Full Series Rebels 2.09 - Stealth Strike - Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

Family attachments are always an issue to the Jedi and these Force characters, they often turn bad as they become very emotional and protective and thus aggressive and fearful of loss ect. Lucas usually has family being very important, that theme is also present in Ventress's storyline and Maul's. Ezra and parents I think would be the deciding factor on whether it makes or breaks him. Maybe he gives up being a Jedi for all we know, and chooses to just remain with his folks, or he does something wrong and gives up the lightsaber for good. His anger and bratty issues are semi-annyoing, seems either the writers are having difficulty writing the character as they do not really know what to do with him, or he's written like this on purpose and is basically Anakin 2.0, I do get a bit of Vos thrown in, and that character also became like a near Vader in DD.

 

I thought this was a great episode. And it had a little bit of everything to offer.

Spoiler

There was humor. Lots and lots of humor:

+ Ezra and Commander Sato. Their banter this week was almost as good as what we got out of Kanan and Rex. You know, I actually felt a little sorry for Jun. When it comes to dealing with Bridger, the Commander at first seems a little in over his head. Sailing in uncharted waters, so-to-speak. I could almost feel his sense of exasperation coming through my television screen.

But by the end, Sato seemed to have learned to... appreciate Ezra's talents (Ezra: "Don't worry. I've got this." Sato: "Come on! He's 'got this.'")

++ Kanan and Rex. These guys are fun! The best (well, funniest, anyway) moment had to have been ol' Granddad Rex trying to work his way out of an Imperial wedgie -- much to Jarrus' delight ("Looks a little tight on you, Old Man."). Poor Rex: he can't still fit in his wedding dress these days (But at least he still knows how to wear it!).


But besides the funny stuff, there really is some compelling drama between Kanan and Rex.

Jarrus obviously has sincerely legit reasons not to put any faith or trust into Rex. Meanwhile, Rex has every right to be defensive about being taken to task as a Stormtrooper, all but in name.

I've really loved their continuing rift. It's natural and it is compelling. But more on that later.

More funnies:
+ "How is it the Empire lets us keep stealing these things?"

+ Rex: "Not bad. I've seen better [Jedi Mind Tricks]" Kanan: "Maybe I'll practice on you sometime."

+ "He takes after Hera sometimes."


++ Imperial Officer: "Your armor appears to be a little tight, Trooper." Rex: [Sotto voice] "I'll tighten your face a little tighter."
Imperial Officer: "The commissary? That's the last place I'd take him." Rex: [Sotto] "I'll take you... Commissary."

Eh, maybe all of this will serve as a wake-up to Rex.


++ And Chopper blowing up the spot on Ezra with his recorded hologram.

Kanan: "You shot us! I can't believe you shot us!"

Ezra: "I mean, you, you were dressed like Stormtroopers."

Kanan: "Yeah."

Now, don't get me wrong, that was good. But Rex's reaction? Well, now that was downright hilarious.

Rex [proudly]: "You shot us." (Laughing) "He, he, he..."

Ezra: "I set it to stun."

Rex: "Yeah, well you should have used "Kill."

Kanan: "What!?!"

Rex: "Well, just in case it wasn't us, I mean..."

Kanan: "Ugh. This armor doesn't protect you from anything."

Rex: "Well, I told you..."

Love it. Love everything about it.


+ Oh, and you know what else is funny? Ezra's "Jabba the Hutt" shtick finally running it's course and biting him in the behind.

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The story touched on long running, overarching themes from the series:

+ Ezra finally putting his foot down, once and for all, between Rex and Kanan. Bridger felt as if he was being pulled in too many different directions at once, by two separate warring sides (both of whom only want "what's best" for Ezra). Anyone else from a family of divorce recognize that? I've been there, too, kid. Good for you for standing up and saying something.

And to the credit of K & R, they seemed to appreciate that what the kid had to say was heartfelt.

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It gave us the million-and-one random things we've come to look for, too:

+ Hooray for the EU. Longtime EU fans will instantly recognize the Interdictor-class ships with their gravity well projectors. Outstanding.

