[This is a review of Star Wars Rebels season 2, episode 14. There will be SPOILERS.]
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Cham Syndulla may not be the flashiest hero from a galaxy far, far away, but his contributions to those that know him are legendary. For fans of The Clone Wars, this week's adventures in Star Wars Rebels will be a treat as Cham makes an impressive return that reunites him with is daughter Hera.
Even though we still haven't scratched the surface of what we saw in that glorious midseason trailer a few weeks back, 'Homecoming' still features some memorable moments that will shape a father and daughter as they continue to fight in this growing rebellion.
They share the same blood, but Hera and Cham couldn't be more different. If you've read Scott Kemp's Lords of the Sith novel, then you'll know that Cham is not the type of freedom fighter you want to underestimate. His daughter Hera shares similar traits with her father, like her warrior spirit and fearless attitude, but when it comes to how a mission should be executed, the two are on opposite ends of the fields.
For Cham, if something doesn't blow up by the end of the mission then it's considered a failure. It's safe to say that Cham has more of a short-game mindset and will do everything it takes to protect his people on Ryloth. Hera is a much bigger thinker when it comes to galactic issues and that is why she can see the big picture so well. Ezra and Kanan may be the "leads" when it comes to the overall plot of Rebels, but if Hera wasn't around, then everything would fall apart. She is the heart that pumps blood through the veins of The Ghost and its crew. When a mission on Ryloth is as intensive as the one they are undertaking, it takes a well-trained mind to sit back and look at the bigger picture.
Instead of going with Cham's "blow it up approach," Hera knows that the best way to defeat The Empire in the long run is to take their resources and use them to help build up their limited supplies. The new aircraft carrier-like ship they end up stealing should help them down the road and it was nice to see Cham finally seeing Hera's point of view for a change, even though there would have been more of an emotional impact if Hera and Cham's relationship could have been worked out over a longer period of time. Their disdain for each other appears to stem from years of conflict, so their quick reconciliation felt forced.
With that one issue aside, 'Homecoming' was an otherwise enjoyable 30 minutes from Dave Filoni and the talented team. It's important to note that there is an ever-growing irritation with fans for dragging this season out by providing us with these "filler episodes." There is some truth to that, but it seems like Disney XD could solve this by airing two episodes per week. Perhaps they feel that the younger audience's attention span wouldn't hold for that amount of time, so it seems we are stuck with this format for the immediate future.
Star Wars Rebels season 2 will be over sooner than you think, so what do you think of the journey so far? Stay tuned to see what happens next.
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Star Wars Rebels continues with 'The Honorable Ones' next Wednesday @9:30pm on Disney XD.