Star Wars Rebels: “Jedi Night” and “Dume’ Review + Rebels Recon
Four years, four seasons, 69 episodes, have all lead us to the final stretch of Star Wars Rebels. The Ghost Crew has grown strong together and taken the Star Wars universe to places I never dreamed of. Grand Admiral Thrawn, an EU favorite made his glorious return to the Canon and has become a formidable force to reckon with. The small rag-tag group of rebels we were introduced to on Lothal have become true leaders in the Rebellion and their story together is coming to an end.
SPOILERS! You’ve been warned!
This is it.
When we last saw the Rebels, Hera had been captured by the Empire on Lothal after a daring rescue attempt to save Ezra, Kanan, and the remains of the Rebel Cell on Lothal failed. The last image we were left with was the eyes of the mysterious Loth Wolves that have already become synonymous with the show after a few brief interactions in the first half of season four and that’s basically where Jedi Night picks up.
Hera is being brutally tortured at the hands of Governor Pryce who is looking for the location of the Rebel fleet, meanwhile the other members of the Ghost Crew plan a desperate mission to save her. Sound familiar? Yeah, it’s Star Wars so that kind of comes with the territory. However, the way the writers of Rebels are able to bring the mission together and the emotion that each standout moment brings are what make this familiar plot different and truly standout.
So let’s start out with what I liked about the episode.
First and foremost, Kanan and Hera. Kanan specifically has a lot of incredible moments that will leave many Rebels fans weepy. His understanding of the Force has without a doubt expanded since his introduction. He just seems so at peace the entire episode even though I’m certain he knew what his fate was going to be. His path to becoming a Jedi and understanding what exactly that means have taken the Force into some really interesting places and have been fun to watch.
The mission itself really worked for me too. Blending in using gliders shaped like Loth Bats, Kanan Spider-Manning the Imperial Structure, and the escape to the Fuel Depot felt meaningful with every word between Hera and Kanan either leaving me a smile on my face or an audible “Awwww”.
Alright. Let’s talk about it. Kanan’s death was absolutely beautiful and is really what his arc has been building towards. Just from a visual perspective, seeing Kanan surrounded by fire with the blueish hue of the Force protecting the ones he loves is an extremely powerful moment. Hera running towards him in a last ditch attempt to stop him from sacrificing himself, only to be pushed back into the ship is heartbreaking. That final shot where his eyes lose their cloudy color and return to normal, gave me chills and I can’t think of a more perfect ending to his character.
The blind man saw again, and the last thing he saw was the one he loved. In a lot of ways his death mirrors that of Ahsoka in Twilight of The Apprentice and I’m positive that was an intentional choice made by the writers. In the end it wasn’t the Rebels that shut down the Tie Factory on Lothal, it was the Empire itself.
I’m really interested to see how the dynamic between Thrawn and Pryce changes now since she is responsible for Thrawn’s pet project being shutdown. Obviously he isn’t pleased with her, but the way he was visibly upset with her makes me think we’re going to see the end of her rather soon.
Speaking of Thrawn, show me that meeting between him and the Emperor! After reading his first encounter with Sheev in the Timothy Zahn novel, and knowing that Ian McDiarmid himself is back, that is going to be an absolutely insane encounter.
Rebels over the past two seasons has really done a fantastic job of incorporating important connective tissue from other aspects of canon and this episode was no exception. Hearing Tarkin mention Krennic and his “Project Stardust” was a cool little easter egg and hints at much larger competition taking place in the Imperial hierarchy.
Onto, what I didn’t like.
The premiere as a whole was very first half heavy and most of the really interesting stuff happens at the beginning. I get that what happens at the first half is an incredibly emotional moment and one where everyone has to deal with it in their own way, but most of “Dume” felt boring to me. Sure, it was cool to see Zeb and Sabine take on Rukh and get the best of that monster, but what did they actually accomplish with it?
I’m just gonna say it, I’m starting to get tired of those damn Loth Wolves. I know that we haven’t seen the ending yet and it may eventually come together, but they’re just confusing right now. The more screen time they get, the less we know about them, and while I’m assuming that the large one is actually Kanan, I’m not exactly sure where they fit in the story besides just pushing Ezra towards the Jedi temple.
Overall, I found myself enjoying the episode even if it didn’t quite blow me away as much as I thought it would. The first half of the premiere may be a top 5 episode of Rebels for me but the second half really brought it down for me. With just two weeks of episodes left, every moment counts and I think we’re going to some really exciting places.
Make sure to check out the latest episode of Rebels Recon below, where Andi Gutierrez talk with the Rebels cast and crew about these two episodes, sharing the emotional impact that Kanan’s end had on everyone.
And you can check out StarWars.com’s “Episode Guide” to Dume, featuring trivia and behind the scenes images here.
You can follow me of Twitter @StarWarsBill.
He’s right about the wolves. That entire thread is a misfire. All this vague stuff to simply tell Ezra to go to the temple. Zzzzzz
The wolves might be worse than Ezra’s slingshot in season 1.
