SPOILER The High Tower - S01E04

This was the best episode so far in my book--as soon as I finished, I hit play again (I have the Disney app)!

I loved the expression on Kaz's face when Tam fusses over Bucket, Neeku being so adorably literal, stormtroopers still can't hit anything, meeting Captain Doza "in person" and getting some FO intrigue, Kaz's little misunderstanding with Torra, Aunt Z taking bets on Kaz's death (again), and best of all, some character exploration of Tam, who is still rocking her fabulous lip gloss.

 

this episode was too short! we were just getting into the good stuff! : D
but now we know the First Order has a vested interest in the Colossus, and i love the set up with Doza.

also, i think the set ups on this show are fantastic. they telegraph everything so obviously, but for kids it's perfect; helps them develop a sense of how stories are put together and invites them to guess for the next time (i'm referring to the thing with the communicators). this is smart storytelling.

Tam is awesome. Torra is adorable. Kaz is an idiot, but he's growing on me.

also, this is the round-headed thing that was in the hallway on the previous show that i want! XD

 

The round-headed thing looks like Space Mr. Magoo.

 

oh noooo! now i can't not see it! XD

 

He even has the right number of fingers...

 

Much better episode than the previous 3 (4?). I had a feeling that comlink was going to get Kaz caught for spying.

 

I liked it a lot. The First Order plot gets going, we finally see some semi-competent spying and shooting. Plus some more character establishment and we are good to go for the next episode.

 

Kaz is the new Jar Jar!

 

I liked this episode better than the others. They limited Kaz's antics and goofiness to narratively appropriate moments and gave the rest of the people on the platform something to do. My favorite part was when the people in the bar are placing bets on Kaz's eventual death by falling or First Order homicide. They were like us, the audience that is enjoying the dancer happening at a distance to a character that we only know a little bit and who probably annoys us more than has endeared himself to us at this point. They celebrated him making it to safety but only after he proved that survival was possible and more entertaining than a fool falling to his death.

My main narrative nitpick is that I wish we didn't have so many characters just openly tell Kaz that the First Order is coming and that they work with the boss in the tower. I get that things need to be a little bit more literal and visible for children (target audience) but this could have been achieved visually or had the characters at least be a little bit less open to talking about the First Order. It makes it feel like these people don't like the First Order but they also don't take them very seriously like they are more of a nuisance biker gang than a full-blown military/terrorist organization.

I also hope that they give Doctor Turk's character more to do because right now he feels like a plot device who provides a joke here or there. He feels like he could be fun but all we got is our mechanic friend repeating how much she felt like he sold out when he found the good life. There has to be something more to it than that.

 

to be fair, most people have no idea that the First Order is seriously bad news at this point, so they would just be irritating and vaguely threatening rather than a known full-blown evil. it's like Hype says in the episode: they have every right to be there, same as everyone else (even if he doesn't like it and refuses to interact with them).