Star Wars Rebels S3E17 Secret Cargo Review (Spoilers): A Rebellion United

Episode seventeen for season three of Star Wars Rebels, Secret Cargo, introduced Mon Mothma to the show. The episode starts with the crew of the ghost waiting to deliver fuel to another transport. The mission is shrouded in secrecy and the crew isn’t sure exactly what they are doing in the system. The crew has to fend off a probe droid which comes into the system, but doesn’t stop the droid before it gets a signal off. The droid we soon find was looking for the ship Mon Mothma was aboard. The Senator delivered a scathing speech on Emperor Palpatine and went on the run. Mothma needed the fuel from the Ghost to try and make it to the secret Rebel Base on Dantooine. After an attack on the convoy Mon Mothma is forced onto the Ghost and the crew is tasked with getting her to safety.

Secret Cargo was another extremely strong episode for this season of Rebels. The entire second half of the season has been some of the strongest of episodes in the entire series. The show might be better served in cutting down the number of episodes to focus more on these types of episodes instead of some of the filler found in the first half of the season. Secret Cargo provided a vital element to the overall canon of the Star Wars universe by showing how Mon Mothma left the senate and united the different Rebel factions under one banner as the Rebel Alliance. This story was an interesting one to see and fit perfectly for an episode of Rebels. The actress who played Mon Mothma in Rogue One reprised her role in the episode and did a great job. She provided the right amount of weight to the performance and was really well served in the episode. Hera was another focal point for the episode and it was interesting to see the dynamic between her and Mon Mothma.

One thing Rebels has always seemed to do extremely well is space action, and this Secret Cargo did not disappoint. There a few space battles littered throughout the short twenty-two-minute episode and each one was well done. The only complaint for the battles was how high powered the show made the Tie Defender. The showrunners might create and issue in cannon by making such a ship so powerful and then it never shows up during Empire or Return of the Jedi. Other than this all of the fights between the Imperials and Rebels were extremely well done and exciting. Having some of the fights take place in the nebula was another great aspect and something never shown before in Star Wars. It was a nice touch to show how Hera used the Nebula twice to outsmart the Imperials.

An issue with throughout all of Rebels is how the Imperials have never been menacing, except for the Vader and the Inquisitors. Kallus in the first season was one example where this wasn’t the case, but all others have been bumbling idiots. This usually means the crews missions have no stakes because they are going to succeed against the inept Empire. This episode was the opposite of this. Thrawn had Hera and the Ghost dead to rights. His plan worked brilliantly, it just was bested by Hera using the Nebula to get away. Their seemed to be stakes in this episode, and only great improvising allowed the Rebels to escape. If Thrawn were at the battle he would have positioned the Star Destroyers differently so the Nebula wouldn’t have had an effect.  Thrawn will more than likely have poor things to say to the governor and admiral who led the attack. Having Thrawn in command of the Imperials makes them more effective and the stakes are increased when they face off, which has been missing from episodes of Rebels in the past.

The only other small nitpick other than the overpowered Tie Defender was the unneeded exposition telling the audience about the nebula twice in a short twenty-minute episode. It wasn’t needed, but since Rebels is supposed to be for kids it wasn’t a horrible. I think kids who watch Rebels wouldn’t have needed the reminder and could have figured out why Hera had the Y-Wing fire at the nebula. Two minor nitpicks in an otherwise fantastic episode which expanded the lore of the Star Wars universe and advanced the overall story for the show. Hopefully the trend of the great second half of the show continues until the season finale. 

Star Wars Rebels S3E15 Legacy of Mandalore Review (Spoilers): Are Mandalorians Bad Shots Too?

The possibilities episode fifteen of season three of Star Wars Rebels, Legacy of Mandalore, open up are extremely exciting and intriguing. Legacy of Mandalore is a continuation of the last episode, Trials of the Darksaber.  It has Sabine Wren traveling back to her ancestral home to try and convince the Mandalorians to join the Rebellion. Since Sabine betrayed the Empire and ran away from Mandalore going back has consequences. Her return forces her Mother to alert Gar Saxon of her arrival with Kanan and Ezra. The episode ends on an interesting note, with Sabine not returning with Kanan and Ezra. She decides to stay and help take control of Mandalore. This could either signify Sabine is done as a main character in this show or Mandalore might play a bigger role next season.

Overall the episode was good. It wasn’t as emotionally impactful as the previous, but it did provide interesting backstory between Sabine, her mother, and brother. The episode provided information on Sabine’s Father who is being held as a political prisoner on Mandalore. His presence on the main planet was another reason Sabine’s mother was forced to call Gar Saxon when Sabine showed up. It was good to see Sabine stand up to her Mother and Brother. She wanted them to understand why she ran away, and it seemed her mother understood the reasoning.  The story was a good continuation from the previous episode and showed the potential of a new Mandalorian storyline independent of the Rebels show.

Legacy of Mandalore opened up possibilities. Dave Filoni is a big fan of the Mandalore and has done the most to expand their lore and purpose. Having Sabine stay behind to try and unite Mandalore could be the start of a new show. Sabine is one of the most popular characters, so having her exit the crew doesn’t make much sense unless there is going to be a spinoff. Filoni has left being the overall showrunner for Star Wars Rebels to work on other projects, and a new show focused on Sabine and Mandalore would make sense. To hedge my bet next season could also focus more on Sabine and Mandalore and if they get involved with the Rebellion. There may not be enough material for a show to just focus on Mandalore. A new show could focus on the reunification of Mandalore, and on Mandalore after the fall of the Empire. It could focus on Sabine’s role in forming of the New Republic. If Sabine doesn’t come back into the main show it might alienate some fans if another show announcement isn’t upcoming with her as the start.

Many fans could be upset from the implications that Sabine is leaving the show. For me it opens up many possibilities for the character to move forward. My biggest issue with the episode was some of the action. This is surprising since the show usually has fantastic action scenes. The fight in the main room between all the Mandalorians, Ezra, and Kanan was laughable with the amount of close quarters shots not hitting their marks. I’m all for the joke about Stormtroopers not hitting their targets, but Mandalorians too? It’s not a big deal, and is just a small nitpick overall, but it is a bit of a head scratcher. The only other small nitpick was the use of Ezra. When he isn’t the focus in the episode the character falls back on annoying traits and unfunny jokes. If fans are behind Sabine leaving the team, then overall it was a very successful episode.

The big revelation of Sabine not being a part of the main team is the crux of the episode. There might be arc’s in the show just focusing on her, or a new show, but it is a departure. Sabine and Hera might be the two crew members who survive close to the Battle of Yavin. Hopefully we soon see the results of Sabine’s departure from the team. Maybe the Mandalorians will come to the Rebellions aide and help them escape the attack on Lothal, or save them from Thrawn when he attacks Chopper base. Whatever the case the show is entreating a different phase with Sabine leaving the team.  

