Star Wars: Rebels

[Batman]

Given the similar if not identical visuals I kinda assumed it was just a variation of his slingshot.

[Rogue 9]

It's also nice that having the bad guy act competently forces the writers to have the heroes to act smarter; Ezra using a wild animal to attack the probe droid was an awesome illustration of that. I like that they actually called out the ineptitude of the previous characters, I had thought it was intentional.

Yeah, it was great. In fact, let's watch it again.

[NecronLord]

Given the similar if not identical visuals I kinda assumed it was just a variation of his slingshot.

I think he might have dismantled it and used it in the saber.

[RogueIce]

So here's a neat bit of info: apparently Starwars.com includes an audio cue from each episode. What's that you say? You'd like some direct links to awesome Rebels music? Why certainly!

S01E01 - "Zeb Orrelios"
S01E02 - "All for Fruit"
S01E03 - "Enter the Inquisitor"
S01E04 - "The Well"
S01E05 - "Abandoned Base"
S01E06 - "Glory of the Empire"
S01E07 - "Imperial Inquisition"
S01E08 - "Yoda's Guidance"
S01E09 - "Lando and the Rebels"
S02E10 - "Hera and Ezra Talk"
S01E11 - "Kanan at the Gate"

[The Romulan Republic]

Some thoughts on the Tarkin decapitation thing:

First of all, I wonder if they were clever enough to take advantage of the pre-conceptions about the show. I know a lot of people didn't expect much from it because it was a Disney show, and the light, childish tone of some of the earlier stuff seemed to fit with that, which makes Tarkin doing something like that all the more shocking. In other words, did they just completely play the fans here?

Secondly, I'm particularly surprised that they would go with decapitation of all things given the current context. Sure, its an ancient method of execution, and not an implausible one when you have a guy with a light sabre as your executioner, but its not a method that was ever particularly associated with Tarkin or the Empire to my knowledge. But it is associated with a certain group currently in the news a lot: The Islamic State. I don't know if that was a reference they intended but it makes the whole scene that much darker and more shocking.

But on the whole, I think its a good move. I'm not a fan of gratuitous violence or grimdark stuff, but this was, I think a carefully calculated move to shift the tone of the series to something more in keeping with the horror and fear one would expect of the Empire at its height. The details might be up for debate, but from what I've seen of Rebels, doing something like this was necessary.

[Tychu]

To be fair, they didn't see a head lolling around or the actual execution. We just saw the reactions of the other characters.

I did like it very much however.

[Rogue 9]

Well we get to see what they do with Kanan now that they've got him tonight. And I'm willing to bet it isn't going to be pretty, though they might cut away just as it properly starts (which isn't really a strike, given that they did the same thing in A New Hope).

[bilateralrope]

but its not a method that was ever particularly associated with Tarkin or the Empire to my knowledge.

What methods of execution do you associate with the Empire ?

The only one that comes to mind is a force choke, something only Vader did.

[The Romulan Republic]

I think I recall hearing that Tarkin sent someone out of an airlock in one EU work, though I'm not clear on the details. There's also Force chokes (for Vader) and Force lightning (for Palpatine). And Thrawn, as I recall, used a Noghiri's blade, though I don't recall weather it was decapitation. And there may be other examples. But if I'd had to guess, I'd probably have gone with a firing squad as the most common method when a quick execution (as opposed to torture) was ordered.

Edit: I have no particular basis for that beyond it seeming to fit the Empire's militaristic style and the ubiquitous blasters.

[Rogue 9]

Yeah, but it's hard to set up a surprise firing squad. The scene was constructed to come off as a shock, and marching them up against a wall with a line of stormtroopers telegraphs what's coming in a way much more obvious than the Inquisitor casually strolling behind them did.

[The Romulan Republic]

They could have done a blaster shot to the head then. And with that I'm going to stop this line of speculation because its getting pretty morbid. And its not like I care a great deal about the method of execution.

[Rogue 9]

Yeah, but then it would be Kallus (I still can't believe they named him that) doing the executing, and in-universe Tarkin's entire point was to impress the price of failure onto Kallus and the minister.

[Rogue 9]

Ghetto edit: Though I suppose they could have had the two stormtroopers that came in with Tarkin (wearing the black shoulder pads) in the room and have them do it. That would actually make more sense, except I don't think that Tarkin can reasonably expect to intimidate the Inquisitor.

