My Thoughts on Visions S2

SPOILERS for Visions Season 2 ahead:

Visions Season 2 premiered on May 4th, and I have to say, it’s spectacular.

I enjoyed Season 1, with a few that I loved, some that were fine, and a few I just didn’t care for. With Season Two, I can confidently say that I loved them all to some extent, with a few favorites, and none that I didn’t like. They are all wildly different on the surface, with different anime styles but all beautiful in their own way; with similar Star Warsy themes running through them like a thread connecting them all. Here are some brief thoughts on each (and please forgive any mispellings or mistakes on names):

Sith. (El Guiri, Spain). The first one is my absolute favorite. Not only is it fantastically gorgeous, but I loved the story and the message that it illustrates. Lola lives with her droid in a place that comes alive with her art. She has nightmares, and tries to erase the darkness from her paintings, to no avail. It wants to be a part of her work. We find out that she is a former Sith, who left that life, and now her former Master has come looking for her. He is terrifying, and Lola must face her fear and overcome it, and to accept the darkness within her. She is no Sith, as she asserts, but must accept both the light and the darkness as equal aspects of herself. This realization helps her defeat the Sith Master. As she leaves the planet, she states that she is the Master now–of her own destiny, free to paint it anyway she wants. I loved this episode so much; it wowed me from the very start. I never knew anime could do these things, that it could look and feel like this. Absolutely amazing, and for me, the best of the bunch.

Screecher’s Reach. (Cartoon Saloon, Ireland). This one has a more cartoony look, but an even darker feel than “Sith.” There is no light anywhere, except perhaps in the hearts of the young ones that accompany Dal to Screecher’s Reach. They all work in a miserable factory, and Dal can’t take it anymore; she seeks escape in a journey to the dark cave. Her friends treat is as a lark, an adventure, but as things get real scary, they want out. But Dal is determined to face the darkness of the cave, often talking to a medallion she has around her neck, asking it for strength and courage. She faces the ghost/banshee/demon Sith or whatever it is in the cave, and kills it with its own red lightsaber. Once out of the cave, Dal speaks to the medallion again and a spaceship lands near them. A strange, creepy being descends and tells Dal that she passed the test, and that she must decide if she’ll come with her. Dal has dreamed of escape, and is excited at first, but is sad she must leave her friends. To them, and to us, the strange being is not benign, and we suspect the being is a Sith. Dal chooses to go with her, but her last look at her friends is one of uncertainty and fear. We fear that Dal has made the wrong choice, that her life going forward will be one of darkness. Probably the darkest of the bunch, and a bit depressing, lol.

In the Stars. (Punkrobot Studios, Chile). This one has two sisters living on a planet that the Empire has taken over. They are the last of their tribe, as the others were killed when they fought against the Imperials. Their mother had led the attack, and she had the Force, but it wasn’t enough. We get this background story through the tribe’s art: glittering, living pictures brought to life by starlight. But the starlight (who they believe are the souls of their lost tribe) is dimming, as the Empire’s factories belch smoke into the sky, obscuring it. The younger sister is fierce in her desire to fight the Empire, while the older sister, impatient with her young, headstrong sibling, feels a responsibility to keep her safe. The young one insists they have “Mum’s power,” or the Force, but the older one scoffs. The Empire siphons off their water supply, so the older sister goes to the factory to steal some water. However, the young one follows and soon gets in trouble. They flee, but when the younger sister is captured and is thrown from a ledge, the older sister reaches and uses the Force to save her. Together, they use their mother’s power to destroy the factory, the smoke clears and they can see the stars again, and the world will heal. The younger sister was pretty annoying at first, but of course she was right.

I Am Your Mother. (Aardman, UK). This one was used with stop-motion technology, and is a sweet story about a young girl learning to appreciate her mother, who, let’s face it, is pretty embarrassing, especially to a teen. Annnie (Ani?) goes to a fancy flying school taught by none other than Wedge Antilles. There’s a family race taking place, but Annie doesn’t tell her mother. She forgets her lunch, though, so her Mom shows up with it just before the race. At one point, she hurts Mom’s feelings by telling her how embarrassing she is, but Mom’s a tough cookie, and when the snotty rich girl and her horrible mother make fun of them, Mom is all in for the racing to show them a thing or two. They win, of course, and it’s a fun, light-hearted story, the lightest of all of them. I do love a particular Easter egg in this episode: when Annie and her friends are walking through the street, you can see Maz Kanata’s arm reach out and take Luke’s lightsaber from the items alongside the street. I never would have caught it myself; I learned about it from an interview with the creator on an episode of This Week in Star Wars, and I looked out for it on rewatch. Also, Annie calls her Mom “Red Leader” and Annie is “Red Two.” I think Wedge was Red Two in ANH.

Journey to the Dark Head. (Studio Mir, South Korea). So this one seemed like your more typical anime, with some over-the-top lightsaber battles and histrionic screaming matches, which isn’t really my favorite type. I didn’t like it at all at first, but on a rewatch decided it wasn’t too bad. Atta is a girl who grew up on a remote planet which has two statues: a buddha-like head that represents the Light, and another the Dark. When it rains, the rocks below can be prophetic, and she sees something with three figures that may take place in the future. When she’s grown, she goes to the Jedi Council and tells them if the Dark head is cut off, then the Sith war that has been raging will end (I’m assuming it will cut off their power or something? Not sure of the significance). They agree and send a young Jedi with her, Tal, who has a lot of anger in him. His Master had been killed by a Sith, and he is restless, seeking vengeance. The Sith had recognized it in him, and told him they’ll meet again and he will join him. The Sith follows them to the planet with the statues, and engages Tal while Atta tries to blow up the Sith head. But a problem occurs: both the heads have red and blue light, representing the Light and the Dark. Clearly, one cannot exist without the other. They will always co-exist. So she can’t blow them up; she uses the explosives to help Tal in his battle with the Sith. Tal kills the Sith after realizing why he was sent there: to face himself, and the anger within himself. Not a bad message, and the banter between the two is charming.

