Warning! SPOILERS for Book of Boba Fett episode 5.
Not much time appears to have passed between The Mandalorian season 2 and episode 5 of The Book of Boba Fett, but a lot still happened off-screen. Book of Boba Fett's episode 5 focused entirely on the Mandalorian, also known as Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), in the events that lead to his reunification with Ming-Na Wen's Fennec Shand. Mentioned at the end of the previous episode, Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and Fennec Shand need to seek muscle to help them with the Pyke Syndicate problem rising against them. The past four Book of Boba Fett episodes answer many questions about Tatooine and the intricate crime world that Boba Fett wishes to play a heavy hand in. With Star Wars' Pyke Syndicate warring with Boba Fett, the daunting Spice smugglers are clearly becoming this show's main antagonistic threat. Using Din Djarin as a way to help out Boba Fett is wise, considering the strong connection that the Mandalorians have with the Pykes.
Before moving onto his Boba Fett storyline, the audience got to catch up with the Mandalorian. The season 2 finale was over a year ago on December 18, 2020, with its yet-to-be-announced season 3 release date likely making the time apart seasons to be two years. While many fans remarked that Boba Fett's episode 5 felt more like a Mandalorian season 3 premiere, it did curb the wait time for Djarin's story. By Djarin interacting with many Mandalorian characters in Boba Fett's episode 5, like Amy Sedaris' perm-haired hangar manager Peli Motto and Emily Swallow's Armorer, the episode answered a lot of questions about his time post-Grogu.
It's up for debate whether an episode for a show titled The Book of Boba Fett should have focused all of its time away from its titular character on a completely different storyline. Nonetheless, the episode helps set up The Mandalorian's season 3 so that the season can focus on more matters. The episode, directed by Mandalorian regular Bryce Dallas Howard, received positive acclaim and maintained Boba Fett's general formula of focusing intently on a character storyline. The episode also tossed in its usual plethora of Star Wars Easter eggs and kept the shows connected. Here is everything that happened between season 2 of The Mandalorian and episode 5 of The Book of Boba Fett.
The Mandalorian Is Bounty Hunting Again
Everything from Din Djarin's silhouette introducing his presence to his "I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold" line hark back to The Mandalorian's pilot episode introducing the character as a bounty hunter. After spending the past two Mandalorian seasons bringing Grogu to the Jedi Order, Djarin returned to collecting bounties. The opening scene showed him confronting the Klatoonian Kaba Baiz (Ardeshir Radpour) for a bounty and, unfortunately for Baiz, having to bring him in cold. Even though he holds the formidable Darksaber, Star Wars' Mandalorian Darksaber history giving him the power to rule all Mandalorian clans has never been something of interest to him. It's easy to understand this considering that there aren't many Mandalorian clans left, anyway. Either way, Djarin has opted to return to his old bounty hunter ways in lieu of taking advantage of the Darksaber's opportunities.
The Mandalorian Tribe Moved
The Mandalorian's first season showed The Armorer and Paz Vizsla (Tait Fletcher) on the planet Nevarro. In The Mandalorian's season 1 episode 3 "The Sin," other Mandalorians arrive to save Djarin when he's overpowered by other bounty hunters stopping him from taking Grogu. Season 2 didn't show the other Mandalorians, instead focusing on Djarin's quest to bring Grogu to the Jedis. Season 2 also introduced three different Star Wars Mandalorian factions, with Din Djarin being part of an extremist faction called The Tribe. However, Paz Vizsla tells Djarin in Book of Boba Fett's episode 5 that "there are three of us now," when Djarin expresses that he's "sorry for [their] sacrifice," inferring to an Imperial Remnant attack on the Tribe for battling the Bounty Hunters' guild. Since Djarin's last meeting with them, the Tribe moved off Nevarro onto Glavis.
Bo-Katan Is Elsewhere
After Djarin won the Darksaber in battle, the connection between him and the weapon's former wielder Bo-Katan Kryze is strained. While Bo-Katan may still likely return in The Mandalorian's season 3, especially given the Armorer's mention of her in The Book of Boba Fett's episode 5, it's no surprise that she parted ways with Din Djarin. It's assumed that the Mandalorian left Bo-Katan and the Nite Owls primarily because of the Darksaber rift. It's not just that Bo-Katan had better things to do that weren't of interest to Djarin - or vice versa. Even though Djarin could care less about the Mand'alor title that the Darksaber provides, there's a power struggle between him and Bo-Katan.
Moff Gideon Was Arrested For His Crimes
When Viszla asks Djarin about whether he killed Moff Gideon upon acquiring the Darksaber, Djarin tells him that he was "sent off to the New Republic for interrogation" and "will face justice for his crimes." Djarin also believes that, based upon the egregiousness of Gideon's crimes, he will be executed by the New Republic Tribunal. It's therefore unlikely that Gideon will arrive in The Mandalorian season 3, unless he evades justice or Djarin has a reason to visit him. This Luke Skywalker-Moff Gideon Mandalorian theory may explain why Gideon tried killing himself upon Luke's X-Wing arrival - he wasn't necessarily evading capture. Either way, his story probably has no future in Star Wars. In addition, the Imperial Remnants may likely also be rebuilding despite Gideon's capture, especially considering the sequel trilogy's First Order.
The Mandalorian Might Know Where Grogu Is Training
Din Djarin asks the Armorer to forge his Beskar spear into something for Grogu. At the end of The Book of Boba Fett's episode 5, Djarin tells Fennec Shand that he must "pay a visit to a little friend" before helping Boba Fett. Djarin in Season 2 would have no way of knowing where Luke's Jedi training temple would be. He probably learned about Grogu's whereabouts in the meantime.
Din Djarin Contacted Peli Motto About The Razor Crest's Destruction
In The Mandalorian season 2, episode 6 "Chapter 14: The Tragedy," Djarin's Razor Crest was destroyed by Moff Gideon's light cruiser. The Razor Crest's destruction hurt Star Wars fans because of the significance the ship held for Djarin. It was essentially his Millennium Falcon. However, Djarin never made any contact to Peli Motto about his ship in season 2, as he had more pressing matters regarding Grogu's capture. When Djarin goes to Tatooine in The Book of Boba Fett's episode 5 to meet Motto about a message she sent him regarding a replacement ship, this implies that Djarin sent her a message sometime after sending Grogu away about the Razor Crest's destruction.
Fennec Shand Learned That The Mandalorian Would Come To Tatooine
Fennec Shand finding Din Djarin at Peli Motto's hangar at the end of The Book of Boba Fett's episode 5 could easily be written off as a plot hole. There's no outwardly explicit reason why Shand would know that Djarin was even on Tatooine when she found him, much less at the hangar. That said, Fennec Shand's major role in Boba Fett gives her opportunities to really display her savviness as Fett's right-hand. In the previous episode, she tells Fett that "credits can buy muscle, if you know where to look." Considering that both Boba Fett and Fennec Shand know Din Djarin, they must have decided upon him pretty quickly and then garnered their resources towards looking for him. Fennec likely received intel about Djarin's whereabouts, which wouldn't be entirely difficult considering that he wasn't in hiding. After all, he arrives on Tatooine in a passenger liner space transport. While episode 5 felt a lot more like an episode of The Mandalorian, Fennec Shand's arrival invites Din Djarin to the main storyline in The Book of Boba Fett and makes this otherwise standalone episode relevant to the show.
The Book of Boba Fett streams Wednesdays on Disney+.