Star Wars Rebels - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Your Media Topic!

[Meredith Quill]

Episode Synopsis:

 

Rebels aboard the starship Ghost battle the evil Galactic Empire when it tries to tighten its powerful grip on the galaxy.

[benteen]

I thought it was good although the best Star Wars animated show of the week belongs to the unfinished Clone Wars Utapau serial they put up recently.

 

Not a bad introduction for the scene and some humorous moments, especially Zeb imitating a Wookiee. The design of Lothal was really impressive at times. Great cameo by Obi-Wan as we see the Obi-Wan and Yoda's infiltration of the Jedi Temple in ROTS pay off. We got to see Kessel, which was very cool. The Wookiees as slave labor goes back to old Star Wars backstory. Kanan revealing himself to be a Jedi was an awesome moment and the last five minutes with that had shots of the crew with Obi-Wan's voiceover was a terrific moment. Agent Kallis was a fun villain (and I did laugh when he kicked the stormtrooper off the support beam) and we got an all-too brief of Jason Isaacs Inquisitor. He should bring the character to life in an awesome way.

 

Downsides...the awesome clonetroopers are now stormtroopers which means them not being able to hit anything. It won't be easy trying to keep them as a threat. Way too much use of just about everything in the original trilogy from score to sound effects to various callbacks. Listening to Freddie Prinze Jr. woodenly talk about the Force the way Obi-Wan did in the original trilogy was both unoriginal and groan-inducing.  It added nothing to it as well.  They just went overboard at times. Despite being an hour, this "movie" felt rushed. The four-minute commercial breaks by the Disney Channel sure as hell didn't help.

 

It's not the Clone Wars but it is worth watching. Thankfully this show has one great executive producer in Dave Filoni.  And Simon Kinberg.

Edited October 4, 2014 by benteen

[Lord Kira]

That was surprisingly good.

 

I really enjoyed Fred as Kana, other than his speech about the force he was amazing. Luckily they had Obi-Wan there to give us the emotional punch.

 

Ezra? I like him well enough. I don't love him, but I don't really dislike him at all. I enjoyed his escape from his cell, and how his moral compass doesn't exactly line up with a hero's. 

 

Hera and Sabine were amazing. They are both strong characters right out of the gate, even if the premiere was more focused on Ezra and Kanan.

 

I don't really care for Zeb. He's a bit much and needs to be toned down. Only Steve Blum saves him for me.

 

I was pleasantly surprised at how much violence and death there was, given the Y-7 rating. But a bunch of stormtroopers got shot, blown up, or kicked off a bridge. Disney really went all out. I hope parents don't protest this and cause it to be kiddie-fied.

 

What I really loved about the episode, besides the focus on the characters, was the soundtrack. I've always loved the music in Star Wars and this was no different. Both the cues from the original movies as well as the new notes and remixes were great. I have always believed that the music is a large part of Star Wars' charm.

 

I didn't like that they didn't show previews for the next episode or even tell us when the next episode airs. Instead they advertise some Disney Channel movie and then go straight in to the next show. How is the general audience that only tuned in tonight going to know when and where to see the next episode?

 

And in a unrelated note, I am shocked and appalled that a Spider-Man/Jessie crossover episode exists. What's next, the Avengers meet the cast of Dog With A Blog?

[Bill C.]

I'm kind of surprised DC didn't run one of their omnipresent promos stating the series' official premiere date of the 13th at the end of this on general principle.

 

As a pilot...most of my worries about this before seeing it were basically two-fold: (1) how Disney, for lack of a better term, would Ezra be as the central character, and (2) the overall tone of the show itself.  I'm still not completely on board with Ezra yet--he's still a trifle too bratty for my taste--but I was glad to see that the tone is basically serious; not Tron: Uprising serious (though in fairness that may well be an order of magnitude more serious than anything DC's busted out in years), but serious enough.  (Even if Stormtroopers are being kicked off support struts for asking dumb questions.)  They did a pretty good job of establishing the ensemble and balancing it with action, and a modest body count to boot.

