Kaz and the ever-reliable BB-8 uncover information on an imminent pirate attack and must find a way to stop it.
Lucasfilm
The third episode of CGI animated series Star Wars Resistance offers a little tension after last week's gentle double-episode premiere.
Kazuda Xiono (Christopher Sean), better known as Kaz, is getting used to life on the Colossus refueling platform as he tries to spy on the First Order in the months leading up to The Force Awakens. The plot has started to take shape, and we learned a little more about this corner of the galaxy.
Kaz is a terrible spy
He's been tasked with learning more about the First Order's presence on the platform, but has to maintain his cover as a mechanic to do so. After being sent out for parts by Jarek Yeager (Scott Lawrence), he manages to get sidetracked and draw attention as he vainly tries to gather intel on the First Order.
BB-8 offsets his incompetence and saves the day multiple times, but Kaz annoys Yeager and makes fellow mechanic Tam Ryvora (Suzie McGrath) suspicious about his cover story.
He'll surely develop and earn their respect over the course of the series, but it's odd that Poe would entrust any kind of mission to someone so green that they wear a bright green jacket (which is actually pretty nice).
The Colossus is regularly attacked by pirates
The platform is often crippled by Triple Dark storms that reduce visibility and leave it vulnerable to pirates led by Kragan Gorr (Gary Anthony Williams), who presumably try to kill and steal during their assaults. Those living on it must hide during these attacks.
It's cool that we're seeing some of the threats people living on a vital waypoint in the Outer Rim — basically the wild west of Star Wars — have to deal with. There isn't much law to protect them, even with the benign New Republic having taken the Galactic Empire's place after the events of Return of the Jedi.
The Aces protect the Colossus
The top pilots on the platform — whom we saw racing in the premiere — take on any threats to those living on it. However, they're outmatched by the pirates until Kaz manages to scramble their communications.
No doubt we'll get to know these guys more as the series progresses and the Fireball — the ship Kaz crashed in the premiere — is repaired enough to fly among them. We can expect Kaz to earn their respect and for them to become the Resistance equivalent of Rogue Squadron (Luke Skywalker's fighter group in the Original Trilogy).
Fans of The Clone Wars and Rebels might recognize this shuttle.
Lucasfilm
Vintage Star Wars vehicles and armor are here
The first pirate we meet, a Rodian named Hallion (Jonathan Lipow) uses a Sheathipede shuttle, regularly seen in The Clone Wars (which took place decades before the events of Resistance). The Ghost crew also used one as its second dropship in the later seasons of Rebels.
Kragan seems to flying a modified Imperial shuttle, while some of his goons wear old Imperial Stormtrooper armor… and we soon learn where they most likely got it.
The novels revealed that the First Order started out with Imperial ships and survivors from the Battle of Jakku — the final major conflict between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire which took place a year after Return of the Jedi — but upgraded its fleet and style in the years since.
Captain Phasma — shiny and chrome! Hopefully this show will give her more to do than the movies.
Lucasfilm
Captain Phasma's cooking up a fiendish plot, but what could it be?
The final scene reveals that the pirates are working for the First Order — an idea suggested by Major Vonreg (Lex Lang) and the unseen Commander Pyre — sowing fear in those living on the Colossus so they'll accept the totalitarian regime's "protection" when Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) offers it.
We don't exactly why she wants the platform, but it could be a step towards taking over the galaxy's infrastructure as the First Order prepares to wipe out the New Republic (as seen in The Force Awakens).
Her shiny armor also looks pretty spiffy in the show's cel-shaded CGI style — let's hope we see plenty of it and she appears more than she did in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.
Star Wars Resistance airs Sundays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel, DisneyNOW and Disney Channel VOD.
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