TFN Rebels Review: "The Siege Of Lothal: Part 1"

After that epic season one finale of Star Wars Rebels, the beginning of season two would have to be epic.

Boy was it.

The first part of Siege of Lothal was a lot of setting up where we are now. Season one ended with the crew of the Ghost being aided by the larger rebel alliance. We now know that Ahsoka is fulcrum and that these rebel cells, led by Bail Organa, are slowly forming into a threat against the empire.

After what happened on Lothal, there is no way the rebels can stay there and survive. Which is why their return in this episode was full of high stakes. Oh, and did I mention Vader has been sent in to take them down? Yeah that'll end well for them.

WHAT WORKED:
A lot worked in the first part of the opener. We get to see how the rebellion functions now with Phoenix Squadron on their side. Commander Sato is a figure that will no doubt play heavily into season two.

What also worked was the way Filoni and the team handled Darth Vader. His entrance in that doorway was perfect and nailed the ominous presence he has. You could instantly feel the fear and tension by minister Tua and Agent Kallus. That establishes him as a real threat in this series and in these episodes.

Showing Ezra's compassion towards Tua really defines his character and what he's all about. While everyone else turns their back on someone from the empire, Ezra shows compassion, which is the true jedi way. Her death was a huge turning point in this one. Having her actually die raised the stakes and showed that Vader isn't messing around.

The way they then framed the crew was really smart from a story point of view, and it created a huge mess for the rebels that would be tough to escape from.

WHAT DIDNT WORK:
Nothing, really. This was fantastic. I will say Minister Tua is an annoying character, so technically it worked when she died. Rest in peace, Tua.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
What a cliffhanger we were left with as Vader is set to kill our heroes. I will give my final thoughts after part two.

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

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