Star Wars: Rebels, “Steps into Shadow”, Review!
Jedi Jondee here at Yarma,
Season Two ended with our Rebels recovering from a run-in with Darth Vader and Maul, Ahsoka fallen, Kanan blinded, and Ezra in possession of a Sith holocron. A walker passes as the Rebels infiltrate a hangar with Ezra throwing off a stormtrooper. There is Zeb and Sabine with Chopper. They sneak in with Sabine breaking in to free an Ugnaught, Terba, and Hondo Ohnaka (both voiced by Jim Cummings!). They are surprised by stormtroopers and have to run and blast. Ezra calls in the Ghost. A corridor, more stormtroopers, Ezra goes into action with his lightsaber. Terba runs and is blasted by the walker. Ezra uses his Force powers to control the walker and fire on the stormtroopers. He sends the walker tumbling off the platform! They jump onto the Ghost. He is angry at Hera’s orders and apologizes about Terba. Ezra goes to his room and sees his three trooper helmets inside the middle is the Sith holocron. He swears to become more powerful, the path of the Dark Side. On a Star Destroyer, Moff Tarkin meets with Governor Pryce (Mary Elizabeth McGlynn) who wants the Seventh Fleet to deal with the Rebels. Conference on the Rebel’s base on Atollon, Hondo wants the Ghost, he shows planet Yerma with an Imperial station, showing a hologram of Y-Wings! Commander Sato wants to destroy the Imperial factory on Lothal. He promotes Ezra to lieutenant commander, this is close to Anakin’s rank in the Clone Wars. Kanan is alone, bearded with his eyed helmet, he hears a voice which says, “Come to me.” Hera tells him about Ezra. Kanan goes to Ezra’s quarters with the Sith holocron out, he is startled that Ezra is using the holocron, Kanan takes it away.
Sabine pilots the Phantom with Hondo worried about getting close to the Mining Guild. Kanan walks to the Krykna Spiders. The Phantom encounters Mining Guild ships and they send modified TIE fighters after them. Kanan reaches a deserted canyon, out comes a massive creature, reminds me of the turtle in Neverending Story. He is massive bison-like beast with ridge-like plates. It has the voice of Tom Baker, the Fourth Doctor, and says, “Hellooo.” The chase, Sabine slams the ship in reverse, firing on the TIEs. The creature says Kanan’s “imbalance” has wakened him. He says the Dark and Light Side of the Force are called Ashla and Bogan, he is Bendu. He reaches out for the Sith holocron and shatters Kanan’s protection against the spiders. He will teach Kanan how to see. The Imperial fleet, Tarkin is given a report by Admiral Konstantine, and then there is the arrival of Grand Admiral Thrawn! (he is perfectly voiced by Lars Mikkelsen). He assembles the Rebel attack and the prison break to tell Tarkin of the Rebels plans, “They will be the architects of their own destruction.” The Phantom descends to Reklam Station. Sabine has scanned the station to find fourteen Y-Wings that are slowly being destroyed. Ezra orders them to descend, they hit a dismantler droid, mushroom-like spheres with droid claws. Captain Rex fires on the dismantler droid and Zeb barely manages to catch his leg. They drop into the storm, but the dismantler droid is hit by lightning.
The Rebels land on the station race to the conveyor belt, Hondo speaks Ugnaught to the workers, Ezra orders Hondo to tell them to shut down the conveyor belt. Sabine goes to refuel the bombers. Bendu sends Kanan walking out towards the spider, he tests Kanan with his perceptions. Kanan uses the Force and senses Ezra activating his lightsaber. He realizes the fear is inside himself. Kanan goes to help Ezra and leaves the holocron to Bendu. The Rebels are fueling up the Y-Wings. Ezra goes to the control tower to stop the override on the ships. The dismantler droids stun Chopper and Sabine is saved by Zeb. Rex goes to help them. Ezra reaches a hangar taking on stormtroopers with his lightsaber. Kanan reaches the Ghost with Hera and they fly to the rescue. Rex uses a construction crane to crush the droid. Ezra is surrounded, but takes down the troopers. Governor Pryce on screen is going to reinforce them. Ezra makes fun of Commander Titus and shuts down the entire station with his lightsaber. He orders the Rebels to take the Y-Wings with Chopper piloting four of the ships. Hondo flies away in an Imperial shuttle with the Ugnaughts. The Y-Wings run into a Star Destroyer! The Phantom is hit by debris and is destroyed. The station is falling and Ezra calls out for Kanan. The Rebel fleet arrives. Pryce sees the Y-Wings and has Agent Kallus contact Thrawn. Hera spots Ezra on the falling station. Kanan goes to catch Ezra and pulls him in! The hologram of Grand Admiral Thrawn appears and he says the three cruisers are not the Rebel fleet. He orders that the Rebels are allowed to leave. Hera suspends Ezra’s command. Hera says that they have to give the Y-Wings to General Dodonna, we know why. Kanan tells Ezra that the holocron is safe. “I will always come back”, Kanan tells him. The aftermath of season two is light, intro of Thrawn is brilliant, a highlight is Bendu, the rest is ok. Four Lightsabers out of Five!
