"Star Wars Rebels: Season One" Review (Spoilers)

[matt_zimmer]

Also reviews for the latest episodes of The Flash, Arrow, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Lucifer, iZombie, Be Cool Scooby Doo!, Wabbit, Bunnicula, and Marvel's Agent Carter, the premiere of Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. the Sinister 6, the latest episodes of Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy and Star Wars Rebels, the premiere of LEGO Star Wars: The Resistance Rises, the latest episodes of The Muppets and The Simpsons, The Season Finale of The X-Files, the Season Premiere of Transformers: Robots In Disguise, and the latest episodes of Power Rangers: Dino Super Charge, Sleepy Hollow, Bob's Burgers, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Family Guy, American Dad, Bordertown, You Me And The Apocalypse, Colony, and The Blacklist.

Upcoming reviews include Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Blu-Ray), Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 2, Marvel's Agent Carter: Season 1, Ant-Man (Blu-Ray), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Blu-Ray), X-Men: Days Of Future Past: The Rogue Cut, The Lion Guard: Revenge Of The Roar (DVD), Inside Out (Blu-Ray), The Good Dinosaur (Blu-Ray), Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Attack Of The Legion Of Doom, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Cosmic Clash, Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem, Teen Titans Go!: House Pests, Batman: Bad Blood, Arrow: Season 3, The Flash: Season 1, Gotham: Season 1, iZombie: Season 1, Be Cool Scooby Doo!: Spooky Kooky Fun!, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies: Extended Edition, Airplane! / Airplane II: The Sequel: Double Feature, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Half-Shell Heroes: Blast To The Past, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 2, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Power Rangers Turbo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Turbo: Volume 2, Power Rangers In Space Volume 1, Power Rangers In Space: Volume 2, Power Rangers Samurai: The Complete Season, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 1: Water, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 2: Earth, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 3: Fire, Haven: Season 5 - Vol. 1, Under The Dome: Season 3, Sleepy Hollow: Season 2, Doctor Who: Dark Water / Death In Heaven, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 2, The Jurassic Park Trilogy, Jurassic World, Back To The Future: The Complete Animated Series, Tremor 5: Bloodlines, Shaun The Sheep Movie (Blu-Ray), 12 Monkeys: Season 1, Grimm: Season 4, The Wonder Years: Season 4, The Peanuts Movie, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 2, Community: Season 6, Game Of Thrones: Season 5, and Mulholland Dr..



The Flash "King Shark"

"We're gonna need a bigger Flash." Dum dum.

Those special effects of Flash and King Shark were amazing. They must have blown half a season's budget on them.

If I were Sisco, I'd be less worried about Caitlin turning into Killer Frost, and more worried about me turning into Reverb. I have no idea why nobody brought that up, especially since Reverb was like 20 times more evil than Killer Frost.

Dig never getting used to the Flash or his world never gets old. Never.

Is Zoom Earth 1 Jay or Earth 2 Jay from the future? The second seems unlikely because he'd remember that moment, but I don't see how he could have become what he did on Earth 1.

Here is what is interesting about Wally disliking Barry: I can see why. The thing about being uncomfortable around someone, is that the other person can usually tell you're uncomfortable. Which makes you feel like you've done something wrong when you haven't. And if you're smart enough to know that, it p*sses you off. Right until Wally called Barry a coward, (which was freaking unnecessary) Wally kind of had the high ground in his conflict with Barry. I loved Joe talking to Wally about it like an adult, and simply telling him he loved all three of them equally, and that he didn't have to worry about anything. Joe is a really cool father.

This month's hiatus is going to be tougher than usual. ****1/2.

Arrow "Taken"

I think Felicity is being unreasonable. There was no right answer in that scenario, and were I in her place, I would have stuck by Oliver's side while he was hurting so much. That scene of him making the video killed me.

Do you know who DID have a right to be p*ssed? Laurel. And ironically, Oliver couldn't have helped her out either, because he didn't even know he HAD a kid until very recently. When she tells Samantha not to feel guilty because it was OLIVER who should have told her, I realized that for the very first time on the series, Laurel had the legitimate high ground. And the fact that there was nothing Oliver could have done about it doesn't stop it from being true. I'm glad we got that scene between her and Quentin. He's not surprised, considers a bit irrelevant now, but totally gets why she's so stung. That was a cool scene for the both of them.

