SWNN Review: Legends of the Lasat

search for lirisanThe latest episode of Rebels delved into Zeb’s backstory, as well as giving some new insight into Lasat culture. By the end of the first season, I’d say that we knew the least about Sabine’s character, with Zeb coming in second (okay Chopper perhaps should be given a nod here). We know that learning more about our heroes has been deemed a major focal point in this season’s narrative and we’ve been getting information in bits and pieces. Legends of the Lasat also delved into yet another way of viewing the Force, as well as a return to Wild Space. Everybody’s favorite not quite good, not quite bad space pirate also returned to help/hurt the Crew of the Ghost. Read on for more after the jump and beware of SPOILERS

 

The story kicks off with our rebel crew touching down on Nixus Hub 218. One of Ezra’s “contacts” has tipped off the insurgents to an Imperial transfer of refugees. Upon arrival, it turns out that the refugees are two members of Zeb’s species, the Lasat. Zeb is shocked to find that he is not in fact the last remaining of his race in the galaxy. The crew makes short work of the stormtroopers leading the prisoners off their transport. One of the Lasat, Gron, looks as though he’d be formiddable in battle. The other, known as Chava the Wise, is carrying a shaman-like staff with a mystical looking crystal on the top. We already knew that Zeb was a member of the Lasan Honor Guard, though here we learn he was actually the Captain of this group. Zeb makes it clear that he’s not interested in discussing this revelation any further.

lasat refugees 2

It turns out that Ezra’s “contact” is none other than Hondo Ohnaka, much to the chagrin of the rest of the crew. Like his previous appearance earlier this season, Hondo comes through with some very funny one-liners. When asked why he hadn’t warned the crew about the Empire’s involvement in the refugee information, Hondo casually mentions that he sold the refugees to the Imperials, knowing that the heroes would save them. However, upon asking for his finder’s fee, Ezra hits him back in true rogue fashion, saying that he was never going to get it. In another funny moment, Hondo laughs and states how proud he is of his “student” and that his learning curve is steep. It’s mentioned that the two refugee Lasat are seeking a new world for the Lasat, called Lirasan in an ancient prophecy, one which Zeb seems to have a disturbing lack of faith in.

As the rebels make way for the Ghost, Hondo comms the Imperials, giving them the drop on the crew. During the ensuing firefight, Hondo closes off several doors, hindering the stormtroopers’ advance. This lands him in hot water when a couple troopers come across him at an access panel. We also see Gron refusing to fight, saying that the Lasat’s way is no longer the one of the warrior. This clearly does not sit well with Zeb.

hondo betrayal

Safely on board the Ghost, Chava gives more details on her and Gron’s quest. Despite having the name of the planet they are looking for, she doesn’t know where it’s located in the galaxy. We also learn that this prophecy has come forth via the Ashla, which she calls the spirit of the galaxy. After Ezra notes that the Ashla sounds like the Force, Kanan mentions that the Force is known by many names throughout the galaxy. The prophecy of Lirisan is connected with the fate of the Three, comprised of the Child, the Warrior and the Fool. Zeb naturally fancies himself as the Warrior in this equation. According to the prophecy, the Child must save the Warrior and the Fool.

the fate of three

As Chava begins chanting in hopes of finding Lirisan through the Ashla, Zeb heads to his quarters with Ezra in tow. We get to witness a private discussion between the two, where Zeb actually opens up a bit. It’s learned that Zeb was personally responsible for protecting the royal family. Although they held out against the Empire for quite a while, Zeb lost consciousness when a bomb exploded in the palace. When he awoke, Lasan had already fallen. Bridger is able to inspire some belief in the Lasat’s prophecy and Zeb goes to join in on the ceremony with his two comrades.

During the ceremony, Zeb rearranges the configuration of his bo-rifle, mimicking the way the ancients of his people used it. It appears that in combination with Chava’s staff, the bo-rifle accesses the Force in a way that we hadn’t yet seen. It’s able to pinpoint a spot on a galactic map that Chopper projected, beyond the Outer Rim, in Wild Space.

lirisan discovered

The Ghost makes way for the system with the Imperials in pursuit. On board and an Imperial light cruiser led by Agent Kallus and Admiral Konstantine, Hondo reveals that he had a tracking device installed on the communicator he used to contact Ezra.

