Rebels: Season One Review

Rebels Season One Spoilers Ahead!!!

Now that Season 2 of The Mandalorian is over, I decided to rewatch Rebels. I’ve just finished Season 1, and thought I’d just do a basic recap rather than an episode-by-episode review (there are 15 episodes in the season).

Rebels takes place in the few years leading up to A New Hope, when the Empire is in full control but some pockets of rebellion have flared up in response to their heavy-handed rule. Most of the main action takes place on or near the planet Lothal, an Outer Rim world run by the Imperials.

Obviously as Season 1 starts, we meet the Ghost crew: Hera Syndulla, the Twi’lek pilot, daughter of Cham Syndulla, who was a freedom fighter on Ryloth during the Clone Wars; Kanan Jarrus, the human male we quickly learn is a Jedi who somehow escaped Order 66; Zeb, the fierce Lassat who is often the muscle of the group, and who is the last of his kind thanks to the Imperials; and Sabine Wren, a young artistically-inclined Mandalorian woman who formerly attended the Imperial Academy on Mandalore but left when she became disillusioned with the Empire; and Chopper, their feisty, mischievous, and sometimes rude droid who sounds like the adults on the Peanuts specials. Their main mission is simply to make trouble for the Imperials and to help those who may need it; at this point, they are unaware of any other rebel cells at work. There is, however, a contact that Hera gets information from, a mysterious figure called “Fulcrum.”

They quickly pick up a sixth member in Ezra Bridger, a teenager who grew up on the streets of Lothal. Ezra interrupts one of their theft missions, and Hera and Kanan recognize that he’s special–and a bit annoying–and ask him to join the crew. He’s not sure at first, used to being on his own, looking out only for himself, but when Kanan realizes he has Force powers–powers that he unknowingly used to survive on the streets–he agrees. Kanan, who never even got to finish his own training before Order 66 killed his Master, Depa Billaba, agrees to train him in the ways of the Jedi. We even get to see a hologram of Obi-Wan Kenobi sending out his message of hope to any surviving Jedi, from a holocron that Kanan has in his possession.

Sabine and Hera fight off some monsters.

We also meet the Imperials and Ministers of Lothal, but the main antagonists are Agent Kallus, member of the ISB (Imperial Security Bureau)–he kind of reminds me of a blond Wolverine–and the Grand Inquisitor, who shows up after Kallus reports a Jedi in the rebel faction. I have to say this guy looks really cool: bald, burning Sith eyes, sharp teeth, and a wicked double-bladed lightsaber that spins on an axis. When Kallus and the Grand Inquisitor fail to capture the Rebels or the Jedi, they bring in the big guns: Grand Moff Tarkin shows up to lay down the law and demand results.

One of the main story threads of Season 1 is the question of Ezra’s parents: who are they, and what happened to them? And will Ezra ever see them again? We find out they were ordinary citizens who spoke out against the Empire, and as a result, they were arrested and taken away. Ezra was only seven years old at the time. He’s fifteen now (born on Empire Day), and he has no idea if they are dead or alive; although on one of their missions, they encounter an old friend of his parents, a Rodian named Tseebo, who tells him his parents are alive, but that remains to be seen.

In one of my favorite episodes, Kanan and Ezra visit a Jedi Temple located on Lothal. Kanan wishes Ezra to be tested to see if he’s ready to become a Jedi. In the Temple, Ezra must face his fears: his fear of Kanan being killed by the Inquisitor, fear that his new friends ridicule him behind his back, fear that he’s just not ready to become focused and disciplined enough to learn and will fail Kanan. He ends up hearing the voice of Yoda, who gives him a few words of wisdom before a kyber crystal falls into his hand. Kanan himself hears Yoda, and must face his own fears: the fear of not being able to train Ezra, of failing him. The fact that he couldn’t complete his own training, that he was never Knighted as a Jedi and is perhaps incapable of training Ezra, weighs heavily on him.

Ezra makes his own lightsaber from the kyber crystal, and it’s quite a unique one: it’s part blaster, part lightsaber. Clunky, but useful.

There are a few appearances of familiar characters: the crew meets R2D2 and C3PO early on, who are working for Bail Organa. Kanan briefly meets Bail when he returns the droids, but he doesn’t know who he is. Bail is keeping an eye on this particular rebel cell, to see what they do and how they may play a part in the Rebellion he’s trying to build.

They also meet Lando Calrissian and become involved in one of his schemes, which seems sort of out of the blue, but it pays off in Season 2.

As the season starts to head toward its conclusion, we meet Senator Trayven of Lothal, who Ezra in particular greatly admires. He seems to be sending out messages of hope for those who hate the Empire, but when they meet with him it turns out to be a trap. They escape, but are disappointed and Ezra is heartbroken. They decide to commandeer the Imperial communications tower to send out their own message of hope.

However, during the mission, Kanan is captured by the Inquisitor. He sacrifices himself so the others can escape. They want to go after him, but Hera receives a message from Fulcrum, who tells her not to risk it, and that they must focus on the bigger picture. They decide to go after him anyway, of course.

