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SWR: Vision Of Hope Review

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Hey everyone. Sorry for the slight delay but honestly I only saw this episode yesterday. This episode was only showed online and because of that I was considering waiting till next week to do this review, but as it should obvious I have decided against that. With that said, let’s begin!




Ezra’s Vision

So in this episode we start things off with Ezra having a vision whilst in the midst of lightsaber training (by the by, really glad to see that they’re building up his lightsaber training now) of the upcoming events of the episode. It’s all naturally vague but it is what sets into motion Ezra’s determination this episode. Admittedly Kanan’s being somewhat disregardful of the visions at first seemed a bit odd for him but I guess visions in this franchise before have been vague and he didn’t want to jump to conclusions, so I can accept it.

Ultimately the visions are ultimately true…sorta. Hey play out exactly how Ezra saw, but the context surrounding them defies Ezra’s expectations, which I liked. I admittedly saw it coming – like I saw a lot of what happened in this episode coming – but I can’t complain that they pulled this twist. It took the episode – and even the series - in a dark direction that I most certainly appreciate.

References To Previous Episodes

As some will recall, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Gall Trayvis. He was first seen in Rise of the Old Masters as he was the one who claimed that Luminara Unduli was still alive, and he appeared in Empire Day urging viewers to boycott the celebrations. We also got to see Zare Leonis – a friend Ezra made during his infiltration into Stormtrooper academy – again and learn about what’s happened to him since (the show drops a hint as to where we might see him next). Finally Agent Kallus returned and this time as the main antagonist of the episode and not the Inquisitor’s lackey, which was a fresh change for the show. We also saw similar locations like the home of Ezra’s parents and their little hideout, and their fate is once again a main factor in this story.

In short this episode is built off of plot points and subtle clues from previous episodes, and I friggin love this. The show is slowly moving out of its standalone episode format and revealing that most of these one off adventures may in fact be build up and hints towards the bigger story and come together in the future, and that’s most certainly the direction that I want this series to go.



Little Thing But...

I liked how that Stormtrooper checked on Zare after he got knocked over. It’s a bit I found strangely sweet and a little reminder that Stormtroopers are just people and many of which are likely good people.

Sneaking In

You know I liked how the meeting point took place on a more city-like part of the planet instead of the poor, desert homes we’ve seen of this planet so far. It was a nice change and I initially though the scene was of another planet and not about our heroes. I also liked that Ezra had a credible means of getting there and we learn a little more as to how he survived all those years alone, evading the Empire.

Though it did strike me as a bit odd that Hera came as well. In the past she’s been the crews pilot and flew in to get them out of a sticky situation, so why not here? I suppose some could argue that the meeting was in the middle of the city so it would’ve been harder for her to save them, but it’s more likely to say that her swooping in to save them wouldn’t have allowed for the shows biggest scene, so I get why they did it.



Oh Chopper...

You are easily the funniest thing about this show...though by god do you come off as a sociopath sometimes.

True story; when Chopper zapped that Droid and dropped it down that hole, I laughed like hell...then quickly felt bad for doing so. It’s largely because the Droids in Star Wars have such personality to them that I felt genuinely bad for that Droid, despite finding it all hilarious. Goddamn you Chopper for making me feel so conflicted!



Gall Trayvis

So as we find out, Gall Trayvis was this entire time secretly still working for the Empire and was being used a way to find Rebel insurgents and destroy them.

Now if you’re savvy like me, you weren’t shocked by this twist at all. The show didn’t make it very subtle to the untrained eye that something was amiss about Gall. The biggest hints was when he got quickly exhausted from running despite claiming to be constantly on the run (Hera’s face made said suspicion even more abundant) and then after we see him probe the crew for very specific information about their crew. Honestly though I saw this coming as soon as he was revealed to be involved in this episode, or at least it was one likely idea I saw happening.

So yea, saw it coming a mile away, but that’s not a bad thing. For starter I acknowledge that younger viewers may be genuinely shocked by the reveal, which is good for them, especially since when they’re older they’ll watch this again and see all the hints the show was making, giving them a deeper appreciation for the show. More importantly however I still like the twist because it’s a dark reveal for the show and a further proof the shows...rather tragic scenario.

I’ve mentioned before how despite the shows often light-hearted escapades there was this...certain amount of dread that crept in through several moments. A sense that our heroes are only pestering the Empire and aren’t doing any massive damage to them, and now in this episode we see one of the Rebels most prominent figures reveals to be an Empire spy. The reaction from Ezra tells it all; and already hopeless situation has been made even worse.

Of course I did like that Hera picked up on the hints immediately and created a scenario to find out for sure. Classic, badass Hera. Really if I had only one thing to complain about it’s that Ezra and the crew get over the betrayal quicker than I’d have liked them too. I would like the show to explore that dark despair they may all be facing in this fight against the Empire some more, but I can’t complain too much. The show tries to cram a lot into its episodes so something like this is only nitpick-ish.

Overall

Overall we got what was easily the best episode of 2015. Really, this was the perfect remedy after last weeks iffy episode. A return to focus and form for the show as it progresses further into more serious stories and a less standalone story format. It’s the kind of episode that makes you genuinely excited for the next episode, and I am most certainly excited for what happens next time. Till then!
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tod309's avatar
I wasn't too terribly suprised when Gall turned out to be an agent for the Empire. In fact I saw it coming since his first appearance in the show.