"Move along!"
Every episode of Star Wars Rebels has basically been an adventure-of-the-week. They give a character or two the spotlight and manage to wrap up the mission before the credits begin to roll. "Empire Day" changes that and it's pretty much pure buildup. Not only is it establishing a bigger mission for the crew of the Ghost, but it's also slowly giving us more and more information about Ezra Bridger.
Ezra's received plenty of attention in the series, but this episode is the first one to really begin to look into his past. You won't get any significant or jaw-dropping developments; it's just enough to add a little more weight to his tale. It's not compelling or emotionally satisfying just yet, but they've teased more than enough and it's looking like there will be some major payoff in the next episode. So, it seems like these developments will be put to good use next week. Some may think it was a little heavy-handed, but I really enjoyed the scene with the Loth-cat and how it was used to show how much he still has to grow emotionally. He might be getting better and better with the force, but he still has a lot of progress to make when it comes to opening up. There's the potential for a lot of legitimate heart here, so now it's just a matter of seeing where this arc goes next week.
The blunt handling of the Empire's propaganda continues to be really amusing. Yes, it's a way for them to get some exposition out there, but it's an entertaining way of doing so and it feels so appropriately cheesy. You'd think that TIE Pilot wouldn't be so accepting of the bartender's attitude, but that's a minor complaint and it's still an effective reminder of why the rebels are fighting and how the Empire is impacting everyone. This show's doing a really great job making the Empire feel all kinds of diabolical and twisted. The big development in this episode is more than enough proof of that.
"Empire Day" has a lot of action and really keeps things moving. If it's not adding to the bigger picture, odds are it's dishing out a chase scene, a brawl, or a shootout. There's a few moments where things slow down to give the viewer some mandatory information, but man, the second half is really fast-paced and fun. There isn't that much charm or levity here (which can be a positive since the last episode suffered from too much slapstick), but little things like Kanan giving the peace sign before taking out an enemy or the banter between Zeb and Sabine about timing was pretty funny. Nothing here is hysterical or will go down as one of the more memorable action sequences, but it's still a very good time.
There's more than a few cool shots and quite a few nods to the franchise's movies. Something as simple as Agent Kallus completing a jump had more impact thanks to its handling and some of the other shots (like views of TIE Fighter Pilots) were just oozing with nostalgia. Oh, and I can't be the only one who thinks the Inquisitor looks even cooler with the helmet on, right?
Constructing a bigger plot for Ezra means everyone else is pushed aside. We obviously still see them and they play a role in the action scenes, but aside from Kanan's interactions with the Padawan, it's a bit of a bummer these characters still don't feel like they're getting that much love. I understand why it's critical to enhance our emotional connection to Ezra, but I wish there was a way to give his allies a little more attention. Still, it's looking like the next episode will really deliver on this buildup and it is exciting that Star Wars Rebels is dishing out its first expanded tale (not counting the hour-long debut, of course). This first chapter got plenty of the basics out of the way, successfully implemented a slightly more serious tone, and had plenty of entertaining action sequences. The hype has definitely been built for the next episode!