The Spy Dancer. (Studio La Cachette, France). The Spy Dancer is another one of my favorites. It tells of Louie, a dancer in an Empire-controlled world who uses her art for the Rebellion. Her swirling fabrics cascade around her as she twirls down gracefully and elegantly, all the while attaching trackers to the stormtroopers who are in attendance. It kind of reminds me of a Star Wars Moulin Rouge, lol. Years ago, her baby son was taken by an Imperial commander, and she hasn’t seen him since–until this night, when he returns with his “father’s” cloak and staff. Louie recognizes him, and though she fights him, she does not hurt him. The fight goes to the top of the building, where she escapes with the help of her friends, but not before embracing the frustrated, puzzled young man and telling him who he is. A beautiful, poignant story that’s at the top of my list.

The Bandits of Golak. (88 Pictures, India). This is another one high on my list. The story of a big brother helping his Force-sensitive younger sister get to a safe place, this one is visually stunning, and I love the Indian influence. The young sister, Ronni, is, again, annoying, being incredibly stupid in using her powers in public. Aside from this, I loved the Inquisitor, and the old Jedi woman who fights him. Parting the water in the pool, revealing a secret passageway, is super-cool, and I’d like to think it leads to the Path, the sort of underground Jedi railroad we saw in Obi-Wan Kenobi. I just loved the feel and the visuals of this one.

The Pit. (D’Art Shtajio and Lucasfilm Ltd, Japan and the US). This one has no Jedi or Sith, but it has plenty of Imperial stormtroopers. The stormtroopers had gathered a group of prisoners to mine kyber crystals in a large pit (for the Death Star, one would assume). Once the mine is spent, the Empire simply abandons them, leaving them behind in the pit. With the workers despairing, a young man, Crux, climbs to the top of the pit and travels to the nearby city, seeking help to get everyone else out. His pleas fall on deaf ears at first, as the people go about their business. But once he makes clear what’s happening, the Imperials in the city capture him and drag him back to the pit, hurling him down back into it, killing him. But the people of the city heard him, and head out to the edge of the pit. They are drawn to it by the trapped workers shouting “Follow the light!” over and over. The stormtroopers try to drive them away, but they do not succeed, and the city folk send ships down to save the pit workers. It’s a great story about ordinary people coming together to help each other.

Aau’s Song. (Triggerfish, South Africa). I’m not a big fan of the stuffed-animal look, but this one was charming, and links music with the Force. A young girl named Aau lives on the planet Korba, which is filled with kyber crystal, but they had been corrupted by Sith a long time ago. The Jedi often come to the planet to help heal the crystals. Aau’s father works in the mines, but she is not allowed to go, as her voice has an effect on the crystals that they don’t understand. The Jedi who comes to the planet senses that she has a gift and encourages her to use it. So she sneaks down to the mines and sings, and her voice heals the crystals–all of them. A sweet story about using the gifts we possess, even if we don’t always understand them or where they will lead.

I loved the international flavor of these shorts this time around, and I really hope this becomes an annual thing. Visions is a great way for creators to make unique stories with Star Wars flavors, something different in the fandom that we can all look forward to. If I had to choose my top three this year, it would be Sith, The Bandits of Golak, and The Spy Dancer.

Did you enjoy Visions? What were your favorites? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

How the Bad Batch Won Me Over

So now that Season Two of the Bad Batch has ended with a final Season 3 on the way, it’s safe to say that the show is a fan favorite. I’ve seen a ton of love for this show on social media, and I couldn’t agree more. I love these guys so much. But for me, at least, it wasn’t always so.

When we first met Clone Force 99 back in the first arc of Season 7 of the Clone Wars, I thought, who the heck are these clowns? They just seemed so over the top and stereotypical: the broody leader, the strong one, the smart one, and the grumpy sniper with the toothpick. I kind of rolled my eyes. I already loved the clones; why’d they have to create these weirdos? Lol.

By the end of the arc, they’d grown on me a little bit, but I swiftly put them out of my mind as the exceptional season 7 continued. But then the announcement came: The Bad Batch would have their own show. Really? I thought. Those guys? Why? Oh well, I’ll tune in, but I’ll probably hate it.

Two seasons later, and I’m slightly obsessed (okay, full-on obsession), and Season 3 can’t come fast enough. And can’t we have more than 3 seasons? Please????

So how did this turn around so much and so fast? I thought about it, and here are the main points about the show that won me over completely:

