Continuing his training from last season, Ezra (Taylor Gray) and crew return in Star Wars Rebels: The Complete Season Two to help restore the fallen Jedi order and hopefully bring balance to a galaxy that is in peril. Accepting his role as a Jedi Knight and trying to better himself through the teachings of his master, Kanan (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Ezra looks to keep the galaxy in check against the rising powers of the empire, while maintaining his allegiance to the Jedi ways. A tough task, no doubt, and one that can only be accomplished through Kanan and friends.
To put it quite bluntly, the second season of Star Wars Rebels is a resounding success from beginning to end. It does what any great television show can do when trying to up the ante on story, excitement and character depth — it continues to build on the foundation it established and avoid falling off of it. That isn’t an easy task, as many shows of this type have not trusted their roots and tried going another direction by season two, but honestly creators Simon Kinberg, Carrie Beck and Dave Filoni make it look like it ain’t a thing.
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Season one established this show as something more than just another animated kids cash grab by introducing, in detail, Jedi methods, temples, mentors and remnants of what once was before the Emperor, Vader and the entire empire forced its way into the galaxy. It kicked up a lot of history that isn’t detailed in the movies, at least not yet, and started pulling/creating myths that brought unparalleled dimension to the Star Wars universe, something it needed badly. Heck, even the feature films don’t go into depth about some of the stuff that this show creates for the SW universe (at least not yet). More importantly, the show takes chances and ingrains some adult themes, such as death and killing, into the mix, which make the stakes all more real. Not a lot of cartoons with the Disney logo can do that, but Disney and crew certainly didn’t hold back.
Season two picks up where the first left off and starts to concentrate more on its characters and the decisions they make in a moment of crisis. Almost every aspect of the season is focused on individual journeys and influences that main characters run into. It seemed like every episode a bit of personal aspects to the characters in it, which made for a lot genuine moments. Anyway, let’s talk about episodes a bit.
Here are a few favorites from this season:
Legends of the Lasat: This episode focuses on Zeb’s (Steve Blum) upbringing and his life choices to stand tall or runaway. Trying to get the Lasat to a new home planet, one that is away from the grasp of the empire, Zeb does his best to go beyond his own expectations to help out. This particular episode is both endearing, as well as powerful. It gives Zeb’s character a persona that is more than just angry comic relief. Up until that point, Zeb had truly become a cynical Chewbacca that had a one pony act attached to him, but thankfully this episode changed everything about his character.
Relics of the Old Republic: This episode focuses on the three clones found in the middle of nowhere that are surviving and trying to live life the best way they can post-war. It’s such a powerful episode on so many levels. Seeing the togetherness of old soldiers and their willingness to do what it takes, even if the odds are really out of their favor, to progress and help out the fight is touching to see. I think this is probably in my top two episodes of the second season. It pulls together old foundations of the clone war into the new Rebel storyline.
Always Two There Are: Anything with the return of the Sith Inquisitors is a good time — well, good is the wrong word here, more like frightening. Two new Sith Inquisitors meet the group on an abandoned medical station and cause a lot of havoc. The sith established here will be sprinkled through out the entire storyline as season two progresses and end with the season. This episode is filled with tension, uncertainty and gives way to new menaces. Loved this so much.
Twilight of the Apprentice: This is broken into two parts and it ends the same way The Empire Strikes Back does — on an uncertain note. The final battle(s) in the second part of the episode is intense, folks. You get a bunch of Sith, some teetering Jedi and one Ezra who is it at the fork in the road with his allegiance. It’s nuts how good this two part finale is and even better with who is involved. There is so much here that I’m glad they broke into two pieces, as it certainly deserved it.
There are quite a few episodes in this season and each one keeps getting better and better. There was literally no episode in this season of Rebels that felt like a throwaway. Even the stand alone episodes that didn’t progress Ezra’s journey to become powerful and restore the Jedi order were still very entertaining. The second season continues the upward swing of the first and helps to re-establish the sheer brilliance of the acting, writing and directing that comes with Rebels. Dare I say that the character development and overall story arc are better than the feature films of recent? I dare, I dare.
And if this isn’t enough to peek your interest, you should come for the animation and visuals. While I have to admit I thought that season one’s visuals were a bit corny at first, maybe even childish, I have come to love the style and feel of the characters and worlds. This is art, folks. Plain and simple. It’s a gorgeous show.
If you were on the fence about Rebels with season one, then season two will certainly push you over to the delicious dark side of accepting this as one of the top animated shows in the last few years. Get on board with Star Wars Rebels, if you haven’t yet.
On the special features side of the tracks, here’s what you’re looking at:
– From Apprentice to Adversary: Vader vs. Ahsoka
– Connecting the Galaxy: Rebels Season Two
– Rebels Recon
Not a lot going on here, though the top feature on this list certainly brings a bit more shape to the final fight, if not making it that much more powerful when it ends. The rest are good, but not quite the reach of the first.
Onto the summary!
