All posts by Lord Lothcat
All in all a decent finale, but it really left me with more questions than answers. There’s no way we won’t get a continuation of some kind, whether that’s a season 2 (which I would not be opposed to) or the mandoverse movie or whatever. That being said. I’m not sure where I sit with the sheer quantity of “?” raised in this finale.
So Morgan is dead which is honestly a shame. I really was intrigued by her character and for her to be disposed of before we learnt about more of her motives is a waste. I guess we got some answers though, and her fight scene with Ahsoka is possibly one of my favourites in star wars so I was thrilled to get an equally cool part 2.
Ezra is home, and reunited with only Hera (shame we didn’t get to see him meet Jacen or see Zeb again). But now he has to take on the whole Thrawn situation by himself + catch up on the last 10 years of galactic happenings.
And Sabine and Ahsoka are stranded on Peridia, but they’re oddly content with it? Yes Ezra got home sure, but what about the fact that Thrawn is now loose and has some form of Very Powerful Nightsister magik to unleash? It seems very ooc for both of them.
Adding to that, what is Thrawn’s deal? He never gave a shit about the empire really. He was put there by the Ascendancy as insurance if the Grysks became an issue. Why does he care about reinstating the empire? It feels like a major mischaracterisation on Filoni’s part.
And "Long live the Empire"? really? they're just trying to turn him in to generic Big Bad villain #136. Give me back my socially challenged tactical genius Thrawn pls. this ain't him. I find it very hard to believe that he just decided to be completely devoted to the Empire. Once again, very ooc.
And where is Eli Vanto. I am very saddened that he didn't show up. Where is he.
And finally, we got a small hint of Baylan’s destination in the last minutes of the episode but nothing else about him or Shin? I was so incredibly intrigued by both of their characters, only for them to have nothing, and I mean nothing, to do with the finale??
All we really know about their motives is Baylan is seeking some (powerful?) thing on peridia. That’s what he’s after and why he’s there.
And Shin? Idk. She seemed very conflicted in the last episode and now it looks like she’s going to try and lead the raiders or something. Possibly getting a self discovery/redemption arc somewhere down the line thanks to ‘Soka and Sabine.
So yeah.. a lot of questions. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of them go unanswered either.
Ooh cool sword
Ezra’s new lightsaber being like Kanan’s? I’m not crying you are
The shot of Ahsoka at ~20:20
Me who has 100%ed JFO seeing the nightsister zombies: oh no
The Ahsoka vs Morgan fight is bloody incredible ngl they were saving their best choreography til last
To be honest I’m kinda vibing with force sensitive Sabine now
She is a much cooler character on every level in Rebels though. Visually she looks good but I’m really not too much of a fan of how she’s written in LA
She started strong and has been acted and casted perfectly, but her writing is certainly subpar.
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And that’s the show. I honestly really liked where it was going at first, but the combination of bad pacing, writing and inconsistent story just made it harder to enjoy.
Nothing in SW I would consider perfect, by any means. The closest is probably Andor, but even it has its flaws and I still wouldn’t want every sw show to be like it. It’d get boring.
A lot of media I love has its fair share of Issues and looking past said issues is second nature at this point. Ahsoka does have its fair share of issues.
The biggest problem I have with it is what did it achieve? We got a live action continuation of rebels, we got live action rebels characters, we got live action rebels locations.
But Hera isn't the best, Sabine is just. off. KallusZeb are nowhere to be found, Thrawn is straight up ooc. Morgan is dead, and Shin & Baylan have been left in an odd place in the narrative. I just don't know what we achieved out of all this.
I honestly thought the purpose of this show in the wider SW universe was to wrap up the threads of Rebels, and introduce some new threads for the future. If I continue with the thread analogy, it would be like tying the Rebels threads in to a nice, neat knot and proceeding to attack said knot with a serrated knife, creating an infinite quantity of small hard to tie threads spewing from the remains of the Rebels threads.
You get what I mean.
But despite that, I loved a lot of this show. Live action Lothal! (lothcats my beloved) The music was phenomenal! Some of the best fight choreography in SW! beautiful environment and set design! Sabine Wren being a main character! LIVE ACTION CLONE WARS! ANAKIN! AHSOKA CONFRONTING HER PAST! EZRA!
@Aunnesty sums it up perfectly: there is lots to experience in this series. but the story is lacking in terms of plot and pacing.
So, in conclusion: I give this episode 8/10 and Ahsoka 7.5/10. Here’s my ranking of the episodes:
Part 5: Shadow Warrior
Part 4: Fallen Jedi
Part 6: Far, Far Away
Part 1: Master and Apprentice
Part 3: Time to Fly
Part 8: The Jedi, The Witch, and the Warlord
Part 7: Dreams and Madness
Part 2: Toil and Trouble
I'm going to be honest, this episode certainly didn’t achieve as much as I thought it would but there are several things I would like to address:
AHSOKA IS BACK! Like she is in the episode but also her personality has changed dramatically, she’s more her old self! Her Snips self! Like she smiled! And laughed! And yeah I am SUPER happy about that.
Also Thrawn is more like Canon Book Thrawn rather than Legends Book Thrawn (thank the force!). I was really sceptical of his characterisation last ep but I thought he was written much, much better.
And they acknowledged the canon Thrawn trilogy too! Given it is a Filoni written project it could go either way but I’m glad they implied it happened.
And I’m getting used to his LA look. Slowly.
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But other than those things, what did this episode achieve? The NR plotline is kind of resolved? And other than a Leia mention, and 3PO cameo, what purpose did it have? I’m really confused.
Adding to that, what was the deal with Baylan and Shin? I just didn’t understand that bit? Was he testing her? Leaving her there? Where was he going? It seemed like he was saying goodbye which just really confused me.
And Thrawn didn’t even leave?? Like he was about to. But he didn’t actually leave yet? I feel like it would have been a lot cooler if the final shot was the Chimera leaving the planet. But. No.
The fight scenes were cool, but felt both dragged out and rushed at the same time? The pod chase scene was far too long, and the duels felt too short. And I would have liked to see more of Sabine vs Shin round 3? 4? And like where did she run to at the end?
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Mandalore mention! oh no. mandalore mention...
I now know why Kaz doesn’t like his dad that much. I don’t like him at all either.
More TCW era Anakin!!!
Compulsory mention that I love Ahsoka’s white outfit
This whole bit feels very deliberately ESB
Thrawn: Her Master was General Anakin Skywalker???
Elspeth: … yes?
Thrawn: Oh Fuk.
Sabine did you conveniently forget to mention Jacen???
“Zeb’s off training recruits” I though he was on Lira Sun? With Kallus?
Where is Kallus anyway? I miss him.
“Lightsaber?” “OH YEAH”
Sabine trying to give Ezra his lightsaber is hilarious their banter feels straight out of rebels
Huyang is about to have a full on panic attack lol
Ahsoka’s duel with Baylan does not feel final at all. I suspect they will meet again.
Aww.. the gangs back together <3
I must say this every episode we see Thrawn but Where Eli Vanto. Where is he.
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If this episode was earlier in the show I wouldn’t have minded it but there is one episode left. One! More things need to happen to set up the finale. And we kind of know Thrawn’s going to escape to the main galaxy anyway, and Ahsoka and co. are going to lose, so there isn’t really point in dragging it out? The pacing is kinda questionable.
Idk really know what they’re going to do in the finale now. Thrawn escapes, Hera might show up? Idk. And tbh I hope it’s a really strong episode as this one just undoes a lot of the excellent build up thus far. I didn't dislike it, but it just didn't do a whole lot for me and lacks the atmosphere that the last few episodes have had. Music was excellent though. 7/10.
WELL I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN EVENTUALLY BUT MY GOD I WAS NOT MENTALLY PREPARED FOR IT.
EZRA IS BACK AND HE IS ACTUALLY FANTASTIC IN LIVE ACTION! THRAWN IS BACK AND HE IS. OK LOOKING AND KIND OF… ooc? MORE LATER!
AND I DIDN’T HAVE PREHISTORIC GALACTIC HISTORY ON MY BINGO CARD. But it is not unwelcome and I would kill for more lore like this tbh.