+ Hooray for TCW. I'm sure it's been mentioned, but the Imperial Interdictor; with the secretive way it was being used by Admiral Titus and with it's uncanny ability to pounce on it's prey at a moment's notice, leaving no one around to report on the true nature of the threat? Well, that sure reminds me of the CIS and their secret weapon, the Malevolence.

And just as with the Malevolence, Rex and Ezra both recognize that this new Interdictor is a weapon which is too dangerous of a threat to the Rebel fleet. And so it must be destroyed.

Which I think is awesome. The Malevolence episodes were clear standouts from among the early, Season 1 episodes of TCW. And I'm glad to have them referenced subtly here.

+ Speaking of TCW? Hooray for the Corporate Alliance! Yes, and more Separatist references, please, Team Rebels. Better yet, how about some former Separatists appearing in the new series, taking up arms against the Empire? It needn't even be a Seppie who we already know from before. Just so we know that they were once aligned with the Separatists and fought against the Republic way back when. And then pair them up together on the same side now with a former Republic Clone Captain and a Clone War-era Jedi Padawan or two and watch the drama unfold. Maybe have someone like Bail Organa or Mon Mothma start out balking against working with someone with a CIS history?

Alright, enough stumping for my own desires.

+ Wait. Speaking again of TCW? "Cody and I practically invented these emergency protocols back in the Clone War." Awesome.

+ Hooray for new characters. Admiral Brom Titus for the win. I enjoyed him. Yep, I enjoyed him in the way I tend to enjoy all competent, yet slightly menacing new Imperials. Good stuff.

+++ Hooray for just plain old cool. Captain Rex in the armor of an Imperial Stormtrooper. For those of us who, like me, are huge fans of Rex, how incredibly awesome was it to be able to glimpse what might have been. Had Rex never opted to remove his inhibitor chip; had he still been the fighting leader of Torrent Company at the close of the Clone War, he would have been right there alongside Darth Vader, as the 501st stormed the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

And before long, Rex would have adopted the armor of an Imperial Stormtrooper.


It's really something to think about the road not traveled in life.

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Oh, boy, did it have action:

+++ The battle aboard the Imperial Interdictor (can we get a proper name for this vessel, please?) was really something.

Ezra's escape, courtesy of a poor Stormtrooper who gave us his best Fred Astaire impersonation, dancing around a lit lightsaber buckled to his belt. I guess that qualifies as "action." No? Maybe it's better off in the "humor" section? Either way, I enjoyed the moment and the rest of Bridger's escape which followed.

And the sabotage of the ship's reactor core was fun. It felt like we were seeing Boba Fett aboard Admiral Kilian's Endurance. Or Asajj Ventress inside the Tranquility. Or Kanan, Ezra and the Inquisitor in last season's finale.

But I digress.

Even if we have seen the setting more than a few times, now, it was still cool.


Starting with the trip to the elevator, it was clear that we were in-store for a Rescue aboard the Death Star-style adventure, with visuals to match. And it was glorious. I honestly can't remember the last time I had so much fun watching Rebels. You know, generally speaking, I'm not really one for too much aping of an earlier source. But there were just enough differences from the A New Hope sequence that I thought it really worked.

There was of course one very BIG difference between this episode's firefight and the encounter aboard the DS-1. But more on that later, too.

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Okay, it's "later."


The greatest thing about this episode?

+++++ It almost made me quit watching Rebels forever (but then it didn't). That scene of the blast doors closing, as a snarling Rex takes on a group of Stormtroopers all by himself; allowing the rebels time enough to escape, but almost certainly forfeiting his own life in order to do it?

It was terrible. And yet, at the same time, it was glorious.

I really, honestly felt that I might be watching Rex's last moments unfold before our eyes. And wow, did I not want to see that happen. Not only because I've grown weary of the "Death of a Mentor" trope, in general, but because Rex is one of those few characters (alongside my ultimate "Please Do Not Kill": Luke Skywalker) who I really just don't want to see die.

But at least it would have meant Rex dying doing what he knows best: Standing up against overwhelming odds and taking the fight straight to the enemy. And in so doing, saving a the lives of a group who otherwise may well have perished, right then and there.

Honor. Duty. Sacrifice.

These concepts are the kind of things embedded so deeply into the core of Rex that he wouldn't know how to function without them.

