Could Rebels Conclude With Season 4? Will Another Show Replace It?

Yesterday, I wrote an article for this site about a post on our message board which said that a guy on another message board wrote about a seminar that Lucasfilm Story Group Grand Poobah Pablo Hidalgo held while he was on a boat. (Heck of a sentence, I know.) This article covered a series of rumors that Hidalgo himself responded to when our post was mirrored over Twitter, and I gave my thoughts on them. Now, someone in contact with the original source has relayed some new information from them, which further clarifies what was said – including whether or not Season 4 really is the end to Rebels.

 

If you haven’t read the original article, check the link above. Otherwise, none of this is going to make sense.

 

The follow-up post, which was done by someone else who was apparently in contact with the anonymous poster on the other board, can be found here. The post seems to have been written in direct reply to the article I wrote, as it addresses some of the things I was unsure about. It reads as follows:

Couple of clarifying points on the OP:

I also know the guy who posted the original info. He’s a member of a message board that I post on frequently. He posted those 8 points without having any idea they’d be picked up by and spread across the internet. He feels kinda badly about all of this.

First of all, he posted from his phone at the airport having arrived back from the cruise and just wanted to jot down what he could remember for a bunch of us who are big fans and wanted to hear all about the cruise. The post wasn’t especially thorough or as clear as it could have been. And again, he didn’t expect it to get around.

The bit about Rebels being the final season was a slip up. Pablo was answering a question and said something like “we have one more season of Rebels… oops… I mean ANOTHER season of Rebels is coming.” Then he said something like “don’t tell anyone I said that.” The Poster thought it was funny and admitted that it wasn’t confirmation of anything; he just wanted to share it with us because we’re big fans of Rebels and have been speculating on whether or not the show will end after next season. Again, he didn’t know this would go viral at any level and really feels badly that it’s gone as far as it has.

As far as the “talked to Pablo privately” thing… here’s what happened according to the guy who was on the cruise: “It wasn’t really private. He was shaking hands and snapping pics after the Q&A. When it came my turn, we chatted briefly about our ages and how cool all this would’ve been when we were kids, just general stuff like that. Then, I said something like “any hints on the timeline on the new cartoon?” And, with a chuckle, he replied “go to Celebration.” There were about 15-20 other people around that could’ve heard it if any of them were listening to our conversation.”

I’m only posting all of this on his behalf because I know he feels weird about all of it and he doesn’t want to make things worse. He respects Pablo and never had any intention of “leaking” anything or bringing on this kind of speculation. He wants to drop the whole thing but I thought it was only right to post something that explained the context a little more clearly. Hope all of this makes sense.

Thanks for all your great work. Keep the news/rumors coming.

I would like to note that we weren’t planning on posting the original article until we got verification, but the cat got out of the bag before we could do anything about this, so there was no point in waiting. That being said, it’s good that there’s actual clarification on some of the more questionable points. Hidalgo certainly hinted that we’re going to get an announcement about the next animated series in a few weeks, but right now I’d encourage people to keep their expectations in check – whatever it is they’re developing right now won’t arrive until Fall 2018 at the absolute earliest, given that Rebels will go on until Spring 2018 or so.

 

Which brings us to the elephant in the room: the possibility that Rebels could be ending next season. The clarification seems to hint that Hidalgo’s comments were a genuine slip of his tongue, but again, the possibility that the show may be ending next season still exists. As it currently stands, I still have doubts that Rebels will end with Season 4 – it seems like there are a lot of plot threads that the show still has to tie up, and there’s a lot for a single season to cover. While they could do it all in one season, the show’s love of including occasional “fluff” episodes makes me think that they’re going to space things out a bit further. Recent comments from Dave Filoni regarding Season 4 suggest that there may still be a Season 5 waiting in the wings (or at least that they’re not going to tie up all loose ends just yet), making matters even more confusing. It definitely doesn’t seem like they want their show to be cut short like The Clone Wars was, and given that there’s no other Star Wars show on television right now, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to end until they have a new series ready.