 

OTOH, I couldn't help thinking the Wookiees looked really weird...and there was some eyerolling when the obligatory kid Wookiee showed up.  But those, all in all, are minor annoyances.  This has promise, and right now that's all I wanted; I'm in for a while for this ride.

[benteen]

The Clone Wars was not afraid of violence to say the least and I'm glad Rebels isn't backing off from it either.  Something I'm glad about with these kind of animated shows nowadays.

[David T. Cole]

Can we talk more about those weird Wookiee designs? They looked like the Kenner Chewie figure with Google eyes stuck on them.

That said, good start! Felt Star Warsy and many a stormtrooper bit it in style. Only thing I thought was off was having two return trips to different locations (planet, Star Destroyer) which made it a bit repetitive to me.

Those mutton chops are Grade A ridiculous.

[Rhetorica]

You all have summed it up nicely. I'm in for the next one. Yes, worse Wookies ever. My dog woult love a squeaky toy like that. Maybe Disney is marketing this group.

[benteen]

Yeah, the Wookiee designs were not good.  Crude and primitive.

 

On the subject of overusing original trilogy elements, Star Wars Rebels needs to embrace the nostalgia and not revel in it.

[andromeda331]

Great cameo by Obi-Wan as we see the Obi-Wan and Yoda's infiltration of the Jedi Temple in ROTS pay off.

 

 

I think this was my favorite part. I always wondered what they said in the message. I liked the Rebel group and didn't like Ezra. I'd make a very bad Rebel/Jedi because I would have left him with the Imperials. 

[Danny Franks]

Not bad, for a start. It felt like Star Wars, and I mean like old Star Wars, rather than the sterile prequels. There was dirt under the fingernails, and scuffs on the boots. The ships looked worn and used, the characters realistically jaded. In short, it felt more real than all three prequel movies put together.

 

But god, this was an opportunity for the Star Wars franchise to get away from 'All Jedis, All The Time', and actually look at non-Force characters and cultures in some depth. It would make sense for Jedis to be absent because... they're all meant to be dead except Obi Wan and Yoda. And are Jedis really that cool anyway? The coolest characters in Star Wars history were Han and Lando, in my view, and neither exhibited one whit of Force power. Even Boba Fett, who has a following that far outstrips his contribution to the series, was no Jedi.

 

And what this forces me to do, just like The Clone Wars series did, is consider that any Jedi in it must die at some point between now and A New Hope. Because they were pretty clear that the order was extinct, Obi Wan believed it was, Yoda believed it was, the Rebellion had no Jedis involved. One of the things that always bothered me about that previous series is, I liked Ashoka Tano, but I could never get away from the fact that her friend and master, Anakin, would be at least partially responsible for her inevitable death. Whether the show ever portrayed it or not. And we also have to accept that there were other Sith knocking about the Empire, but were either killed or didn't get involved in any of the stuff we saw in the original trilogy. It's all just a bit of a stretch for me, and I think the Star Wars universe is strong enough to put all mentions of the Force firmly in the background, for a while.

 

Anyway mini-rant over. I really liked seeing the old school Stormtroopers again, and the old Star Destroyers and TIE Fighters. They helped establish this show as authentically Star Wars, even if the Wookies looked like the old action figures.

 

I liked the two women, Sabine and Hera. Strong and capable and engaging. And it's cool to have a Mandalorian and a Twi'Lek as protagonist characters. Ezra was annoying in the way all teen protagonists in this sort of story are, but he could undergo a Zayne Carrick level of growth, which would be good. Kanan was okay, and had a bit of the Han Solo roguishness about him, but as I already said, I'd much prefer it if he wasn't a Jedi.

 

Bit disappointed that the Rodian who thanked Ezra for the food spoke English and not "Green Mosquito Face", as the Rifftrax guys termed it.

[Danny Franks]

io9's review of the pilot episode, looking at some of the technical aspects, and pointing out some design shortfalls that will hopefully be addressed.

 

They have a valid point about the sense of adventure being similar to the original movies. The prequels lacked that, because they were seen through the eyes of establishment figures who were fighting (or at least walking and talking) to maintain the status quo.

