The following article contains spoilers for the latest episode of "The Book of Boba Fett."
Another week, another episode of "The Book of Boba Fett," and another hour where the ostensible main character of the show barely gets a minute of actual screen time. Who could've seen this coming?! No matter what preconceptions you may have held coming into this series, it's probably safe to assume that nobody expected the direction that creator Jon Favreau and this week's director, longtime "Star Wars" fan and franchise veteran Dave Filoni, would take things. With just one more episode left, a whole bunch of plates have been left spinning and we'll just have to wait and see if the creative team can wrangle them all in for a satisfying ending ... or if they all come crashing down in spectacular fashion. Episode 6, titled "From the Desert Comes a Stranger," tries to make up for the glaring lack of Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) by loading up on fan service, lining up a parade of cameos from "The Mandalorian," and even reintroducing a certain established "Star Wars" character for their live-action debut.
All that adds up to the second episode in a row where we follow Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) as he attempts to meet up with Grogu again and, after making a difficult choice, heads back to Tatooine to help gather together more allies to Boba Fett's cause. There are plenty of Easter Eggs and returning characters and expansions of lore to nerd out over all day long, and /Film will most definitely have you covered in that department. For now, though, you can take a trip with me through the one reliable aspect of the latest episode that's guaranteed to avoid any level of divisiveness or hot takes – the exquisite collection of concept art that guides fans through the end credits.
"Talent Without Training Is Nothing"
"First, I got to pay a visit to a little friend." Mando's final line of dialogue in last week's episode pays off right away in last night's episode, though with a few other cameos that fans likely didn't expect. The first indication of the tone the rest of the hour will follow comes after Mando arrives on the unnamed planet where Grogu now resides. No modern "Star Wars" property can resist the urge to find room for the lovable droids from the original trilogy, so naturally, the bounty hunter immediately runs into R2-D2. As we soon see, one cameo leads to another and another, suddenly turning this tiny locale into a meeting place of many of the galaxy's most important individuals. It's kind of amusing!
Apparently, Mando arrives just as construction begins on a certain school that Luke Skywalker (a de-aged Mark Hamill) is building for the next generation of Jedi. Of course, observant fans will recognize the familiar-looking design of this particular hut. Briefly shown during a flashback in "The Last Jedi," we know that this school is destined for a very dark fate when Luke's dreams for the school come crashing down around him. At this point in the "Star Wars" timeline, however, hopes remain high and the bright summer weather on the planet reflects Luke's optimism in the new status quo after the defeat of the Empire.
Speaking of Luke, here's an adorable image of Luke and Grogu walking side-by-side (with a little Force-nudge assist on Luke's part to help the baby keep up, of course) in a bamboo forest as they train in the ways of the Force. The student is now the master as the dynamic between Luke and Yoda from "The Empire Strikes Back" is completely flipped on its head here. I feel obligated to mention a certain something about "poetry" and "rhymes" here, but it's delightful to watch even on its own. I'm still not sure what any of this has to do with Boba Fett, but fans will likely never get over the thrill of seeing more Luke Skywalker for as long as Mark Hamill is willing to reprise his legendary role, even a de-aged version of the famous Jedi master.
Hey, I Know You!
With Dave Filoni behind the wheel for this episode while also receiving a co-writing credit, it was probably inevitable that we would see another appearance by Ahsoka Tano, portrayed by Rosario Dawson. The fan-favorite character who first made her debut on the animated side of the "Star Wars" universe memorably appeared in live-action during the second season of "The Mandalorian" (an episode that, you guessed it, was also directed by Filoni), requiring Mando's help in exchange for information on how to get Grogu to "his own kind." Their reunion in last night's episode turned out to be rather tense at first, with a snapped twig alerting Mando of an intruder. The artwork captures Mando in a blur of motion, contrasted against Ahsoka sort of just chilling without a care in the world. Her character design in this concept art really emphasizes how striking she appears in less "realistic" mediums, which is a quality I'd argue her live-action counterpart hasn't quite nailed down just yet.
Death, taxes, and Grogu being distracted by frogs. Some things never change, even under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker. The happy-go-lucky Grogu can't help but have his attention diverted from training by the delicious-looking amphibian, even using his nascent Force powers to feed himself. Before he can, however, Luke uses the opportunity to deliver a little lesson about expanding Grogu's horizons and showing off the full strength of the Force through lifting several frogs at once ... though I feel like Baby Yoda's main takeaway might result in using these powers to decimate the local frog population. Way to go, Luke.
The latest episode quickly takes us from a feeling of, "Hey, I know you!" to "Hey, I know this!" Yoda training Luke through the swamps of Dagobah remains indelibly written in the minds of "Star Wars" fans of all ages, and Filoni and Favreau return to that classic iconography hereby effectively switching places between Luke and, well, whatever species Yoda and Grogu are supposed to be. The Jedi actually name-drops Yoda a number of times, remarking on how Grogu reminds him of his former mentor (which feels a little racially insensitive to me, but I guess we'll let that slide).