First off, we get a glimpse of the early years of the Empire, which we haven’t seen too much of, outside of books and comics (and yes, another Order 66 scene, one that involves a young Kanan Jarrus. Points for familiarity and ties to Rebels). We see what happens on Kamino and how the clones are affected; including Project War Mantle, or how the clones were being replaced by stormtroopers. Later, in Season 2, we see Mt. Tantiss, a throwback to Legends, and Palpatine’s secret doings there. It’s a different timeline than we’ve seen before, and it’s interesting.
It’s the continuation of the story of the Clones. Clone Wars told of how the clones and the Jedi worked together during the war, what exceptional soldiers they were, and helped us see them as individual human beings. We also saw hints of what’s to come with Fives and his malfunctioning inhibitor chip, and our dread increased. In the BB, that story continues, with the fallout from Order 66. It’s not just the Jedi who were betrayed, but the clones themselves, used as a tool for Palpatine’s plan, and then discarded. What happened to Kamino and the Kaminoans? How were the clones replaced? How did the clones feel after Order 66? What happened to them? These questions and more are answered in the show.
Besides these two rather objective plot points, I want to talk about the Batch themselves, naturally. They are what make the show. Yes, they were rather stereotypical at first in the Clone Wars arc, and perhaps at the beginning of Season 1. But they quickly became more three-dimensional as the show went on, and I, for one, came to love them all. In Season 2, especially, we see a lot of character growth for all of them.
- Hunter. Hunter’s growth comes mostly in Season 1. He has to learn to adapt and lead his team in this new world of the Empire. But mostly his growth comes with Omega, who he has taken on as his responsibility. And as the season wore on, he had to learn to let go and not overprotect her so much. It’s natural to worry about a child’s safety, but Omega is part of the squad. As a mom, I thought it was a huge leap of faith to allow her to participate in dangerous missions. In Season 2, he has to decide what’s best for the team, pull away from Cid, and decide whether or not they should stay on Pabu. In the end, it’s about protecting their own: going after Crosshair, and finding Omega.
- Echo. Echo was a reg and not part of the original team, so he’s always felt like the odd man out. Maybe that’s why he’s always so grumpy, lol. But the squad welcomes him in as one of their own, a clone who’s not like the others. But from the first episode of Season 1, Echo has wanted to do more to fight the Empire. He was a loyal soldier to the Republic, and this Empire doesn’t sit right with him, especially with what it’s doing to his brothers. But Hunter has other priorities: Omega, and keeping them safe. It comes to a head in Season 2, when he leaves to join Rex on his missions. It saddens Omega, but I’m glad they had a little moment that brings them closer together.
- Wrecker. Wrecker couldn’t get more stereotypical: the big dumb muscle of the group. He likes to blow things up (because he likes to blow things up!), but he’s nevertheless child-like with a big heart. He bonds with Omega right away, a fellow kid he can have fun with (and share Mantell mix with). His brute strength is impressive, but he’s not all dum-dum: in Season 2, while trying to escape clones on Serenno, he innovates and creates a new weapon out of old ones. Still no genius, but he’s good with weaponry, at least. And I think it’s easiest for him, out of all of them, to adapt to their new situation. He’s very happy blowing things up, but he’s also very happy fishing for dinner on Pabu. Love the big lug.
- Tech. I’m not going to say Tech had the most character growth out of them all, but I would say he had the most dramatic. From the very beginning, I think Tech struck a nerve with a lot of fans–some feel he represents the neurodivergent community, and that’s cool. He’s clearly more comfortable with a datapad in his hand than with interpersonal relationships, and as someone who often has her nose in a book to escape socializing, I totally get it. Season 2 really got into his character, highlighting the fact that although it’s hard for him to show emotions, or even articulate them, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel them. He has a wonderful bonding moment with Omega showing this, when she’s so upset about Echo leaving. It’s hard for him to even explain this to her. But he clearly loves his squad/family, as he sacrifices himself to save them in the season 2 finale. Oh, and that sort-of thing between him and Phee is delightful–she flirts and teases, and although he doesn’t quite know how to react, he’s definitely not unaffected by it. If you pay close attention, you can see that he watches her a lot. You can tell he wants to say something to her when they leave for that last mission, but he doesn’t know what to say or how to say it. Which is all the more heartbreaking. 😦
- Omega. I love this girl so much. She’s sweet from the very beginning, and has served as the moral compass of the group, always insisting on doing the right thing, even though it may be inconvenient to them. She’s spirited and brave and smart and learns quickly. She loves her brothers unconditionally (even Crosshair). It’s only in Season 2 that she starts to display a bit of adolescent rebellion, lol. While it took me awhile to warm to other Star Wars kids, like Ahsoka and Ezra (and I love them both so much now), it wasn’t a struggle to love Omega. I think it’s really interesting that she’s actually older than her brothers, and maybe even saw them when they were babies. How weird is that?
And let’s not forget Crosshair. Crosshair’s betrayal in the very first episode of the series is the twist that gives this show its dramatic gravitas. One of their own, their brother in arms, has joined the Empire and hunts them down like enemies. That hurts. It hurts even more when we realize he consciously makes this decision, as he had his inhibitor chip removed at some point. One of the more compelling questions of the show has been: why? If it’s not the inhibitor chip, what makes him stay with a regime that is so clearly contemptuous of him? That is so heartless, violent, and cruel? Personally, I think it’s fear: he doesn’t know who he is if he isn’t a soldier. The others in the Batch are dealing with that conundrum, but Crosshair can’t even consider it. So he does everything the Empire asks of him, just so he can be what he’s used to being. My take. Anyway, Crosshair is one of the most interesting and complicated characters of the show, and his episodes are consistently excellent. I can’t wait to see what will happen with him and Omega on Mt. Tantiss in Season 3.

I could go on and on. The gorgeous animation, Kevin Kiner’s awesome score, the humor, the attention to detail–the way Hemlock holds his black-gloved hand (what’s up with that, anyway?) So these are the things that won me over, and this is my love letter to The Bad Batch. 🙂

What do you think of the show? What’s your favorite thing about it? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Tech-nical Difficulties

Bad Batch Spoilers!!!

[Deep Sigh]

So, I’ve been in mourning this past week, along with a very large segment of the fandom, over Tech’s death in the season finale of The Bad Batch. I’ve been obsessively reading and replying and commiserating with other fans on several social media fan groups, and the consensus is we’re all devastated .

Oh Star Wars, why do you insist on breaking our hearts?

I haven’t been this heartbroken since Kanan’s death in Rebels. But even then, we had clues. Clearly something very bad was going to happen to him (and I was a bit late to the party, so I already knew he was doomed, but still, it hurt). I didn’t see Tech’s death coming until he was hanging off that rail car and announced Plan 99. But, looking back over Season 2, I suppose there were clues. These episodes were quite Tech-heavy, with him strengthening his relationship with Omega, saving the day with the Riot Race, and the little kind-of romance with Phee. I didn’t know why we were getting so much Tech, but boy, was I pleased. Now? Not so pleased. They were making us love him even more, so when he died, the emotional impact would be epic.

I misquoted him in a previous post, but I think I got the gist.

But it’s a double-anguish, because–IF, in Star Wars fashion, he might still be alive, the only outcome I can see is Tech being taken by Hemlock and turned into something really awful. And that would break my heart even more. (I was going to be upset if Crosshair suffered that fate). So, given the choice of him being dead or being turned into a monster, I’d choose him dying as a hero. And he IS a hero, even if he does come back in whatever form. When he was hanging from that railcar, he knew the only way to save his family was to cut the line. That decision will not be erased by some “miracle” of him coming back. It wouldn’t be “for nothing,” as some fans suggested. In my opinion, he’s forever a hero.

That’s it. That’s the post. I loved Tech, and now he’s gone (forever? Only Season 3 will tell).

You will be missed, my awkward but still badass friend.

Mando Excitement and Bad Batch Thoughts

Hello friends!

With the release of the latest Mandalorian Season 3 trailer and the upcoming release date of March 1st, I decided to do a Mando rewatch of Seasons 1&2, as well as the two episodes in The Book of Boba Fett (and perhaps all of BoBF). Since it seemed so far away for so long, I hadn’t really thought about the show for the last year or so, but I’m definitely getting back into that Mando vibe. The spaghetti western beats, the music, and of course, Baby! I forgot how much I love it. Here’s the trailer for S3, in the off chance you haven’t seen it yet:

As expected, it looks like we’re going to get more focused on Mandalore, what it means to be a Mandalorian in this post-Empire period, what role Din Djarin will play, and of course, Grogu’s growing Force powers. I won’t unpack everything in this trailer, but suffice it to say, I’m psyched!

And of course I’ve been watching Season 2 of The Bad Batch. I really missed these guys, too. Here are some thoughts on the first four episodes:

Eps 1&2 “The Spoils of War” and “The Ruins of War”: The two-part opener has our crew going on a mission for Cid, but also for themselves–if they can snatch some of Count Dooku’s “War Chest” that the Empire is confiscating, then they can retire to an easier, safer life, which is something Hunter in particular would like for Omega. Echo thinks they should be doing more against the Empire, and makes his thoughts known to Hunter; unfortunately, Omega overhears and misunderstands him, thinking she’s put a wrench into their style of life. This makes her particularly keen on succeeding in the mission.

While not spectacular as a season opener, it’s still entertaining, and I really like how it focuses on character development. Echo and Tech, in particular, get more screen time; Echo has a few touching moments with Omega, and Tech has a learning moment with Romar. Tech also comports himself admirably in combat with the clone regs, despite a broken leg. Wrecker, not normally the innovative one, throws together a new weapon out of Separatist wreckage, and Hunter has to do a bit of tech work that, well, Tech usually does. Romar also reminds Omega just to be a kid.

The clone reg in charge of defending the War Chest mission for the Empire, Wilco, makes his report to Rampart, telling him that it’s Clone Force 99 that tried to steal the treasure. Thinking they had died on Kamino, and in fear of consequences for his failure, he tells Wilco to change the report and lie. Wilco refuses, and Rampart kills him. Truly, the clones are too good for the Empire. Despite the inhibitor chip (the influence of which seems to be waning), some clones are still operating under the principles of the Republic, as Cody will demonstrate in Episode 3.

Cody and Crosshair at the Battle Memorial on Coruscant. I’m assuming these are names of fallen clones.

Episode 3 “The Solitary Clone”: This exceptional episode catches us up with Crosshair, and reintroduces Captain Cody. Crosshair was finally rescued from Kamino after, I don’t know, 32 rotations or something, after being left for dead. And yet he still remains loyal to the Empire, something that even Rampart questions. “I’m a soldier of the Empire,” he responds. I’m starting to think that Crosshair stays with the Empire, despite removing the chip, because he doesn’t know how to do anything else except be a soldier. The rest of the Batch aren’t soldiers anymore, not really, and their future is vague. Perhaps he doesn’t know who he is outside of his assassin skills. The rest of the Batch are willing to find out who they are beyond soldiers, but Crosshair is stubbornly refusing, perhaps out of fear. Anyway, that’s my take on it.

So Rampart has a mission for him, although he’s not in charge–Cody is. Fans have been wondering what has happened to Cody after Order 66 (at least in canon), and I’m happy to see that he’s questioning the Empire and himself. (In Legends, he remains loyal to the Empire, which makes me sad, lol). So he and Crosshair are assigned to go to Desix to rescue an Imperial Governor named Grotton after he’s taken prisoner by the world’s rightful governor, Tawni Ames. The planet was a Separatist world during the Clone Wars, and feels the Empire has no jurisdiction there. The Empire, of course, feels differently.

We get a really amazing sequence of events as Cody’s team makes their assault and battles B-1 battle droids and droidekas, and it feels like old times with clones against battle droids again. But this time they’re fighting for the Empire, and the rules have changed. Cody and Crosshair are impressive as they work together to gain access to Grotton, but Cody negotiates with Tawni Ames (definitely Kenobi’s man) and convinces her to release him. He seems not to understand that the Empire does not negotiate, that the principles of the Republic do not apply here, and Grotton commands him to shoot her. Cody hesitates, but Crosshair doesn’t and kills her. Cody watches helplessly as stormtroopers arrive on Desix, and realizes this is not a galaxy he recognizes.

