Rebels Review: "A Princess on Lothal"

By: Dominic Jones

After a mid-season break--that just so happened to coincide with the release of The Force Awakens in theaters--Star Wars Rebels returned with a bang this week.  From the moment early in the episode when The Ghost arrived, guns a-blazing, to rescue our trapped heroes it was clear we were in for a treat.  The episode, "A Princess on Lothal", introduced us to a younger Princess Leia than we knew in A New Hope and laid some solid groundwork for this rest of this season.

Since the announcement of Rebels back in 2013, one of my hopes for the series was that it include Leia in some capacity, and the series delivered on that in a big way this week.  Of all the legacy characters Rebels has introduced over its season and a half Leia was by far the biggest risk.  As one of the main characters of the Star Wars films, Leia's appearance had to be handled with extreme care.  We've always known of Leia's history as a double agent, serving Alderaan in the Imperial senate while secretly supporting and organizing the Rebellion that would one day topple the Empire.  Rebels managed to walk the line perfectly, showing Leia transitioning seamlessly between her Imperial guise and her true rebel self.

The episode also did an excellent job at showing that the Empire is already beginning to distrust Leia, Bail, and Alderaan in general.  It's clear in A New Hope that neither Vader nor Tarkin nor anybody else in the Empire truly believes that Leia is just "a member of the Imperial Senate, on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan".  In this episode, we learn that Leia's ships have a history of falling into Rebel hands, feeding the Empire's distrust of her.  Leia's ability to avoid getting caught in the web of treason she is spinning through her ingenuity shows why Tarkin was so keen to order her termination  aboard the Death Star.

The other thing this episode does so well is to showcase Leia’s abilities as a leader who can inspire those around her, both in a military sense and personally.  We this time and again throughout the episode.  We see her inspire the down-on-their-luck crew of The Ghost to put their heads together and come up with a plan to steal back her ships from the Empire.  Also, her conversation with Ezra serves as an in-universe pre-cursor to her conversation with Finn at the Resistance base in The Force Awakens.  Ezra, like Finn, was at a difficult turning point in his life, having learned the fate of his parents in the last episode, losing one of his key motivations for being a Rebel.  In The Force Awakens, Finn was at a similar turning point having turned his back on The First Order only to immediately lose one of the first people to ever truly care for him, Rey.  In both instances, Leia was able to help these lost souls find new purpose in life and inspire them to join her cause.

Speaking of Ezra, I was glad to see that Rebels took the time this week to show him still grieving over the loss of his parents.  The deaths of Mira and Emphraim Bridger were such a focal point of the mid-season finale, "Legacy", that it would have seemed wrong for Ezra to immediately go back to his usual self.  Instead, the episode takes the time to let Ezra have moments of sadness as he works to come to terms with this news.  However, we know how loss of family can effect a Jedi.  The death of Shmi Skywalker in Attack of the Clones led to Anakin Skywalker taking one of his first major steps towards the Dark Side.  The moment where Ezra sees his reflection in the Cadet helmet he's holding felt like an ominous bit of foreshadowing.  Not that I expect Ezra will join the Empire per se, but rather that there is darkness in his future.  This may not be what the show intended this moment to be, but after seeing the mid-season trailer last week it's hard not to think darkness may be in store for young Ezra.

"A Princess on Lothal" once again showed the Rebels gaining a new ally in the fight against the Empire.   Ryder Azoti, the former governor of Lothal we met in "Legacy", joined the growing ranks of secondary characters who have allied themselves with the Rebellion after meeting the crew of The Ghost.  Ryder’s initial hesitance, a result of spending time in an Imperial prison, had me believing he would die, sacrificing himself for the Rebellion and so that the Bridger's son could live on.  Instead, I was pleased to see that he made it out of this week alive and could potentially becoming a recurring character on the series.  It has long been suspected that there is more to Lothal than meets the eye, and Ryder could serve as a means to further explore this mystery.

The humor in this episode was well done, and appropriate given the circumstances.  Zeb "making it look good" by knocking out a disguised Ezra and Kanan, as well as Leia's banter with the Imperial officer whose ship she always needed to borrow, helped to break the tension with moments of levity in an otherwise dark episode.  "A Princess on Lothal" is the first time this season where I feel that Rebels really managed to strike the perfect balance between action, dark intensity, quieter character moments, and humor.  The episode was so well paced, nothing felt rushed or too drawn out.  Every moment was allowed to breathe, while still driving the action forward.

My only nitpicks about this episode are minor things.  First, we know stormtroopers are legendary for their bad aim but the fact that they missed Ryder and Chopper several times while they were disabling the gravity locks with no cover and no return fire was a new low for the Imperial troops.  The other thing, and this is not so much a criticism of the episode as it is something I just would have liked to see, is that we didn't get any real interaction between Leia and Hera.  We know they spent time together off screen, Sabine refers to this in dialogue, but I would have loved to see Hera, a true believer in the Rebel cause, and Leia, one of the leaders of the Rebellion, interact.  However, as discussed above, the pacing in this episode was just about perfect and squeezing in a scene like this would have likely lead to the episode feeling rushed.

"A Princess on Lothal" represents a return to greatness for Star Wars Rebels.  The episode was an example of the show at its best, with characters old and new offering something fresh to the story.  Hopefully the series can carry this momentum forward for the final nine episodes of Season Two.  On its own, "A Princess on Lothal" was just about everything I hoped it would be and stands out as one of the best episodes of the series thus far.

Score: 9.5/10

You can follow me on Twitter: @DominicJ25

Check out my reviews for the first half of Season Two here.

This article is an opinion piece and represents the views of the writer, and not the entire Star Wars Underworld organization.

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Rebels Review: "Legacy"

By: Dominic Jones

The first half of Season Two of Star Wars Rebels wrapped up last night with the episode "Legacy", ending on an emotional note for Ezra.  The episode finally resolved the mystery of Ezra's parents, and provided some of the most poignant scenes to date on the series.

The strength of the episode lies in the performances of Taylor Gray, Freddie Prinze Jr., and Clancy Brown as Ezra, Kanan, and Ryder Azadi, the former governor of Lothal and friend to Mira and Ephraim Bridger.  The script contained some very heavy material and, to the show's credit, there was no attempt to undercut it with a witty line from Zeb or some Chopper antics.  Instead, the actors and characters were given a chance to shine as they dealt with the reality that Ezra's parents are dead.

The reveal of Ezra's parents’ death was surprising given the hints that had been laid over the past season and a half that there was more to their disappearance.  However, having them survive until recently was a nice twist on a classic scenario.  The fact that they got to hear Ezra's message of hope to the people of Lothal in last season's "Call to Action" adds extra significance to an already important scene.  Also, by revealing that Ezra's parents are dead the show sent a strong message: sometimes good guys die.

The audience are reminded that the characters are dealing with real stakes and not everyone gets a happy ending.  The flashback scene in which Ezra remembers his parents sent an equally strong and equally important message about the importance of honoring the memory of those that have gone before.  For Ezra, this means continuing the fight against the Empire, knowing that his parents died in that same struggle because they believed in the cause, and in a better future for the galaxy.

