Support NeoGAF

[Kuro]

Sabine was the only good thing to come out of this show.

 

[Frustrated_me]

It just wasn't at the levels Clone Wars reached.

I'll probably watch it here and there.

 

[StrangerInTheAlps]

Subscribed.

We've finally made it to the last stretch. I'm glad that things seem to be tying up this time around. Does anyone think we'll get a definitive conclusion for the main characters(*cough* Jedi) given the time line?

 

[Tapejara]

It just wasn't at the levels Clone Wars reached.

I'll probably watch it here and there.

The first two seasons were definitely hit-or-miss in terms of episode quality, but I thought the second half of Season 3 really stepped things up. It's kind of a shame that the show is ending now that it's finally found it's footing, but as others have said I'm hoping the next CGI series won't suffer through similar growing pains.

Subscribed.

We've finally made it to the last stretch. I'm glad that things seem to be tying up this time around. Does anyone think we'll get a definitive conclusion for the main characters(*cough* Jedi) given the time line?

Outside of Hera and Chopper, who we know are alive due to their cameos in Rogue One (and I guess Rex due to that whole RotJ thing which I'm still not convinced isn't just Filoni joking around), these are my guesses (spoiler tagged because I don't know what the rules are on speculation):

Kanan:

Spoiler

dead. Him surviving would completely diminish the whole "Luke is the last of his line" story line from the original films. It was certainly believable that Order 66 wouldn't have killed every Jedi, but I think for the OT to work thematically Luke has to be the last of the Order.

Ezra:

Spoiler

see above. In addition to what I said the story of the OT, Ezra being alive would conflict thematically with the OT, but the new films as well. Presumably, if Ezra was alive he would also want to continue the Order much like Luke did. Unless he's Snoke. Dear God Lucasfilm, don't let Ezra be Snoke.

Sabine:

Spoiler

alive. They likely want to keep some characters around for whatever the new show is. Sabine is well liked, and the conflict on Mandalore could be used for more stories.

Zeb:

Spoiler

see above. Well liked, and would provide a draw for fans of Rebels. Like Sabine, his existance doesn't clash thematically or lore wise with the OT or post-RotJ films, so why not keep him around?

Thrawn:

Spoiler

could go either way, but personally I want to see him brought back. Him having a direct hand in the formation of The First Order, or at least setting the pieces in place would be interesting to watch. Additionally, he's a great character and it'd be a shame to have him go to waste for two seasons of a TV show (which only account for a few years in-universe).

 

[Calints Neos]

I thought Filoni gave an interview about Yoda's last jedi line and them getting around it?

 

[Shaanyboi]

Sabine was the only good thing to come out of this show.

You seriously gonna talk shit about Kanan and Hera?

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

Rough guess is that the next animated series is based off all the scripts for the live action series they were going to do.

Didn’t a lot of that already get repurposed? Saw Gerrera was originally conceived by George as a character for that show, for example.

 

[Tapejara]

I thought Filoni gave an interview about Yoda's last jedi line and them getting around it?

Looks like he did. Huh...

Spoiler

then I'm not too sure what to make of Kanan and Ezra's chances of survival. Hadn't considered the possibility that they just stop being Jedi.

 

[Joeytj]

Sabine was the only good thing to come out of this show.

Ah, wut. No.

Hera is, then Kanan. Then Ezra. Then Sabine. Then Zeb.

 

[Warm Machine]

Didn’t a lot of that already get repurposed? Saw Gerrera was originally conceived by George as a character for that show, for example.

Saw was in Clone Wars. As I understand a lot of it was going to be 1313 for the setting. Which is why the game and Clone Wars started exploring that part of Coruscant.

 

[TDLink]

Looks like he did. Huh...

Spoiler

then I'm not too sure what to make of Kanan and Ezra's chances of survival. Hadn't considered the possibility that they just stop being Jedi.

I think Kanan still dies but Ezra goes off to do something else, relinquishing being a "Jedi" and fighting with the Rebels or whatever. Ezra being around in the canon after this show is problematic but he's basically the main character of the show (for better or worse) and there's no way they end this kids show by killing off the main character.

Hera and Chopper live. Zeb and Sabine could go either way.

Thrawn lives for sure, they only just brought him back. And him contributing to the start of the First Order would make way too much sense.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

Saw was in Clone Wars. As I understand a lot of it was going to be 1313 for the setting. Which is why the game and Clone Wars started exploring that part of Coruscant.

Yeah, he was repurposed for Clone Wars from the original live action show.

 

[Laekon]

None of the earlier seasons are streaming any where are they?

 

[SargerusBR]

All the Chopper disrespect in this thread

 

[Einchy]

Ahsoka is the only good thing to come out of Rebels.

