Star Wars Rebels S04E12 "Wolves and a Door" & S04E13 "A world between worlds"

Synopsis

Ezra and the Ghost crew learn the Empire has plans for the Jedi Temple on Lothal. While the other rebels engage the Imperial forces outside the Jedi temple, Ezra gains access inside and experiences a revelation.

What I thought

After the traumatic events of the previous double-episode, we're back with another two that are so closely aligned that to watch them in two parts is almost cruel. Thankfully, most of us get to see them back-to-back, as they really should be. If you thought Rebels could not ever be a touch on The Clone Wars, then think again, as it came mighty close here.

Leading straight on from last week, Ezra leads the gang via the Lothal style of public transportation, the Loth Wolves, who take the gang, via a force dimensional jump of sorts, to near where the Empire is busy in a quarry working on getting into the jedi temple. Yes, previously this temple was above ground but the Empire has been very busy digging deeper and trying to get in. They've hit a wall though. Literally. It's a wall with a mural on it that anyone who has seen The Clones Wars will recognize for it depicts the Mortis Gods. Sabine and Ezra sneak in disguise into the quarry to investigate the mural in a rather frank fashion. Security checks in the Empire are still not really up to much quality although I guess they don't suspect intruders. Via Chopper, they listen in to a transmission between the overseer of the quarry investigation, Minister Veris Hydan and ... THE EMPEROR! OMG. Yes, he's here and it's awesome. Ok, he's via hologram but just hearing and seeing him in conversation with the minister is brilliant and absorbing. And, what a joy it is to actually discover more about these background characters in terms of the minister, whom we've seen numerous times in Star Wars lurking around the Emperor, but never knowing what they actually do. Of course, in Rogue One, Vader had one of those robed men in his castle who actually spoke a few words, but this is the most we've ever seen of them and it's a great payoff for a long overdue years of wondering. It seems, as one might expect, they work for the Emperor and take on a somewhat Sith Religious Investigator role for he's there to find out more about the Jedi Temple on behalf of the Emperor who wants to unlock it's secrets which he knows will help him control the past and future.

Whilst Ezra checks out the mural closer, finally someone notices Sabine's stormtrooper disguise as she's randomly standing around in a secure location.  Ezra meanwhile, remembering the hand stone tablet he got from the Loth Wolves, presses in force wise on the Daughter's hands on the painting, which activates the painting, bringing it to life! This is an absolutely amazing sequence of events, watching parts of a painting light up, move and play out a scene. The loth wolves in the painting run away, which Ezra follows further along the wall until they form a circle which is the entrance to the portal. Guards finally notice all this fireworks and lights, alerting the minister, whom tries to stop Ezra but it's too late, as Ezra enters the portal.

Sabine is brought before the Minister. This is an extra opportunity to learn more about him. In a rather Thrawn like similarity, his office is full of various paintings. Because Sabine likes art and does graffiti, the Minister keeps her about to discuss the main painting. This is a little odd. She's hardly a renowned Turner Prize winner, but given he can't work out anything more about the painting, I guess he's desperate to please his Emperor. She reveals the hands are the key, something I'd have thought he'd have worked out by now.

Inside the portal we have a sort of stargate like look and feel as numerous shaped gateways are joined together by paths that are spread in all sorts of directions against the vast openness of black space. There's a lot of voices occasionally in the background, most of which we will recognize from the Star Wars universe. Drawn to the attention of a bird on top of one of the portal gates, Ezra sees Ahsoka Tano's battle with Vader from Series 2 appear. With Vader on the attack, Ezra reaches in to pull Ahsoka out of the battle! WTF? Yes, Ahsoka is back! In this world between world, it seems the past and future is sort of available on some level to those within the portal. In some ways it's made to look easy to do what you want in here, but I somewhat doubt it's anything like on-demand access to Time Travel. For starters, access was restricted to within the Temple, and via an instructional tablet. Also, why did Ezra see Ahsoka's battle out of a million and 1 other things he could have witnessed and been interested in from the past or future? He later does see Kanan's last stand from last week in another portal but is talked out of saving Kanan by Ahsoka. She knows that wouldn't be right, and would have condemned them all to death as Kanan couldn't save them last week without sacrificing himself. Quite how Ahsoka works this all out so quickly, with little information, I'll put aside for now. Taught a lesson, to let his master "go", there's a new threat as the Emperor appears behind one of the portal windows and starts firing force fire/lightning at them, trying it seems to capture them and thus help him link to the portal properly. Both escape via separate portals, barely, from the Emperor, with Ahsoka ending up back where she was on Malachor, and Ezra popping out in the quarry. Quite convenient that they both took the right portals, or is this just the will of the force guiding them?

