Rebels: "In the Name of the Rebellion: Part Two" (Ep. 4.04)

-- "We turned a worst-case scenario into the best!"

Considering that we know where Saw Gerrera ends up, it should be no surprise that this episode puts us on the trail of the Death Star with the discovery that the Empire is transporting another overly large Kaiburr crystal. This ongoing plot line, carried over from Clone Wars, is one I really like. It's interesting to follow the rebels trail to discovering the Death Star, not that they were able to do anything about it before it was too late. At least too late for Alderaan.

Which takes us back to our question from last episode... sort of. Because this episode doesn't really address the issue; it just kind of skirts around it. Rather than dealing with the philosophies of the opposing viewpoints -- one being that we should be better than our enemies rather than lowering ourselves to their level, the other being that we should win at all costs -- they turn it into a personal matter for Ezra and Sabine because Saw betrays them when they balk at what he wants them to do. They're not likely going to see any part of the side of "win at all costs" when they are the ones being considered a cost of victory.

But that still leaves the philosophical question hanging in the air. I mean, we know what the Empire is doing and that they're going to use it to destroy whole planets, but does that, even with knowledge, justify the sacrificing of some "innocents" to achieve victory?

I don't have any answers at the moment.

But I'm sure that this question is weighing on me the way it is because, in many respects, the GOP is currently the Empire, and they are doing their best to build a Death Star and, mostly, the Democrats are just arguing about what to do about it. We already saw in the last election that "going high" when they go low does not win battles. Or elections.

"What you're saying is that we owe you."

"Just an observation, this isn't a very good rescue."

"This droid is cross-wired."

"Those two can't go anywhere without blowing something up."

Rebels: "In the Name of the Rebellion: Part One" (Ep. 4.03)

-- "There she is, coming in hot with what's left of her squadron."

The question of Saw Gerrera is a difficult one. As we saw in Rogue One, Saw eventually becomes so extreme that not even the rebels want him, a terrorist kicked out by other terrorists. Which begs the question, what is too extreme in war? When you are being oppressed, where do you draw the line in regaining your freedom? At what point does freedom become too high a cost?

No, I don't have an answer to that.

There's that whole, you can't fight like them, be like them, or you become as bad as them, become them, but if the other option is to be dead...? Is it better to allow yourself to be killed, to stop short of a goal like freedom, not just for yourself but for everyone, than to cross some arbitrary line and become like "them"? Isn't that kind of selfish? Putting your own good ahead of the good of thousands. Or millions. Or billions. "I could get freedom for you, but it would have required me to kill some people in cold blood, so I said nah."

I don't know if these episodes here that are bringing Saw back into the picture are actually going to deal with any of these questions or not, but they are acknowledging that the questions are there.

None of which tells you anything about the actual episode, but I think that's fine. This stuff is more important than the episode itself. I guess we'll find out where it all takes us in part two now that Saw has sort of kidnapped Ezra and Sabine.

Wait, what?!

They didn't go unwillingly. Not that it was exactly willingly either.
I guess you'll have to watch it.

"This is a time of difficult choices, sometimes impossible ones."

"I hope you will find some comfort in the fact that you fought according to the rules."