Star Wars Rebels Reveiw: “Trials of the Darksaber” + Rebels Recon. What Did You Think?
For big fans of the Clone Wars cartoon series, like myself, it’s always nice to see “easter eggs” or ANYTHING that acknowledges that fantastic series. When they use one of your favorite aspects from the series and expand on its mythology….that’s having your cake and eating it too. Does “Trials of the Darksaber” live up to it’s hype of bringing more rich history for Star Wars? Let’s find out….
SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!!!
What worked for me:
- The origin of the Darksaber (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
If you are new to reading my Rebels reviews, you will find that I am a HUGE Clone Wars (TCW) series fan. Of course when TCW traveled to Mandalore and introduced Pre Vizla and the amazing looking Darksaber, I fell in love with that specific story arc. I IMMEDIATELY wanted to know it’s origin. We find out that it was created by the Jedi for the first Mandalorian jedi who was a Vizsla (Pictured above). Eventually, it would be stolen from the Jedi Temple and used as a right of leadership by House Vizsla, and later Deathwatch. I LOOOOOOOODOVE the fact that the Darksaber was made by a Mandalorian. The origin of the Darksaber lives up to all my expectations and I just want more stories of the Vizsla who first wielded it, RIGHT NOW!
- The training of Sabine
What came as a surprise to me was how effective this show’s training scenes were. It had great visuals, and then added great character cues from Sabine, as Kanan used her emotions to push her while dueling. It’s revealed that Sabine helped the Empire create weapons and they used those same weapons against her people. Sabine’s guilt and shame for the pain she caused her family are what drove her to the Rebellion. Sabine has always been under-utilized in Rebels, IMO and this episode shows how much of a great character she is. It’s unfortunate that the show waited until Season 3 to use this storyline. I feel this could have been great in Season 2, filled in around the Ahsoka storyline.
- The Music
Kevin Kiner has been doing a solid job of bringing different kinds of musical sounds to Star Wars since TCW, but I’ll give him a ton of credit, he has shined more in Rebels than TCW. Maybe he has more freedom on Rebels? Either way, this episode has some of his best work I’ve heard on the show. The power of the music really adds to Sabine’s anger when she is telling Kanan what happened on Mandalore. I can’t praise it enough.
What didn’t work for me:
- Lame Ezra
This episode is incredible and even Lame Ezra can’t bring it down for me…but he comes across mostly like an annoying little brother. Later, the writers try to use him as a way to get to Sabine’s softer side. His character has been all over the place emotionally this season, and it’s getting tiresome. This episode is sadly another example of it. *sigh*
Quick Hitters:
- I LOVE Fenn Rau and his Mando armor. Action figure, please.
- Bendu makes an unusual cameo, possibly pointing to the significance of Sabine’s character.
- Fenn Rau gives Sabine some new Mando gauntlets that make her more like Boba Fett. I’m not complaining.
This is by far, one of the BEST Rebels episodes yet. I’d probably say top 5. It shows how great Rebels can be and makes Sabine’s return to her Mandalorian family a true Star Wars event. This entire season has been a much better collection of episodes as a whole, and I’d say this specific one is sign that the show is going in a fantastic direction from here.
As always I look forward to your thoughts and insights for this episode!
Paul
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Also the latest episode of Rebels Recon has been released. Tell us what you thought about the episode in the comments section and check out StarWars.com’s new video Rebels Recon #3.15: Inside “Trials of the Darksaber”.
Next Rebels episode titled “Legacy of Mandalore” will premiere on February 18, 2017. That’s another month of waiting.
This was a very nice episode, indeed! I like Sabine a lot more after watching it, though I’m guessing that Sabine will be unsuccessful, as we haven’t heard much about the Mandalorians helping the Rebels in other pieces of canon.
Like so many groups of people throughout our own worlds history, I’m betting that if they did have something to do with helping the rebellion within SW canon, it might have gone largely unnoticed. But who knows what they still have in store for us. As Pablo has mentioned on occasion, they are playing the long game.
I am wondering…..Will Sabine die while leading Mandalorians in a battle against the Empire? If so, will it happen this season?
Good question. I’m betting we won’t see it this season. Perhaps next season, or perhaps she goes off and remains with her people. Who knows at this early point just yet.
I don’t know about her dying, but I did feel that much of the dialogue in this episode was a set up for her to leave the Rebellion as we know it and lead her people in a struggle against the Empire.
really strong and emotional episode, probably the best of the season so far. i do have to agree about ezra, ever since he didn’t turn to the dark side in the premiere his arc has really stagnated. i hope they pick it up again by the end of the season.
I suspect that will be the grand finale.
Not only that – but what about Ahsoka?
I don’t get the hype with this Episode. It hints that Sabine plays a more important role than we thought but aside from that it gives us nothing. I don’t care about Mandalore at all, I want a conclusion to the Maul story.
Then just wait.
its all about characterization. very important to a good story and this episode delivered that in spades, both with sabine and kanan.
Agreed. Low on the “Pew pew!”, but great for story and characterization. One of my favs so far.
Then tone down your impatience and let things unfold as they are: Impatience is very unhealthy for you.
It’s called character development for a reason and it’s very vital for not just Sabine but for all main SWR characters as a whole.
Patience young padawan.
Excitement, adventure. A Jedi craves not these things! 😉
Then this show is only aimed at Jedi? I did wonder 🙂
And you’ll get it bro.
At the end of the season.
Did anyone else catch that the mandalorian wars are canon now? Kanan said that the jedi defeated the mandalorians.
it was actually kind of emotional there for a minute. Good episode
Great episode. I loved the lore about the Mandos. Hopefully we’ll get a movie about that very legend?
