The Book of Boba Fett - First Trailer

[ecarden]

I had assumed they took the beskar armour and left all the regular non-invicible armour parts behind. Are you sure any of what Mando found there was Beskar?

I thought so. Wasn't that why the Armorer remained behind? To collect it all and reforge it? But maybe I overestimated the proportion of their gear that was Beskar? It all looked very much like Beskar and I was under the impression that Mando was fairly junior, hence his lack of jet pack and the minor bullying about him being the one to go up above.

But maybe I misunderstood. Anyway, I'll be watching the show this thread is actually about today and we'll see how it goes.

[Palanan]

So, that was a fun opening chapter. They've managed to retain the classic Star Wars feel while giving us an interesting new slant.

Spoiler: First Chapter

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First, we should take a moment to acknowledge the prophetic genius of Patton Oswalt. (Right at 1:30.)

Enjoyed just about everything, from the innards of the Sarlacc to the swanky casino with palm fronds, which had a bit of a Casablanca vibe.

Not sure about the rooftop scene; it felt like Star Wars meets Prince of Persia, but with less parkour skills. That one sequence didn’t quite fit for me, although I did like the general concept of the sand ninjas. Also appreciated that Boba Fett is a long way from invulnerable, which gives us a sense of how tenuous his initial rule may be.

And although they were brutal and cruel, I liked the presentation of the Tuskens as people who understood how to find the bounty of a landscape that most others see as pure desolation. Not quite a fan of the hexapod monster, only because the head looked almost exactly like the Kraken from the 1981 Clash of the Titans. Wondering if that was a deliberate homage to Ray Harryhausen.

And that little punk of a Tusken, taking credit for the kill himself. I’m hoping that somehow he ends up working for Boba like everyone else in Mos Espa.

Spoiler: New Terminology

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Very interesting that the Trandoshan used the term "daimyo" to refer to Boba Fett's new position, which was echoed later in the episode. I don't think we've ever heard that term used for Jabba or Bib Fortuna, and it has more of a warlord connotation than mere crimelord. Of course we know its real-world historical usage, but I'm interested to see what it means in the Star Wars context. Regional overlord, maybe? Really looking forward to seeing how that's developed.

Great start, and definitely looking forward to more.

.

[ecarden]

Very good start. No issues at all with character invulnerability, which makes the last page or so of conversation sort of hilarious in hindsight.

There were a few nitpicks that made me go 'huh' but generally very well done and captured a lot of the feel of star wars out on the frontier.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by ecarden
No issues at all with character invulnerability, which makes the last page or so of conversation sort of hilarious in hindsight.

Indeed.

Originally Posted by ecarden
There were a few nitpicks that made me go 'huh' but generally very well done and captured a lot of the feel of star wars out on the frontier.

Exactly this. It’s a promising setup, and they’ve nailed the classic feel while giving every indication they’re going in their own direction.

Spoiler: Thinking A Little Further...

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…I like the fact that we’re getting a glimpse into actual character growth with Boba Fett. His Tusken captivity is giving him a taste of what it feels like to be powerless, and the sense is that this will inform his more nuanced approach to ruling in Jabba’s place.

And I really like that he’s demonstrating he appreciates loyalty in former enemies, and is willing to recognize and reward it without holding a grudge. One of many nice touches here.

[Telwar]

I thought so. Wasn't that why the Armorer remained behind? To collect it all and reforge it? But maybe I overestimated the proportion of their gear that was Beskar? It all looked very much like Beskar and I was under the impression that Mando was fairly junior, hence his lack of jet pack and the minor bullying about him being the one to go up above.

But maybe I misunderstood. Anyway, I'll be watching the show this thread is actually about today and we'll see how it goes.

From what I recall, the only part of Mando's armor that was beskar initially was the helmet. The Armorer, once he brings his camtono full of beskar ingots, mentions that this will sponsor a good many foundlings, in addition to making his nice suit of full beskar.

