'The Book of Boba Fett' ramps up the action (literally) this week

'The Streets of Mos Espa', this week's episode, feels like it's the most action-packed the series has been so far for a number of reasons.

For one, the flashbacks were kept to a minimum this time around and were rudely interrupted by that angry-looking Wookiee from last week's episode in a fight sequence that felt vaguely familiar to... David Cronenberg's 'Eastern Promises'. Yes, really. If you know the scene we're talking about from that movie, you'll note the familiarity here. We're getting ahead of ourselves.

If last week's episode dealt with the indigenous population of Tatooine, this week's episode comes out of the desert and into the urban. Mos Eisley was famously described by Obi-Wan Kenobi as a "wretched hive of scum and villainy", so what does that make Mos Espa? Well, for one, they've got a biker problem, according to Stephen Root. Yet, when Boba Fett rocks up to solve the problem, it turns out Stephen Root is the problem. More specifically, economic greed is the root of Stephen Root's problem. Rather than simply kill the bikers - who were clearly modelled on 'Quadrophenia' - annoying the wealthy merchant, he offers them work instead and orders Stephen Root to stop price-gouging people for water.

After dealing with one issue, another one presents itself in Krrsantan, the Wookiee gladiator, who tries to murder Fett while he's napping in his Bacta tank before his biker gang swoops in and saves the day while he's more or less naked. While you think this would be enough for Fett to start killing some Hutts, it never quite works out how you think. Jabba's cousins arrive the next day, ask for forgiveness for sending Krrsantan, and then offer Fett a depressed rancor and rancor trainer Danny Trejo (!) as a gift. Finally, at long last, Danny Trejo is in the 'Star Wars' universe. If Robert Rodriguez does nothing else, he's made that happen. Of course, it would appear that the rancor is the 'Star Wars' equivalent of a Trojan horse as Danny Trejo is no doubt planning something nefarious, but that'll come later.

This week's episode seemed to be lining up the Pyke Syndicate as the next big threat on Tatooine, as Jabba's cousins backed off from their takeover because of them. The Pykes have only been fleetingly mentioned in the likes of 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' or the animated 'Cloine Wars' series. With that in mind, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see other crime syndicates appear. Could we even - whisper it, dare we not believe it - see the likes of Darth Maul or even Prince Xizor at some point? As the action begins to ramp up, with a biker chase through said streets of Mos Espa involving a ramp, the wheels are beginning to turn at long last on 'The Book of Boba Fett'.

One thing that's always been rich but unexplored thus far about 'Star Wars' is the criminal underworld, and this episode really is just the beginning of it. A mod-inspired biker gang, a Wookiee trying to rip Boba's head off in his sleep, a tame rancor being trained by Danny Trejo - 'The Book of Boba Fett' is doing more for the criminal element than any other entry thus far, and it's very gratifying to see Robert Rodriguez stick to the grossness of it. It's meant to be seedy and slimy, messy and nasty, and it's fun to watch.

Final Thoughts

• Danny Trejo! Yeah!
• The eye jokes, very well done
• Once again, the music on 'The Book of Boba Fett' is fantastic and is almost surpassing 'The Mandalorian' in some respects
• More gross fight sequences! More, damn you!