This episode, almost an hour long, takes place mostly in the past. The present portion deals directly with the assassination attempt on Fett from Chapter 1, and his meeting with the mayor of Mos Espa. It also introduces Jabba’s twins, who lay claim to Fett’s new role. Then we switch to Fett’s dreams of the past.
The past involves Fett’s life between his Sarlacc snack and resurrection in The Mandalorian. Here we see Fett as he grows in his role as a member of a Tusken tribe. He introduces them to technology, in the form of stolen speeder bikes. He teaches them to ride the bikes and jump between them, a precursor to jumping on a speeding train. They hijack the train, establishing Fett’s role as a leader and trusted member of the tribe. He then walks a spirit walk, and gains a proper Tusken staff and role within the tribe.
With five episodes to go in the series, it’s doubtful they will spend as much time in the past as with this episode. Still, the past is important to Fett. He’s no longer a solo bounty hunter, but a part of a family. What, then, prompted him to emerge from the wilderness to save Fennec Shand and then reclaim his armor. Did his tribe get wiped out? Did they cast him out? Did he decide it was time to leave? My bet’s on the first option. How this influences his future life remains to be seen. Will he try to persist in his role to supplant Jabba, or will be move on to something else? We shall see.
Nonetheless, this was a much better episode that the first one. I still think the actor is two decades older than the role, but he still conveys the gravitas needed for his new role. It’s a bit too similar for Dances with Wolves for my taste, and I think it will end in the same way as that movie, but so far the visuals have been superb. This is a corner of the Star War universe far more interesting than seeing Luke Skywalker mope around and drink blue milk.
