For a long time, the more modern Star Wars projects were wary of referencing the much-maligned prequels, with Episode I: The Phantom Menace an especially unlikely point of return given the reception to the film around the time of its release.
Still, times change. Over the years people have a bit more time and nostalgia for the prequels (the first of which came out almost 23 years ago), allowing for a few more nods in Disney’s new Star Wars projects and even the return of some actors and settings (Obi-Wan Kenobi, coming soon!).
And now, new Disney Plus series The Book of Boba Fett has delved right back into the choppy waters of The Phantom Menace, filling its latest episode with callbacks to that film – and one future dark lord of the Sith in particular.
Yes, it’s hard to watch episode 5 – The Return of the Mandalorian – without thinking about Jake Lloyd’s Anakin Skywalker. During the episode, the returning Mando (Pedro Pascal) helps repair an old Naboo starfighter with Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris), later taking it out for a spin around Tatooine.
Of course, Anakin flew one of these fighters in The Phantom Menace’s final battle, dropping a few infamous clangers like “Now THIS is podracing” and “I’ll try spinning, that’s a good trick” – and the episode drops some subtle hints to this legacy, with Din Djarin (Pascal) spinning the fighter just like Anakin did while trying it out.
#TheBookOfBobaFett SPOILERS
— lore ! (@padmescurls) January 26, 2022
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the phantom menace and tbobf chapter 5 pic.twitter.com/MX730DZNg9
The Phantom Menace’s iconic podracing scene also gets a nod, as Din flies the starfighter along some of the same route (most notably Beggar’s Canyon) and using a similar flying style to Anakin, Sebulba and the other racers to get through the obstacles.
The whole thing is crowned off when Peli Motto asks Mando how the ship was, and he replies with a semi-sarcastic “Wizard” – itself an adjective used by one of Anakin’s friends on Tattooine in Episode I to describe his friend’s new podracer. At the time, fans groaned at the awkward line (“This is so wizard, Ani!”), but today we imagine it got a slightly different reception.
Altogether, this episode is a bit of a love letter to some of the more familiar flying scenes in The Phantom Menace, and manages to bring together the earliest prequel and the new world of the Disney Plus shows into a closer connection.
Say it with us… now THIS is podracing. Or maybe just “Yippeeee!”
The Book of Boba Fett releases new episodes on Wednesdays. Sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.