The visuals are bloody phenomenal. Again. I sound like a broken record but every shot feels like it could be a painting. And Idk why but Peridia feels a lot like Australia’s high country. I do love seeing places in SW that feel like real locations.
And the music for Thrawn’s return? ahhhhh. Phenomenal. And the bits of his theme mixed in at the end? ahhhhhh.
But… and it’s a big but… the main let down for me this episode is Thrawn himself. I’m trying, I really am. But I am not liking this characterisation of him. He feels more like Legends book Thrawn, who I really don’t like all that much. He’s quite one dimensional and lacks the depth and personality that I love about canon book Thrawn who is one of my favourite characters.
Visually I also don’t think he looks good at all. They did give him glowing eyes (yay!) but something about his skin colour/face just feels off. It also might be the hair, which is just jet black without a slight blue sheen? I don’t like the straight up blue of his rebels version but plain black just doesn’t work.
He did mention learning about Ahsoka at the end so fingers crossed we see him doing his Art Nerd Analysis thing. Slightly unrelated but he specifically mentioned wanting to know who Ahsoka’s master is. Given he. Er. Knew Anakin quite well at points I’m very excited to see where they go with this. If they choose to acknowledge his past in canon but it’s Filoni so it could go either way.
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Before I dot point ramble I also must address (for now at least) they are keeping Ezra and Sabine as siblings (yay!) I was very scared that they would try and force them in to a relationship. But we are safe. For another episode. Hopefully it stays that way.
Ahsoka’s white outfit is still so pretty, I love it
A LONG TIME AGO… IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY…
OMFG
Can we please get David Tennant as Huyang to narrate the entire history of the sw galaxy please
Hm. Dead whale rings? Creepy.
I’m glad they added the Intense Staring scene I’m sure all my fellow wolfwrens will go nuts for it
Speaking of which I don’t think it’ll happen but I am so onboard for this ship.
Actual scary nightsisters?? Nice
I mean at least her cell has a window this time
Love how every time Sabine tries to use the force in this show something else happens the force is just like Girl… no.
THE SHOT AND MUSIC OF THRAWNS ARRIVAL I GOT CHILLS
THE DESIGN OF HIS FACTION IS GOD TIER WHOA
Me, delusional, hoping and preying my glub shitto will show up, knowing that he probably won’t: where Eli Vanto. Where is he.
I have headcanoned he’s on the bridge : )
But really what are the Chiss & co up to during all of this. How are they doing.
Do we think Thrawn has worn the same tatty uniform this last what, 10 years?
Poncho!!!!!!
Sabine’s fight scene was very cool.
Sabine please don’t be mean to your big rideable pupper : ( he is just trying to be your friend
These small rock creatures are splendid and I love them.
Anyone else feeling Shin is becoming.. disillusioned with the whole thing? I’m not sure if she’ll get a redemption arc or something but I’m feeling a shift.
Live Action Ezra is perfect. I do not need to go in to more detail because he has no flaws. He is Ezra but in live action. Excellent transition 10/10.
We talk about Obi-Wan being Space Jesus but can we address Ezra rn
Sabine it might be best to explain some of what’s going on to Ezra. I understand you want to run from your problems but there is about to be two very pissed off force users who want you dead. And you are now a kinda jedi. And Ahsoka is probably going to show up. And that she’s also your master now. And all your family are dead. And Hera has a child you haven’t met who probably needs a Master. And also your home planet is really nice now. You might need to tell him something Sabine.
Said it before but I really hope we see Thrawn’s reaction to learning this is Anakin’s ex padawan he’s fighting.
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This episode is certainly building up to something, and I can not wait. I have a feeling this show won’t be the end of the Thrawn storyline either with the amount of NR era stories we are getting. Presumably the next episode we’ll see a confrontation between Shin & Baylan and Sabine & Ezra (epic duel pls) + Ahsoka & Huyang vs Thrawn & Elspeth. But other than that I honestly don’t know.
Didn’t enjoy this episode quite as much as the last, so I give it 8/10. This show has exceeded my expectations so far and I’m very much looking forward to where it goes from here!
I’m absolutely blown away by this episode and this show. This, this right here is everything I hoped and dreamed we’d get in this show. This is peak Star Wars. I had chills for the entire time and next Wednesday can’t come fast enough. Only like. 6 days and 23 hours to wait right?
LIVE ACTION CLONE WARS. ANAKIN! BABY AHSOKA (SHE’S SO SMALL HERE OMG)! REX! THE BATTLE OF RYLOTH? GEONOSIS? IDK. THE SIEGE OF MANDA-FREAKING-LORE. HER ANIMATED S7 FIGHTING STYLE IN LA! DID I MENTION THE SHOTS OF ANAKIN TURNING IN TO VADER.
THE VISUALS! THE MUSIC! THE COSTUME DESIGN! I HAVE LITERALLY NO COMPLAINTS.
Ahhh I am still shaking. This show may have started slow but I don’t think there will be anyone complaining about this episode (though I’m sure there’s some bitter fanboy sobbing that Thrawn didn’t show up yet).
There are so many things I want to babble about, but I want to address how amazingly this show did the TCW flashbacks without making it overly fanservice-y. They felt so naturally included & not like they were thrown in for the sake of nostalgia.
And can we please shout out to Kevin Kiner for possibly the most nostalgic, emotional & unique score in star wars. The music gives this show such a distinctive feeling – part OT, part rebels and TCW & part mando. Honestly? I’d put it on par with if not better than Andor’s music.
Hera is just holding her blaster so casually lol
SNIPS (I started crying ~ here, did not stop until the episode finished)
Anakin’s choreography throughout feels so much like his TCW version (once again phenomenal fight choreography this ep)
KANAN MENTION LETS GOOOOOO
When I saw lil ‘soka I emitted a noise so high pitched it was only audible to cats
She looks a little odd compared to og animated Ahsoka but if you think how a young Rosario Dawson LA Ahsoka would look she’s a lot closer. So I’m not bothered by it.
Love her outfit though.
Early TCW live action Anakin!!!
REX
REXXXXX
I love Ahsoka’s portrayal in this, she seems so so so young. She’s like. What? 13? 14? She feels older in animation but something about her in this nails home that she’s just a kid.
The shot of Anakin/vader holy shit
ANIMATED AHSOKA S7 FIGHTING STYLE AHHH she looks so cool!!!!
Rex he speaks!!
That transition was so smooth whoa
Anyone else notice Ahsoka’s eyes go slightly sith for a second there when she had Anakin’s saber?
This whole bit reminds me so much of Cal’s fight against Jaro Tapal (this is not by any means a bad thing)
The shot where the World between worlds becomes the ocean? Aaaaa
Headband less Ahsoka is mildly cursed
For the first time you can see her ears? Like they’re little holes I always wondered about that
OUTFIT CHANGE LETS GOOO
OK BUT THAT IS SUCH A GOOD LOOK FOR HER SHE LOOKS PERFECT
Not as much to say about the end but I had chills the whole time
Hera telling Jacen stories about Ezra? Hm I am crying again
Du dun dah! Cliffhanger!
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I have calmed down by about 5% and have concluded this is very likely going to end up tied with Andor and Rebels as favourite SW show. Other than a sorta slow start I have zero major complaints.
Ig the obvious thing to happen next episode is Thrawn shows up. Maybe Ezra. I suppose we’ll see Baylan + WolfWren too. And Morgan. But I have no idea in terms of plot. And to be honest? I’m just happy to see where it goes.
Possibly one of my favourite hours of SW content ever. 10/10.
Can I now go to sleep for a week and wake up next Wednesday morning? Idk if I can wait it out...
Ok I am crying? Um. That was not what I expected to happen (and in a good way).
First off: Sabine’s decisions and character up to this point make a whole lot more sense now it’s confirmed her entire family died on Mandalore. (which saddens me, I liked them) People are already hating on her for handing the map over, but think about what's going through her mind:
In Rebels she already had a substantial amount of guilt for leaving them the way she did, so imagine her finding out they died & there was nothing she could have done + the fact the entire Mandalorian race is virtually extinct. On top of her grief for losing Kanan and Ezra. She’s lost both her families.
