Blu-ray Review: 'Star Wars: Rebels - The Complete Season Three'
Created by: Simon Kinberg, Carrie Beck, and Dave Filoni
Based on the works of George Lucas
The story of the Ghost crew is far from over. While Sabine confronts new challenges on her home world of Mandalore, Ezra's growing power as both a Jedi and a rebel leader helps the rebellion acquire new resources and new recruits for the fight ahead. However, the Imperial effort to eliminate the rebellion is now being led by the coldly calculating Grand Admiral Thrawn, whose strategic, tactical, and cultural insights make him a threat unlike any they have faced before. - Synopsis on Blu-ray packaging
On September 24, 2016, the Disney XD cable channel aired Star Wars: Rebels - Steps Into Shadows, a one-hour TV movie written by Steven Melching and Matt Michnovetz and directed by Bosco Ng and Mel Zwyer. Set six months after the events of Twilight of the Apprentice, the third season premiere of Star Wars: Rebels (which was later split into two separate episodes) is notable for:
- The first onscreen appearance of Lothal's Imperial Governor, Arihnda Pryce (Mary E. McGlynn)
- The first canonical appearance of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), a long-time fan favorite created by author Timothy Zahn in his 1990s Thrawn Trilogy
- The introduction of the Bendu (Tom Baker), a powerful Force wielder who is neither Jedi or Sith
Steps Into Shadow also showed us an Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray) who has grown both in height and in his Force-wielding abilities. In the six-month gap between Seasons Two and Three, the orphaned adolescent experienced a growth spurt and changed his look. Yep, in Season Three, the Loth rat-turned-Jedi apprentice is taller and has his hair cut short in a sort of militaristic fashion.
But even as Ezra becomes an experienced battle leader in the nascent Rebel Alliance, he is still under the shadowy influence of the fallen Sith Lord Maul (Sam Witwer). And unbeknownst to the rest of the Ghost crew - especially Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) - Ezra is using the Sith Holocron and the dark side of the Force to increase his power during missions against the Empire.
Ezra is joined in his many adventures not only by Kanan, who is recovering from the wounds inflicted on him by Maul during a fateful battle on Malachor, but also by:
But even as Ezra becomes an experienced battle leader in the nascent Rebel Alliance, he is still under the shadowy influence of the fallen Sith Lord Maul (Sam Witwer). And unbeknownst to the rest of the Ghost crew - especially Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) - Ezra is using the Sith Holocron and the dark side of the Force to increase his power during missions against the Empire.
Ezra is joined in his many adventures not only by Kanan, who is recovering from the wounds inflicted on him by Maul during a fateful battle on Malachor, but also by:
- Captain Hera Syndulla (Vanessa Marshall), the Ghost's Twi'lek captain, a Rebel fighter pilot and the daughter of the famous Cham Syndulla, veteran of the Clone Wars
- Zeb Orrelius (Steve Blum), one of the few surviving members of the Lasat, a race that was nearly annihilated by the Empire
- Sabine Wren (Tiya Sircan), a 17-year-old Mandalorian who left the Imperial Academy and turned her back on the tyrannical Empire
- C1-OP, "Chopper," a cantankerous astromech droid
Star Wars: Rebels is inspired not just by George Lucas's original 1977 Star Wars film, but also from various TV and movie Westerns (including 1992's Unforgiven), and the action-adventure series The A-Team. It's also a glimpse at the birth of the Rebel Alliance and a canonical connection between the Classic Trilogy (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi), the Prequels, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
The series' third season resumed on October 1, 2016 with the episode Holocrons of Fate and ended on March 25, 2017 with the one-hour TV movie Zero Hour; like Steps Into Shadow, this was later broken up into two episodes for rebroadcasts on Disney XD and on home media releases.
Star Wars: Rebels contains the following episodes
The series' third season resumed on October 1, 2016 with the episode Holocrons of Fate and ended on March 25, 2017 with the one-hour TV movie Zero Hour; like Steps Into Shadow, this was later broken up into two episodes for rebroadcasts on Disney XD and on home media releases.
