The Mandalorian The Bad Batch Fennec Shand (Spoilers)

If an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist.

 

Well, fair enough. Star Wars definitely isn't meant to be realistic.

...but even with that in mind, Fennec killing the Tuskens sounds like the worst kind of "twist for the sake of a twist" type storytelling to me. More important than the basic logic of the scenario is how it seems to go against the show's basic themes and the emotional dynamic of Fennec and Boba's entire relationship.

Plus, I don't think Ming-Na Wen would allow it. The only reason Fennec survived her first episode is that she changed their mind on that....

I would guess the first. She was said to be on the run with a giant bounty on her head, and the guy had a tracking fob like the bounty hunter guild uses.


....Which reminds me of something else - Fennec was going to meet her contact in Mos Espa, the Pykes don't come to Mos Espa until this show way after the Tuskens are dead,* they operate out of Mos Eisely.

* Which is yet another thing, the timeline, there are probably years between the death of the Tuskens - those stormtrooper helmets were still fresh when Boba went to Mos Eisly to talk with the Pykes, they were weather worn when Din came and took the bounty on Fennec.

 

I don't think it's so random as a twist, I believe it would have a decent set up and it would be powerful dramatically.

Why do you think the actress has any interest or power in changing the script according to her own taste?

 

1) Well, I try to keep an open mind about things, but I just really can't see it that way. Agree to disagree?

2) I was mostly joking....but also because she already did so, like I said in the message that was quoted. Not sure how that wasn't clear.

 

Are you saying that Fennec was supposed to die in Mando 1.5 but the actress opposed it ? If this is the case, I'd love to check the source of this information directly, if you remember where you read it.

 

Sure:
https://screenrant.com/mandalorian-season-1-fennec-shand-death-original-plan/
There is one source.

Mentioned here as well: https://ew.com/tv/ming-na-wen-book-of-boba-fett/

And here: https://insidethemagic.net/2021/12/dave-filoni-ming-na-wen-same-high-school-rwb1/

Some additional details here: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Trivia/TheMandalorianS1E5Chapter5TheGunslinger

I also remember Ming-Na Wen and Temura Morrison talking about in a recent video interview, but they did so many of those lately I am not sure how to find it. I will keep an eye and add it in if I find it

 

Spoiler: Well...

It seems that all of those Fennec murdered the Tuskens theories have hit a snag. Fennec only briefs Boba's army of the Pykes' movements and another candidate has shown up as the potential culprit... and his style of murder is more akin to a true massacre than precise killings. Armed with flamethrowers and rocket boots, Cad Bane has a better shot at being the Tusken murdering culprit. Additionally, Boba Fett hasn't seen him yet and we know they have a personal history regarding bounty hunting rivalry. Also, the Pykes have shown their method of sending a message with a bomb. So even if Cad Bane didn't do it, the Pykes have the means to do it by themselves.

 

I couldn't ever get my head around that theory, it just seemed like overkill to have a master assassin employed to kill some Tusken's... but Cad Bane?

Seems something he'd not only do but thoroughly enjoy doing,

 

It has to be Cad Bane that killed them.

 

Spoiler

Cad Bane and Boba were hired to go after some Tuskens in their canceled arc, so it does seem to fit.

 

So if Fennec is innocent...

Does that bring a sigh of relief?

 

I still have hope in Fennec being guilty. I won't give up.

 

The fact that Fennec knows the Alpha and the Omega clones has all sorts of interesting connotations. And also that's she's already clashed with Cad bane and lived to tell the tale.

 

It really does seem like something Cad Bane would do. Massacring the Tusken Raiders tribe Boba was living with and then leave that Lost and the Damned biker gang's symbol to take the blame. We've seen before that Bane will study targets and do extensive prep before he does a job. I don't think he'd have much to study for that. But Bane could certainly have spotted Boba with them and followed him around for a while. He was probably stalking Freetown for a while before he made his move there. There is certainly someone above him and the Pykes collectively.

I have pondered before the idea Bane purposely didn't fatally shoot Hunter just because it was crueler to leave him alive while Bane takes the kid. Speaking of The Bad Batch, it's obvious to me the duel from the uncompleted episodes of TCW still happened off-screen given the plate that was on Banes's head. I wonder if a flashback to that is on the way. There are indeed a lot of interesting connections here with a rematch also possible with Fennic. Fennic is obviously going to know a clone when she sees one. I wonder if Grogu's flashback to Order 66 is meant to have another purpose. It's interesting to see the Clones at their worst inhibitor chips or not in a series where the title character is the first clone. Is Boba truly unaltered?

And Fennic would have to be able to figure out the connection between Alpha and Omega even if clones themselves have a hard time realizing Omega is a clone. But not sure how relevant that is.

 

You know I wonder how many tags this thread will have when all things are said and done

 

Spoiler: Chapter 7

That scene at the end with Fennec wasn't really worth her absence up to that point. By that point I'd forgotten about her, honestly, and was expecting Boba to be wanting vengeance for the Tuskens. Instead he took it out on Cad Bane?

 

Hope is all but lost now.

Correct.

 

Spoiler

Pretty sure Cad Bane's dialogue made clear he wasn't involved.

Oddly enough, I think Fennec could actually still be guilty if the writers chose later on. Her killing the Pyke leader and the Mayor could be her eliminating those who knew.

 

Spoiler

Considering what the Pykes threw at Boba Fett despite being inferior fighters, I don't think they need master assassins. Just one of those massive droid would enough to wipe out an entire tribe.

 

With Fennec taking out the gang leaders Boba does now truly rule the whole place.

 

I wonder if she would consider taking him out too.

 

Fennec for me has been the biggest disappointment as a character so far due to her lack of any serious development.

She is not the worst in TBOBF, that title goes to those Vespa teenage street mod "extras"; I say extras because I don't even consider them characters because they are that lame. Teenage wannabes who showed unbelievable and stupid traits. They are embarrassments to Star Wars.

I just wished Fennec got something more than living dislike of the Pykes vicariously through Boba. Given her career as an assassin, surely she could have had her own Pyke story to tell that would have run parallel with Boba's.

She got some brief characterisation around the campfire one night, but that was it. Star Wars is at its best when there are multiple unique character arc and journeys and relationships running parallel to the main story that also feeds into the main story. Fennec got very little.

And given Fennec's altercation with Bane in The Bad Batch, should it not have been Boba and Fennec taking on Bane in the finale instead of her eliminating the head bad guys. That moment should have been the Tusken Warriors and Fennec should have been beside Fett in taking on Bane.

I really hope the writers learn from this and give better characterisation to their supporting characters in the future.

 

Fennec kept objecting to Boba's decisions (stopping the spice trade), but there was never any payoff. It made her a static character. Even if she didn't turn on Boba, they should have played with the idea more.

Maybe the other crime families arrange a secret meeting with Fennec and make her an offer: "Either you betray Boba and we cut you in on the profits OR we stop being neutral and join the Pykes." Then either Fennec betrays Boba OR she just pretends to betray Boba as part of a larger plan.

After all, Boba said it was "smart" for the crime families (gotra) to betray him. So shouldn't he have had a backup plan?