Rebels 4x09-10
Jan. 14th, 2022 09:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jedi_of_urth posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
tori_reviewsRebels 4x09-10 – Rebel Assault/Jedi Night
You know, I’m still not sure whether I should be doing these as individual episodes of as a pair. The first part clearly ended in the middle of a story, but it did so in a way that, on a lot of other shows, would just be shifting the shape of things for the next story. And in some ways, the end of part two was the same thing. This arc has, finally and at long last, felt like a modern TV show instead of an old-fashioned kids show. Still very much for kids, but it’s at least trying to move forward.
This just about manages to stick to the continuity I was wondering about last time regarding Rebel victories. The mission didn’t really succeed. It did some good, but half of the success is because Price was a moron and blew up her own fuel depot. And I don’t think they took out the production plant at all; maybe they will, since the advanced TIEs aren’t a thing in the movies, so somehow they have to be taken out.
On a similar subject, this is playing a decidedly second fiddle to the movies. It just wants to keep referencing elements of Rogue One, and therefore hinting at the Death Star that we know won’t be a factor in these characters’ stories.
On one hand, even though I knew that Kanan was going to die and I thought it was this episode, it did still have some impact. On the other hand, it should have had a lot more. I’m not sure how I would feel now if I hadn’t known it was coming; considering how I feel about this show I probably would have looked at it as just taking Kanan off the board so he doesn’t get in the way of Luke not having guidance as a Jedi. But in some ways, the fact that I’m pretty sure this is permanent (as far as the main canon is concerned) is what gives it what impact it has for me. Because this specific episode doesn’t have time to make it seem permanent. I suspect that comes in the next couple episodes, but if I stopped at this one, I’d kind of think something weird was going on here that might be hinting that he wasn’t dead.
That said, this episode is also just doing something weird with Kanan that I still kind of think it was at the least leaving the door open to him somehow surviving. Because what was up with changing his character design for one last adventure? What was up with the wolves pushing him around? Why would his eyes heal right at the end if it wasn’t going to come up again? And if we actually see a body in the next episode I’ll be surprised. Now, he could just show up again as a Force Ghost and cover…some of that confusion, but there are some weird narrative choices is what I’m saying.
Which brings me back to the handling of Kanan/Hera. The way their relationship has been treated in these last few episodes still feels wrong. Because they shouldn’t be at the awkward beginning of a relationship. But if the writers wanted to have that shift happen in the story, it should have been given a reason. I know I said a lot of this last time, but this treatment feels very backwards and forced, when it should be the most logical thing that the show has basically established since day 1. The show never cared to show us what was keeping them from being a couple before, or what’s changed to make them think about it now; except that the writing wants to make Kanan’s death hurt that much more through a romantic relationship.
Which, quite frankly, is a condemnation of the show’s use of Ezra and Kanan’s relationship. They didn’t trust people to care about one of the few relationships the show has spent time on, when really, kids could probably relate more to the father-son (or at least big brother-little brother) dynamic they’re meant to have, than the adults in love you get with Kanan/Hera. Of course, that’s exactly why, at the end, they decided not to write them as adults in love but dumb teens who are just starting to figure out their feelings.
(Look, even if I had tried to review these as separate episodes, I wouldn’t have had much to say on the first episode. Except that they were already writing Kanan/Hera weird…well at least Kanan weird in relation to his feelings for Hera. I did have a few thoughts on the opening battle. Such as, is this the first time we’ve seen an X-wing battle on this show? Also, so at least they’re consistent that a single crashing fighter can do that damage to a Star Destroyer; still not sure it makes sense. Also, doesn’t TIE stand for twin ion engine? Is that still what the advanced TIEs are? They’re such a different model – not to mention have hyperdrive – that I’m not sure they’re technically TIEs…unless I’m misremembering what TIE stands for.)
I can’t decide if Ezra being pointless and ignored is any better than him being awful and shoved in my face, but it’s a thing. It further highlights that the show would have always been infinitely better if it had always been like that; Kanan’s story with Ezra as a part of his journey. But because here it shows that they can write the show this way, I’m somehow even more angry that they have waited this long to do it. Ezra is pointless, he’s always been useless and too stupid to make a good protagonist unless they actually would do a coming of age story about him learning not to be a dumbass. So it is better to push him to the background, but in the grand scheme of things it’s not helping my opinion of this show or Ezra.
Of course, Sabine remains even more pointless, and they leave Zeb behind, because this show’s supposed family vibe is a bunch of crock. So…I don’t know how I feel, I’m a little all over the place. I think this was a good episode (especially the second ep of the set) of the show Rebels has been this season; if I pretend away the prior seasons or act like the first three seasons were more in keeping with what it is for the moment, I would probably be less confused how I feel about this as it is.
