Star Wars Rebels Season One (spoilers)

[C.E. Evans]

Funny, I found "Rebel Resolve" on demand just today (and bonus: no commercials!). I guess different VOD services release it at different times?

Yeah, it's definitely depends on your cable provider or the company that distributes the VOD content to the cable system (with Rebels, usually the next episode is available a day or two after the newest broadcast but sometimes it may take longer for some systems).

I recall the "VOD advanced look" happening to occasional episodes of the Marvel animated shows on Disney XD in the past, but I'm not sure if they've been doing that at all recently though. It's been pretty much the case with Rebels since the start, though.

This VOD thing is amazing! I had no idea I had this! It has brand new episodes of all the major shows! Sometimes my DVR glitches and doesn't record things and I have to watch them on Hulu on my computer screen but now I can just watch here on my big TV! They even have some free movies on there (mostly crappy ones).

With the exception of news, sports, & marathons of various shows, pretty much everything else I watch VOD.

 

[Mr Light]

So what's the norm on availability? It's up the next day?

 

[Mr. Adventure]

So what's the norm on availability? It's up the next day?

I'm glad you discovered VOD! Strangely, my Xfinity seems to have it anywhere from 1 day to a week! I guess BEFORE the XD airing.

 

[Mr Light]

I meant tv shows in general, not Rebels. Cuz Rebels isn't giving me recent episodes

 

[Christopher]

In general, it varies. Many shows are up the day after broadcast, while others (particularly cartoons) tend to show up later, sometimes weeks behind. And it's inconsistent which shows are available. For instance, my On Demand service doesn't carry The CW's shows, and for some reason it has all of CBS's prime-time shows except Person of Interest.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

In the early days shows would air in a days or even a week or two afterwards but now next day and even same day is not uncommon. I use my DVR more than VOD but it seems quite prompt as a rule.

 

[C.E. Evans]

It wasn't until all that fairly long ago that VOD content from the broadcast networks started to become common nationwide. I think the CW is the last holdout on many systems--including its cousin company Time Warner Cable--with very select PBS shows available in "local" folders in some areas.

The downside to VOD is that it's a relay system with content sent along from the source, to a regional distributor, and then to your local cable/satellite provider. All three have to work in synch for content to be provided on a timely basis and sometimes someone will drop the baton, resulting in either delays or even some missing episodes of some shows. Should that ever happen, you might have to call your provider's customer service (groans).

 

[Mr Light]

I'm definitely going to continue to rely on my DVR but this is an incredible alternative. Plus, every other day my DVR "glitches" and records a show then promptly erases it And I can only record two shows at a time and a couple times a week there are three at the same time. I watch a lot of TV

 

[Christopher]

Plus, every other day my DVR "glitches" and records a show then promptly erases it

How full is your hard drive? The most common model of cable box/DVR these days has a tendency to act up if its hard drive (or at least the part allotted for storing recorded shows) is more than half full.

Also, if it's acting up, it often helps to reboot it by unplugging the cord for 10-20 seconds and then plugging it back in.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

And don't be afraid to go exchange it for another. (Assuming your DVR is from your cable company, not your own Tivo or whatever)

 

[Mr Light]

I've been meaning to do that for weeks, but I watch so many shows, I constantly have 10-20 on tape to watch and I'm afraid I would loose them if I turned in the broken one...

 

[Mr Light]

A week after everyone else I finally saw "Rebel Resolve". Good episode. I had completely forgotten about that Vizago guy. Was he only in the pilot? They should have thrown him in mid-season somewhere. I was surprised to see Tarkin back, I was just assuming he was making a single celebrity guest spot like Lando.

I'm concerned that we saw a hologram of Fulcrum and she (it was clearly a woman's voice) didn't have head-horns like Ahsoka would. Unless the image itself is entirely fabricated. I really hope that's Ahsoka!

 

[Christopher]

^I think Vizago appeared two or three times in early episodes, though it's been a while.

And Fulcrum was wearing a hood that seemed high enough that it could've been concealing a Togruta's head. It's been, what, 15 years in-story since we saw Ahsoka last? I'm not sure how rapidly the horns grow in, but maybe they're still only mid-sized.