 

We’ll most likely learn more about whether or not the next season of Rebels will be the last with the arrival of the show’s 90-minute panel at Star Wars Celebration Orlando on April 15. Until then, stay tuned to Star Wars News Net for the latest and greatest stories about the Galaxy Far, Far Away.

 

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Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

Grant Davis (Pomojema)

Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

65 thoughts on “Could Rebels Conclude With Season 4? Will Another Show Replace It?

  • March 27, 2017 at 3:48 am
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    I’m guessing 5 or 6 seasons.

  • March 27, 2017 at 3:53 am
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    Hopefully 4 will be the last. I would love for Filoni to head up a more adult oriented show like Clone Wars maybe to air on Netflix. Set after Jedi and fill in some of those gaps with cool stories. I am just tired of the only SW animation shows being aimed at kids.

    • March 27, 2017 at 4:00 am
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      ” I am just tired of the only SW animation shows being aimed at kids.”

      That’s the entitled fan in you talking, Remember, you were likely a kid when you first watch SW.

      • March 27, 2017 at 4:04 am
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        Star Wars was always fun for the whole family kind if movie. Rebels 90% of the time is aimed right at the child demographic. I understand some adults like it but it has nowhere near the crossover appeal the movies had. There is nothing wrong for an adult fan to wishfully ask for more adult content on a Star Wars comment section.

        • March 27, 2017 at 4:09 am
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          “the movies are for children but [the fans] don’t want to admit that… […..] They want the films to be tough like The Terrminator, and they get very upset and opinionated about anything that has anything to do with being childlike.” – George Lucas

          Yes, the movies have more crossover appeal, but that’s because they had to, and the fact is that were they not so iconic they’d probably be a bit silly and childlike the days.

          You got a more adult movie in Rogue One. Let the kids have their Saturday morning cartoon.

          • March 27, 2017 at 4:13 am
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            They still will with the Lego cartoons and it is not like a Clone Wars show is not kid appropriate. It just had more adult themes that they seem to be unable to show fully on a Disney channel. A show like this would be the best for both age groups. Kids get their action and the adults get a more cerebral story. The kids can then return and watch the show when they get older and enjoy it more than they would a run of the mill kids show.

          • March 27, 2017 at 4:15 am
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            So basically you’re saying that the fanboy should be the one catered for because kids will watch eventually anyway?

          • March 27, 2017 at 4:18 am
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            That is not at all what I said. I said a show aimed at multiple demographics will have a larger fanbase and it will have the staying power that a kids show will not. Batman Animated series and Clone Wars are prime examples that you can appeal to multiple age groups on different levels.

          • March 27, 2017 at 4:22 am
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            Plenty of adults get on with Rebels just fine.

          • March 27, 2017 at 4:24 am
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            I said that multiple times but that does not change the fact it is a kids show.

          • March 27, 2017 at 4:41 am
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            The Clone Wars was a kids show, but you deemed that acceptable. The Star Wars movies are for kids, but you deemed them acceptable.

            Face it, you personally don’t like the show because you feel there are some deal breaking kiddie elements in it and you can’t look beyond them. So your demand content that caters to your wants and needs. Your argument feel apart when you cited other children’s content as being acceptable. There were some very kid friendly elements in Clone Wars. Conversely there have been some more adult moments in Rebels (season’s 2’s finale for instance).

            You have grown older and want Star Wars to cater to the adult you. I don’t know why you can’t just admit that. There’s nothing wrong with wanting that. But I’m just saying that you should appreciate that it’s not just about the adult fan in you, and, no, saying “they kids get a Lego show” and basically should be content with that isn’t reasonable.

          • March 27, 2017 at 4:51 am
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            I do not think you are reading my comments at all. Also you are getting hostile for really no reason. For the hundredth time, I feel the Clone Wars and the movies are aimed at both children and adults alike by giving things that appeal to all age groups. It had more crossover appeal than the more straightforward kids show Rebels. That is my ideal direction for a new show. I guess you want it stay in Disney XD Rebels territory which is fine.