Okay. I do not like it, but I can live with Rex dying this way. It's true to his character. I am ready.


But instead? Rex is captured. And Titus plans to terminate Rex, "not like a soldier or honored Veteran... (but) discarded and forgotten."

...

But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit. First, we were treated to a terrific scene (complete with an appearance by Dr. Ball, MD).

A scene where Admiral Titus offers Rex "Not only immunity, but reinstatement at an Imperial training academy." Cody. That's got to be the life Cody lives to this very day. How cool is it to have this insight into the lives of the former soldiers of the GAR? I love it.

Anyway, it's an intriguing offer you floated, there, Admiral. But it'll never work. Not on someone like Rex.


"I had your number scanned, 7567, Captain Rex. You were a hero once." [Me: "Once?"]

"I serve the Order you put into place, Captain." The man is right. You may not like it, Rex -- it may be an inconvenient truth -- but Titus is right.

But even still, Rex is "proud of [his] service." Right on, Rex. You should be.

...

Okay, so back when Titus was threatening to kill Rex and discard him? And "no one will know, or care"?



"I will." **fanfare plays**

Kanan, you're awesome, Brother.

If I didn't already love you (but yeah, I already did), this moment definitely would have won me over. Seeing that look of true surprise on Kanan's face as Rex made himself a willing sacrifice was one thing. But watching Kanan struggle with his emotions, before ultimately deciding to act to rescue his "friend," was an example of this series operating at just about it's peak, optimum level.

And Kanan's rescue of Rex (complete with the following exchange: "Wow. Nice to know you care." / "Don't ruin this.")? Well, that was worth the price of admission, alone.


+ Oh, and Kanan blocking incoming fire with his lightsaber as Rex eliminates any opponents with his blaster makes for a fun (and effective) team.

+ And the salute. I cannot forget the salute at the end.

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One more? The visuals. They keep getting better and better. That sequence where the Imperial ships all slam into one another? Great!

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Negatives?

Hmm.

I'm not really coming up with anything major.

It's not a big thing, really, but I suppose Sabine always having the answer when it comes to Imperial secrets is wearing a little thin for me. How many times are we going to have to hear "Back when I was at the Imperial Academy, I heard all about..."?

I mean, it's actually a neat thing to be able to go to for the writers. And it's always interesting to get another peek behind the Imperial curtain like that. So I'm not against the idea in theory.

The "problem," as it were, is that I cannot help but wonder how many high-level secrets the Empire would really be spilling to their prospective agents? I mean, these are students, right? Is there a reason why a student (a student who never even finished her studies, mind) would have heard enough about the secretive development of gravity well projectors for star ships, that she might be able to puzzle this thing out so quickly?

It just stretches credulity for me a bit, is all.

Oh, wait, there was one more thing: That one shot of the Imperial Officer scooting along quickly to report to Titus (the one where we only saw the Officer's legs)?

The production team has had an issue with character's legs (especially when moving quickly/running) for years and years, now -- since way back in the beginning of TCW -- and they still haven't quite worked it out.

Again, it's not a deal-breaker, but maybe it would be best not to draw extra attention to the legs like that? It just looked and felt awkward to me.

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And one final thought. It's not a negative, by any means, but still, it is rather sad: Poor Rex keeps reminiscing fondly about his glory days fighting alongside the Jedi. And it's clear that Rex really holds one Jedi in particular, Anakin, in very high regard. It's going to be a sad day when Rex comes to the realization that Anakin is Darth Vader.

And, as with Ahsoka Tano, it's going to cut that much deeper, now, if Vader is ever shown to be the one who ends Rex's life. As much as I am really enjoying Rex's return (and clearly, I am), I dread what in all likelihood is to come.

Even if Rex survives in the end and goes on about his daily existence in another round of 'retirement,' the guy is never going to be the same again once he learns the terrible truth about his esteemed General.

In the end, a fine, fine episode.


EDIT: Added spoiler tags in order to knock down some of the relative length of my review.

 

Trebor Sabreon YES!!!! I forgot about the corporate alliance reference.

 

I must have missed it, where did they mention the corporate alliance?

 

Sato says he's of the Corporate Alliance when he's brought before Admiral Titus.