And the chance that Ezra might be out there, is enough for her to flip everything upside down to find him. She doesn’t want to leave her family behind. Not again.
I’m probably reading way too in to this, but I am glad there is some explanation to her actions. I said before that Filoni is to devoted to his ocs to write them so blatantly ooc, & there must be a good reason for it.
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Even though it was expected, seeing Anakin again broke me. Goddamned ninjas. Breaking in to my room and cutting onions like that. How dare they.
It’s going to be very funny when Anakin gives Ahsoka the Troublesome Padawan pep talk to then find out Sabine willingly handed them the map. Ahsoka is going to be Very Mad.
Also laughing at how everyone had complex theories for exactly who Marrok was, and then they were revealed to just be some sort of Nightsister/Savage Opress style sprit thing. I'm happy though, I would have been pissed it they were Ezra. Kinda undermines a lot of things for a cheap reveal.
Before I move on to the dot points I have to say: the visuals this episode. I want to paint every single frame, holy shit. The forest? The shot of Ahsoka standing outside the ship? THE WORLD BETWEEN WORLDS?? Phenomenal. They’re up there with Andor’s visuals.
And don’t get me started on the choreography! The fights feel a perfect blend between the prequel and tcw/rebels styles. I love how every character has a distinct physicality and move set too. And Ahsoka's rocking the Samurai style.
I love the forests on this planet so much. They remind me of some of the visuals from rwby for some reason. Probably the colour scheme.
Huyang can actually fight? I mean it makes sense, but still.
That little sequence with Sabine rolling and ducking around felt so Rebels animation to me (in the best way). It's great they've brought the physicality of the characters across the live action.
Speaking of which: I've really come to love Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka. Her mannerisms & voice feel like a natural continuation of animated Ahsoka. And ya know what? The montrals are growing on me.
I love Jacen so much… I saw someone on Tumblr point this out and haven’t felt peace since, but he’s wearing a replica of what appears to be Kanan’s pauldron on his shoulder. (why must you hurt me in this way, costume department)
Seeing the Ghost in action again made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Ahsoka using some of Obi-wan and Anakin’s stances/moves!!!
I was so worried that Sabine was about to use the force, but her gauntlet trick was way cooler.
Also the way Ahsoka got Marrok, same as how she defeated the inquisitor in the book? Amazing.
Her fight against Baylan was brilliant to watch, we haven’t really seen her be challenged like this in live action.
What does Shin have against Sabine? Like gurl you stabbed her. The beef should be the other way around.
The transition between the shot of the ocean and the world between worlds was top.
I had to rewatch this bit because I was crying actual tears and couldn’t hear the dialogue.
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And yeah! I am blown away by this episode. Given we’re halfway through, I can imagine things will pick up the pace from now.
I am hoping Thrawn will show up next week. Not because I bet a chocolate bar on it. But also I am very intrigued as to how they’ll write his character (fingers crossed for Canon book Thrawn).
I will cease my babbling and go make some lunch. Favourite episode of the show so far, 9/10. I am fully invested in this show now, next Wednesday can't come fast enough.
@Aunnesty basically summed up my thoughts for the episode & the series as a whole: flawed & far from perfect – but still very enjoyable. And as long as I’m enjoying something, I’m happy enough to look past the flaws.
Main complaint/discussion point is the whole “everyone can use the force, it’s just a matter of how good you are at it” like what. Um. Ok???
(insert *that’s not how the force works* gif here)
Yeah idk what Ahsoka was trying to say there, but I don’t think it was meant to be taken literally. More as an inspirational lie to tell Sabine to make her feel better or something. I’m not going to lose sleep over it until we get a confirmation either way.
Still odd though.
Also: Jacen!!!! Ok I must admit he felt a bit tossed in for fanservice. But, I’m not complaining. Also having chopper as a babysitter may just be the worst idea ever. Of all time. We even got an indirect reference to Kanan this episode too, which is neat.
Also also: Chancellor Mothma? Good to see her again as always. It’s saddening to think that even despite her leadership the New Republic is so incompetent.
And is that Kaz’s Dad? He’s a douche. Explains a bit about Kaz early on in resistance though.
Anyone else having trouble loading the video? It doesn’t let you play it until the Disney + intro is done, and then immediately times out and you have to reload the page a few times. Might just be my shotty connection though.
The music this episode holy shit. It’s a fantastic blend of the OT, Rebels & Mando soundtrack and I love it.
Trying very, very hard to supress the gay thoughts and concentrate on the show. But Sabine is making that very difficult. I do not get how people are hating on her LA look it is absolutely flawless. And I will die on this hill.
Sabine Wren: legendary Mandalorian warrior: defeated by a cup.
I mean it probably fell off the table when they were in the dogfight.
Sabine – 1 Cup – 0
Ahsoka LEAVING THE SHIP and DEFLECTING SHOTS in SPACE. It feels like something you’d only see in animation and I am so glad they did it.
Anakin would be so proud of her. The Disaster Linage lives on.
Also I love Huyang. I haven’t mentioned this before and must. I love Huyang so much.
Only found out this week he is voiced by David Tennant. I am slow.
How I never noticed before is beyond me.
Purgill!!! Cool they actually mentioned the link to Ezra.
And the whole follow-the-purgill-migration-paths-through-hyperspace-to-get-to-another-galaxy makes sense.
But they haven’t explained the ‘why’. Do they know for a fact Thrawn is there?
For all we know he’s just chillin’ in the Ascendancy with Eli & Ar’alani. What if he doesn’t even want to lead the empire. What if he's retired. I mean he never did have an interest in politics.
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Not sure where it’ll go next week, I just hope it’s a bit longer. We only have 8 episodes in the show, & 30 mins of content for each one isn’t great (understatement: it is very, very bad). Remember the days where tv shows would have episodes were consistent in length? Great times.
Anyway I give this one 8/10. I still really liked it, despite the fact the pacing could've been a lot better.
Well, I don’t have as much to say about this episode, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it - the action this episode was phenomenal.
The highlight was Hera and Chops’ back-and-forth. I love them so much.
Also, is it just me or did chop sound more like he was talking more in “words” rather than the more abstract sounds in rebels? Am I going crazy?
My only major character/story complaint so far is about Sabines personality? She seems more like Ahsoka in TCW seasons 3-5 than Sabine at the end of rebels? And maybe that’s a choice, and maturity isn’t always linear, but I would’ve thought she’d be more. quiet. and reserved.
That being said, I don’t want my headcanons to get in the way of enjoying the show, and I’ve really liked her portrayal so far. Same goes for Hera.
I loved the design of the map/hologram. Very cool looking.
The fight scenes are shaping up to be some of my favourite lightsaber choreography so far, all of the movements feel powerful and refined without being too overchoreographed.
Sabines armour and haircut scene was really well done, and the way it was shot is without a doubt reminiscent of Kanan’s scene. But, other than that, are we going to get a reference to Kanan at all? Idk. I just don’t want it to be like Satine, who they didn’t acknowledge in Mando at all. They barely even showed him on the mural. Surely they’ll have to acknowledge him when Jacen shows up.
And, I have to talk about it, I like Sabine’s hair, but honestly, it needs to be multicoloured. I hope she dyes the tips something different, or shaves part of it off or something. It’s not crazy enough for her.
One more thing: I like how they’re setting up Thrawn as this mysterious figure. It’s cooler than dropping him in to the story in the second episode. This way there’s more tension.
I wonder where he’s been though, maybe with the Ascendancy? Idk. Perhaps this is wishful thinking. Imagine how cool it’d be to see the Chiss in live action though.
Oh, and anyone else catch the Purgill at ~5:20?
Something I want to address quickly, so far, anyway, this doesn't feel too similar to the Thrawn trilogy (to me anyway). I remember that being a concern of some fans, but at this point in the game the story being told seems fairly original. That being said, I read the Thrawn trilogy once 2 years ago so I may possibly be forgetting key details.
Anyway. I have been typing for a while, and have actual work to do (aw.) so I’ll leave this here. I give this one 7.5 out of 10. I just didn’t find it as interesting story wise, but that’s ok: it all feels like it’s building up to something big - and I look forward to it.
