Storm Troopers, TIE Fighters, Star Destroyers, OH MY!
October 3, 2014 9:11 AM   Subscribe

Tonight on Disney channels around the world, Star Wars returns to the small screen with the premier of Rebels! Set only a few years before a protocol droid and R2 unit entered the lives of a moisture farmer, Luke Skywalker, the show follows the adventures of a nascent band of rebels in a galaxy heavily influenced by acclaimed Star Wars artist Ralph McQuarrie and a production intent on recreating the original Star Wars experience. Previously.

For more information, such as links to clips from Rebels, the characters involved, and the opportunity to discuss the episode, check out the Fanfare post!
posted by Atreides (79 comments total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
Unfortunately, I have been trained to dread any and all new additions to Star Wars. The vestigial 8 year old in me still has hope.
posted by nevercalm at 9:19 AM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


I'm sort of the opposite of original trilogy purists, in that I'm all "will this be worthy of Clone Wars?"
posted by Artw at 9:23 AM on October 3, 2014 [11 favorites]


I really enjoyed the Clone Wars animated series (the 3D one and not including the pilot movie), and it helped me realize that my demands on Star Wars, nerd sterotypes aside, are really low. I want it to have spaceships and blasters and action and adventure and be fun.

While it's easy to pick a thousand stupid things about the prequels apart, the real issue is that they weren't any fun. They were just a sad little lead ballon, and when they excised the Lucas dreariness from the animated series it was instantly something I enjoyed again.

Also, after watching Clone Wars and, oddly, the cutscenes that Blur animated for Star Wars: TOR, I realized that Lucas should have just made the prequels as animated movies. It's not the CG that looks out of place and fake in the movies, it's the fucking actors.

So yeah. I really look forward to seeing this whenever it hits Netflix 8.5 years from now.
posted by selfnoise at 9:24 AM on October 3, 2014 [8 favorites]


So we are supposed to get emotionally involved in characters who are probably going to be killed in the interim between the end of Rebels and A New Hope? I'm down as long as their untimely demises are depicted on screen.
posted by Renoroc at 9:25 AM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


Unfortunately, I have been trained to dread any and all new additions to Star Wars.

I'm sort of the opposite of original trilogy purists, in that I'm all "will this be worthy of Clone Wars?"

Only recently have I become willing to begrudgingly accept "Return of the Jedi" as canon.
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:30 AM on October 3, 2014 [7 favorites]


> I realized that Lucas should have just made the prequels as animated movies.

The interminable political twaddle in the first movie could only have been improved by its removal.
posted by ardgedee at 9:32 AM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Ah, thanks for the reminder. I will set up the DVR timer right now.
posted by hippybear at 9:38 AM on October 3, 2014


hey this is cool! I look forward to checking it out. I was a huge fan of Clone Wars once it really started pushing, so hopefully this one will too.
posted by rebent at 9:39 AM on October 3, 2014


I want this to be good (I also wish they made it available for purchase asap for purchase on Amazon Instant).
posted by drezdn at 9:43 AM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


I'm waiting for the actual show (as opposed to the prequels) to appear on iTunes so I can buy it. I still need to watch S5 & S6 of Clone Wars, but I loved it every time I watched it, and everything I've seen of this new series gives me that vibe plus satisfies my inner 10-year-old's desire for original trilogy era canon without having to deal with the entire mass of the old EU.
posted by immlass at 9:43 AM on October 3, 2014


Never-ending war! Now on the Disney Channel®
posted by jeff-o-matic at 9:43 AM on October 3, 2014 [8 favorites]


If you like Star Wars at all, check out the Clone Wars. It deserves its reputation as a Sci-Fi cartoon that's more serious, and more fun, than the prequels. Kids can watch it with their parents.
posted by cell divide at 9:49 AM on October 3, 2014 [3 favorites]


Only recently have I become willing to begrudgingly accept "Return of the Jedi" as canon.