Hera has to bring the Ghost out of hyperspace when it encounters the dangerous gravity field of an imploded star system. Chava realizes that this also part of the prophecy. The Imperials also emerge nearby and close in on the rebel ship. Zeb seems to think that he understands the prophecy, Hondo’s the Fool, Kallus is the Warrior and he’s the Child. However, Chava puts a new spin on it, declaring that every person is all of them at different times.

imploded star cluster ghost

Zeb’s faith kicks into full drive at this moment. Understanding that the way to Lirisan can only be completed by going through the imploded star cluster, Zeb uses his bo-rifle in the same manner as the ancient Lasat did. Kallus sends out two TIE fighters that are quickly destroyed. The same energy from the Ashla as earlier sprouts forth from Zeb’s bo-rifle. Kanan and Ezra seem to recognize the Force in use here each lay a head on Zeb’s shoulder, also focusing their connection to the energy field. The Ghost is covered in waves of multi-colored light and successfully navigates its way through the cluster, after the mystical energy sent the ship through hyperspace. Kallus had been forced to turn back, before his ship fell apart.

The crew was knocked unconscious during the journey through the cluster. Upon awakening, they witness Lirisan before them in the viewscreen. Zeb heads down with both Chava and Gron. He’s gone for awhile and informs the crew when he returns that he’s no longer one of only a few remaining Lasat. Lirisan turns out to be the original homeworld of the Lasat and their are millions of them residing on the planet.

ghost and star cluster

Hera remarks that now that the Ghost has successfully made it’s way through the cluster, it has navigational records of the way to safely pass through the phenomenon. Should Zeb and company run into any other Lasat, they’ll be able to guide them home.

 

The Light Side

 

Another aspect and way of viewing the Force.

I’ve always been a huge fan of the mysticism of the Force and a huge proponent of showing that the Jedi and Sith ways are only two philosophies regarding it. Dave Filoni and Pablo Hidalgo have always come across as like-minded on this subject and they’d already shown so in The Clone Wars. That series introduced us to several other Force-wielding entities and orders. The Force beings on Mortis, the Force Priestesses from the Force planet and the Dagoyan Masters are of note. I liked the idea of the Force going by many names in different cultures across the galaxy. Kanan’s mention of this opens up the possibility for more of this in the future. Here’s hoping that we’ll get an episode delving into Ahsoka training with different Force groups, with different methods of interaction with the life energy.

force meets ashla 2

 

Hidden planet.

Over my many years of loving space fantasy and sci-fi, the idea of a civilization learning of ancient roots on another planet has always been fascinating. I like the idea that these civilizations decided to branch out into the stars, yet are still around, though perhaps slightly different than their “space cousins”. The Stargate franchise had the ancients. Farscape had Humans, Sebaceans and Interons all sharing a common ancestor and Battlestar Galactica featured the search for Earth as the long-lost origin point of the humanity’s colonies. Plus, Lasat culture just became even more interesting after this episode, so it’d be cool to explore it more. Sure, this could have happened via Zeb, but this will likely be more interesting.

ghost arrives lirisan

 

Hondo, ’nuff said.

The space pirate is two for two when it comes to actually making me laugh out loud during an episode. Rebels has kept him true to his TCW character in that he’s not inherently a good or bad guy. He’s certainly someone who looks out for his own interests, yet has his own moral code. Star Wars is best when it captures a balance of serious moments, with some well timed humor. Hondo’s character always seems to capture this mix perfectly.

hondo returns

 

The Dark Side

 

Staff’s powers perhaps a bit too convenient.

While I like getting another view of the Force, in addition to another name for it, (wonder if they’ll ever use the Bogan as a nod to George Lucas’s original name for it) I can’t help but think the end result could’ve been pulled off a bit better. Surely, this is in part due to the time factor. After all, there’s only 22 minutes to set up the story, drive it along and then resolve it. We don’t need everything explained when it comes to the mystical nature of the Force. It’s better when they vaguely do so. Still, I wish they had delved into the Ashla a bit more. Perhaps they will in the future.

Force meets ashla

 

Kallus no longer an imposing villain.

Of course the rebels have to have a bad guy to defeat, yet I’m wondering if perhaps Kallus has run his course. He certainly seemed to carry some menace during the early stages of season 1, especially during his bo-rifle battle with Zeb. Lately though, especially so in this episode, he just didn’t even come across as a threat. At no point did it feel as though our crew were truly in any danger. Perhaps he’ll be a casualty on the Imperial side by the time this season ends.

kallus

 

Parting Shots

The second half of season 2 is slowly starting to ramp up, though it still feels as if it’s yet to go into full gear. Whenever the over-arching plot seems to be ramping up, the breaks are lightly tapped and we get one-off episodes like this. Any show always has a difficult balancing act when trying to balance larger, recurring plot threads with a self-contained storyline. That being said, the one-offs have been very entertaining and continue to have that true “Star Wars” feel.

