Rebels: "Call to Action" (Ep. 1.12)

"You're finally getting the hang of this. There's hope for you yet."

After just covering Tarkin's first appearance in Clone Wars, Tarkin makes his first appearance in Rebels. As Grand Moff. The writers make a point of him saying something about how he knew actual Jedi, which makes me glad I just watched the Citadel arc in Clone Wars.

What brings Tarkin to Lothal? Our rebels, of course. Because they have begun to be bothersome enough that a Grand Moff has to make a special trip to deal with them. This means nothing good for the leadership on Lothal nor for the Inquisitor, who has not managed to deal with Kanan and Ezra. Not that Tarkin believes that there's a Jedi involved, but the Inquisitor does, and he hasn't dealt with the issue.

Now, it's not like Tarkin is travelling around stopping on cells of rebel forces; he's not. Mostly, they are disorganized groups of what amount to terrorists. But not the group on Lothal. They're different, which is what draws Tarkin to the planet.

The interesting bit is that it is because of the Empire that our little Lothal band is coming together in an organized manner, Planning and choosing strategic targets. Of course it's because of the Empire, you say. And, yes, of course, because they don't like the Empire. But, specifically, it is because the Empire begins to target them and go after them that they really begin to coalesce as a group that does more than just raid supplies.

And the show really feels like it's coming together at this point with an actual direction and ongoing plot.

Clone Wars -- "Counter Attack" (Ep. 3.19)

-- Anything that can go wrong will.

[Remember, you can sign up to join the Clone Wars Project at any time by clicking this link.]

This is an all action episode as Anakin and Obi-Wan continue their efforts to rescue Jedi Master Even Piell and not-yet-Grand-Moff Tarkin from the Citadel. To say that it's rough going would be an understatement, as the opening quote reveals. They don't end up better than they started.

Thinking about this arc of episodes, I think they are to balance the previous arc, which was slower and more thoughtful. I guess you follow an arc like that with one that is mostly action but, again, I'm reminded, we're doing a prisoner rescue. Interestingly, Tarkin makes a comment about how well designed the prison is in regards to how difficult it's being for them to get out. A bit of foreshadowing for you.

There is one brief moment of philosophical exchange between Anakin and Tarkin about the effectiveness of the Jedi. It's enlightening, to say the least. And it's interesting to watch the seeds being planted for the relationship between the two men, especially considering Tarkin's view on the Jedi.

All of that said, there's nothing essential in the viewing of these episodes. They're just action fun after what was a pretty heavy on the metaphysics story.

I'm not going to pull the links, but there's also more of our misfit clone trooper squad. For good and ill.

Clone Wars -- "The Citadel" (Ep. 3.18)

-- Adaptation is the key to survival.

[Remember, you can sign up to join the Clone Wars Project at any time by clicking this link.]

At some point in the past, probably the far past, a prison was built -- it sounds like it was built by the Jedi -- to hold Jedi who turned to the Dark Side. Having been built to hold Jedi, it's a very secure facility, the kind of secure from which no one has ever escaped. I'm inferring from the presentation in "The Citadel" that the prison has been unused for quite some time. That's probably why the Separatists were able to get their hands on it.

It's also of note that the Separatists haven't put the prison to use holding Jedi any earlier than this, but that's probably because, really, they just kill Jedi rather than taking them prisoner. Mostly. Maybe it's because of Grievous' earlier failures at holding Jedi captive that Even Piell has been taken to the Citadel for torture and questioning.

We don't get a lot of background information on the Jedi in what is now canon material, so this is an interesting piece to pick up. Both that the Jedi at one time took precautions against themselves and that they haven't had to use them in so long that they have no recent records of the interior layout of the Citadel.

This is also what I think is the first meeting between Anakin and Tarkin. And Tarkin's first appearance in Clone Wars? I can't remember (having already watched the entire series before confuses the issue, and I'm not going to do the research, right now, to find out). At any rate, it's an interesting meeting and beginning to what will become one of the essential pairings in the Star Wars universe.

All of that and carbon freezing, too!


"Are you sure this thing is safe? I don't want to end up a wall decoration."