Yeah, I've come to realize that I'm not so much a "Star Wars" fan as I am an "Adventures of Luke Skywalker" fan. (The novelizations and comic books back in the early days were labeled, "From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker".)
posted by The Tensor at 9:50 AM on October 3, 2014 [3 favorites]


Did someone say Clone Wars
posted by curious nu at 9:50 AM on October 3, 2014 [5 favorites]


Faint of Butt: You take that back!
Twin sister, ewoks, Death-star rerun, slave bikini, obvious puppets, Mark Hamill trying to be all serious... there was so little to love about that movie.
posted by rikschell at 9:51 AM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Interesting to read that the original lightsaber props had rods that spun. I wonder why?
posted by gottabefunky at 9:53 AM on October 3, 2014


S5 of Clone Wars ends on some seriously dramatic and awesome and bet Star Warsy stuff. I'd say it ends on some of the best stuff in the entire Star Wars "canon".

S6 is not bad either.
posted by Artw at 9:55 AM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Huh. DISH has the first episode for free on demand. Watching right now! :D
posted by hippybear at 9:59 AM on October 3, 2014


Is that . . a blaster slingshot? I mean, I guess if you've got a blaster crossbow, then there's no reason not to have a blaster version of all manner of obsolete weapons.
posted by Think_Long at 10:15 AM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


I desperately clicked and found... a cartoon. I don't know why I imagined a live-action Troops-style sitcom.
posted by moink at 10:21 AM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Blaster atlatl.
Blaster glaive-guisarme.
Blaster cavalry lance.
Blaster muzzle loader.
posted by Chrysostom at 10:24 AM on October 3, 2014 [7 favorites]


Twin sister, ewoks, Death-star rerun, slave bikini, obvious puppets, Mark Hamill trying to be all serious... there was so little to love about that movie.
At least we got more Lando. <3<3 Billy Dee.
posted by moink at 10:25 AM on October 3, 2014 [3 favorites]


I desperately clicked and found... a cartoon. I don't know why I imagined a live-action Troops yt -style sitcom.

Lucasfilm was at one point developing a Rebels live action dramatic series that was going to be much darker in tone than anything they'd done in the SW universe before. It was supposed to be not quite as dark as, say, BSG, but was going to be an adult drama-action series.

This seems to be the surviving Disney bastard child of that kernel of an idea.
posted by hippybear at 10:27 AM on October 3, 2014


Yeah, I've come to realize that I'm not so much a "Star Wars" fan as I am an "Adventures of Luke Skywalker" fan.

Word. I just finished reading the Al Williamson/Archie Goodwin Star Wars daily newspapers comic strips* that were set between Star Wars & Empire and holy cats, were they fun. Based on what I've seen of Rebels so far, I'm cautiously optimistic that we've moved past the relentless forboding war drama (which was executed teribly in the prequels but quite well in The Clone Wars TV series) and have moved on to a spirited Adventure, which is the sweet spot for Star Wars storytelling for me.

*which Marvel needs to make nice omnibus editions of when they start publishing the SW comics next year; Dark Horse never put out an omnibus edition like they did for all the other SW titles.
posted by KingEdRa at 10:32 AM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


Lando, Admiral Akbar, and the epic space battle were the high points. But most of all it suffered from a severe lack of imagination. A whole galaxy and so much time spent revisiting old territory. The one new planet is ... a big forest. Yub nub my ass, Lucas.
posted by rikschell at 10:35 AM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Yeah, the Timothy Zahn books that are set immediately after ROTJ are also rollicking Luke Skywalker adventures, and well worth reading. I don't care much for a lot of the extended universe books, but those first three feel like you're reading SW movies.
posted by hippybear at 10:35 AM on October 3, 2014 [4 favorites]


They cancelled Dog With a Blog for THIS?!
posted by dr_dank at 10:39 AM on October 3, 2014 [3 favorites]


You sure, KingEdRa? I'm sure I've seen one of the omnibus editions covering at least some of those comics.