I hate Darhk. With a passion. Say what you will about Slade and Malcolm, They Had Their Reasons (each word capitalized). Darhk does NOT have a tragic life to blame Oliver for, and is simply doing what he is doing because he is a monster. Is it too late for Oliver to get back in the mayor's race and out his wife as behind the kidnapping of his son? Because even if that's a slight risk for William, he ought to do it so that psychopath doesn't have the mayor's office.

"An animated encounter." I liked that line. A lot.

My favorite scene is when Oliver calmly tell Samantha he is the Green Arrow. SO much going on in the space of a few seconds. First of all, Samantha is legitimately relieved and realizes she is probably getting her son back. That was awesome. How lucky is she? Second of all, she cannot wrap her brain around it being someone like Oliver. And just based on what we've seen of her and how Moira treated her, I don't blame her for thinking it was totally nuts. It was. I have a hard time believing Oliver is as awesome as he is. Which is why it is the perfect secret identity. Say what you will about Bruce Wayne, he was never a terrible person, so being Batman is plausible. Oliver is much less so because he was a total ahole until he was lost at sea. Bruce is a genuinely nice guy even if he treats women shabbily. Oliver? Not so much.

Thea and Malcolm: The reason Malcolm claiming he kidnapped William for Thea's sake and safety is SO freaking rich, is because we actually saw WHY he went to Dahrk on-screen, and Thea had nothing to do with it. She never came up. I am a little bit tired of Malcolm blaming all of his horrible actions on Thea. It would be one thing if the blame were accurate, but he's just pulling stuff out of his @$$. Good for Thea for not falling for it. And even better for her realizing that she had basically betrayed Robert when she let Malcolm into her life. I think that was a very cool moment for her, because I always felt a disconnect between them. And she now acknowledges it and regrets it. I liked that.

I'm glad Felicity can walk again, but it was a little too soon. And I kind of feel the drama between her and Oliver is a wee bit artifiicial. I think the episode failed on that level. However I am certain of one thing: it is not William in the grave. They wouldn't have put Oliver through that if it was. He DID lose William this episode. The person in the grave is going to be someone ELSE, just so Oliver's misery is a thousand-fold. It is going to be Thea and Malcolm will blame Oliver for it because he's an idiot and a terrible father and person. Mark my words.

I liked some of the human drama in this, but a lot of it between Oliver and Felicity seemed forced. ***1/2.

DC's Legends Of Tomorrow "Star City 2146"

Oh my God! I just realized something amazing! Ray Palmer doesn't flirt! Not even a little! And if we look back at it, that's true of his encounters with Felicity too. He is 100% genuine in every relationship he has ever been in, male or female. He simply asks Kendra out without any fanfare whatsoever, and is so innocent he didn't even realize Stein thought they were flirting. That is really cool, and I'm starting to wonder if Ray is a TEENY bit on the spectrum. He relates to people much easier than any Aspie I've ever known, but you don't meet that many people honest about their emotions to that extent who aren't. It's kinda cool.

I've decided two things about Snart and Rory. Snart is an outright good person. Rory isn't. Snart is fighting it with everything he's got, but he's got a conscience and a real sense of ethics. And it kind of is bothering him that Rory, this guy he otherwise loves and trusts, doesn't have ANY of that. I think that disturbs him. And it should. It disturbs me.

Connor Hawke being Dig's son was a nice twist, and actually made more sense to the canon than if it were William or somebody else. I also am really worried about Grant Wilson. Slade's memories of him on the island were the one genuinely touching thing about the character, and to learn that his kid is just as big a monster as him sort of takes away Slade's one redeeming quality. I don't necessarily object to that, but it does give me the willies.

Interesting episode, and I love that they don't ever pretend it is canon. Super smart to not even worry the audience once that this is where things are headed. This show seems to know what it is doing. A lesser show might have actually hurt Arrow a bit to up tension here, but the Arrowverse shows all seem to look out for one another. I can't think of another continuity off of the top of my head where that is true. Crossovers in most other franchises tend to build up the show the guest character is guest starring on, and sort of tear down the guest character's show when doing it. The Arrowverse has never done that with its crossovers, and it is not only really cool, but really unusual too. ****1/2.

