Mini Series The Book of Boba Fett 1.02 - Chapter 2 - Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

I love this show! This is a Star Wars fan's dream come true, where we get those moments the movies couldn't give us, where books could only scratch the surface.

Spoiler

Loved the old-school (but done in a new-school way) train robbery. And it was run by the Pykes!

 

I know this series is not going to be many SW fans' cup of tea, but I'm loving Boba's Tusken adventures in the desert. As Austin Powers might say, "This sort of thing is my bag, baby!"

This episode reminded me of one of my favorite arcs from Xena: Warrior Princess ("Adventures in the Sin Trade"), where Xena meets a tribe of Amazons with special powers and learns their ways, even delving into shamanism (e.g. animal sacrifice, blood drinking, chanting). As a kid, I was weirded out ("What am I watching?"), but I couldn't turn away. I'm also a huge fan of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, which many I-J fans find boring because a lot of it is just Indy learning about other cultures/politics. So yeah, I loved seeing Boba lead the train attack and become formally accepted into the tribe with his own gaffi stick.

Everything set in the past was gold to me -- even (especially!) the lizard snorting. That said, I didn't think the present day story line moved forward enough, and I agree that the humor of the Mayor's minions feels too modern. But I'm more than happy with the show so far... it wasn't what I was expecting at all. I expected wall-to-wall action and big twists, much like the Starz Spartacus series (which I really liked). I'm still betting on a Qi'ra appearance at the very end, though.

 

Ok, it was amzing see ing Krrsantan and the pykes.

Boba training tuskens made me laugh.

And with all those trandoshans about town who do you think might be leading them?

Spoiler

 

1. This is the 2022 I was looking for.

2. Never underestimate the ability of Star Wars to revive itself.

3. The Twins! Hutts! Yes! Yes! As expected, the politics will slowly be revealed to be a lot more complicated than the first episode indicated. And finally, Hutts!

4. Black f’ing Kyrrrstan (not googling how to spell that). Man is that a cool-looking Wookiee.

5. To all those who were lamenting that the Tuskens aren’t interesting, they just got 1000x more interesting and complex. Unbelievable. Lizard-in-the-brain-dream-driven-walkabout/ initiation ritual!? Wow. That’s a level of depth to a culture we’ve never seen in Star Wars before. That’s how you show native tribal cultures. Just great.

6. To @The Chalk Jedi and @DarthFixxxer you’re absolutely right that mystery isn’t everything. But I find it artistically and socially much more interesting if the story makes us empathize with a people that looks nothing like us - and a people whose faces we never see. If they’re clearly human, or humanoid in the face, I think that will undercut this incredible feat. So I still want them to keep the masks. But will be OK with it if they turn out to have VERY non-humanoid faces. It’s a real bold move to spend so much time getting audiences to empathize with the Tuskens without ever showing their faces. That’s the kind of creative risk George would approve of. And it’s paying off.

7. The Pykes! Wow, what layered world-building we’re getting here. And given the mercy shown, as suspected, I believe we’re seeing the beginning of a multi-faction alliance that Boba has in place PRIOR to taking Bib Fortuna’s throne, and that the Hutt Twins aren’t ready for. Now Boba simply regrets that he has to wage war on the Hutts and their allies. He was hoping to avoid it, as his unconvincing “maybe it’s settled?” showed. And as @Darth Chiznuk says, I think his plan all along was to destroy the criminal empire from within and free Tatooine of its cancer. Yojimboba!

8. Loved that spider-droid conductor. It’s little touches like this that add so much texture.

9. The train is obviously quite on the nose in a lot of ways, but it’s justified so well in-story (as a method of the Pykes protecting their spice routes), that it’s perfect. Plus, I love train heists in the GFFA and will take more.

10. Were those Jawas in the tree? Those dudes get into your fever dreams too!

11. The Mayor’s mulleted receptionist! More mullets please.

12. And I almost forgot that we also…went to Anchorhead. You know. That happened too.

13. Steph Green is a better director than Rodriguez, I think, based on these two episodes.

My score? 13/10

 

Steph Green is definitely amazing.

So everyone wondered what the "Baby Yoda" of this series would be, and now we know.

Boba Fett is leading a Tusken revolution.

 

I feel that every word beside 'FANTASTIC' is too much. They lessen the fantastic feel. But ... well, I'm sorry, I'm in babbling mode and here's no-one who even watch the show.