So therefore, it's likely most of the covert's Mandalorians weren't in full beskar on their own, just the helms. Now, it's still effective armor (still likely more effective than the mass-produced-by-the-lowest-bidder trooper armor), but it's not nigh-invulnerable.

Now, Bo-Katan's armor does block Gideon's blaster shots, but I suspect hers was full beskar to begin with, since IIRC it's an ancestral suit. On the other hand, Bo-Katan also has had a LOT longer to learn that there are gaps and she shouldn't do stupid things like rush a position with a heavy autoblaster, unless she absolutely has to. She can leave that to the young guy who has a lot to prove.

[Tyndmyr]

Knives can penetrate kevlar fabric but do not penetrate military grade body armor. The ordinary plastic hard hat I wear for work has stopped all sorts of things including a hammer an idiot coworker dropped from a roof. In the US, safety glasses are designed to deflect a nail fired by a nail gun.

So a stormtrooper should be able to take a blow on the head from a club, especially when wielded by an Ewok.

Nitpick time! "military grade" isn't really a category as such. Knife protection ratings are separate from ballistic ratings, and either military or civilian armor systems can protect against either or both.

Certainly my ol' issued flak jacket wouldn't have stopped any knife at all, but my civilian ceramic plates absolutely will.

People pick their protection based on what they(or their superiors) think they should have. Yeah....the Stormtroopers did go down pretty easy to Ewoks, but it's not entirely insane. Plenty of resistance movements use primitive/unconventional stuff. There's a pretty cool youtube video goin' around showing a cannon mounted on a truck being used in modern warfare, and that sucker absolutely works.

[ecarden]

Nitpick time! "military grade" isn't really a category as such. Knife protection ratings are separate from ballistic ratings, and either military or civilian armor systems can protect against either or both.

Certainly my ol' issued flak jacket wouldn't have stopped any knife at all, but my civilian ceramic plates absolutely will.

People pick their protection based on what they(or their superiors) think they should have. Yeah....the Stormtroopers did go down pretty easy to Ewoks, but it's not entirely insane. Plenty of resistance movements use primitive/unconventional stuff. There's a pretty cool youtube video goin' around showing a cannon mounted on a truck being used in modern warfare, and that sucker absolutely works.

A broader issue is that Storm Trooper armor doesn't seem to work against...anything? I think there's some supplemental materials which suggest it works against slugthrowers, but I don't think we've ever even seen one of those in star wars (or am I confusing their armor with Imperial Guard armor in Warhammer 40k)? If it weren't for Ewoks, I'd think they were good against melee weapons, hence the electro-melee weapons we see in this episode and elsewhere.

But back to the show,

Spoiler: gear discussion continue

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The gear here was also pretty interesting, with electro melee weapons and shield (don't think we've seen those before?) I do admit to wondering about the benefits of the electro-weapons over normal ones? The shields had an advantage in ease of carrying and in not being able to grab them by the enemy, but I didn't see a lot of advantage to electro-spear over spear, except that it meant folks could be hit without being more permanently injured.

Spoiler: People

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There were some very nice touches here. The Gammoreans proving their worth (though where were they when the ninjas appeared?) was very nice, and a good demonstration of why they were kept around by other powers. Them being treated like animals by the upper-class folks was also a good 'this universe actually exists and has its own internal logic/relations' moment.

I really liked Fennec vs. the ninjas on the rooftop, though I wasn't sure how she got ahead of them, but she does know this area, having worked for Jabba and co. But to me the best part was the 'Boba wanted one alive, I've got two survivors, no need to risk bringing back both and I can send a message, kick guy number 2 off the roof,' which just conveys so much about her character and that these aren't the good guys in one moment. I would have liked a quick check to make sure he was dead, but we cut away, so I'll just assume that happened.

Power bases...seem to be quite a few of them, which makes sense, especially as Bib probably wasn't as powerful as Jabba, leading to a long fracturing into different powerbases. I do wonder if the mayor is just another crime lord, or something else. I doubted the Twi'lek woman running the gambling den was truly surprised Boba took over and was wondering if her people put bugs or something in their helmets while they were being cleaned.

