Category Archives: Rebels

Rebels Review: Homecoming

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HeraRebels this week was kind of perfect.  Actually, I feel pretty comfortable saying that this was by far my favorite episode since the show started up again in October.  When it becomes clear that Hera’s Phoenix Squadron needs an Imperial carrier, she’s forced to contact her estranged father Cham Syndulla and ask for his help.  Things, however, don’t exactly go as planned.  (This is Star Wars.  When do things ever go as planned?)

Wings of the Master was great but this was the Hera episode I’ve been waiting for since I read A New Dawn.  We finally get those missing pieces of her backstory that, when put together with the rest of Rebels and the books, help us really understand who she is.  This is her time to shine.  Honestly, the only thing that could have made this episode more perfect is if we’d finally gotten to see our Space Married favorites kiss on screen and what we got was almost just as good.  Obviously this episode is a great Hera spotlight but we also get to see a completely different side of Kanan as he both fanboys over the great General Syndulla and is totally nervous about meeting Hera’s father and making a good impression.  (I’m with you, FPJ.  They very obviously have feelings for one another.)  They’re Space Married.  So. Freaking. Space Married.

But back to Hera.  While one could argue that it’s the culmination of everything we’ve seen so far, Homecoming gave us so much about Hera Syndulla that made her feel like a real person with flaws to balance her strengths.  Homecoming (with an assist from last week’s Space Whale episode) helps take her further out of the occasionally restrictive Space Mom trope and really let her shine as her own person.  Homecoming defines Hera in her own terms and not by her relations to other people on the Ghost or by her strained relationship with her father.

It’s impossible to discuss this episode without giving Vanessa Marshall all of the applause.  Hera had been relatively unique in that she spoke with an American accent instead of the usual French one that most of the twi’leks have.  Turns out there was a very good story reason for that and fans got to hear her slide back into a French accent during a very heated argument with her father.  It’s something that undoubtedly rings true with a lot of fans, myself included.  Intense emotions and family have a way of making even the most practiced person slip back into the vocal tendencies of their youth.  Marshall’s performance, especially in that scene, was flawless.

Another part of what really made this episode so strong was that it featured the entire crew.  This has been a show that has reinforced the importance of found family and it tends to be at its best when it consistently shows them working together even when one character takes the spotlight for a little bit.  Even though this was clearly Hera’s time, Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb still had their little moments.  No one was forgotten or conveniently written into a coma.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go watch this episode another twenty times and hope that maybe this time, Hera and Kanan will actually kiss.  #SpaceMarried

Rebels Review: The Call

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The Call introduces the new best creatures to inhabit the GFFA: the Purrgil, strange space whale-cephalopods that interrupt the Ghost crew’s mission to steal fuel that is meant for the Empire, fuel that is desperately needed. 

Low on fuel, Hera is forced to redirect any non-essential systems, including heat and the lights. This gives the ship a very enclosed and almost claustrophobic atmosphere throughout the episode, as well as some pretty high stakes: they fail this mission, and the Ghost may never leave the ground again. The entire episode is quite dark aesthetically, not being set on any planets, but the overall tone is of hope and wonder.

Something that Rebels can do well—and The Clone Wars did well—is expand the universe in more mystical ways because of the animated medium. The Call shows how this can be done well, developing the ancient mythology of Star Wars through the Purrgil and their connection to hyperspace travel and the origin of hyperdrives. Star Wars has such an old galaxy that spans a few millennia, that any glimpses into the way things came to be are always quite interesting and refreshing. 

Not only does this episode expand on the lore of the universe, but it also broadens Ezra’s understanding of the Force and of his abilities, showing how much he has changed and grown since Rebels first began. No longer is he the bitter, selfish child on Lothal, but a calm, compassionate boy who has a deepening connection with nature and others around him, a connection that even Kanan doesn’t seem to have.

There’s something almost beautiful about seeing the way Ezra interacts with the Purrgil, and especially so when he finally understands what they’re doing. While the others are quick to either dismiss the Purrgil or consider them a threat, he wants to learn what causes them to act as they do and help them with their distress.

Hera and Ezra have rather subtle development in this episode, though Ezra’s is more obvious. Over the course of The Call, Hera seems to gain the sense of wonder that Ezra has to begin with, a kind of childlike curiosity at the mysteries of the world. Vanessa Marshall’s acting is, as always, amazing. Kanan, for some reason, seems even snarkier than usual, though he still stops to let Ezra explain himself.

