Catching up with “Rebels”

I think Rebels is probably the most we could ask for from an animated Star Wars series that lives on the Disney Channel. That’s not an insult at all. There have been some thrilling episodes in the last six months including the Season 2 finale, the Season 3 premiere and my personal favorite “The Honorable Ones” where Zeb and agent Kallus are stranded on a moon together. If you aren’t currently watching “Rebels” here are five good reasons to start.

#1 - Original Characters

“Rebels”, now in its junior year, has matured over the years and so has its characters. In addition to new hairstyles this year from three of the six leads, Kanan has been blinded by the events in the Series 2 finale. Even the comic relief characters (Zeb and Chopper) have developed deeper personalities with their own dark histories and secret desires. But let’s focus on Ezra for a minute, shall we? With his Space-Aladdin hair now shaved off, the slightly older Ezra has a hint of darkness within him. Ezra has always been likable enough, and now we get a sense of what the prequels Anakin Skywalker could have been with a better script or actor in the lead role. Seeing Ezra flirt with dark side of the force in response to what happened to his master is truly fascinating. It reminds me of the late Jacen Solo* (see Star Wars Legends)

#2 – Expanded Universe Characters

Bringing in some “Clone Wars” holdovers such as Ahsoka, Rex, and Hondo is a smart move. I don’t think anyone can argue that the final showdown between Vader and Ahsoka was heartbreaking and a pretty beautiful. There is also the Thrawn factor at work here. If the Clone Wars era characters aren’t quite enough to hold my personal attention, than Thrawn is. I became a Star Wars fan when the Expanded Universe was in its Golden Era and the prequels had yet to be released. This puts Thrawn close to my heart and the show does the character justice. His Sherlock Holmes keenness is apparent in the recent “Hera’s Heroes” episode and I can’t wait to see where this character is headed this year.

#3 – Cameos

If the first two categories of characters don't interest you much, then maybe cameos of classic characters will. Through the last few years we’ve seen bits and pieces of Lando, R2, 3-PO, Leia, Yoda, Tarkin, Vader, Palpatine, Obi-Wan Kenobi and (most recently) Wedge Antilles. The possibility of other cameos such as Boba Fett, Chewbacca, or Admiral Ackbar is enough to keep some fans watching. Also, wouldn’t it be interesting if we got some Rogue One characters at some point?

#4- Multiple Plotlines

Something that has made Season 3 more appealing to me than past seasons, is that the writers seem to be setting up some major events. You’ve got the stuff with Maul (yes that Maul) and the almost inevitable showdown between him and Obi-Wan. You’ve got the Thrawn character. You’ve also got The Bendu, who is not only enigmatic but also powerfully voiced by the great Tom Baker. Baker played “The Doctor” on Doctor Who for seven years in the 70s and early 80s. He is widely held as the greatest doctor of all time (number four if you are counting). These plot-threads helps "Rebels" feel less like “problem of the week” and more serialized.

#5 – High Stakes

One thing I love about 21^st century cartoon series is that they up the ante a little bit. It’s not just the bad guys that are in danger here. In the past several episodes we’ve seen Kanen blinded, “The Phantom” destroyed, and… is Ahsoka dead or not? Having high stakes is important to me, because otherwise I lose interest. One issue I have with the series is that 22 episodes is a long haul and if the game-changing stuff only happens in Season Finales and Season Premiers, then we have 18 episodes of boring-sauce. But with Ezra teetering on the edge of the dark side, I’m not really sure what could happen this season, and that’s a good thing.