I’ve been a conflicted Star Wars-fan since i saw The Last Jedi, these episodes was what i needed right now
I thought they were great Star Wars episodes. Dave Filoni gets Star Wars.
I’m still having a hard time reconnecting with my life long love of SW after TLJ…knowing how it all ends, just makes all of this not matter anymore, for me at least.
I look at it as a much bigger picture now. Who cares about Luke? He’s one Force user in a universe that’s existed for eons and the Force is still a greater mystery. Wars and the balance will continue long after Luke and all that nonsense in TLJ.
I’m guess I’m saying is… Star Wars is bigger than any one family will ever be. I’m not disagreeing with you about TLJ… I just don’t let it bother me and hope the future has better storytelling. To me seeing a little series meant for kids really nail it… fills me with optimism that while some stories or movies may fail… it still has great potential.
I’ve been holding onto hope since the Disney purchase…then we got the EU purge, games in development killed, an opportunity to reunite the big 3 on screen lost, a new sequel trilogy that had no thought or plot to better the in entire Saga.
We got one great movie with R1 and 2 decent books….I can’t help but lose faith at this point. Star Wars has turned into that ugly blue creature in TLJ….and Disney is trying to milk it.
Beautifully done episode. Even though we knew what was coming with Kanan, it was still powerful and emotional. The entire cast was spectacular, but can we please give a shout out to Freddie Prinze Jr please? He’s always been an under-appreciated actor, but he did an amazing job with Kanan, especially in last night’s episode. Bravo!
Very great episodes and the cast did a very good job.
No surprise about what happened to Kanan; this will pretty much change everything about the Ghost crew, Hera and Ezra in particular before SWR reaches it’s end.
And it seems Thrawn has a bone to pick with Pryce; wonder how that will turn out.
Can’t wait to see what happens leading up to the conclusion.
Pryce might as well jump off a tall cliff. Her fate is sealed and it won’t involve breathing.
It does make me wonder. What if any will be Ezra’s fate? I belive it was Filoni that was asked about Yoda’s quote “When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be”. He said that they didn’t intend on making Yoda a liar. Do they cop out in the way that Ahsoka wasn’t a Jedi? Do they cop out in the way that Ezra isn’t considered to be a Jedi but a padawan? I for one think that if he dies, and it isn’t on screen, he should be sent to Alderaan for something. We all know what happened there.
For a while now, they’re expanding the concept of Force-user.
For example, Bendu being “the one in the middle” and even Maul, who went his own way. Even with the new trilogy, Snoke being a (darkside) Force user, but not a Sith.
So, whatever the fate of Ezra will be, I think they’ll throw in a technicallity saying yes, he is a Force-user, but not a Jedi per se.
I think you may be right. If you remember Kanan mentions Ezra’s future in the Jedi Knight episode. Perhaps what he finds in the temple will send him on a greater journey of discovery in the force and when we see him again after this series it won’t be as a Jedi but simply as a journeyman of the force.
“I’m just gonna say it, I’m starting to get tired of those damn Loth Wolves.” Start to feel the same. I dont mind that they exists – Dave finally gets his wolves in SW, but they start to receive too much screen time and do less with it. I would like to see the meeting between Thrawn and Emperor which was a perfect excuse for rebels to be able to free Hera as under Thrawns command it would not be so ease if even possible.
But there was no space left for that meeting to be shown, but we get looong scenes with Loth Wolves
Great episode. Kanans sacrifice was very emotional. Now why the hell couldn’t Luke have gone out in a similar fashion to that in TLJ!! It’s a sad state of affairs when a cartoon does Star Wars better than the movie!
Can only agree with that. There was more emotions in this cartoon then in the TLJ – there was none for me, my Leia reaction was – weeel ok, thats the end of her – nothing more.
Kanan’s death was given the right amount of impact and gravatas. Namely, because we had followed him; saw him grow and develop. And if you read New Dawn and Kanan’s comic, respecitvely; I argue that added a lot.
Luke sadly; TLJ was the first time we saw him in movies. Had Luke been there from the start of the trilogy, being the head of the Jedi order and the trilogy ended with his death or even the second movie; I argue it would have had that impact. But that’s just my view.
Overall, Dave Filoni; much as I have disagreed with him, I cannot deny he is a good storyteller. And truthfully; I wish he were in charge of LF’s story like Kevin Feige.
The wolves are confusing me too. Are these like spirit animals in the Star Wars universe? Is Kanan the wolf and is Asoka the owl? I hope we get some concrete answers by the time the series ends.
I will be honest; I very much enjoyed this double parter. I enjoyed seeing Kanan’s arc and what it was building up to. From him shaving to his confession with Hera, it brought forth emotions, feelings that I thought I’d never had. It especially hit me when he referenced when he first met Hera which I remember so clearly having reread New Dawn recently.
