Star Wars Rebels: Series Finale Special: A Fool's Hope + Family Reunion and Farewell
March 6, 2018 5:51 AM - Season 4, Episode 16 - Subscribe
The 3 Part Series Finale of Star Wars newest animated series. The ghost crew faces their final on screen challenges against the empire before shuffling off to the pages of comic books, companion novels and tons of fan fiction.
The 90 minutes of actions spans 2 official episodes. The not-really stand alone A Fool's Hope and the following hour long Family Reunion and Farewell
It's an ending that balances the need for a self contained satisfying conclusion to the series and the meta-narrative issues of these characters needing to be off the board before the events of Rogue One and Star Wars A New Hope.
The 90 minutes of actions spans 2 official episodes. The not-really stand alone A Fool's Hope and the following hour long Family Reunion and Farewell
It's an ending that balances the need for a self contained satisfying conclusion to the series and the meta-narrative issues of these characters needing to be off the board before the events of Rogue One and Star Wars A New Hope.
I love that on top of being narratively and emotionally satisfying, they found a way to keep Luke the only Jedi during the OT, made Rex on Endor canon, and left an opening for further Thrawn stories in the post-ROTJ time frame. Can't wait to see the next series.
posted by jason_steakums at 7:12 AM on March 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by jason_steakums at 7:12 AM on March 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
so many feels
posted by entropicamericana at 7:57 AM on March 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by entropicamericana at 7:57 AM on March 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
I enjoyed the finale, but I haven't been able to process it enough to say I loved it. My initial reaction (granted, watching it on the crummy DisneyNow app on a tablet when I was tired) was feeling a little underwhelmed.
The plot to capture Pryce was almost a disaster, so much so that I was starting to believe that the rebels really had been betrayed. It just seemed as if the rebels were kind of caught off guard by an attack they had to know was coming. In this episode and in the finale, twice Ezra's plans are bailed by him calling upon his quasi-mystical creature friends to save the day. Erm.
And well, space whales save the day? The episode which featured the purgills for the first time was probably one of the weakest episodes in a spectacular second season. Seeing them pop up at the end instantly made me think back to their bleh introduction and it kind of softened the excitement of what should have been, or at least what I had hoped for, more exciting conclusion.
In the end, it felt like the writers couldn't figure out a way for the rebels minus these two doses of deus ex machina to pull off the victories that happened in the show. That was kind of disappointing for me.
The montage at the end was going to have to happen or people would have rioted. I enjoyed that, but really do hope that Sabine didn't spend the years from before ANH to RTOJ just hanging out on Lothal and not going back to Mandalore to help her people at least a little bit. The lack of an Imperial response to the Lothal disaster also seemed...off. The Empire could have easily sent one star destroyer to bombard Lothal from above (presuming the planetary shield was part of the building/ship that lifted off - if not, I understand the logistics better). We are still at least a year or so out from Rogue One and the rebellion while festering, hadn't presented enough of a headache to tie up Imperial resources otherwise.
I totally need to watch this all again when I'm in a better mindset and in better conditions!
posted by Atreides at 7:57 AM on March 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
The plot to capture Pryce was almost a disaster, so much so that I was starting to believe that the rebels really had been betrayed. It just seemed as if the rebels were kind of caught off guard by an attack they had to know was coming. In this episode and in the finale, twice Ezra's plans are bailed by him calling upon his quasi-mystical creature friends to save the day. Erm.
And well, space whales save the day? The episode which featured the purgills for the first time was probably one of the weakest episodes in a spectacular second season. Seeing them pop up at the end instantly made me think back to their bleh introduction and it kind of softened the excitement of what should have been, or at least what I had hoped for, more exciting conclusion.
In the end, it felt like the writers couldn't figure out a way for the rebels minus these two doses of deus ex machina to pull off the victories that happened in the show. That was kind of disappointing for me.
The montage at the end was going to have to happen or people would have rioted. I enjoyed that, but really do hope that Sabine didn't spend the years from before ANH to RTOJ just hanging out on Lothal and not going back to Mandalore to help her people at least a little bit. The lack of an Imperial response to the Lothal disaster also seemed...off. The Empire could have easily sent one star destroyer to bombard Lothal from above (presuming the planetary shield was part of the building/ship that lifted off - if not, I understand the logistics better). We are still at least a year or so out from Rogue One and the rebellion while festering, hadn't presented enough of a headache to tie up Imperial resources otherwise.
