"Star Wars: Resistance" Series Talkback (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

Some heroes stick to the plan. Others just wing it.

​

Star Wars: Resistance
Series Debut: October 7, 2018 on Disney Channel, Disney app

Welcome to the Resistance! Star Wars: Resistance introduces Kazuda Xiono, a young pilot recruited by the Resistance and tasked with a top-secret mission to spy on the growing threat of the First Order. Featuring the high-flying adventure that audiences of all ages have come to expect from Star Wars, Star Wars Resistance - set in the time prior to Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi - will feature the beloved droid BB-8 alongside ace pilots, colorful new characters and appearances by fan favorites including Poe Dameron and Captain Phasma.

The series was created by renowned Lucasfilm Animation veteran Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels); executive-produced by Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels), Justin Ridge (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) and Brandon Auman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles); and art-directed by Amy Beth Christenson (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels).

Episode #1 - 2: The Recruit, Part One and Part Two
Airdate: October 7, 2018

Synopsis: X-wing pilot Kazuda Xiono is recruited for the Resistance, but finds himself in over his head when Poe Dameron assigns him to a remote fueling station to spy on the First Order. Then, after Kaz boasts about being the best pilot around, he is forced to compete in a dangerous sky race.

Discuss Star Wars: Resistance right here at The Disney-Pixar Forum!

Also, check out the discussion thread for the recent "Solo - A Star Wars Story" theatrical feature!

Related Discussion:
Star Wars: Forces of Destiny Animated Shorts Talkback (Spoilers)
Star Wars: Rebels Series Talkback (Spoilers)
Star Wars: Rebels - Spark of Rebellion Talkback (Spoilers)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars "Ambush" Series Premiere Talkback (Spoilers)

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance “The Recruit”

Unfavorable impression. To be clear, I am not a big Star Wars fan. I should say that up-front. The only Star Wars projects I like are the absolutely great ones. I have zero investment in the franchise, so that means I don’t “Oooh!” and “Aaaah!” at the mediocre projects like everybody else does. I want to say this up-front, not only in fairness to my own reaction, and any controversy this review might create, but also in fairness to a show that any other Star Wars fan might have found completely serviceable. I cannot distinguish between pretty good and pretty bad Star Wars. Unless it’s amazing, I just don’t care for it. As far as I know, the series might actually be good and I just can’t appreciate it for what it is. That’s totally possible. I’ll admit that at the outset.

All that being said, there were several problems in the Pilot that really had nothing to do with me being finicky at all. The thing that I think hurt the first episode the most was the race. That was the worst thing in Phantom Menace too, but at least in Phantom Menace, there are stakes attached, and Anakin HAS to win. And yes, I just compared the show unfavorably to Phantom Menace. Take that opinion as the insult it was intended as. When you hear Yeagar say that his only objective is not to die, you get a feel for how low the stakes actually are. Kaz’s melodrama with the very literal Neeku is so unnecessary and besides the point. He doesn’t need to be the greatest Pilot in the world. He is actually a spy for the Resistance. And the show spent the entire first episode on something that didn’t actually have anything to do with anything.

I realize that with action shows, particularly ones with larger episode orders, there is going to have to be some filler in the story arc to make it last all season. But that should not be freaking happening in the GD Pilot. That is unacceptable to me.

The other thing that really bothered is something I bet Star Wars fans actually enjoyed. But supposedly these races are so absolutely deadly to the loser that surviving a good racer IS a major victory and majorly unusual. I imagine that notion will tickle Star Wars fans with the subversiveness behind it. Me? I just find it appalling. How is a race where the loser usually dies even legal in this Universe? How is it the New Republic has not shut it down? And if the New Republic is the kind of place that allows death sports, it is not as free as advertised, and I don’t think the First Order is messing up anything of value. And it would be one thing is this was simply an ambiguous moral that shows that the Light and Dark Sides of the Force are a bit tricky to read at times. I wouldn’t like it, but I’d get. No, the show actually just thinks it’s funny, and wants me to accept that horrorshow at face value, and be as entertained by it as the ghouls on that planet are. No, I actually find the entire idea obscene. And if they are going to play it for laughs in the very first episode, there is another reason I suspect I will wind up very underwhelmed with this project.

For the record, I like Yeagar’s voice very much. Scott Lawrence is amazing in the role. But that’s the best thing I can say for the show this week.

Yeah, I didn’t much like it otherwise. **.