Commenting about this in "Rebels Recon" this week, series writer Henry Gilroy said that they wanted to avoid repeating Luke's story by making Ezra's goal simply to reunite with or discover the truth about his parents.  Allowing Ezra to know the truth about his parents’ fate opens up different story possibilities, giving him yet another driving motivation to want to help bring down the Empire. The way the show handled Ezra's parents in this episode was strong, and freed the series of that storyline without cheapening it.

The second half of this week’s instalment, which focused entirely on Kanan and Ezra, was the highlight of the episode.  It was a daring choice by the series to end the first half of the Season on an emotional beat rather than in a blaze of action, as in  Season One which went into it's winter break with a massive showdown between Ezra, Kanan, and the Grand Inquisitor.

The character of Ryder Azadi was an interesting addition this week.  As the former governor of Lothal and a Rebel sympathizer, it will be interesting to see where he finds his place within the Rebellion, if he even chooses to join.  In "Legacy" his role was simply as messenger for the news of Ezra's parents but, based on the previews, it looks like he'll be more involved when the show returns in January.  Perhaps he'll reveal something new about Lothal, such as why the Empire has such interest in this backwater world, or possibly what it is that Minister Tua was going to tell the Rebels about the Empire’s true purpose on Lothal before her death in "The Siege of Lothal".  What excites me most about Ryder is the possibility that he may open up some plotlines that have been on the back burner this season.

The pacing of this episode, however, was a bit of a weak point.  So much exposition needed to be crammed into the first half of the episode, along with an Imperial Invasion separate Kanan and Ezra from the rest of the Rebels this week.  The Ezra's parents plot line had been a throughline for Season One, but wasn't something that had been dealt with, or even mentioned, at all during Season Two.  As a result, a lot needed to be packed into the first few minutes of the episode to establish where Ezra’s parents were.  There was definitely a rush by the show to get back to Lothal, so the invasion of Garel didn't carry the weight it really needed.

These opening moments of the episode seem to be symptomatic of the lack of a clear overarching plot line that has plagued this season.  While the writing crew laid out what they believe are the key plot points of the Season in this week’s Rebels Recon -- the search for a Rebel base and the eventual showdown between Ahsoka Tano and Darth Vader -- unfortunately, the stand alone nature of the episodes of the season’s first half resulted in those storylines lacking in any real sense of urgency.  Hopefully, when the show returns in January and these storylines draw nearer to their conclusion we'll get more of a sense of what has really been driving this season.

Overall, "Legacy" was an emotional way to end the first half of Season Two.  It was a bold decision to end on tragedy, rather than action or triumph.  The back half of the episode gave the actors a chance to shine, while ending a long running story arc in an unexpected way that sets up Ezra nicely for the future.  While the pacing of the episode and the lack of build up to this particular plot line this season led to the first half of the episode feeling rushed, the second half showed us what the show is truly capable of when dealing the realities of war and the tragedy that comes with it.

Score: 8/10

You can follow me on Twitter: @DominicJ25

This article is an opinion piece and represents the views of the writer, and not the entire Star Wars Underworld organization.

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Rebels Review: "Stealth Strike"

By: Dominic Jones

Star Wars Rebels continued its string of solid episodes this week with "Stealth Strike".  "Stealth Strike" picked up on the relationship between Kanan and Captain Rex, something that had been put to the back burner for the past few weeks.  The episode saw Kanan and Rex going undercover to rescue Ezra, Sato and other members of Phoenix Squadron and, in doing so, helping them move on in their relationship.

In a season that has been largely devoid of an overarching plot line, the Kanan and Rex relationship is one of the few aspects that can be traced over multiple episodes.  When this week’s episode begins, the initial tension we saw between them in the season opening two-parter has not subsided and Kanan still has difficulty trusting Rex.  Rex, for his part, works to gain the trust of Kanan and his self sacrifice in this episode seems to do just that.

Rex's decision to surrender himself to the Empire was a good way to reinforce his commitment to the Rebellion.  Though fans of The Clone Wars may trust Rex implicitly, it's important to remember that the characters in the show (and new fans to Star Wars animation) may not.  The line between Clone Trooper and Stormtrooper became very blurred when the Republic fell and the Empire rose, and the average person in the galaxy likely doesn't know the difference.  By having Rex reject an offer to return to a life in the white armor, the show is sending a strong message to the characters, and the audience, that he can be trusted.

The scene at the end of the episode where Kanan and Rex salute each other seems to indicate a mutual trust established and a turning point in their relationship.  Kanan going back for Rex and seeing him flatly reject the Imperial Officer's deal, offered enough proof to Kanan that he could finally count on Rex.  But now the question is what will their relationship become?  While the distrust is gone, I wouldn't expect (or want) the banter between them to go away any time soon.  Kanan and Rex still disagree fundamentally on major issues surrounding military procedure and the Rebellion as a whole, even if the animosity that had existed early this season has dissipated.

Ezra was also given a chance to shine this week, though he was definitely secondary to Rex and Kanan.  "Stealth Strike" gave us a chance to see just how far Ezra has come in his Jedi training, both from a purely technical standpoint, in the way he takes down stormtroopers, and from an ethical standpoint, avoiding killing troopers when he doesn't have to.  Gone are the days of Ezra accidentally tapping into the Dark Side of the Force as we saw early in Season One.  We now see a young Jedi who is a significant asset to the Rebellion.

It was a fun move having Ezra call himself "Jabba the Hutt" any time he was captured be the giveaway of his true identity, and it's interesting to see how much notoriety our Rebels have within the Empire.  The episode also did a much better job at handling Ezra’s need to get away from Rex and Kanan than "Brothers of the Broken Horn" did a few weeks back, by having him go on a mission with Commander Sato rather than just taking off.

"Stealth Strike" was also the best use of Chopper in recent weeks.  Chopper was still his usual, funny self--showing the recording of Ezra stunning them to Rex and Kanan after they woke up was a laugh out loud moment, in addition to making a key contribution to the story.  What worked so well about Chopper is that his antics never overshadowed the drama of the episode and only broke the tension of the story when necessary.

By introducing Brom Titus, a new Imperial Officer, the series is able to take some pressure off Agent Kallus.  Kallus has been a challenge for the show this season, as the creators seem to be unsure what to do with him.  But introducing characters like Brom Titus, although he was a pretty bland character, the show no longer needs to have Kallus facing off against the Rebels every week.  When Kallus was losing to our heroes on a weekly basis it was hard to take him seriously.  By having other Imperial Officers face off against the Rebels, the show can work to re-establish Kallus as a credible threat.  Space between Kallus encounters ensures that when he does meet the Rebels he will be better prepared and allows him to appear as an intimidating outsider who is above other Imperials.

Overall "Stealth Strike" was a strong instalment of Star Wars Rebels.  It concluded the Kanan/Rex mistrust arc in a satisfactory way and gave us a good look at how far Ezra has come over the course of the series. The action was solid, the banter worked well, and for the first time in a while the episode felt like it was building on something that had been set up earlier in the season.

Score: 9/10

You can follow me on Twitter: @DominicJ25

This article is an opinion piece and represents the views of the writer, and not the entire Star Wars Underworld organization.

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Rebels Review: 'Blood Sisters'

By: Dominic Jones

Star Wars Rebels Season Two is making good on its promise to explore the backstories of the main characters.  Last week was Hera, and this week Sabine took center stage giving us a glimpse into her bounty hunter past in the form of her old friend Ketsu Onyo.  The episode was also unique in that it focused almost entirely on one of our heroes, with a couple of main characters being completely absent from the story.