 

Maybe he's a former member? More human separatists are always a cool thing to explore.

 

Nice. Thanks.

 

Yes, my theory that Sato is a former Separatist gains more traction

 

Maybe Sato have acces to old Battledroids and shares them with the Rebels.

 

Don't say things like that!

You're going to get me so excited by the notion that when it turns out not to be true, I'll wind up muttering "Why couldn't they let moonjump write it?!?" over and over again.

 

Yesss let's turn this show fully into TCW 2.0

 

Yes let's turn Rebels into an Emmy winning show!

 

It already got one didn't it? For Jason Isaacs' role as the Grand Inquisitor.

EDIT: Nevermind, it was a Behind the Voice Actors Award.

 

I'm pretty sure Kallus would have commented on the others if they were captured along with Ezra. Kanan took out the Grand Inquisitor, Hera got an entire episode dedicated to her piloting ability etc. Everyone gets their chance in the spotlight.

 

Yep.

I was just going to mention that we're not even two episodes off of an entire story dedicated to how Hera is the best pilot in the known universe. Complete with Kanan outright stating as much. And it was an awesome episode.

But I definitely get what anifan is saying. I found it a bit much when we heard all about how special a certain someone was in TCW, time and time again, for example.

But the happy news is that at least in this show, it feels like they are making a point of giving everyone their shine (and, if rumors are to be believed, with more to come further down the line this season).

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As far as the Imperials commenting on Ezra in this week's show? I can't say that I noticed much of anything to raise an eyebrow over, personally. Kallus was warning someone who wasn't familiar with Bridger's history not to underestimate the boy's ability to escape custody. And why not? The Lord knows he's done it enough times to have earned that reputation. Basically they're flagging him as an escape risk and suggesting extra security be posted (little different than what they do IRL with certain prisoners, actually).

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But there was something else I did stop and take note of. Something I forgot to mention in my episode review:

It was a brief moment during Ezra's "Don't worry, I've got this" scene. You know, the moment? The one where the kid is dancing off the walls and mowing down enemy forces like he was Anakin Skywalker on death sticks steroids?

Yeah.

I understand that, per Kanan, it has long-since been established that Bridger is potentially very strong in the Force. And I actually appreciate that they're taking the time to demonstrate that Ezra is steadily growing in his prowess and abilities. I think that I've mentioned elsewhere how Ezra's continued improvement is maybe my favorite story line of Season 2.

But wow. It just reminded me of a Jedi in his prime, at the height of the fighting during the Clone War. And not just any Jedi, but an Anakin or an Obi-Wan; a Mace Windu, even.

The kid sure is coming a long way. Probably a little further a little faster than I may have been tempted to do it, but okay.

Now they just need to advance his dalliance with the dark side, hinted at in Season 1. If Ezra Bridger is going to keep making his way up the food chain like this, I want to actually worry that he might fall (and that the consequences for such a fall might be dire).

 

We'll certainly see Ezra be tempted by the Dark Side once again, he is a high-potential force sensitive who's began his training at a rather vulnerable age, even later than Anakin Skywalker.

Who knows, Vader might sense this and attempt to gain Ezra as an apprentice to use against Palpatine, as we know he hasn't shy'd from doing in the past.

 

Characters shouldn't be constantly allowed to resist the dark side imo. I think its a little played out and undermines the danger of the dark side.

 

Maybe Ezra will actually defeat one of the Inquisitors by briefly embracing the Dark Side, or something like that.

 

He'll take Vader out with his slingshot.

 

I think the difference here is that Ezra has a lot of support with his master Kanan, a mother figure with Hera so in the end, he has a better chance not to succumb to the darkside than Anakin who had a lot a pressure being the chosen one, a secret marriage, his mother's death and an old man who told him what he wanted to hear.

 

This is true. Plus Ahsoka, who has turned into a beacon for the light side.

Ezra has lots of support available to him should be need to go into rehab for dabbling in the dark side.

 

wow yeah you're right nature vs nurture I guess, he also has a big brother in Zeb and a sister in Sabine and i guess a dog in chopper

 

What breed of dog would Chopper be?

I'd go with Rottweiler or pitbull personally.

But I mean, if he hit the central console, it would work...