With Chopper, Zeb and Hera causing all sorts of chaos for the Imperial forces and rescuing Sabine along the way, they help Ezra seal the portal (by way of force holding the Son's hand on the painting) and then leg it out of the quarry as everything starts to demolish itself, leading to the temple eventually disappearing and just barren land remaining. 

Although it seems this was guidance by the loth wolves to save the temple from the Empire, it was also somewhat somehow contrived by Kanan as a last lesson for Ezra. Exactly how Ahsoka played into proceedings, either by the will of the loth wolves, Kanan or just the force, I don't know. Also, the Empire must have been working on this temple for many months, if not years, but at 11th hour the wolves let Ezra know?

Sure, there's a few questions generated but this is a magnificent episode that is absolutely gorgeously rendered, not least by the animated painting, which is simply the best thing I've seen in a cartoon ever. We also get the Emperor, who steals every scene he's in, and learn more about his minions and what he's getting up to now that he's leaving running the actual Empire to his subordinates.

Rating - 9/10 - Things don't get much better than this, although a little more context would have helped me just a tad.

What I liked

• The Emperor - he's a showstopper!
• Minster Veris Hydan - learning about him and these servants of the Emperor was totally engaging.
• Death Troopers! They even spoke in code for once.
• Painting design and movement is best thing ever in a cartoon.
• The internal workings of the portal just create so many questions!
• Ahsoka Tano - need I say more?

What I didn't like

• Unsure what the "point" was here. It's said that it was Kanan's last lesson, but it really was to shut down the portal I guess? Did Kanan have any input into Ashoka in this? There's a little something here missing that I can't put my finger on.

The quickest way across Lothal is via the Loth Wolves.

Very Indiana Jones like, this is the quarry.

Here's the minister, complete with a hump.

Moooorrreeeeeeeee, give me mooorrreeee Emperor.

Absolutely no one else notices Sabine and Ezra in the restricted zone.

The painting comes to life!

The wolves form the gateway.

Inside the portal, stargate style!

Don't fall!

Ezra rescues Ahsoka.

But leaves Kanan.

Sabine and the Minister talk art.

The Emperor tries to get inside the portal.

Ezra deactivates the portal.

Star Wars Rebels S04E10 "Jedi Night" & S04E11 "DUME"

Synopsis

The Ghost Crew infiltrates the Imperial headquarters on Lothal to save one of their own before reeling from a devastating loss, the Ghost crew rallies together to find a new purpose and resolve.

What I thought

After what seems like an age since we last saw 'Rebels' and that failed attempt to blow up the TIE Defender facility on Lothal, we're back with what is a double-bill episode, although some countries are showing them individually. Crazy! They really are better back to back, not least because there's little actual content in the second episode, once you've seen the devastating first one.

Let's get it out of the way instantly: Kanan is dead. There should be no ambiguity here, and I don't think there's even a slither of one. No one is even posing the question as to if he survived the end of episode 10. After such a massive loss of a central charecter, and the massive explosion that saw this Jedi's demise, the subsequent episode was always going to be a downer of sorts, but it was one that was definitely needed in order for emotions to be played out. I've seen Clone Wars and Rebels cartoons, but this combo of episodes was the first time I came close to actual tears in what was a massive pay-off for regular fans of the show in terms of reunion and loss for Hera and Kanan.

