Star Wars Rebels - Season 2 (Spoilers)

[Matt_Fury]

Going back to the Clone Wars cartoon (which wasn't very good IMO) is a huge missed opportunity with this show.  How could members of the 501st, which are supposed to be the most loyal Imperial troops, not be working for the Empire?

[Nicklab]

The "fishing" scene was a tremendous homage to Jaws, right down to the music.  You have to love how Filoni and company can do things like that while still serving up an interesting story.

Glad to see the Clones return.  They were great characters, and seeing them some 15 years on from the PT era was nice.  Seeing the effects of their advanced aging and war-weariness made them that much more well developed.  I was a little surprised by what Wolffe did, and more than a little disappointed.  But I had to remind myself that these guys were programmed to be soldiers who follow orders.  Still, it was odd to see that the Empire was somewhat dismissive of the Clones and their report.  But the Viper probe droid they sent?  That was fantastic!

Kanan's reaction to the Clones was very well done.  I'm glad to see him get that out to Ezra and explain the events of Order 66 in a way that conveyed the shock and horror of seeing his Master gunned down by the Clones after they had fought alongside them for years.

I think it was a good way to start the season.  And it looks like they're going to be doing some multi-episode story arcs with the way this episode ended.  I think that was one of the strengths of CLONE WARS and I'd like to see these multi-episode story arcs continue.  Standalone episodes really don't do it for me.

[Jesse James]

I'm with Jayson...  This felt like just another boring episode trying to be its own "thing" and not very much part of a greater story.  It almost felt like anything of the greater story was actually shoe-horned in, at best.  Very meh, again.

I liked some aspects of it, but this is kind of what bores me about Rebels, and stuff like this bored me in TCW too when it crept into the show.

But like Jeff's said, if you're wanting Landing at Point Rain every week, Rebels will always disappoint you.  I just feel like the premiere was vastly superior, and they should stick with the "war" in Star Wars and give us battles, space combat, missions, etc.

Going and finding the Clones fishing for a giant worm, just so you can get your Jaws homage on, is the kind of stuff that makes me dislike Filloni's directing.  He sometimes goes too far with that stuff and makes it a focus. 

Regarding the Clones, TCW explained all that jazz about why they turned...  In general they'd not be loyal at all if not for the programming, or they'd at the very least be more independent all around.  The 501st may be important to the Empire, but in TCW the 501st was no more or less loyal than any other Clone legion really.  They just happened to be Skywalker's personal Legion...  and so remained afterwards I guess, and those may have more of a loyalty/fanaticism to them I guess.

I'm digging the pre-AT-ATs next week since we got early glimpses of them, but 3 AT-ATs vs a derelict AT-TE seems mismatched to me. 

I will say I like them playing up Kanan's mistrust of Clones...  even if they used the mistrust angle stupidly with Wolffe's actions (totally agreed, that was beyond stupid even for a half hour show).  It makes sense, but it feels like they'll pretty much drop it after this episode too.  Everything's just AOK now.

It's a kid's show much more than TCW was, so it is what it is.  I always find some stuff I dig about any given episode.  Kind of want to compare interior shots of the AT-TE to the ICS of the AT-TE.  Didn't see it jiving completely there.

[Nicklab]

I think that episodes like The Siege of Lothal are going to be some of the really memorable moments of any TV season.  That being said, you need episodes like The Lost Commanders to be the plate setters so that when those combat episodes do happen, they've got some meaning.  You need to establish a decent story so that it's not just mindless action.  And that's the mistake that a lot of current action films make:  they jam way too many gags into the film.  They do that because people SAY that they want action, but when it's just that the story winds up falling somewhat flat.  But when you get episodes where the story gets a chance to breathe and develop?  The end result is that the viewer is much more invested in the characters and their story arcs.

[Dave]

Hated the whole fishing story line.  It seemed like it consumed half the show and was pointless.  My only hope is that somehow there is payoff later with Zeb stirring up some giant worms that take out the AT-ATs.  But that would seem a little annoying as Rex and team took the worm down with one shot.

I'm fine if its not all action, but there needs to be some character development, etc. thrown in and not just a weak subplot about giant worms.  I would have loved to see more internal conflict/discussion between the clones and Kanan reconciling their past.

[Jesse James]

What Dave said.

[GrandMoffNick]

I agree with most said here and what scares me is I really thought the first 75% of last season was boring and then thought during the last 25% that they had finally got things going in a good direction. Are we in for that again this season?

[Jesse James]

That was kind of how I felt too.  I like small stuff like all the McQuarrie nods and I think for the most part the new vehicle designs have been fantastic.  But story-wise I'm not always feeling this show.  More than TCW.  It should be fertile ground.  TCW had its flaws too.  I'm hoping Rebels picks up the story angle.  Like you guys said, fishing stories are meh.  Kind of like School Lunch stories too.

[Dave]

Don't get me wrong about Rebels - I love the show and love the fact that there is Star Wars stuff that I can watch with my 5-8 year old kids. 

I still won't let them watch most episodes of TCW.

I loved last season and thought the Vader episode to start the season was awesome.  I just thought this week's show was kind of weak and the worm fishing story line was a waste of time.

[Nicklab]

On top of the nod to Jaws, I can't believe that I didn't make the connection with the worms to Dune.  Although that movie has always been a bit more fringe.  As for the relevance of the worms?  I think this week's episode was foreshadowing about how the worms might play into things next week.

As for Kanan, his animosity for the Clones and Rex in particular?  I think that's something that has to develop over time.  The trailer for the new season has shown Rex on board the Ghost, so you've got to think that he's going to stick around for a while.

[Dave]

I was thinking about how the 501st clones said they were "de-commissioned".

I haven't kept up with all the comics and books, but has it been explained how/why the clones got de-commissioned and Stormtroopers became regularly recruited/conscripted people?

[Jeff]

I thought it was just because they got old.  If clones age at about twice the rate of a regular human, they'd be about 55 years old during Rebels. 

[Jesse James]

I thought Clones only grew to adulthood quickly but I have no idea why I thought that.

Pablo Hidalgo said some were used to train the new soldiers others just faded away.  I think there's a sort of tragic angle there. 

I never liked Filoni's notion Stormtroopers are like Keystone Cops in space.  I think Palps would decommission the Clones as a gesture to the remaining Senate that the war is over.  However I think he'd reform the military under other notions and gradually grow it to even larger numbers eventually.  Expansion of the Empire, etc.  And I think with the seeming popularity he built he could get recruits no problem.  I always felt like there was a Republic Military of recruits anyway prior to and throughout the clone wars, it was just never huge nor much more than a police force, at least prior to the war anyway.

[Jeff]

I thought Clones only grew to adulthood quickly but I have no idea why I thought that.

I thought the Kamino dudes said they'd grow twice as fast... Wookieepedia says "modified to grow at twice the rate of Human beings and programmed for absolute loyalty". 

I guess I assumed that would mean they'd keep aging at twice the rate.

[Jesse James]

I don't remember why I thought what I did...  I just had it in my head their growth decelerated at some point. 

Looking at Rex, he's not old really...  not young but not old.  I dunno.