SPOILER The Mystery of Chopper Base

I think that this episode is a good 'calm before the storm' episode. While I'm kinda bummed it wasn't more consequential, there are all of those comments from Hera about how she's worried for Kanan and Ezra and I think it's really just supposed to make us uneasy and offput before we launch into the finale next week.
As for the actual main story of the episode... "Eh" I didn't really have that much investment in it, but it was nice to see Rex back in a significant capacity once again, and Sabine had some nice moments, too.

 

Trivia Gallery

• The smaller shelled creatures are called dokma.
  
• The larger spider creatures are called krykna spiders.
  
• The krykna spider creatures are based on Ralph McQuarrie artwork of enormous arachnids found in the swamps of Dagobah.
  
• It’s fitting that Zeb calls creatures that annoy him “bogans.” That was an early word used in the Star Wars scripts to describe the dark side. The Lasat use the light side counterpart word, “Ashla,” from the same source.
  
• The opening sparring match is the first on-screen appearing of a lightsaber in training mode. It has a dimmer shine and produces a different sound; upon contact, it stings but does not cut or burn.

 

Near the end of the episode Kanan hugged Hera the same way Han hugged Leia before he went to Starkiller base.




I don't think Kanan is coming back man...

 

I take it that rebel pilot got devoured by giant spiders. That's pretty rough.

 

yeah why the hell didn't they save her??

--- Double Post Merged, Mar 24, 2016, Original Post Date: Mar 24, 2016 ---

i honestly enjoyed forgotten droid better than this episode.. it's just that the placement of forgotten droid was off. i think it would have fit very well in the beginning of the season, that way they could have developed the new droid character. that being said, the season finale in one week better be 110% better than the entirety of season 2. they've got many many many things to deliver next week!!!

 

I agree with @Darby that it was odd that they did not keep looking for the pilot. They found Rex and then just left. If the giant space spiders left Rex alive, why would they not have left the pilot alive too?

Another minor issue that I had with the episode is that the rebels were poor shooters. They are normally excellent shooters, but they had difficulties hitting the eyes of the giant space spiders.

The middle part of the episode was not good, but I liked the beginning and the end: The tension between Hera and Kanan, the anger in Ezra, Ezra talking to Zeb, and Hera and Kanan's farewell. The mission of Ahsoka, Kanan and Ezra to Malachor will be dangerous. It is likely that one of the three is not coming back from Malachor.

Having seen a snippet from next week's episode,

Spoiler: SPOILER

I think it might be Ahsoka.

 

On top of that Kanan got knighted as a Jedi a couple of episodes ago.

 

This season of Rebels has stolen alot of cinematography from Star Wars 7

this episode made me say Oh blast,I relay thought one of the ghost crew was going to die

 

THIS !!!! I was like "oh sh*t!" WHY ARE YOU HURTING ME SO MUCH STAR WARS

 

Sorry folks, but I found this episode to be extremely boring. It felt like they added monsters just so viewers wouldn't fall asleep. Spider "glue" holding a spaceship down at full power? COME ON.

If they wanted a throw away episode, I think they should have done something like a bunch of imperial probes land on the planet after they begin the search for the rebels and the whole episode the rebels have to destroy the probes or something to that effect. Don't just make it a bunch of spiders.

 

I liked the episode because it's a slow creep toward the end of the season and we get to see a gradual dark side slide to both of our Jedi. I keep wondering how are they going to distinguish this story from Obi-wan and Anakin. With this episode it looks like Kanan and Ezra might go to the dark side. Kanan's fear of losing Ezra and Ezra's anger at not being powerful enough to fight the Empire.

 

I am excited top learn what the symbolism of the circling bird, why the spiders leave when that happens, and how it is related to Ahsoka's appearance. Actually, that entire scene has a lot going on....