There's a sign of good things to come at the start of episode 10 when we have Kanan preparing himself for what he obviously seems to know is inevitable, by having a haircut and a shave with a knife that would be best used for chopping up bread. How he managed to shave that well with such an implement I don't know. He's placed Ezra in charge of the rescue of Hera who is being tortured with the electric chair and mocked by Thrawn in a way only he can deliver. Not long before the gang use manual flying contraptions to look like natural "birds" to infiltrate the Imperial Base, the dreaded Interrogating Probe Droid 'ball of no fun' injects Hera with a truth drug. Why it takes that floating device to give an injection I don't know, but I guess it cuts down on nurses. Entering the base proves very easy by air for Kanan, Sabine and Ezra, the latter of the two go their own way to help find transport away from the base, as Kanan uses magnetic suction devices to climb the walls to where Hera is being held. All Jedi's know how to make an entrance, and Kanan has this one nailed, as he arrives via the floor of this room, which for some reason extends outwards unlike the rest of the base. He ruthlessly deposes of the two troopers, one via the "Mace Window" exit technique, and kicks the probe droid down the entrance hole. Hera is delirious due to the drug, making for a fun and emotion moment, especially just before Kanan arrived. When Rukh shows up, Kanan eventually deals with him in a rather uncivilized fashion of force pushing him off the edge, before the pink-pimpernel Death Trooper's have them pinned down, leading to Kanan and Hera escaping via the manual flying contraptions. Incidentally, the Death Troopers this episode speak in garbled code, just like in Rogue One, which is what we all expected them to be like and not as they has been in previous Rebel episodes. That's more like it! Sadly, they don't seem to be much better than regular troopers at aiming this week as the Rebels get away. I'm also not sure why the Death Troopers were dispatched when they are normally guards for high-ranked commanders. Guess Thrawn sent them. He's about at this point but soon gets called away by Tarkin for a meeting with the Emperor to lobby for his TIE Defenders. Good luck with that Thrawn, especially as the Death Star plan gets a mention here. 

Kanan and Hera land in the fueling depot of the TIE Defender factory, quickly climbing to the top of the central fuel cell to await rescue by Sabine and Ezra who have some amusing moments infiltrating an Imperial shuttle, very reminiscent of the Clone Wars style, which is a joy to see. Governor Pryce, left on charge now, has a moment of madness that is pretty rubbish even for her, as she is usually not too bad for an Imperial Commander. She sends in AT-ATs (why?) to pursue this handful of Rebels, and then crazily fires on the fuel cell the Rebels are being rescued from! Is she stupid? Seems so. It's like using a hammer to crack a nut. As the Rebel's are far from safe from the explosion, Kanan courageously sacrifices himself, using the force to hold back the explosion and send the rescue craft to safety. With the episode ending in total silence, and the following beginning the same way, this is a OMG moment that's executed brilliantly.

There's not really as much to say about the second episode 'Dume' which does play the aftermath of Kanan's death very well. Everyone is deeply affected, not least Ezra and Hera, the latter of which finds great comfort from her family heirloom that Kanan saved for her, along with Chopper who stays by her side. Ezra though feels lost without Kanan, and ends up getting chased by Wolves, who cryptically speak to him, eventually revealing that he needs to fight on, especially as the Jedi Temple (which one though?) is at serious risk and he needs to protect it. This is eventually what Ezra tells the gang they need to do next and sets up an intriguing final 4 episodes, not least as we know the Emperor is involved. I hope we also get to see Thrawn meeting him, although unsure on that one. 'Dume' might seem like filler, but it's a necessary one for it shows the emotions of the gang, which really had an impact on me. It also helps show direction for the setup of the end of the show which promises to have some surprises, I can feel it.

Rating 8/10 - An awesome "Jedi Night' episode, and an emotional fallout 'Dume' episode which is less awesome but packed of tearful moments and a setup for the end of the series.

What I liked

• Death Troopers talking in code! Now that's more like it!
• That Imperial craft the Rebels stole is so Clone Wars
• Everything about 'Jedi Night' episode, especially Hera/Kanan was simply emotional, warming and brilliantly scripted.
• The end of Jedi Night episode! The silence afterwards ...
• The setup for saving the/a Jedi Temple.
• Hera/Chopper's emotional bond
• The gang's grieving is very well protrayed.
• Just the mention of the Emperor perks up ears.
• Rukh being awesome

What I didn't like

• Let's make Death Troopers great again please! They need to be effective.
• Governor Pryce. Why? What was she thinking? Was this an order to undermine Thrawn?
• Rukh being undone by Sabine/Zeb and made to look stupid by being spray painted. Why did he go after them??

Thrawn mocks Hera

Haircut time for Kanan. Would have been easier with the lightsabre.

Health and Safety would never approve this rescue plan.

Climbing walls "sucks" for Kanan.

 

A Jedi knows how to arrive in style!

Death Troopers!