Kanan and Ezra battle the Grand Inquisitor

He’s being held on a Star Destroyer in orbit around Mustafar, and they hatch a plan to retrieve him. Kanan and Ezra end up facing the Grand Inquisitor in a lightsaber duel; in the end, the Inquisitor dies–hanging from a ledge, he lets himself fall into a fireball below as Kanan looks on.

The crew is rescued from a TIE fighter assault by Bail Organa and his fleet of ships, and Fulcrum shows up as well–revealing herself to be Ahsoka Tano.

Back on Lothal, an Imperial shuttle arrives in Capital City, and Agent Kallus greets Darth Vader, who has arrived to clean up the mess and try to capture the Rebels that have been evading capture.

And that’s Season One, which I seemed to enjoy more the second time around, probably because I already know and love these people, whereas at first I wasn’t sure. I’m looking forward to getting into Season Two, which gets even better.

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My Five Favorite Princess Leia Moments

In honor of yesterday being the fourth anniversary of Carrie Fisher’s passing, here are my five favorite Princess Leia moments:

“Into the garbage chute, flyboy!” from A New Hope. I had seen The Empire Strikes Back first when I was a kid, so I already knew that Leia was a force to be reckoned with. But then going back and watching her in A New Hope only cemented that idea, especially this scene when the boys showed up to save her, and then she had to save them. Damsel in distress? No, a distressing damsel. But one you want on your side.

“I love you.” “I know.” From The Empire Strikes Back. I love pretty much every scene Leia has with Han, especially in this movie. But this moment is when we see Leia at a vulnerable moment, letting herself admit to Han, and to herself (and everyone else in that room, lol), that she loves him. She’s tough, but she’s got a heart.

Famous words on t-shirts, mugs, wall hangings, and wedding rings everywhere.

Choking Jabba, from Return of the Jedi. Now this is a woman who takes things into her own hands. As in, her slave chain, and wrapping it around her captor’s fat neck, and choking him to death. Some say she unknowingly used the Force to help her choke the life out of Jabba the Hutt, and perhaps that’s true, but either way, she got the job done.

Slapping Poe, from The Last Jedi. Look, I love Poe, but he’d been an insubordinate little shit that cost the Resistance lives and ships (and he only got worse with Holdo). Perhaps she shouldn’t have slapped him, but her emotions got the better of her (remind you of someone?) and he’s lucky she didn’t throw him in the brig. We’ve seen plenty of scenes with Leia angry, but this one shows her anger boiling over. It’s also pretty funny to watch some outtakes of Carrie slapping poor Oscar Isaac 27 times to get this scene. That’s gotta sting.

Reaching out to Ben, from The Rise of Skywalker. I couldn’t find any images of Leia actually reaching out to him, but this still of Ben hearing her call to him across the galaxy says it all. Leia’s entire existence has been one of sacrifice, so it’s no surprise that she was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for her son, Ben Solo– trying to reach the Light that she knew was still inside him, letting him know she still loved him, despite everything. This was the beginning of Ben’s turn back to the Light.

Long-distance call from your mom, do you accept the charges?

I can’t believe believe it’s been four years since Carrie’s death. I loved her character Leia, and I also loved Carrie Fisher herself. She was a smart, feisty, witty woman, and funny as hell, and we will always miss her.

What are your favorite Leia Organa moments? Let me know in the comments, and we’ll talk about it!

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Rewatching Star Wars: Rebels

Now that The Mandalorian is over for at least a year, the question is: what’s next on my Star Wars viewing list? Movie marathon? (A marathon, for me, is one movie per day, so an 11-day period of Star Wars). Nah, I want to rewatch one of the animated series, where I can get 2-3 episodes in per day.

I thought about rewatching the Clone Wars, but I wasn’t up for that massive project (7 seasons, some with 22 episodes). Not yet. Maybe as a lead up to The Bad Batch, which will come out some time next year.

No, for now I decided to rewatch Rebels, which is shorter, but no less awesome. There are so many tie-ins from that show in The Mandalorian: Bo-Katan, the Dark Saber, Ahsoka, Thrawn. It’ll be great to go back and relive those moments.

I don’t think I’ll review each and every episode on this blog, but perhaps one post for each of the four seasons. Until then, enjoy a few images and moments from the show:

Do you like Rebels? What’s your favorite moment(s)? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!

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The Mandalorian: Chapter 16–The Rescue

Mandalorian Spoilers Ahead!!!

We finally made it to the Mandalorian finale, and it’s taken me a few days to recover and get my thoughts together, lol. This is a long one, sorry, but it can’t be helped!

I was so nervous going into this episode: would Grogu be rescued? How is Din’s team going to do it? Will he battle Moff Gideon? Will anyone die? Will we see the Jedi? And if so, who would it be? I was squirming with questions and anxiety, but I took a deep breath, sipped my tea, and just took it all in.

I was happy to see Din pick up Bo-Katan and her sidekick, Koska; now the team is complete. All the players are assembled, each with their own agenda and goals: Din, of course, just wants Grogu; Bo-Katan wants Moff Gideon dead and her Dark Saber back; Cara Dune wants to help Din get Grogu, and possibly capture Gideon so the New Republic can get some Imperial intel. Boba and Fennec are just there to fulfill their obligation to Din.

