So, if you had 8 episodes to work with (assume a 45-50 min runtime), what would you do differently if you were to swap bodies with Dave Filoni back when all this was being worked out?
Here's my first pass at it, based on what we've seen and know so far of the actual show:
Part I
Kick it off with a real opening title text crawl, recapping the history of the Battle of Lothal, who Thrawn is and why he is to be feared, who Ezra Bridger is, and lead into the plot point that ‘rumors are circulating about Thrawn’s return.’
Pick up the show right where Episode 13 of the Mandalorian left off, on Corvus, with Ahsoka learning from her captive, Morgan Elsbeth, that tracking the Purgil are the key to locating Thrawn (and Ezra). The extra-galactic migration patterns of the Purgil are said to be contained in an ancient Dathomiri map located in a temple on Arcana. This actually gives the map real relevance, rather than a senseless MacGuffin. The map is about the Purgil, not Thrawn. Following the Purgil is they key to finding Thrawn.
General Hera and New Republic Ranger Zeb show up in the Ghost to take Elsbeth into custody and transport her to the prison ship. Here we are introduced to the Rebels crew, and through a conversation with Ahsoka, fill in some lore the audience needs if they haven’t seen the animated shows. They talk about Ezra, his link to the Purgil, the possibility that he might still be alive and stranded in another galaxy, and the need to bring Sabine into the hunt.
Ahsoka heads for Lothal to find Sabine, knowing this quest is personally very important to her.
In the last part of the first episode, the prison ship is yanked from hyperspace by an Imperial Interdictor. Baylan and Shin jailbreak Morgan Elsbeth from custody, and now it's a race to the map.
Part II
While on Lothal with Sabine, Hera contacts Ahsoka to inform her that Elsbeth has escaped with the aid of two Dark Jedi. Realizing that it’s a race, Hera agrees to rally some New Republic forces to meet them at Arcana, while Ahsoka and Sabine immediately head there.
Morgan and the Dark Jedi rendezvous with Imperial Captain Palleaon and his Imperial squadron. They immediately set out for Arcana.
All parties arrive at roughly the same time, and a battle erupts between Remnant and NR forces. During the battle, Ahsoka, Sabine, and the Dark Jedi meet on Arcana, where they compete for the map. Imperial forces destroy Ahsoka's ship and force the NR to retreat. Things are looking grim with nothing resolved at the end of this episode.
Part III
Elsbeth, Marrock, Baylan, and Shin prove too much to handle for Sabine and Ahsoka on the surface. Ahsoka kills Marrock but Sabine is injured (not by being run through with a lightsaber). Bad guys get the map and withdraw to the planet Seatos with Pelleaon. The Eye of Sion is under construction there, as Morgan knows that Thrawn is one galaxy over.
Hera rescues Ahsoka and Sabine out from under the Imperials with the Ghost. Although they don't have the map, they have learned that the orb needs to be taken to Seatos to be read, so they know that is where the bad guys have gone. They want to pursue, but Sabine is hurt and they realize they are currently outgunned. They return to Coruscant to try and rally additional help.
The bad guys arrive on Seaton and immediately use the map to compute the hyperspace coordinates for the jump to Peridea.
Part IV
Our heroes are able to rally a little more support to head for Seatos. They arrive and engage Pelleaon and his forces. Once more, the Ghost runs the Imperial blockade for the surface, only to find they are too late.
Baylan and Shin destroy the map orb then stage a fighting withdrawal to the Eye of Sion, which jumps away before it can be destroyed. Pelleaon's forces are crippled, and once their objectives are complete (Eye of Sion departed), Imperial forces retreat.
Good guys find the Purgil, and realize this might be their only chance to follow. Ahsoka contacts the Purgil through the Force, and Hera pilots the ghost into the maw of one of the big Purgil. The episode ends with them launching into hyperspace with the whale pod in hot pursuit.
Part V
Bad guys arrive at Peridea only to find a a Purgil graveyard over a lush planet that seems to have strong connections with the Force. The Eye of Sion positions itself nearby, while Baylan and Shin head to the surface so Baylan can pursue his own goals. There is no sign of Thrawn, so Morgan Elsbeth puts out a beacon call, hoping Thrawn can hear and will answer.
Good guys arrive at Peridea. Sabine, Zeb, and Ahsoka take the Phantom and head to the surface to search for Ezra. Hera and Chopper hide the Ghost in the Purgil graveyard and go dark, monitoring the Eye of Sion.
This is where it gets nebulous, because this is about as far as the real show has gotten.
Thrawn, the damaged Chimera, and a few other surviving Imperial ships from the Battle of Lothal show up. The process begins of consolidating survivors aboard the ISD in the best shape, for transport back to the SW galaxy by the hyperspace ring.
Ezra would be found at the end of Part VI, but after a much more difficult search.
Things left out of this version: Dathomiri witches (other than Elsbeth herself), the Jedi droid, and perhaps the idea that Sabine has ever been (or will be) a Padawan of any kind. Also the WBW fanwank with Ahsoka and Anakin. Some or all of that might get added back on a second pass at this.