 

[Pagusas]

I think Kanan still dies but Ezra goes off to do something else, relinquishing being a "Jedi" and fighting with the Rebels or whatever. Ezra being around in the canon after this show is problematic but he's basically the main character of the show (for better or worse) and there's no way they end this kids show by killing off the main character.

Hera and Chopper live. Zeb and Sabine could go either way.

Thrawn lives for sure, they only just brought him back. And him contributing to the start of the First Order would make way too much sense.

Given they started Rebels with a tie in book, couldn’t they end the show on a kid safe note then kill everyone off in a book right after?

 

[BlackDoomShadow]

I hope they provide us with some sort of closure on Ahsoka. The season 2 finale was wonderful right up until they totally copped out on Ahsoka's "death." If she's dead, then we were robbed of seeing this emotional moment; if she's alive, then we're going to have to wait even longer for resolution to her story, since she's obviously not around during the OT era.

 

[TDLink]

Given they started Rebels with a tie in book, couldn't they end the show on a kid safe note then kill everyone off in a book right after?

Sure, but even if they do that it won't be something that happens within the show. We already know that Hera and Chopper at least make it to the battle of Scarif as well.

I hope they provide us with some sort of closure on Ahsoka. The season 2 finale was wonderful right up until they totally copped out on Ahsoka's "death." If she's dead, then we were robbed of seeing this emotional moment; if she's alive, then we're going to have to wait even longer for resolution to her story, since she's obviously not around during the OT era.

I think if she's dead, Twilight of the Apprentice works as her ending. It doesn't need to be more clear than that. But since it's vague, it's possible she lived. If they decide to go in that direction, I don't think we'll see it in Rebels. Maybe in the next animated show that takes place post-ROTJ. I actually like the idea of Ahsoka being in the animated shows of all 3 "eras".

 

[Sayers]

 

[Arttemis]

Sure, but even if they do that it won't be something that happens within the show. We already know that Hera and Chopper at least make it to the battle of Scarif as well.



I think if she's dead, Twilight of the Apprentice works as her ending. It doesn't need to be more clear than that. But since it's vague, it's possible she lived. If they decide to go in that direction, I don't think we'll see it in Rebels. Maybe in the next animated show that takes place post-ROTJ. I actually like the idea of Ahsoka being in the animated shows of all 3 "eras".

I'm enjoying Rebels here and there, but I truly hope they abandon this art style and story-skirting, just-behind-the-scenes story telling. Lego Freemakers is a far more entertaining show because it doesn't pull its punches to fit within an already overly-established timeline. Rebels tries to have high stakes, but it's so watered down and lacking any satisfying conclusion on an episodic basis.

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

 

[Lifejumper]

Interesting interview with Filoni.

As the show weaves through its final episodes, fans will find the installments feed into each other more than in previous seasons. “I’ve been able to build a lot better connections and motivations across all the episodes as we go. It is very unlike other seasons, because while the episodes are self contained, they are very next to each other in progression,” Filoni said, “They affect each other more; it’s more serialized than you’re used
to.

“That’s what they [Kanan and Ezra] face, is what to do, where is their place in this fight, and what’s the result of it? That’s the fun part. Answering that last question has been exciting, and I think that it comes to a nice ending in the story,” Filoni said. Because that’s the real push and pull for the Jedi characters and where they fit into an organization like the rebellion. It’s not just about whether they’re fighting, but how they choose to fight and remain on the light side.

http://nerdist.com/star-wars-rebels-dave-filoni-season-4-preview/

 

[JonnyDBrit]

Interesting interview with Filoni.


http://nerdist.com/star-wars-rebels-dave-filoni-season-4-preview/

The words 'What I told you was true, from a certain point of view' come to mind...

 

[WadiumArcadium]

I've been watching some of my favourite episodes in the lead-up to the premiere. Siege of Lothal is definitely still up there. Vader annihilating Phoenix Squadron and Ahsoka realising who he was were great moments.

 

[Drayco21]

I'm gonna miss Kanan when he's gone.

 

[FUBAR McDangles]

Never had cable so I was never able to watch this. Bought the S1 and S2 blu rays and am a few episodes into S2 right now.

Pretty impressed so far. Not as good as Clone Wars, but good nonetheless.

 

[BrokenFiction]

Is anyone staying up late to catch the first two?

 

[Sayers]

Never had cable so I was never able to watch this. Bought the S1 and S2 blu rays and am a few episodes into S2 right now.

Pretty impressed so far. Not as good as Clone Wars, but good nonetheless.

There are a couple of episodes in the back half of S2 that are up there with TCW.

I think "Twilight of the Apprentice" is among the best of Star Wars period.

 

[iosefe]

Is anyone staying up late to catch the first two?

i'll be there with ya

 

[Einchy]

Ew, was going to watch it live but Disney XD isn't in HD on Dish. Guess I'll wait to watch it on demand.

 

[iosefe]

So what will spoiler policy he for this? After last airing?

