[8.4/10] If I’m a sucker for two things in Star Wars, it’s episodes that delve into the franchise’s spiritual lore, and ones that explore the characters’ motivations. “The Pit and the Pinnacle”, with its Poe-aping title, manages to do both with style and grace.
At least it does in the Rowan/Kordi portion of the episode. The rest, to be frank, feels a bit perfunctory. Zander and Roger vs. the mynocks on the surface was a fine bit of slapstick, but didn’t have much to do with the rest of the episode, and really just felt like giving them something to do.
The same goes for M-OC’s interactions with Palpy and Vader. I suppose there it’s an excuse to remind us of Master Cantu before Rowan sees a vision of him, and to account for why M-OC isn’t on the kyber crystal planet going after the Freemakers, but there’s not much more to it than that. The idea that the only thing holding M-OC back is some tracing part or something feels mildly implausible, but whatever, it’s safely within the realm of willing suspension of disbelief.
But man, the Rowan/Kordi parts more than made up for it. For one, I like the two of them in the Force Builder temple, solving puzzles to advance to the next room. Rowan using his Jedi abilities to rotate the room and find an exit, manipulate the steam chutes to ascend higher, and use the force to create his own staircase, show neat problem-solving and make for a cool test of worthiness for Rowan to receive the wisdom of generations past.
The best part though, is what follows. For one thing, I like the idea that Master Cantu and his cohort built this temple as a test to see who was worthy to learn the art of kyber crystal building, but also that he offers that knowledge with a grave warning. As we see with kyber crystals’ combustibility, there’s a danger to their power, one that makes the art Rowan is seemingly fated to learn one that creates as much of a threat as it confers an advantage. That sort of lesson -- that this type of power comes with risks and costs -- deepens the meaning of Rowan reaching out and trying to attain it to help the rebellion.
And yet, I love that it’s Kordi who helps him reconcile those difficult ideas. I love that we’re exploring the toll that all this cat and mouse has taken on Rowan. I love that we see the difficulty he has in trying to meditate, in trying to plot out his next move, in having what feels like a mystical destiny placed on his shoulders and wonder what the point is.
There’s some real reflection in the idea that the Freemakers defeated Naare, and the Empire just sent M-OC, so if they defeat M-OC, what are the chances the Empire just sends someone else? Is there an end to this? Is it a constant state of running and fighting? And if the answer to those questions is no and yes respectively, then why keep going? Those are understandable questions for even a very mature twelve-year-old to be asking at this point.
The answer Kordi gives is a mature one though. She tells her little brother that yes, the Empire and the Dark Side will keep fighting too, keep throwing challenges at them, and maybe our heroes’ efforts won’t stop them. Maybe, even if the Freemakers give it their all, they will still lose. But if they don’t try, they’ll lose anyway, and the Galaxy will be worse for it, as the Empire brings every other system to heel. Nothing is guaranteed, but there’s honor and nobility it fighting for this cause, in doing your best for something so important, even if it’s hard and even if it feels like the fight never ends.
That’s one of the best encapsulations of “Why we fight” in all of Star Wars. And it’s a great personal moment between brother and sister, of solace and comfort that helps inspire us in our time of need.
The space battles and sword fights and magic powers all make the Star Wars Galaxy exciting. But it’s those sorts of moments that elevate the franchise beyond its action serial roots. The rest of the episode may feel like running in place, but Rowan’s doubts, the Temple’s challenges, and Kordi’s reassurances, mark this as one of the finer outings in the Star Wars canon.
Review by Andrew Bloom
VIP9BlockedParentSpoilers2019-12-01T03:23:05Z
[8.4/10] If I’m a sucker for two things in Star Wars, it’s episodes that delve into the franchise’s spiritual lore, and ones that explore the characters’ motivations. “The Pit and the Pinnacle”, with its Poe-aping title, manages to do both with style and grace.
At least it does in the Rowan/Kordi portion of the episode. The rest, to be frank, feels a bit perfunctory. Zander and Roger vs. the mynocks on the surface was a fine bit of slapstick, but didn’t have much to do with the rest of the episode, and really just felt like giving them something to do.
The same goes for M-OC’s interactions with Palpy and Vader. I suppose there it’s an excuse to remind us of Master Cantu before Rowan sees a vision of him, and to account for why M-OC isn’t on the kyber crystal planet going after the Freemakers, but there’s not much more to it than that. The idea that the only thing holding M-OC back is some tracing part or something feels mildly implausible, but whatever, it’s safely within the realm of willing suspension of disbelief.
But man, the Rowan/Kordi parts more than made up for it. For one, I like the two of them in the Force Builder temple, solving puzzles to advance to the next room. Rowan using his Jedi abilities to rotate the room and find an exit, manipulate the steam chutes to ascend higher, and use the force to create his own staircase, show neat problem-solving and make for a cool test of worthiness for Rowan to receive the wisdom of generations past.
The best part though, is what follows. For one thing, I like the idea that Master Cantu and his cohort built this temple as a test to see who was worthy to learn the art of kyber crystal building, but also that he offers that knowledge with a grave warning. As we see with kyber crystals’ combustibility, there’s a danger to their power, one that makes the art Rowan is seemingly fated to learn one that creates as much of a threat as it confers an advantage. That sort of lesson -- that this type of power comes with risks and costs -- deepens the meaning of Rowan reaching out and trying to attain it to help the rebellion.
And yet, I love that it’s Kordi who helps him reconcile those difficult ideas. I love that we’re exploring the toll that all this cat and mouse has taken on Rowan. I love that we see the difficulty he has in trying to meditate, in trying to plot out his next move, in having what feels like a mystical destiny placed on his shoulders and wonder what the point is.
There’s some real reflection in the idea that the Freemakers defeated Naare, and the Empire just sent M-OC, so if they defeat M-OC, what are the chances the Empire just sends someone else? Is there an end to this? Is it a constant state of running and fighting? And if the answer to those questions is no and yes respectively, then why keep going? Those are understandable questions for even a very mature twelve-year-old to be asking at this point.
The answer Kordi gives is a mature one though. She tells her little brother that yes, the Empire and the Dark Side will keep fighting too, keep throwing challenges at them, and maybe our heroes’ efforts won’t stop them. Maybe, even if the Freemakers give it their all, they will still lose. But if they don’t try, they’ll lose anyway, and the Galaxy will be worse for it, as the Empire brings every other system to heel. Nothing is guaranteed, but there’s honor and nobility it fighting for this cause, in doing your best for something so important, even if it’s hard and even if it feels like the fight never ends.
That’s one of the best encapsulations of “Why we fight” in all of Star Wars. And it’s a great personal moment between brother and sister, of solace and comfort that helps inspire us in our time of need.
The space battles and sword fights and magic powers all make the Star Wars Galaxy exciting. But it’s those sorts of moments that elevate the franchise beyond its action serial roots. The rest of the episode may feel like running in place, but Rowan’s doubts, the Temple’s challenges, and Kordi’s reassurances, mark this as one of the finer outings in the Star Wars canon.