This is a new column that posts whenever a nerdy something or other comes across that’s worth focusing in on. In the release of the Star Wars: Rebels mid-season trailer.
As most of us geeks eagerly await the returns of TV shows Gotham, Agent Carter, The Flash, Agents of Shield, Arrow… and the addition of Legends of Tomorrow next week, I for one, am more so looking forward to (*drum roll*) the mid-season of Star Wars: Rebels.
I’m sorry, Sarah Belmont, I had to. #DatFace (Go to see my Twitter cover photo and bio to kind of understand.) Grant Gustin for those of you who criminally don’t know. Ugh…
Now, I’ll be doing a trailer analysis for this post but this is, really, the first time I’ve been able to gush over this show at length. I’ve mentioned it a number of times on any of the numerous GWW (dot com) podcasts, trying to give it it’s more than well-deserved due. I argue it has been one of the best shows on TV since its debut back on Oct. 3, ’14.
I said on Twitter earlier today, now with Hannibal off air, for the time being, it immediately takes my No. 1 spot. What can I say? It’s my guilty pleasure. (*wink, wink* — watch/listen to tomorrow night’s 2 Guys, A Girl and a Scene podcast) You’re missing out regardless if you’re a Star Wars fan or not.
W/ Hannibal off TV, for now (holding out hope), Rebels immediately is my favorite show. If you haven't seen it already, you're missing out.
— Jon Reyes (@werdynerdy) January 16, 2016
So… yesterday the season two mid-season trailer dropped in all its three-minute glory. Let me just say that whoever cuts these together has the eyes and the brain to what us Star Wars and Rebels fans alike want. Okay, watch the trailer and then let’s discuss. Click play!
Here’s my compiled bullet point list of some of the key elements seen in the trailer:
- Opening shot of the trailer Kanan Jarrus, Ahsoka Tano and Ezra Bridger are seen standing and looking at a Sith temple.
- Okay, I’m going to be a bit film nerdy here but Ashley Eckstein’s voice-over line,”To defeat your enemy you have to understand them,” that cuts over a shot of Darth Vader walking into a room where the Inquisitors are at 0:22 is film editing and cutting at its finest.
- One new and two familiar characters start to populate the trailer. Cham Syndulla, Hera’s father, at 0:41; Leia Organa (not voiced by Carrie Fisher, unfortunately, instead is performed by Julie Dolan, who voices the princess in Star Wars: Uprising) at 0:43; and Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) at 1:26.
- 1:53: Ahsoka telling Ezra about her former master, Anakin Skywalker.
- At 2:04, a Jedi temple guard, who returns from The Clone Wars TV show, tells Kanan, “The dark side…it pulls at [Ezra]. It calls to him.”
- 2:13: Ezra holding a Sith holocron.
- The most exciting part of the trailer, for those who have an extremely keen eye, comes between 2:15-2:26 is when you hear the lines, “You seek knowledge. Call me Old Master.” As they’re said, a mysterious, inconspicuous hooded figure can be seen reaching out to a visibly vulnerable Ezra. Look closely and the person is none other than Darth Maul (voiced by Sam Witwer).
- From “exciting” to giving the feels for us Clone Wars fans, at 2:45 Ahsoka is seen meditating with an image of Vader behind her. He can be heard saying, in the voice of Anakin (voiced by Matt Lanter), “Ahsoka, why did you leave? Do you know what I’ve become?”
- 2:57: Ezra is holding a Kylo Ren-esque lightsaber.
Catch anything else I missed? I know I’m not the only Star Wars and Rebels fan “in a galaxy far, far away.”