Sadly I haven’t had a lot of time to consume most forms of media as of late, but I had to make an exception for what has been my most hyped piece of SW content. ever.
Sadly I forgot about the time change and received several messages from friends asking if I had watched it yet, which was very confusing. Thankfully the new release is 11 am for me, as opposed to the usual 5pm. So, it could have been worse I guess.
Ok, so straight off the bat, music and visuals are very good. Better than Mando s3. Not so sure about some of the character designs/costuming (cough cough Hera), but I’m sure it’ll grow on me. Loving the soundtrack so far.
There are two big reveals this ep: one, Morgan Elsbeth is a nightsister?? Ouch that’s so obvious looking back. But really I should have noticed that wayyy before. It also explains how she held her own against Ahsoka in mando. I’m really excited to see her back, I loved her role and am looking forward to seeing more of her.
Before people go and say she’s Merrin – well. I can see the similarities in age, mannerisms and what not. But I don’t think that they can change/remove their facial markings/tattoos, and Merrin’s are quite different. Given Merrin was fairly confident that she was the last nightsister, it’ll be very interesting to (hopefully) learn how she survived.
And two, the big one, Sabine is force sensitive?? I’m actually not *that* mad??
It makes sense given how capable and strong she is at a young age in rebels (aside from just being Mandalorian). The only gripe I have with the whole thing is why didn’t Kanan know about it, and train her?
Does she have a low mediclorian count? And Kanan didn’t have enough experience to notice? (seems unlikely imo).
Did he know when she joined the ghost crew, and didn’t want to tell her bc of the whole mando-hate-jedi thing? (I still feel like he would have told her at some point)
Did he know & tell her when she joined, but she didn’t want to be trained as a jedi but changed her mind after Kanan died and Ezra sacrificed himself?
The last one makes the most sense to me: it is a bit of a retcon, but it fits Sabine’s character. I just hope they actually explain it to us rather than be like “ooohh, but she was force sensitive all along!!!” as that’s a pretty big slap on the face for Rebels diehards. Like me!
But, I’m willing to wait this one out. Filoni loves his OCs too much to leave such a big plot hole unfilled. And hopefully they don’t pull a Satine Kryze and just never mention a deceased character in other media. Even when it would make perfect sense to. I'd kill to have some flashbacks with Kanan. And also probably cry. But it'd still be nice.
Dot point rambling time!!!
Love love love the set design so far, the Dathomirian temple is suitably ominous, and very un-jedi-like.
Is.. is that the apple from assassin’s creed. Sure looks like it.
So so happy to see her fight like she does in animation, but in live action. Don’t get me wrong, I loved her fights in Mando, but the speed and fluidity of that short sequence against the droids was very well done.
Nice to see Huyang again!
Hera!! Ok, Mary Elizabeth Winstead has nailed her voice and mannerisms, but I feel it’s been undermined by the odd makeup/costume choices? Her skin feels too green and not enough yellow/grey, her montrals look thinner than they are in rebels, and her eye makeup is. Odd? Hera seems like she wears eyeliner, but the full eyeshadow seems a bit over-the-top for her character.
Me, knowing full well that Ezra will very likely show up at some point: OMG THEY MENTIONED EZRA
Rebels live action cameos lets goooo!!!
LIVE ACTION LOTHAL LOOKS SO LOVELY!!! I would like to live there.
More in universe SW songs?? Loved all of them in J:S so I’m positively thrilled that it appears to be a trend.
So Sabine is my favourite SW character, and I was so worried that her transition to live action is bumpy, but Natasha Liu Bordizzo plays her perfectly. The voice! The sass! The little mannerisms! Perfect!!!
And I’m going to be honest: her long hair doesn’t feel like classic Sabine. But Oh My do I love it.
And her jacket. And helmet. And her tower-house with doodles all over the walls.
And she has a lothcat!! This excites me for some unknown reason!!! I’m not known for being obsessive over lothcats ever!! Why would you think that!!!
I’m really digging the dynamic between her and Ahsoka, it’ll be interesting to know what happened between them
The pacing of this episode feels a little slow at points, but I don’t mind it. Better things happen slowly and carefully than all over the place & fast.
Ok, Sabine’s actually holding her own here- oh nvm she’s been kebabbed
I’m sure she’ll be fine. It’s almost like we see her after this in the trailer. I agree with Aunnesty, we now she lives & will be fine, so stabbing seems a bit much. Maybe a slash or cut would've been better.
Also, love the credit music and animation. Feels a bit like the J:FO and J:S menus.
And yep, episode 1! I really enjoyed this, and have a bit more hope for the rest of the show! I’m sure it’ll get hate for being "slow", but it was cool enough to keep me immersed, and didn’t do anything to make me hate its guts immediately! So that’s a win!
Gotta go type out my thoughts for episode 2 now... & maybe grab some lunch.
I give it 8/10.
Welp! This looked cool enough that I guess I'm back in to SW! After several months of inactivity!
Where do I even start? Ok I'll start here. The main trio for the show appears to be Sabine, Hera & Ahsoka. 3 OF MY TOP 5 CHARACTERS IN THE FRANCHISE. If you told me 5 years ago that this would happen. I would not have believed you. But here we are!
Was very, very distrustful of NewHera since she's not played by her VA, even though from memory her VA did her mocap for Squadrons (which looked great). But. I am willing to give Mary Elizabeth Winstead a chance - from what I've seen, she's nailed the mannerisms. My only minor thing is that Hera's voice is quite rhythmic and melodical in Rebels - I don't think she quite has that cadence down. But, I aways have to find something to blab about, and the fact it's this minor is probably a good sign!
Looking forward to seeing more of Sabine and Ahsoka, it makes sense they didn't interact much in rebels but after Kanan's death & Ezra's disappearance they'd be closer. I forgot her name, But Sabine's actress is perfect for her. She nails the voice and mannerisms.
It also looks like Sabine will go on a return-to-being a Mandalorian arc, since we see her in armour at the end. I wonder if (likely by dialogue) we'll find out if her family is alive. Also thank the FORCE she cut her hair. it looked nice, but it wasn't her. (also, fighting with Ezra's lightsaber??? hell yes!!!!)
And while Ahsoka still looks. Not Great. All the other animation-live action transitions have gone very well. I just wish she'd look better IN HER OWN SHOW.
It's not the montrals that bother me, it's her face - it doesn't feel stylised enough compared to animation & other live action Togruta. Her markings are more of a soft shape than hard lines, her lips are too light and don't feel as defined as in animation, and the blue on her montrals feels too washed out. AND her outfit feels too one dimensional. But that's a rant for another time!
ANYway. In conclusion, I am very, unbelievably, hyped for this. I just hope they don't pull a MandoS3. or a BOBF. or a Kenobi. and mess it up.
(I lied, one last thing: I don't think we'll see him in a trailer, but I'm 90% sure force ghost Anakin will show up. And I can't wait for the ✨emotions✨ that will bring)
^ Really, really well said Swat. Every single character, major and minor, gets so much growth and personality. After I finished it hit me that we probably won't see these characters for another 3-5 years. Which sucks. The story doesn't really end on a cliffhanger, but I'm on the edge of my seat to find out what happens next.
Something that I haven't seen talked about enough imo are the villains. Each is so distinct and not just the *insert generic muhahaha evil here* trope, and that adds so much to the story. Except for Rick the door technician, I don't think there's a scrap of goodness in his heart. Pure evil, right there.
I have written several pages for my full thoughts on all the game, but I can summarise in this: 10/10. This proves that SW can be incredible when it wants to be. This is Andor level quality in my eyes. Other than some minor performance issues, I would change nothing with this game. And honestly? This might be my favourite bit of SW media ever. Of all time.
^ I found the place where those two frogs spawn and it took me ~20 mins and several attempts to get past it... on story difficulty. There's also a tear with two rancors and THAT was easier.
And good to know, I'll wait a bit longer to post full game spoilers. From memory you're at the point where the story really starts to get very interesting so enjoy!
