I didn't like the first season of Star Wars Rebels. Between the writing, characters, and general tone, it all just felt off to the point where I had difficulty truly caring. Season 2, on the other hand, was not just an improvement. It was a genuinely strong season that fixed nearly all of my issues with the show.
Season 2 of Star Wars Rebels starts with a massive change to the series. The Rebels are now working with Ahsoka and the rest of the Rebellion, Darth Vader (who Ahsoka now knows is Anakin) has summoned two more Inquisitors after them, the Empire has tightened its grip on Lothal so much that the Rebels can't stay there anymore, and Captain Rex has joined the team. It's a lot of changes in only a few episodes, but it helps to widen the scope of the series by putting the main characters into a conflict far greater than themselves. However, outside of this big status quo shift, this season doesn't have quite as much of a tightly-woven plot as the first, as it's mostly a build towards Ahsoka's confrontation with Vader. The two new Inquisitors are cool with neat designs, but even they don't appear too often. However, most of the standalone episodes that comprise this season were actually really enjoyable, as nearly all of them focus on the characters and progress their individual arcs, while also giving screentime to unlikely pairings within the cast (Rex and Kanan, Kanan and Sabine, Zeb and Kallus). Don't get me wrong, I think there were a bunch of episodes that felt like padding and the season must have been hell to watch live, but I found storylines like Zeb meeting other Lasats, Hera reuniting with her father, Sabine meeting an old bounty hunter friend, and Ezra learning the truth about his parents to be nearly as compelling as the main cast.
Right from the first episode, it felt like Season 2 of Rebels fixed some of my greatest issues with the character dynamics by just increasing the stakes. There was no time to mess around on Lothal and get into petty arguments, the main team not only got a chance to explore more planets and meet more characters, but they were put in danger far more regularly and got the chance to really show how much they care about each other. Even more, thanks to the aforementioned unlikely pairings, the main cast feels more tightly-knit, and dare I say it, like a family. It helps that they don't bicker nearly as much as last season, and it all leads to me buying their chemistry so much more. I've also started to like a lot of the individual characters better as well. I still found Ezra's cocky attitude a bit annoying, but the plot thread about his flirting with the dark side adds an interesting element to his character. Zeb was a surprising highlight, as his constantly being out of his league with the Jedi and Sith made him oddly endearing. Hera finally got some episodes to herself, Kanan bonding with Rex led to some great character development, and Sabine continues to be pretty badass. And the returning characters were awesome too, seeing Ahsoka, Rex, and Darth Maul again was welcome without feeling too fanservice-y.
Unlike last season, there are far more episodes than the finale that I'd consider highlights:
Siege Of Lothal: This jam-packed and shocking season premiere set the tone and stakes for the season, as the promises of Season 1's finale are immediately fulfilled with Darth Vader's harrowing fight with the Rebels, Minister Tua's surprisingly heartrending death, the devastating fate of Lothal and the Phoenix Squadron, and biggest of all, the scene where Ahsoka learns who Vader really is.
Always Two There Are: The two Inquisitors made one hell of a first appearance in this horror-inspired episode that forces Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb to fend against them in an abandoned hospital. It's suspenseful, exciting, and it was the episode to make me really like Zeb, as his rescue attempt at the end of the episode showed a surprising amount of resourcefulness.
The Future Of The Force: This isn't the only episode where the cast has to save some force-sensitive babies (Clone Wars did the same thing), and it's not the only episode where they're on the run from Inquisitors, but I think this is the best-executed instance of both storylines. It's a tense, action-packed chase that constantly puts Ezra, Kanan, and Zeb at a disadvantage, only for Ahsoka to appear and turn the tables at the end in very spectacular fashion.
The Honorable Ones: This episode was a weird one, trapping Zeb and Kallas on an ice planet together and forcing them to team up and escape. Their dynamic was entertaining and fun, seeing them work together at the end was great, and I like how they ended up gaining a respect for each other. I'm not quite sure how I feel about Kallus turning against the empire since I don't think he deserves a redemption arc, but on its own merits, I really liked this one.
Shroud Of Darkness: Odd designs of Anakin and Yoda aside, this was a fantastic episode and a strong set-up for the finale. The trip to the Jedi Temple led to a ton of massive revelations, like the fact that the Jedi Council was plagued by the dark side, that Ezra has to go to Malachor, and that the Grand Inquisitor was a Jedi knight (and so is Kanan now). And now that the empire knows of the Lothal Jedi temple, it seems the Rebels may never be allowed to go back.
Twilight Of The Apprentice: Easily the most iconic episode of the series, this is a phenomenal finale that rivals some of the best Clone Wars episodes. Ezra teaming up with Darth Maul was such a cool concept and a genius way to get him closer to the dark side, Ahsoka's battle with Darth Vader was as fun as it was emotionally-charged, and the insane ending serves as one hell of a cliffhanger. But that's not to discredit the rest of the episode, which is dark, intense, ambitious, and shocking.
Overall, Season 2 of Star Wars Rebels is great. It widens the scope, increases the stakes, fleshes out the characters and their dynamics, and despite its fairly minimal plot, ends on a fantastic note.
4/5 Stars
