The fourth episode of Star Wars: Resistance had everything you want from such an episode. Humor, stakes, events that move the plot forward and things that shed some light on the characters in the series. A very enjoyable ride and one that wets the appetite for the next one. Here is our Spoiler review!

The crew widens

When we got started with Star Wars: The Clone Wars in 2008 we had familiar characters of the likes of Anakin and Obi Wan while being introduced to new ones like Captain Rex and of course Ahsoka. It was clear from the outset that the episodic format of the series would emphasize the scope and scale of the Clone Wars while jumping back and forth between a huge arsenal of character arcs ranging from the rookies of Delta Squad, via the backstory of Grievous and Ventress to the relationship of Padme and Anakin.

When Star Wars: Rebels came out it was also clear from the start that this series would be very different and would remain firmly focussed on one particular band of rebels that were growing into one o the many Rebel cells that would later form the Rebel Alliance. Original and Prequel Trilogy characters were introduced here and there in cameos without becoming actual parts of the plot. Rebels was and always remainder very much the story of the Ghost Crew, with the possible exception of Darth Maul who saw his post-The Phantom Menace arc completed and Ahsoka Tano who experienced her definitive elevation from lost Skywalker apprentice to what one can only describe as a grand-character in the Star Wars pantheon.

With Star Wars: Resistance we are now in the phase where we have seen the cameos of  Captain Phasma, Poe Dameron and Leia Organa embedding the series firmly in the pre-The Force Awakens timeline. With Kazuda Xioni we have a new protagonist but we do not yet know so much about which characters would qualify as being “on his crew”. Evidently Kazuda has not yet reached the stage where he ‘carries’ a crew and as I described in my review of the episode #3 we are still very much exploring who he is. His friend Niku is an established figure but I thoroughly enjoyed that this episode added another character to that inner ‘crew’ of the story: Tam.

A story that matters

Episode #4 The High Tower I is a story that matters, for the plot, for Kazuda and his friends and it leaves many unfinished ends that will probably be wrapped up in later episodes. In this episode Kazuda finally gets something to do concerning his mission for Poe. A power failure on the station due to a shortage of fuels sheds a light on the supply situation of the station which is under threat due to the Pirate attacks, an example of which we saw in the second episode. The closing shots of that episode already revealed to us that The First Order is in league with these pirates in order to gain a foothold on the station.

That storyline continues here and Kazuda and his friends witness the arrival of red Tie Pilot Von Reg on the station for some shady deal-making with the commander of the station. In a hilarious mix of slapstick involving a few brazenly silly actions of Niku as well as a “more luck than wisdom” sneak-and-escape act by Kazuda we learn that The First Order is playing a protection racket on the station. Woven into that story are some reveals about Tam’s backstory on the station, Kazuda’s inept attempts at teaming up with the aces, such as Hype Fazon and a bedroom run-in with the station-commander’s daughter. We also learn that the Aces of the stations have not just a defence duty but also a fuel-run duty. In return they get to live their daily lives in the more comfortable surroundings of the High Tower.

Clarifications and outlook

Evidently Von Reg is the goto bad guy of the series. He is an imposing character and perfectly fits the role. Him being a pilot meshes well with the pilot-centred nature of the series so far but visually as well as in the way he is framed he clearly is a stand-out First Order officer. Of course since the episode #2 we know his connection to Phasma.

The Cantina visit of Tam, Kazuda and Niku is fun and carries a great cantina atmosphere. I felt instantly transported back to the days of playing Knights of the Old Republic I and II watching the patrons in the background. Their hilarious bets on Kazuda’s survival odds added nicely to the picture. It was nice to bring two of the Aces back into the picture again, also because they are examples that Kazuda aspires to but not at all cost. It created some really nice character development opportunity for Kazuda and Tam strengthening their profiles as characters.

It was a really nice episode and one that makes me very curious as to how the next one will continue. The threat of The First Order is still very much in the background. But the episode was a good and necessary reminder of the larger things going on in the galaxy.

Do you want to read more Clone Corridor Reviews?

Then check out the following:

• Our reviews of Star Wars: Resistance episodes #1, #2, and #3;
• Or our TLJ Character Studies of Leia, Luke, Rey, Kylo, Hux and many more;
• Or our reviews of the final episodes of that great season and series finale of Rebels;
• Or are you also looking forward to new Clone Wars?
• Or try one of our series, such as Star Wars’ Forgotten Women, or Scene It;
• Or some of our many other great posts about characters such as Assaj Ventress and Maul.