SPECULATION So, Sabine and Ezra

I've thought about making a post about this for a while, and I think now might be a good time. I've been lurking on this forum for a while, and the last time I saw this topic touched on in any significant way was a good while ago in story terms. Before Trials of the Darksaber and Legacy of Mandalore and even before Imperial Supercommandos back in the last season. The majority opinion back then seemed to mostly be some form of "Sabine tolerates him as a crewmember or annoying little brother, or thinks he's some punk kid", aka the way she thought of him in Season 1 and some of 2. Well a lot of time and episodes have passed since then, and I'm wondering if anyone has revised their opinion.

Since then we've seen the two of them work together on their own several times in season 3, and now in season 4. In fact, all of the episodes released so far (and from the previews both of the ones next week) have Sabine and Ezra as sort of a team-within-the-Ghost-team dynamic going on. And from interviews and statements put out by Filoni and LSG, Ezra and Sabine having to work on their own without the rest of the cast to rely on is going to keep being a major theme throughout the rest of this season, and the trailers, images, and episodes released so far seem to support that. It seems to me that the writers are setting those two up as some kind of pair for something. I can't guess what that might be, though I am not shy about admitting I hope it ends up being romantic.

But I'm curious what others think about their dynamic, chemistry, and future together (or apart if that's what happens). I personally think they have amazing chemistry, as friends, as fighters and team mates, and I think that could easily be extended to something deeper and more romantic. I don't actually think that this season will show that happening nearly as much as it obviously has/is with Hera and Kanan. I think the most we'll likely get to see this season is maybe them holding hands at some point near the end of the show and a few hints that something more might be going on, if anything at all.

So, what are your thoughts on these two characters? How they've grown individually, and especially in relation to each other? Is there anything you expect to see this season, or hope to? Would you like to see a novel or comic focusing on them post-show if they live? Do you want them to live, etc. Thoughts on the post-series Mandalorian Ezra theory? Did you have an opinion about possible romance between them before and if so, have you changed it or are you still sticking with the "no that's gross and unrealistic" sense that many seem to hold?

Sabine and Ezra have become my favorite characters of the show, and doubly so as a pair. Their scenes together always make me smile and I admit I watch each new episode hoping to see a little more development for them as individuals and as a pair in an emotional and relationship sense, not just them going on missions and fighting (though that stuff is awesome too).

And to preemptively address a common criticism/point; I'm not saying the show should transition to being about them and some kind of romantic thing. I'm not at all looking for Rebels to become "Yavin 90210". But there is a difference between something being included, alluded to, mentioned, briefly shown, etc and being about that. Hera and Kanan's thing has been part of the story since before the show starts, and has been a consistent theme throughout all 4 seasons so far plus the A New Dawn novel, but I don't think anyone would say that Rebels is about Kanan and Hera's relationship. I'm not looking for that with Sabine and Ezra either, just to clear that up.

 

So far I think next week's episodes might be a good chance to see if that's changed any.

 

I've seen that impression a number of times, and I've always felt that was mostly projection on the part of the viewer. People want to see them as one big family, and some things indicate that, like the way Hera and Kanan act as mom and dad, so viewers fill in the blanks in their minds and push Sabine and Ezra into the kids box. But I feel that just because some of us look at it that way, it doesn't mean that the characters look at it that way. And we've never actually seen anything in the show to indicate that Sabine and Ezra see each other as siblings. That's just viewers projecting how they see the characters onto the characters.

 

I think they're trying to set up the possibility too, even if they don't take it as far as to make it happen in the show. Filoni said flat out that a major focus of season 4 is going to be Sabine and Ezra learning to work together more often apart from the rest of the crew. Even the season 4 trailer said that this season is about these two character specifically in the voice over. I'm not sure what that is all working towards, but it sure seems like it's working towards something involving Sabine and Ezra as a pair of some kind.

 

I know I'm in the extreme minority, maybe even the only one, but I feel the complete opposite. I had a real tough time getting through TCW and I felt myself not really caring about anyone in the whole show. There were a few exceptions like Ahsoka and a few notable clones, but overall the way it jumped around from battle to battle with separate characters made me lose interest in what was going on with any specific person most of the time. And the fact that before the show even began, we knew exactly what happened to most of the main cast. Anytime Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padme, etc were in trouble there was no suspense for me because I knew that they would make it through to EpIII and what happened after. Even the attempts to interject some drama into it like by introducing Padme's Banking Clan ex-bf fell short because I knew that eventually she stuck with Anakin up to the point he kills her. The action in TCW was fun, but the most of the show felt really shallow to me, with a few exceptions.

Rebels on the other hand is much more interesting because we spend the whole series with these new characters and really get to know them, and don't know how most end up.

As far as the rest of you comment, I do agree with all that. I think the show is definitely setting them up as a possible romantic thing, and I think you're probably right that they won't really do much with it in the show beyond hinting that it's possible, with novels or comics being the route they'll take afterwards if they decide to do anything at all.

And your comparison to Kanan and Hera is spot on. The novel A New Dawn shows us that Kanan and Hera started out exactly the way Sabine and Ezra did. Kanan was a brash flirty Scum and Hera didn't want to be involved with him outside of a useful team mate. Kanan obviously matured over time and we end up with them being involved now. That mirrors how Sabine and Ezra started out really well. It's like poetry...

 

We got a little bit. Not as much as I'd like, but it wasn't nothing. More than the Saw episodes anyways. She was making a few flirty (but in her sarcastic way) comments towards him, they really did a good job playing off each other's strengths during the raid on the TIE base. Though Ezra trying to get her to pay on their first date is just tacky haha. C'mon man.