"Blood Sisters" is considerably lighter in tone than the previews for the episode would have had you believe.  This was due in large part to Chopper tagging along on this mission.  The main struggle this episode had was balancing the tone of Chopper's antics with the tense reunion between Sabine and Ketsu.  While the comedy in the episode generally worked, at times it undercut Sabine and Ketsu's interaction and I worry that it may have overshadowed what was a really interesting story.

An interesting aspect of this week’s instalment was that, for the first time on Rebels, we had main characters sit out the entire episode.  By giving Kanan and Zeb the week off, and limiting Hera and Ezra's roles, "Blood Sisters" was able to focus solely on one character, Sabine.  Even in past episodes where one character took the lead (last week's "Wings of the Master" springs to mind with Hera) the other main characters still played a role in the story.  By isolating Sabine, the show avoided distractions, and allowed us to focus entirely on Sabine confronting her past.

Ketsu Onyo is a nice addition to the Rebels roster of characters.  In some ways she reminds me of Zare Leonis from Season One, in that I expect we'll see her again eventually, but first she's going off to have some adventures on her own.  Also, like Zare, Ketsu’s friendly to the Rebels cause at the end of the episode but not completely ready to sign up for the Rebellion just yet.  Much like Hondo did for Ezra a few weeks ago, Ketsu represents the path not taken for Sabine.  It is through these interactions we see the impact of Hera, Kanan, and the rest of the Rebels on Sabine and just how committed to the cause she really is.

Rebels barely scratched the surface of Sabine's past in Season One, but we can see she has already come a long way from where she was then, when she was having difficulty trusting Hera.  This episode expanded on the trust issues Sabine was having in Season One--being left for dead by your only friend will do that to a person!  That being said, there is still plenty more of Sabine's story left to be told-- for example, exactly what happened on Mandalore that made Sabine and Ketsu break out of the Academy?  But what we got this week adds some interesting layers to Sabine's character and gives us some more insight into who she truly is.

Ketsu and Sabine's first meeting was a fun homage to the gunslingers of old Westerns, right down to the music and the shots of Sabine's hand hovering over her holster while they circled each other.  Star Wars has often been called a Western in space, with bounty hunters in particular representing the gunslingers, so to have such a direct nod made for a cool sequence.

Ultimately, my issue with this week’s episode is the same problem that has plagued the season so far: the lack of an overarching story.  Season One had several story lines--the crew of The Ghost's exposure to the larger Rebellion being the main one, and the mystery surrounding Ezra's parents being another.  Season Two just doesn't have a clear through line yet; all of the episodes have been stand-alone and don't seem to be building to anything in particular.  Yes, we had the scene at the end of this week’s episode where Sabine delivers EG-86 to R2-D2 but without knowing the significance of what EG was carrying, this scene lacks the weight it needs.  Bail Organa showing up at the end of the second episode of Season One was a big deal because it was promise of things to come.  But now that our heroes are actively working for the larger Rebellion, delivering intel to Alliance higher ups, while still cool, feels somewhat routine.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be exploring the pasts of our heroes but I'd like to see a little more direction as to where the story is going.  Part of the greatness of the Season One finale "Fire Across the Galaxy" was that it felt like a culmination of something we had been building to all season.  Hopefully, as the current season progresses it will become clear as to how all of what we've seen so far is building to something else, but right now I'm just not seeing it.

Overall, "Blood Sisters" is another solid instalment of Star Wars Rebels.  The character of Ketsu is a strong addition to the cast, and someone I look forward to seeing more of down the line.  The introduction of a character from Sabine's past not only gives us a glimpse into what happened to her before the series, but also helps to show how committed she is to the Rebellion.  Where the episode stumbles is in its over-reliance on humor from Chopper and the season's lack of an overarching plot.  Fortunately, neither of those issues overshadowed the character moments for Sabine in the episode.

Score: 8/10

You can follow me on Twitter: @DominicJ25

This article is an opinion piece and represents the views of the writer, and not the entire Star Wars Underworld organization.

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Rebels Review: 'Wings of the Master'

By: Dominic Jones

After a bit of a stumble last time, Star Wars Rebels seems to be back on track this week with "Wings of the Master".  The episode focuses on Hera and her love of flying, giving us some much needed backstory on The Ghost's pilot and new leader of Phoenix Squadron.

The episode centers around the Rebels’ mission to deliver supplies to a planet blockaded by the Empire.  When the first attempt at delivering supplies fails, Rex gives the Rebels the name of a ship builder who might be able to help them out.  Hera, Sabine, and Zeb take off to meet the shipmaker, Quarrie (whose name is nice nod to legendary Star Wars concept artist Ralph McQuarrie), and meanwhile Kanan, Eza, Rex, and Chopper pick up more supplies to attempt another run.

Back in Season One, we saw the Rebels go out of their way to directly help people on a regular basis, but it’s not something that we’ve seen much of in Season Two--until this week.  I'll admit I was surprised at how much I've missed this aspect of the show, which overall this season has suffered from a lack of focus.  Once the crew of The Ghost joined Phoenix Squadron, it seemed that a lot of the urgency to help the citizens of the Empire--that we had seen so much of on Lothal in Season One--was missing.  This week brought it back.  I don't know if the overall focus problem that this season has seemed to have will be completely solved by just helping people throughout the galaxy, but for one week at least it felt like the Rebels had more purpose, particularly in comparison to the last two episodes.

After most storylines ground to a complete halt last week, this week the show began, in small ways, to pick back up some old threads established in Season One, perhaps getting ready to bring them to the forefront in coming weeks.  Two of these  that stood out to me were Zeb mentioning his disdain for Agent Kallus, and Sabine actually referring to herself as a Mandalorian (something I don't recall her doing before).  While  neither really tells us anything new, we are reminded that these stories are out there,  and hopefully this means we'll be seeing them developed sooner rather than later.  (And if the preview for next week's episode is any indication, it looks like we'll be picking up Sabine's story right away).

But getting into the meat of the episode: to say that Hera had been underused this season would be an understatement.  Of all the main characters, Hera is the one we know the least about, so getting a look into her backstory--however fleeting--was tantalizing.  We know that Hera is the daughter of Cham Syndulla, of The Clone Wars and Lords of the Sith fame, but other than that her story has been kept mysterious.  This week’s episode gave us a few hints about her past, but it also raised some even bigger questions about how Hera got where she is and what her current relationship is with her family.  

The twist at the end -- Hera being named the leader of Phoenix Squadron -- was an interesting decision by the show.  Hera has always been more involved with the larger Rebellion than any other character, even going back to Season One when she was the only one who knew about Fulcrum.  Now, however, she has taken on a military rank within the Rebellion, something no other main character has done.  It will be interesting to see how this changes Hera's role on the series and what impact it will have on the other characters.

The scenes of Hera flying the B-Wing were some of the most beautiful sequences in the series.  Not only were there stunning visuals, but Kevin Kiner's work on the score was fantastic.  The music in the scene had a very Disney-esque vibe to it, in a good a way!  It captured Hera's sense of pure joy at flying and the freedom soaring the sky offers her.  