 

[Spider-Man]

Not a bad start to the new series. I think it will get a little more refined as it goes along but I enjoyed the first four episodes of the show (thank you, Disney app). It wasn't perfect but I still liked it and its a good starting point. The animation looked good too and reminded me of the CG Iron Man cartoon from a few years back. The main character seems fine but he is a little too slap-sticky but there is room for his character to evolve going forward. It really feels like it is skewing a bit younger since the tone and setting for the show is a lot brighter than Clone Wars and even Rebels. I like that the First Order came off as an ominous threat and the world building at the platform is impressive. None of the characters really stick out yet but there was a lot of cool designs for characters and the ships too. The emphasis on the ships was nice as it really makes you appreciate the designs in the SW universe. It was a fun start and I'll be sticking around to see where it goes.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance “The Triple Dark”

Much better than the first episode. It will be nice to have a “fun” Star Wars project for once. This definitely was more exciting and had bigger stakes.

I can’t tell if I like Neeku or if he’s the most annoying character ever. TBD...

I don’t actually like the series yet, but I didn’t hate that either. ***.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance "The High Tower"

As far as I'm concerned, Kaz saving that kid should be considered services rendered, and that should be the end of it. Yeagar was right to not fire him simply because he's a good person. Because even a pretty good person would be disinclined to risk their own life for a jerk like that.

Kaz's new friends also remind me why I hate meeting new people. This is how most of my friendships with the male gender on the spectrum go.

I love Neeku says "They're the worst!" and Kaz sarcastically saying without enthusiasm, "Yeah, that sounds terrible."

For the record a fun and funny Star Wars show is a good idea, and an idea whose time has come. But I haven't found this show to be too fun or funny just yet.

I hate the CGI on this show, and frankly Star Wars Rebels. All of the characters run like monkeys. This is what happens when you try to do CGI on a TV budget. But I am well aware the characters are improperly weighted, and run with their arms unrealistically outward simply because nuance would take longer, expend more effort, and cost more money. But I don't have to like it.

This show has yet to deliver a great episode. ***.

 

[Spider-Man]

I watched the first four episodes and so far it's a fun show. I get its trying to do something lighter and will likely slowly build toward a confrontation with the First Order but the lack of urgency does take away from the show a little bit. It seems like it will be a lot of episodes dealing with what's going on the platform with the odd 'bigger' episodes here and there. It's a good show though and most of the characters seem cool but it feels too early as development has been a little slow too. I'd like to learn more about the supporting cast since Kaz doesn't seem to be the most complex character so far. The animation looks really nice and works for the lighter tone of the show. I do wonder how this show is going to work out since the first season is 22 episodes and I don't know low long this show can support itself especially if a lot of episodes are just going to be basically filler or just about Kaz learning a lesson. That will get tired quick. The show still has my attention for now though. I stuck around for Rebels and that really paid off so I hope it will here too.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance "The High Tower"

Wow, that was an awful candid photo at the end for Kaz to be remembered by. "Who are you?" A total dork, looks like.

For the record Neeku is a 100% nuisance. He is just as annoying a character as Jar-Jar Binks. And yes, I know what I just said and stand by it.

So-so episode. **1/2.

 

[BlackoutCreature]

I have not been feeling this series so far. None of the characters are likeable, Kaz is just an idiot, and the series is just too juvenile for the story it's trying to tell.

I did think "The High Tower" was probably the best episode so far if only because it looks like it might actually do something to advance the whole "Resistance spy" thing that the show is supposed to be about. It also didn't follow the annoying "Kaz learns a valuable lesson about life" formula that all the previous episodes had.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance "The Children From Tehar"

I actually really liked that. I thought the chase climax was exciting, and the way they faked the kids' death was quite clever.

My biggest problem is Kaz being dumb enough to think anyone would put a bounty that large on kids to help them. Then again, Kaz is NOT the sharpest tack in the drawer, so it's consistent for that.

For the record, what happened to those kids is 50% of the reason I have always hated Kylo Ren. The other part is it's Adam Driver, who I already loathe. But yeah, it's the fact that Ren routinely does stuff like this which is why I hate the character. Even the Empire generally used a lighter touch. He sucks.

Great episode. ****1/2.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance "Signal From Sector Six"

Of course the purple girl is a bad guy. You don't just find a beautiful girl in a pod who is into you. She's always evil. Always.

"That's negative thinking." No, Poe, that's RATIONAL thinking. Pretending the most likely outcome is untrue is only gonna get you killed. That is some seriously messed up "wisdom" from an older character. Did Poe train under Yoda? Because that advice is just as bad as the fortune cookie jive that rotten little huckster used to spew to Luke.

