Kaz and Poe fly into the Unknown Regions on a mission to discover the plot of the First Order, meanwhile BB-8 and CB-23 switch roles in “The Core Problem.”
This article contains plot points for Star Wars Resistance S1E17, “The Core Problem.”
This week’s episode of Star Wars Resistance, titled “The Core Problem,” opens very similarly as the last couple of episodes, with a First Order TIE fighter patrolling the skies above the Colossus. Yeager looks up, sighs heavily and turns towards Kaz who is covertly building a device to contact the Resistance.
“The Core Problem” begins to shine some light on how the First Order built Starkiller base. Star Wars, as a franchise, never explained how things worked scientifically–that was never their goal. However, it’s nice to get some backstory about how Starkiller base possibly came about. If there was one area of criticism The Force Awakens deserved, it was the editing in the last half of the film. Starkiller base is an interesting concept, but how it came to be remains a mystery.
Star Wars Resistance is quickly becoming a must-watch series for any Star Wars fan. It’s relevant and at the same time doesn’t take itself too seriously, which pretty much sums up the shows central character, Kazuda Xiono. Last summer, when there was virtually no advertising and very little publicity surrounding Resistance, many wondered what the show was about beyond racing spaceships. The animation was the only facet gaining any praise, although the anime-inspired animation was a turn off for some. The vivid colors are new and fresh which reflects the attitude of the show, which makes it hard not to like. Even when the stories aren’t revolving around the First Order, the characters keep Resistance moving forward with ease. Also, several of the voice actors were virtually unknown to most fans.
A Diamond in the Rough
Four months later, Star Wars Resistance has viewers on the edge of their seats every week. This show was not supposed to be this good! One area where Resistance has excelled over both The Clone Wars and Rebels is its identity—it knows who their audience is. With its uniqueness established early on, the fans welcomed the honesty. Resistance also takes place at a time that is little explored, unlike The Clone Wars and Rebels, both of which took place during a time that has seen tons of content, both in legends and canon.
Oscar Isaac returned in “The Core Problem” to reprise his role as Poe Dameron, once again giving a flawless performance. Voice actors don’t get the recognition they deserve. There are not many movie or television actors that can voice act, but Oscar excels at both. In this episode, Poe leads Kaz on a mission to discover the First Order’s plan. It’s interesting to note that when Poe does appear on Resistance, the story feels very separate from the rest of the show. In other words, when Poe is featured, it seems like the Poe Dameron half-hour show. Poe’s appearance could lure more people into the series, but how would someone know Poe is even on unless they’re already watching? Making Poe a more permanent cast member would take away from Kaz’s character and everyone else. It’s very similar to why Luke wasn’t in The Force Awakens until the end. Besides if Poe is around more, his role would most likely be a mentor to Kaz, and that job is already taken by Yeager.
Mixing the Old with the New
Star Wars Resistance keeps Star Wars evolving as a franchise. For example, in “The Core Problem,” Poe and Kaz fly through a gravity well inside a cored-out planetoid, something that has yet been explored. A piece of music sounding very much like “The Heroics of Luke and Han” from The Empire Strikes Back soundtrack begins. Space battles in Star Wars are like drummers in a rock band—they’re the foundation, however, they’ve been rare. Maybe the reason space battles have been rare is the cost of animating them? Initially presented as a racing/spy story, Resistance hasn’t seen much racing (how many stories can be told exclusively about racing?). The spying has been more prominent. Hopefully, more space battles are in the future.
It is a little surprising how soon Resistance bumps into The Force Awakens. To say it could’ve waited until season two isn’t a stretch. When Resistance started, it was six months pre-The Force Awakens, seventeen episodes later, The Force Awakens is seemingly right around the corner. Do the math; that means in one month, nearly three episodic events took place. It could be because there are so many more Star Wars series and movies on the horizon that it’s forcing the story forward a little faster than usual. Regardless, there has never been ancillary content like a television show that happened concurrently with a film until now. That may change again when The Clone Wars resumes, which will most likely coincide with the events of Revenge of the Sith.
Coda
Star Wars Resistance “The Core Problem” marks a turn in the series. BB-8 is now in Poe’s possession and on their way to Jakku on a mission for General Organa to start The Force Awakens. Kaz now has visual evidence of what the First Order is capable of, and CB-23 is now Kaz’s new droid. There is a noticeable change in Kaz’s demeanor by the end of this episode; he knows something very dark is on the horizon. Will he be ready to face what’s ahead? The Hero’s journey awaits.
Once upon a time in a town no one’s heard of, there lived a boy who enjoyed Star Wars from the quiet of his bedroom. A time came when a new comlink allowed the boy to hear that there are others like him. Overjoyed, the boy wanted nothing more than to join in the conversation. So he did. The rest is HIStory. Besides Star Wars I also enjoy Marvel and Game of Thrones (I dabble in all sorts of geeky fun). You can find me on the couch watching one of several streaming services, reading or writing. Let’s go, Bruins!