Tag: Disney XD

Sabine’s family narrowly escapes the fate that befalls many Mandalorian warriors on the field of battle, their deaths caused by a weapon that Sabine designed before leaving Mandalore. The Empire has taken control of the weapon, which renders Mandalorian armor brittle to the point of uselessness, but the leader of House Saxon receives orders from Thrawn to take Sabine alive to further refine her creation. Sabine, however, has no intention of being taken prisoner either dead or alive…but she has to risk it to join a Mandalorian task force on a mission to destroy the weapon before it can be used again.

written by Christopher Yost
directed by Saul Ruiz
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus / Lead Viszla Warrior / TIE Fighter Pilot), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Alrich Wren), Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze), Andrew Kishino (Captain Hark / Lead Kryze Warrior), Kevin McKidd (Fenn Rau), Lars Mikkelsen (Grand Admiral Thrawn), Dave Fennoy (Kryze Pilot / Lead Eldar Warrior / Stormtrooper), Bonnie Wild (Lead Rook Warrior), Dave Filoni (Lead Wren Warrior), Tobias Menzies (Tiber Saxon), Ritesh Rajan (Tristan Wren), Sharmila Devar (Ursa Wren)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Kanan, Sabine, Ezra and Chopper, fresh from Mandalore, return to the center of Rebel operations on the fourth moon of Yavin…just in time to see Hera, Wedge and other Y-Wing pilots make a barely-survivable emergency landing after a vital mission collapsed due to bad intel. With the Ghost crew reunited, Mon Mothma gives them new orders to modify an Imperial relay station, allowing the Rebellion to listen in. On the eve of the mission, Saw Gerrera transmits a hologram to Mon Mothma, challenging her authority in public: like it or not, war with the Empire is coming…and playing by the rules of engagement will get the Rebellion nowhere. When the relay station mission goes awry, and Saw intervenes, Ezra and Sabine suddenly have a new mission.

written by Gary Whitta
directed by Sergio Paez
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb / Rebel Officer), Phil LaMarr (Bail Organa / Stormtrooper), Derek Partridge (Commander Brom Titus), David Acord (Edrio Two Tubes), Michael Bell (General Dodonna), Dee Bradley Baker (Imperial Bridge Officer / Rex), David Oyelowo (Kallus), Genevienve O’Reilly (Mon Mothma), Forest Whitaker (Saw Gerrera), Nathan Kress (Wedge Antilles)

Notes: Edrio Two Tubes, introduced in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (taking place several years after this episode), gets his chronological introduction here, as does the U-Wing fighter first seen in that movie.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Obsessed with his suspicion that the Empire is trying to prepare a superweapon capable of wiping out all resistance, Saw Gerrera enlists the help of Ezra, Sabine and Chopper to infiltrate what he believes to be an Imperial freighter, though it looks like a civilian cargo ship. Once inside, the rebels discover a cargo container full of prisoners, all of whom are experts in building reactors, but that’s not the main cargo. An enormous Kyber crystal is being kept barely stable in the cargo hold, guarded by a squadron of Death Troopers. Saw decides this is proof he was right all along, and risks everyone’s lives to deny the Empire its prize.

written by Matt Michnovetz
directed by Bosco Ng
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus / Death Trooper #2 / Stormtrooper #2), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb / Stormtrooper #1 / Stormtrooper #5), Andre Sogliuzzo (Captain Slavin / Stormtrooper #3 / Stormtrooper #6), Jennifer Hale (Commander DT-F16 / Prisoner #2), Stephen Stanton (Death Trooper #1 / Imperial Officer #1 / Stormtrooper #4), David Acord (Edrio Two Tubes), David Shaughnessy (Imperial Captain / Imperial Officer #2 / Mich Matt), Dave Filoni (Prisoner #1), Forest Whitaker (Saw Gerrera)

Notes: More Rogue One elements make their first animated appearances here, including Death Troopers and a mention (but not a sighting) of Director Orson Krennic, the Imperial officer in charge of construction the Death Star, whose superlaser is indeed powered by enormous Kyber crystals in Star Wars lore, and the Kyber crystal is being transported to the Empire from Jedha (a planet which will become the Death Star’s first target in Rogue One). The lateral shock wave of the crystal’s explosin would appear to be a visual reference to a much-derided effect first seen upon the Death Star’s demise in the 1997 “Special Edition” theatrical re-release of Star Wars. Kyber crystals, now frequently mentioned in Star Wars media, originated as a rejected plot element of the first film, only to resurface in the first non-film Star Wars novel, Splinter Of The Mind’s Eye (1978), as the “Kaiburr Crystal”.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

After a distress call from Ryder on Lothal is cut short, Mon Mothma assigns Ezra to return to his home planet to gather intelligence on the strength of Imperial forces there. Hera and the rest of the Ghost crew offer backup, but Mon Mothma warns that she can spare no other resources to help if the mission goes bad. When they arrive, Ezra sees for himself that Lothal and its people have been strip-mined and enslaved by the Empire. He decides that the time has come to remain on Lothal to fight to free his home…but the overwhelming presence of the Empire makes that a dangerously easy promise to keep.