 

Some of the comments also highlight why there's been so much bitching in certain quarters. Adult fanboys who want something aimed at them, rather than at a younger audience. Ain't gonna happen, guys. It has never happened. The original trilogy was aimed at a young audience as well, that young audience was YOU.

[benteen]

Anyone read Star Wars A New Dawn?  It's the prequel book to the series and the first of the "shared universe" meaning that the events in it are considered canon.  Kanan and Hera are the main characters.

[RapBert]

I really enjoyed this pilot episode. Like others said, it felt a lot like the original movies. There was a sense of adventure that was missing from the prequels. The characters are pretty flat right now, but there's room to grow for them. Also, I was surprised how violent the show was.

 

Regarding the wookiees: They did look off, but I guess that's to be expected when you can't render hair, and for that matter, fur, properly. The child in particular reminded me of Chewy's son from the godawful Holiday Special.

[David T. Cole]

I think this was my favorite part. I always wondered what they said in the message. I liked the Rebel group and didn't like Ezra. I'd make a very bad Rebel/Jedi because I would have left him with the Imperials. 

 

Anyone read Star Wars A New Dawn?  It's the prequel book to the series and the first of the "shared universe" meaning that the events in it are considered canon.  Kanan and Hera are the main characters.

 

I read it. I didn't get the same vibe from them in the pilot at all. Granted they didn't share much screen time but it felt much flatter. Also the Obi-Wan message in the book was different if memory serves. They should turn the book into a couple flashback episodes.

[andromeda331]

And are Jedis really that cool anyway?

 

 

I'll admit I love the Jedi and find them very cool. But I've always curious about the rest of the Galaxy. I mean what are they like, what do they do? Aside from Luke, the Rebellion was made up of non-force users its kind of nice that their finally exploring what some of those people did. 

[Morrigan2575]

I liked it, only watched a few Clone War episodes so I have nothing to judge this against. I liked the characters, figured Ezra would turn out to be a Jedi, wan sure if Kanan or Hera would be the other Jedi.

In a way it reminds me of Force Unleashed which, took place between Sith and A New Hope.

[Latverian Diplomat]

OTOH, I couldn't help thinking the Wookiees looked really weird...and there was some eyerolling when the obligatory kid Wookiee showed up.  But those, all in all, are minor annoyances.  

 

 

Can we talk more about those weird Wookiee designs? They looked like the Kenner Chewie figure with Google eyes stuck on them.

 

 

Yeah, the Wookiee designs were not good.  Crude and primitive.

 

Regarding the wookiees: They did look off, but I guess that's to be expected when you can't render hair, and for that matter, fur, properly. The child in particular reminded me of Chewy's son from the godawful Holiday Special.

Yeah, if you can't afford the $$ to render fur, Wookiees are not a great choice for guest aliens, at least for the pilot. It looks like they tried to render it as textures painted on to flat shapes, and it just didn't work. In fact, it led me to realize they were doing Ezra's hair the same way, so if you look too closely, his stray locks of hair start to look like tentacles.

 

Otherwise, I liked it fine. The rebel band gets along awfully well for this early in the game, I'd like to see more friction and/or difference in motive as we go ahead. So far, Sabine's love of blowing stuff up (and watching the explosions) is the least pure motive we've got.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Latverian Diplomat

[Dandesun]

It very definitely had the feel of the original trilogy... that dirty, cobbled together flavor that it had. (I always liked Star Wars' used and abused flavor more than the very sterile Star Trek -- just a personal preference.) I loved seeing the Star Destroyers and the TIE fighters throughout and even though the kid did start to annoy me I also kind of got it, nonetheless.

 

Living under the Empire isn't a great thing for a lot of people and despite the rendering, I always love seeing Wookies.

 

My niece and nephews have recently gotten into Star Wars (they've been playing Lego Star Wars at home) and my youngest nephew, who is four, wants to be Han Solo when he grows up. So, let me tell you... it's not just the Jedi who are cool. I mean, they are cool enough but no one is cooler than Han Solo.

 

Period.