As for who sent the assassins? I like that it could be anyone and hope the assassin they caught doesn't know.

Good to get a bit of attention for the Tuskens, I do hope we'll learn a bit more about them without losing the ruthless raider aspect of their character. Given how they're handling Fennec, I have high hopes for some complexity without losing the edge.

ETA: I actually wonder if the intent of the assassination attempt wasn't assassination, but was a warning/threat/beating? That might explain the weapon choice.

ETA: Forgot the brief discussion about Trandoshan's sounding threatening naturally and that expression 'may you never leave Mos Espa' suggests interesting things about their culture without rushing to explain. Made the universe feel bigger rather than smaller.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by ecarden

Spoiler: Gear

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The gear here was also pretty interesting, with electro melee weapons and shield (don't think we've seen those before?)

Spoiler: More Gear

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The Gungans carried full-size energy shields during the battle in Phantom Menace.

Also, some of the Mandalorians had little energy-bucklers in the Clone Wars, during the arc which saw the introduction of Bo-Katan.

[The Glyphstone]

Electro weapons also have a benefit in that, presumably, they can injure someone on a glancing blow where a normal spear or some has to hit firmly.

[ecarden]

Spoiler: More Gear

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The Gungans carried full-size energy shields during the battle in Phantom Menace.

Also, some of the Mandalorians had little energy-bucklers in the Clone Wars, during the arc which saw the introduction of Bo-Katan.

Ah, that's a good point, I'd forgotten that, though I think those had full frames around them, which removes the advantage of ease of carry, but you're right we've seen related tech a lot.

Electro weapons also have a benefit in that, presumably, they can injure someone on a glancing blow where a normal spear or some has to hit firmly.

That's fair, though I'd think you could also have a point in there so if you can hit square you can also stab.

[Peelee]

Spoiler: Weapons

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Electro weapons are also harder to grab away (Fett does, but it is clearly incredibly difficult for him to do this). It also gave me the impression they wanted to take Fett alive, but I'm not sure how accurate I am on that.

[runeghost]

Very good start. No issues at all with character invulnerability, which makes the last page or so of conversation sort of hilarious in hindsight.

My six year-old niece (who is aware StarWars is a thing, but its not her thing), walking into the room where adults are watching it after dinner, during Boba Fett's captivity:

"Why are they beating up that old man?"

[Mechalich]

Spoiler: Weapons

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Electro weapons are also harder to grab away (Fett does, but it is clearly incredibly difficult for him to do this). It also gave me the impression they wanted to take Fett alive, but I'm not sure how accurate I am on that.

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It sure looked like they were trying to take him alive. Which makes sense, really. if nothing else, there's almost certainly at least one (probably several) bounties on his head, and those are usually worth more if the target is bagged alive.

[Peelee]

So I've come to the sad realization that the entire first three minutes were a complete waste. They could have accomplished the exact same thing by going to what the movies have already established:

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Opening text: "Somehow, Boba Fett returned."

[runeghost]

So I've come to the sad realization that the entire first three minutes were a complete waste. They could have accomplished the exact same thing by going to what the movies have already established:

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Opening text: "Somehow, Boba Fett returned."

Ouch. It's not nice to kick J.J. Abrams like that, even if he absolutely has it coming.

(I'm not saying it's wrong, mind. Just that it's not nice. )

[Dienekes]

Enjoyed the first episode.

If the writers find a way to differentiate and give personality to the two Gamorreans I will be very impressed.

[Taevyr]

Ouch. It's not nice to kick J.J. Abrams like that, even if he absolutely has it coming.

(I'm not saying it's wrong, mind. Just that it's not nice. )

I dunno, it's at least a bit more effort than "he somehow escaped", though they were certainly banking on the "whatever ludicrous solution we might come up with, watchers that are invested that much'll certainly headcanon a more believable escape for themselves if we give'em a partial blank."

Essentially, they're saying: "Fett was alive, had at least partially working armor/armaments, and the capacity to scavenge some of the other corpses. How exactly he made use of that is left as an exercise for the watcher".