written by Christopher Yost
directed by Steward Lee
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb / Alton Kastle / DT-L21), Jonny Rees (Baron Valen Rudor / Imperial Commander), Keith Szarabajka (Cikatro Vizago), Josh Brener (ERskin Semaj / Imperial Tech), Dante Basco (Jai Kell), David Oyelowo (Kallus), Genevieve O’Reilly (Mon Mothma), Dee Bradley Baker (Rex / Stormtrooper #2 / Stormtrooper #3), Clancy Brown (Ryder Azadi), Dave Filoni (Stormtrooper #1 / Stormtrooper #4)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Ezra, Zeb, Sabine, Ryder, and some overly friendly Loth-cats stake out the Imperial airstrip that the improved prototype TIE Defender calls home. Their mission: to gather as much data from the vehicle itself as they can. The problem: Grand Admiral Thrawn has just arrived. The potentially even bigger problem: running out of time and options, Sabine decides that if there isn’t time to download all the engineering and flight data, she’ll just steal the ship. But when they crash the Defender, Sabine and Ezra have a long trek back to the others with what they’ve learned…and a most unusual ally.

written by Dave Filoni & Steven Melching
directed by Saul Ruiz
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb / Stormtrooper Guard #1), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Governor Pryce), Lars Mikkelsen (Grand Admiral Thrawn), Clancy Brown (Ryder Azadi), Dave Filoni (Stormtrooper Guard #2), Mario Vernazza (Vult Skerris) and White Loth-wolf (himself)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Ezra and Zeb are trying to retrieve the hyperdrive stolen from the crashed TIE Defender when they run afoul of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s personal assassin, Rukh. Operating independently of the Imperial search parties, Rukh finds the Rebels quickly and tracks them back to their hideout. Ezra again spots a pack of Loth-wolves, which saved his life before, but now he has to talk the far more skeptical Kanan and Zeb into putting their lives in the wolves’ hands.

written by Dave Filoni & Henry Gilroy
directed by Sergio Paez
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla / TIE Pilot), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb Orrelios / Imperial Officer / Stormtrooper), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Governor Pryce), Lars Mikkelsen (Grand Admiral Thrawn), Dante Basco (Jai Kell), Warwick Davis (Rukh), Clancy Brown (Ryder Azadi), Dave Filoni (Scout Trooper), and White Loth-wolf (himself)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

From their new base of operations on Lothal’s southern hemisphere, Ezra, Kanan and the others spot one of the surface-smelting strip-mining crawlers that have laid waste to much of the planet’s natural surface. The Empire hires these vehicles and their minimal crews from the Mining Guild, and Ezra sees an opportunity to seize control of it. The crawler’s captain, however, isn’t going to let these “pirates” take his ship from him easily. Kanan discovers that the Rebels’ sometimes-ally Cikatro Vizago is among the slave laborers toiling in the bowels of the crawler, possibly giving him an edge in recruiting the rest of the slaves aboard. When the crawler’s captive captain summons the Empire to help, the not-even-remotely-combat-ready crawler may suddenly become the Rebels’ biggest liability.

written by Matt Michnovetz
directed by Bosco Ng
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla / TIE Pilot), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb Orrelios / Stormtrooper Commander), Phil LaMarr (Bail Organa), Seth Green (Captain Seevor), Keith Szarabajka (Cikatro Vizago / Mining Guild HQ), Michael Bell (General Dodonna / Slave #1), Genevieve O’Reilly (Mon Mothma), Clancy Brown (Ryder Azadi / Slave Master), Dave Filoni (Slave #2)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Mon Mothma finally commits an attack force to destroy the TIE Defender factory on Lothal, in an effort to prevent the Empire’s new fighter from making it into mass production. Hera leads Phoenix Squadron into battle while Ezra, Kanan, Sabine, Zeb and Ryder begin destroying Imperial ground defenses on the surface. When Hera’s squadron is forced down onto Lothal, Grand Admiral Thrawn dispatches Rukh to hunt down the survivors. Kanan decides he alone has to go back to save her…but he may already be too late.

