Finally. After a couple of shallow episodes, “The Doza Dilemma” has brought everything we would expect from a good Star Wars series. There is drama, conflict, gorgeous visuals, amazing interactions between characters, and some plot twist (perhaps not entirely unexpected, but cool nonetheless).
Pirate Galleon In The Night
Let’s start with the visuals. I have been enjoying Resistance‘s sceneries, whenever we’ve had the chance to see something more than the Colossus’s interior (and even that is not bad, with lots of details). In “The Doza Dilemma”, however, some of the landscapes – or rather, “oceanscapes” – were just beautiful. I am talking mainly about the final chase sequence, with the soft dark blue speckled with lights of the pirate speeders, and the majestic appearance of the pirate galleon in the evening haze. The entire encounter between Kragan and the First Order then got another, atmospheric dimension.
The story itself revolved around something that we have been expecting for a long time. Not happy with their lack of progress in scaring Doza to sign them up for his protection, the First Order urged the pirates to kidnap his daughter. Kragan’s two pirate henchmen, Drell and Valik, need the help of Synara to get on board the station. (Fun fact: Valik is voiced by Jennifer Hale, the veteran of cartoon and video game voice-overs for over two decades – voicing e.g. Bastila Shan in KOTOR and half a dozen characters in The Clone Wars.)
Not Only Doza’s Dilemma
Synara is obviously torn at this point – she just became friends with Torra. Truth be told, her decision to warn Kaz and help him get on the pirates’ tail so he could rescue Torra came easier than I expected. Synara hasn’t yet done a complete “Kallus” in that she would have switched sides, but she is pretty much on the same route. Her dilemma is very obvious now, and she is pretty much already a Kallus no. 2. I also love the drama that is now shaping up between her and Kaz, who knows she is in league with the pirates. This is a serious blow to their friendship (and whatever will it mean for Synara and Tam, or Synara and Torra?). The relationships between characters are certainly getting tangled and interesting.
Speaking of relationships, I should once again note how delightful it was to see Torra, Tam, Synara and Kaz just hanging out with Torra’s video game and having fun together. Not only it is good to show the heroes as not only heroes, but people who also want to relax and have fun. But it is also good that the relationships shown are not simply that of the main character with others, but space is given to show the interactions of the secondary characters with each other.
The Shroud of the Dark Side Falls?
With the events dramatically unfolding, however, Synara will find herself in a more difficult position than ever. The First Order got what it wanted (or, almost) and they no longer need Kragan’s pirates. The pirates themselves are in a bad spot: what will they do now? The First Order doesn’t need them (and would likely eliminate them as “threat to law”) and the Colossus denizens obviously wouldn’t trust them. Torra, Kaz and the others are in no better position. The First Order troops will now be stationed on the platform. It seems only a matter of time until Captain Imanuel Doza concedes to all of the First Order’s demands. Will his Imperial past resurface in some way again? Does his experience with the Empire make him less willing to cooperate with the First Order? What will the presence of the troops mean for the Aces, for Kaz’s spying mission, for Torra, for Synara, for Yeager, for the common folk? I can’t wait to find out.