Star Wars Canon Gap: What Does Lucasfilm Have Planned Between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi?

There is a current gap in Star Wars new canon. There have been no new stories taking place between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. This time period provided some of the best stories from Legends, like Shadows of the Empire. To date the comics and books have focused on either the time between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back or after Return of the Jedi. There are numerous stories which can be told between Empire and Return of the Jedi focusing on how Luke and Leia planned on getting Han back, and how Luke grew in power. This is a time period which should be explored more in canon, and its absence might mean Lucasfilm has something big planned for the time period.  

The biggest announcement or plan could be a standalone Star Wars Story film set between the two episodes. Another war story focusing on other Rebellion battles could be exciting. I don’t think Lucasfilm would do another film centered around the Death Star. However, a film about the Bothan’s getting information back to the Rebellion about the second Death Star would interest me. This could be an idea greenlit after some time has passed for Rogue One They could do a movie on how Lando infiltrated Jabba’s palace and learned about the organization. If Donald Glover is cast in the universe, they may as well use him.  I don’t know if this could be a full film, but a movie focusing more on the underworld of the Star Wars universe would be welcome. There is little reason for their not to be more canon material in this time period, so them holding off for a film announcement might be one reason why there is a lack of content.

Books and comics should be coming for this time period if they aren’t going to announce a film. The comics have been running for almost three years in the main line, and eventually the amount of stories set between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back are going to reach a tipping point in believability. There is only so many adventures they could have had between the first two movies to be believable. The comics should make a jump, and hopefully it happens in the next year or so. Books should also start to explore the story about how Luke grows in power during this time. A reason the story group is reluctant to tackle this time period might be because of how well regarded Shadows of the Empire is held by fans. The story group may have ideas about adding a story similar to this to canon, but are reluctant because of backlash. They could just reintroduce Shadows back into canon, but I doubt they will do this either. It would cause too much confusion where there is already confusion to begin with. I doubt they are afraid to tackle this time period canonically, but it could be another reason why there hasn’t been books or other media.

The time period between Empire and Return of the Jedi is also lacking Han Solo, which is a selling point to many fans of the universe. The lack of Han during this time period is probably why they didn’t start new stories set between Empire and Return of the Jedi, but with his death in Force Awakens and him getting his own standalone film they could start adding stories. The most interesting would center around how Luke gained power and created a new lightsaber. The creation of his green saber should be the focus on one entire novel. I would personally love a film about this time focusing on Luke, but I doubt this would happen with so many adventures and films already centered on the last Jedi.

This is a time period which should be explored, because it is set during some of the heaviest fighting between the Empire and Rebellion. The Rebellion were at their strongest, and so were the Empire. Maybe a new animated show is in the works and will start during this time period and go through the events of Return of Jedi. If Star Wars Rebels is only going to be on for a few more seasons this would make sense. Dave Filoni is working on a new project, and maybe this would be it. Regardless of what new canon is created for this time frame, it is a gap which should be addressed. There is too much story between the two episodes not to be told.

Comment and let me know what stories you would like to see set between Episode Four and Five. 

Star Wars Rebels S3E14 Trials of the Darksaber Recap/Review (Spoilers!): Well Done Character Development

Trials of the Darksaber, the fourteenth episode for Season three of Star Wars Rebels, is focused on Sabine. The crew want Sabine to learn how to wield the Darksaber to try and unite Mandalore behind her to join the Rebellion. Sabine from the start of the episode has mixed feelings on trying to achieve this. No reason as to why she joined the Rebel crew has ever been given, but there was a falling out with her family when she left the Imperial Academy. The only reason Sabine is entertaining the thought of trying to go back to Mandalore is because Hera and the other members of the crew ask her to do it. This interaction at the start of the episode is highly dramatic and impactful, and set the stage for the entire episode.

Trials of the Darksaber is one of the most dramatic episodes the series has ever attempted, and it succeeds on almost every level. There is an insane amount of content packed into the short twenty-two-minute episode. The story of the first Jedi Mandalorian who made the Darksaber started the episode off with some fantastically integrated exposition. The 2D animation used to explore this brief story was well done and flowed within the show. This brief story setup the conference between Sabine and the rest of the crew, and there is an immediate tension. Sabine does not want anything to do with Mandalore or trying to unite them behind her. She will try because it is needed, but her heart is not in the effort.

The episode doesn’t have much action, but it doesn’t need any due to the content of the story. The entire episode is out in the desert of the planet with Sabine being trained by Kanan and Ezra. The entire dynamic of how her training progresses is built perfectly.  The struggle Kanan goes through about how to effectively train her is told and explored extremely well. Every action he takes with Sabine is explained and explored as to why he wants to proceed a certain way. Kanan is having to walk a delicate line with her training and he doesn’t know if he doing it the best way. He second guesses his actions, and realizes when he makes a mistake by not allowing her to train with the actual Darksaber. Once he does the ensuing bout between them is emotional and powerful. The episode builds to the dramatic reveal of why Sabine left Mandalore and how she feels betrayed by her parents and people. Her reveal is emotional and Tiya Sircar, who voices Sabine, does a masterful job in her performance. The emotion of the last fight can truly be felt, and for an animated series geared for kids this is impressive.

This was an episode more geared for adults who watch the show. It has a few moments for the younger audience, but overall if you are an older viewer the character driven episode had more impact. The only small complaint I had with Trials of the Darksaber where the interactions with Ezra and how whiney he became at a few points during the episode. His teenage angst felt misplaced in this story. Ezra did have one fantastic moment when bringing up his parents, but a few other times he didn’t add anything of value to the episode.  His presence and jokes may have been the only thing tying in the younger audience, so I understand his need to be there, it just didn’t mesh as well with the overall tone.

The episode set up a short series arc. The next episode will follow up this story and can be viewed as a long two-part story the way The Clone Wars show used to do. Trials of the Darksaber was the first act in hopefully a fantastic two or three-part arc which will draw the Mandalorians into the conflict with the Empire. There were also hints of Sabine being force sensitive in the episode. The Bendu made a brief appearance and knowing glance at Sabine. I’m hoping she isn’t force sensitive, but there does seem to be more people in Star Wars who could be “force aware”. For example, Chirrut Imwe from Rogue One, or Jyn Erso’s mom from Catalyst. They are aware of the force and can feel it, but not necessarily control it. Sabine could help confirm this type of individual in the Star Wars Universe.

Comment and let me know what you thought about Sabine and the character arc in this episode. Did you find any major problems with it? 