But it hit me for a part of me knew; that Kanan was going to die. And what a beautiful moment for in many ways, I argue that Kanan became a Jedi and much like his master, Depa, he sacrificed himself to protect those that he loved.
The second half was also great in that it was about each of the characters dealing with grief. The bit with Hera got to me, along with Ezra feeling confused. All the while, each member reconciling with that grief in order to move on.
Overall, these two episodes were absolutely marvelous. I have been quite critical of Rebels, especially its earlier seasons. But this season has been great. And after feeling disillusioned from The Last Jedi; i have to sincerely thank Dave Filoni and the writers.
Score: 90/100 both episodes.
Damn…he ded.
I have to admit, Kanan “seeing” through the force had begun to wear on me. Up to the end, he was basically a fully sighted person. What was the point of making him “blind”? In the Disney era, the force has become a magic button. Can’t survive in the vacuum of space? Force button. Blind? Force button. I dunno. Great death scene though, either way.
They talk about this in the Rebels Recon video..
The point of making him blind is to reinforce that Force Users perceive the world around them using more than the usual senses, and blindness isn’t a handicap. Of all the critiques you can level at Disney’s handling of the franchise, this is not one of them. Or did you forget Luke’s training scene on the Falcon in Star Wars? “Your eyes can deceive you, don’t trust them.” – both Kanan and Chirut Imwe are extensions of that idea.
The Force has always been a deus ex machina. Always. It serves the same purpose as the sonic screwdriver in Doctor Who – its capabilities change to fit the story. Feel free to critique Disney for the hamfisted ways new Force powers have been introduced, but theoretically the Force doesn’t have any limits.
“…His death mirrors that of Ahsoka in _Twilight of the Apprentice…_”
With respect – Ahsoka. Is. NOT. Dead.
And I’ve really been somewhat annoyed with Dave Filoni and the Disney people for trying to retroactively mind trick us into believing there was some ambiguity after they SO CLEARLY showed her walking away from her fight with Vader at the end of that episode.
And if she doesn’t show up in the next couple of episodes, I’m gonna start a riot.
From a certain point of view, she could absolutely be dead physically, and one with the Force. They’re not mutually exclusive.
Yeah… I know. I’m just choosing to live in denial. From all available evidence, it’s really starting to look like if she’s seen in the next few episodes, it will be in “some form” that probably isn’t going to be “alive and physical”.
It just seems like a disservice to the character to kill her (physical body) offscreen, and I hope they don’t do that.
I also hope it isn’t a three story tall Convor that growls/hisses “I am Tano!”
If I remember correctly, Kenan had an encounter with the Wolves in the last episode in November. They told him something and he said he knows, what he has to do. What was it? Did they just tell him ‘free Hera’? He would not have needed the wolves to tell him that… I have to say, I’m a little bit disappointed by the outcome of that event 😐
I really enjoyed these two episodes, and I thought Kanan’s death was handled perfectly. Surprisingly, the part that really got to me was when Chopper reached up to grab Hera’s hand with his little clawed hand. It was very undroid-like and definitely out of character for Chopper, but it worked so well in that moment.
I can’t wait to see what “secrets” are in store when Ezra arrives at the Jedi temple. My son and I were trying to figure out what the hands on the stone tablet were about – I assumed it had something to do with the dark, the light, and the balance between them, and after looking back at the trailer for the second half of the season, I feel pretty comfortable with that assessment:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3dfa4458601ef4e4847ba20b2e755a8c6937b04c1709dc07547c4b10dc708338.jpg
Nice catch.
That’s a GREAT catch, and means we’re headed back to Mortis.
Loved “Jedi Knight” one of the best episodes in the series. Resolving Kanan’s character in the first episode back was smart. One thing that stood out was a line Kanan said to Ezra about his future. I don’t think Ezra will die at the end of this and I bet we see him in a live action TV show or something. It appears Ezra may have been in the background somewhere during the events of the OT. In the far reaches of the galaxy discovering secrets of the force maybe? Very curious to see what becomes of him.
Oh and one more thing, how Kenan seemed to realize his fate, come to grips with his own mortality and execute his last mission with complete calm and grace was fun to watch. They did a great job of creating the feeling that he knew what was coming and was at total peace. He seemed so relaxed and at one with the force and thus easily did what had to be done. I think he died a true Jedi and was an example of how, even without a master, one can follow the path of the Jedi and achieve status as Jedi Knight/Master. Young Rey will probably be on a similar journey.
Humanity would do well to come to terms with it’s own mortality. Fear leads to anger and anger leads to the dark side. What are we so afraid of? No one gets out of here alive.
I’m from Calgary, Canada. Anyone have their listings for this episode to premiere next week instead? Kinda bummed, considering I’ve avoided most spoilers, but can’t understand why they’re a week behind schedule, considering this wasn’t an issue the first half of the season.
I’m in love with Andi Gutierrez, she’s so nice!
She cool, she cool.
I didn’t care for it. Kanan’s obvious death was a boring wait for the inevitable, with zero tension and then poorly staged.