“Legends of the Lasat”

Star Wars Rebels focuses on Zeb as he is faced with his past when the Ghost crew help two members of his species find a new home.

This show has had such an uneven second season so far. Even the really good ideas are somewhat butchered in their execution to the point that the good idea is almost lost. This episode is no different though it’s not without merit. Even focusing on Zeb for an entire episode is noteworthy as that hasn’t really happened since early in the first season.

Zeb’s back story has been interesting since he mentioned that his people were wiped out and that he was the last surviving member of his species. That’s a lot of baggage to be carrying and it has been largely untouched as a development opportunity which is a shame as it really has potential.

This episode deals with Zeb’s past in a lot of detail and it’s very interesting to explore. His story about the fall of his homeworld and the destruction of the palace held some real impact and showed a different side to a character who normally serves as comic relief. Having him feel guilty about his role in failing to save his people is fairly standard but it does connect him to the event in a meaningful way and gives him some deeper emotions to deal with.

The main story of this episode focuses on a prophecy which always makes for a problematic storytelling method. In most cases it tends to have the hero mope around for a while before realising that they are the mythic chosen one and become the hero of the peace. This does happen here but not to as frustrating an extent as I’ve seen before. Trying to focus Zeb’s conflicted emotions through the lens of the prophecy was a good idea but it was really awkwardly handled. It might have worked better had Zeb come to the realisation that it was actually about him naturally rather than have to be told about it then it would have been more satisfying but it wasn’t a bad idea.

One thing that really bothered me is that Zeb’s reaction to finding two of his people alive wasn’t believable. He spends more time feeling sorry for himself than at least trying to appreciate that he is no longer the last of his species. I would expect him to feel at least a little happy about that even if his feelings of guilt were brought to the surface.

It was good to see the Ghost crew all working together on a single mission without taking the focus away from Zeb. Ezra was on hand to lend some levity to the situation but it came across as immature and inappropriate as well as detracting from the weight of Zeb’s internal conflict. It does get better as the episode progresses but Ezra should have been significantly toned down.

I really liked Hondo’s role in the episode. Seeing him betray everyone was constantly hilarious. It was the layers of betrayal that really made it work as he would give the Rebels information then the Empire followed by the Rebels and so on. Hondo is such a great character and was used perfectly in this episode.

The extended sequence in the final act was one of the most impressive this show has ever done. It looked great, the score was incredible and it was dripping with tension and hope. Beyond that it showed Zeb putting everything that was holding him back aside and embracing his role in the prophecy to the point where he can lead his people home. It was a solid thematic conclusion and worked really well. I also liked the more spiritual aspect of the whole sequence that further develops the Force as an intangible living thing that could accomplish anything if it were simply trusted. It wasn’t too heavy handed and works well within the framework of the universe. The entire episode is worth it for that sequence alone.

Verdict

An uneven episode that has some genuinely impactful character beats for Zeb but gets buried under a prophecy story that does little to make the tired idea interesting. The quality of the episode is elevated by an excellent sequence in the third act.