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 15: “The New World”
Plot Summary
Kaz is working on the Fireball when the Colossus starts shaking. Going to investigate, Kaz finds Neeku, who tells him that they are entering a planet’s atmosphere. They make their way to the marketplace, where the external shutters open to reveal blue skies and ocean, while Doza announces over the intercom that they have reached Aeos Prime.
“Welcome to the planet of Aeos.”
Kaz visits Yeager and Doza in Doza’s office. Doza explains that as Aeos Prime is an Outer Rim planet with nothing to interest the First Order, it should remain off First Order scanners. If nothing else, it should be no more risky than the constant travelling through space.
Yeager sends the Aces out on a scouting mission to check the planet is safe. The Aces go off in pairs to scout their respective sectors, Kaz paired with Griff. They spot the ruins of a village on an island so land to investigate. Griff deduces that the village was attacked recently. Kaz finds the helmet of a First Order pilot, but Griff and his droid R5-G9 have disappeared. Kaz and CB-23 go looking for them and make their way into a cave system. Kaz finds the remains of a Rebel Alliance control centre in the caves and realises that the First Order have been there to ensure the Resistance cannot use old Rebellion bases and supplies. Kaz tries to leave the cave to warn the Colossus, but is captured by a group of armed Aeosians and imprisoned, finding Griff and R5 in the cell next to them. They are too deep underground for CB-23 or R5 to contact the Colossus with a warning.
“See? Told you those high-pitched screams were his, R5.”
On the bridge of the Colossus, 4D tells Doza that several unidentified lifeforms are approaching from the ocean. Torra and Hype return from their scouting mission, but Torra is worried as they could not see Kaz/Griff while coming back through their sector. A group of Aeosians jump off their Krakavora into the hangar. Neeku tries to introduce himself to the Aeosians, but they act aggressively. B1 and his squad of B2s arrive, which escalates the situation and leads to a fight. Yeager, Torra, Neeku, Hype and their astromechs fall back from the hangar and close the blast doors behind them, but the Aeosians try to force their way through.
The Aeosians lead Kaz, Griff and the droids from their cells to a throne room, where they come face to face with the queen. The queen calls them intruders and says that the Aeosians lost many people including their healer during the last attack ont he village. Kaz tries explaining that the attacks were the First Order and that they are peaceful, but the similarities between Griff’s armour and that of the First Order and Empire means that they are not believed and the queen orders them to be fed to the Krakavora. As they are escorted through the cave system, Kaz sees wounded Aeosians and tries to negotiate with the queen, who ignores him. While CB-23 creates a distraction, Kaz runs back to the wounded Aeosians and gives medicine to one of them. The queen and her guards catch up to Kaz and are about to attack him and Griff, when they realise that the Aeosian Kaz went to is already healing. Kaz explains that they have medicine back on the Colossus and convinces her that they can help her people.
“Feed? Did she say “feed”?”
“That’s what I heard.”
The queen flies to the Colossus with Kaz, Griff, the droids and some of her warriors, calling off the ones who were already attacking the station. The queen and Yeager agree to a peace. In Doza’s office, the Aeosians are given a crate of medicine while Doza apologises for trespassing on their planet, saying that they will leave at once. Kaz explains that they came to Aeos Prime fleeing the First Order, who were the ones that attacked the village. The queen remembers that the Rebels they allowed to shelter in the caves before were honourable and helpful, much like those on the Colossus, so she allows them to stay.
Review
The improvement in the quality of the episodes over the latter part of the season continued with this episode, leaving me really wishing that we had got this story closer to the halfway point of the season rather than a couple of weeks before the end.
“It’s time to stop running and start thinking about our future.”
The Colossus has spent so long just travelling (apparently) aimlessly, so it was great to see a change of scenery with Aeos Prime, and I liked how even though it was another ocean planet, it still felt very different to Castilon due to the islands rather than just open water. I really enjoyed the design of the Aeosians as well, they looked unique and did a great job of looking relatively primitive but also developed enough to appear a threat at the same time.
It was great finally getting to know Griff a little better in this episode (especially considering he is voiced by the super-talented Stephen Stanton. I just feel that it is a somewhat wasted opportunity to only be getting to know him now, with a couple of weeks remaining in the show. The Aces were a huge part of the marketing of the show prior to season 1, but they have been really underused throughout the show. Similarly, it felt like the battle droids from last episode were wasted by having them taken out in the very next episode – hopefully we will see that they were able to be fixed up or they may as well have been destroyed in “The Mutiny“.
“I got 20 credits that Griff ditched Kaz on some deserted island. Who wants in?”
While I have often been critical of the way Kaz has been written as a goofball, one thing that has always been there is his kind heart and the way he always wants to help others in need. I was really happy to see that prove key to successfully negotiating a peace in this episode as he was willing to put himself at risk by running away from armed guards to try and heal someone who was hurt despite never having met them before. Even his gaffe of speaking slowly to the queen when first meeting her didn’t sit badly with me, as we see this all the time in real life when people assume a foreigner won’t know their language. Meanwhile, I really enjoyed Griff in this episode and the way that even though he is constantly be sarcastic towards Kaz, when Kaz is in danger he is willing to put himself in harm’s way. I’ve mentioned before how often the show treats the Colossus inhabitants as one big family, and this is just the latest example, as many people will give a family member grief but immediately defend them the moment an outsider stars causing them trouble.
“We could thrive on this planet for years, Jarek.”
A few final thoughts from the episode:
- I thought it was clever writing to utilise Griff in this episode given his appearance still having a decidedly Imperial flavour, while it was also a nice reminder of the Colossus being of Imperial design, as both these things helped to create conflict between the 2 groups due to the similarities to First Order design
- I liked the use of familiar equipment in the old Rebel base so that it was immediately clear to the viewer that we were in a Rebel base prior to seeing the Rebel insignia
- I really liked the dynamic between Doza’s hope that they had found a new home and Yeager’s cautiousness while they waited for word from the Aces
Moments in Canon
“I think she’s the one in charge.”
“Oooh you’re quick.”
- Captain Doza was Griff’s commanding officer when they worked for the Empire
- One of the super battle droids still had the symbol of Kragan’s Warbird gang painted on it
What did you think about the episode?
Thanks for reading. May the Force be with you…
The Canon Padawan 