          • March 27, 2017 at 9:28 pm
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            I don’t consider the films “for kids”. The Prequels sort of went into “kiddie territory” (much to ALL our chagrin) but the OT, Rogue One, and TFA are clearly made for the ADULT fan — with KIDS of course loving every minute of the Laser madness and cool creatures.

          • March 27, 2017 at 4:33 am
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            I believe the only draw back of having a show on disney is often there is a lack of violence (as in we never see people get cut with a lightsaber) sometimes it is artistic such as the 7th sisters death (Which I believe was a homage to a samurai film death) but most times they cut away (like the grand inqusitor stabbing kanan in the jedi temple).
            Otherwise I truly dont see a difference in tone between Clone Wars and Rebels. Both shows have extremely mature content (such as Vader ordering a refugee camp burned or mauls arc in clone wars) while often there was kid oriented arcs (such as C3P0 epsidoes in CW).

          • March 27, 2017 at 4:48 pm
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            George Lucas’ first Star Wars movie opened not just with a gunfight and men being shot in close-up, but also with the villain audibly snapping the neck of a prisoner. There were also incinerated bodies, limbs being lopped off of people, starfighter pilots screaming as their ships exploded around them, and… oh yeah, an entire PLANET being destroyed while a woman from that planet was forced to watch.

            That’s hardly “childlike”, no matter what Lucas may have later tried to claim.

            And we loved it! Practically my whole damned fourth grade class was nuts for Star Wars when we came back to school in the fall of 1977. We didn’t need teddy bears with pointed sticks, we didn’t need pratfalling space ducks, and we didn’t need the main characters to act like Mom, Pop and the bickering kids and constantly remark on what a “family” they were.

          • March 28, 2017 at 8:11 pm
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            Based on the reactions to R1 ending scene, Lucas was right in 2005. “Obviously, fans would love to see a movie about Darth Vader running around killing people. I’m not telling that story, and I’m not interested in that. That’s not what the movie is.
            This first trilogy is really about the father, the struggles of a father, or a man, basically, to find himself, and at the same time fall into a trap of wanting certain powers, making a pact with the devil and basically spending the rest of his life regretting it.” G. Lucas

          • March 29, 2017 at 1:10 am
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            He called it.

            Lucas may not have executed the prequels well. But it’s not doubt that he wanted Star Wars to be as creative as possible, and whatever one thinks of TFA or Rogue One, they aren’t nearly as creative as the prequels in terms of imagination and world building. In that respect, Disney/Lucasfilm are letting his legacy down somewhat, even if they direction, acting, etc is better.

          • March 29, 2017 at 12:34 pm
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            If people don’t complain about one thing, they’ll complain about another, it’s always something.

      • March 27, 2017 at 4:39 am
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        Programming for kids today is way different than the 70s/80s. Most of it is far less challenging and downright pussified. As a child of the 80s, I much preferred Return to Oz over Wizerd of Oz, while reviewers were shocked that it had such a drastically bleaker tone than the original. If you read Baum’s novels, you realize how much more faithful the latter film is to the source material (which was written for kids).

        Children can handle darkness — that’s the point of fables and fantasy.

        • March 27, 2017 at 6:20 am
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          I agree, but Rebels has darkness.

          • March 27, 2017 at 8:42 am
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            It does. It also has a blind Freddie Prinze successfully navigating a speeder-bike through an alien cactus field while dodging laser-fire.

            All it’s missing is Fonzie and some water-skis.

          • March 27, 2017 at 8:52 am
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            Ha ha. Ouch.