^ I'm just playing on story mode for my first run through, I prefer to have fun and explore than to die to a mutant frog 100 times. Speaking of which, the only time I have died in the 28 hours I have in this game is to that damn frog. On story difficulty. But, you do get a very stylish reward so it's worth the pain.
And you can visit all the planets/locations after the main story! I've mostly stayed on Koboh but I've revisited all the worlds just to see if I can. There isn't a lot on some of them, but it's nice they let you visit anyway.
And regarding the Blaster stance, it's ok? For 90% of the story I used the Dual blades and rarely swapped to either the cross guard or blaster. Truthfully, it's fun, very fun, and the animations are smooth but I just prefer to charge in and slice my enemies up with the dual blades. I'll probably mix it up in time but the novelty of the Ahsoka-esque stance hasn't worn off yet. And, on top of all that, you do have to upgrade it a bunch so it's viable.
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And out of curiosity, where in the story are y'all up to & how many of you have finished? I was going to post my thoughts on the game's full story in this thread but I don't want to spoil it for everyone...
That was… ok? It just felt a little safe imo. Everything seemed to just. Happen really easily and with little trouble. But, that being said, a nice happy ending was probably the best way to leave this... controversial season.
And it seems like Din and Din (more on that wtf moment later???) will be the main focus of season 4, and we’ll get more father and ACTUAL SON moments!!!!
And also just. Random adventuring and stuff! Which is the heart of all good SW content imo. Looking forward to it!
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The Mando theme for the into was so. Goods. I want a full version of all the alternate themes.
I would have preferred a bit more suspense before din escapes but… that fight scene was AHH so good.
Axe Woves singlehandedly flying to orbit. Didn’t we establish that jetpacks are limited? He must be lighter than he looks.
Ok but the Mandos jumping out of the ship and in to the fighters reminds me of Rebels in the best possible way.
Ok I am still not over the hallway fight scene, it’s really cool to see din fighting differently.
The siren mouse droids were oddly funny
I didn’t know farming was in the Mandalorian tool kit lol
OK BUT THE NEXT BIT WAS SOO COOL THEM ALL FIGHTING IN THE AIR WE HAVEN’T REALLY SEEN THAT BEFORE
ALSO WHY DOESN’T THE ARMOURER. HAVE ONE BLASTER.
HAMMERS ARE PROBABLY NOT THE MOST PRACTICAL BUT I ADMIRE THE DEDICATION
The praetorian guards coming in as din was fighting Gideon is like when you are fighting a boss and they call in some weaker enemies to distract you as they heal
So the darksaber is gone?
Shame. Din should have got it. It suited him
At the very least he needs a cool weapon other than a hand blaster.
I saw it coming but the parallel between S1 and this with the fire, the difference that grogu is more confident in his abilities. Well done.
I would have liked to see some reaction from Ragnar with Paz dead… but ah well.
Hey isn’t this the mythosaur pond
DIN GROGU??? AINT NO WAY IM CALLING HIM THAT.
HIS NAME IS GROGU DJARIN AND I WILL DIE IN THIS HILL
LIKE WHAT IN MANDO NAMING CONVENTIONS SAYS THAT THEY TAKE THE FIRST NAME
SABINE WREN. URSA WREN! BOBA FETT. JANGO FETT!
So they won’t even use the mythosaur? LAME
Ok but the nitearmour! fans just keep winning
I do wonder what legitimacy she has as a ruler now, I wonder if they’ll go back to democratic leadership?
OR MAYBE MENTION SATINE HOW BOUT THAT
“Is that dave filoni?” “who else wears a hat like that”
WHERE is Zeb. Or Kallus.
Best possible IG11 resurrection. I’m not happy about it but at least we won’t see him too much.
I love Din’s little cottage soo much!!!!
There are going to be SOOO many fanfics set there. I can tell.
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Ok so this episode wasn’t bad it was just… mediocre and full of missed opportunities.
The general consensus among my friends was the following: Din was going to get interrogated by Gideon and have his helmet removed, the fleet would be attacked but hold out for reinforcements from another Imperial remnant (Thrawn??) and the only surviving mandos would be on the ground or in transports that made it. Din would somehow escape and find grogu and meet up with the rest of the Mandos, Bo and din would fight Gideon, Bo would be overpowered and Gideon would take the darksaber. Din would then defeat Gideon, win the saber for everyone to see and involuntarily become Mandalore. The Imperial fleet would then descend and land ground forces decimating the Mandos. Din and Grogu would find and tame the Mythosaur, riding it in to battle and saving the day.
But, mediocre and full of missed opportunities? Couldn’t have asked for a better metaphor for the season.
At the end of the day, there were good bits! Where the writing and acting was good! But there was just a lot of missed points.
It was set up in season 2 and BOBF that Din and Bo would have some sort of rivalry; one with a symbol of leadership that means nothing to his people and another who would do anything to get it. A sort of ying and yang.
SO WHAT HAPPENED????
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Another main gripe this season was Bo katan and specifically how Lucasfilm princess-ifyied her.
She was never a good person! She was a lieutenant in a terrorist organisation that killed innocence when she was a teenager!!! She always played both sides, just look at her TCWS7 arc for force’s sake.
Then Rebels! She was trying so hard to take a mantle that wasn’t hers. And she failed to do so successfully! And NOW, and only now, you want me to think she’s redeemed? That she was always good? FFS. I say this with undying love for her character, Bo Katan-Kryze has always been a bitch. And that’s what made her compelling!!!!! BECAUSE SHE WAS A BAD PERSON!!!!!
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Rant over.
I give this episode 6/10. By far the worst finale of the show.
Overall this season gets a 5/10 from me. For reasons stated in this and other posts of mine. It could have been so good, but unfortunately couldn’t escape the looming shadow of bad writing (BOBF).
I guess I’ll rank the episodes:
Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore
Chapter 23: The Spies
Chapter 19: The Convert
Chapter 21: The Pirate
Chapter 22: Guns for Hire
Chapter 24: The Return
Chapter 20: The Foundling
Chapter 17: The Apostate
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Oh and I almost forgot: we didn’t see Din’s face at all this season. Not that that means anything, but anyway. I guess we’ll see Din and lil din next season, whenever that may be…
Or they could show up in Ahsoka hell if I know but. Until next time, clan of two!
Well time to grab my skates 'cause hell might’ve just frozen over! Because was it just me or was this episode fan-friggin-tastic???? Almost like what a normal penultimate mando episode might be???
ALL of this really should have happened over two or three episodes since it’s a lot to cram in but to be honest? The pacing felt pretty decent. I just reckon it would have been better if we saw the Imperial stuff spread out over the season. And more people might have stuck with the show.
And, speaking of which, GIDEON IS BACK!! He might just be one of my fav villains now… DAMN. And that suit might just be one of the coolest outfits in the franchise; it combines the brutal lines and colours of the Imperial aesthetic, the refinement and practicality of the mando look, and with. A CAPE! Yeah, I know, “no capes!” but cmon. That looks siccckkkkkk.
And finally, we learn more about the fall of Mandalore! And did I spy with my little eye some Bo katan character development??? It’s almost like she’s actually pretty interesting when they write her well! Who would have guessed??
Tbf no wonder she was so revenge driven in S2. Imagine living with the guilt that you, and you alone, lead to the downfall of your entire race. If you didn’t fall apart from the guilt, the only thing that could keep you together would the chance at redemption. And just, right when you think you’re about to succeed, the same dude who took it all away from you shows up and rubs it in your face.
In other news Katee Sackhoff’s acting was especially fantastic this episode. Her acting has been consistently phenomenal throughout the season (unlike other things).
And Paz’s death scene (?) was really, really well done. He’s gotten a bunch of screentime this season and I really came to enjoy is character. I must admit it really took me by surprise. That being said… I do kind of hope he stays dead, otherwise there isn’t really a climax to the episode. And, going with the “no body no death” mentality we did technically see a body. Just no idea whether he’s alive or not.
Oh and IG11 becoming a Grogu mech suit was not on my bingo card and probably the funniest moment of the show so far I honestly lost it. Din has no idea what to do with this new menace. But I think both IG and Kuill would be proud of green been
The opening shot of Coruscant was great. The undercity is one of my favourite locations in the franchise and it's always a joy to see it!