Governor Pryce has a senior moment.

Kanan holds back the flames, and our tears, sacrificing himself.

Kanan :(

Pryce!? WTF?

The wolves really harass Ezra.

Hera grieves with the help of Chopper.

Invisible Rokh? That's a new trick but sadly goes wrong.

Big wolf, daddy wolf, grandmother wolf ...

Poor Rokh.

I hope that's a map.

Star Wars Rebels S04E09 "Rebel Assault"

Synopsis

Hera leads a courageous attack against Grand Admiral Thrawn's forces, but when things go awry, her battle to win must become a daring escape if she is to survive.

What I thought

After a season of two episodes back-to-back every week, we get to the mid-season break and ... it's just one episode. This is a hard pill to swallow after we had been spoiled with 40 minutes-ish of Star Wars each week recently. I feel that didn't help with my enjoyment of this episode as we were thrown straight into a Rebel Assault on Lothal. Well, on one compound on Lothal. What also didn't help was that it looked like such a whack assault. A few X-Wings and Y-Wings attacking an almighty mass of Imperial ships around the planet. This feels like such a badly thought out plan. What the heck were they thinking this would gain? Sure, they had one target of destroying the TIE-fighter construction yard to stop more TIE Defenders being built, but really? This had disaster written all over it from the word go.

Sure, enough, the attack fleet is destroyed in almost record time, and Hera, who was leading the attack, is shot down, crash landing somewhere in Lothal. She's ok, of course, and so is Chopper (phew!), as well as another Rebel pilot who she finds nearby. As the forces of the Empire surround the fallen ships searching for survivors, Hera, Chopper and the other pilot try to escape via the sewers. Yup, the one classic plot tactic and only place the Empire have not bothered to seal off. Trouble is, it proves increasingly more difficult, as Rukh intercepts Hera and Co. As she and Rukh have a good fist fight, she sacrifices herself to let the pilot and Chopper get away. Hera is now a prisoner of Thrawn! Woohoo. This is going to be interesting ...

The other part of the assault plan, which did mostly work, was to take down the gun turrets, which Zeb, Ezra, Sabine and Kanan deal with. This is rather straight forward as they use explosives to deal with this issue, yet they soon see that things are going badly for the Rebel attack. Kanan initially goes off on his own to try to help the fallen Hera, but a Lothal-wolf ultimately stops him, has a sort of spiritual force moment with him, convincing Kanan that he shouldn't even try to help Hera, which he strangely very quickly accepts.

So, that's about it this episode. It was fast-paced and naturally quite action-filled, but knowing we only had 20 minutes or so of action, and that it just looked like a foolhardy plan, really filled me with negative feelings. There was a lot to like, what with Thrawn looking menacing again, Rukh kicking ass, the Empire looking seriously mighty, and the mysterious Lothal-Wolf interaction. With Hera captured, I hope for some seriously entertaining moment between her and Thrawn when this show returns after the break. Even so, I was slightly disappointed, but it was a decent episode.

Rating = 6/10 - A foolhardy plan and the decision to just show one episode after weeks of two, didn't help me get too high a feel for this episode.

Star Wars Rebels S04E07 "Kindred" and S04E08 "Crawler Commanders"

Synopsis

The rebels look to move a stolen Imperial hyperdrive and flight data recorder off Lothal, while the mystery of the loth-wolves deepens. Desperate to contact Rebel command, the Ghost crew pirates a mining vehicle with long range communications gear, but the Empire arrives to spoil their plans.

What I thought

The series of double-billing episodes continues this week with probably the first two-parters that really would have worked as standalone episodes. There's certainly no 'planet of the week' sort of stuff this season with Rebels as episode 7 starts not long after last week's finished with the Rebels looking for the hyperdrive they stashed. Sure, everywhere looks similar to me on Lothal but they ARE STOOD RIGHT NEXT TO THE ROCK they hid it behind last week. We all know it's there! lol. It takes a Lothal cat to show them where it is, although quite why Ezra says he's not sure where they stashed it "because it was dark" I don't know. It wasn't dark! Anyhow, the Empire is just up the road, where Governor Pryce is recovering what's left of the TIE Defender Elite craft. Thrawn is on hand to give her the news that he's dispatching his agent to help find the hyperdrive; enter Rukh! Why he uses him in this episode and not at anytime before is head scratching as these two are supposed to be a duo from what I know of Thrawn in the books. Anyhow, this episode is a great debut from Rukh with his nifty ape like running, awesome fighting skills and unique voice. I'm very much reminded of Darth Maul's debut with Rukh; the "my apprentice is on his way", the revealing, the flirting attack on Rebels, and a speeder bike, which is what Maul arrived on in A Phantom Menace. Throughly enjoyed seeing Rukh and feel he could truly be a real thorn in the Rebel's side. 

