SPOILER WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN BOOK OF BOBA FETT EPISODE 2 STOP READING

Alright let’s jump right in, episode 2 was a friggen masterpiece. I am biased and John Favreau and David Filoni could take a dump on a plate and I would say it’s awesome but unfortunately, the internet did not enjoy last week’s episode and it did not get the greatest reviews because it started a little slow. I feel like people are trying to compare it to ‘The Mandalorian’ and that’s going to be hard to replicate because Baby Yoda captured all of the hearts and made it ok to watch Star Wars with your girlfriend. If Game of Thrones has taught me anything it’s that when an episode is slow (it’s normal) setup for this heater of an episode, and boy did episode 2 not disappoint.

Episode 2—The Tribes Of Tatooine—is fantastic, every bit as good as some of the best episodes of The Mandalorian. Much like last week’s episode, the episode is split into two timelines, but there isn’t too much jumping around they start in the present timeline and move to the flashbacks.

We begin with Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) captured one of the Night Wind assassins last week, and this week he’s brought before Boba Fett for questioning, after some light interrogation he reveals the mayor sent them to kill Boba Fett. This then prompts a visit to the mayor. After Boba breaks into the mayor’s quarters it is revealed that the mayor in fact did not send the assassins and sends Boba Fett to the tavern to find answers. Thus setting us up for the biggest reveal of episode 2.

After some light digging, Fett discovers that the “Twins” are coming back to avenge his brother’s throne. Right then and there I knew what was about to go down. I also just want to make a note that I totally called this appearance on Kids On The Escalator on Monday.

The Hutts have come for Jabba’s things. Namely, his crime empire. But Boba Fett isn’t about to budge. When the sister tells her brother she thinks they should kill him, Fett says she’s right. They’ll have to kill him if they want to take his territory. Enter a jacked-up Wookie, looking as mean as ever. Fett doesn’t bat an eye and the Hutts don’t want any bloodshed and they leave, but we know they’ll be back.

Onto the flashback. I would just like to say I love how deep they are diving into the Sand People culture, really humanizing them and making them likable characters.

Boba Fett has been adopted into the Sand People’s tribe and during the opening scene, a train flies through the Sand Dunes and basically slaughters half the sand people’s tribe. Boba Fett devises a plan to stop the train (which the Sand People think is an impossible task). Fett heads over to Tosche Station to highjack a few speeder bikes to help stop the train.

The next scene is one of my favorites because it adds a bit of comedy to the show. Fett attempts to teach the sand people how to use the speeder bikes. This again humanizes the sand people and gets us smiling.

The next scene, however, is ALL-TIME. The taking of the train, which Boba and his Tusken pals do with style. It’s a terrifically fun action sequence—the old Western train robbery turned on its head—and ends with a Fett victory.

Boba Fett lets the survivors live, on the condition that they go back to their masters with a message. Any shipment of spice that travels across the Great Dune Sea must be accompanied by a toll paid to the Tusken Raiders.

This earns Boba Fett his place in the Tusken tribe. They send him on a spirit quest by having a hallucinogenic lizard crawl into his head and he comes back carrying a sturdy branch after having some truly trippy waking dreams. He’s given a badass black cloak and is taught to transform the branch into his very own weapon that we see him using on Stormtroopers in The Mandalorian.

The episode ends with Boba and the Tuskens dancing around a fire with their gaderffii, chanting and jubilant after an epic victory.

VERDICT

This episode had a bit of everything. Easter eggs, Dune references, Hutts, comedy, and a Badass Space Western train scene. This is Star Wars at its best. Can’t wait until episode 3.

10 Tuscan Raiders Out OF 10.