The tricky thing about this show is that a lot of the so-called “fluff” episodes may actually feature important things that will return later on and have a huge impact on the overall story. Season 1 certainly came through on this front, noting both role the TIE fighter episode and the Fyrnocks played later on during important episodes.

ties destroyed

If for nothing else than more Force mythology being explored, as well as some Lasat culture building and Hondo Ohnaka, I enjoyed this one a lot.

We also got some more nice character development regarding both Zeb and Ezra. For a lot of the show’s year and a half run, Zeb has been just sarcastic muscle. It was nice to get some insight into his psyche and the amount of pressure he places upon himself to protect those he loves. Ezra has really grown into a leader in his own respect. Whereas last season, he was often the target for good-natured teasing, it’s come in smaller doses than it had previously. Case in point for leadership role growing is the fact that someone as hard-headed as Zeb Orellios was inspired by his words of encouragement. Ezra also trumped Hondo and has even surprised him, also not an easy task.

firefight

What did you think of the episode? Do you want to learn more about Lasat culture? What did you make of the Force/Ashla aspects introduced? Are you ready for some more Hondo? What’s your stance so far on season 2 as a whole? Sound off in the comments below or at the Cantina.

 

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47 thoughts on “SWNN Review: Legends of the Lasat

  • February 8, 2016 at 6:09 pm
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    Love this episode. I think Kallus will be a threat yet. Remember the scene we saw in the trailer and the prophecy about the Warrior and the Fool and the Child. It will be interesting to see what happens with Kallus.

  • February 8, 2016 at 7:06 pm
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    This needed to be longer and split into two episodes. And I really wish we could have seen that planet with a lot more of Lasat residents instead of it being off-screen.

    • February 8, 2016 at 7:10 pm
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      I agree with the two part idea. Then they could have done more with the story. As for the planet, it would have been nice, but I think it comes down to the budget more than anything else.

      • February 8, 2016 at 7:18 pm
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        sure, sure little things like money always inhibit the art

        🙂

      • February 8, 2016 at 11:03 pm
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        I hope when Rebels end instead of his being killed maybe him and Ezra head to the Lasat planet(new one) with Chopper in tow

    • February 8, 2016 at 9:56 pm
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      Heh. I said the exact same thing when the show as over. I liked the story idea and was glad to see Zeb’s history explored a bit. But this definitely needed the two-part format. Ah well.

  • February 8, 2016 at 7:15 pm
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    Really enjoyed this episode actually.
    By the way, I personally would have liked you to mention the music during the scene when they travel through the star cluster. It set a fantastic tone for the scene, and was very original. It made the episode much better in my opinion.

  • February 8, 2016 at 7:47 pm
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    I actually found also on the dark side the english accent to the lasat language. You want to introduce an alien language? Then you should make sure who speaks it uses an accent that wouldn’t sound english. Also, the lasat lady’s hair was ridicolous. On the light side, well, the episode’s last 8 minutes are what made this episode cool.

  • February 8, 2016 at 7:56 pm
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    How does someone pinpoint a planet on a map that is not charted on any map… Sigh.

    • February 8, 2016 at 8:22 pm
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      Oh my god this is so stupid argument this could be explained by dozens of ways.

      That staff have some kind of USB inside with location of the planet which react of the light side of the force.

      Moreover why trying find reason behind Force. We all know how great midichlorians worked.

      • February 8, 2016 at 9:42 pm
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        Except the planet was clearly already on the hologram, and the staff just pointed to it. And yet was described as in uncharted wild space.

        • February 8, 2016 at 10:49 pm
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          So that stick acted as update. You know that thing which adds thing on your computer’s, programs or evan maps which wasn’t there before.

          • February 8, 2016 at 11:09 pm
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            Except the planet was there from the beginning. No new spheres were added to the map. The only thing that changed about the map was that it changed color. The location or number of spheres (planets) did not change.
            I mostly chalk it up to laziness in writing but therein lay my issue.

          • February 8, 2016 at 11:41 pm
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            And this is where you are wrong. Yes Hera give them star map. But that map expanded itself AFTER Zeb use his bo rifle.

            Kanan himself said that systems that show up are in wild space and they not on any map.

            So this is no fault of writers but your own oversight.

