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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Full Series Rebels 3.08 - Iron Squadron - Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

Discussion in 'Star Wars TV- Completed Shows' started by Todd the Jedi , Nov 17, 2016.

  1. mattman8907

    mattman8907 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 17, 2012
    The one thing i liked about this episode is that we got to dive into more of Sato's background cause he's been playing supporting role last season and this season and really hasn't had that much screen time so it was nice to see his character get some depth. I'm with somebody who said earlier in this thread that Thrawn probably killed Sato's brother.
     
  2. thedarkbeckons

    thedarkbeckons Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Dec 2, 2013
    I just had an enlightening chat with Matt Martin of the Lucasfilm Story Group (aka Mart Matten of the Iron Squadron). This is a link to my website's Twitter post and thread discussing Iron Squadron: https://twitter.com/SWCanonReviews/status/800949385014218752

    EDIT: Also, very few people are pointing out how Zeb has been NONEXISTENT this season. A line here or there, captured in The Holocrons of Fate and The Last Battle, and that's pretty much it. The most he's been seen was in Steps Into Shadow, and that was fairly minimal too.
     
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  3. Jedi Knight Fett

    Jedi Knight Fett Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2014
    This has got to be one of the most fillery episodes yet that's for sure.
     
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  4. Jedi_Kenobi32

    Jedi_Kenobi32 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 24, 2005
    Even though Iron Squadron is my least favorite S3 episode so far I have really liked this season.

    In fact here's my very short little review of the episode, that I am re-posting from the Thrawn thread, this time without spoiler tags :p:

    Least favorite Season 3 episode so far. Thrawn was barely in this and after watching this episode I wondered why he was even in it. The Iron Squadron kids were annoying as hell. It was just meh all around. The only things I liked were the Iron Squadron's astromech droid and the fact that Thrawn knows Commander Sato.

    3/10 for me.
     
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  5. AV-6R7

    AV-6R7 Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Dec 9, 2014
    I feel like the weakness of this episode has been especially exasperated by these two-week hiatuses. Hope we don't have any more going forward.
     
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  6. Black Star Gunner

    Black Star Gunner Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2014

    I do think this is contributing to our overall 'meh' feelings about this episode. If you take multiple long breaks, at least make up for it in quality episodes. Still one of the worst episodes I've seen from Rebels (which I've mostly liked).
     
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  7. Black Star Gunner

    Black Star Gunner Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2014

    Copy, Gold Leader.
     
  8. Black Star Gunner

    Black Star Gunner Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2014

    I'm in full agreement with your assessment. I'll keep hoping for the right finale of this series, but I've got concerns that there WILL be that sunset walk for too many of our heroes.
     
  9. Senator Kelberry

    Senator Kelberry Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2010
    "Not bad, Q. Not great. But not bad."
    --Q "Deja-Q"

    Yes a TNG quote. Sue me. But it sums things up I think. Filler, yes, but it was generally enjoyable. I don't feel like I lost any time watching it, and I generally found it entertaining over all. It doesn't hold a candle to many other episodes, of course, but I don't regret watching it. Nothing too notable for me to really get into discussions over. I suppose one thing I can mention is I did find the explosive cargo flinging a rather creative idea. I don't know that I've really seen that before.

    Otherwise...that's about it.
     
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  10. TheSilentInfluence

    TheSilentInfluence Retired Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 15, 2014
    Also please don't double post because it counts as spam. Use the edit button or wait until someone else posts before you post again. If it's been over a day then you may post once more after your previous post.
     
  11. In'N'OutOrder66

    In'N'OutOrder66 Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Nov 22, 2016
    Okay... Long time lurker, first time poster. Sometimes I don't understand the hate on this series. Maybe because I grew up with no Star Wars animation of quality, we had the less than stellar Droids series. This series is so far superior... to so many animated series out there.

    Anyway, I am <finally> posting, because I just think I cracked a big mystery. In the season premiere, Admiral Konstantine is called out for being too political by Governor Pryce and even challenges Thrawn being a 'Grand' Admiral. He doesn't like the fact that Thrawn has come in and taken his role. Then in this episode, Thrawn challenges Konstantine to prove himself -- and Konstantine is furious... however it is Thrawn who has to come and save his butt in the end. So what you ask? I wonder if Konstantine might be... Agent Fulcrum! He hates Thrawn, screws up against the Rebels on a regular basis... Has anyone suggested this yet?

    Or am I crazy?

    Either way, I don't understand how this episode can be filler. What makes an episode not filler?
     
