Star Wars Rebels – The Siege of Lothal

• Title: Star Wars Rebels – The Siege of Lothal
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Season Two of Star Wars Rebels opens with a large space battle. Since we’ve seen them last the crew of the Ghost has joined the struggling Rebellion, a decision which doesn’t sit well with all members of the crew. Tricked into returning to Lothal to rescue Minister Tua (Kath Soucie) who offers them valuable intelligence for their assistance, the crew is lured into the first of two traps by Darth Vader (James Earl Jones).

Although he appears in far less scenes than our heroes, Vader dominates the season premiere giving the audience and our the Ghost’s crew a look at how much more powerful a Sith Lord is than a simple Inquisitor. Eventually the heroes have no choice but to abandon Ezra‘s (Taylor Gray) homeworld realizing the longer they stay the greater danger they bring to the world. Of course this leads them straight into Vader’s second trap and a telepathic communication between former master and apprentice (a discovery she decides to hide from her new friends) that foreshadows what Vader’s primary mission this season will entail.

It’s great to see the show back. The double-sized opener offers some tension between Kanan (Freddie Prinze Jr.) and Hera (Vanessa Marshall) about their roles with the Rebellion, gives Ezra a frightening first look at the Sith, provides some comedy with Kanan impersonating a Stormtrooper, gives us the return of a beloved scoundrel, and introduces Vader as the supreme threat to what’s left of the Jedi and their Rebel friends. Given his dominance it will be interesting to see how much of Vader we see this season, whether he plays a large role on-screen or steps back into the shadows only to strike after maneuvering his prey within easy reach.