Ezra experiences a vision of Senator in Exile Gall Trayvis and leads the crew on a mission that causes more than a little trouble for the Rebels. In one of the most beautifully animated episodes of an already stunningly beautiful show, we’re treated to good old-fashioned swash buckling action that doesn’t skimp on subtle story-telling.

In an absolute feat of writing, none of these characters, from Zeb, the burly Lasat, to Agent Kallus, the Imperial special agent hot on the heels of the Rebels, feel like clichés. None of them feel sketched rather than fully drawn. None of them feel out of place, or unmotivated. None of them are eye-candy, thank the Force. None of them, besides maybe the Stormtroopers, are props. That fact, in itself, is something to celebrate.

There’s a rush of many character moments packed into lines of dialogue that weave through the brazen and bouncy action deftly. Hera gives Gall a knowing look that seems like SUCH a Hera look: knowing, calculating, and yet troublingly untroubled. Ezra is stunned by the merest hint—more of an insult than anything—of her affection for him. And Kanan, after hearing some pivotal news about a character, reacts like a true smuggler: bummer, let’s keep moving.

This show’s writers continue to impress me with their willingness to bend the heroic—or villainous—tropes we as consumers of fantasy media have come to expect and mold those broad strokes of humanity into people that I actually care about and about whom I want to learn more.

Oh, and the lightsabers help too.

With a boatload of cool action scenes, lightsabers being brandished dramatically, and some delicious bits of writing that keep me on the literal edge of my seat every episode, Star Wars Rebels isn’t a show to be missed.

Start watching this show, damn you! You deserve it.

And if you’ve watched this one, let us know what you think!

Watch the Rebels Recon for some excellent behind the scenes talk with the show’s creators: