'The Book of Boba Fett' ends a chapter, while setting up 'The Mandalorian's' next one

With the benefit of hindsight, "The Book of Boba Fett" was part epilogue, a whole lot of prologue, and one giant valentine to the original "Star Wars" trilogy, attempting to put a different spin on peripheral players and underdeveloped life forms.

That was a lot (indeed, a bit too much) to juggle, as became clear when the series took an abrupt turn back into what felt more like a third season of "The Mandalorian" in the midst of its seven-episode run. Boba Fett might have great armor, but as characters go, the series exposed a rather hollow shell.