SPOILER Rebels Review S01 E04: "Breaking Ranks"

Wow. It feels like "Spark Of The Rebellion" was just released and don't look now, but 4 episodes are officially under the belt of Star Wars: Rebels. Amazing how time fly's and the show doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

I know not everyone has been won over by the show, but I need to remind those doubters out there that the Clone Wars took at least a full season to really hit it's stride and figure out where it's strengths and weaknesses were. I feel Rebels is just starting to hit it's stride and if that's the case...then we are in for treat for the rest of the season! IMO, Rebels has been able to recover from the bumps in the road that EVERY new show/cartoon faces in it's opening episodes. This is a great sign of things to come!

So does "Breaking Ranks" manage follow up the same way the amazing previous episode had hit all the marks that it needed to hit? SCROLL DOWN! TO FIND OUT!!!!

Last chance for spoilers!!!!......








What worked for me:



- Espionage by the Rebels is something not completely foreign to Star Wars, but this episode has a different kind than we have seen before.



(I cracked up at all black Chopper.) I'm glad that the Rebels creative team isn't resting on it's laurels and just blowing up Stormtroopers the same way every episode. Much like the previous cartoon series, Clone Wars would take risks in storytelling and visuals thanks to Uncle George himself. He was always pushing the envelope for better or for worse. But...no risk, no reward right? I think what Dave Filoni has in spades is a fans perspective of being able to navigate all of us through this galaxy of stories we all know and love. Without always going the exact same way.



- The continuity and visuals springing all over from the OT AND Clone Wars series stands out in this episode. We all know Disney has made a point of emphasis to sell the Original Trilogy vibe to the masses with this show. I know it's rubbed a lot of people the wrong way who love the PT/Clone Wars. I think with this and the last episode, fans have nothing to worry about.

1. Great example of imagery invoking the OT. Small, yet very striking.



2. Remember the Clone Wars episode "The Box" in season 4? Looks like that isn't the only testing facility of it's kind. They also sound essentially the same too. Observe:

The Well:



The Box:





- Kyber Crystals.



The mission that Kanan and Hera were on is a bigger deal than some will think. The Empire hauling around Kyber crystals? If you have seen the recently released Utapau story reel arc from Clone Wars...You might understand the significance of this. If you haven't?....get on that. Obviously, Kyber crystals are what Jedi's use in their lightsabers. They are also used for something else....It seems that the story reels were released as unfinished episodes because they were crucial to the overall story going forward. Pretty cool the connection the crystals have with the Jedi when Kanan' says "Kyber crystal resonates with the force." Interesting.





- Zare Leonis and what he could mean for the future.



Zare Leonis's character really resonated with me throughout this episode. Here is a kid who joins up with what he suspects caused his sister's disappearance and is dead set on finding her. Staying true to the family motif that Star Wars loves to use. He's going to be a crucial ally for the crew of the Ghost going forward since he decided to stay in training as a Stormtrooper. Can't wait to see more of him. This character could also be the connection between Rebels and Episode VII that we keep hearing about. Could Zare be related to John Boyega's character somehow? It's possible. What do you all think?


What DIDN'T work for me:


- The pacing of the episode.



The first 10 minutes was quite the slow burn. I think if Rebels could be a 45 minute show instead of 22...this episode works a lot better. I didn't mind the story or what all the characters were doing by any means, but the episode could have had Kanan and Hera dog-fighting with the Empire sooner. All while Ezra gets to know his fellow recruits. Instead you get quite the crammed climatic ending.



- Sabine is being criminally under used.



Rebels has created an outstanding female character that both boys and girls can connect to and yet...they haven't showcased that much or put her in the lime light yet. It's strange to be honest. She's Mando and has the armor to match which just happens to be one of the most popular aspects in Star Wars fandom. Why hasn't she been given more to do? So far the series has focused on Kanan, Zeb and Ezra. They seem like the main characters out of this crew. While Sabine has taken the biggest back seat of them all. It's still early and obviously plenty of time to address this. I just hope it's sooner rather than later.


I may not have LOVED this episode as much as the previous, but I still enjoyed this piece of Star Wars continuity and can't wait for more!

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