Star Wars Rebels hasn’t really had many Chopper episodes. That’s probably because the body count would get too high if it did. I have no idea when the whole Malachor thing is going down, but it’s not this week.
The Ghost is out stealing fuel from the Empire again, this time on a planet that, if I heard correctly, is named Verizon. They leave Chopper to guard the Ghost, but he’s obsessed with a replacement leg in a parts stand across the way. He’s sick of not having matching legs. You’d think that would be the tipoff to leave someone else with him, but no, it’s just an excuse for Zeb and Ezra to make leg jokes.
The second they’re gone, he abandons his post to try to make a deal with the owner. Chopper has no money, and the idea of a droid with agency is considered ludicrous, so the owner refuses to make a deal. Chopper decides to steal the leg the second the shopkeeper is distracted with a customer, since fuck that guy, but he turns around to find that the Ghost has already left because they were just there to steal shit to begin with. The shopkeeper notices, though, and starts chasing him, looping some stormtroopers in because he doesn’t know any better.
Chopper winds up stowing away on an Imperial supply ship by accident while evading them. This is where we meet AP-5. He’s an old Clone Wars era navigation droid that was re-purposed for managing supply manifests when the Empire took over. His commander hates him and relishes the thought of melting him down. If it weren’t for his restraining bolt, he’d be in need of a career change, hint hint.
He runs into Chopper in one of the side rooms, chasing him through the cargo hold before Chopper tries using his spark emitter to get him to back off. AP-5 recognizes it as being unique to military models, and they bond over being veterans of the Clone Wars. He tells Chopper about his general feelings about being relegated to inventory work and despised by his commander, but refuses the offer to go with him. He falsifies a report to his commander about their stowaway, though, and Chopper Zaps off the bolt as thanks.
They take over the ship using Chopper’s crazy ass plan, once they knock out the commander and stuff him in a room. He alerted the troopers on board to their location, and Chopper leads them into the cargo hold. He then detaches the half of the ship the troopers are stuck in. Presumably to die of starvation or suffocation.
They take over the ship and get in contact with Hera. The rebel fleet is under attack and they’re about to jump to their prospective base, but AP-5 jumps in with the knowledge that the Empire is already there. He’s about to transmit new coordinate to them when his Commander shows up, pissed that he played a part in knocking him out and stealing his ship. AP-5 gets shot, but not before transmitting the coordinates. They actually cut away from the bludgeoning Chopper gives the Commander with the stolen leg. Probably because this is a TV-Y7 show and they couldn’t get away with showing the dude getting his head bashed in and his brains leaking on the floor.
You can’t easily do a “robot dying” story (poor Lulu. Sweet thing), though, since they’re mechanical and therefore fixable. Sabine patches AP-5 up using the parts from the leg Chopper stole, and he’s right as rain. Like you really expected them to make another Chopper model anyway? Either way, Star Wars Rebels now has a C-3PO to Chopper’s R2-D2.
Final Thoughts:
- Also, Ketsu was there for some reason. Did they play things out of order? I don’t remember her actually joining.
- Here’s my pitch; those five stormtroopers are drifting through space, trying to survive, and also put up with the wacky antics of their newly acquired eccentric neighbor. Any takers?
- I like the fact that AP-5’s voice is low and somewhat acerbic.
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