It’s been 3 years since the story ofThe Mandalorianbled intoThe Book of Boba Fettwith “Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian,” and it’s a mistake that I have yet to fully understand. As the firstlive-actionStar WarsTV show,The Mandalorianwas indeed tasked with setting up various spin-offs in the same universe, particularly in season 2. This led to character cameos from the likes of Bo-Katan Kryze, Ahsoka Tano, and even Boba Fett, who would then be the first to lead his own spin-off series.
It was then thatThe Book of Boba Fettwas born, with the spin-off having been announced in a post-credits season that played afterThe Mandalorianseason 2 finale, promising an arrival in just a single year’s time. While the Boba Fett-centric story did deliver on its deadline, it certainly wasn’t what audiences were expecting it to be. In fact, it wasn’t even what cast members expected it to be, with starMing-Na Wen initially thinking she was filmingThe Mandalorianseason 3. This is because the series quickly went from being Boba Fett-centric to Din Djarin-centric.
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On June 14, 2025, “Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian” premiered, making good on the foreshadowing of Din Djarin’s return that had been provided at the end of episode 4 a week prior. While many expected the titular Mandalorian to have a brief appearance, however,this 50-minute episode followed Din Djarin entirely, giving audiences a look at how Din has struggled ever since giving up Grogu to the Jedi. This Bryce Dallas Howard directed episode has since been regarded, and rated, as one of live-actionStar Wars’very best to date.
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The only problem is that it’s in the entirely wrong show. “Return of the Mandalorian” would have made for an extremely powerful season 3 premiere inThe Mandalorian, but it was instead placed in Boba Fett’s spin-off - a decision that still has me scratching my head to this day. This episode, which sees Din struggling with theDarksaber, being formally excommunicated from his Mandalorian tribe, and building a new ship with Peli Motto, provides the basis forThe Mandalorianseason 3’s story, and does little to nothing to contribute to Boba Fett’s.
“Return of the Mandalorian” gave us everything we wanted, and now, it’s just a story told in the wrong place.
The true tragedy, though, is that, in retrospect,The Mandalorianseason 3 has officially proven this to be a massive mistake. There’s truly no comparison between “Return of the Mandalorian” and “Chapter 17: The Apostate,” the latter of which now serves as the season 3 premiere. If anything,“The Apostate” is mainly a recap of “Return of the Mandalorian” and the rest of Din Djarin’sThe Book of Boba Fettarcfor viewers who didn’t watch the spin-off series. “Return of the Mandalorian” gave us everything we wanted, and now, it’s just a story told in the wrong place.
This Choice Hurt Not Just The Mandalorian, But Also Boba Fett
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Of course, the consequences of this decision didn’t just hurtThe Mandalorian. It also stuntedThe Book of Boba Fett, giving the appearance that no one really cared as much for Boba Fett’s own story - despite the fact it’shisshow. The fact that Boba himself doesn’t even appear a single time in this episode is absolutely mind-boggling.From this point on, the show became just as much Din Djarin’s as it was Boba Fett’s, and that gave Boba even less time to truly grow and develop as a character. He didn’t receive the attention he deserved.
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As a result, the legacy ofThe Book of Boba Fettis one of confusing decisions and weak storylines, which has ultimately hurt Boba Fett’s own legacy as a character. Now, unfortunately, Temuera Morrison has yet to return toStar Warsagain as Boba, despite there being opportunities to - particularly inThe Mandalorianseason 3. I know I’m certainly hoping for this to change, as are many others, but it’s an unfortunate result of this decision to tieThe Mandalorianso closely withThe Book of Boba Fett.
The Mandalorian’s Story Has Yet To Recover From This Decision
Things Haven’t Been The Same For The Show Ever Since
It’s not as if what happened with “Return of the Mandalorian” only affectedThe Mandalorianin the short-term. In fact,this episode is what kickstarted an apparent reversal of Din Djarin’s arc, taking him from a Mandalorian who’s grappling with his beliefs and his identity in favor of caring for his child to a bounty hunter who’s strictly adhering to his Mandalorian Way yet again - essentially bringing back what we first had inThe Mandalorianseason 1. If this pattern continues in the upcomingThe Mandalorian and Grogumovie, then it can be traced back to this episode.
All 3 seasons ofThe Mandalorianare now available on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra, but becauseThe Book of Boba Fetthas yet to be released in that physical format, presumably because of its reception, Din Djarin’s story isn’t even complete in that format - highlighting this disjointed issue even further.
This may not have been much of an issue if “Return of the Mandalorian” was, indeed,The Mandalorianseason 3 premiere. It’s the fact that this important character development for Din Djarin, along with his quick reunion with Grogu just two episodes later, happened in an entirely different show that has given it such an odd legacy. It’s a true shame, because I know this is one of my personal favorite episodes, and it’s highly revered in the fandom. I just wish it had been a part ofThe Mandalorian, giving itself and Boba Fett their respective times to shine.
