Star Wars Resistance is back with a new episode and a Season 2 pickup

Star Wars Resistance is back with a second season pick-up, a brand-new trailer for the back half of the first season, and of course a brand new episode! “Bibo” was a standalone installment that featured Neeku making friends with a smelly but adorable sea creature, and putting the entire platform in danger in the process. Meanwhile, Synara finds out that Kaz may be a member of the Resistance, but Kaz still trusts her implicitly.

Swapna: I’m so excited that we have brand new episodes of Resistance to discuss! We both usually take to standalone episodes a little less than the ones that further the overarching plot with the First Order, but I have to say I really enjoyed “Bibo.” It was silly and fun, but also had a lot of heart.

Preeti: I felt like this episode offered the best of what a Star Wars cartoon can do: it had a very funny and heartfelt premise while giving us hints of deeper meanings and nefarious plotting. There’s a lot to consider after just 22 minutes. Is Kaz showing off too much? When will Synara’s cover get blown?? And is Eila force sensitive???? 

Swapna: Yes — I was wondering why they showed the kids from Tehar, but I think that’s the reason. First, to remind us that they’re still on the Colossus, and second to hint that she’s Force-sensitive. And it’s interesting that Synara was working hard to save the platform even after she found out about Kaz. You could argue that she was doing it to maintain her cover, but I think she is very conflicted.

Preeti: It was a combination of being conflicted and self-preservation, I thought. She was quick to get Kaz in that ship, though, to show off his piloting skills. I liked getting to see him actually excel, even if it is tipping his hand to Dozer and Synara. 

Swapna: Agreed! There was a nice balance of characters in this episode — we got to see pretty much everyone we’ve met aboard the Colossus so far, and it reminds you just how big (and great) this cast is.

Preeti: Donald Faison, Elijah Wood, yes, please. (I am still dying for more interaction between Tam and Hype after the hints we got at their falling out). 

Swapna: And I don’t think we’ve shouted out Nazneen Contractor yet, who plays Synara. Another WoC voice actor, and she does an excellent job!

Credit: Disney Channel

Preeti: Synara is one of the most compelling characters of the series, so far, I think. I’m hoping for her to join the Resistance, of course, but they’ve written her well enough that I honestly don’t know what decision she’ll make. 

Swapna: Yes, and I love the relationships she’s developed with both Kaz and Tam. I’d love to see a Synara/Tam centric episode, but of course, as you pointed out, we have no idea what side Synara will choose. She’s very well written.

Preeti: Clearly we both want more for Tam, as always. Though I appreciated her arc in this episode. They’re starting to build out the relationships between the other pieces of Yeager’s team. Tam’s line that Yeager allowed them to help Kaz out all the time was pretty telling. 

Swapna: Yes! I thought it got into an issue that is often implied in Star Wars, but not spelled out — how human-like people are treated versus alien-looking people. The Empire was anti-alien, and you wonder whether Yeager’s tolerance of Kaz’s antics is because he knows there’s a secret mission and he has to tolerate Kaz, or because there’s an unacknowledged bias there. Not to say that Yeager is anti-alien, or anything close, but we all have unexamined prejudices and it’s good to shine a light on them every once in a while.

Preeti: True, I actually didn’t think of that. I viewed it very much as Kaz’s Resistance antics having to be dealt with, and because of it, they will probably need to bring Tam and Neeku in on it, sooner rather than later, because it was not going as secretly as they might think it is. 

Swapna: Speaking of Neeku, I laughed out loud at him at the beginning of the episode! He was so funny with Bibo. But the way he stuck up for it really warmed my heart — we’ve mentioned this before, but he really does take to and try to find the good in anything and everyone. Who else would have stuck up for a helpless (and smelly) creature like that?

Preeti: Same! This episode was hilarious, and Josh Brener’s delivery as Neeku was so great. I loved that it went from humor to heartfelt, because that is so wonderfully Star Wars. 

Swapna: It looks like this episode is a bit of the calm before the storm. The show is about to get really exciting!

Preeti: So much is coming, and we got tiny hints in this episode. I can’t wait to see what happens!