Originally published February 26, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
Chris Cooper reviews Star Wars Rebels – ‘Through Imperial Eyes’…
David Oyelowo is what you might think of as a ‘proper’ actor. He ran a theatre company alongside his wife and has starred in Oscar-worthy films. He’s the real deal, so we’re very lucky to have him in Star Wars Rebels.
This week we’re even luckier, as we get to enjoy Oyelowo’s distinct tones whilst ‘Through Imperial Eyes’ focuses on Agent Kallus and his role as Fulcrum. Gran Admiral Thrawn is well aware that there is a spy among their ranks and he’s making moves to flush them out. It’s an extremely challenging time for Kallus as he juggles his responsibilities, creating a truly thrilling game of cat and mouse that brings a different dimension to the show.
Oyelowo brings several different aspects to Kallus. There’s the cool and authoritative ISB Agent, crafty saboteur and most interestingly the exasperated ally. I get the feeling that if he truly let go and became a Rebel he’d be a real force. He can’t afford to be careless so he struggles to just ‘roll with it’ like his new comrades. It’s interesting to watch him interact with the Rebels and learn more about them, especially when we see him nearly lose it in frustration. There’s still quite rightly a lot of suspicion, but also a burgeoning trust. The long game has been played with Kallus and it’s paying off nicely.
The Rebels themselves take a backseat as the story concentrates on things from the Imperial’s point of view. I don’t feel as though we find out anything mind-blowing about anyone in particular but it is good to see the difference between the lower and higher ranks of the Empire. Price, Kallus, Thrawn; they’re all very confident and good at their jobs so it’s cool to see them glancing over their shoulders at each other even though we know what’s really going on. It is odd that I actually found myself feeling sympathy for some Imperials, but goes to show the quality of the show at the moment.
‘Through Imperial Eyes’ is a confidently pieced together episode that pleasantly surprised me. Series 3 continues its strong form.
Chris Cooper