          • March 27, 2017 at 8:59 am
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            Hurts me too. 😉

        • March 27, 2017 at 5:06 pm
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          @Jim P I don’t know – I was a kid in the mid to late ’80s and I really don’t remember cartoons being so much darker, at the time. Yeah, there was some dark stuff (mostly from Japan) but most cartoons episodes generally ended with a group hug and the “moral of the day” 🙂
          Granted, there were some darker movies (like Return to Oz) catered to kids but, even at the time, stuff like RtO wasn’t exactly the norm. I do think the americans went a little out of their head with the rating system and the “think of the kids”-crap, but I really don’t feel things were all that different, back then 🙂

          • March 27, 2017 at 8:08 pm
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            It was definitely mixed — some stuff was very light, for sure. But I remember the first animated Transformers film wiping all the main characters off the map in the first few minutes — and thinking, “This is glorious”. (Granted, it was done to sell more toys, but still a high point of 80s cartoon history.)

      • March 27, 2017 at 4:41 pm
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        I was nine when the original SW film came out in 1977, and one of the things that I really liked about it was that it wasn’t aimed specifically at kids my age. Benji, Charlotte’s Web… that was the kind of movies I’d seen up to that point, and Star Wars was something entirely different and infinitely more interesting to me.

        Kids don’t need shit to be targeted specifically at them in order to like something, and in fact they often prefer things that are aimed at a somewhat older audience, because it allows THEM to feel a little older too. (And that’s something that’s important to kids that we often seem to forget as we actually do get older.)

        • March 27, 2017 at 11:43 pm
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          Agreed on kids do not need to be targeted in order to like something. Heck, I commend a creator whenever they do something for children, they can make it so that way adults can enjoy. Case in point, Avatar the last Airbender. Children’s show with some heavy, mature themes.

          Really, with SWs, as a kid I enjoyed the Lightsaber fights, effects and characters. But as I got older I appreciated the thematic aspects of the franchise. The duality between light and dark, the idea of choice(which I argue is the crux of ROTJ). That stuff very much impressed me. And the truth is I never actually saw that when watching the OT.

          KOTOR was what made me a diehard SWs fan. I hold that first game in the same regard as the OT for a lot of older fans. It opened up my mind to just how amazing the franchise is. And to the point where I approached the OT with a whole new appreciation for it. 🙂

  • March 27, 2017 at 4:06 am
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    I hope after episode 9 we get show about Luke training Ben solo, about Snoke watching over him, Ben’s fall to the dark side, Rise of Knights of Ren and rise and fall of Luke’s Jedi academy

    • March 27, 2017 at 4:09 am
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      I would like that. That kind of probably long developing story would lend itself to a more serialized format.

      • March 27, 2017 at 4:11 am
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        Tv shows are great for telling stories between episodes, and I think it will be just great opportunity to tell what happened between ep 6 and 7. Movies are better for expanding universe, for sequels or The Old Republic stories

        • March 27, 2017 at 4:13 am
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          Would love a animated Kotor adaption more than any movie..

          • March 27, 2017 at 4:15 am
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            I think in next 5 years they will announce live action tv series about that, they had some plans for live action tv series,hopefully,it’s about The Old Republic

          • March 27, 2017 at 4:17 am
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            The Old Republic should be a movie series, such is the world building that will be required.

            Star Wars live action TV is a tall order anyway – at least to do the universe justice. That’s why Lucas shelved his original show. Couldn’t justify the cost.

          • March 27, 2017 at 4:20 am
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            I am a huge fan of animation. I would actually prefer to see it in that medium. Go watch the Overwatch cinematic trailers those are more powerful than most things you see in live action. They could do true adaptions of Manaan and Taris without blowing their budgets as well.

          • March 27, 2017 at 4:22 am
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            I know,that’s exactly what I want, but that animation is so expensive, I doubt they will do anything like that

          • March 27, 2017 at 4:23 am
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            Idk make a 8 episode season and cutout the filler stuff. Could very well work. Would be cheaper than livr action for sure.

          • March 27, 2017 at 3:13 pm
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            Disagree

          • March 27, 2017 at 11:31 pm
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            Cool.