Everyone has their own motives, and there’s not a lot of love lost between Bo-Katan and Boba Fett. There’s some initial squabbling between the Mandalorians and Boba at first: Bo-Katan recognizes his voice as belonging to a clone (she’s met plenty of them during the Clone Wars) and says he disgraces his armor. Boba bites back, calling her “Princess” and again defending his right to the armor; he and Koska even wrangle a bit until Bo-Katan tells them to knock it off.

SPOILERS: 'The Mandalorian' Chapter 16 Recap – Where Does The Show Go Now? – THE RONIN — The meeting of the Mandalorians.

All of this just reinforces the idea to Din that there are more ways than one to be a Mandalorian; in fact, it’s kind of up in the air as to what, exactly, makes one a Mandalorian. Is it the armor? The creed? Being born on Mandalore? It’s a big Mandalorian mess. And we’re still left wondering: IS Boba Fett a Mandalorian? His father was a foundling, like Din; so Boba has a right to the armor through lineage, but he didn’t grow up in the culture. Like everything else with Mandalorians, it’s confusing and contentious.

Anyway, off they go and capture Dr. Pershing, who is on an Imperial shuttle traveling–well, who knows where, maybe just being escorted back to Gideons’ ship. There’s an interesting exchange between one of the Imperials flying the shuttle, who is using Pershing as a human shield, and Cara Dune, who has her weapon trained on him, along with Din. He taunts Cara; he recognizes her as from Alderaan, and tells her he was on the Death Star when they blew up the planet. He states that millions of people were killed on those space stations when they were blown up by the Rebellion, and that Alderaan was worth it to stop terrorists. We’re not used to looking at the Rebels or the Resistance as terrorists (although the idea is explored more in the books) and it makes us a little uncomfortable. We know they’re the “good guys”, and of course they were right to blow them up. But again, “from a certain point of view,” they’re the bad guys. And in real life, it’s not always so crystal clear as in the movies or TV shows.

Anyway, Cara’s having none of it and she shoots him in the head, leaving poor Pershing nearly deaf. They get information from him about the layout of Gideons’s ship and make a plan: the team will create a distraction and head for the bridge while Din goes to find Grogu in the brig, taking into account the dreaded Dark Troopers, who need time to power up.

Boba pretends to be firing at the shuttle and Bo-Katan flies them into the TIE fighter launching bay; once that’s done, Boba jumps into hyperspace and we don’t see him until later (after the credits, as it turns out). The ladies plow through the ship, killing every stormtrooper in their path (I just love these 40ish women kicking ass), while Din heads for Grogu. He doesn’t quite get there before the Dark Troopers power up and start to come out. He manages to close the door, but one gets out, and he nearly gets killed fighting this thing. He manages to rip one apart with the beskar spear, and then flushes the rest of them out into space.

The Mandalorian Season Two Finale Review: “Chapter 16 – The Rescue” – Mynock Manor — Don’t trust this guy.

Meanwhile, the team have made it to the bridge and kill everyone there, but Gideon is not there. Turns out, he’s anticipated their moves and is in the brig with Grogu, holding the Dark Saber over Baby (in his little baby manacles). He looks tired, because Gideon has taken a lot of his blood. Gideon tells Din about the Dark Saber, that it’s what Bo-Katan wants, and Din says, “Keep it. I just want the kid.” Gideon pretty much replies that he can take him and go, since he got what he wanted out of him; I can’t believe Din believed him and turned his back on him. The man’s a treacherous jerk. And of course, he attacks Din with the Dark Saber and we get the confrontation I knew was coming.

Gideon’s not bad with the Dark Saber, but Din is still better, even with just a beskar spear. He knocks the saber out of Gideon’s hand and bests him, but he doesn’t kill him. He cuffs him and brings him to the bridge, holding Grogu–and the Dark Saber. This is where things get interesting, as Bo-Katan looks with bewilderment as they enter. She made it perfectly clear that Gideon was HERS to defeat; and here was Din herding him onto the bridge as his prisoner.

THE MANDALORIAN Season 2 Finale Recap - The Beat — I foresee problems.

Gideon takes advantage of this, goading them both with the fact that Din can’t just hand over the saber to Bo-Katan. Din owns it now, since he won it in battle. And if Bo-Katan wants it, she must win it from Din in battle, as well. Din tries to simply give it to her–he doesn’t have any interest in fighting her for it–but Bo-Katan hesitates and says that Gideon is right.

So time out here–I think many of us who watched Rebels were wondering WHY she couldn’t just take it. Because Sabine had simply handed it over to her, and Bo-Katan accepted it. So why can’t she do that now? Are they suddenly changing the rules? Well, I don’t think so. Obviously Dave Filoni and John Favreau are aware of what happened in Rebels, so they wouldn’t have arbitrarily changed the rules. They know what they’re doing. And so, trusting in that, I think that Bo-Katan probably feels that, since she lost the Dark Saber and Mandalore along with it, she CAN’T simply take it yet again. She MUST fight for it, she MUST earn it back, or she may be considered a pretender to the throne of Mandalore. She must earn the Mandalorians’ respect and loyalty. That’s my take on it anyway. So even though Din tries to give it back to her, he’s stuck with the stupid thing.

