Review: Star Wars Rebels “Through Imperial Eyes”

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Spoilers Below

An Imperial cruiser captures a shuttle escaping a planet. Rebel Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray) is aboard, but disguised as a bounty hunter. Ezra reveals to Imperial Agent Kallus (David Oyelowo) that Rebels suspect the Empire monitored his previous transmission as the double agent Fulcrum. His cover may be lost.

Imperial officer Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) shows up in his star destroyer the Chimaera. Thrawn seeks the rebel spy. Kallus, heeding Bridger’s warning, devises a plan to thrown suspicion off himself. He switches code cylinders with Lieutenant Lyste (Liam O’Brien), and sets Lyste on the trail of Governor Pryce (Mary Elizabeth McGlynn).

After “Legacy of Mandalore,” there’s a lot more action. However, “Through Imperial Eyes” remains pretty dialogue driven. It’s a tense episode wondering whether Kallus’s cover has been blown. I like seeing Thrawn, voiced by the recognizable and commanding Lars Mikkelsen. Additionally, “Through Imperial Eyes” features a few references to past Star Wars events. “I haven’t been summoned by ranking officers since that incident with the Princess on Alderaan,” Lyste explains. Later AP-5 (Stephen Stanton) is placed on lookout duty and mutters “The thankless job.” As is so well done in the series, AP-5 brings a C3-PO dynamic and personality. But while there’s a bit of fan service, it’s kept to a minimum and moreover pretty subtle. The series is strong enough that it doesn’t need fan service to excel.

Through Imperial Eyes” is perpetuated by a concern over whether the Empire discovered that Kallus is Fulcrum. Throughout there’s a sense Thrawn knows. Part of this is animation; facial expressions and body language. But Mikkelsen’s eerily calm voice further lends the notion that Thrawn knows more than he’s letting on. The dynamic between Kallus and Bridger shows that the two are friends. Bridger is genuinely concerned for Kallus. It’s also apparent that Kallus is incredibly dedicated to the Rebel cause. As AP-5, Chopper, and Bridger escape Kallus remains behind. He’s supposedly successfully framed Lyste as the Rebel spy. Thus, Kallus vows to continue his mission of infiltrating the Imperial ranks.

But the final minutes prove otherwise, setting up what promises to be an exciting next episode in “Secret Cargo.” Thrawn admits knowledge that Kallus is the Rebel spy. Armed with this information, Thrawn plans to use Kallus to further Imperial plans.

“Through Imperial Eyes” offers insight into the Empire’s knowledge of the Rebel spy ring. Additionally, the episode hints at the Imperial long game. Thrawn intends to use Kallus as an unintentional double, or I suppose triple, agent. Great music, voice acting, and an engaging plot make “Through Imperial Eyes” one of season three’s finest episodes so far.

SCORE
9.0/10