 

This episode was a bit meh for me, though there were a few moments that hit me in my feels. I liked last weeks better. There was more foreshadowing going on, with bits like Ezra saying to Kanan durring the training, 'Since when have you ever been my enemy?'. Literal shadowing when Ashoka leans over Ezra at the end. And yes, the circling raptor has often been the omen of impending death... Then again, it is also traditionally used to represent seeing the larger picture, spirtual insight, and in the case of the hawk, returning prey to the master...

Oh, and the Hera and Kanan embrace at the end was just so like, oh I can't take this, the breaking up of the family, the unrequited love and unspoken feelings, the things that may now never get to be said.... But were said in one moment in an embrace. Oh, the feels!

On the other side of the coin, I wasn't really a fan of the extended Starship Trooperesque scenes with all the Aragogs. Just a bit too drawn out for my liking. I did like how Zeb was a bit arachnophobic though, lol. And yeah, the poor Rebel pilot... And with all that Jedi training you'd think Ezra and Kanan would have a bit better aim with their Force throwing.

Still, now I'm like ready to face the finale. Stuffs gunna get real.

 

Yeah, I've said for weeks on here that I think that trailer did a huge disservice to the viewers. It was too early in the season to give that much away to what appears to be mainly from the last episode, and it kicked too many people into "gotta have only this" mode. I've enjoyed the episodes this season for the most part, but would have enjoyed them more if I hadn't wondered if each episode was going to contain something from the trailer. I'm just glad there is a Star Wars show on TV that I can enjoy with my kids, and am in no hurry. I realize that given the time period this is placed in, they will cause too many problems with continuity trying to squeeze in too much high-stakes plot.

That said, this was probably my least favorite episode so far of the series. Kanan and Ezra felt over the top intense, and that plus the tension between Kanan andHera made the episode feel tense as well. I would guess they were trying to convey a build-up type of tension due to the impending hunt for the inquisitors, but instead it felt like we were just getting to hang out with people in a bad mood all day. Kanan is a recently knighted Jedi, yet he is more impatient and uptight as I have ever seen him, and that just doesn't fit - it makes the episode in the Jedi temple seem pointless, since he finally passed his test by letting go, and now appears to immediately go the other way. I did like that Hera didn't like what was going on, was bothered by it, and eventually discussed it with Kanan - that tension seemed fitting, and handled better than I've seen it done on shows before. But the Jedi-angst was annoying and a bit insulting in a way.

I have good and bad feelings about the whole spider fight plot. The episode felt more like a video game level than a story. I will say that I liked that battling the spiders was not easy at any point (even after they discovered their aversion for the beacon).

The first time I watched, I didn't catch the similarity between the Ezra/Zeb and Kanan/Hera scenes with the sunset in the background.

As with last season, I think many of the small beats in these episodes will make more sense after the finale. Here's hoping.

One question...what was that creature that was sitting on the cliff in the last shot of the episode?? That felt way out of nowhere...

 

The spiders are a blessing in disguise. They are like a natural defense system since the rebels know how to deal with them now.

 

That was the "bird" that was circling above when Ahsoka showed up and the spiders left. It means something, and we will eventually find out what.

 

I have the minority viewpoint again this week, as i enjoyed the episode.

good:
* a sweet send off at the end to explain why the finale doesn't have the rest of the ghost crew. Their reasons for splitting are usually glossed over plot contrivances.

* a little horror is good for kids. Fear is an important emotion, and I feel that kids should experience it in a safe and non-traumatizing manner.

* Not all of the crew were crack shots enough to make the eye shots. This helps show that Sabine is a better shot. Rex also seemed incapable of getting an eye shot. A subtle clue that might foreshadow his retirement soon?

* the frustration of Ezra and symbolism at the end.

bad:
*as others pointed out, another rebel death swept under the rug. No attempt to save the first captured pilot (which kinda sounded like the blue, horned ambassador friend of Padme from the clone wars. Too lazy and disinterested to confirm).

 

You mean Mas Amedda?

He's no friend of Padmé. He's Vice-Chair of the Galactic Senate. Pretty much glued to Palps.