Review: Star Wars Resistance “The Children from Tehar”

Kaz saves two children and gains some valuable intel on a very good episode of Star Wars Resistance.

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Kaz may be a great pilot and loyal friend, but his mechanic skills are still limited. When he accidentally destroys a valuable part, Tam sends him on a mission to get a new one. Strapped for credits, Kaz overhears info about a bounty placed on two ‘lost’ kids and decides to track them down. As luck would have it, they’re currently hiding out on the Colossus.

With some help from Niku’s friends in the maintenance department, they eventually corner the kids and learn their full story. Kylo Ren destroyed their home, and now the First Order is looking for them. When troopers arrive to apprehend them, Kaz comes up with a brilliant plan to fake their deaths. Kaz has outwitted the First Order for now, but it’s only a matter of time before he’s on their radar.

Our Take:

I’ve got to say, I wasn’t expecting another First Order-heavy episode so soon after the last one. After Kaz’s run in with the stormtroopers in the tower, I thought Resistance would be back to random fun and racing. (Not a complaint, that’s just the type of show it is.) But maybe I need to raise my expectations, because Resistance has delivered another solidly exciting episode that pushes the plot forward in directions I couldn’t have predicted only a week ago. This episode also delivered some quality one-liners, like Kaz’s request to Aunt Z: “What do you have for a roguish pilot on a budget?” 

In terms of story, I feel like this was one of the most seamless episodes to date. Nothing seemed to be missing, and all the dots were connected in logical, yet still surprising, ways. Ruining Tam’s equipment is a perfectly in-character accident to get Kaz’s mind on money. Niku being friends with the slow-moving shell-wearing maintenance workers makes absolute sense because it’s Niku. And the role they play in executing Kaz’s big plan at the end of the episode works wonderfully. All in all, I’m left very satisfied with the story that was told. Kaz even got to report back his findings to the Resistance for once. It’s about time! Looks like they won’t be bringing back Oscar Isaacson’s Poe until the season finale, though.

Why is the First Order so intent on tracking down a couple of clueless kids? Could it be that they know something they aren’t telling Kaz? My first thought, however, was that they might be force sensitive. They don’t really display any of those qualities in the episode, though, so I may be way off base. Regardless of the reasoning, Kaz has two new friends to take care of, and I doubt they’re going to be easy to hide. The First Order may have been fooled, but a lot of bounty hunters hang around the Colossus, and they’re a lot more observant than stormtroopers.

Captain Doza gets some more screen time in this episode, but I’m still trying to make sense of him and his actions. He’s clearly willing to involve the First Order in business involving kids, but he also makes it clear that they answer to him when they set foot on the Colossus. Up until the end, I thought he was just a smart businessman, keeping the First Order friendly toward him while also not handing over complete control. After the way he looked at the mysterious insignia from the kids, though, I’m not entirely sure Doza is merely an innocent bystander to the struggle between good and evil.

I was pleasantly surprised with this week’s episode. Everything made sense and connected in ways that felt right. We’re getting a growing sense of Kaz’s progress as a spy and a person, as well as gaining new insight into Captain Doza and his true allegiances. The Children from Tehar builds on last week’s plot-heavy episode with another outing that introduces some interesting new characters and puts Kaz ever closer to butting heads with Captain Phasma and the First Order.