Supergirl "Truth, Justice, And The American Way"

Overall, I have to call b.s. on several of the episode's premises. It's genre, and "gosh gee" superhero genre at that, so silly premises are the stock in trade of those types of shows. But there were just so MANY things wrong with how the characters were acting that I couldn't enjoy the episode, or believe the moral it was trying to teach me.

The episode loses me right off the bat with Cat hiring another assistant. Honestly, that's childish, and makes Cat look like a teenage drama queen. I know she already is, but if the episode wants me to be moved by her story about the make-up artist and the nice guy actor, they could try not making her a cartoon.

Secondly, why is Supergirl even mad at Hank in the first place? "There's always another way?" Says the girl who just snapped the Master Jailer's neck. I could not believe she did that, especially in this particular episode. It's like they undid the entire moral for why Kara was angry in the first place.

And honestly, what was her plan for Astra had she talked her down? Did she think that far ahead? Does she believe that Astra would agree to be imprisoned for the rest of her life? And if she DOESN'T think Astra would agree to that, does she believe they should simply let Astra go? Astra is mass murderer and killed far more people than the Master Jailer did in this episode. Does she get a do-over if she's super sorry? I know Joss Whedon believes we should root for murderers and rapists to redeem themselves with no actual punishment (as if murdering and raping is just a part of personal growth, and the only TRUE thing that matters about it is how bad you feel afterwards), but I personally think mass murderers are not the kinds of people I want to see redemption stories for. Why does Kara believe differently?

Thirdly, the episode is wrong for acting like Kara should have let Max Lord go. She shouldn't have. And it has nothing to do with the fact that he's dangerous and a murderer. It's because he knows her secret. Kara was overthinking it as far as trying to justify it went. It certainly was NOT the right thing to do, and it WAS immoral, and against everything the "S" stood for. But really, Lord was tying her hands. And I think the notion of mutually assured destruction is weak. First off, Max will NOT suffer much for revealing Kara's secret. Sure, he'd go to prison for his crimes, but he was ALREADY in prison. Why let him out in the first place? Kara's secret would not only compromise her, but possibly J'onn's and Superman's too. Secondly, Lord does not need to leak the secret himself. He could have a confidential source on his payroll talk to a reporter, and Kara's secret gets out, and they'd never be able to PROVE it was him. It's not like Kara hasn't been telling everybody anyways. Kara shouldn't have tried to convinced James it was the right thing to do. It wasn't. She should have pointed out it was the ONLY thing to do.

If Kara doesn't give James the go-ahead to reveal the secret to Lucy, she will be playing unfair, and I hope they don't do that. They had enough questionable character decisions in this one episode to last an entire season.

Yeah,, I loved the hints of Lobo (Danny Trejo, please) and about another city having masks (although she could have not only been talking about Batman, but Green Arrow and Flash too). But I was pretty much annoyed by everything else. 0.




Lucifer "Sweet Kicks"

Not much to report this episode, (other than the reason that Lucifer is made a police consultant seems pretty thin) but the biggest moment for me was how offended Lucifer was at Chloe's pronouncement that he had a God Complex. And the things is... she's right. And I think he's mad because he didn't see it before that moment. The rest of the episode was hit and miss, (I DID like Maze telling the barista to "surprise" her on her name spelling, and Hot Mess Linda and DB Woodside proves she DOES have a type) but the God Complex thing was the biggest eye-opener to me.

And of course Lucifer loves getting hurt. Not because he's a masochist, but because it's new, and "new" is not something that happens to an Immortal every day.

This was an average episode. ***1/2.

iZombie "Eternal Sunshine Of The Caffeinated Mind"

Keith Mars! Had no clue Drake was a cop, but that's good news for Liv, and bad news for Major.

Good news for Major: Blaine being rezombified. That is definitely a good plan B. That rat with the hole in it was horrific. That was totally Blaine's God Move. Does Mr. Boss even know he used to be a zombie? Because he should have taken precautions if he did.

Major News TBD: Him letting Liv know about Rita. Will Max Rager see it as a reasonable betrayal since they never told HIM they put her in her house? Will Liv have a ton more questions, and will Major even answer them now that he knows how close they've gotten? Again, TBD.

The bad guy (or girl) getting away was quite unusual, and the fact that the show lingered on her happy ending perhaps told me something else was going on. Are we going to be returning to her story at some point? Does Liv now have a recurring nemesis? Is she Vincent D'noffrio and that girl Olivia D'abo? Hmmm.

