The Book of Boba Fett episode 3 recap: a mini Star Wars gangster movie
Huge spoilers ahead
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- Episode 3 (of 7), ‘Chapter 3: The Streets of Mos Espa’- Written by Jon Favreau- Directed by Robert Rodriguez★★★★
Spoilers for The Book of Boba Fettfollow.
When the female Hutt Twin tells Boba Fett that “Tatooine is a worthless rock,” she clearly hasn’t been paying attention.
Yes, the Outer Rim world is a desolate, crime-ridden place, full of coarse, rough, irritating sand that gets everywhere. But, having appeared in six out of 11 live-actionStar Warsmovies, and numerous TV episodes, it’s arguably the most important location in that galaxy far, far away.
‘The Streets of Mos Espa’ serves as a reminder of whyStar Warscan’t keep away. Because this is the episode whereThe Book of Boba Fettstarts to deliver on its ‘Star Wars with gangsters’ promise; where moving the mythology forward belatedly takes priority over world-building and looking back.
Whether or not you’re wearing Mandalorian armor, the successful running of a criminal empire requires staff. Boba Fett’s ever-expanding entourage proves he means business – even if the extra bodies could spell bad news for Fennec Shand, who’sstilllooking for something significant to do beyond delivering the occasional threat or nugget of advice.
That’s not the only point of aggravation, either. Both in and out of universe, it’s bizarre that makeshift majordomo 8D8 has waited quite so long to tell his boss how Mos Espa is split between various mob bosses. For viewers, this information would have been helpful earlier on – it’s hardly a colossal spoiler – but it’s even weirder that Fett himself is only just learning about the town’s organisational structures. Did he not do his due diligence before marching into Jabba’s Palace inThe Mandalorian season 2 finale?
The oversight certainly doesn’t ring true with the former bounty hunter’s sensitive, self-aware approach to management. Where the pre-Sarlacc Fett might have disintegrated the water monger who dares to suggest that no one respects him, he’s now willing to play the long game – first listening to Lortha Peel’s complaints about a street gang stealing his inventory, then turning the tables by telling the broker he’s overcharging, and recruiting the offending gang as youthful hired muscle.
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Most importantly, ‘The Streets of Mos Espa’ cuts down massively on the flashbacks, with the new-found emphasis on Fett’s present giving the story some overdue momentum after last week’s past-heavy instalment.
That said, the seven minutes of Fett’s backstory are particularly relevant and poignant, hinting at his history with the Pykesandrevealing the horrific deaths of his Tusken friends. After episode 2’s admirable efforts to turn the Sand People into sympathetic characters, wiping them out in such a brutal manner feels incredibly cruel. Tuskens simply can’t get a break in Star Wars, and their fate will surely have shaped the Boba Fett we’ve encountered since.
Fett’s regular dunk in the Bacta tank also gives the series its best shock moment so far. Having established his recuperative sessions at the gateway to the show’s many flashbacks, the episode plays with our expectations when Fett’s calm contemplation is interrupted a visit from a murderousBlack Krrsantan.
What follows is a brilliant fight, a defenseless Boba doing his best to counter the bone-crunching moves of a towering Wookiee, only surviving thanks to the intervention of his new biker gang friends. It’s arguably the first time we’ve ever seen a Wookiee in full-on rage mode – despite Han Solo’s claim that they have a tendency to pull people’s arms off when they lose – and it’s a moment precision-engineered to keep fans happy.
Experience flashbacks of your own with our recaps ofThe Book of Boba Fett episode 1andThe Book of Boba Fett episode 2.
Which, to be fair, seems to be the main reason for The Book of Boba Fett’s existence. In this episode alone, barely a scene goes by without a sighting or reference to a moment, creature or character from Star Wars past, whether they’re star names (the Rancor) or obscure residents of Tatooine (the B’omarr monks and Bubo).
Although the show constantly runs the risk of becoming bogged down in its in-jokes, mythology and fan service – if the season doesn’t finish with Boba Fett riding his new pet Rancor to vanquish some rival crime lord, we’ll be very surprised – it’s less problematic in ‘The Streets of Mos Espa’. And that’s because the story has shifted up a gear, with crucial pieces falling into place, like Kintan Striders on a djarik board.
It seems likely, though, that the most powerful players in The Book of Boba Fett are yet to show their hands. Because while the Pyke Syndicate have proved themselves to be dangerous operators in The Clone Wars, we’ve seen nothing to suggest they’re the sort of A-list villains who could prompt a pair of Hutts to turn their tails and (metaphorically) run away.
War is clearly coming – but will Boba Fett and Fennec Shand be ready for who or what they’ll be facing?
Our verdict
In an episode where you can’t move for nods to existing Star Wars lore, The Book of Boba Fett also finds time to establish its own gangster movie credentials. The criminal backwaters of Tatooine, first established in the original trilogy, remains the show’s big selling point, and ‘The Streets of Mos Espa’ does plenty to improve our understanding of Mos Espa’s underworld – and the scale of the challenge facing Boba Fett if he’s going to become a successful daimyo.
This outing also features some brilliant action sequences – from Fett’s impromptu scrap with a Wookiee assailant to an electrifying speeder chase through the mean streets of Mos Espa – and hints at the existence of a criminal mastermind more powerful than anything we’ve seen in the show so far. Surely no one still believes that elusive Mos Espa mayor Mayor Mok Shaiz is the one pulling the strings…
Force facts
New episodes of The Book of Boba Fett debut on Disney Plus every Wednesday.
Richard is a freelance journalist specialising in movies and TV, primarily of the sci-fi and fantasy variety. An early encounter with a certain galaxy far, far away started a lifelong love affair with outer space, and these days Richard’s happiest geeking out about Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel and other long-running pop culture franchises. In a previous life he was editor of legendary sci-fi and fantasy magazine SFX, where he got to interview many of the biggest names in the business – though he’ll always have a soft spot for Jeff Goldblum who (somewhat bizarrely) thought Richard’s name was Winter.
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