Chris Cooper reviews the seventh episode of Star Wars Rebels season 2…
Stealth Strike goes all in on nostalgia and uses it to brilliantly bring together characters from two very different Star Wars time frames.
Focusing on Kanan and Rex, the episode uses their different pasts and abilities to the forefront. Sure, the ending is exactly what you expect it to be. But when the journey is great fun who cares?
I’m going to get a bit spoilery here FYI, so beware. You’ve probably all seen it now anyway haven’t you?
You’ll have read before that I do love seeing the various vehicles and vessels of Star Wars, so any time a new one is introduced I’m giddy. Interdictors and their gravity well projectors have been around for a long time, but it’s fantastic to see them taken as canon now. They’re a powerful weapon and a massive threat to the fledgling alliance.
Something that has bugged me a few times about Rebels is the seemingly random team selection scenes that occur at the beginning of episodes. It’s like the writers weren’t sure how to set up the characters, so they just get Hera to pack them off.
Fortunately it leads to all my favoured characters getting the limelight. Chopper is an entertaining pain in the backside, whilst Ezra takes another step up in ability as he uses his lightsaber in a new and really dangerous way. Becoming a more formidable rebel he is.
Rex’s disdain towards Stormtroopers is further explored here, humorously explaining why the Empire’s soldiers can’t hit anything and go down so easily. It makes sense, and it’s nice that the writers acknowledge it.
Whilst Rex brings The Clone Wars, Kanan brings the aftermath and a more Original Trilogy feeling to thing. They’re relationship grows, or maybe rather Kanan just admits that they make a great team. It does lead to one rather harsh scene where force powers line up troopers for easy shots, but Star Wars isn’t without it’s more adult moments.
Yes, this episode leans on nostalgia a lot. There’s so much that looks familiar. But quite frankly I don’t care. Thoroughly entertaining with great character moments, Stealth Strike is one of the best episodes of Star Wars Rebels.
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://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=0_9dLZCKOvQ
Originally published November 30, 2015. Updated November 7, 2019.
