Lucasfilm's The Book of Boba Fett features several cameos that, despite their obvious appeal, cheapened Star Wars' storytelling overall. After the success of The Mandalorian, it has birthed a couple of spin-offs including one that centers on the classic bounty hunter. The Book of Boba Fett saw Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) lay claim to Jabba the Hutt's crime territory. Aside from him, the show also featured several guest appearances from other fan-favorite characters from the space opera.
Despite the public's initial excitement over the latest Star Wars series, The Book of Boba Fett failed to capture viewers the same way The Mandalorian did. Many didn't like its slow pacing, not to mention its jilted storytelling that was interrupted by constant flashbacks. Arguably fans' biggest gripe with the show was its two filler episodes that barely had anything to do with Boba Fett himself. During these outings, The Book of Boba Fett seemed to go on a totally unrelated narrative tangent that started with the return of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal).
Mando's appearance on The Book of Boba Fett somehow made sense considering that he partook in the show's final fight between Boba Fett's forces and the Pyke Syndicate. Unfortunately, Lucasfilm also thought that it was a good idea to bring a de-aged Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) into Boba Fett, as well as Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and Grogu. While seeing these fan-favorite characters was great, it cheapens Star Wars' storytelling by desensitizing viewers to surprise cameos. Sooner or later, fans would get so used to big-name players just popping in for the sake of fan service, without any narrative necessity for them. That's exactly what happened with Luke, Ahsoka, and Grogu since they were all far removed from what was happening in Mos Espa. It’s as if the cameos were meant to distract the public from the show's weak storytelling.
There's some backlash to The Book of Boba Fett just flippantly showing Luke and Ahsoka's first on-screen appearance together when it doesn't really have anything to do with Boba Fett's story. There were also arguments that there was no need to see Grogu again, especially considering how The Mandalorian season 2 wrapped up. Din made it his mission to reunite "The Child" with the Jedi, and he finally did when Luke came and picked Baby Yoda up to train as part of his efforts to rebuild the Jedi Order. Similar to what happened in The Book of Boba Fett, the appearance of Luke distracted from Mando and Grogu's separation, which was a big thing considering that their relationship has been at the core of The Mandalorian. Lucasfilm didn't have to reunite them as quickly. Now, The Mandalorian season 2 finale has an even lesser emotional impact than it did before. What makes this worse is that it all happened n The Book of Boba Fett — a show that was supposed to focus on Boba Fett.
There's no official word yet about The Book of Boba Fett season 2, but considering its post-credits scene that saw Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant) getting robotic upgrades, chances are that Lucasfilm has every intention of continuing the show. Hopefully, aside from addressing all the other issues viewers had with its storytelling, the show's continuation refrains from featuring unrelated Star Wars characters and just focus on the show's titular character.
