Boba freakin’ Fett: the silent bad-ass bounty hunter from Star Wars who wouldn’t stay dead. Known as the deadliest bounty hunter in the (Star Wars) galaxy, Fett rose to instant fame despite having maybe five lines in both “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.” Creator George Lucas wrote Fett as a minion for the bad guys, and yet, he somehow became one of the most popular characters in the whole franchise. And now, after 40+ years, he has his own series!

“The Book of Boba Fett” links “The Mandalorian” to the original Star Wars trilogy, specifically the events from “Return of the Jedi.” Boba Fett was thought to be killed by the sarlacc (a massive organism hidden beneath the sand, its mouth the only visible part on the surface) until his reappearance in season two of “The Mandalorian.” The season ended with Fett taking over crime boss Jabba the Hutt’s palace for himself.

This series was created and written by Jon Favreau. Favreau has been behind “The Mandalorian” and directed the first two “Iron Man” movies for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU. His films range from Disney’s live-action “Jungle Book” and “The Lion King” to “Elf” and “Cowboy and Aliens.” Favreau has been attached to multiple Star Wars projects, so this is familiar territory for him.

Temuera Morrison (“Once Were Warriors”) and Ming-Na Wen (“Mulan”) return from “The Mandalorian” as Boba Fett and Fennec Shand, respectively. Carey Jones (“Predators”) joins the series as Black Krrsantan, along with Matt Berry (“The IT Crowd”) as 8D8, and Jennifer Beals (“Flashdance”) as Garsa Fwip. Pedro Pascal also returns as Din Djarin from “The Mandalorian.”

After his comeback in “The Mandalorian,” Boba Fett returns to Tantooine to claim Jabba the Hutt’s territory. Fett builds up his own empire in the crime-filled Mos Espa. Flashbacks will reveal Fett’s surviving his supposed death from the sarlacc pit and living in the dunes with Tusken Raiders (nomadic hunters and scavengers that usually attack outsiders). Fett’s new rule will cross with other criminal organizations that will lead to war.

So, “The Book of Boba Fett” is basically season 2.5 of “The Mandalorian.” Both are tightly connected, like how the MCU is designed. While “Boba Fett” looks like its own separate series, it’s a direct continuation from “The Mandalorian.” Certain flashbacks connect dots from seasons 1 and 2, showing Boba Fett interacting with the former show in a behind-the-scenes sense.

One of my favorite parts was after Boba Fett reclaimed his ship Firespray (formerly known as Slave 1) in one of the flashbacks. Fett went on a hunt to find his missing armor and winded up getting some sweet revenge on that sarlacc pit. Both Fett’s ship and the sarlacc creature/thing hold a massive struggle with each other (the creature could tentacle-handle a friggin’ ship!).

The Boba Fett I grew up with was a silent bounty hunter, and he never took off his helmet. Kinda like Mando’s whole deal on his show. Here, Fett talks a lot and is often shown with his helmet off. It’s a bit off-putting buut there is a reason for this. This isn’t the same Fett anymore. After living with Tusken Raiders, his view of life changed, and Boba Fett is redefining himself. That isn’t a bad thing; it gives his character development and growth. It’s just different.

Speaking of different, when I saw the tease for the show, I was thinking of Boba Fett running Jabba’s empire like a crime lord. Instead, Fett runs things utilizing respect, like “The Godfather.” It makes sense with Fett walking the streets showing his face instead of only wearing his helmet. Again, it all works; it’s just different from what I was expecting. But that’s what I get for anticipation based on a teaser scene.

The main theme comes from Ludwig Göransson, the same composer from “The Mandalorian.” The theme is reminiscent of “The Mandalorian” theme yet has its own distinctive tone. The nomadic chanting of “Fett” and “Boba” fits with Fett’s journey on Tantooine and living with the Tusken Raiders. Also, pretty catchy! Joseph Shirley is credited as the main composer for this series, who also provided additional music for “The Mandalorian.”

The show also pulls several “The Mandalorian” characters and story elements separate from Boba Fett’s main storyline (basically, filler episodes). A lot sets up for the upcoming season 3. Now, if viewers never watch this show, they might miss out on a few important details when they tune back in to “The Mandalorian.”

Again, like the MCU.

“Boba Fett” also brings in an important character from Fett’s past, who has only been seen in the Star Wars animated series, such as “The Clone Wars” and “The Bad Batch.” But it is such a great entrance for the character that I refuse to spoil it.

I had a bit of an issue with the pacing of the first four episodes. They juggle between the present and the past. Neither was bad, but they just didn’t mix well. You want to see what Fett is doing with his new criminal empire, but before things start to take shape, it’s time for a flashback that’ll occupy the rest of the episode. Now you gotta wait another week to see where that first confrontation went, but you’re also stuck wanting to see what was going on in the flashback as well. It’s probably not as big a deal now with all of the episodes available at once.

“The Book of Boba Fett” is a series that has been a long time coming for Fett fans. However, for fans of the older version of Boba Fett, they’ll probably be disappointed to see Fett changing his ways and tactics. There’s also something to be said when the best-rated episodes are the ones where Fett is either not present or barely in them (you know, the main guy whose name is in the title). Din Djarin and Grogu nearly stole the show. Still a good series, but it was not what I was expecting.

The final episode has a mid-credit scene, hinting at a possible return for a certain character.

“The Book of Boba Fett” is streaming on Disney Plus.