SPOILER Rebels Season 3 Ep 16 "Through Imperial Eyes"

Good episode, I hope next weeks is not a filler episode. Bring on Maul!

 

I was really good in that episode.

 

Nice one!

The fact that the episode opened quite literally "Through Imperial Eyes" was original and clever.

Ninja Thrawn has some sly moves, doesn't he? Not just mentally strategic, but physically tactical as well. ...I'm not totally ok with that, at present, but I accept it. –I'll learn to like it, I suppose.

We've hit the absolute crescendo point of tension regarding Kallus' dreaded end-of-the-line. The gig is up, and he doesn't even know it.
–Again though, I say- as long as the writing is good (or great), -anything can happen. (Though I side with the outspoken majority and I suspect he's certainly done for, we could also likely see a mixed-bag ending for Kallus ...time will tell.)

Hoping that the episodes showing though the month of March maintain the calibre we've noted from 'Rebels' lately. —Really good stuff.

 

Thrawn is a menace. A calculating, seething menace.

P.S. Goodbye Kallus....

 

Yeah if anything they've probably handed him the location of the base by the one they removed.

 

This was absolutely the vibe I got from this - Thrawn knows that holomap inside out by now, he will have 1000000% noticed one planets has been replaced, and that'll be where the downfall begins

 

Appropriate it was nearly deja vu all over again.

 

Did anyone else like that when Ezra became "List" he had his hat brim pulled down to cover most of his face? Seemed like a nod to the reused bridge officers.

 

Definitely an entertaining episode. I got a few problems though . . . of course I do

1. If Kanan and Rex already had clearance codes to board with that cruiser, then why do they need to have Ezra get himself captured first? Why don’t they just land the shuttle as planned, infiltrate as Troopers, get Kallus and then take off? I don’t get it.

2. If Ezra wasn’t worried about being recognized then what’s the point of wearing a mask to start with? All bounty hunters have cool helmets? He needed it to get into character? The writers needed some way to justify Thrawn’s spiffy art collection?

3. Why would Governor Pryce only bring one Trooper with her to arrest the shuttle’s crew? She didn’t know how many people were on that Lambda. It shouldn’t have been that hard to round up a half dozen or more red shirts.

Anywhoozle, I guess the moral of the story is that Kallus’s cover has been blown, doesn’t know it, and Thrawn is going to take advantage of that somehow. Tune in next week.

 

My thoughts:

• Kallus: he got a big boost in becoming a full character again IMO. Lately he hasn't done much more than sit back and be a snitch, essentially. His actions and tactics were good in this episode, and really showed his cunning. Another good move was having there still be tension between him and Ezra, who still wonders if he is truly on their side. That feels real, and will also probably be used (knowingly or not) by Thrawn in whatever happens - the Rebels will think they were set up by Kallus.
• Thrawn: similarly, I like how they fleshed him out to have more to him than just standing with his arms behind his back and giving answers to everything. I don't think it will need to for him to have a "photographic" super-memory to realize that the short list of planets is now a different short list.
• Imperial Officers: I enjoyed seeing several different ranks of officers on the Chimera, and their brief but realistic interactions, particularly viewed through Lysts actions and responses. The meeting with Thrawn, Kallus, Lyst and Yularen was simple, but good as well. It gave a boost in my mind to see the Imperials as more than just barking out orders at one another.
• Stormtrooper disguises: yes, it has been used, but I would call it more of a staple rather than a cliché, especially since it didn't really fool anyone - the first thing Pryce says is "take of your helmets".
• Yularen: I loved how they have brought this character through TCW, and now Rebels, from an ancillary character in ANH. So well done. I did not realize the connection until recently, and I think it fleshes out the continuity so well. He's not some major character overall, especially in movie canon, but it doesn't feel like they are just dragging him out to "give him a back story". It feels natural, and gives the Empire a sense of credibility in showing that a "good" character in TCW can end up on the "bad" side, without having to twirl their mustache.
• Pryce: in a smaller way, I like how they have used a slow-burn approach to Gov Pryce. In season one we only heard references to her being on Coruscant, and I never expected her to really ever be used (I figured it was just a way to allow Lothal to have a lesser "boss" while the real one was away to make it easier for the Ghost Crew). I think in Season 2 we finally see her, but only in mid-season 3 are they starting to show how formidable she really is. Well done in the long game.
• Simplicity done well: I really enjoyed that the overall plot was rather simple. It had a few loose ends (Ezra and the droids making it onto the Chimera with NO warning flags at all), but it made for a good semi-thriller plot line without trying to be too convoluted in order to be "cool" like so many plots are these days. Kallus sees the opportunity to frame Lyst to give himself some space from the interrogation, and executes it well (unfortunately to little avail).
• Kallus staying on the Chimera: Others have mentioned he should have never stayed, and while that decision will end up being a bad one for him (and the Rebels), I think this makes for a much better story line. If he had escaped in this episode, it would have obviously revealed him as the traitor. The Rebels would have gained another person, sure, but it would have been a rather abrupt change to the situation, whereas with him staying it can allow the tension to continue, and allow the audience to continue to see the decisions being made on the Imperial side.