Back To Business
Just when it seemed like we were about to get a full episode dedicated to Luke and Grogu's training, "The Book of Boba Fett" suddenly remembers that it is, in fact, called "The Book of Boba Fett." After Ahsoka changes his mind about actually meeting Grogu face-to-face, Mando returns to Tatooine to make good on his promise to help out Boba Fett. His sleek Naboo starfighter comes in for a smooth landing in the hangar of Boba's palace in this artwork, with Boba's gunship stored nearby. Nobody tell Mando just how easy it was for Boba and Fennec to infiltrate that very same hangar a few episodes ago and retrieve his ship in that flashback sequence, otherwise, Mando might have second thoughts about leaving his own ship there!
After getting caught up to date on the current situation on Tatooine, Mando sets out to continue recruiting any potential allies to the cause. That means, of course, more cameos from supporting players who first appeared in "The Mandalorian." As if to help viewers jog their memory, Mando passes by a troop of Jawas with a mighty prize on their slow-moving sand vehicle. It appears to be the remains of the very same krayt dragon that Mando and local gunslinger Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant) helped dispatch in the second season of "The Mandalorian," or at least one just like it. How's that for a hood ornament?
As expected, Mando is intent on bringing the plight of Boba Fett to Cobb Vanth himself. The Marshal, as he's known in the now-renamed settlement of Freetown, recognizes the threat of the Pyke Syndicate but understandably remains wary of plunging his people into yet another conflict. Man, it certainly would've been nice if Boba had a whole family of Tusken Raiders to help him out right about now, wouldn't it? Alas, their massacre a few weeks back leaves Boba desperate to find allies wherever he can, and Cobb finally relents to at least consider summoning his people to help out ... until an unwelcome intruder comes along, that is.
What A Cad!
Sometimes, concept art captures a moment so evocative and full of feeling that it requires no adjustment during actual filming. That appears to be the case here, as the live-action debut of the villainous Cad Bane is translated seamlessly from this artwork to the episode itself. Fans of the animated "Star Wars" shows will recognize the intruder immediately, particularly his ostentatious, Sergio Leone-inspired cowboy hat and remarkably unsettling red eyes. I'm not particularly sure how well-executed this moment comes across for any casual fans whose knowledge of "Star Wars" is mostly limited to the movies and "The Mandalorian," but luckily we have you covered there – check out Sandy Schaeffer's article breaking down everything you need to know about Cad Bane.
Ah, right, there are actual Boba Fett villains to deal with in the dwindling minutes of this "Boba Fett" show. Amid all the tangents and detours into other aspects of franchise lore, the Pyke Syndicate do their best to make their presence felt. The episode opens with a crew of Pykes attempting to run spice through Cobb Vanth's territory -- a misguided notion that he quickly disabuses them from. Of course, leaving one of the aliens alive appears to backfire on him when Cad Bane arrives on his doorstep and guns him down in an old-fashioned standoff. In any case, this artwork at least reminds us that, oh yeah, we probably shouldn't forget about the actual main antagonists of this war to come in next week's final episode.
One of the Syndicate's most dastardly actions in the episode comes at the very end, as a pair of them make their way into the Garsa Fwip's (Jennifer Beals) Sanctuary, leaving behind a mysterious case that inevitably blows up and destroys the building. The brazen attack ups the body count of the series considerably, possibly adding Garsa Fwip and all her establishment regulars to the uncertain fates that Cobb Vanth now finds himself in, as well.
Decisions, Decisions...
I couldn't believe how much of this episode devoted precious runtime to Luke and Grogu's training lessons, especially at such a late point in the season, but there's no denying the hilarity in seeing Luke struggling to keep it together as the baby Padawan proves to be as stubborn as Luke himself used to be. The Jedi master needs every bit of patience he's acquired over the years and it pays off when Grogu begins to show off the promise of his innate Force abilities. The reappearance of that classic training droid spurs Grogu into action, learning to jump and twirl and evade just like Yoda did in the prequel movies. Of course, all the progress he makes in this episode makes me wonder just what Luke and Grogu were doing all this time before Mando showed up, but I suspect we're not supposed to think about that too hard.
This next piece of concept art shows Luke trying a different tact with Grogu, moving from the wilds of the outdoors to a more secluded location indoors. Here, he offers Grogu an impossible choice that will define his entire life. The Jedi way involves rejecting emotional attachment, though we have numerous examples in-canon of how that rigid adherence to tradition can go very, very wrong (see: Skywalker, Anakin). Nevertheless, Luke puts that decision before Grogu anyway: choose Mando's gift of Foundling chainmail and return to his old friend, or choose Yoda's lightsaber and continue training with Skywalker. The episode concludes on this cliffhanger, leaving us to wait patiently until next week to see how everything plays out.
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The post Here's All The Concept Art From The Book Of Boba Fett Episode 6 appeared first on /Film.
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