Online demand for The Book of Boba Fett has continued to dominate other streaming series, despite the mixed reviews it received from its audience. The series, starring Temuera Morrison as infamous ex-bounty hunter Boba Fett and Ming-Na Wen as elite mercenary Fennec Shand, was highly anticipated from the moment it was announced following the Mandalorian season 2 finale. The post-credits scene set up expectations for viewers to see Boba take over Jabba the Hutt's crime empire in Mos Espa, but when the series premiered on December 29, the audience realized they were getting even more than that.
This realization came with mixed reviews from viewers. The first four episodes of the series saw Boba switching back-and-forth between flashbacks of his past and the current events of his life in Mos Espa. While it provided context and answers many viewers wanted, some felt disoriented by the slow pace of the current day's plot. This conflict only arose amidst the audience when the fifth episode came around and introduced another character to the starring list: Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal). This episode, as well as the sixth episode, both focused solely on what some felt like should've been The Mandalorian season 3, including Din struggling with the Darksaber, Din getting his new N-1 Starfighter to replace the fallen Razor Crest, and Grogu receiving training from Luke Skywalker. This all culminated into a finale that some viewers found to be lackluster compared to the incredible hype surrounding Chapters 5 and 6.
Despite these mixed reviews from viewers, a report from The Wrap (via Star Wars News Net) shows that The Book of Boba Fett has continued to dominate online demand for TV shows weeks after its finale. The Disney+ series sits on top in the "exceptional" level where only one other series, HBO Max's Peacemaker, joins it. This domination comes as no major surprise following The Mandalorian's success, though its overall viewership still hasn't met that of the latter's, but is still an impressive feat after receiving such mixed reviews from the audience. The Book of Boba Fett's finale, however, did manage to top the total viewership recorded for the conclusion of The Mandalorian season 2, an event which has no doubt contributed greatly to this continued domination.
This data shows how the building hype and demand for new live action Star Wars series will only continue to grow and foster greater audiences following the major success of The Mandalorian, no matter what viewers may think about its content. The Book of Boba Fett was only the second live action Star Wars series to debut, which evidently experimented with a different story structure than that of The Mandalorian. The recent series' yield of mixed reviews as compared to the unified content with Disney+'s debut Star Wars series will likely set a precedent for storytelling in this medium going forward, especially as viewers tune in to the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor series.
The Book of Boba Fett was unique in its structure from The Mandalorian because it was a smaller chapter in that universe's larger story. Disney+ has recently confirmed what viewers and cast and crew alike have long since said about The Book of Boba Fett serving as a bridge between The Mandalorian season 2 and 3, commonly referred to as "season 2.5," which became evident when episodes 5 and 6 of the series released. The audience has expected to see more shows focus on the new Mandalorian universe as well, such as the upcoming Ahsoka series, in what could even become an epic Avengers-like team up for a future Star Wars film. Much of that is just speculation at this point, but it could make the treatment of series like The Book of Boba Fett feel more cohesive to the overall long-term storytelling of Din's adventures through the galaxy.
Source: The Wrap (via Star Wars News Net)