Chris Cooper reviews the twelfth episode of Star Wars Rebels season 2…
This is really dumb, but I keep calling Zeb’s possibly extinct race the Lastat.
With that revelation out of the way, ‘Legends of the Lasat’ was an extremely interesting episode of Rebels. Not much really happened, but it asked a series of questions that really reach into the core of Star Wars lore in a way no one has before.
There are so many different species in this galaxy; do they all think of things the same way? The major case in point is the force. We call it that and have expectations of how it behaves based on what we’ve been presented with so far. Midichlorians and all that nonsense. But how we see depends greatly on our point of view, to paraphrase an old guy I once didn’t meet.
Do other species, with their own belief systems and gods etc, even believe in the force? If they do, what do they call it? Does it do the impart the same gifts? Do they have light and dark sides?
We might not get in-depth answers to these questions, but this is very spiritual story, juggling Zeb’s guilt with his commitment to his people. It’s backed up a score that, to me at least, didn’t sound like Star Wars. It was slow, slightly haunting, and made a really strong impression on me. Brilliant work overall, and fantastic to see a more serious tale for the most comical crew member of the Ghost. It skips over some pretty big details, but comes together as a whole.
This all interweaves very nicely with the returning Hondo, who makes for a great counterpoint. He’s duplicitous, sneaky, and two-timing. His relationship with Ezra is touching, even if he’s constantly willing to stab him in the back.
I’ve not been blown away by Rebels lately, but this is a return to form. Legends of the Lasat could easily be waved away, but it’s these well judged stories that flesh out the characters in a meaningful way. When the Sith hits the fan later in the season, as I’m sure it will, it’s time like that this will make us care.
Chris Cooper is a Flickering Myth Staff Writer, and owner of the blog Super Duper Stuff. Follow him on Twitter @SDCCooper or visit the blog’s Facebook page.
https://youtu.be/b7Ozs5mj5ao?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published February 16, 2016. Updated November 7, 2019.
