Star Wars Rebels: Idiot's Array
January 20, 2015 9:21 AM - Season 1, Episode 10 - Subscribe
Low on fuel, supplies, and credits, the crew of the Ghost are on the search for a job to remedy their problems. A simple card game for Zeb goes awry when he bets Chopper and loses to the man who ends up hiring the gang for a quick job. His name? Lando Calrissian. In a short story concerning Twi'lek slavery, hedging one's bets, and the usefulness of a solidly constructed tray, everyone, including one of the smoothest talking smugglers in the galaxy, end up with something close to what they were aiming for. Also, Ezra gets the opportunity to demonstrate one of the abilities of his lightsaber and Lando hits on every woman on the Ghost.
Trivia from the Star Wars Rebels Trivia Page!
Trivia from the Star Wars Rebels Trivia Page!
- A pair of Ughnaughts are seen leaving the bar at the beginning. These are the same race of aliens who threatened to toss C-3PO into the smelter on Cloud City.
- The card game sabacc was actually in the first script for Empire Strikes Back, but didn't make the final cut.
- A real playable set of Sabacc cards were created for an RPG module in 1989 and the designs of the cards in this episode were based on those.
- The object of Sabacc is get a hand that values 23, which Zeb apparently had, and it's only beaten by the Idiot's Array.
- Sabine is seen sitting on a speeder bike designed for Kanan, specifically.
- James Hong performed the voice of Azmorigan, who in turn was based off a Ralph McQuarrie design for Jabba the Hutt.
- Billy Dee Williams returned to play the voice of Lando.
I was hesitant about the blaster addition, but once it was in action, I kind of liked it. At the least, it gives Ezra his stun blasts without the silly slingshot he was using before.
Lando's animation seemed a bit wonky for much of the episode and I couldn't really pin down why. It just seemed as if they were trying to animate him using a lot of his body to be expressive (and perhaps modeled after Billy Dee Williams in ESB), but it came across as disjointed or as if he had some kind of nervous system disorder. I definitely enjoyed Lando's appearance, though it was a little fan servicey.
What I thought was kind of wild was the touch upon Twi'lek slavery with Hera being forced into the role by Lando. It makes one wonder if off the Twi'lek homeworld, any twi'lek is considered most likely a slave (in the Outer Rim, anyhoots).
I always love an appearance by James Hong, in person or by voice, so he was a nice surprise.
The storyline didn't really do much with regard to the characters or the overall arc of the show. There wasn't much in the way of character development or anything other than establishing that the nascent rebels run low on things from time to time. If Leia's ignorance of Lando is held up as canon, then he apparently will not really be given much of an important role in the future of the show ("I've never heard of the Lando system...").
As for the rest of the animation, it was serviceable but by no means were there really any moments were the episode really stood out as anything other than run of the mill (which for Rebels still isn't bad).
posted by Atreides at 12:12 PM on January 21, 2015
Lando's animation seemed a bit wonky for much of the episode and I couldn't really pin down why. It just seemed as if they were trying to animate him using a lot of his body to be expressive (and perhaps modeled after Billy Dee Williams in ESB), but it came across as disjointed or as if he had some kind of nervous system disorder. I definitely enjoyed Lando's appearance, though it was a little fan servicey.
What I thought was kind of wild was the touch upon Twi'lek slavery with Hera being forced into the role by Lando. It makes one wonder if off the Twi'lek homeworld, any twi'lek is considered most likely a slave (in the Outer Rim, anyhoots).
I always love an appearance by James Hong, in person or by voice, so he was a nice surprise.
The storyline didn't really do much with regard to the characters or the overall arc of the show. There wasn't much in the way of character development or anything other than establishing that the nascent rebels run low on things from time to time. If Leia's ignorance of Lando is held up as canon, then he apparently will not really be given much of an important role in the future of the show ("I've never heard of the Lando system...").
As for the rest of the animation, it was serviceable but by no means were there really any moments were the episode really stood out as anything other than run of the mill (which for Rebels still isn't bad).
posted by Atreides at 12:12 PM on January 21, 2015
My 7 year old lost his shit when Ezra used his sword as a blaster. He jumped up and down and laughed maniacally. At 7, he rarely loses his shit like that anymore. It was fun to watch.
Otherwise the episode was rather meh. And even at meh, Rebels is more fun to watch than the Clone Wars was.
posted by Seamus at 10:38 AM on January 29, 2015
Otherwise the episode was rather meh. And even at meh, Rebels is more fun to watch than the Clone Wars was.
posted by Seamus at 10:38 AM on January 29, 2015
James Hong has had an amazing career.
I agree that the animation for Lando was wonky.
posted by bq at 6:14 PM on February 3, 2015
I agree that the animation for Lando was wonky.
posted by bq at 6:14 PM on February 3, 2015
I wonder if this episode happened before or after Lando had the Millenium Falcon.
posted by drezdn at 7:47 AM on October 23, 2015
posted by drezdn at 7:47 AM on October 23, 2015
If I had to guess, I'd say after. Otherwise, Han's ship was only Han's ship for about three or so years before being hired by a crazy old man and a farm boy.
posted by Atreides at 11:55 AM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Atreides at 11:55 AM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Probably. It would be hilarious though if Lando showed up on Rebels with the Falcon one episode, and then loses off screen a few episodes latter.
posted by drezdn at 1:20 PM on October 23, 2015
posted by drezdn at 1:20 PM on October 23, 2015
Looking up the history of the Falcon, apparently Lando had it for a few years. Interestingly enough, some people with the last name Brigger owned it at one point.
posted by drezdn at 1:24 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by drezdn at 1:24 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
On the bright side(?), we will have a definitive answer to this question when the Han Solo film comes out in a few years.
Notably, though, there's a mini-series Lando comic that's wrapping up (or has just wrapped up), which takes place before he becomes the guy in charge of Cloud City. He's already friends with Lobot and he doesn't have the Falcon. It obviously is set before ESB, but I'd have to go back and look closer before I could tell you how far back from it, it is set.
posted by Atreides at 2:00 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Notably, though, there's a mini-series Lando comic that's wrapping up (or has just wrapped up), which takes place before he becomes the guy in charge of Cloud City. He's already friends with Lobot and he doesn't have the Falcon. It obviously is set before ESB, but I'd have to go back and look closer before I could tell you how far back from it, it is set.
posted by Atreides at 2:00 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
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