Anyway, the voice did seem to match Ashley Eckstein's cadence and delivery to me, but that could be because it's what I'm expecting to hear. Still, it had an American accent, which I think would rule out Mon Mothma. It also doesn't have quite the polish I'd expect from Princess Leia's voice, even as a teenager. Ahsoka seems like the most probable candidate, assuming it isn't a completely new character, and then why hide her identity? (Unless it's, like, Ezra's mother or something.)

 

[B.J.]

Finally saw it last night too. Interesting that Hera pretty much confirmed what we've been thinking, that Kanan's not the leader when she said something to the effect of he doesn't have any secrets to spill.

And I think Chopper may have had the highest on-screen body count of anyone this episode when he spaced those stormtroopers!

I liked Chopper meeting the Imperial astromech. It actually had me going for a second there, but then I had to agree with Zeb.

I love that the Imperial droid was friendly, helpful, almost sweet and that Chopper is an egotistical sociopath.

OH god, a 1000 times this!

Some people seem to hate his personality, but yeah, this.

 

[AviTrek]

^I think Vizago appeared two or three times in early episodes, though it's been a while.

And Fulcrum was wearing a hood that seemed high enough that it could've been concealing a Togruta's head. It's been, what, 15 years in-story since we saw Ahsoka last? I'm not sure how rapidly the horns grow in, but maybe they're still only mid-sized.

Anyway, the voice did seem to match Ashley Eckstein's cadence and delivery to me, but that could be because it's what I'm expecting to hear. Still, it had an American accent, which I think would rule out Mon Mothma. It also doesn't have quite the polish I'd expect from Princess Leia's voice, even as a teenager. Ahsoka seems like the most probable candidate, assuming it isn't a completely new character, and then why hide her identity? (Unless it's, like, Ezra's mother or something.)

Oh wow, Ezra's mother. I never thought of that. Makes a lot more sense to me than Ahsoka, even if that's what fans keep hoping for.

Personally, I'd love to see Garm Bel Iblis, but I think that might be too obscure for Disney Star Wars.

 

[Reverend]

Yeah, there's really only two reasons to make Fulcrum's face, voice and real name a mystery to the audience. 1) It's someone very important to one or more of the main characters (one of Ezra's parents, Kanaan's Master etc.) and 2) It's a character the audience is already familiar with.

I did notice the figure didn't appear to have headtails, so odds are now it's not Ahsoka. What stood out for me is how they were very specifically concerned about Ezra. This makes me think more than ever that they're almost certainly a Jedi (or Sith!), which of course doesn't preclude the idea that it's Ezra's mum. I mean we know next to nothing about her, no? For all we know she could have been a Jedi that left the order during the war (maybe after falling in love with Ezra's father?) and so had a head start when Vader started hunting down the remaining survivors.

Of course that would still beg the question why she didn't come back for Ezra? Clearly Fulcrum has resources and could conceivably have come for him on Lothal, if only to put him someone safe and off the streets. The only reasonable answer IMO is that she thought he was already dead, but that doesn't quite add up either.

Personally I'm still fond of the notion that it's Asajj. Given how her character left off in TCW and her personal history, it's not too much of a leap to think she could empathise with a force sensitive orphan. She was after all trained as a padawan herself for a time. I'd be a nice way to bringer her arc full circle and add a touch or irony if she's eventually cut down by Vader as part of some selfless act for the rebellion. It'd pretty much have to be Vader and not just for their history, but because she'd wipe the floor with the likes of the Inquisitor without even breaking a sweat.

 

[Rat Boy]

I'd still lean towards Ashoka only due to the fact that the voice when processed sounds awfully close to Ashley Eckstein's portrayal of the character. I suppose there's a chance we'll find out given the preview for next week showing a corvette that we know Fulcrum gets around in.

 

[Mr Light]

looking back on it, now the mother is the obvious answer. they've been talking up his parents the entire damn season. But I'd be infinitely more excited if it was Ahsoka.

 

[Turtletrekker]

What if Ahsoka is Ezra's mother?

 

[Christopher]

What if Ahsoka is Ezra's mother?

That would almost explain that weird purple tentacley stuff on Ezra's head...