SPOILER TBOBF Ep.7 - In The Name of Honor

I haven't read any reactions so far. Here's what I got.

Very solid wrap up for a great season. I was afraid the season/series would end with some more "here's another person in the galaxy to throw in" at the end and they didn't go that route. The stuff they built up through the season was focused on the last episode. It also worked as a progression in the Mando storyline with the arrival of Grogu.

The final duel with Cad Bane was perfect and was great demonstration of Fett's arc. He couldn't defeat Bane via the old ways. It took what he learned from the Tuskens to defeat his old foe. This felt very much like the Obi-Wan vs. Maul final dual in terms of where these two characters are now in their journey.

Fun battle with lots of cool moments. I was worried about our Freetown marshal and that was handled perfectly.

Taken on a whole I give this series 8.5/10. It was worth the wait and I can't wait for Mando 3.

 

The scene with Fennec in the Pyke's hideout was reminiscent of the opening scene of Leon: The Professional.

I liked the irony that they Pykes had already decided to clear out of Tatooine before Shand rubbed them and all the other family heads out.

 

I can't complain too much. Lots of great stuff, lots of stuff I didn't love. Some I thought was just problematic.

- The King Kong stuff with the rancor was really cool- though, Fett riding him as a little odd looking, in my opinion (still cool though, reminded me of riding trolls in Shadow of Mordor)

- The gunplay was pretty good at times, awful at others. Take some dang cover, people!

- Agreed with the person who stated Mos Espa felt empty- I was surprised to see in a later exposition shot just how freaking huge the city was, expanding far past the plateaus (I thought it was just in the valley, like Mos Eisley). Also, I don't get why the people of Freetown were so heavily relied on, when no one tried to rally the people of Espa. Not to pull IRL politics into it, but it definitely felt like a rural gunslinger fantasy.

- Fett and Cad Bane standoff was pretty good. For once, though, I wouldn't have minded if it wasn't just a little more kinetic. Bane is a joy to see jumping around, and Fett could've used hit jetpack at least once. It still could've culminated in a western standoff, and they didn't lean as hard into that trope this time anyway

- Always a joy to see Mando and Baby Yoda. And man, seeing Grogu stand up to the rancor was pretty striking.

- The Mayor's fate felt... gross. Again, I hate to bring IRL issues into this, but hanging political figures has some pretty dark connotations, and this definitely hearkens back to the Toxic Male Boba Fett rather than the more restrained one we've seen so far. This scene was not triumphant to me... it was worrisome. I'm not saying that the mayor or the Pyke leader should've been spared, but this maybe isn't how I'd do it.

- Also, in the end I really don't like how the Tuskens were treated. I didn't agree with them, as pretty clear analogues for aboriginal or Bedouin people, to be used simply as motivation for Fett in their tragedy. But given how episode II was called "The Tribes of Tatooine", I at least expected that the other tribes would play a major role in saving the planet from the Pykes in the finale. Instead, the show just doubled down on Fett's savior complex and the objectification of the tribe we saw. Pretty gross, in my opinion- and even if you disagree, I think you can see how it was at least a massively missed opportunity.

 

But that was Master Assassin Fennec Shand's doing. Not Boba's. I don't think it was meant to be triumphant either. That's why they showed us the Pykes deciding to quit and leave right before Fennec liquidated them.

Mind you they did massacre his whole tribe. So I don't really consider Boba taking his revenge as "toxic". I think that word gets misused a lot. Retaliation is not "toxic" behaviour. Labelling something toxic usually indicates that conditions were otherwise clean, inert or non-toxic until certain behaviors contaminated them. A situation where your whole tribe is butchered is not a non-toxic one.

 

Maybe. We didn't see who actually did that part- we just saw Fennec did the stabbing.

No, I get that his revenge was justified- that would be the pure part. The brutality of it brought toxicity, in my opinion. (and again, I had my own issues already with the tribe being Fett's motivation, so I don't necessarily see that as non-toxic from a story-telling aspect, either).

I don't mean to say this show is bad- that's not my call to make. Personally, I enjoyed the finale very much, even with some of these problematic issues and other things that didn't quite go how I would've liked.

 

Just finished watching the finale with my dad! He liked it, calling it "really good. Really really good," and praised the season overall.

I think this was a good, almost great finale, if not great by the end of things. It capped off a pretty rocky season very well and brought back all of the parts together for some purpose, which I was worried it wouldn't. Which I frankly believed it wouldn't.

The good:
Everything came together in a meaningful or impactful way. From "Size matters not" to the stick kata to the people of Freetown, it all came together. This is this episode's biggest strength and boon.

Attack on Titan reference with the Rancor. I laughed at that, but I also had it slightly spoiled for me, so I wasn't surprised. The King Kong reference was just as good.

Several of the later-episode firefights - the Boba/Mando one, the City/Country vs the Deathwalker/Corrupter (a Horizon: Zero Dawn reference) fight, and the final shootout - were well-shot and engaging.

More character interactions! "Jo" and Sophie Thatcher's character had some fun talks, and their dynamic proved to be one I wouldn't mind seeing explored in the future, be it friends, comrades, or otherwise.