The probe droid looks terrifying to be honest? I never thought about how big they are.
Thrawn crumbs are no doubt for Ahsoka, but I might have squealed a little bit. Between his LA actor reveal, the Ahsoka trailer & this.. LA Thrawn is coming soon and I can. not. wait!
Also a Hux? Huh
GROGU ON BO’S LAP I REPEAT GROGU ON BO’S LAP
Din I am sorry but you have been replaced.
I can cut the tension here with a butterknife…
Armourer bribing the mandos with the promise of Camptime! So that they wouldn’t fight is such a mum move
“bad baby no squeezy!” lol they remember
The look of utter joy and utter terror on Grogu and Din’s faces when Grogu “speaks” lol
The surface of Mandalore still looks amazing.
That is a really cool skif design! I was hoping we would know what clan the survivors were from but I couldn’t recognise any markings.
Bo has more character development in the next five minutes than she’s ever had before
Between their interactions and the fact that Bo can’t keep the factions from fighting I do still believe that Din will become the Mandalore and the season will end with him riding the Mythosaur and Bo will be his advisor of sorts.
I will defend this theory until I die.
Love love love the use of Jetpacks in cqc fights!
SO, was that the Mythosaur or does Mandalore have other large monsters?
It makes sense that Gideon would set up on Mandalore.
It also makes sense that he would harvest its resources.
I can remember, from the RC books I think? But isn’t the art of mining, refining & working beskar a closely guarded secret among the Mandalorians? I know it’s legends but that could explain why the Imp Beskar is quite a bit weaker.
Aside from plot armour, of course.
d- Din??? QUICK GREEN BEEN USE THE FORCE
NOOO????
I was slightly scared for Din (still am). I suspect Gideon will take his helmet off whilst interrogating him. But hey at least he doesn’t have to go as far to redeem himself this time!
Why didn’t you do that earlier Bo use your head sweetie
Paz NO
Paz?
PAZ!!!!!!
Who’s going to tell Ragnar….
He fought well and truly until the bitter end. This is the way.
Ok, so I’ve seen some people wondering why the weapons could pierce his armour. Remember when the Armourer said that weapons made from beskar were a threat to Mandalorians?
And if they have access to Beskar, and if we see those very same weapons stand up to lightsabers in the ST, makes sense that they’re beskar infused.
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So I’ve been harsh on every episode of this season thus far except ep2, and this one. I really hope the finale is a banger and a half as that might help this season’s standing in my eyes. But rn it isn't close to S1 or 2.
But, as I said last week, there is sooo much to be resolved. This is feeling more like a MCU show in the sense that everything is resolved in the last hour or so of content (ew). If the plots like the Imperials and Mandalorian survivors were introduced earlier, it would have done wonders for this season. But, alas, not.
So let’s hope the follow up to this is a banger. I do fear for the future of the show if it isn’t. But, until next Wednesday, I suppose we’ll just have to trust in the Force.
I give chapter 23 9.5/10 :D
@Ctmeh lol I completely forgot about that. That adds another layer to the Darksaber Confusion, since Bo "couldn't" take it from Din in s2's finale despite that's how she got it in the first place. And we don't even know the specifics of how she lost it to Gideon to know if he earnt it. For all we know, some random trooper might have found it on the ground and gifted it to him.
That would probably be the funniest plot twist of the show though. Instead of all these main characters some random stormtrooper finds themselves the rightful heir to the Mandalorian throne. lmao.
This episode was really chill and fun up until the last five mins. After that, what in the force were they thinking.
After the main plot point was resolved in episode 2, the only tension was the “who’s gonna get the darksaber!!!” plot. Which has been a large thing since Din got it.
And now that’s gone. And I really, really hate how it happened.
We’ve seen time and time again, for ownership of the darksaber (or really any mando tradition/trial) two opponents fight until one yields. We saw it this episode for god’s sake. It’s an established fact.
So why does Bo defeating the weird mech mean anything? Following that logic, Maul was the last one to win the saber by combat. After that, he was defeated by Obi-wan. Obi-wan was defeated by Darth Vader. Who was defeated by Emperor Palpz. Who was ultimately defeated by Rey Skywalker, who as of now, hasn’t been defeated in combat.
Or does it not count if it’s not in an official setting hell if I know but. DID WE NOT ESTABLISH that Bo had to win it fair and square for her people to follow her again since WE SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT SHE FAILED AS A LEADER. For all Koska and Axe know Din was never attacked by the mech and they made it up for Bo to get the DS. It’s not like they trust Din.
Also F to all the cool ideas for Mandalore! Din. (maybe)
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The only way I can justify this is if he challenges Bo for the DS before seasons’ end after he learns about her past. And the fact that they really, really shouldn’t let this girl rule anyone. Ever again.
OR, alternatively, Din finds out about the Mythosaur from the Armourer and realises it’s basically his destiny to rule. Idk I just want Bo as a badass villain and for them to fight.
Ok moving on. IS GROGU A JEDI KNIGHT NOW???
But it’s a shame the last five mins undid all the fun and fluff as this was such a good and completely random episode.
From the recap I was dreading something darksaber related… Idk how many of you watch the recaps but this one was actually depressing as it was just a reminder of how consistently good this show used to be ☹
I didn’t have Squid Romeo & Juliet on my bingo card
Respectfully, their accents are wrong. Neither of their species have sounded like that in the past.
Axe! Koska! You’re ok!!!!
Grogu called shotgun and din is in the back seat lmao
“They’ve taken control of the ship!” hOW???
Bo did you forget your helmet
Bo people will try and attack you
LOVING the bespin vibes out of this place! Like seriously it looks top. Love me some esb inspiration
Well that was unexpected
Jack Black???? Lizzo????? So THAT’S where this show’s writing budget went
Ok but that hologramy dress? Padme would approve
I love that Bo’s used to navigating politics and diplomacy… I wonder where she learnt it from… an older sister maybe
GODAMNIT CAN THEY MENTION SATINE AT ALL. How haven’t we even heard a namedrop at this point. We got a Dooku mention before Satine.
Grogu has another aunt. Good for him! He’s going to be so spoilt.
Kuill mention :( I sad
Every interaction Din has with a droid is absolutely priceless
Bo, a mildly polite royal with diplomacy: *being diplomatic*
Din, a feral home schooler, with no patience for droids “TELL ME WHERE THE PLOT DEVICE IS OR I’LL STAB YOUR EYE OUT”
This city is both solarpunk and cyperpunk. I like.
Grogu cheating at BugBall is a very grogu thing to do.
Bo is so used to formalities lol
Din is just vibing there. He doesn’t even need to look interested because… helmet.
Sir Grogu of Clan Djarin has a nice ring to it, don’t ya think?
I made my thoughts on the narrative of this clear above but the Bo vs Axe fight? Was awesome!!!!
More Mandalorians beating the shit out of each other please.
But the use of ALL their equipment? The grapples? Jetpacks? Flamethrowers? LOVE IT
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And chapter 6! I really loved it. Up until the last bit. I’m concerned the rest of the episode will be glossed over which it doesn’t deserve. As it was good!
My main concern is the same problem all episodes this season but ep2 have had. They undo every. Single. Thing. Set up in season two. And at this point I’d rather nothing happen for the rest of the season if it meant they didn’t keep making it worse. BOBF was just the beginning, season 3 has really just been continuing that trend.
Like I really liked most of this episode! It was good! And they had to add something so utterly flawed in the last five minutes that it undoes all of the cool stuff!
I don’t hate this season. I love the attention Bo’s getting (they could write her more consistently like her S3ep2 version but eh). I love Grogu’s journey. I like seeing more of the Armourer.
But what actually happened to Moff Gideon? How was mandalore destroyed? Will Din find out about the Mythosaur? Will he lead the Mandalorian people? Does Bo really mean well? Will he find out about what she did in Death Watch? What is up with the wider Imperial remnant? What's the deal with cloning?
We know next to nothing about most of these things and there are 2 episodes left. Let that sink in.