Monkey lizards? Is that what Salacious Crumb was? Because they look like him, even if he was better behaved. I was pleasantly surprised when Poe pressed the Staples East Button and shot and killed one of them, but maybe I shouldn't have been. Simply because they showed the big one eating a couple of pirates earlier.

Decent week, but Poe should be smarter than he is. Possibly so should be the writers. ***.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance “Synara’s Score”

Jim Rash’s voice sounds exactly right coming out of that specific weird looking character.

I like Tam saying she saw what Kaz was trying to handle and that he wasn’t handling it all that well. Very insightful.

The biggest flaw in Synara’s plan is she didn’t expect to make friends. She’s in deep now.

I like Yeager’s “Get off my lift!”. Also cool that he’s smart enough to point out that Kaz was never the only spy on the station.

Neeku’s tale of bravery is even more pathetic than you could ever imagine. I am truly coming to loath the character.

But it was a decent episode. The climax was exciting at any rate. ***1/2.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance “The Platform Classic”

I was basically yelling at my screen in frustration by the end of this. This is NOT an episode they EVER should have attempted. At least not on a TV-Y7 rating. Yeagar’s brother killed his family. And yet, because of the kiddie network restrictions, he is not allowed to spell out the actual sin. Which is what somebody in Yeagar’s position would do. He would scream that his family is dead, and that his brother killed them, because he only thought about himself. He would use the strong language because he is so angry and wants to spell out what Marcus actually did to him. But they can’t use most of those words. Which makes me think this was the dumbest piece of pathos for the show ever to attempt. It was an incredibly raw and painful moment that BS&P would NEVER let them be raw and painful with. It’s so stupid. Every single thing Yeager says completely hits the ear wrong. It sounds worse written than it actually would be if they were allowed to actually talk about what happened. And because they aren’t allowed to talk about it which is why Marcus is never allowed to say what he needs to say, which makes the conflict last longer than it would in the real-world and strikes me as forced conflict. Which is not something something in this particular situation should ever be.

And the end disgusted me too. It was supposed to be funny, but BB-8 doesn’t think Kaz is good enough to be his friend? What is so freaking great about BB-8? I never got the freaking hype. The least he can do is tell that desperate kid he’s actually his friend.

Marcus is like Luke in being one of the few real-world names in the entire franchise.

The one thing I really liked was Kaz smugly reminding Yeager you can never back out of a race once you’ve agreed to it. Can’t believe Yeager forgot after the browbeating Kaz took from him in the Pilot. I also liked the moment at the end where Yeager tells his brother they’re not okay, but they will be someday. And Marcus accepts that because it’s better than what it was before. Which makes me think the writers are not actually terrible at their jobs. The censors are just making it sound like they are. Small character moments that court no controversy land perfectly fine.

I was aggravated by the end of this. **1/2.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance “Secrets And Holograms”

You know, at the end of the day, Kaz is just a kid. And all kids really want to do is play videogames. Bonus points for him realizing how it helped his mission too.

Buggles is a good name for a gross pet. I like that the Droid is a little bit OCD around him, and talks in a scary male voice at intruders. Her also noting that Ball Droids are untrustworthy suggests there is definitely a class system among the Droids. It’s brushed by, but I noticed it.

Here’s something about Doza Kaz may not realize. But just because you used to be in the Empire, doesn’t mean you are a bad guy. Agent Kallus proved that on Rebels. The problem is the fact that he kept the uniform for 30 years. THAT is actually alarming. That’s something Nazis do.

But I don’t see Doza’s motives as ultimately harmful. Just because he doesn’t seem to understand the First Order intends to make itself The New Normal. He expects to go on a cruise with Torri when this is all over, without realizing his complicity means it will never end. He strikes as a bit clueless but ultimately, harmless outside of his dress-up fetish. We’ll see.

I liked the moment with Torri correctly guessed Kaz was a spy and he half-heartedly denied it. Both of them knew the truth in that moment, but didn’t push it any further than that, because it could have made things difficult if either had. And I like that in a franchise where adults do nothing but complicate the lives of everybody else, the kids in this franchise tend to keep it pretty simple. Which is how it should be.

This show is really growing on me. ****.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance "Bibo"

Annoying episode. Neeku is just the worst. And then he eats that cute little Gorg at the end alive. I repeat: He's the worst.

And it took them that long to figure out the monster was Bibo's mother? The girl with the dream pretty handed them the solution pretty early on. The people on this show are dumb.

Grrr. *1/2.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance "Dangerous Business"

I am a little alarmed at how stupid the show wants me to think Kaz is. I mean, he's bumbling around the shop bumping into things and knocking over stuff like he's Jar-Jar Freaking Binks. And him falling for the most obvious of traps either tells me the writers are stupid, or that the writers are trying to tell me that Kaz is the wrong person for this mission. I sadly think it is the former.

