The Star Wars Rebels season 2 premiere thoroughly schooled the fandom in what to expect from the gutsy cartoon. Here are five life lessons we learned from “The Siege of Lothal.”
Space marriage takes a lot of work
Kanan and Hera had an emotional reunion at the end of the Star Wars Rebels season 1 finale, but everyone’s favorite space-couple found themselves at odds in “The Siege of Lothal.” The regimentation of the Rebel fleet reminded Kanan of the militarized Jedi Order that fought in the disastrous Clone Wars — and his distaste for the Rebels’s organized pursuit of war led him to severely disrespect the cause which means so much to Hera.
Meanwhile, Hera’s loyalties remain divided between the Rebellion and the crew of the Ghost. At the end of season 1, it seemed that joining the Rebellion — ending her need for secret-keeping and sacrifice — would resolve her turmoil.
But with Kanan’s authority issues, and the needs of the Rebellion growing even greater with the fleet’s destruction, the fearless Twi’lek pilot must be wondering if her two loves can ever coexist in harmony.
Hopefully they can, because we seriously need “Mom and Dad” on the same page.
Force-hypnosis is hard!
The Star Wars Rebels season 2 premiere was heavy on the drama and light on the humor, but one of the best moments was Ezra’s hilariously failed attempt to manipulate the Storm Trooper.
Sure, Minister Tua had just been murdered. Sure, the Rebels were on the run, with danger around every corner. Sure, Darth frikken Vader was waiting to pounce. But watching Ezra get schooled by Kanan (and that Storm Trooper) made it all just a little bit more worth it.
Never, ever, ever trust Darth Vader
Darth Vader has been embedded in popular culture for almost 50 years, and Star Wars fans have become so familiar with the evil Sith Lord that’s easy to forget just how evil he really is. But it took “The Siege of Lothal” just about five seconds to clear up that little lapse.
Because Vader wasn’t just dominating in his physical force — though he certainly did that too. The events of the Star Wars Rebels season 2 premiere become all the more chilling when you realize that Vader orchestrated every single one of them — from Tua contacting the Rebels to the tracked Imperial shuttle that led Vader straight to the Rebel fleet.
And as if that terrifying prescience weren’t enough, Vader’s total lack of emotion when he recognized Ahsoka was absolutely brutal. Ahsoka was so shocked by the psychic encounter that the iron-willed former Jedi fainted — but, cool as a cucumber, Vader merely murmured “The apprentice lives.”
The message was clear: Anakin is dead and gone, and Darth Vader will not hesitate to use the people he once loved for his own horrifying ends.
Do not gamble with Lando!
Not that this was really news, but “The Siege of Lothal” offered another fresh reminder to viewers — and the crew of the Ghost — that Lando Calrissian is a man you cannot play. Not only did he use the crew’s dire straits for his own enrichment, but Lando knew exactly what Hera was trying to hide from him, forcing her to agree to the terms he had chosen.
It’s really too bad that Force-hypnosis doesn’t work on holograms.
Resistance may be futile
The Star Wars Rebels season 2 premiere advanced one very difficult message — that sometimes, the bad guys win.
As viewers came to terms with Vader’s unstoppable tactics, Kanan tried repeatedly to impress this message on Ezra. Sith Lords are too powerful to fight; innocent people often suffer for your decisions; and sometimes, you’re lucky to run away and call it a victory.
But it isn’t entirely clear whether or not Ezra has really absorbed this message. Ezra’s childhood hardened him to hope and generosity, but life on the Ghost seems to have more than awakened that flame — and even Darth Vader’s brutality hasn’t snuffed it out. Kanan’s bleak reality rolled off of Ezra’s back like water off a Loth-duck (if that’s a thing), and the apprentice remains as optimistic as ever.
Given how close Ezra has come to the Dark Side in the past, it is good to see that the kid isn’t going down the emo-road. But nothing crushes more thoroughly than hope destroyed — and we can’t help but wonder if Ezra’s positive outlook may eventually do more harm than good.
Star Wars Rebels season 2 will return in the Fall.
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.