[RogueIce]

So according to Pablo Hidalgo in the latest Rebels Recon, the Jedi get treated as "fairy tales" because hey, there were only 10,000 or so in the entire galaxy so it's not like a lot of people would have seen one, and they'd mostly be some "abstract concept" of yes, they exist, but what they're like and all that is very much up in the air. And thus it's pretty easy for a concerted propaganda effort to twist public perception of them.

Or in other words...what a lot of us have already said regarding the 'mythic' status of the Jedi. So clearly, Pablo Hidalgo gets it.

[SilverDragonRed]

This might just be me, but do the Blumtroopers seem to be a really crappy job of securing Lothal?

[Lord Revan]

This might just be me, but do the Blumtroopers seem to be a really crappy job of securing Lothal?

yeah, always assumed that Lothal Stormtroopers are the rear echelon unit that has the lowest quality troops the empire has cause Lothal is a low priority system with low risk of open rebellion (or at least it was until the series started), while systems with higher risk of rebellion (like say Nemodia) would have better quality troops.

[Rekkon]

I think I recall hearing that Tarkin sent someone out of an airlock in one EU work, though I'm not clear on the details.

Yup.

Tarkin's relationship with Daala led to some rumors among subordinates that she had only obtained her rank by sleeping with the Grand Moff. Enraged when he overhead one young officer mutter a complaint to that effect, Tarkin had the lieutenant ejected in a spacesuit with a day's supply of air and piped his open comm over the intercom of his flagship so the entire crew were forced to listen as he raged, pleaded, and died. After that incident, Tarkin heard no further whispering.

[SilverDragonRed]

yeah, always assumed that Lothal Stormtroopers are the rear echelon unit that has the lowest quality troops the empire has cause Lothal is a low priority system with low risk of open rebellion (or at least it was until the series started), while systems with higher risk of rebellion (like say Nemodia) would have better quality troops.

Didn't think of it like that. I was starting to think that the Stormtoads from 'Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars' could do a better job. Although, they might mistake Steve Plum for a bezerker baboon and run away from every fight.

[Lord Revan]

yeah, always assumed that Lothal Stormtroopers are the rear echelon unit that has the lowest quality troops the empire has cause Lothal is a low priority system with low risk of open rebellion (or at least it was until the series started), while systems with higher risk of rebellion (like say Nemodia) would have better quality troops.

Didn't think of it like that.

It makes sense for Lothal to be this backwater system that was mostly subjugated and thus not in high risk of open rebellion, so imperial military presence is of low quality and probably too low to stop the system from going into open rebellion should.

systems with high risk of open rebellion like for example the former main CIS worlds or systems like Mandalore are probably monitored closely for any sign of sedition and if found any sedition is stamped out quickly and effienciently and they have a strong imperial military presence both in quality and numbers.

from Lothal the rebel presence can spread to the neighbouring systems then to neighbouring sectors before the Empire can bring enough military might to quell the rebellion be it truly began. Assuming it's low priority system that is.

[bilateralrope]

If you were a Jedi wanting to hide after Order 66, a backwater system with a weak Imperial presence seems like the perfect place.

[Lord Revan]

If you were a Jedi wanting to hide after Order 66, a backwater system with a weak Imperial presence seems like the perfect place.

forgot about him. It wouldn't surprice me at all if the Lothal Garrison was a place where they sent the children of the imperial upper class who wanted a military career to get "field experience" while being more or less safe from any danger, you don't need alot of officers and NCOs like that and the place is a total disaster when it comes to being used in anything resembling combat.

[Rogue 9]

Okay, first things first:





The last second of both of those. This had better be good.

(Also, that force of ships shown with the Ghost should have no chance against the pair of Star Destroyers they're closing in on, and I hope the producers realize that.)

So according to Pablo Hidalgo in the latest Rebels Recon, the Jedi get treated as "fairy tales" because hey, there were only 10,000 or so in the entire galaxy so it's not like a lot of people would have seen one, and they'd mostly be some "abstract concept" of yes, they exist, but what they're like and all that is very much up in the air. And thus it's pretty easy for a concerted propaganda effort to twist public perception of them.

Or in other words...what a lot of us have already said regarding the 'mythic' status of the Jedi. So clearly, Pablo Hidalgo gets it.

Good. Now to hope he realizes that the exact same is true of three million clones.

[Batman]

' The uploader has not made that video available in your country.'

[Lord Revan]

' The uploader has not made that video available in your country.'

I'm guessing it's US only cause I can't access it either

[Rogue 9]

Okay fine, Spoiler

Darth Vader is in the season finale.