A few weeks of reruns is going to be tough. ****1/2.




Be Cool, Scooby Doo! "Sorcerer Snack Scare"

I was always wondering why there were no Scooby Snacks on the show and it's because they saved them for their own flipping origin episode! Sweet! They are called Scooby Snacks and not Shaggy Snacks because kids relate to a talking dog and not a guy with a beard. That checks out.

I love that Daphne is concerned that the Snacks are actually bribes and the gang taking advantage of Shaggy and Scooby. And when Velma starts trying experiments on them, Daphne proves to be the only person on this show worth a darn. If Velma IS going to experiment on Shaggy and Scooby by getting them to wear wigs for extra Snacks and the like, she should at least understand the point when Daphne give them the Snacks of her own free will. This version of Velma is a little bit thick.

"I'm Velma! I don't do catch!" Great line.

Also great was this exchange:

Scooby: "I'm cop!"

Shaggy: "I'm dog!"

Scooby (narrows his eyes): "It's counterintuitive!"

I laughed at that. The positive CEO who always broke terrible news in a cheerful voice made me laugh too. Although once they started going into the jokes about the security guard missing his wife's anniversary, I kind of thought the show was getting too cynical. I know that is one of this continuity's selling points, but that was a bit much.

Nobody else knowing how to bath in money is another example that Daphne was raised differently. It is amazing that she is the most ethical member of the gang. I also loved her getting excited at the puppets.

An origin story for the Scooby Snacks means this is NOT the update we were promised. It's a full-fledged reboot. I'm cool with that, but there is no real difference with how this effects the canon than how Mystery Inc. does. ****1/2.

Be Cool, Scooby Doo! "Saga Of The Swamp Beast"

Can't believe Fred is jealous of an alligator. Still him fighting a gator, no matter how lifeless it acts, makes him seem like a total bad@$$.

I love that Fred is instantly annoyed with Daphne's vampire thing. She's gonna be doing this the entire episode? Ugh.

The mystery resolution was cool too. Good motive for once.

The hot sauce is so hot its name has seventeen extras "r's".

Pretty good. ***1/2.




Wabbit "Computer Bugs / Oils Well That Ends Well"

Computer Bugs: I would have actually liked to have seen an entire 8-bit Bugs Bunny cartoon. Nonetheless the animation was eye-popping and creative. Great looking cartoon. ****1/2.

Oils Well That Ends Well: Super boring, although I like that Ivana's voice seems to be modeled after Eartha Kitt's. I miss that woman. *1/2.

Episode Overall: ***.




Bunnicula "Muddy Harry"

I love that once Chester realizes the mystery is science fiction, he's on-board. That's his jam! Very cool character moment. And the animation designs on this show are starting to grow on me. ***.

Bunnicula "Garlicked"

Bunnicular's skeleton design looked terrific and the episode wasn't terrible. I approve. ***.




Marvel's Agent Carter "The Edge Of Mystery"

I was upset by the end of this. Can't believe they turned Wilkes evil. SO angry. I can't even.

It was interesting seeing Jarvis as a mess for the first time ever though.

I liked Manfredi telling Whitney she was beautiful though. Because he meant it and told her why. That was cool.

I hated everything else though. SO aggravated by this. *.

Marvel's Agent Carter "A Little Song And Dance"

The first half of that was probably the worst thing the show has ever done. For real.

First off, a musical dream sequence fantasy? Do you know what that is? Television. This episode just turned the Marvel Cinematic Universe into television. And the worst kind of television. Television that thinks it ISN'T television, and is actual ambitious and wonderful. You will see DVD special features with cast and crew members gushing over this episode like it is fresh and daring and experimental, as if NO-ONE anywhere has done a dream sequence musical number before. But it's not any of those things. It's dumb and badly written and cliched. Full-stop.

I also see now why they turned Wilkes into a villain last episode, and had him show remorse now. They plan to kill him off, and they expect me to be happy and relieved he sacrifices himself for his white friends in the name of redemption. I won't be. I'm gonna be p*ssed. Super p*ssed. I will be quoting Ezekial at those mothereffers.

