Relics of the Old Republic (Star Wars Rebels - S02E04) - Animated Series

Reunited and it feels so good. SPOILERS. 

Bet you didn’t think this review would start with a Peaches and Herb reference. I try not to skip around too much in these reviews, but I’m going to start at the end this week. I’ve made my love of Star Wars: The Clone Wars well known so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that my favorite part of this episode was the Ahsoka and Rex reunion. I recognize that Star Wars: The Clone Wars had its faults, but I’ll always have a soft spot for it and its characters, especially Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex. I thought this was the perfect reunion for Ahsoka and Rex. It was wonderfully understated and Ahsoka hugging Rex was enough to show how much these two mean to each other. After watching these characters grow and evolve for six years on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, only for the show to be prematurely canceled, it was so rewarding and touching to see them back to together again. So far Rebels has portrayed Ahsoka as a rather stoic character, but when she hugged Rex I saw the more bright-eyed and hopeful Ahsoka we knew during the Clone Wars again. I know this show is primarily about the crew of the Ghost, but I hope Ahsoka and Rex both remain integral parts of the story. As a far as I’m concerned, the presence of Ahsoka and Rex will only elevate this series. 

The reunion of Ahsoka and Rex might have been the highlight of Relics of the Old Republic, but the rest of the episode was very enjoyable as well. After Wolffe alerted Imperial forces about the Jedi in the previous episode, he did his best to stall Kallus when he arrived with a star destroyer. Other than that, there was very little resolution to Wolffe’s betrayal that felt so rushed and haphazardly resolved last week. Kallus saw through Wolffe’s attempts and sent Imperial forces to the planet’s surface. When the first TIE Fighter arrived, the clones relished the opportunity to be back in action. Gregor in particular was thrilled because this was the first time they had been shot at in years. Their casual destruction of the TIE Fighter showed that even after all these years, the clones are still elite soldiers. Before more imperial forces arrived, Ezra asked Rex what it was like to fight in the Clone Wars. I’m surprised how quickly Rebels was able to establish a genuine bond between Ezra and Rex. Rex even gave his helmet to Ezra later in the episode. After the TIE Fighter was destroyed, Kallus arrived with three AT-ATs. It was a small moment, but I loved that upon seeing the AT-ATs the clones were more impressed than concerned. Rex took the AT-TE into a sandstorm which knocked out the scanners, but Rex knew that the Jedi could guide them. Ezra used the Force to see through the sandstorm and destroy one of the AT-ATs. This could have felt like an empty homage to Luke’s destruction of the Death Star but it didn’t. The entire sandstorm sequence was very well done, in regards to both animation and direction.

After they were clear of the storm, the Ghost crew left aboard the Phantom with the clones staying behind to cover their escape. Despite Ezra’s protests, Rex insisted and told Ezra, “We’re soldiers, Ezra. This is what we were born to do.” Rex and the other clones using the old AT-TE to take on Kallus and the AT-ATs was a thrilling sequence. Believing this would be their last fight, the clones gave it everything they had. I loved it when Rex stood up and faced down the canons of the AT-AT. It felt so natural for his character. Thankfully for Rex, Kanan reluctantly decided to go back for the clones. This was a big step for Kanan and his struggle to accept the clones might be my favorite storyline involving Kanan so far. With the Ghost crew’s help, both AT-ATs were destroyed. Upon seeing Kanan, the three clones saluted their Jedi General. As Rex said, just like old times. Kallus managed to escape on a speeder bike. Kallus was probably the biggest issue with this episode. At this point, he’s so ineffective that I just can’t take him seriously. He’s nothing but empty threats. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes during some of Kallus’ scenes. Perhaps the new Inquisitor that arrived at the end of the episode will prove to be a legitimate threat, I hope so anyway. The new Inquisitor only appeared briefly but he does have an interesting design. Overall, this was a very strong episode of Star Wars Rebels.

What Worked

• The Ahsoka/Rex reunion
• The AT-AT and AT-TE showdown and seeing the clones back in action
• Kanan deciding to go back for the clones
• Ezra using the Force to take down the AT-AT

What Didn’t Work

• Kallus is just too ineffective to be taken seriously as a threat
• No real resolution for Wolffe’s betrayal in the previous episode

External Links:

• StarWars.com Episode Guide
• Wookieepedia Episode Summary