Anyway, I give this one 7.5/10.
(Note: I am writing my thoughts on the episodes as I watch them, so without the bias of the finale I guess)
EPISODE 15
I thought I was prepared for this. I WAS NOT.
BUT I did call it that “The Summit” would be an imperial conference of some sort.
Clearly this was supposed to be a two-part finale, hence the cliffhanger (hehe pun). But I still enjoyed this one a lot!
Saw’s appearance seems a little unnecessary but they might work it in later. But it was great seeing Krennic again! He’s one of the five Imps I actually like. And is super underrated. And cool bit of continuity with Stardust!
It was awesome to see the batch working together as a team in a fight again. I saw this on Tumblr and it made me really sad but the last time we heard the bad batch theme in an episode was last season’s finale, as they haven’t been a full squad since then. Fingers crossed for the finale…
For once Omega had backup convincing Hunter lol
Love how Tech and Echo immediately sprung in to helping cross
Tech has absolutely no filter. He is truly and utterly auti and we love him for that
One thing I really loved in this scene is how fluid and smooth Phee’s animations are compared to Tech’s more rigid and blocky ones. Such a small detail, but I do love how animation can do that. Animation > Live action
Seeing Coruscant guard troopers as stormtroopers was hard. Like, how dare they.
Ok this planet is very nice I like it a lot.
I loved that they all just. Stopped and stared at wrecker.
But I’m really proud of him! He did really well and faced his fear.
Cool so I’ve decided that I hate Hemlock even more now
I have some limited respect for the guy at the table who stood up for the clones
And they’re using them for experiments. That’s not that bad! Right? I mean people had been theorising wayyyy worse… *cough cough* death troopers
Like he is horrible I would like Crosshair to continue his Imp killing spree and end him PLEASE
Good thing those troopers have absolutely no peripheral vision lol
I mean a get Saw’s an established character and all but I he ain’t the only one fighting the empire. I wish we saw someone else. But then that might have been a bit fanservice-y. Idk. I hate saw with a passion and he's been in too much stuff lately.
Seeing them all fighting as a unit in the next bit :D
Also FINALLY we stopped using stun blasters and are actually shooting and causing harm. I’m proud of you boys!
Sooo how are they going to find Crosshair now? Unless they get captured and essentially taken to him… and they’d also lose Ome- Actually No we will Not suggest this.
And yep! Episode 15… I’m so terrified. For the finale. Like shaking and also sweating and just generally scared. I cried last finale. I don’t think I have it in me to cry tonight. Oh gods.
ANYWAY. 8/10 for this one. On to the finale…
Episode 16
Welp, I’m going to go out on a limb and say this finale was meh-er than last season’s disappointing finale. I don't like being negative and will spare the details but this was such a let-down imo.
And as both a Tech and Crosshair fan I feel personally attacked.
They’d set up a reunion with Crosshair (who was barely even in the episode), Echo was back with the batch and potentially in mortal peril, The Empire was holding clones against their will in Mt Tanatiss, and the batch would break in there and free them, losing Omega in the process. That’s what I thought would happen. A nice, yet still sad, conclusion. That actually makes direct sense to the story so far.
But, they didn’t resolve any of the plots from the season, and just introduced a whole bunch of question marks. I’m pretty sure that’s supposed to happen at the climax of a story, and not the end.
Tech’s “death” (#nobodynodeath) was easily one of the weirdest possible deaths in any SW media so far. Why would you kill of one of two developed and interesting characters in the show? Like we’ve forgotten about Crosshair so really we don’t have anyone interesting now. Echo, Hunter or Wrecker all would have been better options but nooo.
But I think at this point it’s pretty obvious that he’s not permanently dead and is another one of Hemlocks’s experiments. The goggles are quite clearly a manipulation tactic. If that’s the direction they take, I hope they wait a few seasons to resurrect him.
10 credits they won't though.
(One thing I did like was how Plan 99 is self-sacrifice. Because of 99. Well played!)
And what a shock! Cid betrayed them! :o Even after she said she’d betray them! But why the hell did they go back to her anyway? Knowing that she would betray them? I’m sure there was someone medically qualified on Pabu. Minimalize your losses people! And why did they stay there anyway? They could have just grabbed AZ and ran. Omega can heal on the Marauder.
Sooo… Omega’s sister was something about 90% of the fandom called. So great job on the plot twist, real unpredictable! But real talk the accent was a dead giveaway… clones are quite literally the only ones in SW to have a kiwi accent. So it was a little bit obvious that she was some form of Fett clone.
This was really the only thing in the episode that means something huge going forward. But why did they need Omega for genetic material in S1 if there was a clone of her? And Emerie looks way too old to be created since then? I really hope we get answers.
Also, that explains why she tried to help Crosshair. I’m curious to see what her dynamic will be with Omega moving forward.
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I (clearly) have a lot of problems with this episode, and I don’t think it helps that we haven’t had a Season 3 announcement & probably wont get new content for ~2 years or so. Does anyone remember the days where we'd get a season of a show every year. Because I do. And it was great. RIP regularly seasoned shows.
Knowing that this is where we’re dumped plot wise, with the characters scattered, disposed of or dead doesn’t give me high hopes for the future. Maybe they can turn it in to something really good… but I just can’t call where this show’s tracking. And that worries me.
Maybe they could use it as development for Omega & Crosshair, since they don’t have much screen time together. And we’d get to see the rest of the batch working without Omega.
I could go but I can summarise that this season was overall pretty decent, if you ignore this episode undoing all the prior tension. Counting it, I prefer season 1. It’s such a shame we got some absolute bangers: The Solitary Clone, The Clone Conspiracy, Truth and Consequences, Metamorphosis, The Outpost. But the finale couldn’t stick the landing and instead went slipping like it stepped on a banana peel.
I give this ep 6/10. The animation and music was good. And also Scorch! Scorch was cool. Bonus point for Scorch.
So I guess I’ll rank the episodes of this season:
S2 E3 The Solitary Clone
S2 E12 The Outpost
S2 E8 Truth and Consequences
S2 E7 The Clone Conspiracy
S2 E11 Metamorphosis
S2 E13 Pabu
S2 14 Tipping Point
S2 E6 Tribe
S2 E15 The Summit
S2 E4 Faster
S2 E9 The Crossing
S2 E1 Spoils of War
S2 E2 Ruins of War
S2 E10 Retrieval
S2 E16 Plan 99
S2 E5 Entombed
This episode was both really good and not that good? I’m not sure where I stand on it tbh. Because of Bo! again. I love her but with all due respect this is not her show, where is Din.
On one hand, it felt more like a traditional mando episode! Which is cool! Not a good one, but well a mid tier one.
On the other hand where has Din been like, this ENTIRE season???
I know we joked about him desperately wanting to be a side character in his own show, but this is too much tbh. Don’t get me wrong, I’m loving all the NiteArmour! & Bo content the last two episodes but Din’s just a side character in his own show now?
And it definitely can’t be just one or the other, episode two was awesome as it gave us both Bo and Din screentime and development! But can we please remember who this show is about!
IT’S ABOUT ZEB!!!!!!!!! Omfg HE LOOKS SO GOOD IN LIVE ACTION! HE ACTUALLY LOOKS REALLY GOOD? BUT I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS.
Where is his cool rifle/staff??
Why is he wearing a pilot uniform?
Where is Kallus? Weren’t they living together at the end of Rebels? What happened?
And why is he just vibing in the outer rim? Doesn’t he have to look for Ezra? Or at the very least, Jacen could use a cool uncle.
Does this mean we get Sabine. If Bo's looking for other mandos, and she knows where Ahsoka is, and Sabine might be with Ahsok- this is just wishful thinking now.
Anyway, those are questions best answered in another show. But I must admit the Rebels diehard in me was squealing when I saw him lol.
Me: sees a Lasat “A live action Lasat???”
The Lasat: *speaks* “Zeb the live action Lasat???”
So the new republic is just awful ngl. I really wish they didn’t make them that evil. I get every government is corrupt, and I do like seeing it but- are you trying to get us to support these guys or not? It just feels like empire 2.0 and I just can’t see how people like Leia Organa or Mon Mothma could have anything to do with this.