Still, good beginning, and a nice balance on both the in medias res modern timeline, as on establishing the mystery of how he lived to reach it. I think I'll enjoy the series.

EDIT: btw, anyone have an idea what that creature was? I think it might be a gundark, which'd be a nice use of the sw bestiary, but I'm not the star wars lore-addict I once was .

[Peelee]

I dunno, it's at least a bit more effort than "he somehow escaped", though they were certainly banking on the "whatever ludicrous solution we might come up with, watchers that are invested that much'll certainly headcanon a more believable escape for themselves if we give'em a partial blank."

Essentially, they're saying: "Fett was alive, had at least partially working armor/armaments, and the capacity to scavenge some of the other corpses. How exactly he made use of that is left as an exercise for the watcher".

Oh, I'm not mocking the show. I'm mocking Abrams.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Taevyr
EDIT: btw, anyone have an idea what that creature was? I think it might be a gundark, which'd be a nice use of the sw bestiary, but I'm not the star wars lore-addict I once was .

No idea what it was, but pretty sure it wasn't a gundark. Those showed up in the Clone Wars (possibly Rebels as well?) and looked entirely different.

[Mordar]

I enjoyed the Mandalorian but did not love it. My favorite characters with Fennec and the farmer. I was glad to see BoBF featuring Fennec was happening, but not super excited.

My spoiler-free opinion of E1: Clunky. Handwavey. Glad Fennec is in it and appears likely to get a lot of screen time. Will watch more because it is a sunk cost and I am a completionist, but hope it improves. Wonder if it is going to be like The Shootist.

On the previous conversation: Many shows fall "victim" to situational competency. The IG sacrifice scene for instance...Mando/IG walked into the ambush in the compound and managed it like it was nothing...so the sacrifice during the escape seemed contrived because the expectation of danger was lessened based on their bold entry to the compound. I would really like it if shows that I (otherwise) like would back off from evidencing the leads badda$$ery by having them take out 30 mooks and instead, for instance, show them taking down 12 mooks sprinkled throughout the compound when attacking with stealth and a plan. That makes a sacrifice scene when there are a dozen troopers together and ready for you much more meaningful.

Offscreen action doesn't create a perception of competence for me...so the troopers taking out the entire cell/group/Iforgettherightterm off screen feels very handwavy, not impressive or tension-building. So, in short, my preference is: Believable heroes that can handle a couple/three adversaries on most any terms, but not much more than that. They can handle 10-15-20 on a battlefield of their choosing, or when they have the situational advantage. And if you want me to believe your power dynamic, show it to me first hand and give me a reason to believe.

And even if you don't do any of that stuff, if it looks cool or is done in a fun (for me) way I'll still enjoy it.

- M

[Fyraltari]

Just watched the first episode. Overall I liked it.

Spoiler: Disorganized thoughts

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How did a stormtrooper get inside the Sarlaac? And what was that tube that Boba used from his corpse?

Love the fact that they bothered to make the various tuskens visually distinct. They have never looked so cool. I foresee future cosplays.

The watchdog and the sand-monster, however, did not look real at all.

I really like the feel they're giving to Mos Espa and the various people there. I hope we see more of the club(?) owner.

That fight scene was very cool.

So, those Gamorreans refused to join Boba when he took over but now they agree because he offers to spare them? Isn't that the same offer he made to everyone who worked for Fortuna?

Why was a child tasked with supervising the two prisoners?

I am guessing the people who raided the farm and tagged it will turn up again later. Probably in cahoots with the mayor or the assassins. Assuming the assassins weren't hired by the mayor.

I think this was the first time in Star Wars that we've seen JAwas just straight up abandon a dude to the desert. I wonder if they were angry with him.

Are the water "fruits" a reference to Dune's sand trouts trapping water? Because it's cool if it is.

Didn't banthas use to be bigger?

[Palanan]

Comments on a few of your thoughts and questions:

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Originally Posted by Fyraltari
How did a stormtrooper get inside the Sarlaac?