Back on Coruscant, Cody asks Crosshair if they’re making the galaxy a better place. Again, Crosshair replies with “We’re soldiers, we do what needs to be done.” Cody remarks that what makes them different from battle droids is that they make their own decisions, and have to live with them. Later, Rampart tells Crosshair that Cody has gone AWOL, and I’m so happy about that! I’m hoping he comes across Rex and we see him again, fighting against the Empire. But now Crosshair is, once again, all alone. The regs don’t like him, and now even Cody is gone. And despite his loyalty, the Empire doesn’t trust or respect him. What’s it gonna take, Crosshair??? Lol. I’m really looking forward to his arc this season.

Episode 4 “Faster”: Some fans might call this one “filler,” and maybe they’re right in a way. I don’t care for the word, though; I prefer “breather.” It is a bit jarring after the super-heavy episode 3, but it’s nice once in a while just to have a bit of fun. And this one focuses on Tech, who is my favorite at the moment.

This one has Tech, Wrecker and Omega (Hunter and Echo are off on a transport mission) accompanying Cid to Safa Toma, which hosts a form of podracing called “Riot Racing.” Cid has a droid racer named Tay-0 who’s quite annoying and funny, and who loses the race to a racer owned by a Dowutin named Millegi. Cid and Millegi, who seem to have a shady past together, made a bet on the race, and now Cid owes him credits she doesn’t have. Omega, who seems fond of Cid but probably shouldn’t be, proposes another race. But Tay-0 gets busted up and Tech decides he’ll step in and be the racer.

Tech employs his own strategy to win the race: instead of focusing on hurting or disabling the other racers, he gets rid of his own weapons in order to go faster; he also takes a risk on a shortcut, using his pilot skills to win the day. Using thoughtfulness over aggression is very Star Warsy, and I think George Lucas himself, who had a need for speed, would appreciate this episode.

I think this episode also sets up some trouble ahead with Cid. When they’re leaving, they’re warned by Millegi that their loyalty to Cid will not be rewarded in kind. Perhaps a Cid betrayal will spur the Batch on to bigger and better things. I can’t wait to find out!

Symbols in Star Wars Rebels

I’ve been rewatching Star Wars Rebels, and although this is my third rewatch, I’ve never looked into the various symbols I’ve noticed in the show until now. So here’s a few of them and their possible meanings:

Starbird or phoenix on Ezra’s jacket: Ezra has a very obvious symbol on the back of his orange and yellow jacket. With a little snooping around on Google, I found that it’s been compared to the Skywalker Sound symbol, below. Kind of like a little easter egg to those in the know.

By the way, the Skywalker Sound symbol can be found in Attack of the Clones, on Coruscant during the speeder chase.

Ezra’s jacket symbol could also be a precursor to Sabine’s phoenix symbol, below.

Sabine’s phoenix symbol: Perhaps Sabine was inspired by Ezra’s jacket, or she came up with this herself, but it’s the symbol that came to represent the Ghost crew Rebels, as well as Phoenix Squadron later.

The Rebel Alliance later adapted the phoenix symbol into their own, below:

Kanan’s armor: It’s been suggested that the symbol on Kanan’s shoulder armor is reminiscent of the symbol for the Jedi Order, below. It makes sense that Kanan would want to honor his former Order, without calling attention to himself as a Jedi.

Kanan’s symbol is also found on the forehead of the lothwolf, which I never noticed before I looked it up. Kanan has a deep Force-level connection to this animal, who calls himself Dume (which is Kanan’s real name: Caleb Dume). The name Dume, while spelled differently, is an obvious foreshadowing of Kanan’s fate, although I don’t care for the connotation. Kanan selflessly sacrificed himself for those he loved; that’s far from being doomed, in my opinion.

Kanan’s mask: I often wondered about the symbols on Kanan’s mask after he was blinded. Clearly they look like some sort of eyes, and I thought maybe they were meant to represent wolf eyes, since he’s connected to the lothwolf.

After some Google research, I was surprised to learn that some clones, including Rex, were bestowed with the symbols on their helmets after distinguishing themselves on the battlefield. They’re called “Jaig Eyes,” which I never knew. I love it when I learn something new about Star Wars!

Those are the most obvious symbols that I’d wondered about. I already knew Fulcrum’s symbol, the Empire symbol, etc. I thought it was pretty cool to learn about these (finally!)

Did you know what these symbols meant, or is it new to you? Any I missed? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Why I Think Omega is Force-Sensitive

Star Wars: The Bad Batch' - Who Is Omega? - Inside the Magic

I was going to wait on the Bad Batch rewatch until just before Season Two premieres next year, but after I finished Clone Wars I just naturally segued into it.

The first time around, I really wanted Omega to be Force-sensitive, but despite some clues, it didn’t seem to be going that way, so I let the thought go. Not everyone has to be Force-sensitive, right?