But about halfway through the episode, it became decent. Probably the point where Peggy shellacks Jarvis for treating their missions as fun games. What I loved about her cruel statements is that they were 100% true. And when Jarvis disarms her by revealing his wife is now sterile, she says she shouldn't have said that things. She never ONCE says she didn't mean them. And she shouldn't have. Because they were true. But Peggy owns her behavior in a way few TV characters do. She couldn't probably make Jarvis feel better if she said she didn't mean it and was just angry. But Peggy isn't going to b.s. him for any reason.

I also liked the stand-off at the end. I know Jack's larger interests are not evil, and instantly knew he was jiving Whitney about wanting a seat on the council, but it doesn't change the fact that he and Peggy have very different interests in what will occur next week. Even if Wilkes were not involved, Peggy would NOT be okay with Masters just being "taken out", and that is where the conflict will be next week.

But I almost turned off the TV at the musical number. That was a dark moment for the show and the continuity. **1/2.




Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6 "Hydra Attacks: Part One"

Scarlet Spider? Wow.

I liked seeing the fall-out from Aunt May, but I would have liked some actual fall-out from Flash. He didn't comment ONCE on the fact that Spidey is Peter when it should have rocked his world last season.

I was also super relieved they didn't Goblin either Norman or Harry. It was so refreshing because nobody would have blamed the show if they did that. But it's been there, done that, and apparently there are going to be other things going on this season.

A strong first part. ****.

Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6 "Hydra Attacks: Part Two"

The fight at the end with Spidey and Scarlet Spider curing Goblins was SO tight and well-animated. This show is not known for great animation, so believe me, I noticed.

What is with the running gag of the Scarlet Spider needing a shower? I didn't get that, nor understand how he could be the first Spider. Ben Reilly thought he was the original Peter Parker in the comics, but that doesn't seem like what is going on. I'm interested to see what all this is about.

Great conclusion. *****.

Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy "Space Cowboys"

Cute Rocket and Drax stuff, but I wasn't wowed by the episode. This show is turning into a disappointment, which is a shame because the Pilot hinted at great potential. I haven't given up yet, and it IS better than Avengers Assemble and Hulk and the Agents of SMASH, but it is still underwhelming.

I think my biggest problem is the cast is too small and the universe is a BIG place. They shouldn't be running into Yondu every week, much less the Collector as often as they are. Maybe the Guardians have a sucky rogues gallery in the comics, but I would not object to them creating new characters to fill the void in the show. Because the galaxy is a bigger place than the Guardians make it seem.

Anything I liked? The solution of using the Creature's wormhole capabilities to skip over the magnetic field. Clever solution that I should have seen coming, but didn't. But the rest of the episode was a snooze. **1/2.




Star Wars Rebels "Homecoming"

I understand this was another Clone Wars tie-in but I never watched that show so I was lost. I didn't really understand what was going on. **.

Star Wars Rebels "The Honorable Ones"

Fabulous episode. Is that a crack in Agent Kallus? Can he possibly be turned to the Light Side? I sincerely hope so. I would love to see a Star Wars redemption story for someone who isn't a genocidal murderer like Vader.

Interesting that he didn't take the Lasat weapon, but that it was given to him. That doesn't play with his behavior in the earlier episode, but I like this idea better, so I'll let it slide.

I loved this. *****.

LEGO Star Wars: The Resistance Rises "Poe To The Rescue"

I was wondering how they could do comical adventures in the ultra dark modern times... and the answer is they can't. This was much less funnier than the other Lego Star Wars cartoons. By necessity. And that kind of bums me out. ***.




The Muppets "Little Green Lie"

Dear Kermit and Miss Piggy,

When the Universe is trying to tell you something, it's okay to listen.

Sincerely,

The rest of us.

A Muppets first: I believe this is the first time Robin's parents have ever been talked about. I don't even think they've been otherwise mentioned.

The pillow fight gag at the end was an ostensibly funny pop culture satire... but that type of humor is NOT the Muppets. There's a reason the franchise doesn't do cynical stuff like that. Because you can never believe it.

Loved Carl eating Foo-Foo, but was equally relieved he was okay.

That's only the THIRD least important secret Uncle Deadly is keeping. I'll say it again: This show's MVP.

I chuckled at Rizzo listing off the reasons he doesn't date snails. It's a ridiculous conceit, but because Pepe is there, he actually tries to justify it so as not to offend him. That's hysterical.

