Boba Fett and Fennec Shand face an escalating conflict.

Disney’s The Mandalorian spin-off concludes, being the very definition of the Curate’s Egg, struggling to bring the sort of wow factor that made the original show shine.

On the face of it, a show dedicated to mysterious bounty hunter looked like an easy win. Both Fett and accomplice Fennec Shand were developed in The Mandalorian’s second season, ready to lead their own show, but from the outset it felt fragmented. With as much time (sometimes more) devoted to Fett’s flashbacks as his current predicament, this lost much of the urgency.

Finally, with the back story played out, focus shifted to the main story arc – fighting the Pyke Syndicate threat and re-establishing control in Mos Espa – only for this to take a back seat for two episodes to re-establish the storylines of the Mandalorian and Grogu. Unfortunately, this just reminded us how more engaging these characters are. Throw in a few legacy fan favourite characters and we’re here at the finale, which is just fine.

Boba and Shand have spent the previous weeks building up their army (pig guards, Mods, gladiator Wookiee, angry villagers) and each play their part in the skirmish which feels like it’s restricted to a single street in Mos Espa. Characters fly in and out (literally) but we’re still subjected to lazy plotting and poor decisions that are at odds with their previously demonstrated skills. And even when Fett strides in with a deus ex Rancor, it’s just not as impressive as it should or could have been.

Truth be told, the last three episodes could easily have been the first three episodes of The Mandalorian Season 3, and the closing scene of this Fett show is 100% a lead in to the new adventures. It was an interesting experiment, but Fett doesn’t feel like a series lead, instead working best as someone drafted in as the plot requires. Take a look at new gunslinging bounty hunter Cad Bane: he’s cool, we know little about him and he’s used sparingly – he’d be diminished if he developed a moral conscience and we tapped into his humanity.

Verdict: A predictable ending to a season of highs and lows that never met its potential. 7/10

Nick Joy