Star Wars Resistance review: Kaz learns more about Yeager

Kaz and Yeager don’t see eye to eye in “Fuel for the Fire.” This butting of heads drives Kaz to make new friends and learn more about Yeager’s past.

Kaz is a young adult who thinks his way is the best way. He doesn’t see how his association with the Resistance could negatively impact Yeager, his shop, and his quiet way of life. To Kaz, saving the galaxy is more important. And if he can fit a few sky races in between, even better.

Yeager, on the other hand, is an experienced pilot and mechanic who knows what’s best for his shop. He wants Kaz to come off as a believable mechanic and learn how to keep a low profile before he goes around spying on the First Order. To Yeager, the shop and his responsibilities as a mechanic come first.

This naturally leads to a difference of opinions. While we didn’t see any activity of the First Order this time around, it was interesting to see a different side of Yeager through another person’s perspective.

Not getting along

Yeager gives Kaz the task of fixing an engine. After getting distracted by a sky race, Kaz’s engine falls into the water. Yeager is not pleased. They argue about what’s really important before Kaz leaves to go to Aunt Z’s Tavern.

Normally, a lack of communication between characters is what leads to misunderstandings. This is sort of the case between Yeager and Kaz. Yeager tells him, quite plainly and simply, his mission can put all of them in danger. Part of the communication is there. The thing is Yeager’s not explaining why.

We’ve all been told at one point or another not to do something. Most of the time, the immediate response is why. Kaz isn’t asking this and Yeager isn’t expounding upon his concerns, so they naturally butt heads because of it.

The situation they face is realistic, common, and frustrating. Yeager, however, could help Kaz understand and get him to see his side by explaining why and painting a better picture about the consequences of his actions. Granted, the reasons should be obvious, but Kaz grew up during a peaceful time and the fact that his dad called the Resistance “extremists” hasn’t clicked with him yet.

Making new friends

At the bar, Kaz meets Jace Rucklin (voiced by Elijah Wood) and his pals, Gorrak Wiles and Lin Gaava. They tell Kaz about Yeager’s racing days. Jace also invites him to a bike race, but Kaz doesn’t realize his bike has been sabotaged. Jace saves Kaz’s life and earns his trust in the process.

What we love most about this episode is even though we’re following Kaz around and seeing him interact with new people, we’re also learning more about Yeager at the same time. We find out he raced ships at one point in his life. More importantly, he has his own racer. Which begs the question, why didn’t he let Kaz use his racer in the series premiere? Instead, he put Kaz’s life in danger by using the Fireball.

As for Jace and his friends, meeting them served three separate purposes in our minds. First, they re-emphasized how gullible Kaz can be and how it’s important for him to keep his guard up while residing on the Colossus. Second, they helped Yeager see how Kaz is a good person. Third, they set the stage for Kaz’s own personal nemesis of sorts.

Jace comes off more as a Draco Malfoy-type of character. Malfoy initially wanted to befriend Harry Potter mainly because of Harry’s fame as the “Boy Who Lived.” Things turned sour between them very quickly. The same thing happens to Kaz and Jace. Jace only sees Kaz as a means to an end, and when things don’t go his way, Kaz becomes the enemy.

Breaking into Yeager’s office

Jace and his friends pressure Kaz into getting them into Yeager’s personal hangar in hopes of seeing his classic racer. It’s just a ruse, but Kaz doesn’t know it. While in Yeager’s office, Jace finds what he really wants and steals a can of rare and dangerous hyperfuel.

Again, it was interesting to discover more details about Yeager in this episode. It’s better to learn this information as the story moves at its own pace instead of everything falling onto our laps all at once. We appreciate how the Resistance writers are handling their story and dropping nuggets of information here and there.

It turns out, Yeager fought in the Battle of Jakku and had a family. These details make us more curious about his background. Did he lose his family to the Empire? Was he compensated after the war? Is that why he had to resort to racing, so he could earn money?

Saving Rucklin

Kaz discovers the hyperfuel is missing and what would happen if someone uses even a few drops of it. He suspects Rucklin is behind it and rushes to stop him before his ship explodes. Kaz saves him just in time, but makes an enemy out of him in the process.

Kaz may come across as impatient and immature, but beneath that, he is a good person. We’ve known that from the beginning. We even saw him help the ace pilots in the previous episode, but Yeager ultimately doesn’t know Kaz. He’s only seen the impetuous side of him. Kaz rushing to save Jace, however, proved to Yeager that he’s a good person. Yeager saw something in Kaz that he probably saw in himself once.

We also get the feeling this isn’t the last time we’ll see Jace. Even though Jace knows he did wrong and stole the hyperfuel, he seems like the type of person to hold a grudge. We’re sure this is going to come back and bite Kaz in the rear when he least expects it.

Overall, this episode might seem like it doesn’t serve a purpose in the story, but it’s laying the groundwork. For those of you who watched Star Wars Rebels, everything was done for a reason and things that seemed insignificant actually played an important part later on in the story. We have no doubt this is what’s happening in these early episodes.

Lingering thoughts

• Christopher Sean does such a fantastic job voicing Kaz. He has the best “freaking out” voice. It comes out so well both at the beginning and end of this episode when the engine and engine parts start to drift over to the edge of the platform.
• The old lady who tells Kaz he can stay with her is both creepy and funny.
• Yeager tells Tam, “Give him a break. I gave you one.” We’d love to know more of that story, like how did Tam end up in Yeager’s shop?

What did you think of this episode? What do you think happened to Yeager’s family? Will things be smoother now between Kaz and Yeager now that they trust each other a bit more?

Star Wars Resistance airs Sundays on the Disney Channel at 10 p.m. ET/PT and DisneyNOW.