Star Wars Rebels S3E13 Warhead Recap/Review (Spoilers!) – Connections Matter

The thirteenth episode of Star Wars Rebels, Warhead, for the third season did everything right for an episode stuck in the middle of a season. The connective tissue Warhead setup for the second half of the season is everything missing from the first half. This is exactly the type of episode, with the connection to Grand Admiral Thrawn, which keep the overall narrative for the show moving forward at a good pace. Warhead is a fun light hearted episode with Zeb, Chopper, and AP-5, but one which still advances a major overall story thread.

At the start of the episode Zeb is left in charge of the Rebel base as Hera and the rest of the squad go off for training. The Empire has sent out Infiltrator droids to look for the Rebels, and one lands on the world Phoenix squadron occupies. The start of Warhead is perfect with its usage of the same music at the start of Empire Strikes Back. There are a few similarities to the start of Empire in Warhead. The first is the sending out of the droids along with the music, but then Kallus’s reaction to one not reporting in is almost identical to Admiral Ozzel’s. Kallus says there are so many deployed they shouldn’t worry about one not reporting in until the next day. This is another instance in the episode which should be called back to in the future. Thrawn will be able to puzzle out that Kallus didn’t immediately investigate the disappearance of the droid and wonder why. Even though Zeb in the end was able to keep the base hidden, Thrawn knows he can narrow down where the Rebel base is by looking into the worlds the droids were sent to. This is a great through line to have for the second half of the season. The Empire and Thrawn have a plan to look for the base, which will force the Rebels into an eventual showdown with Thrawn.

The main part of the episode with Zeb, Chopper and AP-5 was fun. The Imperial Infiltrator droid was a fantastic callback to original artwork from Ralph Mcquarrie. The action and chase between the droid and Zeb was well done. Zeb’s plan to do damage to the Empire was great, and it was a good finale to see the droid blow up on the Star Destroyer at the end. The only small issue with the episode were AP-5 being annoying with his constant jabs at Zeb which weren’t funny, and the fact Zeb didn’t alert the entire base about the droid. There was no reason not to tell the entire base an Imperial droid was on the loose. It didn’t make sense for Zeb not get more help since if the droid were to get away it would force the Rebellion to evacuate the base. Even though it was Zeb’s fault for bringing the droid back this mistake should not have prevented him for asking for help. I can overlook this small gripe for the episode since the crew usually doesn’t ask for help from the other people at the base. Overall the main part was enjoyable, and a good half hour of entertainment.

The biggest takeaway from the episode is the show moving towards having more of a connected thread for the second part of the season. Thrawn hopefully will have a bigger presence and we will get to see why is such a master tactician. The Rebels should face some losses during the second half of the season, and the show might end on a darker note. The end of the second season wasn’t sunshine and roses either, but the first loss of the crew is one way to end darker. The next few episodes look to focus more on Mandalore.  Trying to bring them into the Rebellion is something which will tie back to the sixth episode of the season, Imperial Supercommandos. The Mandalore story would have worked better all placed together, but bringing it back around for the second part of the season works overall.

The second half of season three is starting to shape up extremely well, and might be the strongest for the series overall. Let’s hope the strong connective thread of Thrawn, and not hunting for supplies, is the prevailing theme for the rest of the season.

Let me know what you thought of the episode. When do you think Kallus will be discovered and will he survive the season? Comment and let me know. 

ABC, Lucasfilm, Television Shows & Bad Headlines

Yesterday Entertainment Weekly ran an interview with the president of ABC entertainment, Channing Dungey, to discuss the new year and what is in store for the network. One of the questions asked was about the possibility of a Star Wars show. Dungey had mentioned last fall there had been talks about one between the two divisions of Disney.

Dungey in the interview with EW cooled off any possibility of a live action show coming to ABC in the near future. She said the comments she made at TCA in the fall of last year got blown out of proportion. While ABC and Lucasfilm have talked and ABC would still like a show (duh), nothing is in the works.

It was with great surprise when I saw today articles from IGN and a few other websites stating a project between Lucasfilm and ABC was still in the works. I clicked on the IGN article and found it linking back to the EW article from yesterday. This was greatly misconstruing the facts from the EW article. There is no show in development and while they have talked, and who wouldn't, nothing is on the horizon.

The article from IGN is clickbait pure and simple, and good on them for getting me to click, but I'm now less likely to click on their articles. I used to frequent IGN on a daily basis, but now rarely visit them due to more and more articles like this.

ABC would of course love to put a live action Star Wars show on their network, but Dungey smartly tried to put any fires out she started last fall with her interview. IGN instead stoked the flames, and in my opinion this is faulty journalism. Yes it's entertainment journalism, but stories like this are misleading  I understand needing to drive people to the site, but in the end this type of article turns people away.

Let me know what you think about a Star Wars live action show and what network it should be on.

What Will The Star Wars Episode 8 Crawl Text Say?

Rian Johnson, director and writer of Episode 8, has been talking about the Star Wars film set to release in December of 2017.  He has confirmed information in an interview with USA Today that the film will begin directly after the events of Episode 7 The Force Awakens, and show the next moments between Rey and Luke. This begs the question as to what the crawl text for the film will tell the audience

Every other Star Wars film has jumped several years forward, and the crawl has explained what has been going with the heroes in the universe. This will be the first time a film has started directly after the end of the previous movie. Everyone who has seen The Force Awakens will know what has been happening, and there isn't much need for the crawl.

My first thoughts for what the crawl would say is that it would tell the audience what is happening in the rest of the galaxy other than with Luke and Rey. It would explain the fallout from the destruction of Hosnian Prime and the government and what that meant for the stability in the galaxy.  Also a tidbit about the funeral of Han Solo and what was going on with the First Order.  This is probably what the crawl will end up doing, but I hope it might explain what Luke has been doing for the past thirty years.

The crawl could solely focus on Luke. It could touch on him training and establishing a new Jedi and how Ben turned. It could explain what he went in search for, and why he is on the remote world Rey finds him on. It might also explain why he left a bread trail to his location for some to find.  This probably won't be the case, but it would be a great justification for having the crawl. It would provide needed information for the audience since no new canon media has touched on Luke after the events of Return of Jedi other than the four issue comic Shattered Empire.  The lack of information on Luke makes me hope this could be the case. It probably won't, but I can hope.

Let me know what you think the crawl text will be about for Episode 8.

Star Wars Rebels S3E10 & 11: The Ghosts of Geonosis Parts 1 & 2 (Spoilers!): Good but not Great

The second half of season three for Star Wars Rebels kicked off with episodes ten and eleven, The Ghost of Geonosis Part 1 and Part 2. The two episodes dealt with the crew of the ghost going to the planet of Geonosis to discover what happened to the Rebel Saw Gerrera and his crew. Gerrera’s team was sent to Geonosis to see if they could discover what the Empire did to the Geonosians. When the Alliance lost contact with Saw they sent in the Ghost. This is a story I thought the show would build up to during the first part of the season. I was thinking the crew of the Ghost would help the Rebellion discover the existence of the Death Star or indication the Empire was up to something. These episodes were more of a character study on Saw, his extremities, and how the crew of the Ghost reacted to him.