Most of episode one though is about Kanan/Ezra and the Lothal Wolves, which help lead them to safety through caves in a rather cryptic but magical series of scenes. The cave paintings, the growling of the two 'bodyguard' wolves has you wondering if they are friend or foe. Then there's the connection with Kanan and Ezra, the revelation that Kanan suspects more going on Lothal regarding the Empire and their journey across the entire planet by way of some force/Narnia/teleport!

In the second episode, the Lothal gang intercept and takeover a MASSIVE mining craft that's literally destroying the land in order to take resources from it. This land vehicle (although it might fly?) is spectacular in every way, from the outside due to it's vast size, right into the rooms inside which are rustic, cold, dark, steam-filled and as dirty as you'd expect in such a heavy-duty mining vehicle. There's a bit of further head scratching by me in this episode as to why they sent Sabine to take out a couple sentry droids, then seized the bridge and then didn't bother to take out any of the other mining guards etc until they had to later on? The captain on the mining vessel was funny although how they kept allowing him to shout out for so long i don't know! Zeb's battle with the mining guard with that electric whip was awesome although quite how Kanan came around so quickly from being taken down by the whip ...? Well, it's cartoon huh? Further comedy provided by the returning Cikatro Vizago in this episode really helped make it super enjoyable for me.

You can't help but feel now like this season is really building up to something big, much like last season. Sadly, the rug is about to be pulled from beneath our feet again, as there's only one more episode before a long mid-season gap :( That so destroys the tension!

Rating: 8/10 - Fantastic debut by Rukh, cryptic magical stuff with Lothal Wolves and a visual splendour with the mining craft makes this a highly enjoyable double-bill.

What I liked

• Great visual debut for Rukh
• A welcome back from the comical and lovable Cikatro Vizago.
• Intrigue and mystery with the Lothal Wolves and what else the Empire is up to there.
• Fantastic scenes on the Mining Vessel.
• Kanan/Hera kiss and reaction by the gang.

What I didn't like

• Not a lot to dislike, aside from more needing more Thrawn/Rukh in second episode, although this wasn't a classic two-parter anyway.
• The whole debating will they/won't they with Hera at Rebel HQ seemed a waste of time as we all sort of knew how that would go down.

Star Wars Rebels S04E05 "The Occupation" & S04E06 "Flight of the Defender"

Synopsis

Ezra and the Ghost crew are called back to Lothal when a new Imperial threat rises. The rebels look to secure intel on a deadly new Imperial fighter prototype.

What I thought

After dropping multiple hints every week, Ezra finally gets to go back to Lothal with the gang, after Mom Mothma gives them approval to find out about a new upgraded TIE-defender. In season one I was glad when they left Lothal, and here we are back there, albeit for one double-parter. It was much as I expected; cutey/nasty Lothal cats, creeping about, and some random zany Ezra like stuff to appease the younger audience. It was very acceptable entertainment although felt very much like it was all planned out rather than flowing smoothly.

In the first episode the gang arrive on Lothal in some ridiculous disguises. Ezra and Sabine head to a bar which was anti-Empire but is so pro-Empire now you'd think you was on the Death Star. A pilot as a bar host? Imperial march music playing? And ... hardly anyone in there? Outside someone was being done for breaking curfew but inside the bar no one questions this fact. A local helps Ezra and Sabine out of a tight squeeze but this only leads to the obvious as the whole gang soon are being pursued by the Empire and head down the sewers. Zeb isn't happy but these have to be the cleanest sewers in the world as there's absolutely no material of any substance down there. There's a typical cartoon dilemma as the gang seem pinned down by a handful of Stormtroopers one minute but got rid of at least 3 imperial droids not long before. Anyhow, Lothal giant, Ryder is on hand to help the gang out of a sticky situation right near the end of part one, much like Saw did at end of previous two-parter. Hey, it's a good "cliffhanger" situation right?

