2x18 The Mystery of Chopper Base

7.7/10. This episode feels more like the calm before the storm, a standard adventure to show the whole team working together before the big fireworks of the finale arrive, but that's alright. There's a wave of anticipation washing over everything, a sense that everything's about to change, and that works.

In terms of the adventure, the gang trying to get setup at their new base and discovering that there's a species of giant arachnoid mollusks infesting the planet isn't much on paper. Still, it gives the episode a chance for some cool and creepy action sequences, especially in the creatures' cave. Seeing Rex single-handedly fight off one of the creepy-crawlies, while the regular Rebels crew engages in a cool maneuver to get Sabine to the sensor probe so Kanan and Ezra could free the ship had the thrills we expect from a good Rebels action sequence. The whole monster mash element felt akin to the Geonosis arc in Clone Wars, in a good way, with spooky lighting and an unnerving threat. I also liked that Sabine figured out how to fend them off, leading to some creative problem solving.

But what really made the episode a cut above just a standard entry is the character work in the midst of all this. I absolutely love the moment where Ezra and Zeb sit and enjoy the sunset together. It's a rare moment of calm, where the natural friendship between the surrogate brothers comes to the fore. At the same time, I like how Hera keeps a stiff upper lip, but is clearly upset at the prospect of Kanan and Ezra going off to face some formidable evil on their own. As much as Kanan and Hera are a team, they've always had somewhat different paths -- Kanan with his Jedi teachings and Hera more devoted to the rebel cause. But the prospect of actually having to be apart brings out interesting sides of both of them, and the concern expressed heightens the stakes for the finale.

The same goes for the subtext with Kanan and Ezra's training and their efforts working together against the big bugs. You can sense Kanan's impatience and his shortened temper, not because he's frustrated with Ezra, but because he knows they're facing something potentially beyond either of their skills, and that he has to push his apprentice in an effort to prepare him for what's coming. The verbal jousting between them, and the ways in which Ezra's skills have developed to the point where he's not just following Kanan's lead make for an interesting emotional throughline for their part in fending off the buggers, and works as a nice prelude to the finale.

Then there's the coda with Ahsoka, who pops into frame with a somewhat ominous bird of prey looming up above. Again, there's a palpable feeling that some serious stuff is about to go down, and they're just scratching the surface. That makes some of what takes place here feel like wheelspinning, but much more of it feel like a nice priming ahead of the grand finish to what's been a great season.