TFN Rebels Review: "The Call"

This week on Star Wars Rebels, we get weird.

Between skydiving, space whales, and an angry Hera, this episode has a great mix of history and action while ending with a message we can all apply to our daily lives.

WHAT WORKED:
In this episode, we see the crew of the Ghost struggling. They are low on fuel, and fighting the empire has started depleting their resources. I thought showing that was a brilliant move. It adds real depth and nuance to the show, proving that this fight against tyranny is real. It also showed why more people are hesitant to join the cause.

The purgill were also a nice addition to the story. The idea that a creature in the Star Wars universe could be the origin of hyperspace travel is fascinating. They tied in Hera being mission-driven with ease. She seems to be focused completely on getting fuel and advancing that she has no compassion for the purgills.

The action in this episode was great. The animation was really beautiful when Kanan, Sabine, and Ezra dove out of the Ghost and towards the platform below.

The final message of this episode was something we can all learn from. Instead of flying against the purgills, Ezra realizes that they must live among the creatures, and together they can accomplish more. Ezra connects with the space whales, and that concept of connecting with animals is something we have seen woven through both seasons of the show so far.

WHAT DIDN'T WORK:
The enemies in this episode felt empty and pointless. Yes they had to steal the fuel and yes that's what they were supposed to be, but their presence was useless. They are just Rodian guards and not military soldiers, but they were weightless and the stakes never felt high.

Again, not to sound like a broken record, but the team still has some work to do with having one arc be just 22 minutes long. Figuring out how to disperse the time on each aspect of the story is something they need to figure out, and I have faith that they will.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
This was a really good episode. I loved the purgills being the origin of hyperspace, and I love going deep into Star Wars history.

I also like that the team behind this show continues to take chances, and for the most part has played off very well. The lesson that Ezra teaches the crew will likely return in future stories.


This review was done by Fan of TheForce.net Ryan Donoho. You can contact him at donohonba@gmail.com.

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