In part two, it's all about the Defender, as Ezra, Sabine, Zeb and Ryder (plus Lothal Cats) head to the TIE compound where the new Defender is just landing. Sabine heads in to steal the flight recorder, which is a new tactic because last time they decided to steal the schematics. Anyhow, whilst she's inside pulling wires out, none other than Grand Admiral Thrawn, Governor Pryce and two Death Troopers arrive to inspect the Defender. Great timing! Ezra runs a distraction by basically causing a hell of a mess, before ending up in the Defender with Sabine as that's their best route of escape. Watching that thing blow everything up was awesome, as was how cool Thrawn was as he never flinched from being shot at!!!! Amazing. Thrawn wants to use the opportunity to see the Defender in action, learning that it's likely to be Ezra flying. Wonder what use he'll make of that?

After crashing the Defender, due to a kill switch being used by the Empire, they smuggle the hyperdrive and flight recorder from the wreckage, and get an odd ride back to Ryder's camp by a direwolf. Ok, it's actually a Lothal Wolf but it could be a direwolf as it's massive. What are we to make of this? Is it anything other than Ezra's connection to the force and animals?

Rating: 6/10 – The return to Lothal was thankfully a short-stay one, but had some memorable moments along the way.

What I liked

• Great to see Rex and Kallus get some better screentime although it was brief.
• How cool is Thrawn in this episode? Not at all concerned about being shot down. Then there's his calculating analysis of the Defender.
• The occupation of Lothal was grim and dark.
• The Lothal cats were super cute and funny this week, especially with those two stormtrooopers.

What I didn’t like

• Didn't Ezra say he was going to stay on Lothal this week?
• Death Troopers were once again different to the Rogue One version but certainly less rubbish than in the previous episode. However, they didn't really do much but bark orders in these episodes.
• Very "staged" in first episode down the imperial bar with the imperial march music playing and a former pilot now running a bar?
• Some good interaction with Kallus and Rex but we hardly got to see them.
• Umm, where's AP-5?

Star Wars Rebels S04E03 & S04E04 "In the Name of the Rebellion"

Synopsis

As members of the Rebel Alliance, Ezra and the Ghost crew must accept a mission to spy on an Imperial outpost they would rather destroy. Later, after being separated from Hera and Kana, Ezra and Sabine join the desperate quest of Saw Gerrera to hunt down the Empire's elusive secret super weapon.

What I thought

After a reasonable opening hour episode to the season, things really beef up in this double-parter, especially in the second half as Saw Gerrera arrives and so do multiple massive explosions. Although there are references to Ezra and Sabine always blowing things up in this episode, given what we know about Saw, we also know to not only expect things to go boom but also to take a turn for the worse when he’s about. However, for the first half, he’s not about, at least not physically, except for his massive big head (visually and probably figuratively to many other Rebels) appearing to transmit a message to the Rebel base on Yavin IV. This absolutely beautifully stunning setting for a base is interrupted by Saw telling them how rubbish they are and not willing to do what it takes. As if waiting for him to appear, Mom is out of the base and there to dispute his accusations and then cut the plug on his mouthing off. Before this, we had the gang together again as Kanan, Ezra, Sabine and Chopper meet up with Zeb and Hera at the base. I expected Hera and Kanan to rush into a hug but they really held that off, leaving the handshakes and fist pumping to our imagination. As rewarding as seeing Yavin IV was, we also got to see Rex and Kallus once again, albeit both in a small supporting role. Sadly, no AP-5 who would have been fantastic in this episode with his cynical nature.

What gets this episode going is that a new massive communications antenna (you know, just like the ones we see in Rogue One) is being used by the Empire and is causing them to get the heads up on the Rebels. Mom Mothma therefore instructs the Ghost team to utilise it to the Rebel’s advantage rather than destroy it. This was going to plan, until the Rebels actually landed on the device, by way of a heavy landing by Ezra, Sabine and certainly by Chopper! This whole skydiving that happens in this show I have to just accept at face value. It all doesn’t quite add up for me, as Ezra says he doesn’t need a jetpack, yet he uses it? It’s all just odd how casual they are with this but, hey, it’s a cartoon! Anyhow, once an Imperial cruiser arrives, things start to go comically wrong, as he there’s Stormtroopers falling over each other as Chopper manipulates the tilt of the dish, and Ezra doing an even worse impersonation of an Imperial voice than Han Solo in the detention centre on the Death Star. Seriously, that was Ezra’s plan, to chit-chat to that incoming cruiser? That’s the biggest waste of an idea ever. Sure enough, it’s time to bail out, but the Ghost is preoccupied by TIEs but luckily Saw is at hand, as he helps rescue the three and also nuke the dish, taking out the cruiser at the same time, naturally.