Once we have the whole show to reference, I may have to go back and do one of my world famous fan re-writes of this series…
Here's my first pass at it, based on what we've seen and know so far of the actual show:
Part I
Kick it off with a real opening title text crawl, recapping the history of the Battle of Lothal, who Thrawn is and why he is to be feared, who Ezra Bridger is, and lead into the plot point that ‘rumors are circulating about Thrawn’s return.’
Pick up the show right where Episode 13 of the Mandalorian left off, on Corvus, with Ahsoka learning from her captive, Morgan Elsbeth, that tracking the Purgil are the key to locating Thrawn (and Ezra). The extra-galactic migration patterns of the Purgil are said to be contained in an ancient Dathomiri map located in a temple on Arcana. This actually gives the map real relevance, rather than a senseless MacGuffin. The map is about the Purgil, not Thrawn. Following the Purgil is they key to finding Thrawn.
General Hera and New Republic Ranger Zeb show up in the Ghost to take Elsbeth into custody and transport her to the prison ship. Here we are introduced to the Rebels crew, and through a conversation with Ahsoka, fill in some lore the audience needs if they haven’t seen the animated shows. They talk about Ezra, his link to the Purgil, the possibility that he might still be alive and stranded in another galaxy, and the need to bring Sabine into the hunt.
Ahsoka heads for Lothal to find Sabine, knowing this quest is personally very important to her.
In the last part of the first episode, the prison ship is yanked from hyperspace by an Imperial Interdictor. Baylan and Shin jailbreak Morgan Elsbeth from custody, and now it's a race to the map.
Part II
While on Lothal with Sabine, Hera contacts Ahsoka to inform her that Elsbeth has escaped with the aid of two Dark Jedi. Realizing that it’s a race, Hera agrees to rally some New Republic forces to meet them at Arcana, while Ahsoka and Sabine immediately head there.
Morgan and the Dark Jedi rendezvous with Imperial Captain Palleaon and his Imperial squadron. They immediately set out for Arcana.
All parties arrive at roughly the same time, and a battle erupts between Remnant and NR forces. During the battle, Ahsoka, Sabine, and the Dark Jedi meet on Arcana, where they compete for the map. Imperial forces destroy Ahsoka's ship and force the NR to retreat. Things are looking grim with nothing resolved at the end of this episode.
Part III
Elsbeth, Marrock, Baylan, and Shin prove too much to handle for Sabine and Ahsoka on the surface. Ahsoka kills Marrock but Sabine is injured (not by being run through with a lightsaber). Bad guys get the map and withdraw to the planet Seatos with Pelleaon. The Eye of Sion is under construction there, as Morgan knows that Thrawn is one galaxy over.
Hera rescues Ahsoka and Sabine out from under the Imperials with the Ghost. Although they don't have the map, they have learned that the orb needs to be taken to Seatos to be read, so they know that is where the bad guys have gone. They want to pursue, but Sabine is hurt and they realize they are currently outgunned. They return to Coruscant to try and rally additional help.
The bad guys arrive on Seaton and immediately use the map to compute the hyperspace coordinates for the jump to Peridea.
Part IV
Our heroes are able to rally a little more support to head for Seatos. They arrive and engage Pelleaon and his forces. Once more, the Ghost runs the Imperial blockade for the surface, only to find they are too late.
Baylan and Shin destroy the map orb then stage a fighting withdrawal to the Eye of Sion, which jumps away before it can be destroyed. Pelleaon's forces are crippled, and once their objectives are complete (Eye of Sion departed), Imperial forces retreat.
Good guys find the Purgil, and realize this might be their only chance to follow. Ahsoka contacts the Purgil through the Force, and Hera pilots the ghost into the maw of one of the big Purgil. The episode ends with them launching into hyperspace with the whale pod in hot pursuit.
Part V
Bad guys arrive at Peridea only to find a a Purgil graveyard over a lush planet that seems to have strong connections with the Force. The Eye of Sion positions itself nearby, while Baylan and Shin head to the surface so Baylan can pursue his own goals. There is no sign of Thrawn, so Morgan Elsbeth puts out a beacon call, hoping Thrawn can hear and will answer.
Good guys arrive at Peridea. Sabine, Zeb, and Ahsoka take the Phantom and head to the surface to search for Ezra. Hera and Chopper hide the Ghost in the Purgil graveyard and go dark, monitoring the Eye of Sion.
This is where it gets nebulous, because this is about as far as the real show has gotten.
Thrawn, the damaged Chimera, and a few other surviving Imperial ships from the Battle of Lothal show up. The process begins of consolidating survivors aboard the ISD in the best shape, for transport back to the SW galaxy by the hyperspace ring.
Ezra would be found at the end of Part VI, but after a much more difficult search.
Things left out of this version: Dathomiri witches (other than Elsbeth herself), the Jedi droid, and perhaps the idea that Sabine has ever been (or will be) a Padawan of any kind. Also the WBW fanwank with Ahsoka and Anakin. Some or all of that might get added back on a second pass at this.
Once we have the whole show to reference, I may have to go back and do one of my world famous fan re-writes of this series…
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