After last week's episode we thought there was NO WAY they would spend another full chapter on Mando's story, but boy were we wrong. Not only did it pick up right after last week, with Din on his way to see Grogu, it took it to the next level with Luke playing a much larger role than I think anyone expected (by the way, the deep fake tech has apparently come a long way since 'The Mandalorian' season 2. Luke actually looks pretty great!). The most surprising part, besides the delightfully unexpected inclusion of yet another 'Clone Wars' character, was that Boba didn't have a single line of dialogue again in his own show (although, that could be considered an improvement over last week where we didn't see him at all). All that being said, maybe we shouldn't have been surprised considering we knew Dave Filoni was in the director's seat this week. It's always a pleasure seeing Dave at work, but it's his writing where I think where he really shines, in yet another solid installment of live action Star Wars now under his belt. The question now is, how the hell does this show wrap everything up in one episode?!
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SSSW - The Book of Boba Fett S1E5 "Return of the Mandalorian"
When we all heard the Mando whistle/theme at the end of last week's episode I think it's fair to say no one expected this! Lucasfilm decided to drop an entire episode of 'The Mandalorian' into the middle of 'The Book of Boba Fett'; essentially a Mando season 3 premiere. That being said, I was very pleasantly surprised as this episode not only brought us some awesome Dark Saber action moments, it also introduced us to an exciting new local, had some deep lore, fun prequel connections, and it all looked absolutely stunning. This is easily the best episode we've got all season, but it doesn't really feel fair to compare this to the rest of 'The Book of Boba Fett' as this is essentially an episode of an entirely different show (I mean... Boba doesn't even make an appearance this week!). With only two episodes left in the season, only time will tell if this choice will prove to fit in smoothly with the rest of the story, or if it will feel disjointed, but the tease at the end of this week certainly has us excited for what's to come!
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SSSW - The Book of Boba Fett S1E4 "The Gathering Storm"
After a largely disappointing episode last week, we catch up with Boba and friends in what appears to be the final flashback sequence of the season (though I'm still holding out hope for a few more!). Boba recruits Fennec, recovers his Firespray class starship, and exacts some revenge on a certain biker gang (and sarlacc). Back in the contemporary story, Boba does some more recruiting (nice to see that wasn't the last we see of everyone's new favourite wookie), and invites the local crime bosses over for a dinner party in an attempt to gain their aid against the Pykes. Leaving us with a pending "war" and an exciting tease of a certain shiny-armoured friend.
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SSSW - The Book of Boba Fett S1E3 "The Streets of Mos Espa"
Boba Fett's star vehicle seems to be on a bit of a rocky road. A lukewarm premiere was followed by one of the best Star Wars TV chapters yet, only to have chapter 3 stumble once again. Robert Rodriguez is behind the camera (as he was for chapter 1), and despite his action pedigree, the fight and chase sequences were underwhelming. The fights feeling oddly blocked and paced, while the chase could not have felt much slower (unless maybe they were walking?). Story-wise, the conflict with the Hutts was quickly resolved, only to leave us with a completely new enemy, and still no idea why Boba Fett even WANTS to be a crime lord. Especially one who is facing a war with another crime syndicate. With another 4 chapters left to find its way, there's still plenty of hope, but so far the track record is not strong for what was a very highly anticipated series. Join Julian and Rachel as they unpack what worked and what didn't in this week's episode of Small Screen Star Wars.
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SSSW - The Book of Boba Fett S1E2 "The Tribes of Tatooine"
After a rocky start, with an underwhelming first chapter, there were some concerns about how the rest of 'The Book of Boba Fett' would play out. Fortunately, Chapter 2 put that all to rest with a spectacular follow up. "The Tribes of Tatooine" continues to explore the Tusken culture, and likely finished what "The Mandalorian" started, by officially winning most us over to being full fledged fans of "the sand people". Meanwhile, the "contemporary" story jacks up the stakes as some major players are introduced to threaten Boba's burgeoning criminal empire. This is all done while finding time for some very fun and satisfying nods to long time Star Wars fans throughout the episode. This is top notch Star Wars in nearly every regard. Join Julian and Rachel as they dissect it all!