These were enjoyable episodes, but something just seemed to be missing overall. Saw is an interesting character, and I’m glad we got more time with him in Rebels, but his appearance would have had more effect if these episodes were delivered before Rogue One.  There was nothing in this episode which gave away information to the plot of Rogue One, and it would have been great development for people who watch Rebels to see Saw and his actions before the film. We see how extreme he can be with his interactions with the Geonosian, and how he tries to torture him for information for the good of the Rebellion. The entire crew of the Ghost pushes back and allow the Geonosian to go his own way. This is actually a good easter egg for people who read the Darth Vader comic, because the queen egg the solider saves is probably the one Darth Vader encounters during the comic.  This character development for Saw was great, but it just wasn’t as impactful as I wanted for the episode or series overall.

The episodes were almost trying too hard to connect The Clone Wars and the Prequels to the current era. The emotional resonance just wasn’t there when Saw looked at his sister. Maybe it was the voice acting by Forrest Whitaker that was a turn off, but something didn’t click. The quip about sand was funny and I liked how they are poking fun at themselves. I didn’t hate these episodes, and still found them enjoyable, but maybe I was expecting more powerful moments. The action was still fantastic and it was great to see Sabine take out the Stormtroopers with her own jump pack. The way the Ghost escapes is also well done, but would have preferred more competent Imperials to up the stakes in the episodes. I did like the Geonosian trying to inform the crew about the Death Star and the crew not understanding the drawing. This was handled well, and it fits extremely well within the framework leading to Rogue One.

The second half of the third season is setup to be fantastic with Thrawn closing in on the crew, and the eventual confrontation with Obi-Wan and Maul. The Sabine storyline with the Mandalorians is also exciting. While this was basically an hour long episode it didn’t propel any major storyline for the crew going forward. Ghost of Geonosis just develops a character who we see die in Rogue One. The placement of episodes in the series has really poorly affected the pacing of this show, and having these episodes before Rogue One would have had more impact for both the movie and the show. Having them after the film make the episodes seem like filler instead of connecting to anything overall. These aren’t bad episodes, but maybe the expectations were too high on what they would deliver overall. The emotion wasn’t found in the episode like the season premiere or even the mid-season finale. I’m still excited for the second half of the season, but this was a small misstep to start off. 

The Year in Star Wars Canon - 2016 (No Spoilers)

The new canon for the Star Wars universe keeps expanding, and it can be a little daunting for any Star Wars fan to keep track of. The last three years have provided some great new additions to the mythology of Star Wars. Everything hasn’t hit the mark, but enough material has been good or great to keep me coming back for more. 2016 saw a plethora of new material in all forms released and I wanted to do a rundown of everything to come out in the year. I’m going to try and touch on any new material released in the year, but will be omitting any retellings of previous canon material. For example, I’m not going to mention the comic for The Force Awakens which was released in 2016. This being said everything else is fair game, even if I haven’t read or watched it. I pulled my information from Wookieepedia and tried to cross-reference the material on other sites, but it had the most extensive list 

Click the video above to see all of the Star Wars Canon which came out in 2016. 

Woody Harrelson frontrunner for Mentor Role in Han Solo Star Wars Movie

Variety had the scoop of the day with news that Woody Harrelson is in early talks to star in the Han Solo Star Wars Story film set to be released in May 2018. The story states Harrelson's character would be a mentor to the young Han Solo played by Alden Ehrenreich.  This news leads me to speculate what type of mentor Harrelson character will be, and what role he will play in the story. 

My first gut instinct in hearing Han Solo has a mentor, is why? Wasn't the cool smuggler born with the inherent self confidence and charm we see as he comes onto the screen in Star Wars Episode Four A New Hope? I do think we will still see the brash smooth talker, but contrasted with a mentor who is an old grizzled smuggler who is tries urge caution to a young Han. 

I envision a character who knows how to get by in the universe. A grinder who has a ship and plays it safe. He likes the brash Han and lets him and his Wookie friend work on his crew.  This or Han in a brash attempt frees a Chewbacca while working with the mentor character. Han for his part might resent the safe nature the mentor character always takes, and thinks he should take more chances to make money faster. An example would be Harrelson's character cautions Han on taking jobs with Hutts, but in the end Han doesn't listen. 

Harrelson is a fantastic actor and I can see him playing a smuggler or even just a normal freighter pilot who keeps his head down to get by. He likes the brash kid, but also wants to direct him down a safe path. Maybe this won't be the case, and the mentor will be like Hondo in Guardians of the Galaxy and direct Han down a more dangerous dubious path. Woody has definitely played these types of characters before, but I'm hoping for a more subdued role from him in Star Wars. 

This of course is all very early, and maybe Woody Harrelson won't even get the role. Adding talent to a project is never a bad thing, and the cast for the young Han Solo film is shaping up with some amazing talent. 

Comment and let me know what type of mentor you want Woody to play in the Han Solo movie. 

Rogue One Spoiler Thoughts - Let's Talk About Galen Erso & His Actions

Rogue One A Star Wars Story has blasted into the box office and has become a critical and audience success. The film adds to the mythos of Star Wars universe and does a great job of tying into the original trilogy by leading directly into A New Hope. It is a well put together movie which I will be able to watch multiple times because of the characters and story it tells. It isn’t a perfect film and while I will sing it’s praises one big issue which bothered me is the decision to let Galen Erso intentionally build in the design “flaw” to the Death Star.

I very well may be in the minority on this, but I never thought the thermal exhaust port on the Death Star was a flaw in the design or a plot hole in Episode Four. I did an entire other video on why I didn’t think this was the case. I said in the video if Rogue One shows Galen putting in the flaw it would be a very poorly designed design flaw. He does state in Rogue One that he has to be careful with how he did it, but it still took a person who was exceptionally strong in the force to be able to exploit the flaw. Since Galen intentionally created this flaw he should have made it to wear the Rebellion had more of a shot to succeed in destroying the Death Star.

Having Galen purposely create this flaw opens up more plot holes than if he didn’t in my opinion. If he would have simply known about the weakness in the Death Star and tried to get that information to the Rebels, it would fit the story more. Having the flaw be intentional makes Galen appear incompetent as a character. Since Luke is the only who is able to blow up the Death Star it makes Galen’s flaw an extremely poor one for the Rebels to exploit. This is a plot hole. Having Galen design something no regular person can possibly exploit makes no sense. He would have to have known the Rebellion had Jedi’s on their side which could guide torpedoes into the small opening for him to purposefully implement this flaw.