Star Wars: Rebels contains the following episodes
- Steps Into Shadow - Part One
- Steps Into Shadow - Part Two
- Holocrons of Fate
- The Antilles Extraction
- Hera's Heroes
- The Last Battle
- Imperial Supercommandos
- Iron Squadron
- The Wynkathu Job
- An Inside Man
- Visions and Voices
- Ghosts of Geonosis - Part One
- Ghosts of Geonosis - Part Two
- Warhead
- Trials of the Darksaber
- Legacy of Mandalore
- Through Imperial Eyes
- Secret Cargo
- Double Agent Droid
- Twin Suns
- Zero Hour - Part One
- Zero Hour - Part Two
Although Star Wars: Rebels abandoned the "anthology" narrative approach used in the Cartoon Network's Star Wars: The Clone Wars in favor of a more linear, serialized format, the series follows familiar themes and even wraps up story arcs that Dave Filoni, now head of Lucasfilm Animation, and George Lucas began in the previous animated series.
In the episode The Last Battle, for instance, former Republic clone trooper Rex (Dee Bradley Baker) and the Ghost crew are taken hostage by a remaining batch of Separatist battle droids that seek to end the Clone Wars with a final battle.
The series also brings to an end the Darth Maul arc in several episodes that lead to a final confrontation between the "old master" (Sam Witwer) and an aged Obi-Wan Kenobi (Stephen Stanton, who sounds eerily like the late Alec Guinness) in Twin Suns. The episode is one of my favorites; it not only depicts "old Ben" at a time close to the events of A New Hope, but it also closes the circle that began in 1999 with the introduction of Darth Maul in Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
Furthermore, as Star Wars: Rebels converges on the Star Wars timeline with the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope, many of the episodes (starting with Steps Into Shadow - Parts One and Two) deal with characters and situations depicted in both films. Saw Guerrera (Forest Whittaker) and Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) both reprise their Rogue One roles. Saw figures prominently in Ghosts of Geonosis, while Rebel Alliance leader Mothma appears in Secret Cargo.
Of course, no review of Season Three can ignore the appearance of Grand Admiral Thrawn on Star Wars: Rebels. Although Disney-owned Lucasfilm relegated the old "Expanded Universe" to Legends status, Lucasfilm Animation (especially Filoni and most of his creative team) have followed their former CEO's (Lucas) lead and lifted a few ideas from the non-canonical EU. Some of the Jedi Knights featured in the Prequel Trilogy and Star Wars: The Clone Wars were originally EU characters that Lucas liked and approved for inclusion into official Star Wars lore.
And considering that Timothy Zahn's compelling Grand Admiral Thrawn has been a fan favorite for over 25 years, it's not surprising that Filoni has long crusaded for his appearance as a major threat to the Rebels on Lothal and aboard the Ghost.
For the TV series, Lucasfilm Animation changed Thrawn's look a little; instead of simply looking like a human with blue skin, black hair, and red eyes, the Grand Admiral now has a subtle alien mien, with sharper cheekbones and a different shape to the skull beneath his skin. Other than that, Lucasfilm kept the core personality of Star Wars' most compelling villain since Darth Vader appeared in the original 1977 film.
Voiced by Danish actor Lars Mikkelsen (elder brother to Mads Mikkelsen, Rogue One's Galen Erso), Thrawn is still the Empire's brightest military genius. As in Legends' Thrawn Trilogy novels, the Grand Admiral analyzes his enemies' culture, art, and military tactics to discern their strengths and weaknesses - then carries out devastating attacks against them.
Because the events of Star Wars: Rebels are beginning to line up with Rogue One and A New Hope, Lucasfilm announced that Season Four, which is airing on Disney XD as this review is being written, will be the series' last. Needless to say, Thrawn is still around and making life difficult for the Ghost crew and the nascent Rebel Alliance.
