After joining the crew of the Ghost, young Ezra has been struggling to make friends.
But could Hera be able to help? Sending him and Zeb off on a supply-gathering mission sounds pretty straight forward… but when it comes to Star Wars nothing’s ever as simple as it seems.
It’s no secret that Ezra’s lone wolf attitude makes it difficult for him to fit in… and after joining the rebellion, he’s constantly at odds with crewmate and bunk buddy, Zeb. But after saving Zeb’s life in last week’s episode, will the two of them be able to put that behind them? It looks as though they’re worse than ever when a bout of squabbling breaks out… and the pair soon cause havoc on deck.
Obviously, Hera is keen to keep things amicable aboard her starship and decides to send the two of them off on a joint mission – to gather supplies from the local market on Lothal. But it isn’t long before trouble finds them…
Fighter Flight is a pretty amusing episode, but certainly lacks the nostalgic charm of earlier episodes. Sure, there are plenty of scenes that evoke a sense of the original trilogy, and with a distinctive, original trilogy visual style, there’s always a nod somewhere.
But it seems that Star Wars Rebels is already trying to move beyond the nostalgia… and while that’s certainly a good thing, I can’t help feeling this episode just isn’t quite as strong because of it.
Back on Lothal, Zeb and Ezra continue to scour for supplies… but they’re having trouble sourcing a Meiloorun fruit – a fruit that isn’t grown on Lothal and would need to be sourced from a local importer.
Clearly it’s all a big setup to get Zeb and Ezra to work together, and the pair quickly realise this. But while Zeb is happy to give up and go home, Ezra just can’t help himself when he spots a crate of said fruit in the possession of the Empire…
It’s at this point that things get a little out of hand. Distracting the Empire so he can pilfer some of their fruit, Ezra climbs aboard a transporter and is caught red-handed as he pulls a Meiloorun from its crate.
And then, we’re treated to a rather fun chase sequence that sees Ezra and Zeb attempting to evade the Empire. Think ‘Indiana Jones’ in those market scenes, but without a whip and with a ton of Imperials on their tail.
Of course, it’s not long before Zeb finds himself backed into a corner… and as they’re forced to split up it looks as though he may end up captured by the Empire. A TIE Fighter’s guns are pointed straight at him, and it seems the jig is up.
That is, until he clambers onto its hatch, pulls out the pilot and makes off with one of the Empire’s very own spacecraft.
At this stage, the usual hijinks ensue, with Ezra and Zeb trying to ditch the stolen TIE Fighter before running into a friend from Ezra’s past – an old man who’s forcibly removed from his home after the refusing to sell to the Empire.
Obviously, Ezra and Zeb step in… and this is where you get a real sense of character development. The crew of the Ghost are like a family, and families are there for one another. Zeb is happy to help out without hesitation, and by the end of their daring rescue, the pair are closer than ever. And they even manage to nab one of those elusive Meiloorun fruits.
But is Fighter Flight a good episode? It’s a filler episode, for sure… but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t executed well. It develops the budding friendship between Zeb and Ezra while giving us a nice little adventure to sink our teeth into.
But it certainly isn’t the most memorable part of Star Wars Rebels.
What did you think of Fighter Flight? Which other classic Star Wars characters would you like to see? Let us know what you think in the comments below…