But before she can do anything, the Dark Troopers return. They fly now, remember? And they march toward the bridge, and start pounding on the blast doors. And they can’t do anything except watch and wait for them to crash through that door. Gideon is again annoyingly arrogant, telling them only he and the Child will survive. He also shoots Bo-Katan with a blaster he’d hidden under his cloak on the floor, but I believe she survived. The others point their weapons at him, and he decides to kill himself, but Cara Dune knocks the blaster out of his hands and knocks him out.

The Mandalorian Resorts to a Deus Ex Machina to Stick the Landing in 'The Rescue' — Luke Skywalker!!!!!!!

This is when the lone X-Wing appears, and my heart skipped a beat. One X-Wing. I can’t imagine it’s Trapper Wolf or that other guy, what’s his name. Can it be? Can it really be? They watch on the monitors as a Jedi floats down the hallways, his robes swishing, and engages the Dark Troopers. A green lightsaber flares. A GREEN lightsaber. A black-gloved right hand. OH MY GOD, it is! It’s Luke freaking Skywalker! My fingers dug into my poor husband’s arm.

He makes quick work of the troopers, and Din lets him in. The hood comes off, and there’s young Luke. It’s a CGI Luke, and as such there’s something a little off about him, but who cares? Din asks kind of a silly question: “Are you a Jedi?” Since he’s seen Ahsoka in action, can there be any doubt? But Luke simply says yes. He reaches out for Grogu. Din says he doesn’t want to go with him, but Luke corrects him: He wants Din’s permission to go.

So there’s the whole goodbye scene with Din and Grogu, and Din takes his helmet off in front of everyone so Grogu can see his face and even touch it. It’s painful for Din, for Grogu, for everyone watching. I love it when R2D2 rolls in and has a little conversation with Grogu, and Baby’s ears perk up a little bit. Then Luke leaves with Grogu, and that’s it. He’s gone.

The Mandalorian S2E8 “Chapter 16: The Rescue” | 25YL — Din shows his child his face.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful season-ender. And now everyone’s up in arms about what’s going to happen to little Grogu, is Kylo going to kill him at Luke’s Jedi Academy in 25 years? I don’t think so, and here’s why: at first I thought Din would give Grogu his little silver ball as a goodbye token. But he didn’t. Maybe he forgot in the heat of emotion. But that just proves to me that he WILL see Grogu again, and give him his little ball. I’m guessing Grogu will stay with Luke as long as he needs, to learn how to control his abilities, and then he will return to Din. How long will this take? Who knows. Five years? Ten? Twenty? But I think he’ll be gone by the time hell breaks loose with Kylo. At least, I have to believe this, or my heart will utterly break into a thousand pieces.

There’s also questions about Season Three. I’m assuming Grogu will be gone, so where do they go from here? Well, there’s the whole Mandalore question. Will Din help Bo-Katan take it back? Will Bo-Katan fight Din for the Dark Saber? I think those are the questions next season will address, and perhaps lead up to the big crossover between it and the new shows, Ahsoka and Rangers of the New Republic. Thrawn? Lots of possibilities here.

Of course, on my first watch, I missed the Boba Fett scene at the end of the credits. We usually watch the concept art during the credits, and then shut it off when they’re done. This one had no concept art, so it got shut off sooner than usual. I had to find out about the scene on social media, naturally, and I watched on my second viewing. It was intriguing. Not sure I’m too excited about it yet. If it also crosses over with The Mandalorian, I’m sure I’ll tune in.

So if you’re still with me at this point, I’m impressed! I don’t usually ramble on this long, but there was so much to unpack and comment on. It’s the finale, after all. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you thought of the show in the comments below!

Grogu and Luke || The Mandalorian || Chapter 16: The Rescue - The Mandalorian Fan Art (43696143) - Fanpop — Bye-Bye, Baby

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Star Wars: New Show Extravaganza!

So a week ago, Disney announced its lineup of new Star Wars content coming out in the next few years, and I have to say that I was surprised, overwhelmed, and giddy with all the great stuff coming our way. I’ve chewed on all the information we got, and thought I’d post my reactions to the shows they announced.

Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is the one I’m most looking forward to, and honestly, if they dispensed with everything else and just gave us this one, I’d be happy (but I’m glad they’re not). And who wouldn’t be excited to learn that Hayden freaking Christensen is coming back to Star Wars for this show? Fireworks, stars exploding, and nuclear explosions–all at once–can’t describe how exciting that is. 2022 is SO far away, wah!
Andor. I loved Rogue One, and especially loved Diego Luna’s character of Cassian Andor. I’m sad that he died at the end of that movie (as they all did, of course) but at least we can see him again in this “spy-thriller” type of show. I liked how Rogue One showed the darker aspects of the Rebellion and the tough choices agents like Cassian had to make. I’m sure this show will feature more of that moral ambiguity.
Ahsoka. I’m very excited for this one, as I loved Ahsoka’s guest appearance in The Mandalorian. Naturally, we want more of her. And since she’s looking for Thrawn, it stands to reason we’ll see him, too. And maybe Ezra Bridger? Fingers crossed.
Rangers of the New Republic. I’m not as invested in this one, as pilots and X-wings and whatnot don’t necessarily hold my interest. I can see how some people would love it, though. And I’m presuming Cara Dune will feature in this show (maybe?), in which case I’ll be tuning in. And I’ve heard this one, Ahoska, and The Mandalorian will be crossing over at some point to culminate in one awesome finale. Sounds excellent.
The Acolyte. I’m very excited for the High Republic books that will be coming out next year, and as this show takes place towards the end of that era, I’m looking forward to this show. I believe it will be about some Dark Side powers that will be rising at this time (the Sith, I presume, working under the radar to rise once again). So while the books won’t have Sith in them, this show will show us what they’re up to, I’m guessing.
Lando. I loved both Landos–Billy Dee Williams in the OT and ROS, and Donald Glover in Solo. I’m guessing Glover will continue his role as Lando; and while I don’t necessarily NEED this show, I’ll probably tune in.
The Bad Batch. I thought the Bad Batch introduced in the last season of Clone Wars were interesting and different, a unique take on the clones that we never thought of. But that was about it; my interest ended there. So when I heard about a possible animated series starring the Bad Batch, I thought, meh. But now that I’ve seen the previews, and thought about what might be explored in the show, I’m all aboard for this one. I want to see how Order 66 affected them (if they have chips at all), and how they get on after the end of the Clone Wars and during the rise of the Empire. I’d love to see other clones, too, and what happens to them after Order 66. There’s a lot to explore here, and it could be really awesome.
Rogue Squadron. As I said above, I don’t get too excited about pilots and X-wings and all, so when they announced that the next movie coming out in 2023 would be about Rogue Squadron, I was a bit disappointed. I am, however, thrilled that a woman (Patty Jenkins, director of Wonder Woman) is FINALLY directing a Star Wars movie. I’ll definitely go see it, and who knows? I’ll probably love it.
Visions. This seems to be a series of Star Wars anime shorts. If you love anime and Star Wars, it’s a match made in heaven. I’m more “meh,” about it, but again, who knows? I’m willing to be surprised, and am predisposed to love Star Wars in any form.
A Droid Story. This seems to be an animated series geared toward younger viewers, and concerns a new droid that is guided by C3PO and R2D2. Not at the top of my list, but it could be fun.

And of course, there will be the third season of The Mandalorian around Christmas of next year. I’m wondering how many seasons we’ll actually get, and what direction it will go in, but I’ve loved everything about it so far, so I really don’t care, to be honest! I just want more Mando and Baby, together forever, maybe taking back Mandalore with Bo-Katan. I can’t wait to see where it’s going to go.

I can’t believe we’ve got all this Star Wars content coming out, it’s just so surreal and amazing at the same time. I never would have guessed, back in 1983 when I was 12 years old, that I’d be swooning over so much Star Wars 35 years later. Life is definitely a strange and wondrous thing!

What shows are you looking forward to? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!

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The Mandalorian: Chapter 15-The Believer

Mandalorian Spoilers Ahead!!!

This was another great episode (is there any other kind?), with a lot going on in terms of action and characterization. And let me just say, I had no idea who Bill Burr was before The Mandalorian, but he’s great in my book.

The Mandalorian Chapter 15: The Believer Brings Bill Burr Back — “Heh heh, for a minute there I thought you were someone else.” Oh s**t.

Before the episode aired, the return of Migs Mayfeld was seen by some fans as unnecessary and underwhelming. Not a lot of people liked him, I guess, but I did. Even though he was part of the group that betrayed Din on that prison ship in Chapter Six, there was something about Mayfeld I liked. Maybe it was just his funny quips (I’m a sucker for humor). At any rate, I’ve always believed you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and that there was probably more to him than met the eye.

And guess what? There WAS a lot more to Mayfeld, as we find out in this episode. In his conversation with Din in the juggernaut (well, it’s more like a Mayfeld monologue), we find out that he tends to look at the galaxy philosophically, stating that it doesn’t matter who rules the galaxy–Empire or New Republic–there will always be rulers and the ruled. He also challenges Din on his strict Mandalorian “rules,” asking him if he can’t take off the helmet, or he just can’t show his face? ‘Cause there’s a difference. And how we all get a bit lax on our principles when we get desperate.

The show further pushes Din when he has to take the helmet off in the mess hall to access the terminal they need for the codes. And he does what I knew he would do eventually–break his stubborn rules for Grogu. It’s what this show has been leading up to–challenging Din on what it means to be a Mandalorian. Challenging his very identity. And for Din, there was no question–he took the helmet off in a room full of people, even scanned his face so that it’s now permanently in the Imperial files. All for Grogu.

I loved that we got to see his face again finally. I like his face. It’s a nice face. I’d like to see more of his face in future episodes, which is what I think we’re working up to.

Din Djarin || The Mandalorian || Chapter 15: The Believer - The Mandalorian Fan Art (43683303) - Fanpop — The “I don’t know how to function without my helmet” look.