 

Goodness knows I was five when I saw Star Wars for the first time and totally fell in love with Han Solo then, too. (Though I absolutely wanted to BE Princess Leia. She was smarter than everyone, didn't take any shit from anybody and kept her whites white -- something I certainly was incapable of.) That being said, we have a pilot, a bounty hunter, some muscle... a secret Jedi and his secret Padawan. They have definite shades of smuggler in their ranks regarding what they do just as much as freedom fighters.

 

It's funny because the original trilogy banged the drum pretty hard that no one was left. All that remained of the Jedi, according to Grand Moff Tarkin, was Vader. The prequels pointed out very specifically that the Sith only ever consisted of a Master and an Apprentice and they stuck pretty closely to that. Yoda and Obi-Wan went into hiding but a galaxy is a large place and it's conceivable that other Jedi might have gone into exile/hiding as well... despite the fact that throughout the rebellion none of those Jedi ever showed up.

 

Until they started extending the Universe and I get that... Jedi and Sith were so rare (as opposed to the literal armies of them in the Old Republic and army of Jedi in the Republic before the Fall) there's just a huge desire to dig into something that rare and expand it. But it's also important to not forget the majority of other guys out there... who aren't strong with the Force that still risked themselves and fought the good fight.

 

I'm looking at the mood here... it's dark but ultimately I know this leads to A New Hope whereas all of the sparkle of the Republic hid a rot beneath it that led to the fall of the Jedi Order and the rise of the Empire.

[Danny Franks]

I liked it, only watched a few Clone War episodes so I have nothing to judge this against. I liked the characters, figured Ezra would turn out to be a Jedi, wan sure if Kanan or Hera would be the other Jedi.

In a way it reminds me of Force Unleashed which, took place between Sith and A New Hope.

 

So now you've said that, I really wish it had been Hera who was revealed as the Jedi. That would be different, and a bold (sadly) choice by the writers to make the woman the most powerful, most important character, even if the show was still more about Ezra as the apprentice and Kanan as the leader of the band.

 

It's funny because the original trilogy banged the drum pretty hard that no one was left. All that remained of the Jedi, according to Grand Moff Tarkin, was Vader. The prequels pointed out very specifically that the Sith only ever consisted of a Master and an Apprentice and they stuck pretty closely to that. Yoda and Obi-Wan went into hiding but a galaxy is a large place and it's conceivable that other Jedi might have gone into exile/hiding as well... despite the fact that throughout the rebellion none of those Jedi ever showed up.                                                                                                                                                                                                             Until they started extending the Universe and I get that... Jedi and Sith were so rare (as opposed to the literal armies of them in the Old Republic and army of Jedi in the Republic before the Fall) there's just a huge desire to dig into something that rare and expand it. But it's also important to not forget the majority of other guys out there... who aren't strong with the Force that still risked themselves and fought the good fight.

 

That's really where I am with it too. I liked the bleakness of there being NO Jedi left at all. It gave Vader a dangerous vibe, that he had been responsible for the annihilation of the Jedi Order. And that he was the only Force user (other than the Emperor, who we didn't learn could do it until ROTJ) known to be alive. Hell, the Imperial officers even sassed Vader about his "sad devotion to that ancient religion". The Force was considered a relic. Obi Wan only survived by becoming a desert hermit, yet now we can have random Jedi wandering the galaxy, getting actively involved in the Empire's business? That kinds of neuters the Empire's effectiveness a bit, doesn't it?

 

I also think this show could be every bit as engaging and exciting if there was no use of the Force whatsoever. If Kanan was a real Han Solo figure, and Ezra was a punk kid who showed promise as a scoundrel and a potential asset to the Rebellion. I just don't think you need Jedi to tell a good Star Wars story.

Edited October 7, 2014 by Danny Franks

[David T. Cole]

I think I could watch an episode of just R2 and Chopper, their moments together were fun. The episode is free on US iTunes right now. It airs Oct 13.

[jellysalmon]

 I just don't think you need Jedi to tell a good Star Wars story.

Two of my favorite Star Wars games, Star Wars: Battlefront and Dark Forces had no jedi whatsoever. Then their sequels put them in and I lost interest. They're so damned powerful compared to the rest of the Star Wars universe that it throws off the balance.

 

Their inclusion in this show means Instead of a team of rebels, it's Jedi (and his apprentice) and the Pussycats.

