Films for Breakfast

Aside from the critically acclaimed (and obvious answer in terms of quality) Andor, I think the highlight of Star Wars on Disney+ has actually been their LEGO spin-offs and specials. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the first two seasons of The Mandalorian and have found plenty of enjoyment here and there; but I genuinely believe the LEGO specials have been the most consistently well-made pieces of Star Wars storytelling we’ve gotten in the last few years. Part of that is nostalgia on my part, as someone who grew up collecting LEGO Star Wars and religiously playing the games, but most of it is just the fact that they always turn out solid work.

One of the most impressive specials to come out on the service in the last few years has been Rebuild the Galaxy – a show that was a found a lot of fun in taking established characters across the Star Wars canon and mixing up their core identities. For example – Darth Vader? Now an amazing dad. Old Man Luke? A very unstressed jedi! Jar Jar Binks? A Sith lord! Among any other LEGO spin-off, I think Rebuild the Galaxy captures the spirit of dumping a bunch of LEGO figures on your living room floor and adding in ridiculous lore into one epic story.

We finally have the second season, titled Pieces of the Past, which finds Sig, Dev, Jedi Bob, and the rest of their friends facing a mysterious threat with ties to their team. Together, they attempt to combine their powers of Force Building and Jedi Breaking to stop it. Throughout facing this threat, the story finds itself in the wildest corners of the Star Wars canon, even digging deep into the Old Republic or bringing in certain characters from the Expanded Universe. Needless to say, I had an absolutely amazing time with this show and found it to be an even greater improvement on the already incredibly entertaining first season.

One of the more surprising elements of the first season was the relationship between brothers Sig and Dev. Despite the fact that Sig found himself in an alternate timeline, where his brother Dev not only no longer knows him, but is actually a Sith, worked really well for a show aimed at younger audiences. This second season surprisingly makes their dynamic even more emotional and interesting. I almost can’t believe I’m talking about a LEGO series when typing this, but it’s legitimately good stuff.

Pieces of the Past is also chalked full of classic LEGO spin-off humor, including slapstick comedy, one-liners, and deep-cut references to the trenches of Star Wars lore. All of this can become grating if not handled properly, but the show puts so much care into the material that it feels like an absolute treat as a lifelong fan of Star Wars. Each character from Star Wars canon has such a unique spin on their core character traits, and that inherently lends itself to comedy throughout its entire duration.

Another admirable aspect of this second season is how large in scale it is. It has about 10x the characters as the original season did, but balances it incredibly well. There’s a true beauty in the chaos, and the season ultimately finds a message within that. Without spoiling who the big bad of the season is, because the season does treat it like a genuine reveal, there is a moment of beauty that shows half the fun of Star Wars is how eccentric and spanning it truly is. Even the goofiest and dorkiest parts – it’s all part of the fun.

The animation style here is genuinely largely impressive, as well. Sometimes LEGO spin-offs can be a little hit or miss with their production value, but Pieces of the Past has some truly gorgeous sequences where it brings iconic planets and characters to life. On top of that, the action sequences are genuinely pretty impressive and I found myself entrhalled by how bombastic it was and the large array of characters that were participating in the final battle.

By the end, I had a gigantic smile on my face for the entirety of this. The season is made up of only four 20-ish minute episodes, and I could’ve honesly watched several more. The character work (Again, I can’t believe I’m saying this about a LEGO show), creativity, comedy, and top-notch animation make this a true winner. I had an amazing time watching it, and I can’t wait to see what they may do for a third season!