3x08 The Wynkahthu Job

8.8/10. I've made my peace with a certain aspect of Rebels -- namely that its weekly morals, especially for these sidequest/character development episodes, are usually going to be trite. It is a kids' show after all, and while I've enjoyed some of the more complex moments (Kanan's first interactions with Rex, or Ahsoka confronting Anakin, for instance), I've come to terms with the fact that the messages of many of these episodes are going to be simple, and that's not a sin necessarily.

Which is to say that the point of "The Wynkahthu Job" is pretty clear. Ezra learns that he can't trust Hondo because as fun as Hondo is, he has no loyalty, whereas while he may bristle with Zeb, Zeb has his back. It crystalizes Ezra's arc this season being about him developing as a teenager. This show frequently goes to the well of Kanan and Hera as Ezra's surrogate parents, and this fits into that formula well, with Ezra as the moody teen who 1. thinks he has the answer to every problem 2. is impulsive, and 3. wants to hang out with his cool new friends that his parents don't approve of, while not wanting to have to be looked after his strait-laced big brother in the process. It's not groundbreaking, it works.

And it also goes to show that it's how these ideas and themes are executed, not how complicated or novel they are, that determines whether the episode succeeds or not, because this was a hell of a lot of fun and good storytelling. I know he's not everyone's favorite, but I love Hondo and his friendly used car salesman charms, and throwing in Asmorgian and a cheeky Ugnaut made for some enjoyable slapstick and comic relief throughout the episode. Aside from Hondo's usual amusing lines, Asmorigan shooting a sentry and declaring himself a hero was a comedic highlight.

But it also worked to convey Ezra's headstrong qualities and his learning the downside of Hondo's selfishness without belaboring the point too much. Ezra slicing open the door instead of waiting for Chopper to open it, only to find himself at a disadvantage when the sentry droids are coming was a nice touch to illustrate the impulsiveness. And the way that Hondo was ready to screw over Asmorigan and Melch, while Zeb risked everything to save Ezra, did a nice job at showing how the guy who Ezra was verbally jousting with was a true friend in the way the swashbuckling Hondo was not.

On top of all of that, the thrills of escaping the sentry droids, and getting the proton bombs onto the Ghost while the storm brought down the cargo ship made for some tight action and adventure. This was a tight episode from start to finish that fully accomplished what it set out to do. It just goes to show that even if Rebels isn't presenting something groundbreaking in terms of theme or huge for the larger plot, it can put out a great standalone episode that delivers its own thrills while developing the character.