I do suspect I’ll be reading fic-it-fic for this once I finish the series. Because I think fanfic can probably turn this into something much more resonant than it is on the show itself. I guess I’ll say that much.
You know, I’m still not sure whether I should be doing these as individual episodes of as a pair. The first part clearly ended in the middle of a story, but it did so in a way that, on a lot of other shows, would just be shifting the shape of things for the next story. And in some ways, the end of part two was the same thing. This arc has, finally and at long last, felt like a modern TV show instead of an old-fashioned kids show. Still very much for kids, but it’s at least trying to move forward.
This just about manages to stick to the continuity I was wondering about last time regarding Rebel victories. The mission didn’t really succeed. It did some good, but half of the success is because Price was a moron and blew up her own fuel depot. And I don’t think they took out the production plant at all; maybe they will, since the advanced TIEs aren’t a thing in the movies, so somehow they have to be taken out.
On a similar subject, this is playing a decidedly second fiddle to the movies. It just wants to keep referencing elements of Rogue One, and therefore hinting at the Death Star that we know won’t be a factor in these characters’ stories.
On one hand, even though I knew that Kanan was going to die and I thought it was this episode, it did still have some impact. On the other hand, it should have had a lot more. I’m not sure how I would feel now if I hadn’t known it was coming; considering how I feel about this show I probably would have looked at it as just taking Kanan off the board so he doesn’t get in the way of Luke not having guidance as a Jedi. But in some ways, the fact that I’m pretty sure this is permanent (as far as the main canon is concerned) is what gives it what impact it has for me. Because this specific episode doesn’t have time to make it seem permanent. I suspect that comes in the next couple episodes, but if I stopped at this one, I’d kind of think something weird was going on here that might be hinting that he wasn’t dead.
That said, this episode is also just doing something weird with Kanan that I still kind of think it was at the least leaving the door open to him somehow surviving. Because what was up with changing his character design for one last adventure? What was up with the wolves pushing him around? Why would his eyes heal right at the end if it wasn’t going to come up again? And if we actually see a body in the next episode I’ll be surprised. Now, he could just show up again as a Force Ghost and cover…some of that confusion, but there are some weird narrative choices is what I’m saying.
Which brings me back to the handling of Kanan/Hera. The way their relationship has been treated in these last few episodes still feels wrong. Because they shouldn’t be at the awkward beginning of a relationship. But if the writers wanted to have that shift happen in the story, it should have been given a reason. I know I said a lot of this last time, but this treatment feels very backwards and forced, when it should be the most logical thing that the show has basically established since day 1. The show never cared to show us what was keeping them from being a couple before, or what’s changed to make them think about it now; except that the writing wants to make Kanan’s death hurt that much more through a romantic relationship.
Which, quite frankly, is a condemnation of the show’s use of Ezra and Kanan’s relationship. They didn’t trust people to care about one of the few relationships the show has spent time on, when really, kids could probably relate more to the father-son (or at least big brother-little brother) dynamic they’re meant to have, than the adults in love you get with Kanan/Hera. Of course, that’s exactly why, at the end, they decided not to write them as adults in love but dumb teens who are just starting to figure out their feelings.
(Look, even if I had tried to review these as separate episodes, I wouldn’t have had much to say on the first episode. Except that they were already writing Kanan/Hera weird…well at least Kanan weird in relation to his feelings for Hera. I did have a few thoughts on the opening battle. Such as, is this the first time we’ve seen an X-wing battle on this show? Also, so at least they’re consistent that a single crashing fighter can do that damage to a Star Destroyer; still not sure it makes sense. Also, doesn’t TIE stand for twin ion engine? Is that still what the advanced TIEs are? They’re such a different model – not to mention have hyperdrive – that I’m not sure they’re technically TIEs…unless I’m misremembering what TIE stands for.)
I can’t decide if Ezra being pointless and ignored is any better than him being awful and shoved in my face, but it’s a thing. It further highlights that the show would have always been infinitely better if it had always been like that; Kanan’s story with Ezra as a part of his journey. But because here it shows that they can write the show this way, I’m somehow even more angry that they have waited this long to do it. Ezra is pointless, he’s always been useless and too stupid to make a good protagonist unless they actually would do a coming of age story about him learning not to be a dumbass. So it is better to push him to the background, but in the grand scheme of things it’s not helping my opinion of this show or Ezra.
Of course, Sabine remains even more pointless, and they leave Zeb behind, because this show’s supposed family vibe is a bunch of crock. So…I don’t know how I feel, I’m a little all over the place. I think this was a good episode (especially the second ep of the set) of the show Rebels has been this season; if I pretend away the prior seasons or act like the first three seasons were more in keeping with what it is for the moment, I would probably be less confused how I feel about this as it is.
I do suspect I’ll be reading fic-it-fic for this once I finish the series. Because I think fanfic can probably turn this into something much more resonant than it is on the show itself. I guess I’ll say that much.
