Last week’s Star Wars Rebels left off with Kanan (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) telling Ezra (Taylor Gray) they would finally start his Jedi training. We pick up with that in “Fighter Flight” and watch Ezra try to use the Force to move a bowl. It’s not going so well, and Chopper is right there to offer support by getting in the way and teasing him. He’s like the opposite of a motivational speaker, and I love it.

I’m coming to see that though Chopper has a curmudgeonly streak, he’s really all about the sass. He’s an instigator, and he wastes no time in starting crap between Ezra and his roomie Zeb (Steve Blum). It’s not clear exactly how much time has passed since “Droids in Distress,” but it’s been long enough for Zeb and Ezra to develop a pattern. That pattern is familiar to anyone who has a sibling, and it’s called “push each other’s buttons and bicker constantly.” They tear through the ship, and Hera is clearly over having her baby Ghost torn up by the heathens. She sends them out on a supply run and puts an impossible to obtain meiloorun on the list.

The boys stop fighting and gather the supplies in no time. Seriously, I’d like to send them to the grocery store each week. Even though the meiloorun isn’t native to Lothal, Ezra spots some getting handed off to Imperial forces. Because he’s Ezra and over-confident and young, he decides to try to steal one from an Imperial transport. Hijinks ensue and Zeb ends up stealing a TIE fighter. Look, it happens.

He scoops up Ezra and saves him from stormtroopers, but then they have to tell mom and dad what they did. Kanan’s and Hera’s (Vanessa Marshall) reactions to the news was hilarious. They do everything but tell Ezra and Zeb they’re grounded. The whole interaction showed much about what the group’s dynamic is like, and they seem like a family that has shared the same space for too long. It’s endearing.

Before Ezra and Zeb get rid of the TIE and meet back up with Ghost, they work in a helpful rebellious deed and set free an acquaintance of Ezra’s – Morad Sumar. The Empire tried to take Sumar’s farm after the farmer refused to sell it. They set fire to at least one structure, and it was yet another example of how bad things have gotten on Lothal. The Empire won’t stop until it has what it wants.

Overall, this was definitely a lighthearted episode that showed how Ezra and Zeb are acting like brothers or at the very least, longtime friends. It was entertaining, and they’re taking Zeb in a diretion I didn’t expect. He’s like a spunky Chewbacca (Ezra bringing up the life debt was a nice touch). This episode could be seen as being too “light” for Star Wars. And yeah, it exhibited the most humor we’ve seen in an episode of Rebels in yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s “Disneyfied.” I’m surprised they went this route so soon out of the gate, but the silly moments were tempered by the reality of the Empire’s oppression. We watched stormtroopers set fire to someone’s farm and take them prisoner. It’s not blowing up Alderaan, but it’s rather frakking serious.

I hope they will address the long term impact of Ezra and Zeb’s actions. They set Sumar and his friends free, but is it anything more than a temporary reprieve? Even if that’s the case, it doesn’t mean what Ezra and Zeb did is worthless. Not at all. But, I am curious about how fast the Empire will come back to take the farm. Maybe the rebels inspired Sumar to fight? The show needs to circle back around and show us the consequences.

What did you think about “Fighter Flight?” Let us know in the comments.

Images: Disney XD