    • March 27, 2017 at 4:10 am
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      Lots of feel good stuff!

    • March 27, 2017 at 4:37 am
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      I think the next series could focus on the events between episode 5-6.
      I think it would be an excellent time frame to integrate Luke and Leia with the surviving Ghost crew.
      Plus, controversially, if Kanan and Ezra are still alive they could help train Luke in some form. It would explain how Luke got more powerful between the films without returning to Yoda.

      • March 27, 2017 at 8:39 pm
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        It could be where they go with it, since the comics haven’t touched that time period at all. I am beyond ready to get done with the TP we are at right now (right before RO/ANH and between 4-5) Please give us new stories in a far more interesting time period.

  • March 27, 2017 at 4:28 am
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    I dont see the need to finish rebels so soon.
    5-6 seasons seems just about right.
    Additionally, I dont believe we need to have only one animated series running at a time. It would make more sense to have another series play while Rebels is between series.

  • March 27, 2017 at 5:19 am
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    Time to cancel it. I really doubt VIII and IX will give us much more information on what happened after Jedi and TV is the perfect place to cover that much like TCW did in between II and III.

    • March 27, 2017 at 3:13 pm
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      Then wouldn’t the time to cancel it be AFTER VIII and IX?

  • March 27, 2017 at 8:56 am
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    Great to see the door still open for another season at this stage. With everything set up in ‘Zero Hour’ and Filoni’s interview on Rebels Recon, there’s too much material to work with to end the series with Season 4.

  • March 27, 2017 at 9:18 am
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    Love the cruise ship graphic — the infamous seafaring site of Pablo-Gate 2017.

  • March 27, 2017 at 11:09 am
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    With Season 4 getting into Rogue One territory, where Obi-Wan is the last Jedi, I think we are heading towards a conclusion.

    • March 27, 2017 at 3:10 pm
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      Yoda….

      • March 27, 2017 at 8:15 pm
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        Just wait ’til you find out that Yoda was dead all along, only appearing to Luke in his mind (and somehow R2 as well).

        Joking, of course.

        Or am I? 😉

  • March 27, 2017 at 1:26 pm
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    tbh I’d like to see it end after season 4. to me, quality-wise, the show is so far behind TCW; for 20 episodes each season, about 14 have absolutely no substance. all in all, I feel that so far, Rebels failed to enrich SW Canon in anything other than Maul’s conclusion and Vader/Ashoka showdown (which are plot points laid over from TCW anyways), yet managed to cause a significant continuity problems introducing Ezra and Kanan. I still can’t get over the fact that they couldn’t do a show about the early years of Rebellion without shoveling in two Jedi.

  • March 27, 2017 at 2:01 pm
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    Gave up watching this show – it’s unforgivably boring.

    • March 27, 2017 at 11:39 pm
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      I cannot blame you. I somewhat enjoy it, but really I see why people do not like it. TCW, I wasn’t a fan off, but it is surely a lot better show than Rebels. Really, I’ll give Rebels credit for its characters because in general they are a lot better. But really, Fioni I find had his best work during TCW. Not all of it I agreed, but at the very least he was ambitious. Rebels, feels like 50% percent ambition and another 50% paint by numbers in copying the OT.

      But then again, the OT is the most popular era to mainstream audiences.

  • March 27, 2017 at 2:58 pm
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    Rebels could go on throughout the entire timeline. They’ve shoehorned the cast into the current universe so why wouldn’t they be able to do it until RotJ and even beyond?

    • March 27, 2017 at 8:34 pm
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      Because you don’t see the Ghost on Hoth or at the battle of Endor and the fact that there would be two other Jedi hanging out with the Rebels while Luke was there and he is clearly the only force sensitive person (aside from Leia) around the Alliance in the movies on top of like 1000 other reasons.