Don’t know, but I’m sure he’ll get an action figure and a spinoff series.

Originally Posted by Fyraltari
Why was a child tasked with supervising the two prisoners?

I have a feeling that’s just how low prisoners rate. Kind of the same way real-world human kids will look after a few goats in traditional cultures.

Originally Posted by Fyraltari
I think this was the first time in Star Wars that we've seen JAwas just straight up abandon a dude to the desert.

That stood out to me too, but I can’t think of an instance when Jawas actually saved anyone.

I don’t recall the exact details of the scene from Mandalorian, but I seem to recall those Jawas leaving Mando in their wake as well. I think their stripping Boba Fett just clarified a vicious streak that’s always been implicit.

Originally Posted by Fyraltari
Are the water "fruits" a reference to Dune's sand trouts trapping water? Because it's cool if it is.

No idea, but I noticed faint color variations that gave me a pentaradial vibe, which reminded me of sea biscuits, although without the spines.

Definitely one of the coolest touches in the episode. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re specialized organs that store water for a much larger organism, perhaps akin to a mycelium that’s spread diffusely through acres of sand. The Tuskens either have individual patches staked out, or they can spot subtle hints that other species would never notice.

Originally Posted by Fyraltari
Didn't banthas use to be bigger?

Dwarf banthas are apparently canonical, at least for Wookiepedia, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a whole spectrum of sizes. There are probably many different breeds of bantha, maybe corresponding to different cultural groups of Tuskens.

[Wayac]

Spoiler: Confusion on Jawas

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In the Mandalorian we learn that Cobb Vanth got Boba Fett's armor after he stole some crystals, wandered in the desert for days before collapsing, then was found by Jawas who traded him the armor in exchange for the crystals. The same armor that came from a man who wandered in the desert for days before collapsing, then was found by Jawas and robbed point blank.

Am I misremembering? Is it somehow a different tribe of Jawas and they traded the armor around?

Overall I'm interested in seeing what they do with the show. If they give us some Fennec flashbacks that'd be pretty sweet.

[Fyraltari]

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I have a feeling that’s just how low prisoners rate. Kind of the same way real-world human kids will look after a few goats in traditional cultures.

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Boba had beaten the dog, used its teeth to escape and given one of their warriors a run for his money. That's just asking for the kid to get murdered.

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I don’t recall the exact details of the scene from Mandalorian, but I seem to recall those Jawas leaving Mando in their wake as well. I think their stripping Boba Fett just clarified a vicious streak that’s always been implicit.

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Nah, Mando had opened fire on them and was trying to attack their sandcrawler. When he came back later, they were willing to negotiate (despite him having killed a couple of their numbers.)

Spoiler: Confusion on Jawas

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In the Mandalorian we learn that Cobb Vanth got Boba Fett's armor after he stole some crystals, wandered in the desert for days before collapsing, then was found by Jawas who traded him the armor in exchange for the crystals. The same armor that came from a man who wandered in the desert for days before collapsing, then was found by Jawas and robbed point blank.

Am I misremembering? Is it somehow a different tribe of Jawas and they traded the armor around?

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Cobb Vanth was just a dude. Fett was the top enforcer of the ruthless crime-lord of Tattooine. Maybe they figured he was getting what was coming to him.

[Telwar]

Spoiler: Confusion on Jawas

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In the Mandalorian we learn that Cobb Vanth got Boba Fett's armor after he stole some crystals, wandered in the desert for days before collapsing, then was found by Jawas who traded him the armor in exchange for the crystals. The same armor that came from a man who wandered in the desert for days before collapsing, then was found by Jawas and robbed point blank.

Am I misremembering? Is it somehow a different tribe of Jawas and they traded the armor around?

Overall I'm interested in seeing what they do with the show. If they give us some Fennec flashbacks that'd be pretty sweet.