I totally need to watch this all again when I'm in a better mindset and in better conditions!
posted by Atreides at 7:57 AM on March 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
P.S. Thank you French Fry for posting!
posted by Atreides at 7:57 AM on March 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Atreides at 7:57 AM on March 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
I wonder how much pushback Filoni got from Disney for playing Ezra's "death" straight until the final Sabine scene on a Disney XD show. I really wasn't expecting them to go there with its target audience, ditto blowing up the dome after launching it.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:15 AM on March 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by jason_steakums at 9:15 AM on March 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
I hear you Atreides. I was very careful to phrase my first comment as a series of "I like" statements because if I started with my nit-picks .,.. ooh I could open a nit museum with all the nits I'd pick. so many nits.
posted by French Fry at 1:52 PM on March 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by French Fry at 1:52 PM on March 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
Loved every second of it, nitpicks, fanservice, and all.
See you all in the "Ahsoka and Sabine's Unannounced Series" Fanfare threads!
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 5:19 PM on March 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
See you all in the "Ahsoka and Sabine's Unannounced Series" Fanfare threads!
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 5:19 PM on March 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
Loved every second of it, nitpicks, fanservice, and all.
See you all in the "Ahsoka and Sabine's Unannounced Series" Fanfare threads!
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
THIS. A MILLION TIMES THIS.
Fizz's List of Awesome Thing He Loved From This Finale:
See you all in the "Ahsoka and Sabine's Unannounced Series" Fanfare threads!
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
THIS. A MILLION TIMES THIS.
Fizz's List of Awesome Thing He Loved From This Finale:
• Sabine's hair!!posted by Fizz at 7:01 PM on March 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
• Zeb and Kallus (I too am here for the ship!)
• Sabine's hair, did I mention Sabine's hair
• That mural at the end. I need a print of that and like yesterday.
• Jacen Syndulla...yeah that was a cheat, but it was a cheeseburger. It was filling and satisfying and sometimes you need that.
• We need to talk about Sabine's new hair! :D
• Ahsoka and Sabine fly around solving crimes and kicking ass, right?! RIGHT?!! I MEAN RIGHT?!?!
• Sabine's hair. I'm not going to stop talking about how much I love that look. She's ALWAYS BEEN MY FAVOURITE?!
I really liked the "Ahsoka the White" appearance, and Sabine's hair.
I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.
posted by French Fry at 6:01 AM on March 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.
posted by French Fry at 6:01 AM on March 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
I'll hopefully be watching the finale tonight for total feels confirmation, but I was super delighted to see Ahsoka at the end. Not only would I be in for an Ahsoka and Sabine story, but give me that backstory of what Ahsoka did between surviving at the Sith Temple and showing up on Lothal. Someone is going to have to weave a good story on how someone who was definitely working with the rebels avoided being at the major rebel moments we see in the original trilogy. I'm here for that telling.
Kallus' de facto granting of Lasat membership implies that he has been forgiven and redeemed for what he had done in his past. Was seven or how many years of service to the rebellion appropriate for that? (just tossing this one out there!)
Jacen. Man. Those ears! I look forward to seeing a picture of him when he has grown into them ears. I'm also here for the Poe Dameron and Jacen Syndulla (took his mother's name!) being besties.
I need to go back and look at Sabine's armor again to see how she changed it.
For those wondering, Dave Filoni has stated that he believes both Thrawn and Ezra survived the hyperspace jump and whatever followed (I guess immediately there after). I kind of like the idea of an Enemy Mine type survival situation where both end up relying on the other to survive.
posted by Atreides at 6:49 AM on March 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
Kallus' de facto granting of Lasat membership implies that he has been forgiven and redeemed for what he had done in his past. Was seven or how many years of service to the rebellion appropriate for that? (just tossing this one out there!)
Jacen. Man. Those ears! I look forward to seeing a picture of him when he has grown into them ears. I'm also here for the Poe Dameron and Jacen Syndulla (took his mother's name!) being besties.
I need to go back and look at Sabine's armor again to see how she changed it.