written by Dave Filoni & Steven Melching
directed by Steward Lee
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus / Phoenix Five “Duke”), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb Orrelios / Commander Woldar / Stormtrooper #1), Anna Graves (Citizen / Phoenix Four “Cleat”), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Governor Pryce), Lars Mikkelsen (Grand Admiral Thrawn), Zachary Gordon (Imperial Technician #1 / Mart Mattin), Dave Filoni (Imperial Technician #2), Warwick Davis (Rukh), Clancy Brown (Ryder Azadi), Stephen Stanton (Stormtrooper Commander / Stormtrooper #2 / Transport Driver), Mario Vernazza (Vult Skerris)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The rebel cell on Lothal is demoralized in the wake of Kanan’s death. Hera retreates into grief, Sabine and Zeb set out for Imperial blood without a plan, and Ezra finds that the Loth-Wolves no longer harbor friendly feelings for him, and runs for his life. Though Governor Pryce declares victory and even arranges for a parade to celebrate the death of Kanan Jarrus, Grand Admiral Thrawn knows that this is a cover for her failures: the fuel refinery explosion severely damaged the TIE defender factory, forcing it to shut down. Expecting the rebels to mount a reckless attack in blind fury, Thrawn dispatches Rukh to finish them off. Lost in the wilderness, Ezra is cornered by the Loth-Wolves, one of whom now talks…and introduces itself as Dume, the same name that Kanan himself went by as a Jedi padawan.

written by Dave Filoni & Christopher Yost
directed by Sergio Paez
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb Orrelios / Alton Kastle / Biker Scout #1), Sam Witwer (Biker Scout #2 / Imperial Officer #1 / Imperial Technician), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Governor Pryce), Lars Mikkelsen (Grand Admiral Thrawn), Dave Filoni (Imperial Officer #2), Dante Basco (Jai Kell), Warwick Davis (Rukh), Clancy Brown (Ryder Azadi)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Thanks to his Force connection to the Loth-Wolves, Ezra makes the others aware that the abandoned Jedi Temple on Lothal is now occupied by Imperial forces who are close to cracking its secrets. Hera approves a mission to keep that from happening, but is surprised when the Loth-Wolves themselves provide passage to the temple, which is far north of the rebel base camp. Sabine and Ezra disguise themselves as Biker Scouts and enter the Imperial operation, finding that it is being led by an unknown man who reports directly to the Emperor himself. The Loth-Wolves are defending their own secret of travel across Lothal by means of the Force, and need Ezra to learn and protect that secret as well…even if it means leaving Sabine in the hands of the Empire.

written by Dave Filoni
directed by Dave Filoni & Bosco Ng
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla / Imperial Scout #1), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb Orrelios / Stormtrooper #2 / Thrawn Trooper #2), Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka Tano), Adrienne Wilkinson (Daughter), Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine), Lars Mikkelsen (Grand Admiral Thrawn), Matthew Wood (Imperial Comm / Stormtrooper #1 / Thrawn Trooper #1), Dave Filoni (Imperial Scout #2 / Mining Guild Worker), Jason Isaacs (The Inquisitor), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Malcolm McDowell (Minister Hydan)

Notes: Strong with the Dark Side, this episode of Rebels is a wretched hive of scum and villainy from numerous other SF shows and movies, whether it’s Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy from the Harry Potter movies, who had just finished his stint as the suspicious Captain Lorca on Star Trek: Discovery mere weeks before this episode’s premiere ), Malcolm McDowell (of A Clockwork Orange fame, and still infamous as “the man who killed Captain Kirk” in 1994’s Star Trek: Generations), or Emperor Palpatine himself, Ian McDiarmid, making his first Rebels appearance. Ashley Eckstein appears as Ahsoka for the first time since the season 2 finale, with Adrienne Wilkinson (Eve from Xena: Warrior Princess) appearing as the voice of one of the figures in the painting from the walls of the ancient Jedi temple.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Governor Pryce receives a call from deposed Governor Ryder Azadi, apparently ready to sell out the rebel cell on Lothal. Hoping that the capture of Ezra Bridger and the others will provide enough of a victory to avoid her impending execution by Thrawn, Pryce commits a significant Imperial force to taking the rebel base, only to be routed by the Ghost, returning to Lothal with Hera, Kallus, Ketsu, Hondo, and a complement of battle-hardened ex-clone troopers. But perhaps even more critical to the rebels’ victory is Ezra’s growing connection with the Force and the Loth-wolves. At the end of the day, the rebels have not only survived, but have taken the Governor of Lothal as their prisoner.

written by Henry Gilroy & Steven Melching
directed by Dave Filoni & Saul Ruiz
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb Orrelios / Imperial Captain / Rebel Officer), Keith Szarabajka (Cikatro Vizago / Imperial Officer #1), Dee Bradley Baker (Rex / Clone Troopers / Melch), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Governor Pryce), Jim Cummings (Hondo Ohnaka / Imperial Officer #2), David Oyelowo (Kallus), Gina Torres (Ketsu Onyo), Warwick Davis (Rukh), Clancy Brown (Ryder Azadi)

Notes: Hera’s maneuver – flipping the Ghost over to knock an Imperial transport out of the sky – anticipates a nearly-identical maneuver that a young Han Solo would use to eliminate a TIE Fighter chasing the Millennium Falcon (back when it was Lando’s ship) during the escape from Kessel in Solo (2018). Not so much a self-contained story as a half-hour all-star fight scene, A Fool’s Hope sets the stage for the series finale.

LogBook entry by Earl Green