    • March 27, 2017 at 9:17 pm
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      Well a change in name would be needed for anything beyond, say something like Rebels but not, to be new and fresh for the kids……..I know we could go for the Resistance…. 😉

    • March 27, 2017 at 11:37 pm
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      I hope Rebels ends during the Rogue One ANH time-line. It would make a lot more sense that way. I may not like Rebels as much as many people, but I do acknowledge one positive about Rebels: The dark times era.

      Arguably, it was an era that could be glossed over, but I am glad Fioni decided to cover this period. I like seeing the dark times and just how constrictive the Empire is. It makes me appreciate the OT a lot more as you understand why the Rebels are fighting and really just how horrible the Empire are. Not that those movies didn’t show it, I.E Luke’s aunt and uncle killed.

      It is also why I loved RO.

  • March 27, 2017 at 4:53 pm
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    First, major props to the SW writers and animators. Writing a TV series must be intensely difficult and I love a lot of what they have done. It is easy for me to be an armchair critic. My worry for Star Wars Rebels is the Star Trek syndrome. Each series after Next Generation & Deep Space Nine became less compelling. With Rebels, like Voyager and Enterprise, we are stuck watching the same bland characters week after week. The stakes seem low. Rebels is Star Trek Voyager or Enterprise at this point. Not a bad series. Sometimes great. The characters aren’t that interesting. Throwing in references to Clone Wars or the films isn’t good enough. They pulled the same thing with Star Trek and it wasn’t good enough then. I can’t think of a single new compelling character outside of AP-5. If they play it safe, ultimately they will lose their audience just like Star Trek.

    • March 27, 2017 at 8:29 pm
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      Yep. This show is already very Star Trek-esque (mainly DS9).

  • March 27, 2017 at 8:36 pm
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    I think the time period is so close to Rogue One and A New Hope (Now that they are going to Yavin) that season 4 has to be the final season. Stretching it out into 2 seasons would be a mistake. That being said, I don’t think they would announce what comes next before Season 4 airs, but maybe a trailer at the end of the series finale? That way you aren’t taking the winds out of Rebels sail per say.

  • March 27, 2017 at 11:34 pm
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    Honestly, I hope it ends soon. I’ll be upfront; I am not the biggest fan of Rebels. Season one was amazing, but season two much as I liked it, I found flaws in how weak the overall narrative was as it carried through the season, much of it saturated by filler. It would be one thing had the filler alluded more to the main plot via the Inquisitors(criminally underutilized. Sarah Michelle Geller. They wasted her, along with Jason Isaacs) and getting to know more about them.

    Though, the finale was great. Season three, structurally, was an improvement as a lot of the filler I find was a lot better and heck, in my view the best episodes in the series happened with Sabine and the Obi-wan and Darth Maul resolution was nice. But Thrawn was absolutely wasted in this season and the finale, was a real letdown.

    Before anyone questions, if there was one thing I find enjoyable was the characters. Kanan and Ezra were great, along with Hera(my second favorite character). I wish a lot more was done with them, but season three attempted to do this. Let me be clear; I am no fan of TCW. I prefer the microseries and even the DH comics. But that show overall was a lot better structured.

    As for a new show, let it be Luke’s New Jedi temple. It would be nice to see the actual Jedi in operation. Which would have been a far SUPERIOR idea in the ST, but another discussion. Overall, let Rebels end at four seasons in my view.

  • March 28, 2017 at 3:36 am
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    At times Rebels has been both really great and really bad. On the balance it has been good. I do hope Season 4 will be the last, and that they will finally focus on a live action show. Look at the consistency and quality that Battlestar Galactica was able to achieve for 4 seasons, and that was years ago. With the resources of Lucasfilm/Disney they could just as well — as long as it’s not done by committee. (“I am not a committee!”)

  • March 28, 2017 at 8:39 am
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    This is stupid – The Rebels/Alliance fleet are still around in Empire and Jedi…so this series can continue past ANH

  • March 28, 2017 at 7:23 pm
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    I think the people who hate SWR are people who want to see lightsabre battles every episode

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