I really enjoyed this episode. It was different without feeling out of place, and gave huge amounts of "glue" to hold multiple aspects of the Imperial storyline together. I would not say it is a "favorite" or "best" but it is definitely one of the most solid episodes of the series from a multilayered, long game storytelling approach, without being overly complicated.

One other point to make - this episode should (but won't) put to rest any question as to whether Rebels is overall focusing on Ezra. The fact that in this Imperial-focused episode they still ensured Ezra was there for most/all of it, as they have continued to do on every other episode focusing on another character, shows this series will be the overall story of Ezra Bridger. Whether you want it to be that way or not is irrelevant, that is what the show is doing. There will not be episodes done as asides with completely different characters - Ezra will be in every one, and the series as a whole will be his story, whatever that ends up being. I personally have accepted that for what it is, and even though his involvement in the episode opens up the most plot holes, I still thoroughly enjoyed the episode.

 

Really good episode! Though I missed Hera, Sabine and Zeb.

Agent Kallus has been one of the great additions to the Star Wars universe. We have learned that not all those who serve the Empire are cold-hearted and ruthless: they might think they are doing the right thing, from a certain point of view. And it is good to see that some of those Imperials experience a transformation towards helping the Rebellion, like he did. However, having Thrawn interacting with him, especially the character we expect from him as a strategist, might not end up well for our Fulcrum No. 2.

I thought the same when Thrawn was looking at the map!

We don't know yet how long he will be onstage - if he will survive until the OT - but when I saw his martial arts expertise, I thought of him fighting another character we know...

Some might think interesting that Yularen used to fight along the Jedi and even if he had the opportunity to witness their character on the fight, how he could continue working with the Empire after Order 66? Well, I think it is totally understandable since he could have bought the official version of the Jedi betrayal and move along with the progress that Palpatine's Empire promised for the galaxy.

 

Yeah, I think it is imperative to have characters that we see make the transition from the Republic to the Empire, since there would inevitably be many of them.

 

The official version is technically accurate actually (from a certain point of view that is). The Jedi did try to forcefully remove Palpatine from power. They attempted to arrest him with no real proof for something that isn’t really a crime - being Sith. It essentially was a coup.

I’m sure the elimination of the remaining Jedi wasn’t related to the officers as an orchestrated extermination. It would have been legitimized as a necessary response to the imminent threat. Career men like Yularen and Tarkin surely would have viewed the Jedi as traitors to the Republic - former allies or not.

 

@porkozone @PrincessLeiaCB3 I always love hearing what you two have to say about the episodes.

I totally agree. Great point. Palpy mostly tells the truth...in a way that manipulates. Did you read the ROTS book? He makes is super clear that the jedi were taking over.

 

No, I didn't read the novelization. The movie states the "Jedi rebellion" was "foiled" so I figured what spin was being put on it.

I did read the 'Declaration of a New Order' speech that I'm not sure is canon. It's pretty verbose. It's Basically Palp-tastic detailing specifically how politics in AGFFA got from the PT to the OT - sprinkled with propagandist flare.

 

So true!

And I think it helps towards the perspective of so many people around the galaxy, many thought the Force and the Jedi to be some weird mumbo-jumbo and would not have suspected the Emperor was a Sith taking over the galaxy.

Aside of it, helps as well with the perspective that not because you belong to the Imperial ranks you are evil. It all depends on the point of view.

Thanks!!

I have the ROTS book on my To-Read list but let's say Aftermath: Empire's End took preference LOL.

 

Especially since the rise of the Empire did coincide with galactic peace . . . of sorts. If you never experienced the tyrannical arm of the Empire fist hand, you probably would view them as the good guys and the people trying to tear it down as the bad guys. It's what you do with that reality when you're confronted with the horrible truth that decides your true character. I'm glad we're starting to get this alternate perspective in canon material now.

 

They attempted to remove Palpatine from power because he committed treason against the Republic. He instigated a war that killed a great many people. Since he was behind the war the powers he accumulated to supposedly fight the war could also be seen as subversion of the government. Tarkin really is just as bad as Palpatine don't paint him as just following orders. All of this is a fiction but in this story the Empire is a stand in for real life historical evil. I find it funny how people can excuse the characters when hopefully they wouldn't excuse the real life examples.

 

Agent Kallus had enough time to escape with Ezra, so if he is taken out it won't bother me at all. His arrogance will be his demise.