Hello there!
I’m back with another episode review for Star Wars Resistance. This is the second and final season of the third animated show in canon, focusing on Kazuda Xiono and his friends on the Colossus as they attempt to get away from the First Order and find the Resistance. These will take a very similar format to previously: an overview of the plot (so it goes without saying, there will be spoilers!), my thoughts on the episode and a few Moments in Canon – things I picked up on that linked to other stories or the larger galaxy as a whole. Today, I will be looking at episode 2: “A Quick Salvage Run“
Plot Summary
Tam is alone in her quarters on the Star Destroyer. She takes her personal comlink from her locker and begins listening again to Kaz’s message but she is interrupted by Jace Rucklin, who has also left the Colossus and joined the First Order. Rucklin convinces Tam that she needs to hand the comlink over to their superiors and tell them Kaz has attempted contact.
On the Colossus, Kaz and Neeku are in Aunt Z’s tavern, where they are joined by Synara. The group discuss how supplies are running out but Kaz is confident that they will be able to resupply when they reach their destination, though when Synara asks, he says that the information is classified. Kaz gets a com to come to the command deck as there is a transmission for him. As Kaz goes to leave, Neeku unintentionally reveals that Kaz had contacted Tam. Synara asks if he can still trust Tam, to which Kaz reminds her that he continued to trust her.
Arriving on the command deck, Kaz finds that the transmission is from his father, who reveals that he and Kaz’s family weren’t on Hosnian Prime when it was destroyed. Kaz is told that his identity being revealed to the First Order has put the family in danger, so tries to convince his father to come join the Resistance on D’Qar. His father tells him to get as far away from D’Qar and is mentioning bounty hunters when the transmission cuts out.
“No! No it’s… it’s gone! The Resistance base… It’s been wiped out!”
Tam and Rucklin go to the bridge of the Star Destroyer to speak to Tierny and Pyre. Tam gives Tierny the comlink and informs her that Kaz had contacted her. Pyre takes the comlink to see what information they can get from it.
As the Colossus nears D’Qar, magnetic interference is stopping any transmissions, and they arrive to find the remains from the Battle of D’Qar. The group realise that the Resistance has moved on, but as they do not have any coaxium to jump to hyperspace, Kaz suggests salvaging from the remains of the First Order dreadnought. Kaz is confident that Kragan’s pirates will help with the salvage job. Kragan and the pirates (other than Synara) initially refuse to help, however Synara eventually convinces Kragan of the benefits. He does however warn Kaz that Doza is still going to owe them.
Back on the Star Destroyer, Pyre is informed that Tam’s comlink has been decrypted and Kaz’s signal traced back to the Ileenium system. Pyre wonders why they would go back to D’Qar and Tierny suggests that they are unaware of the battle that took place there. Pyre orders the officers to set course for D’Qar. Pyre and Tierny go to Tam’s quarters and informs her and Rucklin that thanks to her intel they, are close to finding the Colossus. Tierny tells Tam that she listened to Kaz’s message and reminds Tam that she chose the right side, before inviting her to join her and Pyre on the bridge to witness them catching the Colossus.
“We need to get in and out fast. The First Order could show up at any second.”
Kaz, Neeku, CB-23 and the pirates board the dreadnought. While the majority of the pirates salvage from the ship, Kaz, Neeku, CB-23, Synara and Kragan find the hyperdrive and the coaxium they need. Neeku finds that the system locking the reserve canister of coaxium in place is highly sophisticated, and the group struggle to break it.
The First Order arrive in system and launch their TIE fighters, while Doza scrambles the Aces in response. The Aces are outnumbered and struggling to have any success. The Star Destroyer starts firing on the dreadnought’s remains, which causes a short circuit to unlock the coaxium canister. The group and the pirates get back onto Kragan’s galleon and escape just in time. Arriving back on the Colossus, Kaz, Neeku, Synara and CB-23 rush to the hyperdrive chamber to fit the coaxium, while the Aces return to the hangars and the command crew calculate a hyperspace jump. While Neeku has to gently move the coaxium, the Tam watches in horror as the Star Destroyer’s turbolasers take out the Colossus‘ shields and begin to hit the station. Neeku fits in the coaxium just in time and the Colossus manages to jump away.