If Galen would have simply known there was the small weakness in the Death Star or just know where the plans where it would have made more sense for the story. I understand Galen’s character motivations for wanting to help the Rebellion and having him intentionally make the flaw builds on this trait, but Galen’s specialty was harnessing the power of the Kyber crystals, not on the propulsion system. Maybe the thermal exhaust port the Rebellion used to exploit has to do with the weapon system, but I always thought it was tied into the reactor system for the Death Star. Maybe the novelization of Rogue One can clear this up, or Lucasfilm’s canon master Pablo Hidalgo. Galen wouldn’t have had access to the propulsion systems to build in his flaw if this is the case. It would almost have to tie into the weapons system for the story to now make sense. Less questions story wise would have been raised for him to just know there is a weakness and then try to get word to the Rebellion.

This all of course is predicated on if you think Star Wars A New Hope had a plot hole tied to the exhaust port. I never did, and think it’s a plot device used to highlight what Luke is able to achieve. Think about firing a small exploding bomb into the tail pipe of a car. The tail pipe is tied directly to the combustion engine, and this isn’t considered a design flaw for cars. If someone driving fires a bullet packed with explosives into a running parked car it would cause the car to be destroyed. Think about the impossibility of that type of shot, and all it would entail. This is essentially what Luke accomplished, and having the flaw now be purposeful just doesn’t fit for me. Maybe it is all connected to the Force and the Force willed Galen to design the flaw in such a way because it was Luke’s destiny to destroy the Death Star. Weak, but I’ll go with it, because in the end Rogue One is a fantastic movie, even if I had a problem with this part of the plot.

Rogue One is a great Star Wars film. I just wished they would have found another way for Galen to help the Rebellion and it to fit his character. I wouldn’t have minded him actually being distraught from losing his wife and thinking he lost Jyn. He then would have helped the Empire until he realized Jyn was still alive. Then he tells the Rebellion where the plans to the Death Star or that there is a weakness. I’m still probably in the minority on this, so if you think differently let me know why having a tail pipe on the Death Star is a plot hole. Like share subscribe and all that fun stuff. 

Rogue One (A Star Wars Story) – Movie Review: Is it for Everyone?

Rogue One is a different kind of Star Wars Movie.

Rogue One A Star Wars Story, I still like anthology better, starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Alan Tudyk, Ben Mendelsohn, Wen Jiang, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen and directed by Gareth Edwards. Rogue One is the first standalone film set in the Star Wars universe and is about how a group of Rebels steals the plans for the Death Star, and ties directly into the events of Star Wars A New Hope. Taking a small blurb from the crawl text of Episode Four and turning it into a two-hour film may seem unrealistic, but everyone involved made the movie a soaring success. It adds layers and depth to Star Wars Episode Four, and it will be a welcome addition to most Star Wars Fans.

Is Rogue One for the average Star Wars fan or people who aren’t fans of the franchise at all? I loved the movie after the first viewing and will be going back again to see it multiple times. I’m not sure I can separate myself to say if this film is for everyone. I have read all the comics, all the adult books and most of the young adult novelizations for the new Star Wars Canon. This gives more insight into what has been happening since the end of Episode three with characters like Tarkin, Darth Vader and others. The book Catalyst was an excellent introduction and prequel to Rogue One. The start of the movie is a really the next chapter in the book, and if you are a fan of any of the books Catalyst is worth reading and then watching Rogue One. It adds so much backstory and nuance to relationships in the movie, that I’m not sure I can be objective about how much I liked the film because I have read the book. I don’t think people have to read the book to enjoy Rogue One, but it does greatly enhance the story. Due to this Rogue One is more of a fans Star Wars film, but I still would recommend it to anyone who likes a good action adventure film.

The story is excellent and takes the audience on a fantastic ride. The third act of the movie will leave no one disappointed. It is the first Star Wars movie to really look at the war between the Rebellion and the Empire, and show the ground soldiers and their struggle. It also expands the universe overall, adding to the structure of the Rebellion and how they went about combating the Empire. The characters introduced are all great, and everyone is raving about K2-SO, the droid voiced by Alan Tudyk, for good reason. He provides the right amount of humor throughout a dark gritty story. Felicity Jones performance as Jyn Erso ties the entire movie together. She does a fantastic job as the main focus of the film. Diego Luna character’s, Cassian Andor, is a more complex Rebel than has ever been shown, and I really enjoyed his character in the movie. It added a deeper layer to the soldiers who fight for the Rebellion. Donnie Yen and Wen Jiang characters are not delved into too deeply, but the chemistry between them is fantastic. I don’t think much backstory was needed for them during this film, but I would hope we get a book or another form of medium diving into how they met. I also want to know more about the Jedi Temple on Jedha and what they did there.  

With any film there are also some drawbacks. I’ve got two, one about the actual film, and then one a nerdy complaint about how it affects the overall Star Wars universe. The only story complaint I had for the movie is that the first ten minutes jumped around too much setting up the story. There are a bunch of different worlds introduced and we move around to some of the major characters extremely quickly and it is a bit jarring. Once Cassian and Jyn meet up the pace flows well and the rest of the film isn’t an issue. I won’t get into my nerdy complaint until a spoiler’s video, but I don’t like something the movie tries to “fix” within the main Star Wars storyline. I don’t think anything needed to be fixed, and this issue is the only time I was disappointed with the film. This fix will make many people happy, but I think it actually takes away from something else which comes in a later movie.

Overall though Rogue One is a fantastic amazing addition to the Star Wars universe and I can’t wait to see it again. I will be going multiple times to see it in theaters and I think the film’s success will ensure many more Star Wars anthology films. This movie is well worth seeing for any casual Star Wars fan and I think people who aren’t fans can still enjoy it for the emotional war story the film provides. The film is geared more towards the hard core fans, but I do think anyone can enjoy it. Let me know what you think and what your favorite parts of the film were in the comments below. Like share subscribe and all that fun stuff. 

Star Wars Rebels S3E10 Visions and Voices Review/Recap (Spoilers): Maul is Coming.

I predict we will hear James Arnold Taylor’s voice in the show before the end of the season.

The tenth episode for Star Wars Rebels season three, Visions and Voices, is a continuation of the story from second, The Holocrons of Fate. Ezra starts to see and hear Maul and passes out during a briefing about an attack on the Lothal Weapons plant. Ezra and Kanan go in search of Bendu where Maul appears. He asks Ezra to come with him to finish the ceremony they started with the Holocrons. Ezra agrees so he can gain the information to defeat the Sith. Kanan manages to slip a tracker on Ezra so he can follow them. Visions and Voices was a solid mid-season finale episode which continued a major story thread introduced early in the season, and opened more questions needing to be answered.

