Star Wars is a cinematic icon, but it is much more than its movies. Blaine and Josh dive right into the middle of Star Wars Rebels, the fantastic animated show on Disney XD, and will be reviewing the first half of Season 2. As a show aimed at kids, but also clearly for the kid in every adult Star Wars fan, they’ll also have a discussion section to talk about the themes covered in each show. 

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On the run and without a base, the Rebels are in dire need of medical supplies. Hera sends Sabine, Ezra, Zeb, and Chopper on a mission to scavenge supplies off of an abandoned Republic medical station. Unfortunately, the station is not abandoned, and a seeker droid alerts the Empire of a Rebel presence.  Here we meet two new Inquisitors, the Fifth Brother and the Seventh Sister, who are sent to capture the crew. Sabine and company are stunned to find that the Grand Inquisitor (who was killed in the first season) is not alone. But in an act of selflessness, Ezra sacrifices his own safety to stay behind and fight the Inquisitors, giving the rest of the crew an opportunity to escape. In spite of his valor, the plan ultimately fails, and both Ezra and Sabine are captured by the Fifth Brother and Seventh Sister. The Inquisitors plan to use the Rebels as bait to lure in the rest of Phoenix squadron. However, the two have left Zeb and Chopper behind, an oversight that proves to be their undoing.

Thinking on his feet, Zeb—under the guise of Captain Meiloorun— contacts Sabine and Ezra and says that Phoenix squad would like to board the medical station. The Inquisitors think their trap is a success, but Zeb is able to stealthily sneak the Ghost in a docking bay and rescue his captive friends from the enemy’s clutches. Reunited with Phoenix squadron, Ezra and Sabine inform everyone that there are more Inquisitors, and the episode ends on an ominous note, with Kanan admitting that they have “no idea” what they’re up against.

This episode is fascinating and significant on a number of levels—perhaps most obviously so because the aforementioned revelation about the Inquisitors. We learn that the Inquisitor who was killed in the first season was known as the Grand Inquisitor and served as the leader of the cult-like group. Moreover, the Seventh Sister specifically mentions that his death has opened up advancement opportunities for the rest of the members, and we are led to believe that the numbers by which the Inquisitors self-identify is some indicator of status or rank. We certainly learn more about the Inquisitors later on in season two, but this episode is effective in prompting us to curiosity about this mysterious group.

This episode is also noteworthy insofar as it places a major emphasis on Ezra’s training and growth. In the show’s opening moments we see him bickering with Kanan as he unsuccessfully tries to use the force to lift Chopper off of the ground. His failure stems from a lack of focus and determination, and his frustration and impatience is troubling to Kanan. Therefore, his willingness to put the team’s needs before his own when he stays behind to face the Inquisitors on the medical station is a significant sign of maturity and growth, and his ability to use the force to  summon his lightsaber off of the Inquisitor’s belt in the climax shows that he is, in fact, taking his training to heart. Most impressively, however, Ezra is learning the importance teamwork and self-sacrifice in the face of self-interested servants of the Empire.

 

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REBELS DEBRIEF

Star Wars Rebels is a family show. Parents love watching as much as their kids. Infusing the spiritual with the fantastic and adventurous, Rebels continues the spirit of what makes Star Wars great. In order to foster the young minds and hearts of your Reel World Theologians, each week there are questions you can use during or after the show to talk about with your kids. Enjoy the show and then enjoy conversation, but always remember that story is powerful and Star Wars Rebels is not mindless.

• Why do you think the Rebels are able to work together more effectively than the Inquisitors?
• What are some other ways we see Ezra growing in character, wisdom, and patience?

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REBELS TRIVIA

• This is the first appearance of the Fifth Brother and Seventh Sister
• Zeb’s pseudonym “Captain Meiloorun” is a reference to a mission he was sent on with Ezra in the first season to find the elusive Meiloorun fruit. (The mission was really just a way of getting the two to learn to work together.)