          • February 8, 2016 at 11:46 pm
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            The number of planets did change. You can clearly see a whole ring of them appear around the old map.

          • February 8, 2016 at 11:53 pm
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            You’re right, I was mistaken. I was too distracted by the mildly racist wise-woman caricature & language to notice. I concede now that they’re using some kind of hand-wavey Rakatan style Force based technology.

  • February 8, 2016 at 8:24 pm
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    I really don’t like Rebels anymore. I’m not sure when it went sour for me but I do know that having relentlessly incompetent villains makes for a boring 20 minutes of T.V. I can’t think of a show that feels more like it’s going through the motions already by season two.

    • February 8, 2016 at 8:29 pm
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      That just your opinion. And it totally wrong by the way.

      • February 8, 2016 at 9:22 pm
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        So his opinion is wrong but yours is right? I don’t think you know how opinions work.

        • February 8, 2016 at 9:37 pm
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          Ohhh i totally forgot that you are always right.

          You don’t like the show. Then dont watch it !!! And stop spouting nonsense.

          This was amazing episode. Of course agent Kallus lost it wasnt episode about him. Moreover he though they going to die.

          So your point doesnt make sense.

          • February 8, 2016 at 9:42 pm
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            I didn’t say that I was right or he was right, you just don’t know how opinions work. Nobody is right or wrong, you can agree with his opinion or disagree with someones opinion. But nobody is right or wrong. I can watch the show and be critical of it, the show is by no means perfect. It has it’s moments but this episode didn’t do it for me as a lot of the filler episodes have been. You don’t have to agree with me or anyone else because it is my/their opinion. You can say hey I actually liked this part and then state you reason. That is how adults converse with each other. Do you get it?

          • February 8, 2016 at 9:55 pm
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            I like Rebels. I don’t like it as much as Clone Wars, but I like it enough to keep watching it. But Levi simply stated his opinion about the show. Not only that, he gave a specific reason for his dislike and was respectful about it.

            The only thing “wrong” here is your juvenile behavior toward a forum user that was voicing his opinion.

    • February 8, 2016 at 9:10 pm
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      Rebels isn’t perfect but it’s FAR FROM just going through the motions. Each new episode adds to the mythos of the “dark times” but it’s just the time compression of each episode that it suffers from most. It has plenty of substance and I believe its building to something amazing.

      • February 8, 2016 at 9:24 pm
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        The “dark times” where the Empire somehow has taken over the galaxy but appear to be completely incompetent in almost every aspect and get beaten by the Rebels all the time. The show has its cool moments but lately it’s been wayyy more bad than good and when it does that makes me nitpick everything. I don’t care about any of these characters because ultimately they have zero impact on the story of Star Wars. I watch the show to see how everything is going to fit together and how they are going to tie everything into a bow for the OT which is the superior canon.

        • February 8, 2016 at 9:40 pm
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          If you want just know what happened in that Dark Times. And you don’t care about characters.

          Then just read wiki page.
          You have no need shitting on show here.

          • February 8, 2016 at 9:55 pm
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            I am not shitting on the show. There are parts of the show I like and I am looking forward towards namely the Vader/Ashoka showdown. The episode with the Mandalorians and how it connected with the Kanan comic was pretty cool too. What I don’t like is how the show is completely flies in the face of the OT and makes the Empire look like a complete joke. Lightsabers cutting through AT-AT. 3/4 destroyed A-Wings making the jump through hyperspace. The show should be building on the mythology of Star Wars not actively contradicting it. While I don’t care about the characters, some of the stories are interesting. Kanan’s arc has been great and he has an interesting backstory. You can watch a show/read a book or comic and take enjoyment out of some of the elements but dislike other parts. There isn’t a rule where you have to love everything that you see and read just because it says Star Wars on it. There are a bunch of new canon novels and comic books I like and there are others I dislike. You are allowed to feel however you want.

          • February 8, 2016 at 10:53 pm
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            And others like other things. I personaly far more like characters delepoment and exploring mysteries of the Force.
            But I don’t saying just because there few episode which i don’t like that whole show is bad. Like you do.

          • February 8, 2016 at 11:44 pm
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            When did I say the whole show was bad? I said I don’t particular care about any of the characters but the show has it’s cool moments. It has been more bad than good lately, but I am clearly still watching it and I want it to be better than what it is.

        • February 8, 2016 at 9:54 pm
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          okay. feel better?

          • February 8, 2016 at 9:55 pm
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            Just expressing my opinion. That is all.