The star of the episode is Darth Maul, and a tip of the hat has to go to Sam Witwer performance. He did a phenomenal job in conveying Maul’s different emotions through the episode. The character genially seemed to feel disappointed in Ezra’s choice to stay behind and not join him. Maul is undoubtedly a villain, but he is also a tragic figure. At every turn he comes close to succeeding in his goal only to be thwarted. He witnessed his home planet destroyed, and all his people wiped out. While Maul brought much of the tragedy on himself he was also pressed into service by Sidious and the Witches of Dathomir. He is not wholly unsympathetic figure, but still not someone who can be trusted. All of these aspects are represented in Visions and Voices, and it’s understandable that Maul’s one remaining goal is to seek revenge against Obi-Wan Kenobi.

 While Maul is the main highlight of the episode, he is also the problem. Why did he not go to the Rebel base as soon as he knew where it was if he knew Ezra held the answer to his question? He could have shown up in the next third episode to continue this story line. Instead he waits and randomly shows up just before a big mission. The show could have shown glimpses in the other episodes of Ezra having visions of Maul. Ezra could have been struggling with this knowledge throughout the first part of the season, and trying to hide it from the rest of the crew. Then when the visions finally become so extreme he passes out, it wouldn’t have felt so sudden for the story overall. This would have also provided some connective tissue through the entire first half of the season building to this episode. Not every episode would have had to include a vision of Maul, but just enough to keep this story in the forefront. They could have also shown Maul deducing he needed Ezra, and show Maul reaching out to him and trying to influence him.

This complaint aside the episode was stunning and adds to the lore of Star War by showcasing the Witches of Dathomir and their different take on the force. The ending with Ezra and how he was able to destroy the alter and their power was well done. It was a good climax for the episode, and highlighted how clever Ezra can be. While his character has taken a step back from the first part of the season when he was dabbling with the dark side he took more of a step forward in this episode. Ezra wasn’t tempted by Maul at all in this episode and this makes me think he won’t end up turning to the dark side. It was good see the story focus more on Ezra again, and the different aspects of the force.

The episode also opens up the possibility of Obi-Wan Kenobi making an appearance in the show. My guess is part of the second half of the season will build to a fight between Maul and Kenobi. Does this mean Maul will travel to Tatooine or will Kenobi seek out Maul? It might be the latter if Kenobi has felt Maul searching for him. He wouldn’t want Maul coming to Tatooine and discovering Luke. This again brings up the question of continuity and Ob-Wan not hearing his name in a long time, and not going by it in a long time. It will be an interesting issue to get around, but one I’m willing to forgive if we get more stories about the old hermit beyond the dune sea.

Visions and Voices was a strong ending for the mid-season. I hope the second half of the season continues to build a more cohesive story and there aren’t as many side missions which seem unrelated. The second half could have more connected stories, just by the first half coming back around and impacting stories in the second half of the season. Sabine and Mandalore could still play a major role, especially with her picking up the dark saber at the end of the episode.

Comment and let me know what you thought of tonight’s episode. Like, share, subscribe and all that fun stuff.

Do We Really Want Rebels in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story?

Nerdist ran a story today showing an image of a ship which looks like the Ghost from Star Wars Rebels in a new television spot for Rogue One: Star Wars Story. There is little question the ship is the same type as the Ghost. The ship is the exact same design and has the same engine lights. This is a fantastic Easter Egg for fans of Star Wars Rebels, but the cameo for the crew should end here, if the ship is even the Ghost to begin with. I imagine we will eventually find out what happens to the crew of the Ghost on the show of Rebels and having them survive past Rogue One presents too many continuity problems for canon.

Seeing Kanan, Ezra, Sabine, Hera and Zeb make a physical appearance in Rogue One would be amazing, and would make sense if the crew survives through the end of the show. It doesn’t make sense for the main universal narrative if they do survive. Sabine, Hera or Zeb could make it out of the show, but Ezra and Kanan will have to meet some sort of end or Luke would have some knowledge of them. This would have to be the case or the two would have leave the Rebellion and disappear before Luke burst on the scene in A New Hope.  If we still get a small nod in Rogue One of Rebels, like the appearance of the ship, this is the perfect amount of fan service to provide.

I think Lucasfilm knows it has a major fan base for Rebels, and to have any small nod to the show is perfect for fans. The story group however won’t take it too far, and will probably claim the ship is just the same design. Either way it is always good to know how much attention to detail Lucasfilm and the millions of Star Wars fans pay to the property. It’s what makes being Star Wars fans great, and it continues to drive more excitement for the upcoming release of Rogue One.

Do you think the crew of the Ghost in in the ship during the fight we see in Rogue One? Comment and let me know. 

Star Wars Rebels S3E9 An Inside Man Recap/Review (Spoilers!): Movement

The ninth episode for the third season of Star Wars Rebels, An Inside Man, featured the crew of the Ghost going back to Ezra’s home planet of Lothal to infiltrate an Imperial construction factory. The crew gets word from their informant, Fulcrum, the Empire has a secret project at the factory. While in disguise at the facility Grand Admiral Thrawn makes a surprise inspection visit to question the quality of the work which has been malfunctioning in use. Thrawn locks down the factory to ensure worker productivity, and forces Ezra and Kannan to try and escape with information about the secret project in development.

The biggest takeaway from the episode is it advanced a bigger narrative for the story overall. Agent Kallus was revealed to be Fulcrum. His time with Zeb on the moon of Geonosis made changed his perspective towards the Empire. This was a fairly obvious story thread to follow, but the show could have thrown the viewers for a loop and had Thrawn be Fulcrum. If Thrawn would have been the agent the information provided would have been designed to draw the Rebels into more traps. This may have been too advanced for the target demographic of the show to follow, so having Kallus be the spy makes sense. Having Kallus be Fulcrum is a great callback to one of the better episodes of last season. The Honorable Ones episode from season two setup this storyline and also dropped hints the Empire was doing something sinister around the planet of Geonosis. What has been so frustrating this season is most of the episodes so far have not been advancing major story threads. There is no interconnected story to help drive a main narrative forward.

An Inside Man provided much needed character development for Grand Admiral Thrawn. Fans of old Legend books knew how ruthless and cunning he could be in the Zahn novels, but the show hasn’t shown anything yet. The episode changed this in a major way. We see Thrawn terrorize and kill workers in the facility. He knew the workers were sabotaging Imperial products, and he ruthlessly illustrated what would happen if machines continued to fail by killing a worker. It was a dark scene, and highlights how the show can sometimes straddle the line between a kids show and one with more adult themes. We also see Thrawn studying the art of the Rebels and trying to gage why they keep coming back to the planet of Lothal. This was the weakest analysis Thrawn had, but it still worked for the show. Thrawn was also able to devise the Rebels had inside help escaping the facility, and a spy must be in his ranks. The ending seen with Kallus and Thrawn makes me think he suspects Kallus, and he will have to be very careful in order to survive moving forward.

