A reconnaissance mission to Agamar brings back memories of the Clone Wars for Rex. With the help of Kanan and Ezra, he must prove which side would have really won in the end. But if the war is over, why is there no clear victor?
The best part of this episode is the humor. It has serious moments, including a brief moment of PTSD for Rex, but the occasional funny comments are the high point of the show. The episode deals with the droid army in from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Most of the lighter sequences poke fun at the absurdities of that show we all accepted.
Early on, the droids comment on how often they capture enemies. Kanan’s sarcastic answer to the question of whether Ezra was his Padawan brought a smile to my face. Ezra’s overconfidence in fighting the droids, because they are not intimidating, made me smirk. Hera’s assessment of who would call for help if needed caused me to chuckle. I grinned when the super tactical droid’s analysis of our hero’s battle plan reminded us that the show follows a formula. I snickered when Rex’s confidence in “generation one” armor made me realize stormtrooper armor seems to be useless. Even my 14-year-old daughter laughed when the droids approached stormtroopers to see if they were a threat.
Rex was another part of the story that worked very well. He is self-aware to the point that he can admit his desire to defeat the droid army once and for all is akin to a type of programming. He acknowledges people, like droids, may not have as much free will as they would like to think they do.
We see how affected Rex’s life has been because of war. He was literally created for it. He lost most of his friends to it. It has taken a toll on his body. He is tense and frustrated that the Clone Wars were never really settled. However, his realization that he was never meant to win helps him gain closure, which is a very nice moment in the episode.
An epiphany comes to Rex because of a question Ezra, confessing that he had never really thought about it, asks. I remember seeing The Attack of the Clones with a friend who was not a big Star Wars fan. He was all business all the time. As we left, he asked, “If Palpatine was in charge of both sides, why did he need to start a war between them?” It would be good for him to watch this episode. Ezra’s thoughtful query shows he is maturing. It also allows him to accomplish something legislators, diplomats, and Jedi were unable to do.
Another bright spot is the consistency of Kanan’s development. He seems to be even more comfortable with his blindness. His use of the force is improving every episode.
I’ll admit I’ve gotten spoiled. We’ve had a lot of revelations so far this season. They all seem to be leading to something big. Maybe even leading to a few big things. This episode felt like filler. It was a good episode, but it seemed to be tying up some loose ends from a previous series. I missed Thrawn. I am impatient to see Maul’s next move. I even want more of the Bendu, if only to at least clarify how he is between the dark and the light (he appears to be on the light side).
Maybe the closure Ezra brought to Rex will open up new avenues of recruiting for the Rebellion. We will have to wait and see if these events connect some dots in the future. I was entertained by this episode, but it left me wanting more.
3.5 Death Stars out of 5.