Yes, here we are: the A Long Time Ago... series. Amazon, but please support your local comic book store if able to do so...
posted by Nice Guy Mike at 10:39 AM on October 3, 2014


Ack! Did they actually get Ewan McGregor to do the voice of Obi-Wan for this?
posted by hippybear at 10:41 AM on October 3, 2014


Okay, just finished the first episode.

It's full of typical first episode stuff -- character introductions, situation establishment, etc. But the basic concept is "rollicking adventure" with interesting characters and situations (even in the first hour), and I think if this evolves over time it will be something that is worthwhile.

Unless they ruin it.

(I'm so used to Star Wars being ruined by now I don't have any faith that it won't be.)
posted by hippybear at 10:44 AM on October 3, 2014 [3 favorites]


I just finished reading the Al Williamson/Archie Goodwin Star Wars daily newspapers comic strips* that were set between Star Wars & Empire and holy cats, were they fun.

That's my favorite version of the events from SW to Empire (there have been several).

Dark Horse never put out an omnibus edition like they did for all the other SW titles.

Classic Star Wars Volume 1: In Deadly Pursuit
Classic Star Wars Volume 2: The Rebel Storm
Classic Star Wars Volume 3: Escape to Hoth
posted by The Tensor at 10:48 AM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


The "A Long Time Ago..." volumes are reprints of Marvel's Star Wars comics, not the newspaper strip.
posted by The Tensor at 11:00 AM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


I've seen a couple of the "character introduction" promos and I'm pretty excited for this. Seems like it will be fun.
posted by ob1quixote at 11:10 AM on October 3, 2014


The vestigial 8 year old in me still has hope.

I bet you have trouble getting clothes that fit.
posted by Billiken at 11:14 AM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Blaster muzzle loader.

Blunderblaster.
posted by The Bellman at 11:14 AM on October 3, 2014 [6 favorites]


I think it was Depressed Darth on twitter who suggested that if the new Star Wars movie sucks, we all start calling the director Jar Jar Abrams.
posted by hippybear at 11:21 AM on October 3, 2014 [3 favorites]


Blaster atlatl.
Blaster glaive-guisarme.
Blaster cavalry lance.
Blaster muzzle loader.


Blaster rotten tomato
Blaster spudgun
Blaster dirt clod

and of course

Light caber
Light epee
Light cutlass
Light rapier
Light kris
Lightie knife
Light pocketknife for lightelty-peg
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:26 AM on October 3, 2014 [4 favorites]


Can I just mention that the Phineas and Ferb Star Wars Special was the best thing since the original trilogy. They managed to create a new story in the margins of the original Star Wars, and even explained the origin of the trash monster in the Death Star.

As evidence, may I present the following musical numbers:

In the Empire

The torch song I am Feeling So Low
posted by blahblahblah at 11:30 AM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Light pocketknife for lightelty-peg

Sith Army Knife.
posted by The Bellman at 11:40 AM on October 3, 2014 [12 favorites]


Interesting to read that the original lightsaber props had rods that spun. I wonder why?

Originally, the lightsaber FX were going to be done practically: The handles had a motor that spun a reflective mylar-covered rod at high speed. The idea was to shine colored lights at the rod and create the illusion of a glowing blade, all in-camera. IIRC, there are at least a couple of shots in the original release of Episode IV that use this technique instead of the rotoscoped animation used in the other films.
posted by Strange Interlude at 11:54 AM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Only recently have I become willing to begrudgingly accept "Return of the Jedi" as canon.
The "movies are canon, nothing else is" rule becomes easier to accept once you realize that a ball of massive hypersonic death expanding towards Endor was in the movie and the debris vanishing into a wormhole pulled out of my ass the exploding hyperdrive is nothing but Extended Universe.
posted by roystgnr at 12:15 PM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Hmm, one thing I noted looking at the 2004 Clone Wars cartoons vs the current Clone Wars cartoons was the scale seemed larger in the 2004 cartoons. In the current Clone Wars you typically see a few dozen clones or droids, and most space battles involve three larger ships and a handful of fighters.