Scooter is pretty much the most annoying character on the show. Although I did laugh that he became upset because he believed he was the first person who ever lied on Twtter. Moron.

Never play Lazer Tag with Miss Piggy. When she screams "Fear me!", I do.

Enough of the song and dance, Kermie and Piggy. It is inevitable. Embrace it. ****.




The Simpsons "Gal Of Constant Sorrow"

"I'll paperweight you!" Scariest Homer threat ever!

I liked it. Kate McKinnon did a fine speaking performance, and I really liked the music. Homer with the cat in the wall was funny too. ****.




The X-Files "My Struggle, II"

On the one hand, I'm furious that Chris Carter suckered us with a cliffhanger again (this miniseries was supposed to wrap things up!) on the other, it's good because it means there is definitely more coming. I can live with that. I just hope the actual series finale, whenever it is, wraps things up the way "The Truth" and "I Want To Believe" did not.

It is interesting to watch Einstein come around to Scully's way of thinking, because Scully pretty much reasons her into it. And when Scully's hunch goes in the wrong direction, Einstein reasons her into the right one. I still hate Einstein, but I hate her slightly less than last week.

SO happy to see Monica Reyes again, because it states something positive about Chris Carter: The man stands by his actors. Reyes was universally hated by X-Files fans, and instead of pretending she didn't exist, Carter writes a juicy role for her because she used to be a full fledged cast member. It is rare for a TV producer to stand by their actors in this way, and makes me realize the only actor Carter did wrong by was Megan Gallagher on Millennium, and even then, he was kind enough to bring her back for a guest appearance in that show's third season. That is really cool.

Old Smokey loves Mulder. It's interesting that nobody said the elephant in the room: That CSM is Mulder's father. That's the only reason he's let Mulder get away with what he has.

I thought Mulder's fight was the sickest fight the show has ever done. Then I realized it's pretty much the FIRST legit fight the show has ever done. Mulder has turned into a secret ninja in the past fifteen years.

Do I buy the retcon of Cancer Man not dying in the series finale? To be honest, it doesn't fit. Because CSM wasn't just burned in his final appearance, he appeared to be smoked / nuked. The whole point of his death is that his body was vaporized. Them saying otherwise is asking me to believe them rather than my lying eyes.

As a series finale this sucked. As a potential first season finale, I enjoyed it. ****.




Transformers: Robots In Disguise "Overloaded: Part 1"

I don't like Optimus Prime being portrayed as such a flake, and I certainly don't like Sideswipe being so disrespectful of him. I also sort of hate Sideswipe's fight with Strongarm. Because it's making Bumblebee look bad in front of Optimus. That stuff NEVER happened on Transformers Prime, and we kind of took the fact that Bumblebee's team behaves atrociously for granted, because Bumblebee himself was so untested as a leader. But now that Optimus is back, it is clearly unprofessional nonsense, and I don't know how the show can possibly keep doing it and stay credible.

I'm glad Optimus is a full-time cast member now, but I kind of think they need to adjust the show a bit to make room for him. That means the team HAS to be better behaved. It doesn't work otherwise. **.




Power Rangers: Dino Super Charge "A Date With Danger"

I have a hard time buying a girl falling in love with a Ranger. NO-ONE would. Their entire bodies are covered head to toe in their costumes. There is no way to develop a romantic connection with a person, much less from afar. Dumb.

Really puzzled why Kendall doesn't join the Rangers on the non-special missions. Doesn't make much sense to me.

Good set-up with Rusty in the cave. I thought it was a dumb moment until the next week said there was a reason for it.

I was annoyed with this. Big time. *.

Power Rangers: Dino Super Charge "Roar Of The Red Ranger"

More good than bad this week.

The bad:

Power Rangers actually has a character named Ninja. They REALLY don't have to try very hard, do they? I'm amazed this show has lasted 20 years.

The good:

Aqua Ranger. Up to 9 Rangers in this incarnation. That might be a record.

Resolving Tyler's daddy drama in an unexpected place. Frankly, I expected them to save that for the series finale, so I was pleasantly surprised they did it here. I like whenever television doesn't live and die by the season finale. It's perfectly okay to have big things happen in regular episodes too.

Heckyl is an even better villain than I thought he was. And I already thought he was cool. He is literally the first villain is Power Rangers history I have actually liked. 20 years. He's the first.