This takes us into part 2 and Sabine/Ezra/Chopper hooking up with Saw and his wingman to infiltrate a civilian cargo ship which Saw has intel on being used by Imperials. Sadly we see little of the space station that the cargo ship undocks from but once inside the cargo ship, it’s all creeping about like Scooby Doo and totally awesome as the gang indeed find the Empire is using the cargo ship, where they find a group of prisoners whom seemed to be on the way to Scotland’s Comedy Fringe Festival, given their comedy abilities. But no, they are all weapon experts who were made prisoners by the Empire for not agreeing to help them. Rogue One reference? Tick. Secret Weapon? Tick. Krennic and Death Troopers? Tick ... well, almost. Krennic gets name dropped but there be Death Troopers guarding a massive Kyber Crystal in this cargo ship! This isn’t just any gang of Death Troopers. Oh no, these boys and girls are fresh out of Death Trooper training squad because they seem unable to know how to utilise their secure comms, weapons or armour, for they are made mugs of by the Rebels. Saw, determined to find out what’s really going on, has no interest in helping the prisoners, leading to a game of cat and mouse with Sabine/Ezra before he destabilises the kyber crystal upon bailing out when a Star Destroyer shows up and no secret Imperial weapon evident. Needless to say our gang get out alive, but not before the cargo ship goes supernova, taking out the Star Destroyer with it ... naturally.

Rating: 8/10 – A gritty action packed episode full of Star Wars and Rogue One nostalgia.

What I liked

• ·         Saw Gerrera and his wingman were cool and were awesomely portrayed.
• ·         The secrecy and conspiracy elements were top-notch.
• ·         References to Rogue One were like hand outs of candy to fans
• ·         The ‘green’ alien prisoner was absolutely a great comedian as well as scientist.
• ·         Chopper back on form providing humour and comically dealing with Stormtroopers.
• ·         Yavin IV looked beautiful.

What I didn’t like

• ·         It was odd hearing Death Troopers talk in English. They are way more cool when talking in code.
• ·         Death Troopers made to look like the they were no better than StormTroopers.
• ·         How did the Star Destroyer captain not notice the energy build-up until the last minute?
  

Yavin IV looks absolutely beautiful.

I'm so reminded of Rogue One here!

Meet the new comedy gang!

Death Troopers, but not as you've seen them before ...

That's a massive crystal!

Chopper kicks Stormtrooper butt!

Bang, Crash, Wallop.

Star Wars Rebels S04E01 & S04E02 "Heroes of Mandalore"

Synopsis

Sabine leads a mission to free her father from the Empire, but finds that a past mistake has been resurrected with deadly consequences.

What I thought

Having known for months that the first episodes were Mandalore centric, I really wasn't looking forward to this double part opener, but I was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps my buildup of being sure I'd dislike it helped me to appreciate it more? I've never been a fan of Mandalorian culture. Aside from the Fetts, whom were merely wearing Mandalorian armour, everything else about Mandalore has been more of a Mandabore for me. Sure, they look super cool in their armour and have amazing gadgets, it's just everything else seems to be, well, dull. There's clans all over the place falling out with each other, and it seems to be one civil war after the other and a constant competition as to who is the best clan. Therefore, it was somewhat unexpected that I enjoyed this opening hour long episode, most likely because the action really helped keep the boring Mandalore politics out of matters ... most of the time.

