The Book of Boba Fett Double Take: Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of The Book of Boba Fett, aptly titled The Return of the Mandalorian, is now in my opinion the best episode we’ve seen thus far. Could I argue that we essentially saw an episode of The Mandalorian? Sure. Is it even worth dedicating much time to that? I’d argue no. We can never really tell how a season will shake out until we’ve seen all the episodes, so it remains to be seen how much of an aside The Return of the Mandalorian really is. It seems like Mando’s going to stick around for Boba’s battle against the Pykes, but this episode goes a long way in making fans crave The Mandalorian Season 3. I’m happy to put this point to the side and focus on what was great about The Book of Boba Fett Chapter 5.

As the episode opens it becomes crystal clear that after the events of Season 2 of The Mandalorian, Din is back to his bounty hunting ways. Without his buddy Grogu by his side this makes total sense, it’s who he is and what he knows. But Din and viewers alike know that he’s a changed person, bounty hunting will never be what it used to be. He’s now as lost as Boba was after his Sarlacc Pit survival, a key connecting point between the two Mandalorians and their respective series.

Part of Din’s payment for completing his job is directions to where the remnant of his Mandalorian sect are hiding out. He’s reunited with the Armorer and Paz Vizsla and he explains to them how he became the rightful owner of the Darksaber. From this conversation we gleaned new information on the Mandalorian way, including some key history of the planet, which was one of my favorite parts about this episode. For casual Star Wars fans, the Mandalorian history lesson is probably super helpful if they’re unaware of the events of The Clone Wars or Rebels. For die-hards (I fall somewhere in between) this sequence was a complete joy to see on screen. Seeing the destruction on Mandalore was both thrilling and heartbreaking, plus that shot of the KX security droids amidst the carnage was freaking gorgeous (I can’t be the only one craving that as my desktop background!). We also learn that beskar shouldn’t be used for weapons but rather for armor, so naturally Din wants something for Grogu (complete with lookalike gift wrapping.)

Paz Vizsla, a descendant of the creator of the Darksaber, challenges and loses a duel with Din for the right to wield the weapon. Apparently there’s a mini quiz after a Darksaber duel, one Din fails by revealing he’s removed his helmet, thus stripping him of the title of Mandalorian and forcing him to strike out on his own. Now we are seeing Din even more lost than he was before, cast out from the tribe where he thought he belonged. So he jumps on a transport and heads to Tatooine.

Din’s got his sights on a replacement for his lost Razor Crest and he looks to his old pal Peli Motto for help. I absolutely love having Amy Sedaris back as Motto, she injects every episode she’s in with humor and levity. I love seeing the relationship between these two continue to grow, Motto is among the few who have broken through Din’s armor and been able to establish a professional and personal rapport that is a pleasure to watch. Motto’s replacement ship of choice is none other than an N-1 Starfighter, an awesome The Phantom Menace callback that I’m sure elicited squeals of delight from households around the world. We spend a lot of time with Motto and Din as they fix the old fighter up but never did any of it feel like a waste. Between Motto explaining the ins and outs of dating a Jawa (turns out there’s fur underneath all those robes) to getting to see a BD droid for the first time in live-action (more squeals from Jedi: Fallen Order fans), I had a smile on my face the entire time. Mando also was giving me young Anakin vibes as he takes the fighter out for a test flight to Beggar’s Canyon, not letting get pulled over by the New Republic hamper his joy, so much so that we see Din probably get as excited as we’ve ever seen him, calling the flight “wizard” (a nice nod to both Anakin and The High Republic character Ram Jomaram) upon his return.

Timelines intersect at the end of The Book of Boba Fett Chapter 5 as Fennec Shand appears, asking for Din’s help against the building war against the Pykes. Din’s enthusiastic (for him) response to the offer combined with the endorphin boost of finding a new ship seemingly puts him on the path to finding who he really is. Like Boba, Din is forming a new tribe but not forgetting about his past, to the extent that he promises to join Fett’s crew after he pays a visit to Grogu (a tease I think we’ll have to wait until The Mandalorian Season 3 to see, sadly).

I cannot finish this wrap-up without making mention of Bryce Dallas Howard’s directorial skills which are on impressive display. In her hands this story was told in a visually stunning way without sacrificing the story. From shot compositions to performances, The Book of Boba Fett Chapter 5 is a season standout and was just what the series needed as it heads towards its finale.

There are only two episodes left of The Book of Boba Fett and I can’t wait to see where things go. With Din now in the mix, Boba’s motley crew will definitely give the Pyke’s a run for their money. What did you think of The Return of the Mandalorian? Let us know on our social media channels and we’ll see you back here next week.