The overall story and action for this episode was fantastic. Every moment was filled with something meaningful. The humor in the episode was also on point and felt natural to each situation. Having Ezra throw Kallus around was hilarious and the follow-up punchline with Kanan was perfect.  Chopper was even used well, and having him get along with Kallus flowed within the story and provided more humor. The reveal of the advanced Tie Fighter with shields is important, and should help drive the story forward during the second half of the season. I would have preferred the facility been developing something for the Death Star. Then the show would tie into the release of Rogue One, but the new Tie Fighter discovery helps build a story for the second half of the season. Now there is an overall purpose for the show and season moving forward. The Rebels need to find out more about the Advanced Tie Fighter (or Tie Defender for fans of Legends or old Computer Games) and stop it from becoming mass produced.

There isn’t a major glaring weakness in the episode. It delivered a fun enjoyable half hour and advanced an overall story narrative. This has been the major weakness for the show so far this season.  It has provided fun enjoyable television, but has been lacking in telling one cohesive story. With this episode, and the following two before the mid-season break, the show can finish on a high note and advance some of the major narratives which have been on the back burner for the first part of the season. I don’t understand why they took three or four episodes to tell unrelated stories, but hopefully the show finishes strong and has a more connected story for the second half of the season.

What did you think of the episode? Did it reinvigorate your passion of the show or did you still want something more? Comment and let me know.

Star Wars Rebels S3E8 The Wynkahthu Job Recap/Review (Spoilers!): Fun, but Still Lacking

Star Wars Rebels with its eighth episode for the third season saw the return of Hondo and Azmorigan who wanted help from the crew of the Ghost. The pirates attacked an Imperial cargo ship and it was caught in atmosphere of a plant. They can’t get to the ship on their own and need the Rebels to help retrieve the cargo. The crew, in return for their help, get to take the proton bombs on the Imperial ship. There is a small bit of a through line in this episode since the crew have been looking for proton bombs. This isn’t much of a connective thread for the season and there could be more to help drive a main story and theme for the show overall.

The Wynkahthu Job isn’t a horrible episode, but to have yet another episode which doesn’t deliver any movement on a major theme or story for the show is disappointing. None of the episodes since the first with Maul have been bad, but they haven’t delivered on any main overall arch. There hasn’t been one single episode which hasn’t been enjoyable to watch for one reason or another, but the show doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Many of these episodes have introduced new characters, but then are quickly forgotten in the next episode. Take the supply droid we met at the end of last season. He popped up in this episode to help with information about the Imperial ship. However, why is this the first we have seen of him since the episode he was introduced? He just happened to tag along on this mission? He should have been integrated with the crew of the Ghost since his introduction, so his reappearance doesn’t seem so random.

There should be more of a through line with all of the characters introduced. I had thought we might get a story arch involving the Mandalorians and how the Rebels could help gain their support. Instead the episode was another one off and it didn’t carry on after Fenn Rau agreed to join the Rebellion. The show will probably go back to his character, but carrying his story forward after the episode involving him would have increased the shows momentum. There is no movement for the show because of its lack of overall focus. Having a few more stories to tie everything together would help drive the show forward. This has a point of mine through the last two or three episodes, but each individual episode on their own have been enjoyable to watch.

Maybe the expectation should be the show isn’t going to have a connected story and each episode is going to be a minor adventure with characters popping in and out. I could get behind this, if they wouldn’t have characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Maul lurking in the background as major threats with major story implications. They have peppered in Thrawn, but not enough to showcase what his overall plan will be to engage the Rebels. With each episode being fun to watch, but not delivering in overall story the season has been a slight disappointment.

This episode delivered on showcasing fun characters in Hondo and Azmorigan. There humor was a little childish for my taste, but the show is aimed at children so that isn’t a knock on the episode overall. The callback joke with Ezra cutting the hole in the door was well done and plausible for the mission they were on. It was nice to see Zeb get more screen time in the episode since he has been a minor character for most of the season to date. He would be a candidate for one of the first to be killed off. Maybe they will up the stakes for the season at the break by having one of the crew members meet an untimely end. Overall this episode was fun to watch, but lacked the substance many fans are starting to expect from the show.

What did you think of the episode overall? Should we lower our expectations for the show and just realize there is never going to be an overall story thread? Comment and let me know. 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Trailer #3: Is This The Last One?

The third, and hopefully final, trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story dropped yesterday. There isn't much new in the trailer that hasn't been show in other trailers or television spots. There a couple of new snippets of dialogue and a few new shots with the K2-SO, but little else. 

At this point the numerous television spots and trailers have overwhelmed me to an extent. I've gone from keeping up with every single promotion to come out, to just wanting to see the film. It isn't unexpected since I, like many other Star Wars fans, have been hanging for any small amount of news for Rogue One. 

The plethora of spots aren't unexpected, and this time last year I had the same feelings about the Star Wars The Force Awakens. These television spots and latest trailers are to spread the word about the film and get the masses involved. They are done getting the base excited. We are already at max excitement. 

The bigger news to drop yesterday was pre-sale tickets will go on sale on November 28th. I'll be buying a few tickets to multiple shows. Maybe the film won't be as good as Star Wars The Force Awakens, but I'm going to bank on it being worth multiple viewings. 

What did you think of this trailer? Are you like me and just ready for the film and have started to phase out of watching everything that drops? Comment and let me know. Like, share, subscribe, and all that fun stuff. 

Emilia Clarke in Han Solo – What Role Will She Play?

A bombshell in Star Wars casting news dropped on Friday with Emilia Clarke being announced to star in the new young Han Solo movie. As a huge Game of Thrones fan who loves her portrayal as Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons, this casting news is fantastic. She has had a few cinematic misses, but I think she could be a perfect fit for a galaxy far far away. This leads to the question of what role should she play in the Han Solo film? Everyone I assume will jump to her being a love interest for the smuggler, but she might fit more into an adversarial role.

Clarke can play aristocratic, as seen in Game of Thrones. Why not have her play an Imperial Captain or Admiral chasing after Han? Kathleen Kennedy has hinted the film could be a heist movie, and I think Clark could play a brilliant villain off of Alden Ehrenreich. She could be tasked for hunting down the people who pulled off the heist.  She can be cold and calculating which would make for a perfect an Imperial. This doesn’t mean she still couldn’t play a love interest in the film. She could be chasing him down, but also be attracted to him.