The bad:
RIP Green Pig Guards. They will be missed.

The ambush was awful. It didn't look threatening or engaging, and the threat of the deaths of most of the characters (minus the above) didn't fill me with sorrow or dread. Because I didn't know them. They weren't characters I felt scared of their deaths for, they just felt like side characters and cameos that could be replaced. They just didn't have enough to do in terms of screentime or importance for their lives to mean that much.

Fennec was an exposition piece in the first arc of the episode. She was literally explaining the plot to Boba and Mando...who already knew the plot. Exposition isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn't have to be boring and repetitive either. Had Mando walked into the bar looking for Boba, it would have made a little more sense. Had Fennec been hearing reports from the other members of the crew, it would have made even more sense. (And we'd get more character interaction, which I'm all for. Heck, they could have even brought up Sophie's character's lack of manners, so the joke could have a little payoff down the line.)


The Ugly:
Hiding out in the defunct bar was...a choice. It was supposed to be meaningful, but it didn't mean much because 1) the Pyke Syndicate knew where they were in the very next scene, and 2) Boba staying was at the behest of a character whose connection to this place hadn't been explored and used to implore a connection to a place Boba never really interacted with. It's why the ending scene with Boba also was mediocre. Boba didn't DO much within the city before the final fight. The literal most he did was walk around and recruit the bikers. And I get it, the opposite of affection is apathy, but the betrayals and emotional connections to the city would mean much more if we saw Boba invest more of himself into the city itself.

The exposition about the Tuskens was very clunky as well, both hearing it for the first time (which was a predictable but decently done twist) and when Cad Bane repeated it to Boba. Don't get me wrong, it made 100% sense why he did that and what he wanted out of it, but it just felt clunky and more of "we need to wrap things up" rather than a naturally fitting part.


The Other:
HONOR!!

This show's devotion to honor without exploring what that really means was...a choice. Boba consistently did the right thing (good) but it didn't have any real consequences when it came to being a Daimyo or Crime Lord. This may be a Season 2 plot point, but I think it's something that needs to be brought up.


Overall, this was a good episode to cap off a rough season. But a rough season with bright spots and good potential is already in a far better position than a lot of shows. Parks & Rec and Agents of SHIELD both had very rough first seasons, and both turned it around to become a phenomenal show and a great show respectively. BOBF has an easier start than that, but they also need to work through some of the same character problems as the above shows did. (In that their main characters aren't as interesting or likeable as they can or should be. Ming-Na Wen being the clear exception in both AoS and BOBF.) I still recommend Episodes 4-7 as a whole, or 3-7 if one is really curious, but that's about as far back as I'd stretch it.

I'll be doing a season revision later on in the general BOBF chat sometime this week hopefully, but for now, I'm pretty satisfied and my fears and previous theories have been proven mostly unfounded. But only mostly.

 

weird show i like it not as good as mando though

 

Fennec left Mos Espa to go and deal with things in Mos Eisley in case the Pyke leaders, the mayor and the other family heads rallied more reinforcements. Boba was nowhere near when Fennec decided to wipe them all out.

I still don't get it. I realise you are alluding to the imagery. It's not pleasant. That's why summary execution like that is sometimes the fate of despots and tyrants (sometimes after a fair trial). Neither was the mayor killing the assassin who had talked to Boba Fett pleasant. Or Krrsantan trying to kill Boba while he's in bacta tank. Or the Pykes massaccaring a whole tribe.

For Fennec it was just the most efficient way of doing her work as she saw it. She's not reveling in the mayor's plight or taking sadistic pleasure in the sight of him strung up. At worst she's left him there like that to show others what happens to those that abuse power when Fennec Shand or Boba Fett is around.

 

Grogu arriving in style!

Badass Cad Bane although he's a snitch!

Damn I love Fennec!

My man Din and his code of honor!

I got my wish of Boba and Din having some Iron Man type action together!!

Freetown knows how to make an entrance!

Action Man Din is the best!

Din and Grogu's reunion got me in the feels!

Boba riding that Rancor!

Cad Bane went out too easy and quick!

Gro "Don't Mess With My Daddy" Gu!

Grogu in the back of the starfighter tapping on the glass is the cutest thing!

Cobb Vanth lives and is getting modified!

Okay cool, now bring on Mandalorian S3!

 

I don't know... finale is here, Boba finally in action, but overal I feel that this series is lacking somehow.
The pacing, scenes and action in Episode 6 was something completely else and I don't mean just because it focused on Mandalorian and Grogu mostly and yeah, it had Luke Skywalker, which was nice. Interesting lore stuff as well.

The finale was kinda lackluster to me in this sense and I wonder, how much of that goes to Robert Rodriguez, as I start to feel that after loving his older work like Desperado, From Tusk Till Dawn and other classics, that were crazy flicks that we loved as a kids, I have a feeling that he is lost in the Star Wars Universe.
Which is weird, as the episode he directed in Mandalorian is one of my most favorites, with Dark Troopers kidnapping Grogu, Empire assault on Thyton.

