A dramatic first half of the two-episode season finale. What can I say … Kaz has the absolute worst day of his life. No escape … indeed. Full spoilers ahead!

This episode picks up where the previous one left off. Kaz and his remaining friends set out to free Tam and Yeager who are both arrested, as far as Kaz and Niku know, by the First Order.

First Order of seduction

Tam is technically not under arrest, at least she is not in a cell. Instead we see how a First Order Security Bureau agent plays on her fears and desire, her dreams and her suspicions trying to extract information from her about Yeager and Kaz. During this episode Tam slowly seems to fall for the seduction and towards the end she is offered a realization of her dream to become a fully fledged pilot. Skilfully the First Order agent exposes Yeager as a Resistance Spy using a ‘faked’ confession he made in order to save Kaz. Although Tam realizes this … the alternative truth is simply to tempting. At least for the moment.

A rescue attempt.

Kaz and Niku aim to use their access to much of the Colossus’ controls for a rescue attempt. However not only does Kaz unexpectedly encounter a few very cool looking First Order Aqua-troopers, but he also runs into Tora Doza, Captain Doza’s daughter with whom he struck up a friendship many episodes ago. Her father has also been placed under arrest.

Things are really coming to a head on the Colossus and Captain Doza refuses to accept the First Order’s take over of full control. In a cool action sequence however he ultimately loses out against Commander Pyre. Pyre has no patience with Resistance scum and has him thrown into jail.

The worst day of Kaz’s life

However things are about to take a very dark and nasty turn for Kaz. As he and Tora sneak through the passageways of the Colossus with BD in order to find a way of freeing Tam and Yeager, they pas a group of Storm Troopers who are watching a live-transmission of General Hux’s speech on Starkiller Base.

We of course know what comes next but the creators of Star Wars: Resistance play very fruitfully with our compassion for Kaz as with a sigh of relief we see him walk away … seemingly unaware of what is to come. However then he turns to see … and we observe the destruction of his home Hosnian Prime and the reaction on Kaz’s face. On that note of shocked horror the episode ends. I thought it was a surprisingly powerful moment thoughtfully and effectively underplayed by the shows producers.

Look ahead.

The end of the episode leaves us with no doubt: there is no escape. Kaz has been robbed of his home and his entire family, as far as we know, by the First Order. But it is clear that this crucial moment in the series must have consequences. The development of the timeline suggests that season 1 of Star Wars: Resistance will end probably where The Force Awakens ends. With a trailer for season 2 probably just a month away at Star Wars: Celebration this can leave us very excited for this animation series to quickly catch-up with The Last Jedi and start preparing the ground for Episode IX well before that film hits the theatres.

This is a rather unique moment in Star Wars cinematic output … to have an animation series taking the lead. There was a little of this in Star Wars: Rebels Season 3 dealing with Saw Gerrerra’s involvement in the nascent Rebellion in the run-up to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. I can’t wait to see how far into post-TFA territory Season 1 of Star Wars: Resistance will still take us, but I am already very satisfied about this season and this series. I look forward to part II of this episode and I really like the collection of characters that have found themselves together at the end of Season 1.