REBELS REWATCH: Season 1, Episode 9: Gathering Forces

Gathering Forces picks up right where Empire Day leaves off. The Rebels have Tseebo, and Tseebo’s got secrets. Tseebo tells Ezra he knows what happened to his family and laments his inability to keep Ezra safe. Ezra gets really mad at him. Like, temper tantrum mad. He’s angry that Tseebo didn’t protect his family from the Empire. What was he supposed to do? He’s one Rodian! You know can’t none of ‘em shoot straight anyway. After a really good space battle (I think that’s one of the places where this show really excels) led by the Inquisitor in his special TIE fighter and wearing his cool helmet, the Ghost escapes into hyperspace, as people in Star Wars tend to do.



However, as other people in Star Wars also tend to do, the Empire is tracking them through hyperspace. Uh-oh. But in this case there is an actual physical tracker that was placed on the ship. Actually, it was placed on the Phantom; so Kanan comes up with the idea that he and Ezra will take the Phantom and let the Inquisitor follow them while the rest of the crew escape and deliver Tseebo into safer hands. Kanan detaches the Phantom in the midst of hyperspace, resulting in a trippy sequence that I really enjoyed.



He and Ezra land on the the old Clone Wars base from two episodes ago (Out of Darkness). Remember those fyrnocks? Yeah, they're still there. Kanan and Ezra attempt to pacify them with the Force. It’s not working at first, but when Ezra finally lets go of his anger and forgives Tseebo everybody simmers down and settles. When the Inquisitor and some Stormtroopers arrive, Kanan and Ezra sic the fyrnocks on them.



This conveniently occupies the troopers while the Inquisitor engages Kanan in a lightsaber battle. Ezra just sort of hangs back. I guess he left his slingshot on the Ghost. Kanan puts up a good fight but GI bests him and then goes after Ezra. Just when you get your hopes up and it looks like Ezra is going to be skewered, he taps in to some unknown potential and unconsciously summons the mother of all fyrnocks out of the depths.



Kanan wakes up and Ezra faints. Kanan, probably remembering that Ezra owes him money, grabs the kid and they escape in the Phantom, destroying the Imperials’ shuttle in the process. Meanwhile, Hera and the rest have met up with a CR90 corvette to hand Tseebo over to a heard but not seen Fulcrum.



Rewatch? Yes. This is another good episode with some good ship and lightsaber fights to follow up on the ground battles we saw in Empire Day. Ezra gets some development; and I like that they weren’t afraid to show that Kanan is clearly outmatched by the Inquisitor.

All four season of Rebels are currently streaming on the Disney+ service.

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