to see it play out.
Skywalker uses the Force to help Grogu recall the moment when he was separated from his masters, and this is how you do a flashback. There is no need to spend a ridiculous amount of time on it. We see the Clone Troopers come in and attack the Jedi, complete with some visually stunning flashback waves to show this is memory — and then we move on.
These scenes cannot be discussed without saying that the CGI de-aging of Mark Hamill is extremely impressive. Having this character engage in full conversations, in the daylight, and look like Hamill filmed this in the 1980s is mind-blowing. Things like this will make or break a show, and the work here must be applauded.
Related: The Book Of Boba Fett Chapter 5 Review
The present day Boba Fett is, yet again, a bit of a bore. Fennec Shand is the one leading the meeting where it is revealed their final roster to take on the Pykes includes Din Djarin and Black Krrsantan. Boba just kinds of stands there and says no more than ten words — something I am quickly learning he does best.
There is a brief scene at Garsa’s Sanctuary — where it blows up — that is surely going to come into play next episode. The Pykes are not backing down, and now that we know they have someone very powerful, and very cool, on their side, I can’t imagine the fight is going to be all wrapped up by the end of the final episode next week.
Cobb Vanth is approached by Mando to join the cause, and he decides he needs to call a town meeting to discuss it. It is only a matter of time before the Pykes truly become an issue for him, as we saw at the start of the episode, they are already moving into his territory.
Across the dusty horizon fans spot a silhouette that can’t be mistaken. The hat gives it all away. That’s right folks, Cad Bane has made his way into live action and he looks incredible. The face, the teeth, and the eyes — not to mention Corey Burton has returned to voice him (with stunt actor Dorian Kingi performing him). This is pure perfection. Star Wars at its finest.
Of course Bane is working with the Pykes. It all makes sense now. Yes he shoots Cobb Vanth but it looked like a shoulder hit and there is no way they are killing him off like that. The finale of The Book Of Boba Fett is sure to blow everyone out of the water as we see Boba Fett and his gang of mercenaries take on Bane and the Pykes. This is going to be the longest week of my life, and no, I won’t be waiting patiently.
Talk about an incredibly epic journey that piles on the fan service and plays like a freaking movie. Perfectly combining cameos, action, individual scores from previous films and shows, intertwining plot points, and bringing Cad Bane from animated to live action. Hot damn, this episode was the best thing I have seen in a long while. This is Star Wars. This is the way.
Rating: 5 out of 5
About The Book of Boba Fett
Every galaxy has an underworld. The Book of Boba Fett, a thrilling Star Wars adventure teased in a surprise end-credit sequence following the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian, finds legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett and mercenary Fennec Shand navigating the galaxy’s underworld when they return to the sands of Tatooine to stake their claim on the territory once ruled by Jabba the Hutt and his crime syndicate.
The Book of Boba Fett stars Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen. Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Robert Rodriguez, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson are the executive producers. Karen Gilchrist and Carrie Beck serve as co-executive producers, with John Bartnicki producing and John Hampian as co-producer.
The Book of Boba Fett Chapter 6 is now streaming on Disney+.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.