Sloth, Maybe?

  It's been one year and seven days since my first blog involving a carpet and the long, winding history behind its design. Since then I've written about film, music, art, television, musicals, anime, cyborgs, artificial intelligence, quitting writing, resuming writing, meditation, contemplation, cogitation, good, evil, post-it notes... Oh, and Boba Fett.  I can't forget Boba Fett. You may have also checked out my other blog page, The Inanna-verse, which deals with everything involving my scripts, art, comedy, and YouTube videos dedicated to the Sumerian goddess.  I don't worship her.  I swear.  I don't worship anyone or anything.  Except perhaps my own overblown ego. I've even had my wife Susan write a few guest blogs.  There was one about the one season Cop Rock series and another about David Byrne's American Utopia on Broadway.  The last one had the most feedback on this page. Needless to say, I'm jealous of my wife. Oh, there is another a...

*Sigh* Perhaps, dear reader, you recall my episode by episode critiques of The Book of Boba Fett?   With each post, I desperately swept hither and yon trying to find some scene of value.  I can only recall one episode where Boba Fett exhibited any kind of agency - "The Tribes of Tatooine."  In every other episode he acts like a total doofus.  He is overshadowed by two characters from a different Star Wars series, The Mandalorian.   So in retrospect, Boba Fett - a Star Wars character who has intrigued many fans over the years - fails to live up to his full potential. But that was only the beginning. Up next, waiting in the wings, was the Moon Knight series.  He is a character from Marvel Comics who bowed onto television via Marvel Studios, another tentacle from the writhing face of the Elder God that is Disney.  Marc Spector, Marvel's answer to DC Comics' Dark Knight, is overshadowed by one of his bumbling DID alters, Stephen Grant*.  Where Moon...

S usan and I have a ritual of cuddling up on the sofa and watching our favorite adventure shows.  In the past it was SF and fantasy series like Altered Carbon, The Mandalorian, Wandavision and The Witcher.   Our most recent selections are Peacemaker and The Book of Boba Fett. Peacemaker isn’t wrapping up until February 17th, so today I focus on the last chapter of The Book of Boba Fett, “In the Name of Honor.” It’s no secret that the Western genre is a major influence on Star Wars, and with “In the Name of Honor” it shines through. It opens with Boba making his stand at a bombed out speakeasy with his allies Fennec Shand and Din Djarin - The Mandalorian.  Cad Bane, a bounty hunter and an old rival of Boba’s tries to coax him out into the street for a gunfight.   With his helmet on, Boba is unreadable to everyone except his lieutenant Fennec.   She advises Boba to choose the time and place for his final confrontation with Bane.   The two gunslingers d...

I try to avoid spoilers.  Read at your own discretion. ???? All right, I have to ask this question: WHOSE SHOW IS THIS? The name of the series is The Book of Boba Fett , but in this episode as well as the previous episode, Fett is NOWHERE to be seen. There are legacy characters from the original trilogy as well as characters from The Clone Wars animated series.   Hell, they even brought back a character from an episode of The Mandalorian! We see these characters continue their arc as they learn new things about themselves and each other.   They learn lessons about family and detachment.   They learn lessons about love and restraint.   Everyone is learning something, experiencing something. But you know who isn’t doing any of these things? BOBA FETT. Over the first four episodes, we crept through Fett’s life after the sarlaac pit.   We’ve seen him get spat in the face (figuratively) by the denizens and gangsters of Tatooine.   He’s like a caged lion wi...

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!   In this episode, Boba Fett steps aside to reintroduce a familiar face.   Or rather, a familiar helmet.   One Din Djarin, the star of The Mandalorian .   The Book of Boba Fett  Chapter 5:  “The Return of the Mandalorian” is directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, and was written by Jon Favreau. The chapter begins with Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), who is down on his luck.   He’s still collecting bounties, and he’s nursing a blaster wound that cut through the fabric of his jumpsuit rather than being nullified by his beskar armor.   He enters a secret Mandalorian cell led by the welcome presence of The Armorer (Emily Swallow) and a rival Mandalorian of the Visla clan.   Djarin reveals that he is in the possession of the legendary Darksaber - the symbol of absolute leadership among the Mandalorians.   The Visla scion challenges Djarin to combat so he can win the heirloom and become Mandalore.   Djarin barely wins the batt...

In the wake of the mod cyclist chase scene in Chapter 3:  "The Streets of Mos Espa,"  The Book of Boba Fett was the butt of much ridicule on many social media platforms, particularly Twitter.   For some hardcore fans of things Fett and Star Wars , it was a bridge too far.  Things can get ruthless among fans and detractors, but it can serve as an accurate bellwether for whether or not a series has genuine appeal.  As for Chapter 4:  The Gathering Storm, TBOBF is on the knife edge as to whether if can maintain its present fanbase and at best, win back those fans and casual viewers who peeled away. The chapter opens with yet another shot of Boba Fett slumbering in his bacta tank.  It is an intro that even grates at my nerves at his point.  The flashback depicts Fett and his bantha scouting out the perimeter of Jabba's old palace - now dominated by Jabba's majordomo Bib Fortuna - to see if he can reclaim his signature ship Slave I* .  ...

A few days back, I wrote a sharp review of the latest chapter of The Book of Boba Fett .   “The Streets of Mos Espa,” I said, was an episode of setups but no payoffs.   That is true, but what I lost track of is that this is a serial.   Not every aspect of TBOBF stuck the landing, but it’s had some satisfactory endings such as Chapter Two, “The Tribes of Tatooine.” So, basically I’m reassessing my review of “The Streets of Mos Espa.”   Upon watching it again, I saw the chapter’s strengths.   Boba Fett exhibits cunning when he turns a gang of   “water thief” street urchins into members of his crew.   There was the threat of Fett tarnishing his image as a big wheel in the underground if he gunned down a bunch of teenagers.   Instead, he heard them out, figured they were being screwed over by the water monger, and won them over to his side.   Fett may or may not be a new man with a conscience, but he’s proven he can weigh the pros and cons and a...