The whole crew has grown a lot since the beginning, and it’s clearer in each episode how much they’ve learned to help each other. They banter, but they plainly care for each other, which is one of the strengths of the show. Though an episode not based around their ensemble so much, The Call still shows this in little ways.

Filled with great visuals and absolutely stunning shots, The Call is largely a mystical episode that ends on good feelings—something that is likely needed during this time in the season. Though it may not be a plot-heavy episode, it’s a gorgeous one that is a welcome moment of peace before the storm the rest of the season is bound to be. The Purrgil are a great addition to the GFFA, and this episode will probably make a good standalone in the same way many of the lore-expanding episodes of The Clone Wars did.

I am personally keen to see how Ezra develops further over the rest of the season, as The Call has definitely shown him as a wiser character than he once was. He’s a good kid, and he’s only getting better.

Rebels Review: Legends of the Lasat

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This week on Star Wars Rebels, we finally got some backstory about our favorite grouchy muscle guy on the Ghost, Garazeb Orrelios. We also got a return of fan-favorite scoundrel with indeterminate loyalties, Hondo Ohnaka!

“Legends of the Lasat” features the crew’s mission to rescue two refugees, who turn out to be Lasat, aka Zeb’s species. Only thing is, Zeb thought he was the last of his species. So why isn’t he overjoyed to see more of his people still alive?

Turns out the two Lasats are kind of wacky, and you can’t fault Zeb for thinking they’re kind of crazy. They want Zeb’s help finding their new homeworld. Zeb hesitates at first; then the other Lasats defer to him as part of the honor guard, and refer to him as captain. That made me sit back and go, “aw, Zeb, you’re important!” I really need to know more about his history.

In the end Zeb uses his apparently magical bowrifle to send the Ghost into a sea of black holes to find the new home of the Lasat. Yes, you read that correctly: a sea of black holes. This is definitely one of those stories that puts Star Wars firmly in the “space fantasy” genre.

There’s a lot of mysticism in this episode, which can sometimes (*cough* Mortis *cough*) make me roll my eyes, but here it didn’t bother me. I like the idea of people other than the Jedi and Force users being spiritual and respecting the Force. To go along with the mysticism, the Rebels team really overdid itself with the episode’s visuals. The scene of the Ghost approaching the cluster of black holes was absolutely gorgeous (and I’m not the only person who thought of the Maw at first glance, right?). I’ll never grow tired of seeing crazy hyperspace shots, whether it be in Rebels or in The Force Awakens.  And the music…wow, the music was just incredible. Why is that not in my earholes yet?

We got a lot of nice character moments with Zeb in this episode, seeing him as a reluctant hero and then accepting his destiny to help his people find a new home. Turns out that there are already Lasats living on the planet when they arrive, which makes it easier for Zeb to return to the Ghost. He’s already found his new home with Kanan and crew, but he’s more than willing to help other Lasats they may come across find their way to the new homeworld. After all, they have the hyperspace coordinates now and don’t have to black hole diving again! (This also makes me hopeful that, maybe, perhaps Zeb can survive the Galactic Civil War and live in peace afterwards?)

I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more Zeb episodes in the future. He’s a funny character, but with a lot of depth, and Steve Blum plays him wonderfully. I’m also dying to know what happens to Hondo! Last we saw him, he was with the Imperials, having sold out the Ghost crew. Does he get away? Do they kill him? They can’t kill Hondo, despite his questionable loyalties! Inquiring minds need to know what happens, Dave Filoni!

“Legends of the Lasat” was a solid episode, and I hope this trend of character-focused episodes continues into the second half of Season 2.

If you haven’t already, check out Rebels Recon for the best Pablo Hidalgo question yet.

 

Rebels Review: The Protector of Concord Dawn

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SabineWrenIt’s been and up and down season of Rebels for me. Every now and then, there’s a great character episode I love to pieces, but mostly it’s been Ezra, Ezra, Ezra and more Ezra. This episode was a whole lot more of the former than the latter.

Sabine had an episode to shine earlier this season, but for large chunks of the second season run it feels like she’s been sidelined. That definitely isn’t true in this episode. We get a little bit of everything. Attitude and characterization for Sabine, Madalorian backstory, and even Kanan proving that Hera is his anti-Idiot ball.

The crux of the episode is the Rebels are searching for a new hyperspace route since the Imperials are cornering them left and right. Sabine suggests a shortcut through Mandalorian space, which prompts her to leave with Hera and Phoenix squadron to secure safe passage. The Mandos aren’t happy to see them, a few members of Phoenix squadron are killed, and Hera is badly wounded. Thus sends Sabine on a Western-style quest for vengeance. VENGEANCE!

