The crew at of the Ghost are at it again with blasters blazing in the first thirty minute episode of Star Wars: Rebels to air since the debut broadcast of Star Wars: Rebels Spark of Rebellion. Filling the 9p/8c slot on Disney XD, Rebels is off to a rousing start.
Recap:
In episode 2 entitled Droids In Distress, the crew must turn to some shady dealing or risk going broke. So, with resources running low the crew has no choice but to turn to gun running- er, redistributing, in hopes of redistributing to some credits back into their pockets. The only hiccup being that first they have to steal the illegal disrupters from a hoity-toity Imperial minister who just happens to have two familiar droids with her working as interpreters.
The crew gets in over their head as their plan doesn’t exactly go off without a hitch and Kanan and his consorts come face to face with old foe Agent Callus of the Imperial Security Bureau and his squadron of Storm Troopers. Worse, Callus cops to the firsthand involvement of the near extinction of Zeb’s entire race. It’s a fight for survival and both literally and ethically.
My Two Cents:
Ezra is still giving off a strong Aladdin vibe, pulling off some sweet force boosted, street rat style parkour during the episode and yet, the irritation of that fact is lessening as the character begins to find his own voice.
The first pleasant surprise of the episode was the appearance of fan favorites C-3PO and R2D2; their inclusion in this universe straight out the gate shows commitment to affirming Rebels place in the Star Wars pantheon.
The fights between R2 and Chopper were adorable in their absurdity. Both astromech droids are so full of personality despite being completely devoid of dialog that watching them scrap along and wreak havoc is always worthwhile.
It is also good to know that the tradition of Storm Troopers being unable to hit the broadside of a barn is alive and well. I mean seriously, 3PO was standing still. Standing still! Is no one forced to take firearms training in the Empire?
We got to see Ezra’s first force push and boy howdy was it an impressive one. Yet, no real developments on the Jedi end beyond the push (which even Ezra himself seems less than thrilled about). The focus seems to be more on the crew striking that balanced vibe that I had mentioned in my previous review- this is an ensemble show and a decently composed one at that.
The biggest surprise came at the end with the introduction of Senator Organa (better known as Princess Leia’s adoptive father). The sight of Organa came way out of left field and left me rewinding with excitement. The scene steal where Organa kneels down to retrieve the data information from R2, and in effect mirroring his daughter’s future, is just beautiful.
Droids in Distress was a lot of fun. I also believe the episode (and mostly like the show as a whole) benefited from a shorter, more concise, thirty minute run time. The episode was given just the right amount of time to keep one’s attention both child and adult, and I for look forward to next week’s episode.