Anyway, we get more insight into Mayfeld, as we find out he was a part of Operation Cinder, a battle that took place in the Aftermath books (which I shamefully have not read). We find out that this battle is the reason Mayfeld walked away from the Empire–the Imperials had incinerated an entire city, along with Mayfeld’s comrades, at least 10,000 of them. You can see Mayfeld getting worked up as he asks this commander, Valin Hess, if it was worth it. And of course this maniac replied it was, that they died for the glory of the Empire. And that was nothing compared to what they’re going to do with the rhydonium they’re mining. He says people think they want freedom, but they don’t: they want order. And when they’re done, the galaxy will be begging for the Imperials to come back and instill order.

During this whole conversation, you can just see Mayfeld’s ire rising until he looks as if he’s about to burst; while Din, as vulnerable as a child with his helmet off, is wishing Mayfeld will just shut up already. Finally, Mayfeld blasts Hess and they have to shoot their way out. But not before giving Din the stormtrooper helmet back and saying, “I never saw your face.”

The Kingsman connection you missed in The Mandalorian — Wanna get away?

I just love how this episode turns these two characters on their heads a little bit. Mayfeld rises in our esteem, while Din has to show vulnerability (even during the pirate action scenes, that stormtrooper armor is no match for his beskar armor–even though he’s still a bad ass warrior, he gets beat up. Those bruises are gonna hurt for awhile).

So who’s the Believer in the episode? It’s not as straightforward as we’d like. You have to think about it a little bit. Is it Din, who has to let go of some of his beliefs to find Grogu? Is it Mayfeld, who perhaps believes in himself again, and comes to believe in his own principles (“we have to sleep at night”)? I think it’s perhaps both, and that the title is deliberately ambiguous. It could mean many different things.

In addition to the great character development with Mayfeld and Din, here are a few other things I liked about this episode:

Cara Dune and Fennec Shand girl-power.
Walker cranes.
Boba’s new paint job.
That sigh of weariness from Din when he sees even more pirates coming.
“Brown Eyes.” That is all.
That Fett sonic boom!
And of course, Din’s message to Moff Gideon at the end of the episode, in which he throws Gideon’s own words back at him: “You have something that I want….He means more to me than you can ever know.” Not only is it a huge F**k You moment, we see that Din doesn’t just look at Grogu as his responsibility, a task, or a quest; he’s his child. And he will do anything to get him back. Which we already knew in our hearts.

So even though Grogu wasn’t even in this episode (I missed his adorableness), it was okay, because we got a fantastic episode. I can’t believe the last episode of the season is next week, and I’m looking forward to how epic it’s inevitably going to be.

P.S.–I’ve never watched The Office, so I didn’t get the TPS reports joke. And I know, I should watch it.

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5 Star Wars Areas I’d Like to Learn More About

I’ve been a Star Wars fan for most of my life, about four decades so far. But I’ve had to play catch up this past year, as I’d only been a fan of the movies for most of them. Since starting to blog about Star Wars, I’d realized the galaxy far, far away was even bigger than I had ever imagined, with all kinds of other content I’d missed out on over the years. I’ve since watched the Clone Wars and Rebels animated series, read quite a few (mostly canon) books, and have steadfastly kept up on The Mandalorian.

Reading other people’s Star Wars blogs, watching their YouTube channels, and participating in fan groups has alerted to me to so many other areas of Star Wars I haven’t even gotten to yet. But I hope to correct that in the near-future and learn about these sub-areas of Star Wars:

The Old Republic. There is a section of the fandom that is extremely passionate about the Old Republic era, and I believe it is mostly from gaming and a few Old Republic Legends novels. I’m NOT a gamer, but I am a reader, and so I am planning on reading the novels. Revan and Darth Bane are two names I constantly hear about when it comes to this era, as well as many other Sith Lords. My problem is, I’m not a huge fan of reading books about villains. I’m a Jedi girl, and though I’m pretty sure there are probably Jedi in these books, they seem to be focused on Sith Lords, so I worry I won’t be able to get into them. Also, they kind of freak me out! So Old Republic fans, please change mind here and give me a reason to love them!

The Yuuzhan Vong and Jedi (Luke?) by sugarsart on deviantart.com

Legends alternative universe. I’m talking about the Legends books that tell the story of Han and Leia’s three children: twins Jacen and Jaina Solo, and Anakin Solo, as well as Luke and Mara Jade’s son, Ben Skywalker. There’s also the big crisis of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, and many, many other storylines. It’s a rich history of Star Wars, and I don’t want to ignore it. But it’s vast, with well over 100 books in its inventory. I’ve read a few Legends books (and reviewed them over on my sister blog The Star Wars Reader), ones that don’t directly contradict canon. I’m especially interested in the prequel and clone wars era right now. But I will get to these Legends some day.

Bo-Katan, Sabine Wren, and…some other Mandalorian.

Mandalorian History. Especially now with The Mandalorian craze, a lot of people, myself included, are getting more interested in Mandalorian history. The Mandalorian arcs were some of my favorites from the Clone Wars series, and there were a few episodes with Sabine Wren and her family in Rebels. I know there was a Mandalorian Civil War, and the Empire’s Purge; as well as some ancient war between the Jedi and the Mandalorians. Death Watch. The Dark Saber. And of course whatever we’re getting through The Mandalorian series. But I’m wondering if there are any cohesive histories out there, or information on the clans and how they operate. I’ll have to do some research, and if you know of any information, please let me know!