She could also be another smuggler who is working with him, or she could have just a minor role. I don’t think they would have made a major announcement if she had a minor role in the film. She is going to be a major player in the film more than likely. Clarke probably will be a love interest of some sort. The team could pull from the old legend stories and have her be a Rebel sympathizer who manipulates Han to help her. This would be another way to go, and would show why Han is a little jaded at the start of episode four.

There will be much more speculation before the movie comes out, but I would prefer her be an Imperial who has to chase Han down rather than a love interest. Whoever she plays, adding talent is always a good thing, and I’m glad Clarke hasn’t gotten tired of acting in genre movies. I doubt these are the only offers coming to her, even after the slight misses of Terminator and Me Before You. She is a star and a good talent and adding her to the Star Wars universe can’t be seen as a bad move on anyone’s part. 

Star Wars Rebels S3E7 Iron Squadron Recap/Review (Spoilers): Where Are We Going?

Fun and enjoyable, but what’s the main story?

The seventh episode for season three of Star Wars Rebels, Iron Squadron, is another fun solid episode, but again didn’t seem to add much to an overall season story narrative. There isn’t much wrong with the episode and it was enjoyable to watch, but there isn’t any actual impact on the Rebels overall. The possibility for an overall effect on the season is if Thrawn is using each of these engagements to lay an elaborate trap for the crew of the ghost. This could be the case with the number of encounters Thrawn has observed and the data he has accumulated. The only issue with this is how slowly the narrative is taking to develop, and the small amount Thrawn has been shown in the season.

With each week I keep expecting the for the main narrative for the season to kick in, and each week the show doesn’t deliver. I enjoy watching every week, and this week was not an exception. The adventure with the Iron Squadron was fun. The action was well done and it was interesting to see another group of kids standing up to the Empire. The running joke about the Star Destroyer was also well done and got me to chuckle. These fun side missions still leave me wanting something more from the show. There should be an overall narrative and arc for the season, and for the past four or five episodes the show does not seem to be going anywhere.

I believe in Dave Filoni and he knows what he is doing, but I’m not sure why all of these episodes are placed together. Last season had an issue with momentum and with episode placements to keep the tension and story moving along. Clone Wars was at its best when it had three or four episodes packed together to tell one cohesive story. Maybe the entire season will do this, and once the big picture is revealed these episodes will make sense with how they were placed within the season.  As of now it seems the show has no overall direction on where it is going.

The show has not shown since the first week Ezra and Kanan training with the force. Ezra had been delving into the dark side for months, but one mission and conversation with Kanan and he is back to being normal? There should be more development with this, and I’m sure there will, but where is it? This story aspect should be peppered in throughout some of these side mission episodes. We should still see Ezra struggling, unless he isn’t going to actually succumb to temptation.

What is going on with the overall Rebellion? We see aspects in these side missions of fighting, but not the overall picture. There needs to be a through line for what the group is doing instead of just randomly fighting the Empire. I had thought it was going to be investigating what happened at Geonosis, and the crew finding more information about the Death Star. There is an episode coming up where the description hints it could be about this, but the it shouldn’t be a one off episode. The first half of the season should have built to them finding out about the super weapon.

Star Wars Rebels is still entertaining. I enjoy waking up on Saturdays making breakfast and watching it on my computer with my twelve-year-old son. He is even becoming frustrated with the show. After today’s episode he said, another episode that didn’t go anywhere. If the target demographic for the show is starting to get bored it’s a bad sign. Granted he may not be an accurate representation of his demographic, but it still is a little troubling. Hopefully the next few episodes start to build towards a good mid-season finale, but the next two descriptions look like side missions. The last two episodes before the break deal with Maul and Ezra which will be great, but again the show should have built to these episodes, instead of sticking them before the mid-season finale.

What do you think of Iron Squadron? Did you like it or do you think it should have utilized to a season story arc along? Comment and let me know. Like, share, subscribe, and all that fun stuff. 

Star Wars Catalyst – Book Review: Bridging The Gap

James Luceno, author of Star War Catalyst, is a master in character development. Tarkin and Darth Plagueis are both examples of how he wove stories about characters who exerted their will on the galaxy. Catalyst is no different in showing the motivations of the two main characters and how their decisions ultimately lead to the development of the Death Star. Catalyst is a Star Wars fans Star Wars book. It takes a deep dive into how and why the Death Star took so long to develop after the end of Revenge of the Sith until A New Hope. Along with this it gives a great introduction to two of the main characters in the upcoming Rogue One A Star Wars Story.

Star Wars Catalyst isn’t for the uninitiated. A Star Wars fan thinking of getting into the reading the books shouldn’t jump off with Catalyst. The book is a great primer for Rogue One, but it is not an action packed adventure which will hook the general fan. It’s a slow burn character story about the machinations of Orson Krennic and the idealist scientist he manipulates to his cause in Galen Orso. Luceno’s weaves and interesting and plausible story as to how each makes their contributions to the Death Star. The book is more about political intrigue and how well-meaning intentions can be used against good people.

Krennic is shown to be a political climber who is looking to gain power at every level. He looks for every angle to gain more standing and uses numerous schemes to gain control. He is put in charge of the Death Star construction and planning because he is an engineer but also because he knew how to maneuver to get the job. On the opposite side of Krennic is Galen Orso who just wants to create a power source which can be used by everyone in the galaxy. At the start of the novel he is trying to produce synthetic Kyber crystals so he can provide power. The war between the Republic and Separatists force him to abandon this work, but the rise of the Empire and fall of the Jedi allows him access to true Kyber crystals. This allows him to start his research and figure a way to harness the Kyber crystals power.

Catalyst is able to show how each of these characters goes about accomplishing their goals. Galen sacrifices some of his principles, or turns a blind eye to what is happening around him.  Krennic has little to no consciences when it comes to accomplishing his goals.  If there is one criticism for the book it is how evil Orson is for the story. There is no grey to him, he manipulates his situations to better himself and the Empire. By developing these characters Luceno shows how the Death Star is constructed. Each choice these characters make either impede or advance the construction of the super weapon. This is a true prequel to Rogue One and gives fantastic background on major characters in the new film.

The book is a great introduction to Galen and Orson along with Galen’s wife Lyra. Luceno is able to flesh out these characters in order to make the Death Star construction interesting. There had to be a reason why the construction of the Death Star took so long to complete from the end of Revenge of the Sith until the start of A New Hope and this book provides the reason. If fans of the series are at all interested in these reasons or they want more backstory for the characters found in Rogue One then the book is a must read. I don’t think it is a must read for casual Star Wars fans, and in fact it might be disappointing if they are not into more political or character studies.

If you have finished Catalyst let me know what you thought. If not does it sound interesting. Comment and let me know.