R5 being a rebellion secret agent was the literal funniest thing I didn’t see coming
THE MANDALORIANS HAVE A TALKING HAMMER. DOES THIS MEAN THEY HAVE GROUP THERAPY SESSIONS BECAUSE THEY CERTAINLY NEED IT.
IT IS ALSO VERY MANDALORIAN AS IF YOU DISAGREE WITH SOMEONE YOU CAN ALWAYS BONK THEM ON THE HEAD WITH HAMMER.
I BURST OUT LAUGHING AT THIS THOUGHT
Din’s expression when Paz stood up was so defeated lol
Paz ranting for a good minute only to change pace and rally the clan to Din’s aid was very Mandalorian
At this point mandalorians will do anything and I’ll be like “that’s so Mandalorian!”
Seeing them fight in a very tactical way was really cool!
YES armourer fight scene! Her style is SO cool tbh.
At least the covert gets a home where they will not be eaten now. Maybe.
I love how they’ve clearly been setting up DinBo for this entire season and undone that in two episodes by introducing the significantly superior ship of NiteArmour!
Which I will support wholeheartedly! Unlike DinBo.
Even less people are going to except DinBo now lmao
Ok, so here lie my problems with the episode. Which could be easily fixed, but…
BO KATAN KRYZE SHOULD NOT BE THE ONE TO LEAD MANDALORE.
DIN SHOULD.
I really hope that they’ll take the show in this direction. And I sure am not the only one.
As much as I love The Armourer’s character (she’s a badass) she’s a little bit of a hypocrite. She’s known Bo for what, two weeks, and she’s allowed to “Walk in both worlds” and Din isn’t?
My hope is that Din will see this and walk both the way and the regular way. And lead Mandalore. Like wasn’t that the point of this show? I still have no idea what we’re doing to be honest.
OH and I almost forgot, Gideon is alive and free! I can’t wait for him to show up again!
And I do believe that Imperial allied Mandos sprung Gideon. THAT will be interesting to see later on, if this show doesn’t forget about it of course :D
And we are certainly getting Thrawn hints. Without a doubt. At this point my only concern is that this show won’t do him justice. But I am pumped if/when we get to see him. I'm not the only one seeing this though, right? Thrawn is certainly being hinted at?
Overall, I give this one 7/10. Nothing bad about it, but like the rest of this season, lacks direction, purpose and, to be blunt, the same quality we’ve come to expect from this show in the past. It was way better than TBB though, so I guess that’s different than the past few weeks.
Bingo time!
(I’ll count the Ahsoka tease & guest role as halves, since we don’t know it’s Thrawn and I enjoyed Zeb’s cameo way too much for it to be unnecessary. But if we get another one of each I’ll cross it off)
@Lost Jagger (Sorry for the very late reply!) Don't get me wrong, I've really enjoyed the direction Bo's character has gone so far and you're definitely right about her fanbase growing. I've seen a lot more positive posts about her in the past few weeks then ever before.
You also raise a very vaild point, that she likely has minimal desire to follow the creed in the long term. And maybe the writers will have something cool in mind which is worth taking the time to set up, but I would have liked it if we at least got some hesitation, awkwardness, something.
But I think you're certainly on to something regarding the unification of Mandalore. Maybe because she's lived with both sides it'll change her perspective in more ways than one & she might find a new purpose other than her desire to lead. And who knows? She might even let Din rule.
Gah, I’m conflicted on this one.
Entirely because of Bo Katan’s characterisation.
I mean, in the last episode this girl lost. Everything. She had left. And she was already depressed.
But would Bo Katan, the leader of the Nite Owls, probably one of the most anti cult mandos we know of, just. Integrate with them. Instantly.
It makes no sense and after her excellent characterisation in episode 2 feels really jarring. I find it very hard to believe that she doesn’t want to either rule Mandalore (given that’s all she wanted last season) or at the very least see her people reunited. So WHY would she happily join an splinter faction. No one’s going to like her now.
I’m going to try and let this slide for now but I see the direction they’re taking her character, I understand what they’re trying to do. They’re setting her up as someone who has had a specific drive all their life and no longer can fulfil their goal. So they slowly start opening their minds, their opinions, their hearts until they see the bigger picture. And then they can either succeed, or find a new path.
I fully see that’s what they’re trying to do, I just wish it happened over 1-2 seasons rather than episodes. I don’t think this show’s going to go anywhere soon so we might as well get a cool character journey along the way. And in the meantime get back to the main plot.
This isn’t really too much of a complaint though. I really love the screen time Bo has been getting and there’s a lot of potential with her character. I just wish her arc would go a bit slower and make more sense. That’s all.
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Rant over, sorry. I had to get that off my chest.
That aside however, I liked this episode quite a bit!
We got to FINALLY see who got Grogu out of the temple and I don’t think anyone predicted this! And that is the best kind of answer to an highly anticipated question to be honest. One that no one suggested. And it's amazing to see Ahmed Best back!
But who sent the Naboo guards? It wouldn’t have been Padme as she was too busy weeping over her psycho husband so was it Jar Jar? Did Jar Jar indirectly save Grogu? Now this is a Jar Jar conspiracy I can support.
Two things before I dot point: Congrats to the people out there who called that Ragnar is Paz’s son in episode 1 & Paz is no longer being voiced or portrayed by Jon Favreau so there’s a chance he might take his helmet off? That’s really the only evidence but still something I’ve seen bobbing around.
The fights in the opening were actually pretty awesome
“Put down the rocks, kid” “DAD THEY’RE NOT ROCKS DAD THEY MOVE IT’S NOT ME DAD THEY JUST DO THAT PROTECT ME DAD”
“It’s time you learn with the other foundlings” “please don’t make me socialise with my peers dad”
Ok so I hate this Ragnar kid actually
Din’s confident dad vs Bo’s anxious mum in the next scene is really great
I’m starting to understand where the DInBo shippers are coming from. I don’t support it, but I do understand their stance.
Mandos. Friends. WHY did you choose to set up home base in SpaceAustralia ™
Is it just me or are the intros getting further and further in to the episodes next intro’s going to be 30 seconds before the credits lol.
They’ve had their kids abducted by eagles before. Good to know.
The Armourer’s words are really interesting. And also a perfect representation of Mandalorian culture.
Is it just me or do the Children of the Watch seem a lot closer to Legends Mandalorians? I only know what’s in the RC books and they aren’t the best source but I can see quite a lot of similarities. More so than the non creed Canon mandos.
Anyway, Grogu’s flashback was really cool! Though I feel the music was a bit underwhelming. Which has been a sadly constant theme for the entire season. I haven’t heard much original music, it mostly seems to be older stuff remixed. Which is fine, but it’s just felt a bit stagnant.
Grogu gets another bit of armour!!!! I’m not sure if he has room for any more now though.
*Parks a long way away and walks on foot so they don’t stir the beast* *proceeds to make a fire and talk loudly*
Ahhh, mandos. They have one brain cell between all of them and they have to share it.
"The Armourer says it's my turn on the brain cell"
Um. Why did Paz climb up a mountain with his chaingun? Wouldn’t it have been better to leave it?
I must say I really love how they didn’t leave the baby birds behind. They might have a hard time training them but if that isn’t their culture in a nutshell idk what is.
Bo Katan losing a piece of her armour is kind of a big symbolic deal. In Rebels it was said that their Beskar is passed down from their ancestors and losing that and replacing it with a piece of new beskar could have some significance. Or I might be overthinking this.
Last but not least, I think the Armourer believes her, maybe... But I have no idea why she’d tell her before Din. But I suppose Bo still knows the story & significance, and might keep that card up her sleeve. For now.
And yep! We’re halfway through the season now and I wish a bit more would have happened but eh. We’ve still gotten enough cool stuff that I’m happy. 7.5/10 for this one. I hope the last four episodes will make up for it. At least TBB has been knocking it out of the park lately.
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Only one new addition for the bingo card this week. I must say I got the direction of this season horribly wrong so far, in my defence I did make this before we got any trailers but still. What terrible plot prediction on my part.