Full Series Grade the Episodes 3.01-3.02: "Steps Into Shadow" (Spoilers Allowed)

Pretty much this,
I did try and give it a go and while the Voice acting was good, it was boring, with cringe worthy dialouge and I ended up skipping parts. Same old same old like you said. While Thrawn stating the obvious apparently makes him seem an earth shattering genius
Well compared to rest of the Imperials who are ridiculous in there stupidity, I guess he is but even so.
Everything else is rushed an resolved all within the space of the episode. "Once you start down the Dark path forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, unless your Ezra Bridger"

Also where was Vader, he's disappeared for plot reasons and nothing else and it's bad.

Short of spoilers screaming for me to watch it, that's the last Rebels episode for me

 

I didn't even both mentioning Thrawn, as he was a complete non-factor in the episode. And I couldn't agree more about Vader.

 

This on amazon yet?

 

9.5//10 (Which was rounded up to 10)

Pros:
-Awesome character development.
-The Bendu.
-Thrawn's first canon appearance.
-Return of Hondo.
-The scene with Ezra and the walker, which I hope will finally shut up all the "It's too kiddy!" haters.
-Lots of amazing action.

Cons:
Not enough Thrawn. I also wasn't sure why they didn't give Thrawn a dramatic entrance, and instead just portrayed him casually walking in the room.
Ezra sounded really whiny at parts of this episode (At least not as much as Anakin, but still).

Hopes for the future:
Giving Thrawn more screen time and making him do more.
While the producers are probably planning to make Bendu turn to the dark side (what, with him getting the Holocron and chuckling suspiciously), I really hope that doesn't happen; that would be just cheaply converting a very interesting character into another "villain of the week".

That's just your opinion, and I respect that, but don't let one bad apple spoil the bunch! This is just the beginning of the season, and there is plenty of room for improvement.

 

When the Bendu laughed, I took it as him laughing at the fact that Kanan gave him a gift. I guess it made him happy. It wasn't really an evil laugh.

 

While I suspect you probably made your mind up on this a while before this episode, I am glad that you stuck around with us for as long as you did. I wish you all the best

 

Nvm it is!

 

ImNotAStarWarsFanboy

I'll still read the spoilers and post on here but from the past 2 seasons, (and I appreciate you and others may disagree with me) I've always felt the premiere is good and starts the main plot but then during the season, then you get loads of filler episodes (even Filoni has admitted they have these) before back to the main plot and the final episodes. I mean if you look at last season Vader showed up in Siege then disappeared before popping back up at the end, while Ahsoka disappeared before popping back up and beat up the Evil Buffy and 5th Bro before disappearing again then popping back up for the finale.
Now some like the Honourable ones were good,( in fact that episode showed me that the crew can be interesting but when apart from each other and with non Ghost crew members). Others like the Chopper one were not so good, it varied. So I will read the spoilers for those before I watch or not I think.

But thank you both for saying that though, I do appreciate it

 

5/10. There was a really good episode and some interesting ideas in there somewhere but they never really came through all that strongly. Bendu's look and voice was fantastic, his actual characterisation was... not. Apparently the midpoint between the Light and the Dark is not in fact grey, but instead beige. Ezra looks to be going really quite ruthless and dark with that AT-ST stunt of his... which is never mentioned again by anyone. Hondo does the same thing he does every. single. time. His shtick is beginning to grate. Thrawn apparently ''outwitted'' the Rebels but they got away because plot. Bleh.

Dark!Ezra could have been really interesting. Bendu could have added some depth to the concept of the Force. Thrawn could have actually affected the plot in any way at all. But all the above were brushed over before anything could come of them.

 

This episode was eh. Ezra has become your stereotypical teenager. There was absolutely no subtlety to the story arcs at all. Hondo is also just a caricature of his former self.

Hopefully Bendu returns.

 

Gave it a 7/10. I liked the Bendu character. Didn't pick up on the hype of Thrawn. I still don't like the Rebels version of Hondo; I just don't think he has the same wit and humor as he did in TCW.

 

9/10


Only thing I'm docking it for is too quickly resolving Kanan's blindness. But even then, it wasn't physically restored either and a very important life lesson was stressed: self perception can't be faked and other people view you the way you view yourself. Excellent, excellent lesson.

I LOVE that they introduced Thrawn with subtlety. It's a long season and he was introduced as a on intellectual villain devoted to the Emperor's vision who is patient and smart enough to play the long game. And it was brief. He's there now but he wasn't the point of the episode, and he's already starting to out maneuver them. Long season.

Tarkin's cameo added weight too. Brief but effective.