But now with this rewatch, I’m picking up on those clues again, and I just can’t let go of the idea that it will be discovered she’s Force-sensitive. Here’s my reasoning:

Several times during battles or crises, Omega comes through and succeeds and states, “Guess I just got lucky.” Well, okay, maybe. But the fact that she says this not once, but a few times makes me think otherwise. (And Obi-Wan always said, there’s no such thing as luck). And yes, it may be part of her “enhancement,” but just what is her enhancement? Hmmm…Force sensitivity, maybe?
When the squad visits Cut on Saleucamai, he tells Hunter that all of Clone Force 99’s defects were for a purpose. So what is Omega’s defect, and its purpose? With the others, it’s obvious what their skills are, but with Omega, it’s a mystery. Perhaps it will manifest more obviously with age, but it just seems strange that not even Omega knows what her enhancement is. It seems hush-hush, which suggests something amazing–like a Force-sensitive clone.
When Omega picks up the Zygerrian weapon, she’s not immediately good at it, which is natural. Like everyone, she needs to practice. Echo tells her she needs to ignore distractions, which is also true for everyone. But later, during the heat of battle with some droids, she hits her mark every single time. She manages to ignore all the distractions, which includes fear. Sounds very Jedi-like to me…

When they meet Cid, Omega is the only one who figures out that the first person they meet there is Cid. Almost immediately. Precociously perceptive? Yes. From the Force? Maybe.
We know from The Mandalorian that cloners in the post-Rebellion era were tinkering with making clones that were Force-sensitive. They’re not Kaminoans, but maybe they were inspired by the Kaminoan’s work, including any secret Force-sensitive cloning. In fact, in The Mandalorian, Dr. Pershing, the cloning scientist, wears an emblem on his uniform that is reminiscent of a Kaminoan symbol the clones wore in AOTC. And at the end of S1 of The Bad Batch, the Empire has taken Nala Se, the Kaminoan scientist who tinkered with Omega and the Batch, to their own cloning facility. I know all of this is for cloning Palpatine, but it just seems to suggest that Omega may have been the prototype. Nala Se did have access to Jedi on Kamino, after all.

Dr. Pershing stands against a medical table cowering from The Mandalorian — Dr. Pershing’s emblem…

Several identical looking children, clones, sit at computers in Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones — And the emblem on the clones in AOTC. Hmmm…..

None of this is solid proof that Omega is Force-sensitive, of course. And even if she is, she may not have the powers of a Jedi, like telekinesis. She could be more like Chirrut Imwe, from Rogue One: aware of the Force and able to take advantage of that, but unable to manipulate it.

Or I could be completely wrong, lol. I could be reading into things to see what I want to see. Because I would LOVE Omega to be Force-sensitive. Only time will tell, and I can’t wait for Season Two!

What do you think? Do you think Omega is Force-sensitive? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Happy New Year, my friends!

I’m continuing my reread of The Rising Storm, by Cavan Scott, and I find I’m enjoying it much more this second time around. I’m not sure why, but it happens to me a lot–I’ll reread something, or rewatch a film, and like it a lot more than the first time. I guess I just need time to absorb and think about the story and see it from a new perspective. Or maybe the timing just needs to be right. I’m so ready to continue the story of The High Republic, and can’t wait for The Fallen Star next week!

The Book Of Boba Fett Episode 1 Breakdown & Easter Eggs Explained — This Tusken knows what’s what.

So of course the first episode of The Book of Boba Fett premiered this past week, and like many others, I’m cautiously optimistic about the series. As I’ve mentioned before, I was never a huge fan of the guy, but his appearance in The Mandalorian piqued my interest. The first show answered some of our questions, like how he got out of the Sarlaac, and what happened just after. I thought it a clever device to show the flashbacks while he was in the bacta tank. As for ruling in Jabba’s (and Bib Fortuna’s) wake, I don’t think he entirely knows what he’s doing, lol, but he’s figuring it out as he goes along, with Fennec’s help. We have to shift our view of him from being a villain to being the protagonist of his own show, which means he can’t be a villain, not entirely. As the main character, we need to root for him, so he needs some redeeming qualities. I think his experiences with his near-death in the Sarlaac and the trials with the Tuskens changed him, at least a little. And I’m okay with that; it makes him more interesting, at least to me. I’m looking forward to the upcoming episodes and to see where this leads.

It’s not the inhibitor chip; he’s just naturally a jerk.

After my rewatch of The Clone Wars, I wasn’t intending on continuing with the animated series, but it just naturally segued into The Bad Batch, transitioning from the Republic to the Empire after Order 66. The first episode, Aftermath, is fantastic, but I found, again, that I enjoyed watching the series more this second time around than the first. Maybe it’s because I can binge-watch it rather than wait a week between episodes. I don’t know, but I just love it. I didn’t love Clone Force 99 right off the bat when they first showed up in The Clone Wars, but I love them now, every single one. Even Crosshair, that bastard, lol. There are a lot of things I’d love to see in Season 2, and I’ll probably do a little post about it as its premier gets closer (I don’t think we have a specific date yet).

Seems I’m doing a lot of rewatching/rereading of familiar territory, as I rewatched The Force Awakens on New Year’s Eve. I don’t care what anyone says, it’s such a great movie. I’ll never forget how I felt when I watched it for the first time in the theater in 2016: I was so incredibly excited to be watching a new Star Wars movie. To see Han, Chewie, Leia, Threepio and Artoo, as well as a batch of interesting new characters, was amazing, and it reignited my love for the franchise. I never thought I’d see these characters on film again, and here they were, so many years later, dealing with new bad guys, and incredibly painful personal stuff. No Star Wars movie is perfect (except perhaps Empire), but they’re all enjoyable, this one included. I’ll probably watch the rest of the sequel trilogy this weekend.

So with the new year comes new goals and resolutions, and one of mine (besides cutting down on the dark chocolate consumption, lol) is getting back to writing, specifically the Star Wars fan fiction I began a couple of months ago, and predictably, set aside. I really like the story idea and the characters I’ve created, so I’m not sure why I put it down (I suspect it’s simply laziness, lol), but I intend to get back to it and stay in it. If I accomplish one thing in the coming year, I’d like it to be a finished story that I can be proud of and that I enjoyed writing.

So that’s it for this week (and this year!) What’s been entertaining you lately? Any New Year’s resolutions? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello my friends, and happy weekend. I hope you all had a great holiday this year.