Quarrie was also a strong addition this week.  He could have easily come across as the over-the-top Mon Cala who designs spaceships, but the show did an excellent job of giving him more depth.  Like Hondo last week, this does feel like a bit of a one-and-done character for the show, which would be a shame.  That being said, with him now working for the Rebels, the door does remain open for a return.

Overall, "Wings of the Master" was a solid episode, getting us back on course after last week’s disappointing effort.  The episode put us back in the familiar position of having our heroes actively looking to undermine the Empire by helping those it oppresses.  Giving Hera center spotlight helped give the episode a fresh feeling, and the ending sets up lots of potential for drama down the line.

Score: 7.5/10

You can follow me on Twitter: @DominicJ25

This article is an opinion piece and represents the views of the writer, and not the entire Star Wars Underworld organization.

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Rebels Review: 'Brothers of the Broken Horn'

By: Dominic Jones

This week's episode of Star Wars Rebels brought fan favorite Hondo Ohnaka from Star Wars: The Clone Wars into the mix.  "Brothers of the Broken Horn" features Ezra teaming up with Hondo as he struggles with fully adapting to his life as a Jedi.  The episode is considerably lighter in tone than any other episode this season, however it ultimately fell flat in terms of drama and advancing the major story lines of the show.

Let's start with the positives: Hondo is back!  Hondo became a favorite of many during the run of The Clone Wars, myself included, and he did not disappoint in his return.  Although the years have not been kind to Hondo, he is still very much the same old pirate we knew from The Clone Wars, always trying to scheme his way into the best deal, often resorting to less than virtuous means, but never actually being a good guy or bad guy.  Once again, Jim Cummings did an excellent job of voicing Hondo, adding some subtle signs of aging to the familiar voice.  As great as it was to see Hondo again, this felt like a one and done appearance by the character on Rebels, particularly when Hondo's conversation with Ezra at the end suggested he felt Ezra was on the right path and there was nothing more he could do for him.  That being said, we have seen Jedi go to Hondo when they were in need of help with underground dealings, so it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for the show to bring him back.  But for now, it looks like Rebels is done with Hondo Ohnaka.

On the flip side, however, there's Azmorigan - the crime lord we first met in Season One's "Idiot's Array".  Azmorigan definitely still has unfinished dealings with the Rebels, which sadly means we'll have to see more of him.  The show has yet to find a way to make Azmorigan feel like a real threat to the crew of the Ghost, and he usually comes off as an over the top cartoon bad guy.  While Hondo's story appears to be done, it appears there are still chapters left in Azmorigan's.  The guy clearly holds a grudge against our heroes after their showdown in Season One, and all signs point to another showdown.  I just hope that next time, there's a little more substance to it.

"Brothers of the Broken Horn" focuses almost entirely on Ezra, with pretty much the rest of the crew, except Chopper, being sidelined for the majority of the episode.  The episode concentrates on Ezra's feeling overwhelmed by his responsibilities as a Jedi/Rebel in training, after getting lectured by both Kanan and Rex at the start of the episode.  To Ezra, Hondo represents a different path in life, one more like the one he was on before meeting the Rebels.  What's odd about this story, is that it feels out of place.  It could have worked much better early in Season One, but at this point, Ezra seems far too committed to the Jedi path to be experiencing such reluctance.  Once Ezra entered the Jedi temple on Lothal and communed with Yoda, you wouldn’t think he’d be doubting his path and  I doubt Yoda would have granted Ezra his lightsaber crystal if he had this much self doubt.

Ezra’s realization at the end of this episode felt like a lesson we'd already learned before.  That's not to say there isn't any reason for Ezra to need some time away to figure things out--just this season, he barely survived confrontations with Darth Vader and two new Inquisitors, not to mention his final meeting with the Grand Inquisitor in the Season One finale.  There's plenty of reasons Ezra might be feeling overwhelmed and need to get away.  Unfortunately, in this episode he just comes across as a bratty kid who doesn't want to go to (Jedi/soldier) school or clean his room (well, ship in this case).

The other major player in this week's episode was Cikatro Vizago, making his first appearance in Season Two.  In Season One, Vizago seemed in many ways to be the Rebels version of Hondo --not good, not bad, only interested in profit--so it was interesting to see the two interact (I loved that both of them hated the "perfectly fair deal" Ezra came up with).  Ultimately, the biggest problem with Vizago in this episode is that he called in the favor Ezra owed him from last season.  This felt like a waste of an intriguing plot device which could have made for a more interesting episode down the road.

There was also a significant shift in tone this week.  I understand the need for lighthearted episodes to break the tension every once in awhile,  and we were just coming off a stretch of intense episodes stemming from the end of Season One.  But Rebels has been hit and miss with its funny episodes--"Fighter Flight" worked well early last season, but "Idiot's Array" is easily the show's weakest episode.  "Brothers of the Broken Horn" falls somewhere in between, mostly because it felt out of place this season.  There were some laugh out loud lines this week from Hondo, and Chopper wielding two blasters while racing across the hangar on his middle wheel was spectacular.  Hondo was also a far better choice for a guest star to provide some laughs, especially when compared to the way the show grossly mishandled Lando last season.

Ultimately "Brothers of the Broken Horn" falls flat.  While it was great to see Hondo again, and there were some great comedic moments, it fails to move any of the larger stories along or teach anything new about the characters.  The Ezra plot felt like a non-issue and something that could and should have been dealt with much sooner.  In a galaxy full of Inquisitors, ISB agents, bounty hunters, and Sith Lords, a one-off romp with Ezra, Chopper, and Hondo needed to offer more than it did when it comes to character and story arcs.

Score: 4/10

You can follow me on Twitter: @DominicJ25

This article is an opinion piece and represents the views of the writer, and not the entire Star Wars Underworld organization.

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Rebels Review: 'Always Two There Are'

By: Dominic Jones

With Halloween coming up this weekend, Star Wars Rebels aired an appropriately eerie episode this week in "Always Two There Are".  Much like this summer's movie event/Season Two premiere, "The Siege of Lothal", "Always Two There Are" sets about to show the audience the ways in which the events at the end of Season One changed the playing field for the series.  The Grand Inquisitor may be gone, but he's been replaced by two new Inquisitors, The Fifth Brother and The Seventh Sister, who see this as their opportunity to rise through the ranks and impress their master, Darth Vader.

The Fifth Brother was introduced at the end of last week's episode, but we got a much better sense of who he is this week, especially when compared to The Seventh Sister (voiced by Sarah Michelle Gellar).  You get the sense that the Fifth Brother may be more powerful than the Seventh Sister, however it is clear that what the Seventh Sister lacks in power she makes up for in intelligence.  The Seventh Sister definitely stole the show this week: her interactions with both Ezra and the Fifth Brother conveyed a sense of confidence, and she spoke as though she knew she was the smartest one in the room.  The relationship between the two Inquisitors was classic Dark Side--working together while also trying to gain the upper hand against the other and stab them in the back (figuratively or literally).  It's clear that the vacuum left by the Grand Inquisitor’s death has led to a race to the top among the other Inquisitors, each vying to win the role as Darth Vader's go to guy.

On the heroes side the kids took center stage this week--not that this was a "kiddie" episode by any means.  Ezra, Sabine and Zeb were the main focus of the story, while the older characters--Kanan, Hera, and Rex--sat out most of this episode.  "Always Two There Are" gave us a chance to see the way Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb work without the safety net of Kanan and Hera. Ezra’s willingness to sacrifice himself for Sabine and Zeb offered a nice juxtaposition to "Spark of Rebellion", when Hera had to convince him to put his life at risk for others--showing how far he's come since the series began.  It was also interesting to see how both Ezra and Sabine dealt with being captured, as both seemed willing to lay down their lives for the cause.