Speaking of Jar-Jar, why does Flik even WANT to claim Gungan ancenstry? That is something to be embarrassed about, and not a brag.

Was I the only one thinking about Homer Simpson saying "I call the big one Bitey" from "Marge Vs. The Monorail"? Didn't think so.

One of the things a lot of modern Star Wars project get absolutely 100% wrong is that they have the character using clearly Earth English sayings. This is an entirely different galaxy. There is no point of reference for a character to call something as easy as pie, even if they put an alien name before the pie. The earlier projects actually did a pretty good job of making the world mythology feel entirely separate from ours. This is a problem mostly for the TV cartoons. It bothered me on Star Wars Rebels too.

Honestly? Lousy episode. Boring too. *1/2.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance "The Doza Dilemma"

I feel like the scheme in the episode was quite clever. But for some reason I am unable to credit the series with that because the characters themselves aren't. It is very clear to me that the First Order set up a fake kidnapping for Doza to be in their debt, and for them to get their foot in their door, and have guards on the station. That's actually smart. What bothers me is that this bit of obvious deceit remains an unsolved mystery by the end of the episode to Kaz. I know Kaz is stupid, but if Kaz doesn't figure it out, and then villains don't do a Xanatos brag at the end, it strikes me that the producers believe the kids in the audience don't yet understand what is going on. And that's a dang shame. Part of the reason I dislike this show at times is because it doesn't seem to trust the kids in the audience to be able to keep up with potentially complex storytelling ideas. When I was a kid, I found that if there was a bit of entertainment I didn't follow or understand, if it was otherwise good, I'd go along with it and the lack of understanding wouldn't bother me. And I don't think that's an unusual reaction for kid. I knew I was just a kid and a lot of the stuff I didn't understand would probably make sense when I was older, and not think about it beyond that. But (and this was frustratingly true when I was a kid too) the vast majority of producers who produce entertainment that is geared exclusively towards kids, treat the audience as stupid, which may make the show easier for sprogs to grasp, but it makes the actual show worse. There is no doubt in my mind that a kid would probably prefer The Batman to Batman: The Animated Series, just because it's writing is simplistic, and easy to follow, and pandering. Not every kid. Not the smart ones. But most kids. That fact does not stop The Batman from sucking, especially in comparison to Batman: The Animated Series. I imagine little kids will find these series easier to follow and more appealing than Clone Wars and even Rebels. But it's definitely worse than both of those shows too.

Sinara is very lucky the First Order betrayed the pirates. There would be no way for her to keep her cover if they didn't. Simply because she is trying to rescue her friend, which is something that would out her to both the good guys and the bad guys were she successful. Instead, the fact that it was actually taken out of her hands is like the randomest luck ever. Kaz's accurate suspicions are actually a small price to pay if she is actually going to be crazy enough to try to rescue Torra. It was a no-win situation she got herself into that she scraped by due to nothing but random luck.

I think the plot of the episode was borderline clever. I wish the show thought that way about its audience. ***1/2.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance "The First Order Occupation"

This is NOT the franchise to do TV-Y7. It's crazy that Rebels made it work for as long as it did, but it's not sustainable.

Basically we have to think the Order Troopers are monsters for watching a guy they questioned fall down of his own accord. This is TV-Y7's version of fascism and it's pathetic.

I laughed in mocking disbelief when Yaeger tells Kaz that if he's discovered, they'd be "In trouble". THAT, is what we call a master of understatement, my friend. The firing squad on this show is referred to in the language of being sent to the principle's office.

I cannot say this enough, but Neeku is annoying, and damaging to the heroes. I don't find him lovable. I didn't find Jar-Jar so either. They are both Grade-A Nuisances.

There was one part of the episode that I loved that the show (foolishly in my mind) didn't draw too much attention to. But Kaz asking Neeku for help is a scumbag move on Kaz's part, especially if he doesn't tell him Sinara's a Pirate. If Neeku is caught, he'll be executed for treason. Basically Kaz is putting Neeku into mortal danger he didn't sign up for.

Were I the show, I would have played that up. Because that's part of being a spy. Using people who believe you care about them for your own ends, and the greater good. The episode set up a perfect conflict for Kaz to second-guess putting his friend in unnecessary danger, and it never even comes up. I think I could write this show better than the writers do. It wouldn't be too hard.