Thrawn and the Chiss. I find the character of Thrawn fascinating, and despite what I said above about not being interested in stories about villains, I would like to read all of the Thrawn books. The difference is, Thrawn is a different kind of villain–he’s not malevolent in the traditional bad guy kind of way. He’s not cruel for cruelty’s sake, he doesn’t desire the destruction of innocents for any selfish reasons. He simply has his loyalties to the Empire and has a job to do, and he does it brilliantly. He’s a bit cold and calculating, kind of like Tarkin, but I like Thrawn better than Tarkin. He has an appreciation for art and culture, and is a genius problem-solver. He’s like a Chiss Sherlock Holmes. And speaking of the Chiss, I’d like to learn more about his people, where they come from, what makes them tick. All this is in the Thrawn books now coming out by Timothy Zahn, who first brought Thrawn to life in the Legends books way back when (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command). I did read the first book in that series a hundred years ago, but it didn’t thrill me, and I don’t remember much. I’ve recently tried reading the first canon book simply called Thrawn, and I got halfway through it. As I’ve said, I love the character of Thrawn, but the book was so damn slow I got sidetracked by other books. But I am determined to read them. Someday.

Comics. I’ve never been a comic reader, but I’m coming to the realization that the comics contain a ton of Star Wars content that I’d love to know. There’s a billion Legends comics, but I’d be more interested in the recent canon comics at this point. I’d never seen myself ever buying comics and reading them (a 49 year old woman reading comics? It’s just so odd) but then again, I never thought I’d watch Star Wars “cartoons.” And I’m so glad I did, because I’d be missing out on so much. There’s a series on how Ben Solo came to be Kylo Ren that interests me, as well as a Vader comic that explores him trying to find out how Padme died, coming into contact with Sabe, as well as being harshly punished by the Emperor for doing so. This all sounds like great stuff! I’d be a bit picky with the comics, but I wouldn’t mind having some on my shelf.

Exploring all this Star Wars content will happily fill the rest of my life. It’s a work in progress, a “scholarly” pursuit, if you will, a never-ending passion. And with new content always coming out, it will very probably never end until I pass into the Force myself, lol. This gives me great joy.

What about you? Are there areas of Star Wars you haven’t explored yet but want to? Let me know in the comments, and we’ll talk about it!

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The Mandalorian: Chapter 14–The Tragedy

So we got to Tython a lot faster than I thought, and that’s just fine, because this was another great episode! When I saw the title, “The Tragedy,” however, I thought, uh-oh. Things are going to go very bad. And they did.

But not before we were wowed by Boba Fett, a character I was never particularly interested in; I just didn’t understand all the brouhaha over him. But this is The Mandalorian. If he was introduced into the show, I knew he’d do great things. And he did. The damage he did to those stormtroopers, both in and out of his armor, was colossal. Fennec was pretty cool, too, but clearly Boba was the star of the show. I was glad he got his old, beat up armor back, and also glad we got an answer to the question: is Boba Fett a Mandalorian? Turns out he is, as Jango had been a foundling and was in the Mandalorian Civil War. Cool to know. He wants the armor, and in return will help protect Din and the Child.

The Mandalorian' Chapter 14 Recap: "The Tragedy" — Boba returns.

Backing up, Din had put Grogu on the stone in the center of the Jedi Temple, and waited for him to do his thing. Baby just played with blue butterflies, which, of course brings to mind Ben Solo and the blue butterflies the fandom has associated with him, mainly in the guise of redemption, hope, transformation. What could this mean for Grogu?

Anyway, Grogu succeeds in linking up with the Force and sending out the vibes, and Din can’t get to him when he sees Slave 1 and decides it’s time to leave. So he tries to buy him time, and he, Boba and Fennec fend off an endless stream of stormtroopers. This is a very impressive fight sequence, and we see that Boba, though older and scarred, is an amazing warrior indeed. Unfortunately, Moff Gideon is high above in his ship and blasts the Razor Crest to bits.

Grogu in The Mandalorian || Chapter 14: The Tragedy - The Mandalorian Fan Art (43670125) - Fanpop — Baby and Butterflies

Then Gideon sends down his Dark Troopers to retrieve the Child, who has collapsed out of his Force meditation and is drained from the experience. Din had taken off his jetpack in his initial confrontation with Boba, and either forgets about it or is too far away, and can’t reach Grogu in time before the nasty droids haul him away.

Tragedy indeed. No ship, and Grogu kidnapped. It’s what I expected (at least the abduction), but I’m still anxious for Baby. I enjoyed the scene of Grogu smashing the stormtroopers against the walls and each other on the ship, but he exhausted himself. Then Gideon showed up, taunted him, and cuffed him. I REALLY hated that guy just then. And off to Dr. Pershing they went.