I could keep breaking down the plot and the set piece detail, but let’s get into what made this episode so great. Sabine finally, after really a season and a half, had a chance to shine. She’s been begging Kanan and Hera for a chance to prove that they should trust her, and in this episode she made it clear why everyone needs to stop doubting her. Sabine is more than just an artist and explosives aficionado. She proves she’s smart and more in control of her emotions and surroundings than anyone has given her credit for.

If there’s something I’ll take issue with in this episode, it’s going to be something that has bothered me all season. Every episode seems to find a new way to sideline Hera. This time around, it’s putting her in the medbay. As great as this episode episode was, imagine how much better it would have been if it was Hera in Kanan’s place. Just let Hera do something outside of the one token episode about her, please.

Overall this is probably my second favorite episode of the season, right behind Wings of the Master,  and one of the better ones in the whole run. More character focused episodes, please!

There is Peace: Anakin, Ezra and Emotional Support

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Yoda: Inside you much anger, much fear.

Ezra: I just want to protect myself and my friends.

Yoda: And this is why you must be Jedi?

Ezra: Yes, and not just them. Everyone. I’ll protect everyone. Before I met Kanan, I only ever thought of myself, but Kanan and the rest, they don’t think like that. They help people, they give everything away, and I see it. I see how it makes people feel.

Yoda: Feel, yes. How?

Ezra: Alive. They feel alive, like I do now.

– Rebels S01E09, Path of the Jedi

Anakin at nine: The golden child of the twin suns, given the choice to leave his hard but love-filled slave life behind to become a champion of the galaxy. He is warm, talented, and compassionate, but fear and anger already have firm footholds in his heart.

Ezra at fourteen: A street rat who will help others subjugated by the Empire, as long as it suits him. Trust doesn’t come easy after years of being alone and he is afraid, though he’ll never admit it. Still, there is goodness deep inside him, and Hera and Kanan encourage the light inside him.

Both of these young boys are taken in by a new family at the start of their respective stories, the promise of becoming a Jedi dangled before them. We know where Anakin’s journey takes him—his fall, his redemption at the end—but we don’t know where Ezra’s heading yet. His future is totally open.

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Source: Lucasfilm.

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Rebels Review: A Princess on Lothal

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rebels logoHere comes the General! No wait, that’s not quite right… here comes the Senatorial Aide-Princess of Alderaan! This week, Rebels finally brought in the one character I’ve been hoping for since the show was first announced? How’d they do? Not too shabby.

The Rebels and the people of Lothal need help and Bail Organa is hardly one to turn a blind eye so he sends his daughter to the planet with three ships. One problem: the Ghost’s crew has to make it look like they’re stealing the ships so no one can suggest that Alderaan is aiding the Rebels. They’re going to have to come up with a really good plan to pull this heist off even with a Princess on the inside.

It’s impossible to discuss the episode and not talk about Leia first. I love that we got to see her in the show and that it didn’t feel forced. Like many have said, she’s the easiest film character to fit into this storyline without making it feel like a stunt casting. However, I was left wanting far more from her by the end. This is the story I want to hear more about because this is a 15-year-old girl who routinely leads these sorts of missions and faces down Imperial officers like it’s nothing. That said, I wish this had been a higher profile mission and not something that felt like a tool for convincing the Governor to come out of his exile and join the Rebellion. It also seemed a little odd that not a single one of the crew reacted to her title. Obviously I want the core crew of the Ghost to stay the stars of the show but I think we could’ve seen more of her interact with the crew in a bigger story and it’s too bad this is the only time we get to see her this season.

The episode did give us a lot of fun chances to compare and contrast Leia and Ezra. They’re the same age and yet their maturity levels couldn’t be more different. They may both be talented with the Force but they approach problems very different ways. There was an especially nice moment with them where he asks why she helps the Rebellion and her answer is a textbook perfect example of using privilege to the advantage of others.

I do have to note that this episode did two things very well. First is the score. Kevin Kiner always does a good job but he especially knocked it out of the park during the final battle scenes. Second is that this was an episode which really showed the crew as a team. While Ezra and Kanan still got a bit more screen times, the entire crew had to contribute in a meaningful way to their victory. It’s something that the second season has been sorely lacking in many episodes this season and I hope we continue to see more of it.

A Princess on Lothal was a fun an enjoyable episode but ultimately one that could have been a far better showcase for Princess Leia Organa.