 

[crackhead_bob]

At least it should hopefully end on a deliberate high note. As one of the first major works of the new canon, it's done at times surprisingly well to deepen the lore, bridge the film sagas, and simply build the world that was often only hinted at in the adventures of the Rebel Alliance.

They will. It's a children show at its core. And I don't think it's in Dave Filoni's style to end it dark.

I expect Kanan will die, but that Ezra will live. And I think Thrawn will live so that he can be featured in a future animated series that centers on the post Return of the Jedi timeline.

Also, my prediction is that the liberation of Lothal will be the final centerpiece in the series and not the battle of Scarif and Yavin.

 

[sphagnum]

They will. It's a children show at its core. And I don't think it's in Dave Filoni's style to end it dark.

I expect Kanan will die, but that Ezra will live. And I think Thrawn will live so that he can be featured in a future animated series that centers on the post Return of the Jedi timeline.

Also, my prediction is that the liberation of Lothal will be the final centerpiece in the series and not the battle of Scarif and Yavin.

Scary is the Rebellion's first major victory though. They're technically not even at war yet until then.

 

[Markitron]

There are a couple of episodes in the back half of S2 that are up there with TCW.

I think "Twilight of the Apprentice" is among the best of Star Wars period.

Agreed, that episode was fantastic. It’s funny to think that I absolutely hated Ahsoka at first, I believe when I first watched TCW movie I referred to her as that ‘stupid hanna Montana padawan’.

 

[BlackDoomShadow]

Who do I have to pay to get a Doctor Aphra appearance in this show

 

[TDLink]

I'm enjoying Rebels here and there, but I truly hope they abandon this art style and story-skirting, just-behind-the-scenes story telling. Lego Freemakers is a far more entertaining show because it doesn't pull its punches to fit within an already overly-established timeline. Rebels tries to have high stakes, but it's so watered down and lacking any satisfying conclusion on an episodic basis.

I think I'd like the next series to go back to the anthology format of TCW so we can get a lot of different kinds of stories from a lot of different kinds of POVs. Also, a big problem that the show has is that it really targets young (its gotten a bit darker as its gone along, but still nothing approaching TCW on a tame day, much less its more violent episodes). TCW struck a really perfect all ages balance. Rebels feels like Disney tried to make something for 10 year olds specifically... which is fine, but makes it an inherently weaker show.

There are a couple of episodes in the back half of S2 that are up there with TCW.

I think "Twilight of the Apprentice" is among the best of Star Wars period.

I would say Twilight of the Apprentice is the only thing in this series (thus far) that is on the level of TCW. And that's largely because it's centered entirely around characters from TCW (Ahsoka, Anakin, and Maul).

Rebels' main failings are that its main characters are simply not that good. Any time an episode is focused on characters from TCW (Ahsoka, Rex, etc.) it tends to excel and make the situation really clear. They didn't even really attempt to develop most of them past generic archetypes until last season... which is a supremely bizarre choice for a show centered on a consistent cast.

 

[crackhead_bob]

Scary is the Rebellion's first major victory though. They're technically not even at war yet until then.

Rebels doesn't need to end with the Rebellion winning their first major victory because it's not about the Rebellion itself. It's about Ezra Bridger and his companions on the Ghost. Also, ending Rebels with the liberation of Lothal does bookend the show's beginning and provides closure for the main cast.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

The fuck? Did the Watch Disney XD app get pulled from Xbox 360? It's missing from my app list and is gone from the store. That was my only way to watch the damn show on a TV. :|

 

[crackhead_bob]

I think I'd like the next series to go back to the anthology format of TCW so we can get a lot of different kinds of stories from a lot of different kinds of POVs. Also, a big problem that the show has is that it really targets young (its gotten a bit darker as its gone along, but still nothing approaching TCW on a tame day, much less its more violent episodes). TCW struck a really perfect all ages balance. Rebels feels like Disney tried to make something for 10 year olds specifically... which is fine, but makes it an inherently weaker show.

What are the odds that the next animated series will be on Disney's streaming channel? And if so, would they return to form similar to Clone Wars? For me, my biggest gripe with this show is how episodic it feels. I wish they would have gone for a more serialized format like what Bojack Horseman does.

 

[GlitchyDegree]

The fuck? Did the Watch Disney XD app get pulled from Xbox 360? It's missing from my app list and is gone from the store. That my only way to watch the damn show on a TV. :|

Yup. I was so disappointed when I turned on my Xbox just to see that it was gone.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

Yup. I was so disappointed when I turned on my Xbox just to see that it was gone.

So my options are the Win10 app, which last I checked was broken as fuck on my PC, or watching it on my tiny-ass phone. Awesome.

What the fuck Disney? Guess this means it will definitely never come to Xbox One now...

