The Book of Boba Fett Episode 4 review: The series continues to stumble

Rating: 2.5/5

Story:

Boba’s flashback scenes give a glimpse of the events before his appearance in The Mandalorian - how he found Femec Sand, rescued her and later regained possession of his aircraft. In the present timeline, he gathers all of the crime lords of Mos Espa to broker peace in the wake of the imminent threat posed by the Syndicate.

Review:

As one would expect from a Disney/Star Wars series, The Book of Boba Fett remains a grand spectacle with its visuals, world-building, and other technical aspects. The performances and the various Easter egg references to the larger Star Wars lore will endear it to the Star Wars fanbase. But even the most ardent of fans will admit to the series lacking that edge in terms of narrative structure and engrossing storytelling - even more so when compared to its hugely successful predecessor, The Mandalorian.

Temuera Morrison’s Boba and Ming-Na Wen’s Fennec, have excellent chemistry, akin to a ‘buddy cop’ duo. While they make for an intriguing pair, it soon becomes overshadowed by the lack of a coherent and well-paced narrative. Ideally, the series should have upped the intensity towards the tail end of the season. Arguably the most disappointing aspect is the fact that characters introduced in the previous episode have become irrelevant. This risks them being less significant to the audience as their character development is non-existent.

The tease of a war with the Syndicate has not developed into anything other than a ‘tease’ even though there are just two episodes remaining this season. The fan theories about Emilia Clarke’s Qi'ra making an appearance for the series has not materialised so far. At this point, even if the character from Solo: A Star Wars Story does make an appearance, it is likely to be just a cameo, to add shock-and-awe, similar to the much-hyped return of Vincent D'Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk in Hawkeye - which was ultimately anticlimactic.

There are a few hints of the show’s potential scattered throughout the narrative, but as the series edges closer to its conclusion of the final episode, it has become painfully obvious that the TV series may have worked better as a tighter and crisper full-length feature film. With the exception of a few bright moments, there is very little in terms of storytelling four episodes into the season - which is surprising considering Boba Fett is a character that has an aura of mystery and intrigue.

Verdict:

The Book of Boba Fett reads like a book with several empty pages. It would require a monumental shift in its pacing and storytelling to redeem it come the final episode of the season. It also seems likely that talks about a second season are premature at best. However, the one thing it can most definitely offer in the final episodes will be a grand spectacle with the imminent war.