Pyre tells Tam that her help has been invaluable, while Tierny tells Tam to notify her if Kaz reaches out again. As Tam returns to her quarters, Pyre tells Tierny that Tam needs to be conditioned, but Tierny feels that keeping Tam as she is will be key to finding the Colossus.
On the Colossus’ flight deck, Yeager is troubled about why the First Order returned to D’Qar. Doza suggests that perhaps they triggered something on entering the system, but Yeager appears unconvinced. Elsewhere, Synara suggests to Kaz that the First Order’s arrival is linked to Kaz messaging Tam. Kaz and Neeku refuse to believe that Tam gave them up, but Synara ominously thinks otherwise.
Review
After last week’s so-so premiere, this felt like a much better episode on the whole, and I can’t help feeling that slightly adapting the pair to create a double-length episode would have been a much stronger premiere. The stories from the first episode of the Colossus‘ need for supplies and fuel, their need to reach the Resistance and Kaz’s reaching out to Tam were all continued, while the stakes were heightened by having the might of a First Order Star Destroyer hot on the heels of our heroes.
I was surprised to see Rucklin as a member of the First Order at the start of this episode. Considering his enmity with Kaz through season 1, it makes sense, but I think that it would have benefitted from a line or a scene either at the end of last season or in last week’s episode. I can already envision that he will become more of an antagonist this season than Tam, similar to how Lost Stars has Nash Windrider become a fanatic for the Empire, while Cienna Ree has her faith in them eroded. The way that Tam acts and reacts in this episode makes it clear to me that somewhere down the line, she will realise that the First Order are evil and try to join back up with her friends.
I mentioned last week how the new character models within the pirates suggested that they would have a larger role this season and I was quickly proved right this week. I loved seeing the pirates get more characterisation and look forward to seeing how this group acts going forwards. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the pirates keeping hold of the supplies they salvaged to try forcing through a change of leadership on the Colossus, which will likely lead to Synara siding with Kaz and his friends.
“Kaz… if it is Tam, can you still trust her?”
“I trusted you, didn’t I?”
In terms of the story on the whole, this was a great episode. Having the Colossus arrive after the Battle of D’Qar allowed us to get an idea of where we are in relation to the movies, while keeping the tension going with the Colossus being chased by the First Order, but also giving them a legitimate chance to resupply to have their own adventures as they look for the Resistance. I also really love how much of the coaxium-centric parts of this episode related so closely to Solo: A Star Wars Story. With the group now having left D’Qar but not knowing where to find the Resistance, I imagine that we will get a few episodes of their own adventures before receiving Leia’s message from The Last Jedi.
As for Kaz, I loved how much more mature he felt in this episode compared to the last, I do worry however that he continues to be too naive. Clearly with this being made for younger viewers, it is showing the importance of friendship and will pay off in the long run when Tam turns back to the good side, but in the meantime, it is another example of his trust in people putting his friends in danger. I did however like how when called out on his trusting nature by Synara, he reminds her that his trust in her paid off.
I also think that this could prove important with the introduction of Kaz’s father. I suggested before the season started that it could be revealed that Kaz’s father is allied to the First Order and this would work well with Kaz’s trusting nature and also be a good way for the First Order to continue getting information on the Resistance even if Tam turns back to the good side.
“Alright Aces, stay sharp, or you’ll end up joining this junk field.”
A few other thoughts from the episode:
- I like how the Aces struggled against the First Order TIEs as they are now fighting in space rather than racing in atmosphere, something Torra mentions
- The shots of the debris around D’Qar and the damage to the planet look great. Once again, the animation is at its best in these moments
- It was great bringing back the dreadnought for this episode and having Kaz’s shock at the size of the ship
Moments in Canon
- D’Qar has been badly damaged as a result of the dreadnought’s orbital bombardment
- Kaz’s father mentions that the galaxy is at war following the Hosnian Cataclysm, something seen in a number of other stories
- Pyre’s mentions of putting Tam through conditioning are a great throwback to “The New Trooper” in season 1
What did you think about the episode?
Thanks for reading. May the Force be with you…
The Canon Padawan 