There were some weird choices and things that felt off, like I still don't like the crappy slow scooters the modders have jarring in comparison to swoop bike that Fennec rides in the same episode.
Boba and Din struggling with old technology, that has been there since Clone Wars when Boba was already hunting.
The fight choreography looked somehow cheap - except for the main fights involving Boba, but somehow, I haven't felt the tension like I did when the Mandalorian covent fell, or the prison ship heist... Somehow, this series is missing something. Even the lighting is weird and compared to Mandalorian, everything looks more like cosplay. Except for Luke, that was great progress from last season.

In the end, my thoughts are, that I could have been happy just with the Mandalorian show. If you remove the Mandalocentric episodes and would introduce Naboo Starfighter and Luke and Grogu training in Season 3, there is not much substance left.
Yeah, I saw on television, how Boba gets out of the Sarlac, obtains Gaffi stick, gets Slave I from hangar and then in Season 2 of Mandalorian, continued in Book Of BF where Boba recruits Din and they shoot bunch of Pykes.
I guess they oversold the show in interviews, with ''melt your face'' and flashbacks even during the EBS era, which didn't happen. On the other hand, the Cad Bane part was cool and it was nice to keep it modest, without making the galaxy really small with cameos or presence of Bossk, 4LOM etc. but in the end, I guess that Boba Fett is working best without character, being mysterious pistolman ''without face'' and this show is kinda even more unnecesary than the Solo movie, which at least had fun heist story.

I really hope, they will leave the origins of Yoda and Grogu vague as well, as that is the part of SW that works the best. But, this didn't ruin Boba to me at all, just made me not caring that much. I would prefer them leaving him just in Mando S2 and maybe pop up somewhere from time to time, as that works the best. On the other hand, they at least didn't screw anything as much like Sequels did. Don't take it wrong, I like Episode 7, LOVE Episode 8 and kinda am dissapointed in 9, but their choice to emulate the no-explanation of OT didn't work, because Empire 2.0 (New Order) When? How? Why??? Snoke etc. as Moff Gideon and the imperial remnant actually makes sense and I love it.

This wasn't by any chance bad show, but something that I can live without getting and I am really looking forward to Obi-Wan and have hopes that it will blow me away and I love McGregor.

 

also they killed cad so that's good

 

How so? That's probably the worst part of the episode. Not just did he get killed off but it was way too easy and quick

 

Aboslutely agree. That was completly useless and absurd.

I didn't liked how they managed it. Cause seemed pretty clear it was dead cause a Free Town said something like "he was killed" and we assumed he was already dead. This represents anyone can be resurrected with a bacta tank and a mod? Would have been easier to say nothing at all. Pretty useless too.

His shots are the best of the episode. Really liked this character. So menacing and cool at the same time. One of the best SW characters I've seen last years.
Although we can always get a prequel show with him or appearances in other previous storylines.

 

Ok, but you may be aware that this is a TV show, written by people. The point of that scene is "Mayor and Pyke Leader need to be disposed of".

The method by which it happened, especially for the mayor, was especially disturbing, in my opinion. I mean, in America just last year we had gallows at sitting outside of a major event of political unrest, and that's not to mention the far more disturbing use of them in other parts of our history.

In a series with blaster guns, light swords, and mini-kaiju running around desert towns, I think this was a pretty uninspired and unnecessarily troubling thing to depict. And again, it wasn't a huge part of the episode, so I don't love having to triple down to you on why I personally found it to be disturbing.

"He was shot down in cold blood" was the quote, I believe. Almost comically misleading, but technically doesn't mean he was necessarily killed.

Reminds me of the doctor on Arrested Development.

"I’m sorry to say this, but it’s too late for me to do anything for your son...

.. Because Dr. Stein here has already been assigned to his case. You’re lucky. He’s the best."

 

Cad Bane

He was a cool-looking dude in animation but he took on near-Darth Vader status in live action.

On one hand, you hate to see such a stand-out character come to an end. But on the other, it was a memorable way for him to go out — in a duel to the death with Boba Fett. Having Boba be the one to kill him — and to do it with his gaffi stick — was perfect.

 

I like Peli a lot and want her to be a regular in The Mandolorian like her leaving Tattoine to be Din's official mechanic or something but hard to do that with his new ship.

Unless Din establishes his own special hideout somewhere by the end of season 3 and she manages the place while he's gone

 

So what's the future with Cobb Vanth? Is Fett thinking about letting him govern Tatooine? That would be an odd choice? Is Lucasfilm thinking about a spin off? If so, what would it be? I don't think a Freetown series would work. I'm about Tatooine'd out. Vanth has quickly become one of my favorite characters so I can't wait to see how he's used next. Kind of sad, but at this point Vanth's story is more interesting that Boba Fett.

 

I never asked you to say anything about why it disturbed you. I'm just querying why "toxicity" is being invoked.

 

At the time TBoBF was being filmed, Favreau and Fuloni wanted to resurrect Rangers of the New Republic (which had gotten shelved when Gina Carano got fired) this time with Timothy Oliphant as the star playing Cobb Vanth. I had gotten super-excited by the rumors. However, Timothy ultimately decided to reprise his character from the Justified series in a new series and Rangers got officially cancelled.

That said, I would hope he has time to make an occasional guest appearance in the GFFA.