The adventures of Captain Rex, Wolffe, Gregor, and the Ghost crew continued in this week’s Star Wars Rebels. “Relics of the Old Republic” served as the last installment of a two-parter and brought a fierce battle that allowed the clones to prove their mettle. Emotionally and visually, the episode tied different eras of Star Wars together. The inclusion of the clones meant the prequel trilogy was represented, the presence of the AT-ATs on the field brought in the original trilogy vibe, and the Ghost crew represented the in-between period—which I think of as its own thing because the galaxy is in such a state of transition. The various times came together seamlessly, and it was fantastic to see them all meld.

Let’s jump right to the battle. First of all, compliments to lighting and FX supervisor Joel Aron and his team for making that sandstorm a living, breathing force. The atmosphere was so beautifully rendered and really added to the tension of the battle. I found myself on the edge of my seat, barely breathing lest it disturb Ezra and Kanan as they tried to navigate through the minefield. Through it all, Kanan accepted a role that pushed him forward as a Jedi and a leader.

The fight also had a couple of instances of direct influence from the original trilogy that completely worked. We saw Kanan coach Ezra in a way that was similar to Obi-Wan talking Luke through the Death Star trench run in A New Hope. Besides being a cool tie-in for the sake of homage, that interaction opened the door for comparing Obi-Wan and Luke to Kanan and Ezra. Kanan wasn’t completely trained but still got to the same overall points as a Jedi Master like Obi-Wan. It’s interesting, no? And then there was the way they took down the AT-AT. It was impossible not to think of The Empire Strikes Back.

A couple of moments in the episode made my heart grow a million sizes—like the obvious one: the Rex and Ahsoka reunion. When I watched this for the first time with others in a screening room, I cried a bit but held back. When I watched it the second time and I was alone? Waterworks. The fate of Rex and Ahsoka post-The Clone Wars was nothing but question marks, and now we get to see them alive, working with the Rebellion, and hugging? It hit me on so many levels. I’m weirdly proud of these two characters for becoming such an integral part of the Star Wars galaxy.

The other heavy-hitting moment meant loads of character development for Kanan. He doesn’t trust the clones, and you can’t blame him for that. He was betrayed. The end of the last episode left him feeling further wronged and suspicious. But, he showed himself and us that even if he has issues with the clones, he wasn’t able to leave them behind. That’s not even about being a good Jedi; it’s about being human. I think that moment helped Kanan move towards a place where he’s at least okay with the clones being around.

Favorite Quotes:

• “The General I fought with was among the greatest of the Jedi.”
• “I have my problems with clones, but I don’t want those men to die.”
• “It’s good to see you, Commander Tano.”

And I’ll just leave this here:

How did you feel about the episode? Did seeing AT-ATs give you chills? Sound off in the comments or come talk to me on Twitter. This may come as a shock to you, but I enjoy chatting about Star Wars.

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Images: Disney, jamillias