Zeb really got a chance to shine in this episode.  His monologue to Chopper about saving Ezra and Sabine showed us the more heroic Zeb we don't get to see nearly enough.  Too often Zeb gets cast in the role of comic relief, getting angry with Chopper and/or Ezra and chasing them until someone falls over and/or crashes into something (which still happened this week, unfortunately).  It can be easy to forget that Zeb was a member of the honor guard on his planet, but in moments like his speech to Chopper we get a glimpse into what he was like before joining the Rebels.

That’s not to say all of Zeb’s comic relief in this episode was bad.  Him getting stuck trying to get into the Ventilation shaft, as well as the return of "Commander Meiloorun", worked quite well and came at the right point of the story.  Unlike Zeb’s race with Ezra, these scenes helped break some of the tension in the episode and added in some much needed humor in what was otherwise an incredibly dark episode.

Much like last week, the final scene was a standout moment in the episode, as the kids return and report on what they saw.  The information that there are more Inquisitors out there has a devastating impact on Kanan.  While Kanan claims he didn't know there were more Inquisitors, his body language suggests he knows more than he's letting on.  This news would have a major impact on all involved, but Kanan seems more affected than anyone else.  Granted, he was tortured at the hands of the Grand Inquisitor last season--that would leave a scar on anyone--but I can't help thinking that there was more to his reaction.

The only real negatives for me this week were pretty minor.   As I mentioned already, Zeb and Ezra's race to find the medical supplies didn't really add much to the episode.  Also, why was the Seventh Sister just hanging out on an abandoned Republic Medical station?  That seemed just a bit too convenient (or will it turn out that the Rebel fleet has an Imperial spy in their midst--which could lead to some exciting stories down the line).

Much like the last two weeks, "Always Two There Are" seemed to be focused on introducing new players while simultaneously rearranging the board to set the stage for what's still to come this season.  The revelation that the Inquisitors know about Ahsoka hints again at the inevitable reunion between the apprentice who walked away and the master who fell to the dark side.  The Rebels team have been hinting at this for months, now it's just a matter of how and when.

All in all, this was my favorite episode of Season Two thus far (not counting "The Siege of Lothal").  The creepy tone of the episode was a nice shift from what we got in the past two weeks.  It was also great to see Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb on mission of their own, and to be introduced to new threats for our heroes to deal with as the season goes on.  "Always Two There Are" does an excellent job of introducing new elements to the show, while giving us another look at some of our favorites.

Score: 9/10

You can follow me on Twitter: @DominicJ25

This article is an opinion piece and represents the views of the writer, and not the entire Star Wars Underworld organization.

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Rebels Review: 'Relics of the Old Republic'

By: Dominic Jones

This week's episode of Star Wars Rebels saw Jedi fighting alongside Clones again.  Just like on The Clone Wars - "just like the old days" as Rex would say.  'Relics of the Old Republic' was--in many ways--a tribute to the gone but not forgotten animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which ran from 2008-2014 and introduced us to the clones Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor who all appeared in this episode.  Not that I'm complaining.  The episode was filled with little Easter eggs for fans of The Clone Wars, from Rex talking about his Jedi general, to comparing clone troopers to stormtroopers (which, granted, wasn't something explored on the show but was discussed at length by many fans), to nods to 79 - the Clone bar on Coruscant.  It was a nice tip of the cap from the crew (many of whom worked on The Clone Wars) to the fans.

The episode itself was a significant improvement on last week's "The Lost Commanders," which suffered from the fact that there was more story in the two-parter than could fit in one episode, but not enough to fill two episodes, leaving time to be filled (enter the Joopa).  But that was last week. This week picked up the story from where we left off (the Empire answering Wolffe's call for help and our heroes teaming up with the clones to fight them off), while simultaneously giving us another milestone in Ezra's Jedi training as he used the Force to take down the AT-AT.  And, even though they were sidelined throughout most of this episode, there was some great interaction between Hera and Chopper (and one the best uses of Chopper’s arms to date!)

“Relics of the Old Republic” has some fantastic visuals--the sequence in the dust storm stood out in particular.  It was very striking to see only the silhouettes of the AT-ATs, the AT-TE, and  Ezra and Sabine as they manned the gun.  My one complaint about  this sequence was that  the music undercut the tension in the scene.  It's rare that the music in Star Wars would seem unnecessary, but in this scene it seemed to me that  the tension would have been heightened with just the sound of the wind, the dust, and the vehicles.

The episode also did an excellent job of showing the beginnings of a growing trust between Kanan and Rex.  It looks like the series is playing the long game here, which I think is the right way to go.  It wouldn't make sense for Kanan, who experienced betrayal at the hands of the Clone troopers during Order 66, to immediately trust them again.  The trailers for the rest of Season two show that Kanan still maintains a level of mistrust towards Rex, and that this will be revisited at least once more.  Rex, on the other hand, seems very eager to work with Kanan and to have the Jedi trust him.  From the way Rex tells Ezra about his time serving with Anakin during the Clone Wars, we can tell that he misses those days and wishes he could recapture the spirit of that time.  It's clear that he sees serving with Kanan and Ezra as a second chance - a way back to his glory days, serving alongside the Jedi.

(Side note: If you're not reading the Kanan: The Last Padawan comic series from Marvel, you should definitely pick it up.  It tells the story of what happened to Kanan when Order 66 was called and immediately afterwards.  It's a great read and gives some interesting background to these episodes.)

There were some equally interesting developments on the Imperial side this episode.  Poor Agent Kallus--this guy just can't get a win!  Kallus has been ineffective when going up against the Lothal Rebels since the Grand Inquisitor's arrival last season.  His only victories have come when his superiors, specifically Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin, are around.  This week was a new low for Kallus, as Admiral Constantine abandoned him on the planet (though whether or not there was any malice intended towards Kallus on Constantine's part is debatable -- after all he'd just gotten a call from Darth freakin' Vader!)  Hopefully this embarrassment will help light a fire in Kallus, so that next time we see him, he's out for blood.  I do hope the show is able to turn Kallus' character around, because right now he seems to be running on borrowed time.  In some ways it feels like he is only still around to have a rematch with Zeb (their first encounter in "Droids in Distress" was a standout moment from Season One).  But surely no one in their right mind would want to kill off a character voiced by David Oyelowo unless they really had to!

The introduction of the Fifth Brother, one of the new Inquisitors hunting the Rebels this season, was an interesting surprise at the end.  I feel that Constantine was speaking for the audience when he told the Fifth Brother he was expecting Darth Vader himself to show up.  And who can blame him (or us)?  It did seem like we were being set up for an appearance by the dark lord of the Sith.  Regardless, I'm looking forward to seeing what the Fifth Brother (and Seventh Sister) bring to the table next week.  (Fun fact!  The StarWars.com episode guide revealed that The Fifth Brother’s design was based on an unused concept developed for The Force Awakens.  This has no bearing on the episode, I just think it's really cool!)

