Well, this week’s episode of Star Wars Rebels, “An Inside Man,” fulfilled one or two of the things that I wanted to see from the rest of season three. More than that, it was an enjoyable episode, one that I enjoyed more than last week’s “The Wynkahthu Job” or the dud that was “The Iron Squadron” that came two weeks earlier. This episode, whose title has several relevant meanings to the story, had somewhat higher stakes and actually ended on a bit of cliffhanger, likely in preparation for the midseason finale next week and to set the stage for the rest of the season afterwards. By the way, I will be discussing plot details from this episode, so that is a solid *spoiler alert*.
Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus return to Ezra’s home planet of Lothal, where several locals have formed a resistance that is even more ragtag than the Phoenix Squadron. Lothal has become a industrial hub for the Empire’s war machine, and local rebels have infiltrated the main factory to sabotage Imperial weapons and vehicles. Kanan and Ezra come to Lothal to gather intel regarding a secret project that has started production in the Imperial factory on Lothal; if they determine that the product of that project poses a big enough threat, they might be able to convince Phoenix Squadron and several Rebel cells to mount a coordinated attack on the factory to stop the project from succeeding. When Grand Admiral Thrawn shows up at the factory to investigate the high levels of sabotage, however, Kanan and Ezra find themselves working with an unexpected ally to get the intel and escape Thrawn’s clutches.
Going back to my wish list for season three that I posted yesterday, this episode checks one of the big boxes … sort of. Agent Kallus, the Imperial Intelligence officer who has hounded the Ghost crew since season one, is revealed to be the new Fulcrum, feeding the Phoenix Squadron intel regarding Imperial activities. It seems that Zeb saving Kallus’s life in season two and his return to the Empire at the end of that episode showed him how cold the Empire could be, and that led to him to agreeing to supply the rebellion intel. While Kallus doesn’t end up outright joining the rebellion in this episode, I see that as a good thing for now, since Kallus being on the inside is far more valuable to various rebel cells than having him defect from the Empire to the rebels.
In addition to Kallus’s true loyalties being revealed in this episode, “An Inside Man” sets the groundwork for a few other desired elements to come to fruition. The idea of Phoenix Squadron coming together with other Rebel cells could lead to the formation of a larger, more cohesive rebellion more akin to the Rebel Alliance seen in the original trilogy. The fact that one of Ezra’s old friends from Lothal was killed by Thrawn in this episode leads me to believe that the Phoenix Squadron may lose a few more allies before this season is through.
Finally, Thrawn, though his ultimate endgame remains a mystery, is showcasing more aspects of his Expanded Universe tactical strategy, namely his observation of his enemies’ artwork. The fact that his chosen collection of artwork consists entirely of artwork pertaining to the Ghost crew indicates that he is trying to get a feel for the that aspect of the rebellion specifically. Eventually, Thrawn will likely know all of the members of the Ghost crew by name and know extensive details about their pasts, which will give him insight into how to defeat them. This episode also showcases how brutal Thrawn can be, when he forces an undercover insurgent to test an obviously sabotaged speeder bike to the point of the bike blowing up. People behind the scenes of Rebels have said that season three will be darker, and Thrawn’s actions clearly show the darker route the show is capable of.
Thrawn’s secret project, a new TIE Interceptor with shield generators, called a TIE Defender, poses a particular threat to the rebellion and their fighters, as most TIE fighters don’t have shields, and a single TIE Defender can wreak havoc against a squad of rebel fighters. I imagine that it will lead to greater rebel losses, forcing the various rebel cells to come together sooner rather than later.
There’s a lot to like in this episode. For starters, we get a chance to see Ezra’s home planet of Lothal subjected to even further Imperial scrutiny, which is reflective of the general uptick in the Empire’s military production. In addition, it’s always fun to see members of the Ghost crew to infiltrate Imperial facilities. The action, especially involving several chases and a confrontation between two AT-AT walkers and a significantly smaller All Terrain Defense Pod walker, is more fun than the action in previous episodes of Rebels. The only real issue that I had with the episode from a logic standpoint has to do with Kanan: he’s doing all of these stunts and is able to blend in as a stormtrooper, but have we completely forgotten that he’s blind? I understand that the Force allows him to “see” in ways that he couldn’t when he had his eyes, but there should at least be a few hints that his vision is limited in some way.
“An Inside Man” was definitely an improvement over recent Rebels episodes, with a return to Ezra’s home planet, an introduction to a new ally in the form of Agent Kallus, and seeds of events to come planted for the rest of this season. This episode serves as a great lead-up to next week’s midseason finale, “Visions and Voices,” which will see Ezra confronting Maul yet again, with the hope of ridding himself of the former Sith Lord’s influence once and for all. Star Wars Rebels airs on DisneyXD Saturdays at 8:30 EST.
The Sack Score: 8.5/10