Weak episode. **.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance "The New Trooper"

I'm not going to give this episode zero stars or anything, but there is something about the episode that I should point out. This episode did FAR more permanent damage to the canon than whatever detractors of The Last Jedi claim that movie did. In hindsight, it almost ruins the last two movies, and I probably won't view them the same way again (and I loved both of them, even Last Jedi). What strikes me as beyond unfair is that it did this permanent damage to the canon simply because the writers of this one lousy episode wrote themselves into a corner, and thought this solved their problem. Technically, it did. By ruining everything else.

Everything New's Canon Now, right? That's Disney's new mandate? I was beyond appalled when they referred to the trooper's mind being wiped and reconditioned because he was "acting erratically". It solves the problem of the kids being in trouble and remembered by the Trooper. But to let those two kids off the hook, it ruins everything else.

If Stormtroopers are being conditioned and brainwashed to follow orders, they aren't technically bad guys. And if you have to choose between sides of heroes and victims there is literally nobody to root for. As far as I know, many of the people the good guys in the movies have killed are completely innocent, and were kidnapped against their will and brainwashed. And that bums me out like no tomorrow. I liked being able to blame the Stormtroopers for choosing the side of evil in the Original Trilogy. It made them fun to root against. Basically the episode just made sure the abhorrent German credo "I was only following orders" is acceptable and justified. And you know what? Stormtroopers should be allowed to be responsible for their own actions. I should be allowed to properly hate them. And because this episode had no other ideas for an amnesia crutch, now every single First Order project is tainted, probably forever. Nice trick for a poorly written 22 minute cartoon.

All of this being said, I can accept Tam being a First Order apologist. I can. At this point in the franchise, they haven't done all of the horrible stuff they did in the movies yet. I get the controversy. What gives me pause is Tam being an apologist for the Freaking EMPIRE. Basically this chick is Team Blow Up A Planet With Billions Of People On It Because Its Princess Said You Smell Bad and Team Kill All The Jedi Younglings. I get the idea that the First Order is an unknown quantity, and something to be debated. But in my life, if somebody starts extolling the virtues of hardworking and honest Nazis I'm not going to freaking sit there and take it. Were I Yeager, I would have simply fired her for saying that in his presence. I think the show wanted to raise a controversy about the Empire, without acknowledging that in hindsight, and knowing what we know now, there actually IS no controversy. It's simply indefensible.

I hear a lot of people want The Last Jedi retconned, and expunged from the record, including Carrie Fisher's last moving performance ever, and a total do-over from it, and I think it's a weird opinion to have for dislike a single movie. But if Disney ever decided to take a second shot at this specific episode, I'd call it a blessing. This effed things up but good. *1/2.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance "The Core Problem"

Not much to say this week except that it's a bit rich that Tam is complaining about being kept out of the loop at the end of episode. I don't know, maybe if she hadn't defended the freaking Empire last week I'd share a little bit of that righteous fury. But since she's "Go Team Genocide!" I think that girl needs to know as little as possible.

I'll miss BB-8 though. ***1/2.

 

[Fone Bone]

Star Wars Resistance "The Disappeared"

Okay, at this point, I've gotten a better feel for what the series is trying to do and whether or not it is doing it correctly.

All things considered, I don't dig it.

The show has to traffic in euphemisms and softhearted plot turns to make fascism and genocide more palatable for a TV-Y7 audience. When the major threat is "being taken off-world" you know the Nazi allegory is a bust. Not just because killing people is the harsher reality. But it's also the easier reality. Transporting people off-world costs money and resources. A blaster to the head is free. One of the defining things about the worst Totalitarian regimes in my book is that for a lot of them, they only killed as many people as they did to avoid paperwork. It was a lot less hassle and simplified things. And that goes to the banality of evil. But the show refuses to even give evil that much.

I cannot stand Tam. Normally a character in her position would be introduced as a counterpoint to Kaz, and gradually go around to his way of thinking. But hearing the things she justified tonight makes me hope she simply joins the Order herself so Kaz can be done with her. She is not a person who would make a good friend of ally. Or at least not of a person with a shred of decency in their bones.

I have believed until very recently that there could never be another Star Wars character I vociferously hated as much as I do Yoda. But Neeku is up there. He's definitely surpassed Jar-Jar for the number two worst character slot.

All hope is not lost for this show. I thought season 1 of Star Wars Rebels sucked too, and that show wound up all right, if not great. But the truth is even the first season of Rebels never sucked as much as this did. I was not actually shocked Rebels improved, because the potential was always there. I don't feel the same way about this show. If this show someday becomes watchable and worthy of the Star Wars legacy, I will honestly be surprised. *1/2.