The Bendu. The design, the voice, the message...great job.

There was actual loss. The Phantom is gone and it's been a big part of the show. Ezra the Kid is gone and we can't go back. Ashoka is gone (at least from their perspective) and we can't go back, at least in this series.

They could have left open Ezra's Dark Side flirtations more at the end but the point was made.

In all, a very strong start to S3. Character arcs are the life blood of good story telling and this one had them. Our characters are different people now than when we met them...or even the last time we saw them.

Best season opener of the series and a much better opener than S2.

 

7/10

It was a good, solid episode. I liked Ezra's new agressive additude and the Tolkienesque depiction of the Sith Holocron whispering to him. Glad to see Rex in a more active role with the team as well, though I do wish they'd show more of his reaction now that Ahsoka's gone, but they can get to that as the season progresses. Thrawn's introduction was intriguing, though mostly a teaser...I suppose it's a good thing that I'm left wanting more. Kanan dealing with his blindness and the lessons with the Bendu were the standout moments of the episode, however, and Tom Baker kills it. Can't wait to see more of him.

Overall a solid opener that, while not as good as Siege of Lothal, was pretty fun. Can't wait for the rest of the season!

(Also, first post. Yay!)

 

7/10
It was good, not great, but had nice moments.
Loved the Bendu character. I felt for Kanan (regarding his struggle with self-doubt) . Liked the reference of General Dodonna. Really puts the show in A New Hope territory.

I'm not really digging Hondo on this show. He was awesome in The Clone Wars (and this is from a casual Clone Wars watcher.) When he was 'talking' to the ugnaughts, oinking and squealing like a pig, all I could think was 'oh Hondo, how far you've fallen...

 

Just continuing on that point about Hondo speaking to the ugnaughts, it certainly seemed as though they could understand Basic; considering the Imperial officer called in on the com to check on the status of the old fighters being incinerated and they understood him.

 

9/10 (1 point removed for some clunks in the script and a few nitpicks).

It really feels like OT era Star Wars now, they have the tone just right. The Bendu seems like something out of Labyrinth or Never Ending Story, but in a Star War friendly way. The industrial detail and atmospheric/environmental detail was delightful, I've been critical of that aspect of the animation since the start of season 1, but we all knew the quality would improve over time.

Thrawn seems a bit stoned, a bit slurred. And a bit American.

 

6/10 overall.

If grading on a curve for Rebels general quality of episodes, it would be an 8/10.

 

Very solid premiere, and reflective of its title, which in itself could be an echo of the last shot of Ahsoka.

Ezra had a few strikingly dark moments, and I'm glad he had some lighter ones, too. The former stemmed from resentment for Kanan, and that was resolved with the two making amends, but Ezra has other cause for conflict. Plus, the lingering shot of the dark landscape after the Jedi walk off feels like another hint. I agree with Twain about losing the Phantom, that Ezra's lost a part of himself.

Thrawn did enough to be intriguing, and I love that his music is the same as from the trailer. The selfish part of me wishes it was slightly louder in the mix, but it fits Thrawn himself in being understated, and could be used more prominently later. That transition with his eyes briefly remaining in the shot was awesome, and makes me think there are indeed big plans for him.

Special mention for Chopper, for giving me that sense of fun as soon as he showed up.

9/10
The cuts between Kanan and the rest of the crew were a bit Jarrus jarring.

 

Short haired Ezra reminded me too much of bratty and pompous shaved head kid Fett of TCW.

 

I give a 10/10. For a kids show, it really has a lot of depth. There was a lot going on in 44 minutes. This could and should have been a 90 minute movie. I can understand with those that are not happy with the show's beginning. There is just too much going on for a little bit of time, but despite the time shortage it was well done. These next 9 episodes for the first half of the season will be very good.

 

8.5 out of 10. Really good episode.

-Loved the Bendu stuff. Tom Baker was awesome (no surprise there) and fits in very well in the SW universe. Love the Bendu character.

-Bendu taking the Sith holocron and not being bothered by it reminds me of Tom Bombadil taking the One Right and it having no power over him in The Fellowship of the Ring book.

-Very good debut by Thrawn and I like how he's setting his plan in motion.

-Also liked Governor Pryce a lot.

-Ezra was an annoying little **** in much this episode.

-Love Kanan's storyline.

-Hondo!

-Great setting and the battle scenes they do there are most impressive.

 

I didn't like Ezra's new look either but the Episode was really good I would give it a 10/10 !!!
Thrawn will be a factor this season It was episode one after all I think that Is why he wasn't a bigger part.

 

8/10