The last episode of Rebels before the fall break left us with a number of questions. Will we finally see Obi-Wan? Will Maul get his revenge or will he finally become one with the force? What is Sabine going to do with the Dark Saber? Last weekend’s mid-season premiere answered none of those questions, but it did start the second half of the season off with a bang. This is a review of that episode. While there aren’t heavy spoilers in this review, there are enough that you should be warned. So if you haven’t seen the Star Wars Rebels Ghosts of Geonosis part 1 and 2, turn back now. Otherwise, you’ve been warned.
What We Know About Geonosis
The mid-season premiere sends the Ghost crew to Geonosis in search of a missing rebel team led by Saw Gerrera. In an earlier episode, the crew discovered that the inhabitants of the planet were mysteriously gone. Saw’s team was sent to find out what happened to them. Now, I’m not one to judge the choices of Rebel High Command, but sending a team lead by a man who lost everything because of the Separatists to a Separatist planet on a fact-finding mission, doesn’t seem like the smartest move.
Just saying.
For those who read the novel Catalyst, you know that the Empire used the Geonosian people to build the main aspects of the Death Star. The Darth Vader comics show us that at least a portion on the planet’s population was moved to what looks like a prison. But with the Geonosians moved from their homeworld, we know two things: the Empire ran out of uses for them, and those that stayed behind were massacred. The real questions is how did they do it?
And of course, that question is answered in the episodes. At the end of the first episode, Ezra and company find a survivor of the extermination who they dub Klick Klack. As the story progresses, Klick Klack takes the crew further into the hive and eventually shows them giant canisters of poison gas put in place by the Empire.
Now, I have to point something out. Throughout the episode, Ezra and company continually refer to the Geonosian people as Bugs. The Empire committed genocide against these bugs by putting poison bombs into their hive. I find it somewhat funny that the Empire decimated the population of the Geonosian people using a bug bomb. Then, I instantly feel bad for thinking that’s funny because it’s genocide.
Saw Gerrera
Speaking of Saw Gerrera…
I don’t know if I like him. Granted, Saw is not meant to be a likable character, but he is an important one. The Star Wars powers that be saw fit to at least mention him in a number of books in the last year. He has a callout in Bloodline, at least one of the Aftermath books, and he is directly featured in Catalyst.
His character shows that there were extremists in the Rebel ranks. Saw was willing to destroy the Empire at any cost. He did not concern himself with causalities, be they military or civilian. But it’s that type of attitude that makes the Empire sympatric in the eyes of those who buy into their propaganda or who simply don’t know any better.
As far as Saw in Rebels, his actions seemed too over the top. Which, I guess, fit his character perfectly. Personally, he came off as one dimensional. But I don’t think we have seen the end of the Onderonian Rebel leader, so maybe we will get to see more sides to him than we have seen so far.
Stronger Jedi
It’s been three years since Ezra became Kanan’s padawan, and since then, we have seen the pair grow in their force powers. In the mid-season premiere, we got to see how the two have grown, not just in their force powers, but as a team.
There’s a moment at the end of the first part where the group needs to cross a large chasm. Like we have seen in a few episodes before, Kanan uses the force to throw Ezra. When we’ve seen the two do this in the past, they always seemed to struggle. This time, they were totally in sync. Kanan throws Ezra. Then he uses the force to hold a bridge in place. Finally, like a bad-a, Kanan leaps across the chasm. If there was ever a time for a mic drop, that would have been it.
When Ezra and crew finally capture Klick Klack, Ezra acts as an interpreter with the last remaining Geonosian. Now, I am assuming he uses some kind of force empathy to understand what the bug is saying because it’s clear he is not speaking basic. I like and dislike that he can do this. I would like it a little more spelled out that understanding random languages are something that Ezra can do, but I don’t think there is a way to do so that isn’t completely on the nose.
