The season finale of The Book of Boba Fett has reportedly been streamed by over 1.5 million U.S. households in its first five days, surpassing the The Mandalorian season 2 finale of by 36%. The Book of Boba Fett is a Mandalorian spin-off that focuses on ex-bounty hunter Fett (Temuera Morrison) as he takes over Jabba’s Palace and becomes the new Daimyo of Tatooine. Fett is aided by master assassin Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) as the pair tries to maintain control of their new criminal empire in Mos Espa, facing challenges from the notorious Pyke Syndicate.
The Book of Boba Fett episodes 1 to 4 covered everything from the moment that Fett escaped the Sarlacc pit to his acceptance into a Tusken tribe. However, the last three episodes went in a very different direction, upping the action, increasing the Star Wars character cameos, and ultimately culminating in a conclusion that put more of a focus on Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu than Fett himself. Though Book of Boba Fett had a lot of potential, many fans have noted that its best parts felt more like the beginnings of The Mandalorian season 3 rather than the standalone spin-off the show was supposed to be.
With that in mind, it may come as a surprise that Book of Boba Fett’s season finale, “Chapter 7: In The Name of Honor,” brought in far more viewers than The Mandalorian season 2 finale did. According to Samba TV (via Deadline), Boba Fett episode 7 has drawn in 1.5 million US viewers so far, compared to 1.1 million for The Mandalorian in the same time period. In a statement, Cole Strain, Samba TV’s Head of Measurement, praised the "momentum and excitement" for Book of Boba Fett season 1.
“The momentum and excitement for the first season of The Book of Boba Fett certainly carried through to the finale…in fact, the 1.5M U.S. households watching the debut season’s finale through the weekend was 36% higher than The Mandalorian’s season two finale. Disney has done a great job creating strong original content that keeps viewers engaged and coming back for more.”
There are many reasons that might explain why “In The Name of Honor” has seen higher viewership figures than The Mandalorian season 2 finale, “Chapter 16: The Rescue.” It might simply come down to an increase in Disney+ subscribers since December 2020, when “The Rescue” aired. However, it’s also possible that all of the exciting Star Wars cameos in Boba Fett episode 6, “Chapter 6: From The Desert Comes A Stranger,” built up a huge amount of hype for its season finale. Ultimately, many felt the episode only half-succeeded in delivering on this promise. However, seeing characters like Cad Bane introduced in episode 6 suggested that the Boba Fett finale fights were going to be epic, so it's no wonder that so many people tuned in.
That being said, viewership figures are only half the story. While Boba Fett episode 7 may have brought in more viewers, The Mandalorian season 2, episode 8 was much more universally positively received, with a nearly perfect IMDb score of 9.8. “In The Name of Honor” currently sits at 7.7, suggesting that fans were much less satisfied with The Book of Boba Fett finale. Ultimately, these increased viewership scores show promise that Disney’s future Star Wars shows are likely to reach more and more people — they just have to be up to the challenge of following in The Mandalorian’s footsteps.
Source: Deadline
