Danielle Solzman
With help from Poe Dameron and BB-8, Star Wars Resistance introduces us to some new characters in an hour-long episode titled “The Recruit.”
This is going to be a mix of recap and review of this newest television series in the Star Wars universe. The review aspect will be coming towards the end of you wish to jump ahead. Please read at your own peril.
Having our good friends Poe Dameron and BB-8 lends some friendly faces to the series even if Commander Dameron isn’t staying for long. They aren’t the only source of familiarity. After rescuing X-wing pilot Kazuda Xiono, Commander Dameron invites Kaz to join the Resistance. Shortly after stowing aboard the Tantive IV, Kaz officially signs on. To give you a sense of where we are on the timeline, the ship has seen action from the Battle of Scarif through the Battle of Jakku. Jakku is the same planet that we see Rey at the start of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The seventh film of the saga has not happened at this point.
Dameron takes Kaz to waterplanet Castilon. It’s on this planet located in the Outer Rim Territories in which the two Resistance members head towards a refueling station, Colossus. Dameron has a contact on the planet, Jarek Yeager, that Kaz will be working with as a cover. It will be Kaz’s job to spy on the First Order and report back to Poe. While Poe leaves before the first half hour is up, he leaves BB-8 behind. Already, we get a vibe that this is going to be a much different series. We’re less focused on the Jedi unlike Star Wars Rebels or even Clone Wars. This does appear to be a positive as set upon an adventure within a new place in the galaxy.
Things get chaotic when the green-skinned Neeku Vozo overhears Kaz talking to himself. Next thing you know, everyone believes him to be the best pilot in the galaxy. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves too quickly! Before we know it, Kaz is challenging Captain Doza’s daughter, Torra, in the biggest race of his life. Yeager welcomes Kaz into Team Fireball as a mechanic. Yeager’s team also includes Neeku, mechanic Tam Ryvora, and a droid known as Bucket. I expect that Aunt Z’s will be much-frequented hangout this season.
What little we know about Kaz is that his father is a member of the Galactic Senate. He’s a different protagonist from what Star Wars fans are used to seeing. Meanwhile, Dameron and Jarek Yeager have some sort of backstory that perhaps will be explored during the first season. On the First Order side of things, the Starkiller Base will be looming large over the first season. Given the time frame, this could be the only season but it’s truly hard to determine that. The presence of Captain Phasma is also teased. Perhaps we may get a glimpse of Finn at some point?
Through the first hour of Star Wars Resistance, there’s certainly room to grow. I trust series creator Dave Filoni with the direction that the series is headed in. I also trust that Athena Portillo, Justin Ridge, and Brandon Auman with what plans they have. It was a slow start tonight and it didn’t blow me away in the same way that Star Wars Rebels did during the initial launch. Let’s hope this is just a road bump from having to introduce so many new characters.
Voice Cast:
Christopher Sean as Kazuda Xiono
Suzie McGrath as Tam Ryvora
Scott Lawrence as Jarek Yeager
Myrna Velasco as Torra Doza
Josh Brener as Neeku Vozo
Recurring Voice Cast:
Bobby Moynihan as Orka
Jim Rash as Flix
Donald Faison as Hype Fazon