And finally, how can we not talk about the final scene?  The reunion of Ahsoka and Rex -- two characters who defined The Clone Wars era of Star Wars -- back together on screen, they did exactly what we wanted them to: share a laugh and a hug.  In this moment, these two characters, who have been through so much since we last saw them, reverted to their old selves.  Even the animation of Ahsoka evoked her younger self in a way it hadn't during her previous appearances on Rebels.  And the dialogue was perfect.

Overall, this was a stellar episode of Star Wars Rebels.  Seeing the Clones back in action was moving, especially when it seemed as if they were going to make their final stand so that our new heroes could get away.  The character motivation and development in this episode was spot on and set up some interesting scenarios for later in the season.  And the final scene, which could easily  have come across as cheesy fan service, was executed to perfection.

Score: 9/10

You can follow me on Twitter: @DominicJ25

This article is an opinion piece and represents the views of the writer, and not the entire Star Wars Underworld organization.

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Rebels Review: 'The Lost Commanders'

By: Dominic Jones

The second season of Star Wars Rebels kicked off last night (for real this time)  with "The Lost Commanders."  The episode picks up where we left off after "The Siege of Lothal," with the Rebels dealing with the ramifications of their encounter with Darth Vader.  The episode also saw the return of some fan favorites from The Clone Wars, with clone Captain Rex, and Commanders Wolffe and Gregor making their debut on the series.

It would be unfair to compare this episode to this summer's movie event/Season Two premiere "The Siege of Lothal."  "The Lost Commanders" is not "The Siege of Lothal" and is not really supposed to be.  "The Siege of Lothal" was about tearing our heroes down from the heights they reached in the Season One finale "Fire Across the Galaxy."  It was a solemn reminder that this era of Star Wars is almost entirely devoid of hope.  A small victory by the Rebels is met with the Emperor dispatching Darth Vader to remind the Rebels, and the population of Lothal, what can happen when you stand up to the Empire.

"The Lost Commanders," on the other hand, is about rebuilding - or at least starting to rebuild.  We see that both in the form of the Rebels trying to regroup and form a secret base after the empire took out their command ship.  We also see that in Ezra and Rex beginning to rebuild the trust that once existed between the Jedi and the clones.

The interactions between Kanan, Ezra, and Rex were the standout moments from the episode.  We get to explore the aftermath of Order 66 on personal levels from both the Jedi and clone perspective, with Ezra serving as a (mostly) unbiased moderator between the two.  The clone perspective was especially interesting as it's something we've never really explored in Star Wars before.  The Jedi perspective, specifically Kanan's, has been explored in books and comics already so it was good to see the other side represented.  It's clear that Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor know that what happened was wrong and Rex in particular shows great regret for how the Clone Wars ended.

Wolffe's reaction was particularly telling about how the clones feel about Order 66.  He cries out "Jedi!  They've come for revenge," when Kanan draw his lightsaber when they first meet.  Clearly there's a sense of wrongdoing on his part, but he doesn't know how to deal with his guilt.  The fact that he even fires a few shots at Kanan before Rex stops him makes me wonder if perhaps his chip wasn't properly removed and the Order 66 programming still exists within him as some sort of first instinct.  This may be a bit of a stretch but Wolffe clearly shows more loyalty towards the Empire than Rex or Gregor.

What was also interesting was the way the episode left it ambiguous as to what Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor actually did following the Clone Wars.  Rex reveals they had their chips removed - a nice call back to season 6 of The Clone Wars- so we know they didn't turn on any of their Jedi (the episode guide on StarWars.com verifies this).  It's also clear that he knows what happened to clones once the empire deemed them unfit for service and he does give the Rebels a few Imperial clearance codes.  This could leave the door open for them to have served as stormtroopers, but it seems more likely that they left the army once their chips were removed (what they might have done after that is anyone's guess).

Gregor's role, however, is where this episode stumbles for me.  Gregor's main purpose seems to be to get Zeb to agree to be bait for the joopa, a massive slug-like creature that lives beneath the planet's surface, turning the rest of the episode into a Jaws tribute.  I love Jaws as much as the next guy, but I'd have rather spent more time exploring Kanan, Ezra, and Rex's reactions to one another than watching the Star Wars equivalent of Deadliest Catch.  I also found it odd that Rex was on board with this plan.  It seemed out of character for Rex (who seemed to be very much the same character we know and love from The Clone Wars) to let Zeb agree to this without knowing exactly what he was getting himself into.

My only other grievance with this episode was the sidelining of Hera for most of it.  She likely could have helped mediate between the clones and Kanan given that, as she says in the episode, she was once saved by clones and Jedi working together.

Ultimately, I'm glad I was able to see this episode at the New York Comic Con screening where next week's episode "Relics of the Old Republic" was screened immediately afterward.  Knowing where some of this is going helps put this episode in perspective.

Creature attacks in Star Wars have never been my favorite aspect, so all the time spent on the joopa is where this episode falls short for me.  That being said, the interaction between Rex and Ezra, as well as Rex and Kanan is what really makes the episode worthwhile.  I'm looking forward to seeing those relationships explored more this season.

Score: 7/10

You can follow me on Twitter: @DominicJ25 

Read my review of the Star Wars Rebels Season 1 blu-ray box set here

This article is an opinion piece and represents the views of the writer, and not the entire Star Wars Underworld organization.

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Review: 'Star Wars Rebels' Season One Blu-Ray Box Set

By: Dominic Jones

With all the excitement about The Force Awakens, and all the hype for "Force Friday" next week, one Star Wars release seems at risk at slipping under the radar.  And that's a shame because Star Wars Rebels Season One on Blu-ray (and DVD), which hits shelves on September 1st, is a worthy pick up for any Star Wars fan.

Season one of Rebels was a strong introduction to new characters and situations that we will hopefully be following for many years to come.  The crew of the starship The Ghost provides a nice cross section of familiar, yet new,  characters and archetypes from the Star Wars galaxy.  While some found the decision to set the majority of first season on the planet Lothal tiresome, I enjoyed the way the team behind Rebels chose to start small and really focus in how the Empire impacted individuals in the galaxy.  I feel it gives characters an emotional grounding as they head out to explore more of the galaxy in season two.  The inclusion of classic characters like Yoda, Grand Moff Tarkin, and Bail Organa, helped give a sense of grandeur to events, solidifying their place as important moments in the Star Wars mythology.

The box set itself features a variation on the season one poster on the cover, and the discs feature the characters Ezra and Sabine.  While it would have been cool to see new art, it's hard to argue with the choice. The episodes themselves look great on Blu-ray.  Much like its predecessor Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the animation quality on Rebels improves as the season goes on (although not quite as drastically).

When it comes to Bonus Features there are four main offerings, "Rebels Infiltrates Star Wars Celebration," "Star Wars Rebels: The Ultimate Guide," "Rebels Season 2: A Look Ahead," and all 14 episodes of "Rebels Recon" from StarWars.com.  The bonus features are entertaining, though I wish some more about the making of Rebels had been included.  "Rebels Recon" is the only feature to give us a behind the scenes look, but that content has been available on YouTube and StarWars.com since the episodes first aired.  Nothing against "Rebels Recon"--those are still fantastic--but a more in depth featurette about the conception of the show, as well as the writing, animating, and post production would have been a nice bonus.