It's great that the episode starts with action, and pretty much continues with battling the Empire for the duration of the double-parter. Ezra, Kanan, Chopper, Sabine and her Mandalorian chums are attacking an outpost to rescue Sabine's dad, who'd I'd forgotten existed. After taking down just a handful of imperials and cutting down walkers in the usual Jedi style, they find that there's no prisoners in the compound in record time. That's impressive searching abilities. The intel that her dad was there was supposed to be irrefutable but wasn't. Therefore, when new intel drops that her father is instead being transported to the capitol to be publically killed, naturally they seriously doubt it's authenticity. No wait, they don't. Sorry. They simply just believe it and instead launch a plan to intercept the convoy. Saxon, the brother of the other Saxon who perished last season, and the one in charge of the Imperial Mandalorians, says it was his plan to lure Sabine in to the deserted compound, but then doesn't seem to expect the attack on the convoy? I dunno. I gave up at this stage in trying to work out the logic. Anyhow, naturally the Rebels and Mandalorians rescue Bail Organa from the transport. Oops, nope, I mean Sabine's father. Well, it's an easy mistake. They look like they were separated at birth. This episode then ends with Sabine's father giving her tips in painting ... or was heading that way, until Saxon unleashes the Empire's new weapon on Sabine's mum, brother and co, with what is basically a walking electric wielding walker. UNLIMITED POWER! It's a super end, not least that we're rid of a few Mandalorians, but also the scene of the destruction is breathtakingly heartbreaking to see.

In part 2 it's all about destroying the weapon she helped create. Bo-Katan isn't happy with Sabine over her creation, and who could blame her, but for the sake of a long drawn out argument, she's easily convinced to forgive all that and help take the weapon down. Sneaking in using jetpacks, which Ezra seems to have mastered by this point after a rather embarrassingly comical performance in part 1, they enter the hanger bay of Saxon's star destroyer. Luckily the weapon is just inside. That's very convenient. When Sabine and Bo-Katan go off to locate the actual heart of the weapon, we find that it's just a trap by Saxon, as he uses the weapon on them. Not wanting to fry them, he needs Sabine to increase the yield of the weapon to it's maximum potential, using his threat to kill Bo-Katan as the bargaining chip. Here's where it goes into cartoon overdrive, when Sabine agrees to his demands (naturally tricking him) presses a few buttons, warns him not to use it, which of course leads to him pressing the button that sets the weapon on all Imperial armour instead. I'm not sure what's ridiculous more. That she could make that change so quickly, or that Saxon was stupid enough to think she'd done it in a few button presses. Anyhow, a quick darksabre through the weapon and it's time to bail out of the imperial ship quickly, as the weapon's core seems to be so powerful that it ultimately takes down the whole Star Destroyer. When it comes to Star Wars Cartoons, it's not enough to cripple a ship, you have to absolutely blow it up!

Right at the end, and for no particular reason that I can see, all the Madalorian clans decide to follow Bo-Katan, whom Sabine gives the darksabre for the iconic raised sabre pose.

It wasn't anywhere near as bad an episode as i feared. Despite it being all on Mandalore, the politics was not as potent as the action. There's a lot of 'WTF' moments, but this is a cartoon at the end of the day and therefore I try to overlook as much of that as I can and just try to enjoy matters. However, despite all the action, it did feel a little like a "did we really need an hour to get to this point?" kind of episode. The good news is that perhaps we can all move on from the Mandalore/Sabine thing now and get back to the Rebellion.

Verdict 6/10 - Decent opener full of action, and thankfully not as stuffy with Mandalorian stuff as I feared.

What I liked:

• Lots of action! 

• Ezra's comedy moments helped cheer matters up.

• Empire's weapon was pretty impressive.

What I didn’t like:

• Contradictions. One minute the heroes are taking out two TIE fighters and the next they are pinned down by two stormtroopers. 
• I know the weapon was on reduced power, but Sabine and Bo-Katan did recover amazingly quickly.
• Saxon not being able to increase usefulness of weapon but is convinced by Sabine's 5 second tapping of buttons that she's significantly increased the weapon's yield.
• That core in weapon took down a whole Star Destroyer? 
• Mandalorians are easily swayed to hop sides aren't they?
• Don't want to be mean, but it would have meant more if Sabine's mum and brother had been wiped out by the weapon.
• I don't know why, but I was a little surprised by Sabine's Dad's references to Jedi.

The view after the weapon was deployed was stark and emotional.

Ezra provides the comedy in episode 1 as his flying is a disaster.

Saxon; with brains like he had, he was never going to last long.

Nothing is ever as delightful as a Star Destroyer in a destructive descent.

We have another new Mandalore leader. Ok, she was previously a leader, but she's back now.