The Ghost really needs to leave Lothal. Like now. This is getting out of hand. Warning: This review will absolutely contain spoilers.
Tag Archives: Star Wars Rebels
Star Wars Rebels review: Path of the Jedi
Note: I wrote this post while I was watching the episode, so it’s more of a live blog than a proper review. Hope you enjoy anyway!
We start out the episode with Ezra being late for training with Kanan. When he gets back, Kanan reads him the riot act and calls him unfocused and undisciplined. (Like you aren’t, Kanan.) I’m torn between feeling sorry for Ezra always getting dumped on, wondering what the hell Ezra was doing wandering around Lothal by himself when they’re wanted by the Empire, (more on this later), and being annoyed at Ezra. Kanan tells Ezra he made a dangerous connection with the Force in that asteroid field (yay continuity!) and he needs to undergo a test that could determine if he’s meant to be a Jedi. First of all, Kanan, weren’t you the one who encouraged him to make that Force connection? Second, way to put the pressure on.
Where’s Hera? (And Sometimes Sabine)
January 4th, 2015 and I’m already tired. Why? Because I am sick of it. Because I’m sick of death of having to constantly fight and ask for female representation in merchandise when there’s absolutely no good reason not to include it. Are you a fan of Star Wars Rebels and love the ENTIRE team? Well good luck finding merchandise that includes Hera or Sabine let alone both.
If this is sounding familiar, it’s because we’ve been through this before. We wondered where Black Widow was in all the Avengers gear after the film came out in May 2012 and then we asked again in August 2014 when Gamora was almost nowhere to be found. (Amy Ratcliffe detailed the latter over at her blog.) At this point, it’s an easy choice to call it a pattern of marketing (especially Disney in this situation) purposefully eliminating female characters from their products. This is hardly also a new battle for Star Wars. Those in the fandom will likely recall the uproar when Daisy Ridley was originally the only new woman in the Episode VII cast and then again when Hera and Sabine were not announced with the first wave of Rebels action figures. (And hey, that’s just the highlights from 2014.) Unfortunately, it looks like it’s time to start up a hashtag for #WheresHera.
Let’s take a look at some of the Star Wars Rebels merchandise out there. Over the weekend, I found myself at the Disney Store, a calendar mall stand, and Jo-Ann Fabrics. While this is not a comprehensive listing of places that sell Star Wars gear, I found the products there to be fairly representative of what I’ve seen other times.
I found this set of kids’ PJs in the Disney Store. Notice who’s missing?
I don’t recall seeing anything with either lady on anything in the store but I DID see a girl of perhaps five eagerly grabbing for a Star Wars lunch box. Much of the rest of the items featured Darth Vader, clone troopers, and the Inquisitor. (It took effort not to explain the Inquisitor’s lightsaber to the confused dad holding it.)
Tosche Station’s Rebels Mid-season Recap!
“Gathering Forces,” which aired November 24 on Disney XD, marked the mid-season finale of Star Wars Rebels. We’ve already reviewed the individual episodes, but we wanted to recap the season so far and offer our thoughts on what we liked, what we didn’t like, and what we’re looking forward to as the season goes on. To the cut!
Star Wars Rebels Season 2 to Premiere at Celebration Anaheim
Are you a fan of Star Wars Rebels? Are you attending Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim? Well, you’re in luck! Dave Filoni and the cast of Rebels will be in attendance, but that’s not all. Season 2 will premiere at Celebration, following an encore presentation of the Season 1 finale.
Review: Star Wars Rebels: Gathering Forces
There’s no time for the crew of the Ghost to think or even breath as they’re chased off of Lothal. With them should go any lingering doubts about Disney’s willingness to go dark in a kids show because wow has this two-part arc proven them wrong.
This review contains spoilers.
Review: Star Wars Rebels: Empire Day
And with that, those who were worried that Rebels wouldn’t have the gravitas of The Clone Wars found themselves with one less thing to worry about.
“Empire Day” begins with Hera, Sabine, and Zeb making their way into an alley of a somewhat remote outpost on Lothal. As they disappear, Sabine stops and gazes out into the distance, where she sees Ezra and Kanan training.
Why Bria Tharen Needs To Be In Rebels
The Expanded Universe is an absolute gold mine when it comes to story ideas in Rebels. From characters to planets to mere concepts, there’s plenty for the taking and tweaking. The Clone Wars already proved how successful that tactic could be with their use of Dathomir. In our continuing series here at Tosche Station, we’re pitching you things we’d like to see make it into Rebels. This week? Bria Tharen.
Before you grab your pitchforks, hear me out. A.C. Crispin introduced Bria Tharen into the Star Wars galaxy with the Han Solo Trilogy during the Bantam era. When readers first met her, Bria was a wealthy young Corellian who’d fallen into a religious cult’s trap where they exploited their pilgrims as slaves in their spice mines. Enter Han Solo and a crazy plan that gets both of them (and friends) off Ylesia followed a sudden lack of purpose in her life. The short version of what follows is that Bria ends up leaving Han behind so he can go to the Imperial Academy and she can go off and break her addiction and find a new meaning for her life. She ends up joining Senator Garm Bel Iblis’ resistance group, eventually becomes the commander of Red Hand Squadron in the Alliance to Restore the Republic, and dies in service to the Alliance.
For a show called Rebels, she’s potentially an obvious choice to bring into the new canon. While her story is linked closely to that of Han Solo, it doesn’t need to be in order for her character to be well used in Rebels. The writers can retcon away any mention of the brash pilot and instead condense her backstory down to something easier: she’s a former slave who was freed, joined the Rebel Alliance, and has neither tolerance nor mercy for slavers. Doing so would not only actually help strengthen Bria as a character but also allow the show to tackle several tough topics. Seeing how Rebels is a show that’s already touched on genocide and execution? These probably won’t be too much of a stretch. Continue reading
Review: Star Wars Rebels: Out of Darkness
It should come as no surprise that all of us at Tosche Station have been clamoring for more Hera and Sabine centric episodes. We’ve learned a lot about Kanan and Ezra, had an episode that featured Zeb prominently, and even Chopper seems to get more screen time than Sabine. This week it seems that Dave Filoni and company have heard our requests, because we have an episode all about Hera and Sabine! Even more, we learn more about Sabine’s backstory, and it made me like her character even more than I already did. Spoilers under the cut!
Why the Emperor’s Hands Need to be in Rebels
I wasn’t too excited when I first heard that ABC was going to broadcast “Spark of Rebellion” with a new Darth Vader scene added in. Sure, I love Vader as much as the next Star Wars fan, but it seemed like selling out to me. I wanted him to show up in Rebels, but only as the trump card — similar to Darth Sidious finally showing up in the Season 5 Maul arc of The Clone Wars. When Darth Vader shows up, you should know shit has gotten real.
As it turned out, the scene didn’t add much; it was just Vader giving orders to the Inquisitor. I thought the episode worked fine with or without the scene. But now, after seeing “Rise of the Old Masters” and “Breaking Ranks,” I wish this scene had been included in the pilot film the beginning, because it has vast ramifications for the future of the Empire and its Force users. Spoilers under the cut!