Rebels: "Hera's Heroes" (Ep. 3.05)

-- "The empire is getting better at anticipating our moves."

This episode gives us a glimpse, or maybe a little more than a glimpse, into the workings of the mind of Grand Admiral Thrawn. And we get some more background on Hera in the mix.

See, Thrawn has gone to Ryloth because the guy, Slavin, who's in charge of the occupation there is, well, incompetent. Which has been working out very nicely for the rebels. But Thrawn shows up, and all of that changes. Not that the rebels know anything about Thrawn; they just think Slavin has suddenly become incredibly competent.

It's an interesting episode which includes a face-to-face run in between Hera (and Ezra) and Thrawn. It also forces Hera to make a decision between her heritage and her friends. I'm looking forward to seeing how this meeting between Hera and Thrawn will play out.

"You didn't think that through, did you?"

Rebels: "Homecoming" (Ep. 2.16)

-- They're always on schedule.

Ah, we get some background on Hera, finally!

And some action to go along with it.

Evidently, Hera's father was a famous general on Ryloth during the Clone Wars. Actually, having seen the episodes he was in in The Clone Wars, I'm familiar with him as a character. And he went to be a famous general. Kanan is kind of in awe.

To make things interesting, Hera and her father don't get along. He's not for the Rebellion, only Ryloth, which puts them in conflict when Hera comes for help for a Rebel cause. Hera wants to steal an Imperial ship; Cham wants to blow it up. A symbolic gesture.

All that and we get to see Ezra do his first Jedi Mind Trick.

Fun!

"Hang on!"

"I hate it when she says that."

Angels Unbound: Penemue (a to z) and Clone Wars -- "Supply Lines" (Ep. 3.3)

Penemue
Penemue, "the inside," another member of the Hand. He was both an Observer and a member of the Labbim, the Order of Healers (healing Angels). He first stepped outside of his role as an Observer by teaching men to write and of the making of ink. It is thought that he, in his role as a healer, was attempting to cure men of their stupidity.


Clone Wars

-- Where there's a will, there's a way.

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

This episode is interesting in that it serves as background to the very first Clone Wars episode, "Ambush," and as background to the season one Ryloth story arc. It's a bit like getting to go back to the fork in the road to see how one event caused two separate outcomes. Also, there's a death of a Jedi, never an inconsequential act.

We get to see Bail Organa in his role as a diplomat rather than the usual portrayal of him just as a senator. I tend to like the Bail Organa stuff, because of his importance to the formation of the Rebellion. It's good background to have.

And there's Jar Jar. This episode provides an interesting look at Jar Jar as Organa turns Jar Jar's generally perceived weakness into a strength that allows him to put one over on Lott Dod, and Jar Jar's in on the plan.

While this episode is fine to watch on its own, I think it can be best appreciated if you've already seen the episodes it leads to.

Clone Wars -- "Liberty on Ryloth" (Ep. 1.21)

-- Compromise is a virtue to be cultivated, not a weakness to be despised.

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This episode wraps up the Ryloth story line and has some pretty impressive action in it by Mace Windu. I think Windu gets overlooked a lot because, mostly, in the movies all he does is sit in a chair and talk. Sure, he went toe to toe with the Emperor, but I think people also underestimate how powerful Palpatine was supposed to be. Actually, he beat the Emperor -- something Yoda failed to do decisively -- and, if not for Anakin getting involved, could have put an end to the Sith right there in Palpatine's chambers. Mace Windu did, though, develop Vaapad, the seventh form of lightsaber combat, a dangerous form only he mastered.

All of that to say that we, the audience, forget just what a badass Windu was supposed to be because we don't get to see him being all badass in the movies. However, the animated series shows off his power to great effect, and it's great to see in this episode.

But the episode isn't about Windu. It's about whether you accept help from a force which might occupy your country as soon as they help you get rid of the force occupying your country. Have you ever read the book The King, the Mice, and the Cheese?

I loved that book when I was a kid. The king loves his cheese, but he has a mouse problem. To get rid of the mice, he brings in cats, which he then can't get rid of, so he brings in dogs... Eventually, he brings in elephants -- to get ride of the lions, maybe? I don't quite remember -- and can't get rid of them, either, so he brings the mice back. This is kind of the question in this episode. Do you stay with the enemy you know, or do you bring in another that could be potentially worse?

The Separatists are starving the twi'leks and destroying and stealing their cultural heritage. But is it worth it to bring in the Republic forces (an issue caused by rival political factions on Ryloth) to drive out the Separatists if they are just going to stick around?

Sounds like an issue we've seen a lot of in recent years.

It's an interesting episode. Not as compelling on a character level as the last couple, but it's a good question to look at and fit in well with this trilogy of episodes.

Clone Wars -- "Storm Over Ryloth" (Ep. 1.19)

-- It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.

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This is the kind of episode that makes me love this series.

Anakin is tasked with breaking a blockade around the planet Ryloth so that Obi-Wan can get through with ground troops so that they can liberate the Twi'lek population from the Separatists who are, actually, treating the Twi'leks pretty poorly (but that's next episode). Part of his plan includes giving Ahsoka her first command. Which would be great...

Except that it's a trap!

Yes, the Separatists set up a trap for the Republic forces, and Ahsoka's fighter squadron gets... well... pretty shot up.

The issue here is that it's her fault. When called back because it's a trap, she disobeys orders because she believes she can still complete her mission. Because she doesn't return and the fleet has to wait for her, they lose an entire cruiser and get pretty beat up themselves.

There are a lot of things in this episode that make it worth watching and that I could talk about, but I'm just going to pick one, the one I find most compelling. Ahsoka disobeys Anakin's orders because, basically, that's what he's taught her to do through his own actions. At the point when Anakin tells her to turn back, she persists because that's what Anakin would do. But she fails where Anakin so often succeeds, and there are devastating results.

Ahsoka doesn't understand why she failed and is crushed that she cost so many clones their lives. The admiral is also wounded during the attack (there's a touching scene where she visits him while he's unconscious and apologizes to him). During the moment when Anakin confronts Ahsoka about her disobedience, she actually tells him that he does the same kind of thing all the time.

Now, what you'd expect is that Anakin would make some kind of excuse as to why it's okay for him to behave in that manner, because that's what you'd get from most shows. But that's not what happens. Anakin just owns it and tells her that she's right. He doesn't apologize for it, either. It's actually a very mature handling of the situation in which he tells her that she needs to learn when to follow orders, because she won't always be able to see the bigger picture. In essence, this is mature parenting, which is rather what having a Padawan is like.

This is a great episode and I would highly recommend it.



"Did you train her not to follow orders?"