In the 2004 version they had giant armies, dozens of capital ships and hundreds of fighters. It seemed bigger.

As for the new show, I'm cautiously optimistic. Lucas isn't involved so that's hopeful. It's also the first real Star Wars work since Disney acquired the franchise (though, undeniably, the Phineas and Ferb Star Wars special was funny as hell, I liked it from the "and none of this is canon, so just relax" at the bottom of the opening scroll).

I'll also bet that it's going to tie in somehow, at least with a reference or two, to the upcoming Star Wars movies.
posted by sotonohito at 12:17 PM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


The only knock against the Phineas and Ferb special is the constant mocking of the hero of Yavin, Jek Porkins.
posted by drezdn at 12:27 PM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


♫ The hero of Yavin, the man they call Jek! ♫
posted by The Tensor at 12:32 PM on October 3, 2014 [3 favorites]


I'll also bet that it's going to tie in somehow, at least with a reference or two, to the upcoming Star Wars movies.

Given that they take place nearly 40 years before the upcoming SW movies, any characters in Rebels! will be a lot older in the new films.

But then, there's a photo of Hamill and Fisher going around that shows everyone has aged.
posted by hippybear at 12:33 PM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


I also note, with increasing depression, that so far the only part of the Star Wars franchise with anything even remotely resembling a statistically normal distribution of women and non-white people is Star Wars: The Old Republic, the (failing) Star Wars MMO from BioWare. Fully 50% of the people you meet are women! And black people account for around 15% of all characters!

The Clone Wars had more aliens than black humans. And despite Ashoka [1] the women in the series still basically amounted to her, Ventris, Amadala, the occasional Jedi woman (who seem to always need rescuing), and a metric crapton of sex slaves.

Mind, I've still got some serious philosophic problems with the morality and ethics of Star Wars. Who decided that clones didn't get civil rights and that we don't need to feel bad when hundreds of them die as long as the Jedi is saved? Why don't the Jedi object even a little to the fact that their army is composed basically of children in adult bodies who are held as little more than slaves?

And then there's the droid issue. No one, not ever, not once, seems to even consider that they are building, crushing, mind wiping, buying, selling, and casually disposing of sapient beings with the full range of emotions that humans display. The only time it comes up at all is when Anakin is looked at as weird for giving a shit about R2. And he only cares about R2, towards every other droid in the universe he shares the same callous attitude that everyone else has.

[1] Also, where is it written that Jedi men wear monk robes, and Jedi women wear stripperwear? Ashoka, Aayla Secura, their costumes were basically a tube top or sports bra and some leggings.
posted by sotonohito at 12:35 PM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Does anyone know if Topher Grace has laid out his edit?
posted by parmanparman at 12:41 PM on October 3, 2014


Blaster atlatl.
Blaster glaive-guisarme.
Blaster cavalry lance.
Blaster muzzle loader.


Blast Hardcheese?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:43 PM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Light Lucerne Hammer

Would that be legal for Clerics? Light * cauterizes wounds, so no blood, right?
posted by sotonohito at 12:47 PM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


sotonohito: " Also, where is it written that Jedi men wear monk robes, and Jedi women wear stripperwear?"

I think it was Red Letter Media who pointed out that the Jedi = robes thing was sort of a later development. Originally, it looks much more like robes are just common wear on Tatooine - Ben wears them, but so does Uncle Owen, and I think at least a few people in Mos Eisley. Later, Luke wears his Gap khaki outfit, then the all black ensemble. The only time he wears a robe is on Tatooine, at Jabba's palace.