        • February 9, 2016 at 8:18 pm
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          Yeah agreed, so far Rebels hasn’t advanced the pre-OT canon in an interesting way. They’ve just made the Empire look like a bunch of embarrassing buffoons.

          It doesn’t have to be this way. You can create a children’s shows with interesting, threatening villains without resorting to inappropriate violence. Just check out Avatar: The Last Airbender for a great example, which Filoni worked on. I don’t know why everything feels so neutered and bland here.

          • February 9, 2016 at 8:32 pm
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            Well . . . . . . . . . . it’s Disney. The show is only meant to get the kids hooked when they’re young – build up the fan base while they’re still crapping in their pants. People expect too much from this show.

          • February 9, 2016 at 11:32 pm
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            We expect too much because we expect quality? That “it’s for kids” argument has been used since the days of the PT, and you know what it got us? The PT!

          • February 9, 2016 at 11:52 pm
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            Sorry, but we’re not talking about the same audience. Reasonable expectations, man. The feature films were meant for a broad audience including adults, but deliberately played mostly to the younger demographic (because toys make money).

            This show is purpose built for that market alone. The target audience simply lacks the sufficient life experiences to understand complex story arcs and fleshed out character development and the product represents that. The show runners do their best to inject some cinematic flavor, but it is what it is.

          • February 10, 2016 at 5:26 am
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            That’s true, to a point. I still don’t think it excuses some of the shows worst moments though. The Empire could at least look competent. There’s nothing overly advanced about a villain that you can take seriously.

          • February 10, 2016 at 6:08 pm
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            Yeah, they’ve effectively ‘worfed’ the Empire at this point. I imagine most folks wouldn’t be so bent up about it if the show wasn’t canon though.

            I’m choosing to view this thing more as ‘Scooby-Doo in Space’. That way it can only exceed my expectations 🙂

  • February 8, 2016 at 10:42 pm
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    I mostly enjoyed this episode, up until the end. We get to this planet, and then we *don’t* get to see it? The lack of budget (certainly compared to TCW) really isn’t helping this show.

    • February 9, 2016 at 12:34 am
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      Exactly. Disney is a mega corporation, why they spend less than Cartoon Network ?
      Quality of The Clone Wars was amazing, Disney should catch up with it’s predecessor.

      • February 9, 2016 at 1:06 am
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        They aren’t spending less than Cartoon Network, they are spending less than George Lucas. I imagine TCW was operating at a loss.

      • February 9, 2016 at 8:00 am
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        Yeah, EKG is probably right. Rebels is funded by a corporation who’s in it for the profit. TCW was financed by a certain eccentric billionaire who didn’t care about profit as much.

  • February 9, 2016 at 1:35 am
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    I haven’t felt they were in any threat from the Empire except near the end of season 1…and the end result of that only made that feeling more intense when they blew up a Star Destroyer. Clone Wars focused on many Characters and groups of characters so we didn’t see the same people evading danger again and again. They also had a lot of clones they could kill off. This series the Empire has lost 1000’s and the Rebels have lost 3 characters with no speaking lines. The crew of the ghost should just casually walk into Imperial Palace, kill everyone and everything including the Emperor, while having a calm conversation and pulling pranks on Zeb…it would fit right in.

  • February 9, 2016 at 2:06 am
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    the only downside for me was that we didn’t get to see the lasat’s new/old homeworld. as for kallus, i get the feeling they are transitioning him from the empire to the rebels and that upcoming ep with him and zeb will be the triggering event for this. either that or they’ll kill him off. they got a few too many people on the bad guy side at present(kinda like the ST).

  • February 9, 2016 at 5:11 am
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    Overall I liked the episode. I wish that they had a bit more cash to show the surface of the new planet, but I guess we’ll see it later. The music in this episode was a bit of a departure from the norm. I liked it.

  • February 9, 2016 at 5:58 am
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    kallus has been wasted character. This series failed to find an interesting nemesis. Inquisitor
    has been almost nothing against half Jedi like Kanan.

    • February 9, 2016 at 4:31 pm
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      They certainly haven’t replaced the Inquisitor this season.

      But I guess this is the character development and lore development portion regarding Ezra-Ahsoka/Vader stuff. A menacing villain is still needed though.

  • February 9, 2016 at 5:44 pm
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    I loved how the energy of the force could manifest in such a way, perhaps showing how force lightning is a corruption of such energy.

  • February 9, 2016 at 8:24 pm
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    Points for the Ashla nod. Everything old is new again. Thanks, George.

    How long before the Bogan shows up?

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