  12. Vorax

    Vorax Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 10, 2014
    All the Imperials screw up, its a running gag. Konstantine expressed disbelief in the rank of grand admiral, not so much Thrawn's character . It was Kallus who openly expressed something like that due to high civilian casualties but Pryce reassured him of Thrawn's apparent victory against rebel forces in that sector. But Tarkin, Konstantine and Kallus all seemed rather on edge and skeptical as all their own efforts have failed(including using Vader and Inquisitors).
     
  13. Blackhole E Snoke

    Blackhole E Snoke Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2016

    But the Imperials DON'T screw up! They get screwed by plot holes.


    Following on from my last post: the explanation on Rebels pedia and wookiepedia on this matter is clearly incorrect :


    From wookieepedia:
    The Ghost then flew over Konstantine's light cruiser while ferrying Mart's ship. Mart then dislodged the cargo box at the same moment that Konstantine's officer triggered the mine. The resulting explosion destroyed the forward compartment of Konstantine's light cruiser. Konstantine and the officer survived the blast but their ship was badly damaged.[15]


    Does not mention that the officer could not detonate the active mine at the right moment for plot reasons.
     
  14. Vana

    Vana Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 25, 2005
    Yes Konstantine lies, he says he was calling to announce his voctory but in fact he was calling reinforcements. Thrawn knows this. If Thrawn didn't come, Konstantine and his crew would be dead, because Konstantine underestimated the enemy (he waited for the Ghost to come closer to crush the 2 ships at the same time, while he could have destroyed the first ship long before)


    And no one thinks it's strange that the "Ghost" is able to organize the evacuation of a whole planet in 5 minutes??? or at least ask everyone on the planet who want to evacuate before the arrival of the Empire? it should take weeks, and not with a single little ship!
     
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  15. Blackhole E Snoke

    Blackhole E Snoke Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2016

    Driven from the system or escaped from the system, really not much difference. My point is he didn't underestimate the rebels, he wanted to take a whole group of ships but Thrawn said no. This meant once Sato turned up and started one shotting everything, of course he needed reenforcements. Even then, he would have crippled the Ghost with the mine and would have accomplished his mission just as Thrawn arrived, forcing Sato to leave on his own. That is what would have happened without the completely unexplained mine behaviour.
     
  16. Vana

    Vana Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 25, 2005
    The rebels left because of the destroyer, not because of Konstantine.

    Konstantine should have destroyed Sato's nephew's ship and the Ghost without a mine, just with laser bolts, and left before Sato's arrival ! and that's all.
     
  17. Ithorians

    Ithorians Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2016
    Welcome to the forum! And your Konstantine theory is interesting indeed! The main suspect of being Fulcrumizing around seems to be Kallus. For me Konstantine is an arrogant bigot that seems to represent many of the main flaws of the Empire. So, from this perspective, it´s a little hard to see him doing something as risky and imaginative as feeding information to the rebels, but it would surely be an interesting turn for the character if done correctly.

    About the filler thing, probably definitions differ from person to person. For me there is a main story this season that involves Kanan, Ezra, Maul, the Bendu and the Sith Holocron. There is probably a second main story, and as important, about the dealings of Thrawn with the Rebels. So any episode that really doesn´t do much to develop either story, of at least the main character´s background, motivation, etc, gets labelled as filler. How much of that categorization is accurate in each case is up to you! : )
     
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  18. Jedi Knight Fett

    Jedi Knight Fett Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2014
    This episode taught me one thing and that's that I need to be way less lenient on grades I gave this episode an 8 when I should have gave it a 5. Man I am the worst critic. :p
     
  19. Hyrum_Solo

    Hyrum_Solo Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Jul 1, 2015
    I disagree, part of what made SW so great was that the makers of the films actually took into consideration if whether or not the stuff they were making would make sense in real life. Look at the Incredible Cross-Sections books for example. Yes, a certain amount of suspension of disbelief is required (i.e. lightsabers, sound in space) but the beauty of SW is that us (laymen) geeky nerds can find real life applications, tie-ins, explanations, and math and science that apply to the SWU. To wave off someone who has had his suspension of disbelief disturbed is putting the blame on the wrong person.
    edited: reworded without the intent to creator bash.
     
  20. StarWarsFreak93

    StarWarsFreak93 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 20, 2015
    I loved this episode. And personally there hasn't been a bad Rebels episode yet. Probably me just being a SW fanboy, but I'm already grateful we get a new SW story (almost) every week, with a new story and sometimes new characters added. I'm not complaining. And each episode, I find, does have an impact on the series as a whole, whether it be a minor plot point in a future episode or having major ramifications on the story later on. The major takeaway this episode was Sato's development and interaction with Thrawn. And Konstantine bei set up to fail by Thrawn will play a part later in the series, I feel. Also Ezra using the wisdom Yoda gave to him was a great moment.

