Eric Geller's Blog

Lucasfilm Every group of heroes needs a group of villains to keep them on their toes. The relatively simple first season of Star Wars Rebels pitted the Ghost crew against one Grand Inquisitor, but with their allies multiplying in Season Two, the rebels needed more enemies, too—and in "Always Two There Are," we met two of those enemies. There wasn't much to this episode; it was neither complex in theme nor grand in scope. But its central conflict—the clash of personalities between a young, unrefined Jedi and a young, sadistic Jedi-hunter—was entertaining enough to carry the story.

Lucasfilm "Relics of the Old Republic" was everything I could have wanted from an episode of its name. It advanced the story of Kanan's tense relationship with the clones, as well as Ezra's more easygoing friendship with them. It brought back memories of The Clone Wars animated series by giving Rex a few bouts of nostalgia. And it did something that no canon Star Wars story has done before: It showed us clones reacting to the new and darker regime that grew out of their own war, offering a contrast between the competent and loyal "relics" of the Republic and the shiny but heartless war machine of the New Order.

Lucasfilm Star Wars Rebels returned to television with an episode that felt almost as plodding as an AT-TE on a big-game hunt. If the relationships that developed on that aging walker had involved anyone other than fan-favorite clone troopers, I probably would have been sorely disappointed by "The Lost Commanders." As it was, I enjoyed the fact that meeting the clones brought out important qualities in Ezra and Kanan. Despite lacking anything truly exciting, "The Lost Commanders" played a valuable role by reintroducing Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor, whose very existence challenged Kanan to move on from the past — or risk being bogged down by the pain of distant conflicts.