But that, dear reader, is a story - and a review - for another day.
The Blu-ray
On August 29, 2017, Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) and Lucasfilm released Star Wars: Rebels - The Complete Season Three on Blu-ray (BD) and DVD. The 1080p high definition set consists of three BDs packed in a blue-hued plastic jewel case.
The Blu-ray Set
Like other Buena Vista Home Entertainment Star Wars-related Blu-ray sets, Star Wars: Rebels - The Complete Season Three comes in a standard-sized multi-disc jewel case which holds three Blu-ray discs (BDs). Disc One is stored by itself in the inner part of the front cover; BDs Two and Three are "stacked" on one another inside the "back cover" part of the case.
In the episode The Last Battle, for instance, former Republic clone trooper Rex (Dee Bradley Baker) and the Ghost crew are taken hostage by a remaining batch of Separatist battle droids that seek to end the Clone Wars with a final battle.
The series also brings to an end the Darth Maul arc in several episodes that lead to a final confrontation between the "old master" (Sam Witwer) and an aged Obi-Wan Kenobi (Stephen Stanton, who sounds eerily like the late Alec Guinness) in Twin Suns. The episode is one of my favorites; it not only depicts "old Ben" at a time close to the events of A New Hope, but it also closes the circle that began in 1999 with the introduction of Darth Maul in Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
Furthermore, as Star Wars: Rebels converges on the Star Wars timeline with the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope, many of the episodes (starting with Steps Into Shadow - Parts One and Two) deal with characters and situations depicted in both films. Saw Guerrera (Forest Whittaker) and Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) both reprise their Rogue One roles. Saw figures prominently in Ghosts of Geonosis, while Rebel Alliance leader Mothma appears in Secret Cargo.
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| Grand Admiral Thrawn as seen on Star Wars: Rebels. (C) 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) |
Of course, no review of Season Three can ignore the appearance of Grand Admiral Thrawn on Star Wars: Rebels. Although Disney-owned Lucasfilm relegated the old "Expanded Universe" to Legends status, Lucasfilm Animation (especially Filoni and most of his creative team) have followed their former CEO's (Lucas) lead and lifted a few ideas from the non-canonical EU. Some of the Jedi Knights featured in the Prequel Trilogy and Star Wars: The Clone Wars were originally EU characters that Lucas liked and approved for inclusion into official Star Wars lore.
And considering that Timothy Zahn's compelling Grand Admiral Thrawn has been a fan favorite for over 25 years, it's not surprising that Filoni has long crusaded for his appearance as a major threat to the Rebels on Lothal and aboard the Ghost.
For the TV series, Lucasfilm Animation changed Thrawn's look a little; instead of simply looking like a human with blue skin, black hair, and red eyes, the Grand Admiral now has a subtle alien mien, with sharper cheekbones and a different shape to the skull beneath his skin. Other than that, Lucasfilm kept the core personality of Star Wars' most compelling villain since Darth Vader appeared in the original 1977 film.
Voiced by Danish actor Lars Mikkelsen (elder brother to Mads Mikkelsen, Rogue One's Galen Erso), Thrawn is still the Empire's brightest military genius. As in Legends' Thrawn Trilogy novels, the Grand Admiral analyzes his enemies' culture, art, and military tactics to discern their strengths and weaknesses - then carries out devastating attacks against them.
Because the events of Star Wars: Rebels are beginning to line up with Rogue One and A New Hope, Lucasfilm announced that Season Four, which is airing on Disney XD as this review is being written, will be the series' last. Needless to say, Thrawn is still around and making life difficult for the Ghost crew and the nascent Rebel Alliance.
But that, dear reader, is a story - and a review - for another day.
The Blu-ray
 |
| (C) 2017 Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) and Buena Vista Home Entertainment |
On August 29, 2017, Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) and Lucasfilm released Star Wars: Rebels - The Complete Season Three on Blu-ray (BD) and DVD. The 1080p high definition set consists of three BDs packed in a blue-hued plastic jewel case.
