“Breaking Ranks” Star Wars Rebels Season One, Episode Four

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Ezra infiltrates an Imperial academy for…stormtroopers?

It’s been a few weeks since the events of “Rise of the Old Masters,” and we find Ezra in an Imperial cadet uniform, having infiltrated the ranks under the alter-ego of Dev Morgan. His objective is to sneak into the main compound, where he will steal a decoder disk from Agent Kallus. It’s this decoder that will lead the rebels to the location of a ship carrying a  large parcel of Kyber crystal, that legendary substance that powers lightsabers, resonates with the Force, and can also be used in a battle station’s laser array to destroy an entire planet. Chopper has also infiltrated the Imperial academy, getting a dark and dirty paint job just for the mission. Zeb and Sabine are also on the ground as backup, effectively waiting for Ezra to complete his mission.

I love the setup for this episode. The mission is suspenseful and exciting, and this story hasn’t even started to unfold. What really stands out, especially on repeated viewings of “Breaking Ranks,” is the exploration of how many of the character relationships in this episode are developing. It’s so refreshing to see Ezra not quite the person he was a few episodes ago, and Kanan more vulnerable than we’ve ever seen him. Plus we learn more about the Empire’s inner workings, and meet a few new characters. This is solid, satisfying storytelling at all levels.

Ezra has become a standout cadet in his squad, consisting of new friend Jai Kell, faceless rival Oleg, quiet outlier Zare Leonis, and four incompetents who don’t get color-coded uniforms. Each day, they are put through assessments in “The Well,” a configurable danger-room style facility inspired by Clone Wars episodes “Clone Cadets” and “The Box.” Taskmaster Grint and Commandant Aresko are overseeing this group, back to work after stealing joguns from Gotals. While they don’t have much to do in this episode, I see a connective tissue forming throughout the series. The Imperial presence on Lothal feels very provincial about now, and the leaders of Lothal are familiar faces about  Capital City on a day-to-day basis.

As it turns out, Ezra isn’t the only cadet with a bone to pick with the Empire; Zare Leonis, who was introduced in a series of young reader novels, has joined the academy to discover the whereabouts of his older sister, who was a star cadet before mysteriously disappearing. He agrees to help Ezra, and in the process they learn a dastardly secret: the cadet training academy serves a twofold purpose. Primarily, this course is essentially stormtrooper training. I’m under the assumption that no one ever really fails out; they just become different types of troopers in service of the ever-expanding Empire. However, those who rise to the top of the class fulfill its second purpose: to be identified and examined by the Inquisitor himself, who will presumably kill or recruit those with any ability in the Force.

Taking this idea to its logical conclusion, there is one major point we can discern from this stormtrooper “training.” Only the worst cadets ever become stormtroopers! This isn’t training for troopers so much as it’s a way to cherry-pick those fewer applicants who can be better utilized elsewhere (or killed, should they be too good). Think about it: this training focused on running, jumping, and precision shooting–things no stormtrooper excels at! Unless you’re stone-cold evil, it’s not a good idea to stand out from the crowd. Unfortunately, the seemingly un-evil Jai Kell has been earmarked for inspection, and unless Ezra and Zare spring him out of the facility he may disappear, too.

Cut to Hera and Kanan, back on the Ghost. Kanan is worried about Ezra, showing a fair amount of protectiveness and concern for his apprentice. It’s very un-Jedi like, in the sense that the old order did not promote attachment in this way. However, I like this development in Kanan. It feels more Luke than Luminara, and that’s a trend I can get behind. Once they receive the information from the decoder disk, they are off to take out the ship carrying the crystal. It’s a spectacular space battle that culminates in the destruction of the crystal ship in a fiery green aura of destruction, with Hera and Kanan just barely escaping into hyperspace.

Back at the academy, Zare, and Kai have taken over an AT-DT walker, and are attempting to escape by creating a diversion. Chopper lends a hand, providing a well-timed explosion, and Ezra joins them with the imperials confident he is trying to quell the attack. Ezra, Kai and Zare manage to escape with the help of Zeb and Sabine, yet Zare decides to stay behind and continue the search for his sister. Bemused, Kai and his mother now must go into hiding with the aid of the rebels, while the Inquisitor takes Zare into his custody.

Breaking Ranks displays this show firing on all cylinders. Fast-paced, and fun, everything comes together in true Star Wars fashion with a perfectly timed climax that resolves the multiple story lines simultaneously. It may not have the groundbreaking plot twists of the previous episode, but there is a balanced, nuanced story here that is undoubtedly strong.

Final Thoughts:

• Lothal Capital City is split down the middle: the older side is clearly run down, but the Empire has built a shining white district to reside in.
• This is the first episode where Chopper isn’t messing with anyone. Perhaps he likes being off the Ghost for a while?
• Sabine seemed impressed with Ezra’s heroic streak.
• The emphasis on space battles is a welcome sight. They look amazing, and I can’t wait for more.
• I wonder if we’ll ever see Jai or Oleg ever again. There’s little doubt that we’ll see Zare again. But what type of person will he be next time?

 -JT