Written by: Kevin Berge
One day, we'll get a Star Wars series without Jedi dominating. It's not this series. (Image Courtesy of: starwars.com)
Quick Take: Star Wars Rebels Season 4 is a worthy ending to an impactful addition to the Star Wars canon that grew with time. This final chapter had the most complete journey of any season by tightening its number of episodes and focusing on the essential final act of the Rebels fighting the Empire for Lothal.
Star Wars Reviews: Episode I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | Rogue One | Clone Wars (2003)| The Clone Wars (2008) | Rebels (S1/S2/S3)
***This review will contain heavy spoilers and expects the reader to have seen all of Star Wars Rebels. Do not read ahead if you plan to watch the show but have not made it to the end of the series yet.***
Now looking back at Rebels in its complete form, it feels like the purest exploration of what Star Wars is in its most base form. It is good vs. evil. It is heroes coming to understand they are heroes. It's friends coming together to make each other better.
While far from perfect, its clear growth was a natural progression from what Clone Wars became. It starts faster and gets more complex faster in the progress. By the fourth season, it felt like I was truly watching one of the best Star Wars stories come to its conclusion.
I say that with a few caveats. Despite serving as the main character for the most part, Ezra is still the worst hero in the group. Thrawn was a great last figure to define this fight, but he was never able to match up to the last arc of Darth Maul that defined season 3.
Meanwhile, it was sometimes a bit difficult to pin down exactly what role Governor Pryce was supposed to play throughout. At times, she was a great symbol of true loyalty to the Empire. Other times, she just seemed to be around to be the one to fail so that Thrawn didn't look bad.
Overall though, it is hard to fault the show when it adds so much unique perspective to the whole universe. In particular, "A World Between Worlds" may be the most ambitious addition to Star Wars lore in any medium. It gives a great deal of added perspective to the Force and its power.
The best episode though is clearly "Jedi Knight" in which Kanan makes the ultimate sacrifice to save everyone else, finally taking on the role of Jedi that he lost after Order 66. His death is the most impactful ending for any one of the Rebels in this series even though time is spent in the final episodes giving fine conclusions for each hero.
***This review will contain heavy spoilers and expects the reader to have seen all of Star Wars Rebels. Do not read ahead if you plan to watch the show but have not made it to the end of the series yet.***
Now looking back at Rebels in its complete form, it feels like the purest exploration of what Star Wars is in its most base form. It is good vs. evil. It is heroes coming to understand they are heroes. It's friends coming together to make each other better.
While far from perfect, its clear growth was a natural progression from what Clone Wars became. It starts faster and gets more complex faster in the progress. By the fourth season, it felt like I was truly watching one of the best Star Wars stories come to its conclusion.
I say that with a few caveats. Despite serving as the main character for the most part, Ezra is still the worst hero in the group. Thrawn was a great last figure to define this fight, but he was never able to match up to the last arc of Darth Maul that defined season 3.
Meanwhile, it was sometimes a bit difficult to pin down exactly what role Governor Pryce was supposed to play throughout. At times, she was a great symbol of true loyalty to the Empire. Other times, she just seemed to be around to be the one to fail so that Thrawn didn't look bad.
Overall though, it is hard to fault the show when it adds so much unique perspective to the whole universe. In particular, "A World Between Worlds" may be the most ambitious addition to Star Wars lore in any medium. It gives a great deal of added perspective to the Force and its power.
The best episode though is clearly "Jedi Knight" in which Kanan makes the ultimate sacrifice to save everyone else, finally taking on the role of Jedi that he lost after Order 66. His death is the most impactful ending for any one of the Rebels in this series even though time is spent in the final episodes giving fine conclusions for each hero.
If you look too close, you might start to see that The Force has a religious element. (Image Courtesy of: starwarsnewsnet.com)
"Family Reunion and Farewell" showcases the primary problem with making the villain a super genius. Throughout this show, Thrawn is built up much as he was when he was first introduced as someone who cannot be out-thought. For him to lose, someone had to step up.
It doesn't quite feel right that Ezra is the one to beat him. Despite his position in the story, he was never really much for intelligence and strategy. It would have been better if each member of the Ghost crew had a role in the final strategy.
The final two episodes are strong, entertaining experiences, but they seem to lose what matters most and made the preceding few episodes so impactful. They let Ezra take over when this was always a show about a family coming together and learning from one another.
This is a minor complaint that keeps the fourth season from outshining the third, but I still can say with confidence that Rebels is a great series as a whole. I had my doubts, and it took me a while to give it a real firm chance. My doubts were mostly unfounded.
This show was built for a young audience, more protective of the age rating than Clone Wars was, but it comes off as universal, for all Star Wars fans. It is not so dark that it cannot be enjoyed and also not so light that it lacks weight. It has just the right balance.
I would like to see someone take Star Wars in fresh directions, taking real risks, but, as a symbol of what has made Star Wars so effective over so many years, Rebels is certainly among the best the franchise has to offer.
It doesn't quite feel right that Ezra is the one to beat him. Despite his position in the story, he was never really much for intelligence and strategy. It would have been better if each member of the Ghost crew had a role in the final strategy.
The final two episodes are strong, entertaining experiences, but they seem to lose what matters most and made the preceding few episodes so impactful. They let Ezra take over when this was always a show about a family coming together and learning from one another.
This is a minor complaint that keeps the fourth season from outshining the third, but I still can say with confidence that Rebels is a great series as a whole. I had my doubts, and it took me a while to give it a real firm chance. My doubts were mostly unfounded.
This show was built for a young audience, more protective of the age rating than Clone Wars was, but it comes off as universal, for all Star Wars fans. It is not so dark that it cannot be enjoyed and also not so light that it lacks weight. It has just the right balance.
I would like to see someone take Star Wars in fresh directions, taking real risks, but, as a symbol of what has made Star Wars so effective over so many years, Rebels is certainly among the best the franchise has to offer.