So I finally finished Kenobi, by John Jackson Miller, and Smuggler’s Run by Greg Rucka. Kenobi is a wonderful Legends book about Obi-Wan when he first arrives on Tatooine to watch over Luke. Smuggler’s Run is a short middle grade adventure featuring Han Solo and Chewbacca, and it was a fun, quick read and one that adds to my “Journey to the Force Awakens” collection. They include The Weapon of a Jedi (about Luke), Moving Target (Leia) and now Smuggler’s Run (Han). They’re all set up with someone during the time just before The Force Awakens telling someone else a story about these characters back in the day and their adventures. It’s a neat little set-up.

So now I’ve picked up The Rising Storm, by Cavan Scott, to re-read before The Fallen Star comes out in a few weeks. I want to refresh my memory of the events in that book before I start the new High Republic adventure.

I followed up my viewing of “The Essential Clone Wars” on D+ with Seasons 6 & 7, although I skipped a few arcs of S6 (mostly the ones with Padme and Clovis). The arc with Fives finding out about the inhibitor chips is vital for S7, and then Yoda’s journey to learn about becoming a Force ghost and facing trials is interesting. I watched all of S7, beginning with the Bad Batch arc, Ahsoka’s adventures with the Martez sisters (I thought about skipping this arc, but the sisters have kind of grown on me), and of course, the last four episodes of Ahsoka facing Maul and then she and Rex during Order 66. Amazing, brilliant Star Wars in these last few episodes. It knocks me off my feet every time.

Why Do Fans Think Spider-Man Might Be in the Hawkeye Finale? — Nice suits.

In Marvel, I watched the finale of Hawkeye, and it satisfied. It wrapped things up rather quickly, and that’s fine. Kate dealt with Kingpin, Maya dealt with her cousin, and then also Kingpin, and Clint dealt with Yelena. I actually came to like Jack in a weird way, and how the Larpers tried to recruit him to their group. I’m still not sure what the deal is with the watch and how it ties to Clint’s wife–I’m a Marvel newbie, so I had to look it up. Apparently, it refers to the comics where Clint’s wife Bobbi was SHIELD Agent 19, and then left to become a superhero named Mocking bird. Just a little wink wink to those who are familiar with the comics (which is not me, lol).

And that wonderful, cheesy performance of Rogers: The Musical at the end was great. I was kind of hoping Clint went back to finish watching it and appreciating the homage, but oh well. So not the best Marvel series, but not the worst, either. My ranking is Loki, Wandavision, Hawkeye, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I love Sam and Bucky, but sorry guys, it just didn’t do it for me, lol.

Okay, so I saw Spiderman: No Way Home, and I have to say it was AWESOME!

SPOILER WARNING FOR NO WAY HOME, IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT AND PLAN TO, STOP RIGHT HERE!!!!!

I don’t even know where to begin with this movie, because it was just so perfect in every way. First of all, I love Dr. Strange, he’s my favorite Marvel character next to Loki, so seeing him here was just wonderful. Tom Holland is always a great Spidey, just so sweet and vulnerable and with the biggest heart. Seeing all the past villains was cool (even though I didn’t know the ones from the Andrew Garfield movies since I haven’t seen them–yet), but seeing all three Spideys in one movie was just beyond all my expectations. I loved Toby Maguire as Spiderman, and when I saw Andrew Garfield show up, I thought, ooh, can it be? Will we see Toby too? And then there he was, an older and wiser Peter Parker stepping through the portal, and my heart just soared. All three of them learned something from the others here, and it was great to see. There’s plenty of tragedy, too, and it broke my heart: May’s death, and Peter’s friends not remembering him. That poor kid. 😦 Anyway, it was a great movie and ranks right up there with Shang Chi, my other favorite new Marvel movie.

Spider-Man: No Way Home Leaked Pics Confirm Multiverse Crossover; Andrew Garfield & Tobey Maguire Spotted In The Climax Scene — Who’s the best Spidey? Answer: all of them.

Sooo–I finally got my Star Wars tattoo! Here it is:

May be an image of 1 person and tattoo — For light and life.

I absolutely love it! It’s my first tattoo (at 50!) and it was a fun, interesting, and slightly painful experience, lol. Not bad at all, though, and well worth it. What do you think of it?

That’s the scoop for this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Happy weekend, my friends!

I haven’t gotten too far in books this past week; still dribbling through Kenobi and Smuggler’s Run. I’m not sure why–I think I’ve just been busy getting ready for Christmas. But it’s okay. I’ll be done with them by the time The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray comes out on January 4th. I’m super excited for this book, which is the adult novel in the next wave of High Republic books. And it kicks off almost an entire year of Star Wars publications I’ve already pre-ordered. I think I’ll do a separate post on those books sometime next week, so stay tuned.

Hawkeye Episode 6 was quite good. We got Yelena Romanov’s appearance, which was fun, but I thought the character kind of laid it on a little thick, if you know what I mean. The banter went on far too long, in my opinion. It’s one of the criticisms I have with the show, which is that I feel the writing could be a little tighter. It tends to meander on unnecessarily sometimes. Oh well. And I heard that Kingpin is probably the big bad in the story, which turned out to be true, but as a Marvel newbie, I have no idea who that is, lol. That’s okay, too. I’ll figure it out. And–surprise!–Kate’s Mom is involved somehow with the big guy. There’s only one show left, and I’m wondering how all of this is going to be played out and wrapped up.

I’m not crying, you’re crying. No, I’m crying.