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SSSW - The Book of Boba Fett S1E1 "Strangers in a Strange Land"
It's been a long wait since the end of 'The Mandalorian' season 2 that not only reintroduced the character decades after his supposed death in 'Return of the Jedi', but it also ended with a teaser of Boba on Jabba's throne. Fans have since been speculating about the uncertain future of the galaxies most feared bounty hunter now that he's taking an eye to leadership. The first episode does little to reveal what is to come for Boba, and instead looks backwards, as we are treated to the long anticipated reveal of HOW he survived the Sarlacc. It's unclear if we'll follow Boba's journey all the way up until we meet up with him in Mando but it seems clear that they are using the full extent of the "book" motif, and will likely explore other parts of the character's life throughout the series while following his rise through the underworld.
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SSSW - The Bad Batch S1E16 "Kamino Lost"
Picking up only moments after last week's episode, the season finale of 'The Bad Batch' spent much of its 28 minute runtime alternating between action set pieces, as the squad works to stay alive as Tapoka City sinks into the Kaminoan sea, and hard hitting dialogue scenes as the show unpacks Crosshair's emotional turmoil. For my money, it's the those dialogue scenes that really hit home and make this finale work. Where as I wasn't as concerned for the squads survival during the set pieces, knowing a season 2 was on the way. We are treated to continued exchanges between Hunter and Crosshair that dive deep into Crosshair's damaged psyche and make you feel genuine pity and sadness for the character. To me it's another sign that the show is willing, and capable, of tell complex stories and sets up a fascinating season 2. Overall, the first season of 'The Bad Batch' has to be considered a success. The animation quality took another step forward (the water effects alone in this episode are enough to blow me away) and the storytelling was generally consistent across the season (looking at you "Infested"). It's by far the best first season of any Lucasfilm Animation series, and as a season finale it holds its own against some of the absolute bests in Star Wars.
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SSSW - The Bad Batch S1E15 "Return to Kamino"
Ever since 'Game of Thrones' set the standard for big spectacle in their penultimate episode to their season finales, nothing really has topped the bombastic heights of "The Battle of the Bastards" or other memorable moments. However, the standard had been set. Lucasfilm, not one to be outdone, delivered a truly awesome penultimate episode of their own for season 1 of 'The Bad Batch'. No, it doesn't match the nearly unreachable levels of production that GoT achieved, but it does take this series in a new direction and closes the book on a long loved chapter of Star Wars, all with it's own levels of bombast. Everything between Hunter and Crosshair worked. From the well written dialogue to the small animated facial tics and vocal performances, their interactions are really the core of the episode. But what really stood out this week was watching Lucasfilm say farewell to 'The Clone Wars' as we watched Imperials lay waste to Tapoka City, a location synonymous with one of the most interesting eras of Star Wars. It worked both as an element of this series as well as a nod to long time fans, and though it ends on a dour note, we know season 2 is on the way. We can look forward to the final episode of this season on Friday and more adventures with this dysfunctional squad next year.
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SSSW - The Bad Batch S1E14 "War-Mantle"
Rachel returns to the show to help Julian break down the first of what appears to be a 3-part arch to end the season. And what a start it was! This episode pulls no punches as it lays tonnes of groundwork for the final two episodes, including giving us insights into the proto-Stormtrooper training program. It then proceeds to ratchet up the stakes by how it leaves Hunter, and looping in another fan favorite character. Plus, from a pure spectacle perspective this episode is definitely firing on all cylinders. From a Death Star inspired escape sequence, Clone Commandos, and maybe the first time we've ever seen V-Wings in an actual dog fight, there's certainly a lot to feast your eyes on. That's without even mentioning the emotional gut punch at the end. We're fully primed for the final 2 episodes. Can't wait!
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SSSW - The Bad Batch S1E13 "Infestation"
With only 3 episodes left before the season 1 (or potentially the series) finale, "Infestation" felt like a bit of a let down. Following the brilliant Ryloth 2-part arch, and Crosshair's vendetta seemingly on the verge of coming to a head, it feels like a step backwards to drop such a standalone episode into this slot in the season. That's not to say the episode itself is bad, it's fine, but in context with the rest of the season it certainly feels out of place. But I suppose that's nothing new with Star Wars animation as they've struggled with season long pacing since the beginning of 'The Clone Wars'. "Infestation", sees the squad return to Cid's parlour to find she's been ousted by a wannabee crime boss, and with a little persuading from Omega, they workout a plan with Cid to wrestle back control. Unfortunately, not everything goes as planned as they get entangled with the Pykes. Like I said, it's fine. Oh, and no Rachel this week as she's on vacation, so it's a Julian solo show, enjoy!
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