Please be warned there are major spoilers for Episode 6 below.

“From the Desert Comes a Stranger.”

#$^*(&%$$^&(*(*^%#@@$%&*()_(&*()_)(*&!!!!!!!!!

That’s pretty much how I feel about the latest episode of BoBF, lol. Whew, what an episode!

I really didn’t think we’d get to see Mando visit Grogu at all in this series; I thought we’d get back to Boba and maybe we’d see the little guy in The Mandalorian S3. It’s a strange decision, but I’m not complaining! Nevermind Cobb Vanth, Luke, Ahsoka Tano, and Cad Bane. Cameo riches!

So backing up, Din makes good on his decision to go see Grogu (I’m not sure how he knows where they are or Luke’s name at all; Luke gave no information on that when he scooped up Grogu, but maybe they’ve been in contact? I don’t see why they would be, though. Any ideas?). He takes the Naboo Starfighter to a forested planet and runs into R2, who leads him to Luke’s new temple that’s in the process of being built. But no sign of Grogu or Luke. The ant-like droids that are building the temple make a bench for him to wait, so he waits.

Meanwhile, we see Luke training Grogu in another part of the forest. They’re meditating, and Grogu gets distracted by a frog (naturally) and nearly eats it. Luke notices, and uses the Force to lift a multitude of frogs from the pond, showing Grogu what he can possibly accomplish–if he focuses and commits himself. (CGI Luke looks great, by the way. I almost thought he was an actor who just looks remarkably like Mark Hamill, lol).

He talks about Yoda, and helps Grogu remember where he came from. We get a flashback of baby Grogu in the Jedi Temple during Order 66. Three Jedi are defending him against clone troopers who are attacking them. We don’t see how Grogu escapes, however. When he comes to, Luke tells him the galaxy can be a dangerous place, but he will teach him how to protect himself. He introduces Grogu to the training remote, and before long he’s hopping and flipping along, evading the thing. We even get a scene of Luke running through the forest with Grogu on his back, hearkening back to ESB with Yoda. Priceless!

Din wakes up from a nap to see Ahsoka standing there. He’s surprised, and she says she’s a “friend of the family.” So obviously Luke and Ahsoka have met, and have talked about Anakin. I would have liked to see this meeting, but maybe we will in the Ahsoka show (please?). They walk to where they can see Luke and Grogu training. Ahsoka implies that Din is there for his own sake, rather than Grogu’s, and that if Grogu sees him it will make it harder. He gives her the gift the Armorer made, and with a heavy heart, he leaves.

Back on Tatooine, Din shows up at Boba’s palace, and we actually get to see Boba with his team. He has no speaking lines, however. Fennec says they need some ground forces or something, and Din says he might be able to help with that. So he goes to see Cobb Vanth and tries to convince him and the people of Freetown to help. I forgot to mention that the episode opened with a scene of Vanth running off some Pykes from his territory. So he knows that trouble is coming, but hates to get his people involved. He tells Din he’ll see what he can do, and once Din leaves, he notices someone walking into town from the desert (oh, he’s the guy from the title). And guess who it is?

Cad Bane, notorious bounty hunter from the Clone Wars (and recently The Bad Batch, facing off with Fennec over Omega). There’s a superb Western vibe as Bane faces off with Vanth, warning him not to get involved in the coming conflict. Vanth stands his ground, but unfortunately his gung-ho deputy gets involved and mouths off. Bane shoots the deputy down, and injures Vanth, then walks away. Pretty sure they’re gonna get involved now, lol.

The last scene is with Luke and Grogu. He shows Grogu the gift from Din, which turns out to be an adorable little chainmail shirt. But before he gives it to him, he also shows him Yoda’s old lightsaber, small enough for Grogu to wield eventually. Basically, he’s giving Grogu a choice: stay with him and train to be a Jedi, or go back to Din and be a Mandalorian. It ends there, with Grogu’s big sweet baby eyes unsure what to do.

I’m pretty sure Grogu will choose to go back to Din. Luke himself observed to Ahsoka that he wasn’t sure if Grogu’s heart was in the training. And of course there’s that Grogu-sized bubble just waiting for the little guy to fill it on the Naboo starfighter. And that’s why Grogu is not at the temple when Ben Solo destroys it. He’s not, dammit.

Oh, and Garsa Fwips’s cantina is blown up by the Pykes in a terrorist act. Luckily it looked like it was Max Rebo’s night off, so I’m guessing he survived–he’s a lucky little blue elephant guy. But Garsa’s character seems a little wasted here.

Anyway, all the chess pieces are being placed on the board, and they’ll all come together next week in the finale. I think. I’m guessing The Book of Boba Fett is a one-shot deal and that there will not be a Season Two. I think, lol.

This show has definitely challenged our expectations of what it was ultimately going to be, and be about. Its structure is odd, to say the least, but it’s also given us some wonderful things, and that alone makes it worth watching. I can’t wait to see what happens next week! (Boba better charge out into the battlefield on that rancor, or I’ll be gravely disappointed, lol).

What did you think of Episode 6? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!