I finished my viewing of Disney+’s “Essential Clone Wars,” which goes up to the last episode of season five with Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order (I’m guessing they consider all of seasons 6 and 7, which are much shorter, as essential viewing, and I agree with that assessment). There’s about twenty or so episodes that were plucked out of seasons 1-5, and they were pretty awesome indeed, especially the whole deal with Maul and Savage Opress, Death Watch and Mandalore, Satine’s death, and the Dark Saber. Ahsoka being accused of bombing the Jedi Temple and subsequently leaving the Order was great, too. That moment she walked away from the Council with Anakin running after her and their parting words had me in tears, I’m not kidding. I think I’ll watch seasons 6 and 7, which will probably get me up to the premier of The Book of Boba Fett on the 29th.

I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the death of Anne Rice, the author of The Vampire Chronicles, the Mayfair Witches, and many other books that I devoured back in the day (90’s to early 2000’s). Her books were passionate, fun, mesmerizing and thoughtful all at the same time. Sometimes they were a little outrageous, lol. But she wrote her passions and didn’t apologize for it, and inspired me to do the same at the time (I have several desk-drawer novels from this time, lol). I eventually donated my piles of Anne Rice books to libraries and bookstores, but I do still have the book that started it all: Interview With A Vampire. The story of the vampires Louis and Lestat will always be one of my favorites. She was 80 years old and died of complications from a stroke. Rest in peace, Anne. I hope all of your spiritual questions will now be answered.

Anne Rice~I have enjoyed every book I have ever read by her, which is almost every book she has ever written. Just a few more to go. — I like this woman.

Last week I mentioned that I was in the process of getting a Jedi Order tattoo, and now I actually have an appointment date: Wednesday Dec. 22nd. I can’t wait! I’ll share a pic of it in my next update post.

Finally, Spiderman: No Way Home premieres this weekend, and I’m actually going to see it in the theater, probably Sunday. I can’t remember the last movie I saw in a theater, and I finally have some time (and a movie gift card from last Christmas I haven’t used yet, lol). I can’t wait to see Peter and Dr. Strange, and all those villains! It’s gonna be a blast.

That’s it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

So my book club picked our new novel to read and I read it all in three days, lol. It’s called The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. It’s about a British woman named Nora Seed who is at a low point in her life and decides to end it. After she overdoses, she finds herself in a place called The Midnight Library, where there are endless shelves of books that represent an infinite number of possible lives she has led, depending on the decisions she’s made. The “librarian” there, Mrs. Elm, encourages her to choose books based on different decisions she might have made, in the hope of finding her “perfect” life. She then goes on an odyssey of possible lives, including ones in which she is an Olympic swimmer, a rock star, a country inn owner with a husband, a philosophy professor, a glaciologist, and many other things.

Rather predictably, most of these lives are most definitely NOT perfect, and she despairs of ever finding a life she’d like to live. But she learns many life lessons along the way. There’s nothing really revelatory here, at least not to me, but Nora’s story is riveting anyway. I love these kinds of stories, ones that deal with a multiverse (with phrases like quantum physics, string theory, and Schrodinger’s cat thrown around, the precise meaning of which is a little fuzzy to me but fascinating anyway). Cool book.

In Star Wars books, I’m still getting through Kenobi and Smuggler’s Run, but I’d put them aside while I raced through The Midnight Library. I’ll probably finish both by next week.

In Marvel, I watched Hawkeye Episode 4, and I’m continuing to enjoy this show. There were a few tender, teary moments when Clint opened up to Kate about Natasha, and being The Ronin. I have to admit I’m a little confused about what’s actually going on, lol, but I’m just rolling with it and going along for the ride. There seems to be a lot of disparate parts to the mystery that ostensibly will come together at the end, including the Track Suits and Echo, the Rolex from the Avenger’s compound, and Kate’s mother’s boyfriend Jack (her mother is giving off strong sus vibes, as well). And then at the end of the episode Yelena Romanov shows up, and sh*t gets real. Real confusing, but I don’t mind. Once it’s over I’ll probably rewatch it with hindsight and it’ll make more sense. I hope.

Last week I mentioned that I rewatched A New Hope, so of course I had to follow up with ESB and ROTJ. It further whetted my appetite for Star Wars, so I decided on a Clone Wars rewatch. I wasn’t up for watching every single episode, however, so I went with the Disney+ listing of “Essential Episodes,” which is more manageable right now. This is such great, quintessential Star Wars; I urge every fan who hasn’t watched yet to let go of any preconceived notions about animated series, because you’re missing wonderful content. I like how they’re quick, half hour episodes that I can fit in at the end of the night. I’m about four episodes in, and can’t wait to see what’s next on the list.

In coming attractions, I’ve heard that Shang Chi 2 is in the works, and I couldn’t be more happy about it; also, Eternals is coming to D+ on January 12th, and I’ll be tuning in since I didn’t get to the theater to see it. This is why I love D+; as a busy working mom, I can watch stuff on my schedule (which tends to be late at night when everyone else is in bed, lol). I don’t get to the movie theater much these days and I miss it, but D+ is the next best thing.

Oh, and despite the fact that I’m not a gamer, I have to say that the preview of the new Star Wars game Eclipse is awesome! It’s set in the High Republic era, which I’ve been loving in the novels so far, and I’m really hoping that down the line a book version of the story will come out (I’m still waiting for a Fallen Order book–Disney/Lucasfilm? Anything?) Gamers seem to be really excited about this game, and I can’t blame them.

Quantic Dreams Announces Star Wars Eclipse At The Game Awards

There’s one more Star Wars-related item I’d like to mention, and it’s that I very probably will be getting a Star Wars tattoo very soon. I was supposed to do this for my fiftieth birthday this past summer (my first tattoo ever), but I let it get away from me. I’d like to get one before the end of the year. I’ve been in touch with a local tattoo artist (from a shop recommended by a friend), but we don’t quite have an appointment yet. But very soon. What I want is simple: the Jedi Order symbol, somewhere on my right arm. Of course, once it has been inked I will share a pic of it here.

That’s it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!