As I'm someone who love to watch/read the learning process of a character, the past-scenes are of course my favorite. I always wanted to know more 'official' things about the Tusken, mainly if there are different tribe-styles (warriors, farmers, nomads and so on). I also thought it always fascinating how people in our world can survive in deserts and (for me) deadly surroundings, so the Tusken part is just the milk in my coffee (I watched the episode during my wake-up-liter of coffee).
I'm pretty sure that we all will be fluent in Tuskenese after this show. I loved this mystical lizard-drug-trip. A very slight complain I do have is using the tree in a surrounding that remembered me too much of Vikings. But yeah, the tree makes sense as the Gaffa staff is made out of wood.
Oh, I am on the side of not really wanting to see what's under the mask. I would not complain if it's done well, but as I suppose that Tuskens are very much human-like, it would probably just bring on idiotic discussions because of, well appearance, and the way we have seen them until Mando. Let's be honest: The OT and PT both didn't much to even somewhat like them. The first time we saw them was them beating down Luke.

I need to watch the episode tonight again. Actually the Tusken-part blew me away so I find it hard to remember details of the present part.

As someone said: The use of subtitles is brillant. Huttese we 'know', Tuskenese* not. So we should be as stupid as the main character we follow.

*Tuskenese - it's probably called something different, but right now I'm too lazy to look it up.


Very strange thought: I think Boba is not just leading the Tusken, but have taken over the palace because he wants to give the Tusken their lands back. Meaning: He clears the way for a Tusken-world. He even said it: You shouldn't have to hide.

 

I'm fine with the mask staying on as long as the Tuskens aren't treated like an exoticized mystery. That's where they lose depth and "humanity," i.e., being.

This episode provided the depth and demystification I wanted while keeping the masks on, and that's sufficient for creating empathy.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if the mask does come off at some point. The connection between Fett and a couple of the Tusken characters makes it fairly likely, I think.

@Ash_Satine Agree 100% -- Boba is clearing the way for a Tusken world.

 

Can't see the image, but it should be Dokk Strassi, at least that was said last episode

 

Unlikely since as far as the viewer is concerned, those masks are the Tusken faces. It's not like Vader where we are given a glimpse of what could be under that mask.

 

**** it. 15/10

 

What if Boba Fett develops a romantic relationship with the Tusken who trains him to fight? It might be weird if we don't see their face.

The viewer's perception of things doesn't mean the writers shouldn't go a step further if it's important to do so. Quite often that's exactly the reason you do choose to subvert audience expectation: to make them see differently.

 

I guess these need spoiler tags.

Spoiler

It's true. They do have Philips Head screwdrivers in SW, Fett was using one while carving lines in his gaffi stick.

The action here was done far better than the ep1 shield fight.

Goes in dressed like a prisoner, comes out dressed like Palpatine.

 

Woaah ... what can I say? Incredible episode.
Give me more

 

That's what I mean with 'doing it well'. Actually it would be enough to see a infant get nursed or fed. Or it should be the last part of the ritual. You'll have to prove your way into the tribe, live, eat, drink, suffer and man the deaths with them and at last you (and we as stand-ins for Boba) gain the right to see them without the masks.
It have to be special. Like in some cultures in which couples know each other very well and for a long time but skin is not shown before after the wedding.

 

Again, I think it’s far more creatively bold (and as such, difficult) to get an audience to care so much for a faceless people. It strikes at the problem with “emotional empathy” vs. “intellectual empathy.” With the former, studies show that most humans reserve this kind of empathy primarily for people who resemble themselves or their in-group, but lose it as the subject of empathy gets more and more different than them - physically, culturally, etc. So if this show can help break that reticence down in an audience, by eliciting such strong support for the Tuskens without ever showing us their faces? Man. That’s a filmmaking feat for the ages.

What “many” fans? I imagine that possibly three Star Wars fans in the world won’t like this episode. I bet even @3sm1r will enjoy it.

 

As someone who didn’t like the first episode at all, all I can say is wow. This was a 10/10 for sure. I loved it. Can’t say I loved every minute, as I still find the mayors lackey incredibly annoying. It’s like he’s delivering stand up with each line. The rest of the episode though? Worth it. Worth every second.

 

I love the mayor’s lackey as I’ve met ridiculous sycophants like him. In similar positions. Very true to life, even if he seems broadly comedic to some.

 

The mayordomo?

 

Spoiler

Where is Muchi?!

 

I was really into the episode up until the flashback. Which is not to say the flashback was bad, but I’m just more interested in the present day plot and less into a rehash of Dances with Tuskens. Hopefully the flashbacks don’t continue all the way to the end of the series.

 

Can I at least hope for more of a time parity between the two? It felt like three quarters of episode 2 was the flashback. I’ll just have to wait and see.