As for the features that are included, they're pretty fun.  The Celebration featurette is especially fun for those of us who were there, giving us a chance to relive the good times of Star Wars Celebration Anaheim, while searching for our friends and ourselves in the crowds.  (Alas, I was nowhere to be found, but SWU team members Jake and Lillian can be spotted if you know where to look).  And, if you couldn't make it to Anaheim, this feature is bound to make you want to hop on a flight to England next July for Celebration Europe 2016.

The "Ultimate Guide" featurette is a 22 minute look back at season one from the point of view of Kanan Jarrus.  Narrated by Freddie Prinze Jr, this is a great way to quickly get caught up on the major events of season one.  It feels like the sort of thing that could air on Disney XD in the lead up to season two, so don't be too surprised if we see it on the schedule this October. 

The look ahead at season two provides some interesting insights into where we'll be going when season two picks up on October 14th.  The featurette begins with Executive Producer Dave Filoni addressing viewers and laying down some hints and teases for stories that will be tackled in season two.  We then see an updated version of the season two trailer which was first debuted at Celebration.  Some of the "The Siege of Lothal" content is removed in favor of new, unaired, material.

My only real complaint about the box set has to do with functionality.  If you don't choose "Play All" at the beginning, when an episode ends, instead of continuing on to the next episode or taking you back to the menu, you are forced to endure several legal warnings.  The other thing that seems odd is that "Spark of Rebellion" is split into two episodes, complete with a "To be continued" title card at the end of the first part.  There's no way to watch "Spark" as one 44-minute episode, despite the fact that it was broadcast as a single episode and also released on DVD as such earlier this year.

All in all the box set is pretty solid.  While it could have used a little more behind the scenes content and some of the functionality is odd, the episodes look fantastic and the bonus features that are included are very enjoyable.  Season one of Rebels is a great introduction to the Disney era, and continues the tradition of high quality Star Wars animation that Star Wars: The Clone Wars began.

Score: 8/10

Got some exciting mail today! Look for my review on @theswu soon! #StarWarsRebels #StarWars

A photo posted by Dominic Jones (@dominicj25) on Aug 26, 2015 at 6:35pm PDT

You can follow me on Twitter: @DominicJ25

This article is an opinion piece and represents the views of the writer, and not the entire Star Wars Underworld organization.

Follow The Star Wars Underworld on Twitter @TheSWU for more updates about this story and other breaking Star Wars news.

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Opinion: Rebels Season One Top Ten Moments: #5: Yoda Communes with Ezra

By: Dominic Jones and Ciaran Duggan

Today we continue our countdown of the Top Ten moments from Season One of Star Wars Rebels, as chosen by SWU readers! We examine a major turning point in the unfolding story-arc of Ezra Bridger in the episode entitled 'Path of the Jedi'.

Dominic:

The Force has always been one of the most mysterious and intriguing aspects of Star Wars and no character better embodies what the Force is all about than Master Yoda.  Through the first half of the season we saw Ezra begin to learn how to tap into the Force, but he never really knew how to control it.  Until he met Yoda.  Ezra's journey in the Jedi temple on Lothal brought everything into perspective.  In the first half of 'Path of the Jedi' he was forced to face his fears and only once he made through to the other side did he truly begin his journey to become a Jedi.

It was only right that it was Yoda who guided Ezra on this journey was a highlight of the season.  Yoda showed Ezra the true nature of the Force and showed him the real reason he was becoming a Jedi.  This moment represented a turning point in Ezra's journey.  After having tapped in to the Dark Side in the previous episode, having Ezra talk to an embodiment of the light side, Yoda, helped steer him down the right path.

Ciaran:

As we have seen throughout the week, there have been a myriad of memorable sequences in the first season of Star Wars: Rebels, but this particular moment certainly stands out against the five others we have seen so far. Yoda makes his incorporeal debut on the TV series!

The significance of this scene in the context of not just the series, but Star Wars in general, is certainly tangible. Yoda is one of the all-time beloved and endeared characters in the Star Wars Universe and to bear witness to his return in the series was incredible. In addition, Yoda was voiced by the one and only Frank Oz which just added the aura of legitimacy marking the Yoda's appearance. This combined with the audio cues of the 'force theme' composed by Kevin Kiner served to enhance the tantalizing and gripping nature of the scene for Star Wars audiences. I particularly enjoyed the call backs to the Clone Wars, as Yoda has now assumed the new mantle of a deit-like force user following the trials and tribulations encountered on the Force Planet from Season Six. 

However, this scene was not all about Yoda. Ezra's journey takes another twist. Ezra passes the Jedi test and acquires a kyber crystal. The tone of this sequence was reminiscent of the experience that Luke Skywalker endured on the cave in Dagobah coupled with the younglings trial on the planet Illum in 'The Gathering'. Ezra has advanced to a level now and it was extremely fitting to have Yoda be the guiding spirit that bestowed Ezra with the title of 'young Jedi'.

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Opinion: Rebels Season One Top Ten Moments: #6: Tarkin Executes Aresko & Grint

By Ciaran Duggan & Dominic Jones,

Today we continue our countdown of the Top Ten moments from Season One of Star Wars Rebels, as chosen by SWU readers!  Today we look at a major turning point in this season in "Call to Action,"

Dominic:

The arrival of Tarkin on the series was a real turning point.  Throughout the first half of the season, Aresko and Grint had represented the more comical aspect of the Empire.  They were still threatening, and their humor was nothing like battle droid humor in the first few seasons of The Clone Wars, but they never posed a real threat to our heroes.  Even Agent Kallus and The Inquisitor were beginning to be outmatched by the crew of The Ghost.

Enter Tarkin.  The future Death Star commander and only Grand Moff whipped the Imperials on Lothal into shape by sending a chilling message to Kallus, The Inquisitor and Minister Tua by having The Inquisitor execute Aresko and Grint in front of them in his office.  This moment set the tone for the rest of the season and possibly the rest of the series.  One can only imagine the impact this moment left on the surviving members of the Empire on Lothal and you can bet that having Tarkin and Darth Vader around for Season two means this is just the beginning. 

Ciaran:

People who have branded Star Wars: Rebels a kids show may well have to revise that statement after they watch this scene. Enter, Governor Tarkin. The cold and rather merciless execution of Taskmaster Aresko and Grint symbolically showcased a shift in the empire’s disposition, as well as attitude towards our rebel heroes. No longer, would incompetent and empty-headed imperial officers be the ones tasked to capture our heroes. Instead, prudent and shrewd-minded individuals, such as Tarkin, would lead the chase.

The sequence certainly demonstrated the shifting tone of the series. Governor Tarkin personified this switch in focus and tone. The scene sold this extremely well as a result of merely viewing the reactions of Agent Kallus and the Lothal Senator, the covert message underpinning Tarkin’s execution of Grint and Aresko was to make a point to the Inquisitor, Kallus and the Senator that there can be no more mistakes and swift, just punishment will be enacted to those who fail. An hugely unforgettable moment in the series.

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Rebels Review: 'Rise of the Old Masters' (Spoiler Free!)

By: Dominic Jones

This past Saturday, the crowd at New York Comic Con was treated to a surprise screening of the fourth episode of Star Wars Rebels "Rise of the Old Masters."  Seeing an episode with my fellow Star Wars fans is always a treat and this was no different.  Seeing as the episode will not air on Disney XD until October 27th, I'll keep this review mostly spoiler free (I'll be discussing the episode in broad terms, but no I won't tell you how it ends!)

