Spinning out of the #CloneWarsRewatch comes #RebelsRewatch. As we prepare for season two of “Star Wars: Resistance,” “The Mandalorian,” “Rise of Skywalker” and the final season of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” I will continue to rewatch the animated Star Wars projects and bridge the gaps between the past and present of The Skywalker Saga S4E9 Rebel Assault Recap: Hera leads an attack on the Lothal blockade. Connecting the Canon Mart returns in this episode. Kanan tells the Loth Wolf that he knows what he has to do, foreshadowing his death. However, I think this is only the middle of the story. We don’t know what happens to Ezra after this season. I think it’s likely that Kanan had to die so that Ezra could advance in his training. “We are what they grow beyond.” I think that story is yet to be told. Hera gets a lot of action in this episode which makes her capture even more impactful. S4E10 Jedi Night Recap: The team forms a plan to rescue Hera. It comes with deadly consequences. Connecting the Canon Kanan is remembering his past. He cuts his hair. This is him accepting death on his own terms. The music during this montage is some of the best in the entire series. Thrawn is told that he needs to make a case to the Emperor for his tie defender project. He goes to Coruscant for the next few episodes, during which the novel “Thrawn: Treason” takes place. Thrawn tells Hera that her lineage will end with her foreshadowing the fact that she’s already pregnant. As soon as Kanan and Hera kissed, it was clear that one of them would die. The moment Kanan sacrifices himself is the most heartbreaking moment of the series. S4E11 Dume Recap: The team heals after the loss of Kanan. The Empire throws a parade. Connecting the Canon The wolf says “I am Dume.” Ezra and Kanan lead the Empire to the Lothal temple in season one. This has caused an imbalance. S4E12 Wolves and a Door Recap: The Empire is trying to discover the secrets of the Jedi temple. Connecting the Canon Emperor Palpatine is trying to find a conduit between the living and the dead. He name drops “the Mortis Gods” from “The Clone Wars.” We see the Father, Son, and Daughter in a painting. This episode has archived sound from Kanan, The Inquisitor, Thrawn, The Daughter and Ahsoka. S4E13 A World Between Worlds Recap: Secrets are learned as Ezra goes inside the temple again. Connecting the Canon This episode opens with multiple lines from the movies and series. We first hear Yoda from “Attack of the Clones.” Then we hear Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon from the Mortis arc. Then we hear Yoda and Ahsoka from “The Clone Wars.” Then Obi-Wan from “A New Hope.” Then Kanan. Suddenly, Ezra is in The World Between Worlds. This episode is trying to deepen our understanding of the force. The portal is a pathway to all time and space, not just the temple. We hear Jyn Erso and Rey and Kylo too. We hear Leia and Maz Kanata. We hear Anakin Skywalker and other characters. We finally get to see what happened between Anakin and Ahsoka in the Sith temple from season two. Ezra saves Ahsoka by pulling her through space and time. Dume appeared after Kanan died. Reincarnation? Force ghosts? Ahsoka’s story is one we still know so little of. We don’t know EVERYTHING that happened to her between leaving the Jedi order and becoming Fulcrum. We don’t know what happens to her after fighting Vader and up to post “Return of the Jedi.” We don’t know what happens after she goes to find Ezra. Ezra’s temptation with the darkness in season three lead him to this moment where he would make the right choice and not be tempted by the dark side. This story is like a biblical parable. Ezra says that he sometimes wishes he was with his mom and dad. Suddenly the Emperor appears to tempt him like the snake in the Garden of Eden. This is the second time we’ve seen Palpatine use dark magic. The first time was in season six of “The Clone Wars.” The Emperor uses a blue flame or force energy as his attack. We see this same energy when he is killed in Episode Six. Will we see it in “Rise of Skywalker?” Ahsoka returns to Malachor in the same time. We don’t see her again until years later. Why? The Emperor plays the feeble old man card again and asks Ezra to “help him.” The temple collapses and destroys itself. Ezra says he knows what he has to do now. “One last lesson” foreshadowing the finale. S4E14 A Fool’s Hope Recap: The team hatches one last plan to liberate Lothal. Connecting the Canon Rex returns to pick up the other surviving clones that we met in season two. Hondo returns. Sabine’s bounty hunter sister returns. It’s all hands on deck for the finale. S4E15-16 Family Reunion – and Farewell Part 1-2
Recap: Everything comes full circle for the Ghost Crew Connecting the Canon Ezra begins to say goodbye to everyone. His connection with Sabine is once again hinted at. Ezra’s final lesson from Kanan is to “always be ready to sacrifice yourself” and he is ready to follow Kanan’s footsteps. Hondo says, “they can fly” when he throws the Ugnaught and I think that’s one of the funniest lines in the series. Ezra tells Thrawn that he takes things that aren’t his. He’s not a collector. I can’t wait to see where their paths go from here. The Emperor projects himself to Ezra as if he is a kind old man. He is a master manipulator. He lays a trap for Ezra and tries to convince him to bring his parents back to life. Attachments and fear are the way to the dark side. After Ezra destroys the remaining part of the temple, some red guards come in and use some type of power against him. These red guards are like the imperial guards, the pretorian guards and the upcoming Sith troopers in “Rise of Skywalker.” Ezraa sends for help. The Purrgils come to the rescue. Bendu’s prophecy of Thrawn’s end comes true. “Many arms encircling you.” Ezra and Thrawn are both taken into hyperspace by the Purrgils. Into the unknown regions. Sabine uses Ezra’s lightsaber. Governor Pryce goes down with the ship. Lothal is free. Ezra said he’s counting on Sabine. He must have had a vision. What happens to Mart though? What comes next? Well, we know that Lothal is thriving. The Empire fell. Zeb and Kallus went to Lira San to be gay lovers. Hera and Rex fought in Endor and Hera gave birth to Jacen Syndulla. Hera realized it was up to her to save Ezra. She reunites with Ahsoka. What comes next? Ezra has been gone for four years at least, seven years maybe or more. Is Thrawn alive? What’s going to happen? BEST OF THE BATCH This week it is impossible to choose. The episode where Kanan dies? The finale? There are so many good ones. However, of course I am going to choose “The World Between Worlds.” Like Mortis before it, this episode does so much to flesh out the force even more but leaves more questions than answers. It’s perfect storytelling, world-building and myth-making. "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" is in theaters December 20. May the Force be with you, always. [email protected] @GrahamWoodMedia
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Erick L. Graham Wood
|