Star Wars Resistance - "Into The Unknown" Review

Spoiler Warning!

Episode 2.01 – “Into the Unknown”
Directed by - Brad Rau
Written by - Steven Melching

Okay, buckle up, get into formation, because here we go!

So begins the second, and final, season of Star Wars Resistance as we forge ahead inching closer and closer to the events in Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. I have faith that as the season unfolds, we will begin to understand why this show is ending after only two seasons, something that was announced weeks ago.

The folks at Lucasfilm are saying this was the plan all along and we have no choice but to believe them, but it doesn’t help soften the blow any less. This show, and the characters, have a strong fanbase and after winning a Saturn Award for best animated TV show, it begins to become more of a head scratcher. But these decisions are made well in advance so rather than worry about it, let’s just enjoy the final 19 episodes!

We begin over the waters on Castilon as some Tie’s fly over the remains of the battle which occurred at the end of last season. On a Star Destroyer hovering just in orbit above the planet, Agent Tierny and Commander Pyre are debriefing Captain Phasma about how they let the Colossus slip away into hyperspace.

The stakes are clearly high as Phasma threatens them both with execution should they fail to destroy the fuelling station before it reaches General Organa and the Resistance. It’s clear the First Order realizes the Resistance is at a tipping point and a fuelling station, along with recruits, ships, and supplies could stave off their final demise. Before we cut to the opening title, we get a glimpse of Tam onboard, who of course went with Tierny at the end of last season.

Meanwhile, the Colossus comes out of hyperspace roughly 3 parsecs from D’Qar where they think the Resistance is still waiting for them. The station is in rough shape after the battle, so everyone gets to work putting her back together, ready for the long haul. Another problem is that they are out of coaxium fuel and won’t be able to make another jump to hyperspace should the First Order find them. They have lost long-range communications and Captain Doza is positive it won’t be long before the First Order tracks them down.

And then, to make matters worse, the artificial gravity system malfunctions, causing periodic losses in gravity onboard the station. Doza, sends Neeku, Kaz, Torra, and CB-23 down to Engineering to fix it along with the communication relays as well. Neeku notices the Chelidae have retreated into their shells indicating danger is near, which as it turns out, is the Jason Voorhees of rolling astromech units, MB-13A! MB survived his fight with CB-23 back in Season One and has been a stow away on the Colossus, biding his time. When CB goes off alone to repair the transmitter relays, MB seizes the opportunity and attacks! This, as the rest of the station is enjoying Zero G’s, mostly unaware of what is happening elsewhere.



Meanwhile, back on the Star Destroyer, Agent Tierny is still working on convincing Tam that the First Order is where she belongs and that her “former” friends don’t deserve her loyalty. Tam is still angry at the perceived betrayal from Kaz and is determined to be a pilot and be of value to a cause she believes in. Commander Pyre designates her “Cadet Pilot DT-533” and she is dismissed to begin her new career.

Kaz, Neeku, and Torra go to check on CB and get into a skirmish with MB, who was waiting for them, setting a trap. Neeku is tripped up and MB gets the better of Torra and Kaz, allowing the formidable droid a chance to move about and find a data access port. He nearly sends an encoded signal to the First Order before Kaz and Torra stop him. CB-23 makes it back into battle and the rollies get into again.

Eventually Kaz gets the idea to open a nearby floor hatch, sucking MB out into space and the evil droid even waves his little droid arm as he floats away into darkness. Is this the end of MB-13A? I’ve counted him out once before, so I won’t make that mistake again, but this looks like the end for the little black ball. Although, I think it would cool if the First Order found him floating in space and picked him up. He does have some valuable intel stored in his memory banks.

So, with the danger literally sucked out into space, they get back to work, and the antics of MB gives Kaz the bright idea to try contacting Tam. Neeku suggests that using her personal commlink might be a safer option, instead of an unsecured frequency which the First Order could easily pick up on.

We cut to Tam in her quarters decked out in black First Order pilot gear, bandana gone, and hair pulled back. It’s incredible how different she looks, out of her mechanics gear, minus the goggles and bandana. She has made her decision.

Just then, her communicator goes off…

“Tam, it’s Kaz. If you somehow get this message, I want you to know, I made a terrible mistake. I lied to you about who I am and why I came…”

Tam stops the message and throws down the communicator in anger, she’s still not ready to hear Kaz’s side of the story. She walks over to her locker, picks up her First Order helmet, and a small grin appears on her face. She places the helmet on, showing us for the first time, the new Tam aka DT-533.

The End.



Okay, most of this episode was spent toiling with MB in the bowls of the Colossus, and that’s fine. The tone struck me as a little odd considering the events that had just occurred, but that’s something the show has struggled with finding a balance since its inception.

Folks have died, Tam left, they’re adrift in space, the First Order is in pursuit, and the Hosnian system has been destroyed with Kaz’s parents having been there (we think). Now, some of this is on purpose, Neeku even says as much when he states that Kaz always make the best of a bad situation, that’s just who he is. But even still, after all that has happened, it seems that Doza and Yeager are the only ones that understand the dire straits they’re in, and that’s because Captain Doza and Yeager are the only ones that understand the dire straits they’re in!

It’s easy to forget that these are kids with little to no experience in these types of things so it’s forgivable if they don’t measure up to situation. But really this episode is First Order centric in that we see a dressing down of Agent Tierny and Commander Pyre by Captain Phasma, who even threatens them with execution if they don’t destroy the Colossus. So, even though they’ve been running things on Castilon, they’re not on Castilon anymore and results are expected from the First Order hierarchy.

The other focus is Tam. Her emotional wounds and decision to leave her friends are still fresh since this episode picks up right after the end of last season, she’s even still in her old clothes, but not for long. Her anger is real and so is her determination to feel of worth to a cause she believes in, and for the time being, that’s restoring law and order to the galaxy. Her strong sense of betrayal by Yeager and Kaz has blinded her to what’s really going to, so it looks like for the immediate future, she’s with the First Order.

And this is fine tuned on two very important occasions. The first is when Pyre stops referring to her as Tam Ryvora and designates her DT-533, the second is when she dons the First Order pilot uniform, culminating with her putting on the helmet to cap off the episode. This happens after receiving a transmission from Kaz, pleading his case, where she’s clearly not ready to hear from him. And the first thing she turns to for comfort is the helmet, obviously now a metaphor for hiding her true feelings.

Overall, a good start and just serves as a set-up for what’s to come. We know that this season will have 19 episodes so there’s plenty of time to sort it all out as we make our way to Episode IX. We know from the season two trailer there’s lots of action to come so buckle up!



Next week we’ve got “A Quick Salvage Run” …

The Colossus is in dire need of hyperfuel, and Kaz suggests they take it from a downed First Order ship. The salvage mission is compromised when the First Order shows up.

Did Kaz’s message to Tam compromise the Colossus? It seems that may be the case if the First Order was able to find them, or perhaps it was simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

If they are only 3 parsecs from D’Qar, the “downed First Order ship” is likely the dreadnaught from The Last Jedi which was the only ship destroyed during that mostly one-sided battle. So that means when they arrive at D’Qar, it will have been too late and the Resistance is on the run, with General Hux closing in.

And when I hear “salvage” I think Synara San and the pirates, so here’s hoping we get a look at Kragan and the rest as they to must adjust to life on the fuelling station.

As for Tam, will she inch closer and closer to being fully indoctrinated into the First Order way of life, making it impossible for her to ever go back? Or will we start to see cracks? She is very fragile right now but Agent Tierny if anything, is adept at manipulating people in states of fragility so, we’ll see!

Until next time…MTFBWY!

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