The review of the fifth episode of The Book of Boba Fett (1×05), which sees the return of a beloved character and marks the end of an icon: Star Wars is back.

The notes of a flute and the melody of a theme that has become quickly recognizable. Thus ended the fourth episode of the series available on Disney + and it is with the same suggestion that we begin our review of the fifth episode of The Book of Boba Fett . In a talented episode directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, Star Wars fans will not only witness the return of a beloved character (we will have to reveal his identity in the next few paragraphs), but also everything that makes the universe created. by George Lucas so loved. And, in doing so, The Book of Boba Fett bases 50 minutes that border on perfection, delighting the spectators and inflaming the emotional heart of the saga with renewed heat. Yet a strong feeling remains at the end of the credits, reminiscent of the central theme of a film discussed as Star Wars: The Last Jedi: perhaps this episode marks the death of an icon. And the dominance of another.

A double return

Music in the Star Wars saga has always been a very important element, capable of presenting the themes of the film, describing the characters, helping the narration, elevating the staging. It is a language that characterizes the entire body of Star Wars-branded works and which is no exception in this fifth episode, where immediately, with a few decisive notes, we see the return of our Mando. The episode will be all about him, so much so that he looks like a "Chapter 17" in disguise. Our Din Djarin, after the events of the finale of the second season of The Mandalorian which saw him separate from Grogu, is back to his usual routine, that of a bounty hunter. The episode opens with this "return to origins", immediately bringing the Star Wars television universe back to a loyal dimension. It will be only the first of a long series of moments that will insinuate a precise thought in the viewer, giving the feeling of being in a domestic environment and, at the same time, feeling that the pages of the saga's history are filled with new ink. Scene after scene, the episode will not only take stock of the situation on a character that – let's face it honestly – we were missing and has a unique appeal with it, but it will deepen certain dynamics linked to the mythology and the lore of the faraway galaxy. A double return, therefore, both linked to an old acquaintance and to the re-appropriation of a sense of the epic, of a universe in constant evolution and alive. Above all, interesting.

The Book of Boba Fett, the review of the fourth episode: after the bottom you can only go back

The little big screen

That it is an episode with an edge over the average of the series can be perceived from the staging, this time really cured down to the smallest detail, with very accurate visual effects and a direction that hits all the objectives. Bryce Dallas Howard gives this product, a little too fluctuating and not entirely successful, the Star Wars magic that fans and the brand deserve. He seems to play a whole different sport compared to his colleague Robert Rodriguez: the speed of the vehicles returns, the physical action that gives weight to movements and objects returns (an entire fight is based on the effort of moving, on the hits that hit hard, on the breath of the challengers), above all that emotional and empathic bond towards the events returns. It is here that The Book of Boba Fett gives you a feeling that it has never been able to give up to now: the perception of needing a bigger screen to better enjoy the events. Also thanks to a script that seems more balanced, between darker and more dramatic moments and others that are more relaxed that do not clash with each other. Finally, it is a pleasure to rediscover that sense of the story also through the silence of words and the presence of simple images.

Kill the past

It could be said, with a hint of malice and superficiality, that this episode is so successful because it plays with nostalgia. In this case, against the Mando that just this year has sold its third season (in progress) for this The Book of Boba Fett. In our opinion this is an incorrect definition, because we believe that everything cannot be defined as "nostalgic", especially if the work in question is only a couple of years old and is not yet finished. The simpler and more straightforward truth is that Mando and the universe around him have proved far more interesting than Boba Fett's stale and dusty world. The Mandalore Creed sees a golden rule concerning the Dark Sword, or Darksaber if you prefer: you have to earn it in combat to see the power of the Mandalorians guaranteed. In this clash between icons, between Boba and Mando, between old and new, the winner is clearly one. Perhaps, as Kylo Ren said in the controversial Star Wars: The Last Jedi, who first hinted at how the saga should continue, we should let the past die, kill it if necessary, because " it's the only way to become who you are ". After this beautiful episode, in which Boba Fett is completely absent, it is not necessary to belong to the dark side to understand that only through the new characters, now in turn become new icons by replacing the old ones, Star Wars can return to make your heart beat. Do we really need to keep looking to the past, bringing the dead back to life, when we have a bright future ahead of us?