Um Bendu is like “Bitch please. I could kick you through a Star Destroyer if I wanted to”
Reacting to the dark saber, perhaps (given its rich history among Jedi. Maul, etc.?)
Nice episode can’t wait to see where this takes Sabine.
“it s a cartoon, it s a cartoon…”
I know.
But I feel these characters should cross their paths in the movies too.
What if Sabine is a child of Kenobi. Is she old enough to be conceived during
the clone wars, if it’s 14 years after the start of the empire. What if Kenobi had Sabine, and Sabrine goes on to meet Luke after The Galactic Silver or even during and then they reconnect.
Then Rey could be the child of Sabine and Luke.
Or even one half of this could work.
Except that Sabine is clearly of Asian descent like her voice actress and Obi-Wan/Sabine were as white as you can get.
You mean South Asian? Is there such a thing in the SW universe? Who says she’s not mixed race?
That said, I see no good reason why she would be a Kenobi…and this episode somewhat defeats the idea in dialogue.
Are you Kevin J. Anderson?
https://media.giphy.com/media/3oz8xLd9DJq2l2VFtu/giphy.gif
Pablo and Filoni have already completely shot down this one. The whole “Sabine/Satine” theory is pure coincidence, and nothing more. They just liked the names and it goes no further than that.
STOP
I wonder if she’ll go bald when she runs out of hair colors?
Ripley, from Alien 3!
https://youtu.be/netG0u3D2F0
ah, so thrawn’s flagship is still the Chimaera. nice little EU nod from pablo.
I didn’t even see that until Recon.
I thought this episode was excellent, including some much needed character development for Sabine. Best of the season probably.
What didn’t work for me was Ezra and Kanan kneeing before Sabine. I can understand why Fenn Rau did this, but Ezra and Kanan? Why would they worship a mandolorian girl? Weird….
The samurai style music was amazing!
It’s not about worship. It’s about the symbology of them letting her know that if it came down to it, they’d be there for her to help her accomplish whatever was needed. It’s a moment that relates to the Family theme of the show.
Yes, I understand that they wanted to show “we will stand by your side filled with hope and filled with pride” kind of thing. But they could have put a hand on her shoulder or something. Kneeling means you consider yourself subordinate to another person. So… no. It works for Fenn Rau ok, but not at all for Kanan and Ezra.
Why not? If they do try to follow the Jedi ways, then serving is precisely what they’d do…right?
They’d support her like friends and equals not like servants. Anyway kneeling was in this case an inappropriate way to express themselves. And have you ever seen the jedi kneel before somebody? Even before some senate members?
But it’s appropriate for Mandalorians. That’s the point.
Culturally, it’s a common thing in the GFFA. (See: Padme – the freaking Queen of the planet, kneeling before Boss Nass).
Kneeling before another /person/ is the significant difference between worshiping and honoring them. At the end, when they did kneel it was an act of honor and like Pinche said that they’d be there for her.
And just as we get one of the best episodes of this show in recent memory, the show has to go on another hiatus. :/
– Pomojema
Absolutely amazing episode! Very emotional at the end too, I shed a tear…
I just don’t get this episode, Sabine, who started as a mandalorian bounty hunter/rebel is now suddenly running to be “leader” of a mandalorian faction cuz she’s related to some big shot family? Such a small galaxy…
Watch the mandalorian arcs in The Clone Wars and you will understand it.
Show is getting slightly back on track. Better than the 2 part episode which didn’t add much to progressing things. I wish there was more lore episodes like this consecutively and not spread out during the season. Its cool to see the rebels moving against the Empire but its so close to what I would assume is a midway point, assuming the show caps at 5-6 seasons like Clone Wars, they will just end up trying to fill in story details for Filoni’s left behind storylines carried from Clone Wars with Maul and then exploiting Thrawn for as long as possible as a villain before the end.
Remember how this show works.
We saw Geonosis back in Season 1 and learned it was devoid of life.
Now, in Season 2 we see the Ghost’s crew direct connection to Rogue One.
Give it time, Filoni spreads out the story lines on this show. Eventually, almost everything comes back to connect to something.
Filoni is definitely playing the long game here…it’s nice to see things slowly begin to flesh out.
Especially because they have to be careful not to give the rebels a ‘big’ victory, which would conflict with the original crawl. Small, personal victories have to be the focus, and those would be cheap if they just gave everybody a win every other Saturday.
They know what’s up.
I really enjoyed this episode. No big flashy battles, no doomsday weapons, no cloak and dagger, and no thrilling chase scenes. Just a few characters doing what characters do best – Changing. Evolving. Growing. This was basically a stage play that took place in two locations. It’s a real testament to the writing on the series, that when you strip all spectacle away, the characters shine even brighter.
It took a lot of courage to make a “slow” episode like this, and it paid off brilliantly. This is easily one of my favorite episodes, of any television show.
Lame Ezra and Kanan got his ass whooped by a non force sensitive Sabine on her second day of training. POWER LEVELS!!!! WTF are they?
Star Wars isn’t really about power levels.
Also, the show in which “power levels” were introduced in made a clear point of them being completely irrelevant. Seriously, nearly every time they’re brought up in DBZ, they’re immediately shown to be notoriously unreliable in determining how strong an opponent actually is.
– Pomojema
As football fans say: ‘any given Sunday’
I think SW is way past the role-playing-type measurements of experience points that make one character “logically” unable to defeat another. And that’s a good thing.
And as Kanan says to the Inquisitor, after basically never having an upper-hand on him throughout season 1, once Kanan is bereft of fear, he can defeat the Inquisitor. That’s a way better character and plot moment than “oh, she isn’t trained” or “her blood doesn’t have enough magic in it”.
https://youtu.be/0fmdxQ23s0s