This episode focused mostly on Kanan (Freddie Prinze Jr) and Ezra's (Taylor Grey) relationship as master and padawan.  It's clear that both of them are frustrated with how Ezra's training has been going.  There are subplots involving the other members of the crew of The Ghost, however I'll be focusing on the Jedi plot for this review.

The episode especially delved into Kanan's psyche and his fears about being able to train Ezra as a Jedi.  Keep in mind, Kanan was only a padawan when Order 66 went down so for him to be training an apprentice of his own would be unheard of in the pre-Empire days (as Mace Windu says, "the code forbids it").  The plot of the episode (minor spoilers!) revolves around a mission to rescue Jedi Master Luminara Unduli who had reportedly survived Order 66.  Kanan leads the mission with the hope that Luminara could train Ezra instead of him (minor spoilers end).  He clearly lacks the confidence in his own abilities as a teacher and as a result begins to give off a bad impression on Ezra.

Ezra on the other hand, is clearly coming to terms with what training to be a Jedi actually means.  We saw in this week's episode Droids in Distress that he is clearly anxious to begin his training.  So when he and Kanan are actually training he becomes more and more aware of just how difficult it can be.  Kanan's lack of confidence leads to Ezra believing Kanan doesn't want to train him, causing tension between the two. 

The episode also serves as our first real look at The Inquisitor (voiced by Jason Isaacs), assuming he doesn't show up in Fighter Flight next week.  I will say that I do hope we get a glimpse of him setting up this plot in Fighter Flight.  I feel his introduction could have used slightly more build up on the series (more than just his cameo at the end of Spark of Rebellion).  This was likely due to the time constraint of 22 minutes, so I'll give the crew a pass on that one.  

Despite this, The Inquisitor was still a formidable villain in this episode.  Isaacs portrayed him with a perfect mix of dark side induced confidence and cunning intelligence.  The analogy Executive Producer Dave Filoni made last week, calling The Inquisitor an evil Sherlock Holmes holds up excellently.  Every move he makes is calculated and executed with near pin point accuracy.  On top of that, he is clearly a far superior warrior to Kanan.  Their duel reminded me of Luke vs. Vader in Episode V in that, much like Vader with Luke, The Inquisitor was toying with Kanan for most of the fight.  The series has been doing an excellent job so far at establishing villains like The Inquisitor and Agent Kallus who are legitimate threats to our heroes.

My only real criticism of this episode is not as much a criticism of the episode as much as a criticism of the marketing.  It's no secret that this episode contained an epic lightsaber duel between Kanan and The Inquisitor.  However, a large portion of this fight was released as clips prior to the episode's release (here and here).  I understand the desire of the marketing team to use the lightsaber fights in ads for the series however, unlike in the films where duels can last up to ten minutes, the fights in these episode aren't usually more than two minutes.  So after two 45 second clips of the fight, we've pretty much seen the whole thing.  To be fair, it is also important to keep in mind that this was the first lightsaber duel of the series and lightsaber duels are among everyone's favorite things about Star Wars.  I'm sure as the series progresses this will be less of an issue (by the time seasons 4-6 of The Clone Wars were on, the lightsaber duels were used sparingly as clips to promote the series).

Overall, this was a fantastic episode with great character development for two of our main characters.  It's fascinating to look into what it was like to train as a Jedi during the dark times and to see the struggle of the Jedi to survive.  In addition, the episode established another formidable threat in The Inquisitor, someone who we'll likely see cross paths with our heroes many times before the series wraps up.  And, as usual, there was some great humor and awesome action. 

Score: 8.5/10

Check out my reviews of Spark of Rebellion and A New Dawn!

You can follow Dominic on Twitter: @DominicJ25

This article is an opinion piece and represents the views of the writer, and not the entire Star Wars Underworld organization. 

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'Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion' Review (Spoiler Free!)

By: Dominic Jones

This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend the Star Wars Rebels Canadian premiere at Fan Expo Canada, where the first episode (or movie, if you will) 'Spark of Rebellion' was screened to a packed John Basset theater.  The crowd was into it and so was I!  The series gets kicked off with a bang and if this episode is any indication, the series will be even more beloved by fans than The Clone Wars.  The added bonus of seeing the show at a convention with 1000 other fans, made it clear that Star Wars is best experienced with other fans.  We all laughed and cheered together as we returned to that galaxy far, far away.... 

The episode had the task of introducing the audience to the crew of the star ship 'The Ghost' and one of the series primary antagonist, Agent Kallus.  'Spark of Rebellion' does a fantastic job of setting up the character relationships, specifically the various 'The Ghost' crew members and Ezra.  

When it comes to Ezra, it's clear that the crew of Rebels has learned from their time on The Clone Wars when dealing with child characters.  When The Clone Wars debuted and the character of Ahsoka Tano was introduced their was a certain amount of backlash to her character due to her "whiny-ness" (with hind sight being 20/20 we can now see how this was important for establishing her characters arc).  Ezra, on the other hand, is introduced in a way that likely won't "annoy" fans, while still leaving him much room to grow.  

The focus of the episode was definitely on Ezra, but the other characters also each had their moment in the sun.  We learn about them largely through their interactions with Ezra.  It becomes clear throughout the episode that while Zeb puts on a tough guy act, he definitely has a big heart and a strong conscience (there is a great scene where he slumps up against the door after doing something he clearly knows was wrong).  Sabine, who is only 16 years old, is clearly wise beyond her age, probably due to her Mandalorian upbringing.  That being said, she does show her age a bit when it comes to her art (not so much in her actions, but her reactions).  Agent Kallus is established as vile, cunning, and cruel villain.  Perfect for the Empire.  I do hope we get some more character development and back story for him, though.

Having read John Jackson Miller's Rebels prequel novel A New Dawn (my review of that is coming later this week), the characters of Hera and Kanan were particularly interesting.  Watching 'Spark of Rebellion' as well as the short 'The Machine in The Ghost', it's clear that Miller perfectly captured the voices of those characters.  If this is any indication of how well Star Wars stories will work together going forward with the Lucasfilm Story Group then Star Wars is truly entering a golden age of story telling!  Hera and Kanan definitely felt like the same characters we met in A New Dawn, although Kanan has gone through some significant character growth in the years since he met Hera (likely her influence on him), which is to be expected.

If I had to pick one nitpick for the episode, I would say that one of the jokes felt a bit out of place.  Don't get me wrong, it was hilarious, but it didn't feel like Star Wars humor.  That being said the rest of the humor throughout the episode worked perfectly and felt right.  

All in all, 'Spark of Rebellion' was a fantastic kick off for Star Wars Rebels.  The acting was fantastic and I look forward to seeing more of this cast in action.  The story was an excellent way to kick of the series.  With all new characters, the series could have taken a bit of getting used to however the use of familiar (and fan favorite) species, as well as music that evokes the classic films worked to ensure that the introduction of the series was a smooth one.  Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg, Greg Weisman, and the entire Rebels team did a great job of introducing all the characters in a way that made us want to spend more time with them.  I hope we get to do so over many more seasons. 

Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion Premieres October 3rd on Disney XD

You can follow Dominic on Twitter: @DominicJ25

This article is an opinion piece and represents the views of the writer, and not the entire Star Wars Underworld organization.

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