Rebels Review: Legacy

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rebels logoI’ve been struggling to write this review, for several (some more obvious than others) reasons. The first was time. Because of a podcast recording I didn’t get to watch the episode live, so my entire schedule was thrown off. Then we were busy all weekend, so I didn’t get a chance to sit down and re-watch the episode until Sunday.

Second, I have a one-track mind right now, and it belongs to The Force Awakens. Sorry not sorry. (I still love you, Rebels, but you’re not TFA.)

But enough with the excuses. “Legacy” was the mid-season finale for Rebels, and it was a good, if not great, episode. Once again we focus on Ezra, and once again I think, ehhhh. It’s not that I dislike Ezra, I’m just annoyed with him in large doses. Rebels has done a good job so far interspersing episodes about other characters in between the Ezra-centric story arcs, so hopefully the next episode after the mid-season hiatus will focus more on the team as a whole, or another character. Because that, in my opinion, is where Rebels truly shines.

The episode starts with Ezra having a vision about his parents, and he decides he must find out the truth about what happened to them. Thanks to some help from Hera and Kanan, he discovers there was a prison breakout, and wonders if his parents were involved. His Force visions urge him to return to Lothal. I loved seeing Kanan and Hera give advice to Ezra throughout the episode, especially Kanan. They’re open and understanding, while also telling Ezra he needs to be mindful of his visions. He can’t go rushing in headfirst to find out what happened to his parents, but they’re also not going to sit there and tell him to just get over it (unlike some other Jedi we know).

Ezra’s objective is threatened when Imperial forces arrive, having learned from the Seventh Sister’s probe droid that the rebels have a base on Garel. This episode featured good team interaction as the crew struggles to escape. I’m glad that plotline carried over from the last episode, and it’ll be interesting to see where the rebels go now.

Eventually the rebels escape Garel (with some awesome flying and teamwork from Hera, Sabine, and Zeb), while Kanan and Ezra head to Lothal to find out what happened to Ezra’s parents. There he meets a friend of his parents (voiced by the great Clancy Brown), who was with them in prison. He reveals that they recently instigated a breakout, but were killed in the process.

The end was a bit of a letdown for me. Ezra wants to go on this big quest to find the truth…only to learn his parents are dead. Not only that, but they get killed off-screen. I understand the purpose–it’s permanently separating Ezra from his old life. But I don’t see how that finality changes much about his character. He’s still an orphan. He’s still learning to use the Force. He still blames the Empire for his parents’ deaths.

Perhaps the story team has something more up their sleeve, and I’ll be eating my words at the end of the season. But compared to last year, when we got the awesome cliffhanger of Tseebo knowing what happened to Ezra’s parents, this episode fell short for me.

I did, however, love when Kanan stopped Ezra from going after the Inquisitors. That was a great moment, made even greater when Ezra realized Kanan was right to stop him, and when Kanan told Ezra he was going to help him on his quest. It makes you wonder what would have happened to Anakin Skywalker if he hadn’t been bound by the Jedi dogma of non-attachment; if he’d been more open and honest with Obi-Wan; if the Jedi had been more understanding of his background. It certainly makes a good case for the Jedi having attachments and parents/guardians who can guide them through learning to use the Force, doesn’t it?

Be sure to check out this week’s Rebels Recon, in which Dave Filoni teases what we can expect to see in the rest of the season.

Rebels Review: The Future of the Force

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Rebels season 2 has really been hitting its stride these past few weeks, and The Future of the Force was just the latest of a line of great episodes.

From baby Ithorians, to speeder chases, to Ahsoka kicking butt in a way that is so like the young padawan we once knew, this episode has a lot going for it. Despite the lack of Hera and Sabine, there’s plenty of Ahsoka and a good amount of the Seventh Sister, too.

In this episode Ahsoka informs Kanan that she’s been monitoring transmissions from Mustafar to try and learn more about the Sith Lord, and has learned the Inquisitors have a mission beyond hunting Jedi which involves retrievals, though of what she’s not sure. She has two decoded sets of coordinates, and while she heads to one she tasks Kanan, Ezra and Zeb to check out the second on the planet Takobo.

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Literally the best trivia to ever come out of Star Wars. Source.

It doesn’t take long for Ahsoka to learn what the Inquisitors are doing: stealing Force-sensitive babies, similarly to how Palpatine tried before in the The Clone Wars episode, Children of the Force. On Takobo, Zeb finds the first kidnapped baby with the Inquisitors’ ships while Kanan and Ezra find a distressed Ithorian, Oora, who sent her child, Pypey, away before the Inquisitors arrived.