For those wondering, Dave Filoni has stated that he believes both Thrawn and Ezra survived the hyperspace jump and whatever followed (I guess immediately there after). I kind of like the idea of an Enemy Mine type survival situation where both end up relying on the other to survive.
posted by Atreides at 6:49 AM on March 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
I liked how Ahsoka tapped her staff on the floor, with a soft metallic clang. "OK, chop chop, let's get a move on, there's not a moment to lose, quitcherdawdlin' and vamonos muchachas."
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 6:51 AM on March 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 6:51 AM on March 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Who is the father of Hera's child? I somehow missed that. Was she pregnant from Kanan before his death?
Also - is there already a Sabine and Ahsoka series in the works that I don't know about? It sure looked like it was being set up.
posted by wittgenstein at 10:01 AM on March 7, 2018
Also - is there already a Sabine and Ahsoka series in the works that I don't know about? It sure looked like it was being set up.
posted by wittgenstein at 10:01 AM on March 7, 2018
It's frustratingly not said outright -- Sabine's VO says "we all know about his father!" -- but yes Kanan is the father of Hera's child. Which means she was pregnant for the attack on Lothal, as well as for the Battle of Scarif (in R1). She likely knew it, too, since she momentarily placed her hand on her abdomen when overhearing Ezra speak to his parents in the Ghost.
As for future projects, we know they're in the works, though nothing has been announced. Disney wants more Star Wars content for the streaming service they're planning to introduce next year; last year Dave Filoni was promoted to honcho of all animation at Lucasfilm, which implies more than one project. We're expecting announcements later this year, and we've been given some good leads:
-- I'll put money on a series about Ahsoka and Sabine chasing off into the unknown in search of Ezra. I'll put money in pitchfork and torch stocks if not!
-- Little Jacen is a very likely subject for a series. He's just the right age to be fly-boy buddies with Poe Dameron. If he's Force-sensitive, maybe a series about that could hook into Luke's fledgling Jedi academy. There is a public clamoring, certainly, for a series that fits into the 30 years between RotJ and TFA and portrays the rebuilding of the Republic, the emergence of the First Order, and the organization of the Resistance against it. Jacen Syndulla could be front-and-center for all of that.
-- My own druthers would be for an "Odd Couple" remake with Kalluzeb. But perhaps, having settled down on Lyrasan, there's no source of conflict or comedy for them; we should just let them be, now with fewer fractures and less hypothermia.
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 10:56 AM on March 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
As for future projects, we know they're in the works, though nothing has been announced. Disney wants more Star Wars content for the streaming service they're planning to introduce next year; last year Dave Filoni was promoted to honcho of all animation at Lucasfilm, which implies more than one project. We're expecting announcements later this year, and we've been given some good leads:
-- I'll put money on a series about Ahsoka and Sabine chasing off into the unknown in search of Ezra. I'll put money in pitchfork and torch stocks if not!
-- Little Jacen is a very likely subject for a series. He's just the right age to be fly-boy buddies with Poe Dameron. If he's Force-sensitive, maybe a series about that could hook into Luke's fledgling Jedi academy. There is a public clamoring, certainly, for a series that fits into the 30 years between RotJ and TFA and portrays the rebuilding of the Republic, the emergence of the First Order, and the organization of the Resistance against it. Jacen Syndulla could be front-and-center for all of that.
-- My own druthers would be for an "Odd Couple" remake with Kalluzeb. But perhaps, having settled down on Lyrasan, there's no source of conflict or comedy for them; we should just let them be, now with fewer fractures and less hypothermia.
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 10:56 AM on March 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
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I liked that from the outside the events of the "battle" were essentially a colossal industrial accident combined with natural disaster. The worked well both as an expression of Ezra's force Druid powers and avoided stepping on the battle of Scariff as "the big victory".
I liked the emperor's gambit featuring the "seductive" part of the "quicker, easier more seductive" adage. Because we don't see that a lot, mostly just angry dudes growling about power.
I liked the weird "and this is what happened" video game ending. It went further into the future than I expected but I thought that worked better than explaining arbitrarily up to the point of Rogue One.
I also totally ship Zeb and Kallus, 100% confirmed.
posted by French Fry at 6:10 AM on March 6, 2018 [2 favorites]