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On the one hand, Jawas are aliens, and weird, but we know they have, ahem, loose regard for property. Maybe they thought Fett was dead and were engaging in corpse-stripping, and when he stirred they just kept on going since they'd already started. Or possibly they had an attack of conscience with Vanth, or he wasn't so far out that they couldn't bring themselves to make him into a corpse before stripping it. Hell, Vanth is more of an outlier case than Fett's, which feels more like what they'd normally do.

I did like this. It didn't have the awesome hook of Baby Yoda, but was reasonably solid.

Though I'm not sure if Fett is a mouth-breather or just so disciplined he doesn't breathe through his nose in the bacta pod.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Fyraltari

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That's just asking for the kid to get murdered.

Spoiler: Tusken Childcare

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Or they’re giving the kid a known danger and expecting him to Tusken up and handle it.

Originally Posted by Fyraltari

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Nah, Mando had opened fire on them and was trying to attack their sandcrawler. When he came back later, they were willing to negotiate (despite him having killed a couple of their numbers.)

Spoiler: Mando

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Mando vaporizes three, no questions asked, and throws two more off the crawler on his way up. In return the jawas do their best to kill him in a variety of ways, including crushing him against a rock outcrop and hitting him with everything they’ve got—after which they let him fall from the top of the crawler and leave him for dead.

The jawas in Fett’s case seem to be of the same mind. Either there are certain subspecies which are inherently more aggressive, or Fett and Mando ran across a couple of especially mean-spirited jawa clans.

Or, as I suggested earlier, jawas in general have a mean streak, and we’re starting to see that in action.

Originally Posted by Telwar

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Hell, Vanth is more of an outlier case than Fett's, which feels more like what they'd normally do.

Spoiler: Tatooine Jawas

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This seems about right. On Tatooine, jawas are coexisting with humans and Tuskens, so no love lost among any of them.

[Fyraltari]

Spoiler: Mando

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Mando vaporizes three, no questions asked, and throws two more off the crawler on his way up. In return the jawas do their best to kill him in a variety of ways, including crushing him against a rock outcrop and hitting him with everything they’ve got—after which they let him fall from the top of the crawler and leave him for dead.

The jawas in Fett’s case seem to be of the same mind. Either there are certain subspecies which are inherently more aggressive, or Fett and Mando ran across a couple of especially mean-spirited jawa clans.

Or, as I suggested earlier, jawas in general have a mean streak, and we’re starting to see that in action.

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Again, the Jawas defended themselves against Mando and then were still willing to deal with him after he'd murdered a handful of them. I don't see how you got a mean streak out of that.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Fyraltari

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…and then were still willing to deal with him after he'd murdered a handful of them.

Spoiler: Mean Streak

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For jawas, that’s Tuesday. The jawas trade to survive, so striking a deal with him isn’t forgiveness or a sudden upwelling of goodwill on their part. It’s what they do. They tried to kill him, and then when he came back they played their hand and used him to get what they want.

As for the mean streak, just listen to them when he’s climbing up the crawler—there’s some seriously maniacal laughter when they try to smear him across the outcrop. They’re enjoying it. Joker could take notes on that laughter.

[Cikomyr2]

The second episode was brilliant

[ecarden]

I tend to agree. There were a few things worrying me, but they all played out well.

Spoiler: First

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The assassin was tricked into talking, but lied rather than speak the truth. Excellent! Points for not being an idiot.

Spoiler: Second

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The mayor appears to actually be an independent power and is trying to walk a narrow path between Hutts and Boba and is intriguingly morally ambiguous and not human.

Spoiler: Third

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The Tusken memories are impressive and though Boba is very helpful to them, it's with knowledge that he has every reason to have and he doesn't instantly become the best with their weapons, AND his plan requires alteration by the Tuskens to actually work. The only bad note was him having to tell someone how to signal, which the Tusken's definitely should have cracked independently, but that was a child, so it may just be him explaining it to the kid.

Spoiler: Fourth

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There were a lot of nice little touches here, especially the assassin's and Fennec's reactions to Boba's little speech about mercy, given she kicked his fellow assassin off the roof.

Spoiler: Fifth

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I look forward to learning more about the Hutts.