Hopefully I'll be proven wrong and the other 3 will get focus (I agree that Sabine and Hera seem great) instead of just being the backup all the time.

[Latverian Diplomat]

I know it was inevitable, but hearing Luke's theme played for Ezra's dramatic Jedi apprentice moments still bugged me.

 

Otherwise, it was fine. 

[paulvdb]

ABC to Air 'Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion' on Sunday October 26 With New Scene Featuring Darth Vader

[benteen]

I had some issues with it.  A somewhat confused narrative, a ton of commercial breaks and untrained Ezra having much more Force ability than Luke and Anakin when they started out.  That being said, the ending to this episode was terrific and I enjoyed the episode.

[frenchtoast]

I really get bored with the droids so was glad the title was a little misleading. Still not digging Kanaan or Ezra. But I'm thrilled we got to see Organa at the end. The animation isn't all that interesting and I can feel that it's geared to kids rather than kids and their parents. But, it's only the second episode and I'll give it a chance.

 

Speaking of kids, my 12 yo boy was less than impressed with the appearance of R2DC and C3PO. In fact, he did the Home d'oh facepalm.

[ZoqFotPik]

I know Stormtrooper marksmanship is a long running joke, but it was ridiculous in this episode. Zeb and C3PO were standing right in front of a squad and don't get a scratch. Also, I realize that Zeb has issues with them, but a rifle that can one shot Imperial walkers is probably something worth hanging onto. 

[immortalfrieza]

Speaking of kids, my 12 yo boy was less than impressed with the appearance of R2DC and C3PO. In fact, he did the Home d'oh facepalm.

I don't know about everybody else, but for me R2D2 and C3PO are easily the weakest part of any bit of Star Wars they appear in. They're both intended largely as comic relief but any attempts to be humorous just come off as painful. C3PO is particularly annoying seeing as he's a completely useless load anytime he appears and just spends his time constantly complaining about the situation he finds himself in. R2D2 is much better as he spends his time being useful pretty much constantly.

 

Personally, my favorite droids are HK-47, because he's darkly hilarious, and the B1 battle droids, which are bumbling and incompetent but hilarious anyway. The B1s in particular are probably my favorite droids in the entire Star Wars universe, there's just something awesome about them despite the fact that they're so dumb and pathetic they make me want to pity them.

Edited October 15, 2014 by immortalfrieza

[Perfect Xero]

I've always thought that the implication was that a number of Jedi survived the purge, and that Vader spent the early years of the Empire hunting them down and killing them.

 

If this show is going to have Vader constantly hunting these Jedi and them narrowly escaping,with the implication that it's just a matter of time before Vader wins, it could be pretty cool. It doesn't seem like that's going to be the plan though.

[frenchtoast]

So sayeth the description from my recording:

Ezra and Zeb steal an Imperial vehicle.

[ZoqFotPik]

Decent episode. Standard 2 guys who don't like each other are forced to work together and end up friends story. I wonder when the "crashed" TIE fighter will reappear?

[frenchtoast]

I don't think 12 year olds are the target audience because it was met with a resounding meh by mine. And one would have thought, to incite interest in the upcoming movie, they would aiming at 12 year old boys. I'd like to think he's just jaded, but he only just stopped liking Jar Jar *shudder*, so I don't know. I was kind of liking Zeb, but that went down a few notches. In fact, the only character I look forward to is Hera, and she lost a few points with the whole "joke" of a wild goose chase.

 

Speaking of the 12 year old, he wondered what happened to the supplies that they needed to get, and Zeb had in hand at the beginning.

 

I know why they had the scene with the farmers, and why they tied it with Ezra. But anvils give me a headache.

[benteen]

It was alright.  Got better at the end.

[ZoqFotPik]

Speaking of the 12 year old, he wondered what happened to the supplies that they needed to get, and Zeb had in hand at the beginning.

Zeb threw them at the Storm Troopers shooting at Ezra. I'm fairly certain the fact that they lost the supplies is brought up during their escape.