So, it sounds like these were just the local style. Then George had one of his episodes where he forgot why he did something, and suddenly everyone is wearing a garment spectacularly ill-suited for fighting with a lightsabre.
posted by Chrysostom at 1:15 PM on October 3, 2014 [4 favorites]


Star Wars: The Old Republic, the (failing) Star Wars MMO from BioWare.

You take that back! (Please? I don't want to be stuck with just Destiny. The grind. The grind is killing me . . . )
posted by The Bellman at 1:16 PM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


Hippybear, that's a great photo! How can Hamill still look so freakishly BOYISH with a Grizzly Adams beard???
posted by rikschell at 1:17 PM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Well, I look freakishly boyish with my giant beard... it is just a thing that happens.
posted by hippybear at 1:25 PM on October 3, 2014


I just came in here to say that Nickelodeon started airing the final season of The Legend of Korra: Book 4 - Balance today. It's already available for purchase and download via Nickelodeon, Amazon, Google Play, & Xbox video, and other streaming services.

It's a great time for animated series with a lot of heart and fun. I can't wait to download this later tonight.
posted by Fizz at 1:25 PM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]




Intercontinental Ballistic Blaster
posted by Rock Steady at 2:03 PM on October 3, 2014


The pedant in me insists the original Star Wars experience was less about the story, and more about the energy and vibrancy compared to other movies and pop culture when it came out.
posted by ZeusHumms at 2:23 PM on October 3, 2014 [4 favorites]


♫ The hero of Yavin, the man they call Jek! ♫

I'm eagerly awaiting Porkins, his own movie, and maybe even Porkins II if the first is sucessful.
posted by octobersurprise at 3:16 PM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


<LUCAS>Of course, I'd intended all along for the Star Wars duodecalogy to be the Tragedy of Jek Porkins.</LUCAS>
posted by The Tensor at 3:45 PM on October 3, 2014 [4 favorites]


I'm sort of dimly hopeful about this, but only because the best Star Wars stuff has absolutely nothing to do with Lucas.
posted by mordax at 4:02 PM on October 3, 2014


Disney pulled the plug on their Tiny Death Star game (and others) without telling the developer.
posted by reiichiroh at 4:34 PM on October 3, 2014


I caught some of Lego Star Wars on the Disney Channel while at a hotel and was impressed. Just jokes largely making fun of the overall backstory / canon embedded in scenes of non - canon zaniness. Same sense of humor as the Lego Movie.
posted by aydeejones at 5:20 PM on October 3, 2014


This really has nothing to do with the new animated series, but a story on my local newspaper's website incorrectly identified an aerial photo of a Z95 Head Hunter mock-up as an X-Wing and OMG JOURNALISTS, do your basic fucking fact checking this stuff is IMPORTANT! They are completely different (sort of) made up spaceships! No wonder journalism is slowly dying if you can't even do your job PROPERLY. Do or DO NOT, motherfuckers, there is no TRY.


Sorry, I've been needing to rant about that and get it off my chest for the last couple of months.
posted by Hello, I'm David McGahan at 6:10 PM on October 3, 2014 [3 favorites]


Hey I'm totally glad we have an opportunity where we can talk about how Return of the Jedi and the prequels were just like the worst things ever. Again.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 8:56 PM on October 3, 2014


The pedant in me insists the original Star Wars experience was less about the story, and more about the energy and vibrancy compared to other movies and pop culture when it came out.

Damn straight.

Before Star Wars, major SF films were things like "2001", "Logan's Run", that weird film about flying saucers on the moon, "Soylent Green", "A Dog and His Boy", and so on. Science fiction films had to be "deep", and "serious", and incidentally, grim and slow moving. And non SF films were just about as bad.

Star Wars, from the first scene was a huge breath of fresh air- it was an SF film that was actual FUN. And it completely changed the field of Science Fiction. You really can't get the same effect these days.
posted by happyroach at 10:02 PM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


curious nu: Did someone say Clone Wars

THIS is the clone wars i always think of. I always get confused that there's, you know, actually two. Like apparently there's some new CGI one.