Sabine vs Ezra
We get to see a little bit more of Sabine in action in this episode. He quick thinking saves her and Zeb from a marauding group of Droidekas. They weren’t marauding but they were menacing. And she takes on an elite group of Rocket Troopers pretty handily. In an interview a few months ago, Dave Filoni to expect Sabine to take a more prominent role in this season and I am excited to see more of her. Especially when she becomes the Mandalore and the Mandalorians join the rebellion.
I just don’t see how Ezra is ever going to woo Sabine if he keeps it up with the teenage angst. But I am still holding out for those two crazy kids to get together and eventually leave their offspring on Jakku.
How could these two not have cute little Jedi babies?
The Imperial Presence
This wouldn’t be an episode of Rebels if the crew didn’t get into some scrape with the Empire that seemed impossible but that they were all too capable of getting out of. At the beginning of the second episode, or halfway through the story arc, an Imperial light cruiser shows up. The captain of the ship looks like someone we have seen before.
Rae Sloane.
We first meet Captain Sloane as she escorted Count Vidian to the Gorse system where we first met Kanan and Hera. In the Kanan comics, She tries to single-handedly capture the last padawan she let escape in the Gorse System. We eventually see her after the Battle of Endor when she attends the Summit on Akiva in the book Aftermath. Things happen and Rae becomes Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax’s right-hand man…or woman.
The key point is, the woman’s a big deal.
What leads me to believe that the captain of this light cruiser is the eventual Vice-admiral of the Imperial Navy is the suspicious lack of a name and her overall look. Not to mention, she would be a captain at this point in her career. I know it’s a long shot, but never tell me the odds.
Overall Thoughts
For a season that has been hit or miss with the value of its episodes, the mid-season premiere was definitely worth the watch. It connected us to Clone Wars, Rogue One, and potentially to the First Order. It also sets a tone that the rest of the season, which, I hope, is going to be awesome.
What did you think of the Star Wars Rebels’ mid-season premiere? Leave your thoughts in the section below.
I am a man-child in my early 30s who is looking to explore the nerdy side of life. I am a former English teacher, a current copywriter, and a future who-knows-what. I love movies, literature, video games, TV, and music.
Jan 9 2017
Star Wars Rebels Mid-Season Premiere: Ghosts of Geonosis
The last episode of Rebels before the fall break left us with a number of questions. Will we finally see Obi-Wan? Will Maul get his revenge or will he finally become one with the force? What is Sabine going to do with the Dark Saber? Last weekend’s mid-season premiere answered none of those questions, but it did start the second half of the season off with a bang. This is a review of that episode. While there aren’t heavy spoilers in this review, there are enough that you should be warned. So if you haven’t seen the Star Wars Rebels Ghosts of Geonosis part 1 and 2, turn back now. Otherwise, you’ve been warned.
What We Know About Geonosis
The mid-season premiere sends the Ghost crew to Geonosis in search of a missing rebel team led by Saw Gerrera. In an earlier episode, the crew discovered that the inhabitants of the planet were mysteriously gone. Saw’s team was sent to find out what happened to them. Now, I’m not one to judge the choices of Rebel High Command, but sending a team lead by a man who lost everything because of the Separatists to a Separatist planet on a fact-finding mission, doesn’t seem like the smartest move.
Just saying.
For those who read the novel Catalyst, you know that the Empire used the Geonosian people to build the main aspects of the Death Star. The Darth Vader comics show us that at least a portion on the planet’s population was moved to what looks like a prison. But with the Geonosians moved from their homeworld, we know two things: the Empire ran out of uses for them, and those that stayed behind were massacred. The real questions is how did they do it?
And of course, that question is answered in the episodes. At the end of the first episode, Ezra and company find a survivor of the extermination who they dub Klick Klack. As the story progresses, Klick Klack takes the crew further into the hive and eventually shows them giant canisters of poison gas put in place by the Empire.
Now, I have to point something out. Throughout the episode, Ezra and company continually refer to the Geonosian people as Bugs. The Empire committed genocide against these bugs by putting poison bombs into their hive. I find it somewhat funny that the Empire decimated the population of the Geonosian people using a bug bomb. Then, I instantly feel bad for thinking that’s funny because it’s genocide.
