The Wynkahthu Job (Star Wars Rebels - S03E09) - Animated Series

“For we have desperation!" SPOILERS. 

Star Wars Rebels has consistently relied on existing characters to carry weak stories, and “The Wynkathu Job” was no exception. Hondo Ohnaka showed up for the second time this season. Since he began appearing on Rebels, Hondo has become a convenient tool for the writers. He’s a versatile and likable character who can be used to bolster a filler episode. The overreliance on existing characters and Hondo in particular is a problem, but I don’t care anymore. There are bigger problems with Star Wars Rebels right now and Hondo was easily the highlight of the episode. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find the silver lining in these filler episodes of Rebels, but if it’s just Jim Cummings’ always great work as Hondo then so be it. For me, Hondo never fails to deliver. I understand that relying on Hondo is lazy but this was far more enjoyable than the train wreck we experienced last week.

Ezra convinced the rest of the crew to listen to another offer from Hondo and his new partner, Azmorigan. I had no desire to see Azmorigan return since he was one of the worst season one villains, and he really didn’t add much to this episode. He fared better this time because he was paired with Hondo for most of the episode and they had a few entertaining scenes together. Overall though, I could have done without the return of Azmorigan. No offense to James Hong. Hondo informed the crew that an Imperial cargo ship had been abandoned above Wynkathu. The rebels could finally get the proton bombs they needed and Hondo and Azmorigan could keep the treasure the Imperials had stolen from conquered worlds. This is Hondo though, so of course it was too good to be true. Hondo made me laugh a couple times during his sales pitch. I loved that he kept apologizing for inadvertently referencing Kanan’s blindness and his prolonged laugh after Zeb suggested that they spilt the treasure was classic Hondo. Hera placed Zeb in charge of the mission because Ezra has a blind spot for Hondo. Of course, Ezra immediately turned into jealous and childish Ezra. That version of Ezra never works. I believe the point of introducing the insufferable Iron Squadron characters last week was to show how much Ezra had grown and how he had become more responsible. Yet, as I predicted, Ezra went back to being childish, stubborn, and self-centered this week. It is impossible to feel invested in Ezra as a character because his characterization is wildly inconsistent and varies week to week. On Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Ahsoka had a clear and well defined character arc throughout the series. There is a big difference between the Ahsoka we met in the theatrical release and the one who walked away from the Jedi Order. Ahsoka’s journey was rewarding, but Ezra’s is just frustrating.

Zeb and the salvage team boarded the ship, but they were attacked by the lone survivor of Hondo’s crew. Apparently, Hondo attacked the Imperial transport and everyone on his crew except for Melch the Ugnaught had been killed after Hondo left them behind. Hondo smoothed things over though after he agreed to give Melch 2% instead of 1%. It was nice to see Zeb in charge of the mission for a change. Zeb has been nonexistent this season so I’m glad he was given a bigger role in this episode. However I was disappointed in how it played out. Zeb seemed like a focused and logical leader in this episode, but he was consistently undermined by Ezra and Azmorigan. Ezra’s selfish behavior and Azmorigan’s greed and incompetence were the source of most of the danger in this episode. Zeb and Azmorigan were captured by an Imperial sentry droid. The sentry droids were based on the Dark Troopers from the old Expanded Universe. I’ve always liked that design so they were a welcome inclusion, but the droids themselves were pretty useless in this episode. Azmorigan took one of them out. Azmorigan. Speaking of Imperial droids, AP-5 made his most substantial appearance since he was introduced last season. I like AP-5, but his role in this episode was frustrating to say the least. He planned the mission but “overlooked” the sentry droids. That’s despite the fact he served on the EXACT SAME SHIP when we met him. How did AP-5 just forget about the sentry droids? I’ve done my share of complaining about this episode, but it wasn’t all bad. I really enjoyed the escape scene. It was well directed and felt unique compared to some of the more generic action scenes that we’ve seen on Rebels. It’s a low bar, but I also thought the animation looked more detailed and expressive than usual. I liked the final reveal that Hondo’s “treasure” was just Melch hiding out in the trunk. This was another filler story with noticeable issues, but we got some great Hondo moments and a couple of fun action scenes. It could have been worse.

What Worked

• Hondo makes everything better
• Improved visuals and fun action scenes
• Zeb takes the lead…

What Didn’t Work

• …Only to be undermined by a jealous and childish Ezra
• Another filler story

External Links:

• StarWars.com Episode Guide
• Wookieepedia Episode Summary