The rebels find the child, but are almost completely defeated by the Inquisitors before Ahsoka arrives, emerging from white light like some kind of guardian angel. Where the Seventh Sister easily disarms Kanan, the Inquisitors hardly seem a threat to Ahsoka. She is an extremely capable fighter, with a great command of the Force, and it’s great to see her in some real action in this episode. Her little Obi-Wan moment made my heart skip a beat though. Don’t scare me like that, Rebels!

Ending with everyone safe and sound on an at first hopeful note, the episode takes an ominous turn when the Inquisitors learn that the Ghost crew are hiding out on Garel, thanks to one of the Seventh Sister’s probe droids overhearing Ezra. The music during this scene is on point, but then the entire episode has a pretty great score, especially during Ahsoka’s entrance and fight with the Inquisitors. 

While quite an intense episode with hints at darker things to come, there are still lighthearted moments in typical Star Wars style. Zeb and Chopper, as always, are a great comedy duo, and the brotherly relationship between Ezra and Zeb is always sweet, if not frustrating when they argue.

Despite Ezra still being his typical, somewhat immature self, it’s nice to see the kid grow throughout this season (and the last). Even though he has trouble at first, he manages to calm Pypey in the midst of very real danger using the Force, showing his ability to find calm in even the most desperate situations and his use of the Force growing stronger. He’s even willing to take on both of the Inquisitors alone to try and save the child, though he obviously doesn’t stand a chance.

I like seeing his interactions with Ahsoka, though they are brief. The little details in the way characters interact within Rebels, such as Ahsoka’s wink at Ezra, deepen relationships in a nuanced way. Ahsoka likely sees a lot of her younger self in Ezra—headstrong, brave, but so determined to become a Jedi—and seeing her playful side come through with him is very sweet.

Chopper is still absolutely a terrible droid, suggesting they blow up the Inquisitors’ ships with the baby, Alora, still inside. But literally nobody is surprised by Chop’s lack of empathy or casual disregard for human life anymore.

The most interesting part of the episode for me was when the Seventh Sister asks Ahsoka, “Well, who doesn’t want to be a mother?” While this could be a throwaway line, I do wonder if there’s something more to the Inquisitor hierarchy, already with titles like Brother and Sister. Perhaps they have some kind of dark family, related not by blood but by ambition and brainwashing.

All in all, a great episode with a lot of action and maybe a little too much of crying babies, though one thing I did find weird was Alora’s grandmother, Darja, looking relatively young. I was somewhat surprised when the Seventh Sister called her “old one,” and it wasn’t until Darja stated Alora was her granddaughter that I realised she was meant to be older. Guess that anti-aging cream really does work in a galaxy far, far away.

Review – Star Wars Rebels: Stealth Strike

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rebels logoHow do you please totally disparate segments of fandom all at the same time? You write Stealth Strike.

There’s a little something for everyone here. Rex reliving his military days and putting on his Big Damn Hero pants. One former clone trooper against an entire starship worth of stormtroopers? Sign me up. Kanan confronting the ghosts of his past by being forced to trust Rex? Check. A loving nod to the Death Star corridor chases? Yup. An Interdictor on trial runs that hearkens back to classic Expanded Universe material? Double check.

I’ve called Rebels a bridge series several times. It’s designed to be a link to the past, present, and future. This episode is full of nods to The Clone Wars, but its triumph is a brilliant homage to the Death Star escape in A New Hope. Corridor chases, sneaking around to disable critical infrastructure. You can show this to a young fan that’s new to Star Wars, ask them if they enjoyed it, and when they respond affirmatively you tell them you’ve got a great movie to show them.

That’s the brilliance of Stealth Strike and Rebels as a whole.

I could do a more detailed plot breakdown of this episode, but the plot really is secondary in this episode. We see some new Imperial tech, we get a fun rescue adventure, but what’s important is this episode is a 22-minute textbook example of Rebels succeeding at one of its most important goals.

Miscellaneous notes:

  • Ezra really is a whole lot more tolerable and entertaining when he isn’t acting like he’s deserving of Sabine’s attention and affection. When he’s doing his job, he’s great.
  • I need a gif of Rex shaking his boo-tay trying to fit into stormtrooper armor.
  • How cool was that shot of the Interdictor collapsing on itself? Extremely cool.
  • Chopper: sadistic droid or most sadistic droid?