Saw Gerrera
Speaking of Saw Gerrera…
I don’t know if I like him. Granted, Saw is not meant to be a likable character, but he is an important one. The Star Wars powers that be saw fit to at least mention him in a number of books in the last year. He has a callout in Bloodline, at least one of the Aftermath books, and he is directly featured in Catalyst.
His character shows that there were extremists in the Rebel ranks. Saw was willing to destroy the Empire at any cost. He did not concern himself with causalities, be they military or civilian. But it’s that type of attitude that makes the Empire sympatric in the eyes of those who buy into their propaganda or who simply don’t know any better.
As far as Saw in Rebels, his actions seemed too over the top. Which, I guess, fit his character perfectly. Personally, he came off as one dimensional. But I don’t think we have seen the end of the Onderonian Rebel leader, so maybe we will get to see more sides to him than we have seen so far.
Stronger Jedi
It’s been three years since Ezra became Kanan’s padawan, and since then, we have seen the pair grow in their force powers. In the mid-season premiere, we got to see how the two have grown, not just in their force powers, but as a team.
There’s a moment at the end of the first part where the group needs to cross a large chasm. Like we have seen in a few episodes before, Kanan uses the force to throw Ezra. When we’ve seen the two do this in the past, they always seemed to struggle. This time, they were totally in sync. Kanan throws Ezra. Then he uses the force to hold a bridge in place. Finally, like a bad-a, Kanan leaps across the chasm. If there was ever a time for a mic drop, that would have been it.
When Ezra and crew finally capture Klick Klack, Ezra acts as an interpreter with the last remaining Geonosian. Now, I am assuming he uses some kind of force empathy to understand what the bug is saying because it’s clear he is not speaking basic. I like and dislike that he can do this. I would like it a little more spelled out that understanding random languages are something that Ezra can do, but I don’t think there is a way to do so that isn’t completely on the nose.
Sabine vs Ezra
We get to see a little bit more of Sabine in action in this episode. He quick thinking saves her and Zeb from a marauding group of Droidekas. They weren’t marauding but they were menacing. And she takes on an elite group of Rocket Troopers pretty handily. In an interview a few months ago, Dave Filoni to expect Sabine to take a more prominent role in this season and I am excited to see more of her. Especially when she becomes the Mandalore and the Mandalorians join the rebellion.
I just don’t see how Ezra is ever going to woo Sabine if he keeps it up with the teenage angst. But I am still holding out for those two crazy kids to get together and eventually leave their offspring on Jakku.
The Imperial Presence
This wouldn’t be an episode of Rebels if the crew didn’t get into some scrape with the Empire that seemed impossible but that they were all too capable of getting out of. At the beginning of the second episode, or halfway through the story arc, an Imperial light cruiser shows up. The captain of the ship looks like someone we have seen before.
Rae Sloane.
We first meet Captain Sloane as she escorted Count Vidian to the Gorse system where we first met Kanan and Hera. In the Kanan comics, She tries to single-handedly capture the last padawan she let escape in the Gorse System. We eventually see her after the Battle of Endor when she attends the Summit on Akiva in the book Aftermath. Things happen and Rae becomes Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax’s right-hand man…or woman.
The key point is, the woman’s a big deal.
What leads me to believe that the captain of this light cruiser is the eventual Vice-admiral of the Imperial Navy is the suspicious lack of a name and her overall look. Not to mention, she would be a captain at this point in her career. I know it’s a long shot, but never tell me the odds.
Overall Thoughts
For a season that has been hit or miss with the value of its episodes, the mid-season premiere was definitely worth the watch. It connected us to Clone Wars, Rogue One, and potentially to the First Order. It also sets a tone that the rest of the season, which, I hope, is going to be awesome.
What did you think of the Star Wars Rebels’ mid-season premiere? Leave your thoughts in the section below.
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By Thaddaeus Brodrick • TV • • Tags: First Order, mid-season premiere, Rogue One, Star wars rebels