Danielle Solzman
The fourth and final season of Star Wars Rebels brings the series to an epic finish leaving fans with a satisfying conclusion.
Going into the series’ final season, we knew that Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger would likely die. Something would have to explain their missing from the Rebellion seen in the original trilogy. While Kanan does indeed die to save the crew of the Ghost, Ezra takes his sacrifice to the next level in the concluding episode. Nobody knows either his fate or that of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Series creator Dave Filoni says that the two are both alive during one of the Rebels Recon episodes featured among the bonus content. With The Clone Wars coming back, it’s always possible for Filoni to explore their return in the future.
In the final episodes, we see the first appearance of Obi-Wan Kenobi in person when both Ezra and Maul make the trip to Tatooine. The episode also features the death of Maul following one last battle with Kenobi. The fact that Maul was alive did not come as a surprise to those of us who were watching Rebels regularly before seeing Solo: A Star Wars Story.
One of the most exciting episodes was the third to last episode. Just as Rogue One introduced the hyperspace tracking later seen in The Last Jedi, Star Wars Rebels also introduces a concept that could provide major changes down the line. I say that this has the potential to disrupt the franchise because of the changes that occurred when Ezra steps into this void between space and time. The mere fact that he saves Ahsoka Tano from a doomed fate shows that other people might possibly saved down the line. It’s not time travel as Filoni notes in the commentary but it’s clear that the actions come with consequences. The other question is just how many Jedi temples have the Empire found and destroyed?
While the concluding epilogue tells us what everyone is up to after the Battle of Endor, we’ll never truly know if that is indeed Captain Rex on the moon of Endor in Return of the Jedi. He is confirmed to have fought in the battle along with Hera Syndulla.
If you’re into film and television music, a short featurette takes us into composer Kevin Kiner’s studio. It turns out that his son, Sean, also did some work with composing the music. The elder Kiner previously composed music for The Clone Wars. Regardless, it’s not an easy feat to follow John Williams in composing the music. They do borrow some of Williams’ cues and in some instances, it’s those cues–such as The Force–that they bring back for some key moments.
Bonus Extras:
Blu-ray:
- Six Audio Commentaries
Featuring Dave Filoni (Executive Producer)
- Ghosts of Legend
As paths come together, we explore the journey of the Ghost crew with some of the talented people who brought them to life.
- Force of Rebellion
Executive Producer Dave Filoni shares insights into the Force and its importance across the Star Wars saga.
- Kevin Kiner: The Rebel Symphony
Go behind the scenes with composer Kevin Kiner to discover what inspired some of the most iconic music in the series.
- Rebels Recon
Go behind the scenes with the cast and crew in 8 entertaining and information-packed episode recaps!
DVD:
- Rebels Recon
Go behind the scenes with the cast and crew in 8 entertaining and information-packed episode recaps!
CREATORS: Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg, Carrie Beck
CAST: Taylor Gray, Freddie Prinze Jr., Vanessa Marshall, Tiya Sircar, Steven Blum, Dave Filoni