The Mandalorian's new troopers reference a classic Star Wars game: Dark Forces - Polygon — Gideon’s Dark Troopers

Meanwhile, Din retrieves the little silver ball Grogu loves from the wreckage of the ship, and the beskar spear. I see a battle between that spear and the dark saber in a future episode (and gleefully imagining the spear piercing Gideon’s gut, but we’ll see). Boba and Fennec reiterate that in return for the armor (which was Boba’s to begin with, but whatever), they will help him get the Child back.

They take Slave 1 back to Nevarro, where Din asks Cara Dune (now a New Republic Marshal–THAT’S what that medal was for) for help. He wants her help in springing Mayfeld from prison (from Chapter 6, the leader and the one with the cool over-the-shoulder gun). Din thinks he can help get the kid back, probably because of his Imperial past. I liked that guy, so it will be fun to have him back.

So Din is assembling his rescue team, but we’re left to wonder: who will answer Grogu’s call? Man, I really want it to be Luke, but I’d be surprised if was him. But this show has surprised us before. Again, we’ll see. And as much as I want Grogu to stay with Din, it’s clear the kid needs Jedi guidance. As much as I loved his stormtrooper-smashing, he was using the Force in fear, anger, and hatred–and we all know where that leads. I don’t want to see Baby go down that road. And yet, separating him and Din may lead to that as well. What’s the answer? Is he doomed?

Grogu in The Mandalorian || Chapter 14: The Tragedy - The Mandalorian Fan Art (43671947) - Fanpop — Darth Grogu?

Comment below with your thoughts on this, on the episode, or what you think might happen next.

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My 5 Favorite Monsters in Star Wars

Last week I posted my 5 Favorite Animals in Star Wars. I explained that I excluded certain creatures that may qualify as animals because, in my mind, they are great examples of “monsters.” Monsters being creatures that elicit terror and fear, and whose main goal is to probably kill or eat you. So here, in all their terrifying glory, are my five favorite monsters in Star Wars:

The Rancor in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (1983) - YouTube — The Rancor

The Rancor. The Rancor, from Return of the Jedi, was probably the scariest monster from the Original Trilogy for me. It’s appropriately scary-ugly and horrifying; but at least one person loved this monstrosity: Malakili, the Rancor-keeper, who wept after Luke killed it. He’s still one of my favorite minor characters in all of Star Wars, proving that someone’s reviled monster is someone else’s beloved pet.

Geonosis Arena | re: Favorite star wars creature? - Page 2 - General Star Wars ...

Non-sentient carnivore native to Vendaxa. Acklays have sharp claws, thick skin, and average 3.05 meters tall. Due to these attributes, as well as the species' ferociousness, Acklays were often exported from Vendaxa to be used in gladiatorial combat. The creatures could be found on Geonosis, where they were commonly brought in to fight other creatures—and sentients—in the Petranaki arena. The creatures could be also found on worlds such as Lehon and Felucia.

These three beasts (yes, I’m cheating and counting them as one) were unleashed on Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padme on Geonosis in Attack of the Clones. They’re all deadly in their own way, but I’m particularly fond of the Acklay. He has a weird screech, and gave me the disgusting-insect-shivers.

Bor Gullet. Bor Gullet from Rogue One is one of the most appalling creatures ever created in Star Wars. Not only is he quite gross to look at, he’s a kind of mindflayer–he wraps his tentacles around someone’s head and looks into their minds; the result is often madness. Bodhi Rook was lucky to escape with his mind fairly intact.

The Krayt Dragon. The Krayt Dragon from The Mandalorian was an awesome sight to see. Tatooine’s famous dragon gave me definite Dune-vibes, more worm than dragon, but still bad-ass. I hadn’t known that Krayt Dragons harbor a huge pearl inside them, but it kind of makes sense: oysters grow pearls from the irritation of sand in their bodies. This guy lives in sand, and probably ingests a desert’s worth on a regular basis. A dragon’s treasure inside the dragon. Clever.

The Zillo Beast. The Zillo Beast makes an appearance in Clone Wars (Season Two, Episodes 18 & 19). I felt sorry for this guy–he was accidentally disturbed in his resting place under the earth during the Battle of Malastare, subdued and brought to Coruscant to study, whereupon he escaped and rampaged through the city. The Jedi were forced to kill the beast. The tragedy of King Kong in the Star Wars universe.

Honorable Mentions:

The Wampa. The Wampa holds the honor of being the first Star Wars monster I ever encountered (in the theater, when I was 10, so yeah, scary!). I never figured out how he stuck Luke upside down from his cave ceiling, his feet frozen solid in ice.
The Exogorth. This is the space slug that lives in the asteroid in The Empire Strikes Back. “This is no cave.” Surprise! Talk about being in the belly of the beast.
Rathtars. Han and Chewie are transporting several of these very cranky monsters when we first see them in The Force Awakens. You just know that they’re going to escape somehow and cause all manner of problems. But they did give our friends a chance to escape Kanjiklub and the Guavian Death Gang. Silver linings, people.

I could have put down the giant spiders from Rebels (Krykna) or the Mandalorian, but I hate spiders. Hate, hate, hate spiders. I guess from a terror point of view, they work great as monsters, but I don’t think they’re cool in any way. In fact, I don’t like to think about them. Ever. So no. No picture, either, or I’ll have nightmares.

What’s your favorite monster? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!

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