The Book of Boba Fett hasn’t exactly brought its dual timelines together perfectly and has struggled to make Boba Fett (Temeura Morrison, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones) feel like the centerpiece of the action. All that changes in its The Book of Boba Fett Chapter 4, “The Gathering Storm,” as it brings fans back into the past to showcase the origins of Boba Fett and Fennec Shand’s (Ming-Na Wen, Mulan) partnership as they work together to reclaim what’s been lost.
One of the most anticipated moments of digging into Boba Fett’s rise from the Sarlacc Pit was seeing how him and Fennec Shand came together and became this deadly duo. Pretty much immediately we get to see what happened as Boba Fett finds her in a familiar situation – left for dead in the dunes, barely clinging on. After having the entire Tusken tribe be wiped out in an instant, it’s kind of nice to see Boba Fett find some commonality in someone else, even if it brings something back from the last episode that stood out for the wrong reasons. To keep Fennec Shand alive, Boba Fett brings her to the mod-parlor to bring more cyberpunk youths into the mix. It’s not that the cyberpunk stuff is bad or anything, but stylistically, it just feels too modern and sticks out like a sore thumb.
Visually, it just doesn’t fit and feels like it was shoved in, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have better moments here. The candy-colored bikes are gone, and instead of overshadowing Boba Fett, the sequence with a mod artist (Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner, ) working on Fennec Shand is simply a uniquely fun moment. The cyberpunk music that accompanies the sequence is solid, and it’s pretty rad to watch all the cybernetics going into Fennec Shand’s body to make her an enhanced assassin.
From there, we get even greater moments between Boba Fett and Fennec Shand as they attempt to break into Jabba’s palace, currently being run by Bib Fortuna, to reclaim Boba Fett’s ship. The entirety of them skulking through Jabba’s palace and getting into a firefight on the ship bay is a total blast, and seeing them in the center of all the action fills a void this series has had from the start. Their dismantling of the kitchen robots is a fun stealth assassin sequence and introduces one of the most adorable and wildly fun droid moments in the franchise, with Boba Fett chasing down a small droid that has real Wallace and Gromit vibes to it. Then we get this great firefight full of fun action that sees Fennec Shand decimating Fortuna’s troops and the two escaping with the ship in grand fashion. Boba Fett even gets some sweet revenge on the biker gang that killed the Tuskens.
The return to the Sarlacc pit to try and retrieve Boba Fett’s armor is easily the best moment of the episode, with its blend of horror and action that sees these two having a near-death experience. It all leads to these great shades of character growth; Boba Fett’s experience with the Tuskens has inspired him and Fennec Shand is no longer just hired help. The sense of commonality they find with each other makes their dynamic so strong, and the whole speech that Boba Fett has about not wanting to see more bounty hunters like them be used as throwaway shield is excellent because we see that mentality in the present as he rules Jabba’s palace. It’s the first time that the past and present storylines feel deeply connected, and it’s great how high the emotions feel for the characters. Honestly, just Boba Fett saying goodbye to the Bantha tugged at yours truly’s heartstrings. It’s great that Boba Fett and Fennec Shand’s origins are given the heart and action it deserves.
Now, the only thing that’s a little off is when things jump back to the present since we get glimpses of the future that are tough to make heads or tails of. Do these flash forwards showing Boba Fett having his armor again and killing Bib Fortuna mean that the past timeline is done or are these just glimpses into what’s to come? The answer is unclear and leaves the past timeline on a confusing note, but at least it leads into a much more interesting present.
As many expected and hoped, the beloved Wookiee bounty hunter Krrsantan (Carey Jones, Creepshow) returns in a diabolical fashion as we see him rip apart some bar patrons. We also get some backstory for Krrsantan, now knowing that he was once a fearsome cage fighter before becoming a bounty hunter, and, as even more expected, Boba Fett asks him to join his squad. Now, as Boba Fett has been building his army, the looming question has been “why,” since there hasn’t been much of a direction or threat established…until now. After meeting with other prominent leaders in the area and asking for their neutrality, Boba Fett makes it clear – he’s going to war with the Pykes. The way he flat out says he’s going to deal with them himself feels more akin to the character. And Fennec Shand calling for reinforcements means some big battles are heading our way. Finally, an exciting and interesting direction for the present storyline that sees Boba Fett and Fennec Shand definitively leading the charge.
Book of Boba Fett Chapter 4 gives fans exactly what they’ve wanted with The Book of Boba Fett in delivering a strong origin story for Boba Fett and Fennec Shand that puts them in the center of the action and creates an enticing direction for the present that’s going to lead to all-out war.
Book of Boba Fett Chapter 4 is now streaming on Disney+
