The last few episodes of Star Wars Rebels have been hard to write about. The stories were interesting and well put together, but there just seemed to be something lacking. And while this latest episode is much in the same, good but not great, I am left asking myself if we are expecting too much from the Rebels franchise? But I get ahead of myself. Let’s me first give my thoughts on tonight’s episode, Double-Agent Droid.

Double Agent Droid Recap

With the Rebel attack on Lothal imminent, Phoenix Squadron has to get the access codes to the planets defense grid. This is the first step in the attempt to free the planet. To get these all-important codes, Hera sends AP-5, Chopper, and Wedge Antilles-a former imperial pilot-to the outpost with the necessary information.

During the mission, Chopper is identified by the Imperial Security Bureau, who then remotely access the droid and end up turning him against his crew. The only person, or droid, that thinks something is up is AP-5.

The episode ends with the crew of the Ghost stopping Chopper from transmitting rebel information to the ISB and destroying the Imperial spies in the process.

Episode Review

As I said before, the episode itself wasn’t bad. There was a lot of humorous back and forth between Chopper and AP-5. It also took Wedge from the role of background character to an actual player in the rebellion. Since he is a major character in the Aftermath trilogy, it helps flesh his character out. While there were other parts to this story worth note, the most significant takeaway from the episode is that the attack on Lothal is imminent.

Are We Asking too Much of Rebels?

Star Wars Rebels is meant to bridge the gap between Episode III and Episode IV. It should give the films subtext, explaining what else is going on in the galaxy while it sits under the thumb of Palpatine. It answers questions we were left with after the end of The Clone Wars. It has even connected to the first spin-off film, Rogue One.

But what do fans want from Disney’s latest foray into a galaxy far, far away?

As I said in my intro, I’ve struggled to write about the last few episodes of Rebels. It’s not that the episodes weren’t well done or that they didn’t advance the plot. They did. I think what bothered me about these latest additions to the season is the way the characters have been developed.

Legacy of Mandalore

When the prodigal Mandalorian returns home in Legacy of Mandalore, I felt underwhelmed by her and her mother’s conversations. It seems from the little backstory we have, Sabine helped the Empire commit genocide against her people. While we can clearly see her mother loved her, I would expect more of a struggle for her to actually support her daughter.

Even though she eventually does save her from Gar Saxon, it felt forced.

And as the episode ends, we hear Sabine talking about how she has to find the right person to wield the darksaber and lead her people. What? Seriously? After all, that back and forth with Kanan during her training about making amends she’s just going to hand it over? This was a letdown for anyone who had hopes of Sabine actually being important in the universe.

Through Imperial Eyes

I have really loved seeing the evolution of Agent Kallus as Fulcrum. I would like to know if he was Fulcrum the entire time or if he was recruited after the Ahsoka’s “death?” Was he working with General Sato or did he report directly to Bail Organa? These questions aside, the episode was solid. We Ezra and the gang attempt to rescue Kallus from the Empire after one of his messages to the rebels was intercepted.

It was cool to see Kallus manipulate those around him. I liked that he used spy craft to shift focus from him to another officer. It was freaking awesome to see Colonel Yularen. What bothered me about this episode is Thrawn. We’ve seen moments of his brilliance in Rebels, but I think that him not knowing it was Kallus is a does a disservice to his character.

He does say that he suspected Kallus, but didn’t have proof. That’s not enough. What I am hoping for is Thrawn to present some elaborate plan to trick Kallus into giving misinformation to Phoenix Squadron. This has to result in the death of a major character. I like Zeb but I think he needs to die, leaving Kallus with the Lasat’s blood on his hands.

Secret Cargo

Now, I won’t talk about Secret Cargo in this post. I am going to cover that in another post and talk about Mon Mothma.

Final Thoughts

If you’re like me, you watch Rebels for the story and to connect the dots. There are tons of easter eggs throughout the series and franchise as a whole. I love the Star Wars universe because I like to see how the lives of the people I read about or watch interconnect with each other. I think it’s a powerful example of how the actions of one person affect those around us.

What I haven’t really seen is how the actions of Phoenix Squadron affect those around them, in and out of the Rebellion. I am hoping that is something that starts to show up in the latter part of this season and throughout the next.

But maybe I’m being too harsh. What did you think about tonight’s episode? What about those leading up to it? Leave a comment in the section below and let’s talk about where we want to see the show go from here.