REVIEW: Star Wars Resistance "The Platform Classic"
So, I'm just going to come out and say it. As of right now, this is my favorite episode of Star Wars Resistance. While it doesn't have a ton of action or set pieces, it does have one element over the rest of the episodes that took me by complete surprise. It was the most adult. By that, I mean it tackled the most adult themes, had the least amount of traditional slapstick, and tackled issues and resolved them in a way that was believable.
The episode focuses on the Colossus hosting a race called the Platform Classic. It is revealed that Yeager's estranged brother, Marcus, who is a famous racer called Marcus Speedstar, will be performing, and is attempting to reconnect with his brother. However, due to, at the time, an undisclosed incident, Yeager wants nothing to do with him.
It was nice to have Yeager be the focus this week, as he had practically been nonexistent over the last couple weeks. One thing that was compelling after the episode, looking back, is seeing Yeager interact with his brother, as, once you find out what Marcus did, you understand the pain and conflict in Yeager, and why he acts so depressed all the time.
One thing I liked about this episode is that it tied in several elements from the new "Canon" expanded universe. The Battle of Jakku and the Military Disarmament Act are mentioned, and one reason Marcus wants to participate in the race, other than to see his brother, is to pay off a debt that he owes to the Guavian Death Gang, which were seen in the Force Awakens. The gang takes Marcus' partner and threatens to kill him if he loses the race, so there's added pressure.
Overall, it was nice to see all those small details, and makes the overall universe of the franchise come together more.
So, as it turns out, Marcus' backstory is tied into Yeager's missing family, or should I say, deceased family. It turns out, both brothers were racers at one point. Marcus, wanting to finally beat his brother, used hyperfuel, (which we've previously seen in the show doesn't work well at all) which caused Marcus' ship to crash, killing a group of people, including Yeager's wife and daughter. Yeah, when it was finally revealed, it finally made Yeager's hostility and anger toward Marcus understandable and identifiable. I would probably never want to see my sibling too in that situation.
Their interactions don't feel forced or simplified for a kid's show's purpose as well, at least to me. I fully believe that Marcus wants to atone and reconnect with his brother, while at the same time, I can empathize with Yeager and his refusal to do so.
Eventually, the Yeager brothers partake in the race. The race itself has elements I've never seen before in a Star Wars competition, but at the same time, doesn't really show anything all that flashy. However, the focus on the race was never really on the spectacle, rather the relationship between the brothers, which, again, I thought was handled really well.
Also, on a side note, the Aces partake in the race too, and at this point, I wonder when the hell when are we really going to be properly introduced to all of them, other than Hype and Torra. It's been nine total episodes, and we haven't even heard two of them speak fully yet. That has been one aspect of the show that has been lacking so far.
In the end, in a nice growth moment, Yeager allows Marcus to win the race to pay off his debts. He also reconciles with his brother, which was a nice moment. However, when asked if they are cool, Yeager straight up says not yet, but they're getting there. To me, that was a powerful and adult moment that was handled perfectly to me. Because in real life, people can forgive, but it takes time, or in some cases, people aren't able to forgive fully, which makes Yeager's role in the episode that compelling. What Marcus did, even if it wasn't on purpose, is pretty unforgivable, but the fact that Yeager is willing to take that first step shows that he still cares about his brother.
The episode ends with Yeager thanking Kaz for what he said to him earlier, about forgiving Marcus, with Yeager stating it's important to forgive someone, otherwise, nobody wins, which I think was a good lesson to learn.
I'll admit, while I don't mind the show now, it has been an inconsistent run so far. However, when the show is good, it's been good, and this episode, to me, was a standout for its handling of adult themes well. There were even some comedic moments that I thought were funny and didn't drag out.
I won't go out and predict the trend the show will go in, however, whenever I see an episode I like, I will praise it, and vice versa. My only hope is all smaller-scale episodes going forward, instead of focusing on slapstick and comedy, take the direction of this episode with deep character studies, regardless of who the character is, even Neeku.
