Also, it’s really striking how much of the praise for the show is focused on fan service. But it’s not a substitute for a strong narrative and risks turning Star Wars into a zombie franchise.
I can’t speak for others, but I’m not enjoying the show so far because of fan service but because I think it has so far has been an interesting character story and I hope it will continue to be so. Sure, not every SW story needs to be a redemption arc, but it is very baked into the DNA of the franchise and I don’t think a series where Boba Fett is just a ruthless bounty hunter would be all that interesting. A character driven series needs more depth than that, and based on what we’ve been give so far I think we’ll get it.
Just because we’ve gotten one mediocre episode with some wonky effects and action I don’t think there’s any need to panic. I mean we’re not even halfway through the series yet. Yes, it is completely possible that this entire series was something of an afterthought and a necessary filler in between season 2 and 3 of The Mandalorian, but if that’s the case then I’m only more impressed by it.