Now that we’ve passed the extended premiere, fans can settle into a regular and cosy run time of around 22 minutes. The episode sees Kaz learning the ropes of being a mechanic while simultaneously working on his mission for Poe and uncovering a plot to attack the station.

There is no racing in this episode but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a great ship scene. A group of pirates, secretly working for the First Order, attack the fueling station during the middle of a storm. We don’t know the extent of the damage yet, or if it’ll even carry over into the next episode, but the station was saved thanks to some quick thinking from Kaz. I’m grateful there wasn’t an emphasis on racing in the second episode as I’m sure having racing in every episode would result in those moments being less interesting the longer the season goes on.

Kaz continues to be an unusual character on the show. He’s proven to be brave and resourceful and we see glimmers of the character he’s destined to be. But it’s largely hidden under the incompetence that he exhibits. What’s frustrating is that Kaz is both smart and dumb at the same time. His clumsy accidents often get him in trouble, such as a continued plotline where he’s hunted by a loan shark, or not knowing which tool to hand over makes him look like, well, Jar Jar. He makes a big show of being a spy, telling Jager he’s going to go do spy work and act in deep cover while miming. It’s all very silly but clashes when Kaz showcases himself to be steadfast, noble and actually smart. I’d be less harsh if he were only incompetent, but having him be also smart is a greater offence. Kaz’s silliness isn’t exhausting thankfully and on the whole, he proves to be an interesting character with a chip on his shoulder and a desire to prove himself worthy.

The second half of the episode and the ensuing pirate assault were much better than the clumsy first half. The pirate ships looked menacing and Disney wasn’t afraid to have one pilot get shot down, crashing into his ocean grave. In contrast to the first racing scene in the last episode, this attack was done in the dark of a storm, allowing the bright plasma beams and exhaust tails to shine in the dark. Despite being chased by a loan shark for the whole episode, Kaz decides to save the alien’s life from certain death, a testament to how noble Kaz actually is. By the end of the episode, Kaz admits he has a lot to learn and he’s got to stop being so cocky, as he’s been telling his new teammates how great of a mechanic he is when he, in fact, has no understanding of mechanics.  He was right about a lot of things this episode, so hopefully, this is a turning point for the character.

The final moments revealed that the pirates were actually working on behalf of the First Order. I hope we start seeing more of them soon, as having them show up as footnotes doesn’t have the same effect as cutting away and seeing what they’re up to. Rebels and Clone Wars handled this really well and I hope we learn more about them, the First Order’s equivalent of the Red Baron and Phasma soon. For now, they’re faceless bad guys planning stuff on the side.

Resistance has a lot of potential and it is a visually stunning show. I’m enjoying it a lot more than I thought it would and overall, it’s not as childish as I thought it was going to be. It’s still silly, but not overbearingly so. Kaz needs to get his act together and the show needs to present a bigger picture in the episodes to come. But enough intrigue and world building are done that it leaves you curious for more. It’s still good, but it should be great.

What are your thoughts on Resistance? Are you more interested in starting it now that word of mouth has been positive? Let us know and check out our review of episode 1 of Resistance and our top moments from the other animated Star Wars shows.