[frenchtoast]

From tvdb.com:

The Rebels learn that old Jedi Master Luminara Unduli is being held captive in the Stittgen system. They get to her only to realize that they have fallen into a trap set by the Inquisitor

Luminara, hunh? The one whose padawan went nuts and framed Ahsoka for bombing the Temple which forced her to leave the Order. That Luminara? Alrighty then. But if it's a trap, doesn't seem like we'll see her.

[David T. Cole]

Fun episode. Why does the thinness of the lightsabers bother me so much? Because it does. A lot.

[ZoqFotPik]

 

Luminara, hunh? The one whose padawan went nuts and framed Ahsoka for bombing the Temple which forced her to leave the Order. That Luminara? Alrighty then. But if it's a trap, doesn't seem like we'll see her.

You're thinking of Barriss Offee. Luminara was her Master. 

 

Edit: Whoops, misread your post.

Edited October 29, 2014 by ZoqFotPik

[frenchtoast]

Yes, I know Luminara wasn't the perpetrator, that it was Barriss. I just don't find her to be such an inspiring teacher when her padawan went so off the rails. Especially when Anakin's didn't.

 

Also, Ezra and Kanaan both bore me. They're so alike, they'll help each other. Yay.

 

I do like Hera a lot though.

 

And yeah, the blades are thin. It's weird. I hope the episodes are building towards something. It just seems predictable right now.

[benteen]

I was spoiled on the Luminara review but that was still creepy as hell.  According to Dave Filoni, that hologram was footage from her actual execution.

 

I thought the episode was good, particularly once we got to this reveal and the Inquisitor showed up. Jason Isaacs is awesome. I like that Kanan isn't a particularly good Jedi (he was still a padawan so this makes sense) and like his final scene with Ezra a lot.

 

I think I've had it with Chopper. He's not a grumpy droid, he's a psychotic droid who tried to kill Ezra. Zeb wasn't much better in that sequence but Chopper is not working as a character.

[frenchtoast]

From tv.com:

Ezra sneaks into a Storm Trooper training for cadets. They undertake various assessments to get out of a well. Ezra meets a man whose sister is missing and tries to help him find her.

[frenchtoast]

That was no man Ezra met, but that's the first episode I enjoyed. I appreciate the implication that even though the Jedi are supposedly wiped out, they're still on the lookout for at the very least Force-sensitive young people to round up.

 

Which leads me to wonder what happened to all the clones? Is there some backstory I'm missing. Because the lack of discipline with the cadets was glaring.

 

Still not feeling Jedi Kanaan or whatever his name is.There's just something that I don't connect with.

[Terrafamilia]

The evil empire is obviously not much interested in developing any esprit de corps among their stormtroopers. No wonder they lost.

[frenchtoast]

From tv.com:

Hera and Sabine take the Phantom to an abandoned asteroid base to get supplies, but they become stranded there and are attacked by ravenous creatures.

[frenchtoast]

Here's a thought, Sabine, don't join an underground rebel group if you don't like secrets. Rule 1 of espionage and other subterfuge is people only have part of the information so if they are caught, they can't reveal the entire plan. And another, not so gentle suggestion, don't get pissy about it when you're in danger.

 

And I know this is for a younger demographic, but the zaniness with Ezra, Chopper and Zeb is getting really tiresome. And Chopper is not funny or cute or anything, he's just annoying.

 

It's only a few episodes in, and I'm hoping it gets better. But it's rather tiresome.

[frenchtoast]

From tv.com:

 

A refugee of the Empire seeks help from the Rebels to get off the planet with important Imperial information.

[VCRTracking]

I love the parade version of the Imperial March!

[benteen]

I also loved that the Imperial speeder pilot was actually a badass.  That was unexpected.

 

Good episode.  Empire Day was fun.  So was drunk Kanen.

[Morrigan2575]

Very good episode.

[Terrafamilia]

To borrow from two Talking Heads songs - Where does that highway lead to? It looks like they are on a road to nowhere.

 

How do those TIE pilots get into the cockpit when the fighters are parked on the ground and there is no helpful ground crew with the rolling stairways?

[frenchtoast]

From tvdb.com

Ezra must face a great challenge as part of his growth as a member of the team.