The new Star Wars streaming series The Book of Boba Fett is three weeks into its debut season, and the minor controversies within the show are starting to show within the fandom. Discussions on social media have included some fierce debates about the treatment of different characters – both new and old. Fair warning: there are spoilers for the first three episodes of Book of Boba Fett below.
The Book of Boba Fett picks up where The Mandalorian Season 2 left off – with Fett (Tamuera Morrison) claiming the territory once controlled by Jaba the Hutt on Tatooine, and Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) at his right hand. Right off the bat, some fans are disappointed that the series is spending even more time on the desert planet that has hosted so many Star Wars stories over the years, though that at least was clear from the earliest preview. Others were disappointed by the flashback storyline featuring the Tusken Raiders, complaining that Fett played a “white savior” archetype in the story. Many also thought that depicting the genocide of the tribe that took him in was gratuitous and predictable.
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In Episode 3, Boba Fett encounters a speeder bike gang in his territory and quickly wins their loyalty, employing them as his new crew. Fans raised various issues with this storyline as well – in many cases, simply mocking the group’s distinct appearance and quick introduction. When the episode aired, “Power Rangers” was trending on Twitter before long.
Die-hard fans complained that these bikers contradicted previous canonical elements of the Star Wars franchise, and that their technical skills simply did not match what was previously established about life on Tattooine. In fairness, director Robert Rodriguez warned fans that their preconceptions about aesthetics on Tattooine would be challenged in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last month.
Finally, some fans are complaining that this version of Boba Fett does not match with the version from their favorite movie, novel, comic book, video game, other pieces of media or simply the mythologized version of the character they have in their head. Some fans take Fett’s constant reliance on the Bacta tank as a sign of weakness, fearing that the show is trying to make him less intimidating. That’s to be expected when working with a character this immersed in the fandom, but after seeing him fight his way out of the Sarlacc and strangle a desert monster, there should be no question that this Boba Fett is as strong as ever.
Fans were bound to argue and gripe about The Book of Boba Fett no matter what, and all things considered, the “controversies” the show has faced have been pretty mild so far. Episode 4 of the series premieres on Wednesday, Jan. 19 on Disney+. In the meantime, here’s a look at what Star Wars fans are saying about their new show.
Tusken Culture
Many fans were genuinely offended by the show’s killing off of the Tusken tribe that took Fett in. They believed that this negated all the progress the franchise had made, especially in The Mandalorian. In a press event on Friday, Morrison and Wen both weighed in on this controversy.
“[Their portrayal] was better than it was [in the films],” Morrison argued, according to THR. “Then I read [in the script that] we were throwing dead bodies just on the fire and I was going, ‘Oh, hang on, we got to put a bit of ceremony into this.’ But they are the Indigenous of the sands of Tatooine, and I was creating a little bit more history about their own culture – and I was pulling from my own culture, in a way, in terms of the ceremonies and preparing the warrior and preparing a weapon. And Boba has never experienced a real family before – with the young Tuskens and the old Tuskens – and protecting their land.”
“We knew so little about the Tuskens, and [the show] really gave them an incredible backstory,” added Wen. “I thought all those elements really enrich who the Tuskens are… and [setting the bodies on fire] was part of Star Wars, with A New Hope, whether it’s the Jawas, when they were attacked, there is this ceremonious desire on Tatooine to burn the bodies as opposed to letting them lie out in the open in the desert.”
Some fans found this depiction disappointing, but argued that it was too early to judge the series for it. With episodes airing week-to-week, some expected those Tuskens to return or be redeemed somehow.
Power Rangers
The second-most common complaint about the series so far is about the speeder bike gang, and in most cases, those complaints were about aesthetics. Fans felt that the look and feel of these cyborg vigilantes broke their emersion in the Star Wars universe.
Speeder Chase
Fans found plenty of faults with the speeder bike chase scene in Episode 3, complaining that it was out of place, too slow and anti-climactic.
Soft
Fans complained that Fett was depicted as too weak and vulnerable in this show, while others pointed out some of the amazing feats he has already pulled off in the three episodes we’ve seen. Some also debated whether the show should be grittier, or whether it should be marketed towards children.
Morrison
Fans who disliked the show tried to argue that Morrison felt the same way based on some of his recent interview quotes.
Humble Beginnings
Fans reminded each other that whatever preconceptions they have about a faithful depiction of Boba Fett is based on very little, as the character was not really fleshed out in the original films at all. Fett’s backstory was explained a bit in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, and even more so in cartoons, video games, comic books and novels later on. However, when Disney acquired the Star Wars franchise, it changed the canon so that many of those “Expanded Universe” stories no longer took place within the world of the movies and TV shows.
Excommunication
Finally, some fans who have liked the show so far expressed concern about Morrison and Wen as they spend more time dealing directly with the fandom online. They noted that fan harassment has already had a serious impact on many prominent stars in this franchise, and hoped the same wouldn’t happen to this cast.
