Chapter 3 of The Book of Boba Fett dives right into the politics of Mos Espa and Hutt Space. The power vacuum created after the sail barge incident had allowed Bib Fortuna to seize control, but at a price.
Bib Fortuna had divided up Mos Espa into three sections. With each area divided amongst some prominent families. That had allowed Fortuna to have the power to control Jabba’s old territories and stop a mutiny. The division of Mos Espa leaves Fett in a complicated position. There are many factors within his territory, and they are waiting to see his next move.
Fett must be an intelligent leader and plan his moves strategically. But first, he must play the role of Daimyo and take audience with the common folk. This is an interesting dynamic that adds to the responsibilities of his role as leader. The information that he receives is imperative to his growth as Daimyo, and if he ever really wants control, he’ll need to figure out how to gain the respect of the people.
The quest that falls upon Fett creates a Medieval aspect to the show. The need to take the audience and the plea for protection illustrates Fett’s power and role in Mos Espa. It also reinforces the hero aspect and the trials he must face. His only issue is that he will need to handle things himself until he can hire enough goons to do the dirty work.
The Dirty Work
The streets of Mos Espa are, according to the water merchant, rampant with crime. Fett needs to protect the businesses that pay tribute to him, so he goes to check out how tough the bandits really are. Even with the droid modifications, they had a bit more bark than bite.
Those characters were interesting; the costume design and overall aesthetic of these thugs did not necessarily feel like Star Wars. They were closer to a mixture of Cyberpunk 2077 and Back to the Future, but that could also reinforce the scarcity of Tatooine.
But, Boba Fett handled the situation intelligently. He solved their issue, offered them jobs, and gave the merchant a fair price for the water. The price gouging was unnecessary, and Boba Fett saw right through it. He could see how desperate the thugs were and is well aware of how vital water is, especially after what he experienced in the desert. After paying the merchant a fair amount, Fett had settled the matter and gotten some new goons.
Back In The Tank
The flashbacks of Boba’s life usually give us a glimpse of his childhood, and the most common scene is the one where Jango flies away as he remains in his room. Fett may have some unresolved abandonment issues, and the bacta tank seems to be his therapy.
The first two chapters showed how Fett survived life with Tusken Raiders. After he gained their respect, trained in their ways, and freed them of the terror of the train, now he must go and claim payment for protection to pass.
As he walks with his Bantha into town, we get a nice glimpse of who put the stormtroopers helmets on the spikes, as seen in The Mandalorian. That was a great connection to see, considering that scene was the background for so many of the promotional posters. It also gives us a good indication of where this is in the timeline, as it is post-Empire.
This partnership with the Pykes is good training for his life as a Daimyo. With the Nikto biker gang laying claim to the payments, Fett must do what he can to help the Tusken Raiders. Unfortunately for Fett and the Tusken Raiders, the Pykes were loyal to the Niktos and warned them of the rising threat.
The tragedy of his village massacre is so emotional because of how humanized the first two chapters made the species. Fett was forced to say goodbye and gave them a proper burial, but before we could see his next move, his time in the tank was disrupted by an uninvited guest.
The Wookiee Attack
Black Krrsantan was sent to assassinate the new Daimyo of Mos Espa, and if it weren’t for Boba’s new goons, he would have succeeded. The ambush left Fett vulnerable. Without his weapons or armor, he stands no chance against a Wookiee.
After an intense battle between everyone in the palace, Shand knocked the Wookiee into the Rancor pit, where a Rancor would come in handy, but Krrsantan’s life will be spared.
The disruption back into the present was a nice change of pace for the show. Now that the question of how Fett gained so much knowledge about the desert and how he survived has been answered, it won’t be as necessary to go back into the past. Although, revenge against the biker gang would be nice to see.
A Gift for a Leader
Well, well, well, it looks like Fett is an official head of a family because he now has his very own Rancor. The beast, a gift from the twins, is a sign of respect. He survived the attack from Krrsantan, and they know he remains in Fett’s dungeon. Because he failed, he is no longer of use to the Hutts. But, everything comes with a price, so there is definitely an underlying motive to this gift.
Fett’s next move was shocking. He just let Krrsantan go like nothing, but saving his life will certainly help him in the future. He is a good ally to have, and he’d rather have him alive and on his side than dead. It’s a good move for Fett to make. He needs to build as many connections as possible, and after saving someone’s life, they usually come around in the end. It would be nice to see Krrsantan in Boba’s Palace.
The Rancor and his keeper are a nice touch to complete his palace. Fett is extremely interested in the beast and the relationship that he could potentially form with it. As it turns out, they’re emotionally complex creatures that imprint on the first human they see. The relationship that Boba could have with this beast will help to reinforce his position as a powerful Daimyo. One walk through the town on its back, and no one will argue with him.
The Problematic Mayor
The appointments and the meetings with the mayor are always an issue for Fett. It appears that the mayor has no respect for the new Daimyo and expects him to be out of power shortly. The assistant is just as big of an issue for Fett and running only reinforces how guilty he is of hiding the mayor.
Fett’s goons were on the chase, and we got a good look at their bikes. The style is cool, the bikes have a 50s retro vibe to them and it reinforces the notion that their costume design looks similar to Back to the Future. It could have also been a homage to American Graffiti, the design of the bikes gave off a strong car culture vibe, just with a futuristic twist. Although they looked like space vespas, the chase was an exciting scene and added to the drama of the mayor’s guilt.
It turns out that the mayor is working with the Pykes, which would explain why he feels protected enough to act so boldly with Fett. The Pyke Syndicate is a powerful organization and their spice makes them millions.
And how about that Star Wars version of a payphone? That was a very creative addition to the show.
It looks like Fett will need to prepare for war with the Pykes for Tatooine. This would explain why the twins were so eager to get back to Nal Hutta.
I Have Spoken
This was a fantastic episode. I love that we are seeing how Boba Fett goes about building his new empire in Mos Espa. The new goons, the brawl with Krrsantan, the chase, everything about this episode had me hooked. With a runtime of 34 minutes, future episodes could be a bit longer, but I look forward to next week as we see Fett prepare for war with the Pykes.
I am VERY eager to see how the relationship with his Rancor turns out. This will be an exciting aspect to explore, as this show fleshes out the creatures and beasts we previously thought were brainless menaces to Star Wars society.
What did you think about Chapter 3? Did you like that the timeline was more in the present instead of the past? Comment your thoughts down below or on the Facebook page!
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