The Blu-ray Set
Like other Buena Vista Home Entertainment Star Wars-related Blu-ray sets, Star Wars: Rebels - The Complete Season Three comes in a standard-sized multi-disc jewel case which holds three Blu-ray discs (BDs). Disc One is stored by itself in the inner part of the front cover; BDs Two and Three are "stacked" on one another inside the "back cover" part of the case.
I'm not crazy about this method of storage; on the one hand, it's less complicated than other multi-disc packaging that has fragile moving parts.
On the other hand, sometimes it's difficult to get Disc One out of its compartment, especially when the set is brand new and you want to take the BD with Episodes 1-8 out of the jewel case for the first time. To eject the disc from its storage compartment, you must firmly push the "button" that grips the BD at the center, but not so hard that you poke a hole in the thin plastic of the casing.
The three BDs divide the 22 episodes of Season Three like so:
Disc One: Episodes 1-8
Disc Two: Episodes 9-16
Disc Three: Episodes 17-22
In addition to the 22 Star Wars: Rebels episodes listed earlier, The Complete Second Season includes several extra features, some of which are exclusive to the Blu-ray set.
Bonus Features
Blu-ray Exclusive: Return to Mandalore
Thrawn: A Legend Reborn
On the other hand, sometimes it's difficult to get Disc One out of its compartment, especially when the set is brand new and you want to take the BD with Episodes 1-8 out of the jewel case for the first time. To eject the disc from its storage compartment, you must firmly push the "button" that grips the BD at the center, but not so hard that you poke a hole in the thin plastic of the casing.
The three BDs divide the 22 episodes of Season Three like so:
Disc One: Episodes 1-8
Disc Two: Episodes 9-16
Disc Three: Episodes 17-22
In addition to the 22 Star Wars: Rebels episodes listed earlier, The Complete Second Season includes several extra features, some of which are exclusive to the Blu-ray set.
Bonus Features
Blu-ray Exclusive: Return to Mandalore
Thrawn: A Legend Reborn
Apprentices to Outcasts: Kenobi and Maul
The Original Rebel: Saw Guerrera Returns - Expanded
Five Audio Commentaries
A Rebel Alliance
A Rebel Alliance
Rebels Recon: 22 quick and light-hearted episode recaps hosted by Lucasfilm publicist and Star Wars Show host Andi Gutierrez. These "recons" discuss each Rebels episode and features video clips, interviews with members of the cast and crew, and end with a question (or two) about Star Wars lore for Lucasfilm Story Group head Pablo Hidalgo.
As to the technical aspects of the three-disc set....
The Blu-rays' video quality is nearly flawless, especially for 1080p high-definition TVs, with a colorful palette that includes Thrawn's pale blue skin and Hera's greenish Twi'lek flesh tones. The details, especially those seen on characters' clothing and the various starships' hulls and interiors, are also well-rendered and reflect the craftsmanship of the graphic artists who work on the series.
The audio elements of the Blu-ray set are not as impressive. Disney discarded Warner Bros. Home Video's use of lossless audio tracks in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars BD sets for Seasons Three, Four, and Five and reverted to the use of a standard Dolby Surround audio track.
Now, I'm not saying that the audio of Star Wars: Rebels is bad. It isn't, and most viewers who are not audiophiles probably won't notice. The audio track is, at best, a good if not thrilling sound presentation that still captures the many sounds of a Star Wars adventure - humming lightsabers, screeching TIE fighters, and booming explosions, as well as an occasional "Wilhelm" scream from a falling stormtrooper. But picky viewers who know about audio tracks and the difference between lossless and "lossy" sound will be annoyed.
That quibble aside, though, Star Wars: Rebels - The Complete Season Three is a fine addition to any Star Wars fan's video collection. It explores many corners of the Star Wars mythology that the feature films have only hinted at or not shown at all, and it gives viewers a richer, more detailed look at the exciting universe created by George Lucas and his creative heirs over the past 40 years.
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