‘Star Wars Rebels’ Recap and Reaction: “The Wynkahthu Job”

James Akinaka
TV Star Wars
TV Star Wars

This weekend, scoundrels Hondo Ohnaka and Azmorgian returned to Star Wars Rebels in season three’s newest installment. In “The Wynkahthu Job,” rebels Zeb Orrelios and Ezra Bridger collaborate with Hondo and Azmorgian to appropriate a shipment of proton bombs from an adrift Imperial freighter. Of course, they run into complications, the most notable of them being Hondo’s and Azmorgian’s unsavory personalities. Join us as we explore the memorable moments of “The Wynkahthu Job.”

Awesome Cinematography

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From a cinematic standpoint, “The Wynkahthu Job” has some impressive camera work. The visual shots of the Ghost hovering behind the Imperial freighter, complete with Sabine Wren loading the proton bombs onto the Ghost, were something new for Rebels. Those shots were probably complicated to animate, so they’re a testament to how far the production crew has pushed the envelope for season three.

Another visual highlight of “The Wynkahthu Job” was the design of the Imperial freighter’s sentry droids. Originally, Viper probe droids were going to serve as the freighter’s defunct crew. In lieu of the probe droids, art director Kilian Plunkett and his team adapted the design of the dark trooper from the 1995 Legends video game Dark Forces. That decision certainly paid off, as the sentry droids proved to be menacing adversaries for Zeb, Ezra, and their shifty allies.

Ezra’s Naïve Trust

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Every now and then, Rebels offers us a view of what Firefly might have been had it continued. The sense of humor, the crazy plan, the “frenemies” teaming up to score a heist, and the heroes coming out on top — while their dishonest partner gets short shrift — all hearken back to Firefly. What’s more, Hondo Ohnaka and Azmorgian, voiced by luminary actors Jim Cummings and James Hong, are back to skew the series’ moral center.

So far, both Hondo and Azmorgian have met the show’s need for comedy. But there’s a certain point when such characters deplete their potential for humor. Both Hondo and Azmorgian have been consumed by their own greed, and neither of them have displayed qualities that are particularly redeeming or relatable. Even more problematic is the fact that Ezra still doesn’t seem to realize that Hondo isn’t trustworthy.

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It was nice to see Zeb take on a leadership role in “The Wynkahthu Job,” but the same can’t be said of Ezra. Part of leadership is knowing when to lead and when to follow, and Ezra hasn’t yet mastered that last part. When Hera Syndulla entrusted Zeb with command of the mission, Ezra’s pouty attitude hearkened back to that of Anakin Skywalker from Attack of the Clones, and not in a good way.

At the beginning of the episode, Hera and Kanan Jarrus want Ezra to learn that Hondo can’t be trusted. But the episode didn’t deliver on that promise, since Ezra still overlooks Hondo’s less-than-savory habits. Ezra’s only character development (if it can be called that) was when Hondo remarked, “You never disappoint me, Ezra.” Ezra tersely replies, “Yeah, wish I could say the same.” It was a pointed moment, but it was still a throwaway line that got lost in the rest of the episode. Seriously, Ezra’s hole-in-the-door gag had a bigger payoff.

Other Observations

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In the spirit of Thanksgiving, fellow Fan Contributor Robert Mitchell and I are thankful that we’ve been able to collectively sound off on the other highlights from this week’s episode:

  • “The Wynkahthu Job” features the welcome return of AP-5 (Stephen Stanton), the protocol droid who helped Chopper and the rebellion establish their base on Atollon. That being said, as the sardonic, reprogrammed Imperial droid, has AP-5 already stolen some of K-2SO‘s thunder from the upcoming Rogue One?
  • Azmorgian’s utter inability to curb his own fear was a nice touch. Especially since when he brashly opened fire on the first Imperial sentry droid, it came at the cost of the reactivation of the rest of the droids.
  • With those proton bombs from the Imperial freighter, hopefully the rebels can finally get around to using those Y-wing starfighters they stole from Reklam Station back in the season premiere.
  • Kanan needs to have another story line. He hasn’t had much to do since Bendu helped him overcome his blindness at the start of season three.

In fact, Kanan will have more to do in next week’s episode, “An Inside Man,” when he and Ezra return to Lothal. Rebel operative Ryder Azadi, who was once Lothal’s governor and was incarcerated alongside Ezra’s late parents, will also return. Lately, it seems as though Rebels is making a habit of returning to Lothal at the middle of each season. Case in point: season two’s “Legacy” and “A Princess on Lothal.” In any case, join us next weekend for our Rebels Recap and Reaction!

James Akinaka
James Akinaka arrives at Fandom by way of Wookieepedia. He covers Star Wars, superheroes, and animation and has mastered the art of nitpicking. Since he works in publishing, he reads far too many books.