Robert Rodriguez Tries to Make Boba Fett Cool in The Mandalorian

 

It finally happened. Boba Fett has returned. That works to both the betterment and detriment of ‘The Tragedy’. You see, Boba was never cool. Not on screen, anyway. This episode works very hard to make viewers think he was despite the fact they have all seen The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He is a borderline useless henchman that falls down a hole despite wearing a jetpack.

Having said that, if one were wanting to make him cool, hiring Robert Rodriguez to direct that episode would be a good step towards doing that. And they did; kudos to everyone for recognizing their weaknesses and bringing in a master. Depending on the exact type of film you like, you may recognize Rodriguez as the director of such films as From Dusk Til Dawn, Spy Kids, Sin City, or Machete. All stylish action films, several of them quite brutal.

Brutal action is the name of the game in this action-heavy installment of The Mandalorian. The plot progression is minimal, and the characters remain a weakness outside the opening comedy bit between Mando and Grogu. Grogu meditates on a stone atop a hill, just as Ahsoka told him to and then gets kidnapped by robot Stormtroopers. Meanwhile, Mando, Boba, and (surprisingly-not-dead) Fennec Shand fight a bunch of cool sequences, including one where Boba dominates a number of troopers with a stick. It looks phenomenal.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this episode is Grogu’s continued willingness to just force choke dudes. He did it once in the prior season and repeatedly in the final scene of this episode. This is the only evidence that Ahsoka’s assessment of him potentially falling to the Dark Side being correct. Honestly though, this does not seem like a Dark Side of the Force thing. Like, choking someone is not particularly torturous and evil compared to plenty of things Light Side wielders have done. It is a child’s defense mechanism. We have known that for 20 years.

Overall, this was an entertaining episode. The rare two-episode streak for The Mandalorian. The ending implied that next week’s chapter will focus on breaking Bill Burr out of prison so he can help them rescue Grogu from prison. I too enjoyed the Dominic Purcell-Wentworth Miller-starring Prison Break and look forward to this series transforming into it. That should, at the very least, be entertaining. If nothing else of import occurs, it will almost certainly be a disappointment heading into the finale though. Here’s hoping they pull it off.

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