Chris Cooper reviews the ninth episode of Star Wars Rebels season 3…
YES! Now this is more like it. After two episodes and over a month of poor to mediocre Rebels, An Inside Man couldn’t be more different.
This episode has it all.
The Rebels are fighting for freedom across the galaxy. The Phoenix Cell are always drawn to one part of the galaxy in particular and it has become a major weakness; a weakness bigger than their compassion for each other… Lothal. Their commitment to Ezra’s home planet is clearly something Thrawn has noticed and he’s taking full advantage. The artifacts he studies display the level at which he knows our heroes. It is a touch frustrating watching him essentially let them off the hook all the time. But you can be sure it’s building up to something. This week we get a small peek.
This is the most ruthless we’ve seen the Chiss Grand Admiral, showcasing a brutality and coldness that would scare the bejesus out of children if they fully comprehended it.
Such a level of viciousness needed to be balanced out and it’s managed well, with plenty of amusing dialogue and scenes that play on the history of the characters whilst showing what they might be coming up against in the future.
Which leads me onto a big spoiler…that I won’t go into. Damn I saw some stuff here that really made me squeal with delight. Keep your eyes peeled!
I must point out that this episode contains more moments where standard Imperial troopers prove themselves to not be wholly incompetent. Always nice to see.
This is the first episode of Rebels that I’ve watched with someone else. My brother and I can quote all the films. Give us two seconds of music and we’ll take it from there. We’ll even give you the dialogue in the scene the music is used. So to hear classic sounds and be taken in by such a good episode took us both back. It was a joy to be honest.
Scary villains. Twists. Heroes you really root for. If Star Wars is a thing, An Inside Man has it.
Chris Cooper
Originally published December 6, 2016. Updated April 16, 2018.