    I think the two week break hurt this episode and its reception. It was a more quiet episode, and that didn't sit well with viewers, I guess.
     
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  21. Blackhole E Snoke

    Blackhole E Snoke Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2016

    I know that Thrawn caused them to leave. Konstantine doesn't tell Thrawn that his reenforcement wasn't needed. He just says that the rebels have been driven away, which they had been. Did you really think that Konstantine was trying to take credit for driving the rebels away when his ship was wrecked and still being pounded by "One Shot" Sato when Thrawn arrived?


    Konstantine couldn't have just attacked the Ghost with lasers. The Ghost would have jumped away before being disabled. Konstantine needed to cripple to Ghost in one blow. He needed to set the trap. The stupid thing is how wreckless it makes Hera look. She saw the mine and had it deactivated, that is good. The Ghost could have then safely attached onto the YT2400 and jumped away with Sato, leaving Konstantine wondering what to tell Thrawn.
    But no, Hera puts everyone at risk by attaching onto a ship with a reactived live mine on its cargo pod, the exact situation she knew Konstantine was waiting for. She walked right into the trap because she apparantly knew the plot would side with the Ghost and screw Konstantine over?
     
  22. Vana

    Vana Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 25, 2005
    Yes, Konstantine lied, you should watch the scene again: (around 1:36)


    Thrawn: "Admiral Konstantine, you called for assistance?"
    Konstantine: (who DID call for assistance) "Quite the contrary Admiral, I was contacting you to report the rebels have been driven from the system"
    Thrawn: "I assume you mean that the rebels and their sympathiers ... escaped"

    So YES Konstantine lies saying that he did NOT call for "assistance" but to announce a victory, even if the rebels were not escaping at all at the moment he called, because it's Thrawn's ship (arriving after the call) which drove them away. So yes Konstantine was trying to take credit for driving the rebels away. (as the call happened before Thrawn's arrival)

    Exactly, Hera can read the script of the episode before everyone, and so can see all the plot holes she can use... sadly.
     
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  23. Blackhole E Snoke

    Blackhole E Snoke Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2016

    Lol Sorry, you are right. But how stupid is that?? We are supposed to believe Konstantine is that dumb to think Thrawn doesn't know why he is there or what is happening? Even after earlier being called for reenforcement. I mean how could the cruiser call for help without actually saying they need help? "Please get here quickly, we've got something to tell you." ???

    Still the fact is Konstantine had absolutely no reason to lie to Thrawn, he did nothing wrong. The plot makes him lie to make him look a fool in front of Thrawn, and make Thrawn appear the clever one. Thrawn didn't give Konstantine the forces he wanted and needed. Thrawn is at fault, but plot says we can't have that. This episode was just a complete mess plot wise.
     
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  24. La Calavera

    La Calavera Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2015
    Konstantine could have obliterated them to oblivion when the Ghost was in a vulnerable position trying to attach to the ship full of ezras, with just the combined firepower of his light cruiser and his two other ships. I mean, they have turbolasers, they have missiles for ****’s sake. Are they waiting for the right moment to use those? Because they already had plenty of opportunities.

    It did not make much sense to me that, with all that firepower he had, Constantine was relying on a single mine to blow up two freighters at once, mine which was put right in front of Mart, who of course would warn the others, who could smell that trap from lightyears away and were more than prepared for that because Konstantine couldn’t haven chosen a more obvious way to make it look like the most predictable trap in the universe. At least he could have surprised them with unexpected missiles too. When the Ghost was trying to attach to the other ship, that would have been an easy missile lock right there.

    I guess what I am trying to say is… the writing could have been better. For a show that is canon, that is (it wouldn’t be a problem if this was like the Lego Freemaker show). They are creating too many situations where the Ghost crew should have been dead and it’s getting frustrating to watch after a while. It really makes one wanna root for the villains, who come across more underdogs here than the Invincible heros.

    Either they avoid these situations, or start killing some people. It would have been quite interesting if they killed the Iron Squadron,or at least Mart, against all expectations, after making us believing that they would all be fine at the end because the Ghost crew was there to help them and the Ghost crew never fails (unless Vader is in town).

    It’s also a poor way of promoting Thrawn. Making him the competent one in a sea of idiots is no convincing way of writing a genius.
     
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  25. fett 4

    fett 4 Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2000
    Did they fail against Vader. They Dropped a Walker on him and had him get stuck by his own ships tractor beam before stealing his Holocron and killing his Inquisitors. (To which he does nothing looking like a chump) and Thrawn, is he even competent ?, he doesn't really do anything different except show up and say it's part of a so called grander plan :confused: Which I am convinced is just the writers way of covering for the fact he's just a useless as the rest.