Edit: Apparently the Windows app was supposed to be retired months ago. Sooooo...

 

[TDLink]

What are the odds that the next animated series will be on Disney's streaming channel? And if so, would they return to form similar to Clone Wars? For me, my biggest gripe with this show is how episodic it feels. I wish they would have gone for a more serialized format like what Bojack Horseman does.

Yeah I think the odds of it being on the streaming service in 2019 are pretty high.

And the episodic nature of Rebels is another issue. Mostly because they're largely only 20 minutes episodes. All the best stories the series has done has been 2 parters/40 minutes. This is because it's pretty impossible to tell a good story that doesn't feel completely rushed in 20 minutes. Another reason TCW excelled is that nearly all of their stories were multi-part. Some were basically feature length. You can't get that kind of quality in 20 minutes.

 

[ghostmind]

Wondering when this will be up on iTunes...

 

[GlitchyDegree]

So my options are the Win10 app, which last I checked was broken as fuck on my PC, or watching it on my tiny-ass phone. Awesome.

What the fuck Disney? Guess this means it will definitely never come to Xbox One now...

I think the Disney XD website streams the channel as well. I haven't tried watching it that way so I'm not sure how good the stream is.

 

[crackhead_bob]

Yeah I think the odds of it being on the streaming service in 2019 are pretty high.

And the episodic nature of Rebels is another issue. Mostly because they're largely only 20 minutes episodes. All the best stories the series has done has been 2 parters/40 minutes. This is because it's pretty impossible to tell a good story that doesn't feel completely rushed in 20 minutes. Another reason TCW excelled is that nearly all of their stories were multi-part. Some were basically feature length. You can't get that kind of quality in 20 minutes.

Yup.

But why did they go episodic for when they were already using Clone Wars' multi episode format?

 

[TDLink]

Yup.

But why did they go episodic for when they were already using Clone Wars' multi episode format?

Either they just wanted to try something different or Disney ordered it. Either way, it didn't really work.

Not that a show centered on a regular cast of characters can't work... but if they're going to do it the stories need more than 20 minutes to be decent. And it's pretty shameful that show went over 2 seasons before its entire cast was as well developed as most characters in TCW were after a single 3 or 4 episode arc.

And honestly Star Wars is so vast that being able to jump to a completely different set of characters (and different type of characters) who offer a different and interesting viewpoint helps keep the "Formula" fresh rather than just always having a small band of Rebels vs the Evil Empire.

This past season Rebels actually nearly did an episode from the Empire POV. Imagine if we had gotten more like that? Or from POVs of people not really involved with the conflict at all? That's what we got on TCW and that's part of what made it so interesting.

 

[SamuelSupreme]

Yup.

But why did they go episodic for when they were already using Clone Wars' multi episode format?

As proven with several Marvel properties, Disney hates over arcing stories as they are too complicated for children.

 

[BlackDoomShadow]

Also yeah I just wanted to throw in my hat for Ahsoka v. Vader being one of the best Star Wars moments. I like how it's similar to the Han/Kylo exchange from TFA. I was so hyped when she turned on the lightsabers and her theme kicked in.

 

[Einchy]

A Star Wars show on their streaming service would be great, especially since it wouldn't need to be as kid friendly as Rebels is. Maybe now people can start getting killed by Lightsabers again.

Anyway, episode 1 was pretty good. Good action set piece.

 

[crackhead_bob]

Either they just wanted to try something different or Disney ordered it. Either way, it didn't really work.

Not that a show centered on a regular cast of characters can't work... but if they're going to do it the stories need more than 20 minutes to be decent. And it's pretty shameful that show went over 2 seasons before its entire cast was as well developed as most characters in TCW were after a single 3 or 4 episode arc.

And honestly Star Wars is so vast that being able to jump to a completely different set of characters (and different type of characters) who offer a different and interesting viewpoint helps keep the "Formula" fresh rather than just always having a small band of Rebels vs the Evil Empire.

This past season Rebels actually nearly did an episode from the Empire POV. Imagine if we had gotten more like that? Or from POVs of people not really involved with the conflict at all? That's what we got on TCW and that's part of what made it so interesting.

What has Dave Filoni's philosophy on the matter? He must have been biting his lip? I really think some of the story arcs from the later seasons were as solid and ambitious as any of the films, and even exceeded the prequel films.

Dave Filoni name dropped shows like Breaking Bad and The Wire on shows that he and members of his staff were fans of. So he of all people must have had some active appreciation in the serialized format. TCW was never explicitly that, but it did have a continuity to it. Rebels too, but to a lesser extent, so it's no surprise that the strongest episodes of Rebels are their season premieres and finales, which are usually 2 parters.

I wonder if they watch Bojack Horseman or the Netflix Voltron series. Serialized animated shows do exist in America, but I don't think it's a commonly recognized trend. Those shows seem like the outliers.