I was so excited for this when it came out. "OMG, a star wars series by the fucking dexters lab guy holy shit". I still have fond memories of it, and watching it for a bit it seems like it's just as decent as i remember with lots of that unmistakable Genndy Tartakovsky style.

But apparently that other series is good too, and i need to check that out? hmm.

hippybear: Lucasfilm was at one point developing a Rebels live action dramatic series that was going to be much darker in tone than anything they'd done in the SW universe before. It was supposed to be not quite as dark as, say, BSG, but was going to be an adult drama-action series.

Ugh, i don't want to believe it's dead. That was one of the more interesting things to almost happen with the franchise in a long time. Especially right now with gotham, agents of shield, and all that. The iron is hot. Apparently it isn't 100% super for sure dead? but seeing as how this, i guess, covers almost exactly the same story... then yea, :(

Another one worth pouring one out for was Star Wars 1313... which looked totally awesome.
posted by emptythought at 3:53 AM on October 4, 2014


The CG Clone Wars is actually quite good in places. It has a completely different vibe from the Tartakovsky inspired Clone Wars, but it isn't a bad show. The first season has a bit of "Ashoka is always right about everything", but they get over that.
posted by sotonohito at 4:34 AM on October 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


Watched this last night with my oldest kid and we both really enjoyed it. I think I'm in the camp that the best Star Wars is animated Star Wars, in the same way that the best Doctor Who is Big Finish audio Doctor Who.
posted by jbickers at 6:17 AM on October 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


I'm way, way too old for this kind of thing, but this is pretty fun - and I love that ship. A cross between the Millennium Falcon, Serenity and a B-17.
posted by Colby_Longhorn at 7:20 AM on October 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


Just watched it with my kid this morning, pretty good. It hit all the right Star Wars notes, and seems to be an almost deliberate Firefly/Star Wars mashup. Zeb appears to be a Jayne expy. And Sabine explicitly described them as a crew almost like family, she might as well have just said nakama and left it at that (WARNING: TV Tropes link).

I'll be watching at least the next episode.
posted by sotonohito at 7:24 AM on October 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


It was a lot of fun. I am definitely looking forward to where this show will take us. It seems to be mashing up all kinds of things: pirates, rebel/resistance, jedi, family bonding, adventures, exploration, etc.

Along with Korra Book 4, my cartoon watching needs are going to be very happy.
posted by Fizz at 8:16 AM on October 4, 2014


Guys, if you're enjoying this thread, can I direct you towards the equivalent Fanfare thread for further in depth discussion of the episode at hand?
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 10:37 AM on October 4, 2014


The animation really does look a lot cheaper than Clone Wars, and the score really is kind of irritating.

That said, Clone Wars itself improved a ton between the pilot/TV movie and the show proper.
posted by Artw at 12:02 AM on October 5, 2014


FYI, the next episode is available on iTunes and WatchDisneyXD for free at the moment. No fanfare post has been made for it yet.
posted by Atreides at 7:01 AM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


Is anybody else confused about when this show actually airs? The Disney XD page says Monday nights at 9, but my guide doesn't show that. My series recording has it coming on Saturday mornings at 10. Seems like they're going to torpedo the show before it even gets its footing by jerking it around like this.
posted by ob1quixote at 4:34 PM on October 19, 2014


Don't worry about torpedoing the show, it's already been renewed for season two. All the advertisements have put it at Monday nights at 9, so I wonder if the 10 am showings are repeats?
posted by Atreides at 4:43 PM on October 19, 2014


I hear the hair gets better.
posted by Artw at 10:59 PM on October 19, 2014


So the answer was that the guide was straight up wrong. I'm watching Rebels now and it still says that what is on is Lab Rats.
posted by ob1quixote at 6:05 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]


Weird. Seems like kids channels would usually be pretty locked in. Sports channels are terrible at matching what's on the schedule.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 7:54 PM on October 20, 2014


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