Not bad. ****.




Sleepy Hollow "Sins Of The Father"

I find it VERY interesting how free of turmoil Abbie's scene with her father was. We had been led to believe she hated him even more than Jenny, but Abbie presently has other concerns. I am VERY worried about her.

Good idea to kill off Nevins when they did. There wasn't much else they could do with him. Goodbye, Evil Mr. Noodle.

Crane knows who Charlie Brown is but not E.T. That tracks. E.T. doesn't get as many pop culture references as Peanuts.

My main problem is that the episode started to focus too much on the other characters beside Ichabod and Abbie, which was the precise problem with season 2. It hasn't gotten that bad yet, but with 7 cast members, it could. And I hate that.

Danny taking orders from that dude at the end tells me that the show is going to get back into the conspiracy of the town hinted in the Pilot. That was one of the coolest concepts of the first episode, and the idea was dropped almost immediately. Although this particular conspiracy might involve the entire FBI. Still, I look forward to more shadowy guys giving questionable orders to the good guys. The X-Files IS back after all.

I had some misgivings about the episode. ***.




Bob's Burgers "Sexy Dance Healing"

"Give me that one! Give me that one! But not with the egg! That sounds gross!" I love Teddy.

"Why did I say that in front of somebody who wanted something from me?" Mr. Fischoeder is great too.

Lots of fun quotes in this one. And Bob and Gyro finally make peace. Cool. ****.




Brooklyn Nine-Nine "Adrian Pimento"

I literally have not seen Kate Flannery in anything since The Office. Her appearance is not TV friendly, and considering how much TV sucks, that's a shame. Luckily she has Fremulon connections.

I love that Holt seems dismissive of having to handle a petty squabble with Marge before Amy gets him to admit he's terrified of her.

Marge's secret trash was amazing. Boyle eats fast food! Terry throws out his kids drawings (there are so many of them and they're all terrible)! Amy misspells thier! (See what I just did?). Mean Marge knows your worst secrets. You flush it, she flaunts it.

I loved Peralta being excited to have a knife to his throat when he finds out Pimento is an undercover cop who just got back. Rosa wants to sleep with him which means he's a creep. Or does it? Rosa DID date Holt's nephew for awhile, and Pimento DID turn out to be innocent (and a terrible bagboy).

Terry is NOT going to die in a stew making accident! He's going to die saving the President's life! Or Terry isn't going to die at all! I freaking love Terry Crews. SOOOOOO much.

Gina's video was the one weak link of the episode. The resolution was nowhere NEAR as clever as most Gina resolutions are.

But I loved everything else. ****.




The Shannara Chronicles "Safehold"

Pretty good. It had a ton of memorable scenes but I don't really think the ep threaded them together all that well. And Bandan dying the way he did made me feel his arc was pointless. I was creeped out by his sex scene and was kind of rooting for him to die at that point. I liked his swordfight with the king. That "pawn" statement by him also tells me chess is still a thing in the four kingdoms.

The three moments I liked best were:

1. Wil dropping the stones and retrieving them off of the sleeping troll.

2. The last leaf falling and the Demon army rising.

3. Amberle stepping into the fire and Eretreya's sacrifice.

Interested to see the season (and possibly series) finale. ****.




Family Guy "Underage Peter"

Do you know what? As cruel as that Adam Sandler slam was it is probably true. Can you actually imagine somebody hanging out with Adam Sandler because they genuinely liked him? I cannot. I cannot wrap my head around that idea. Frankly, I don't get why people watch his movies either, but that's just having to deal with him for two hours at a time. That seems MUCH more manageable than hanging out with him. Unless they are friends for an entirely different reason.

I thought Quagmire was 60. Couldn't they just use HIM to buy booze? Hmmm.

The Obama's daughters getting alcohol joke was a cheap shot, and show exactly how much unnecessary crap gets flung at the Obamas. They even get chastised for things they didn't even do.

Speaking of lousy friends, Peter Griffin continues to be the most annoying character on television. He never even apologizes for what he did to Brian with the police. Do you know what I noticed? When Peter calls Brian his best friend at the end, Brian doesn't say it back. He just says he enjoys hanging out with him too. Who'd want to be best friends with someone who came up with the Yanket? He was already doing that before I put that over him.

I liked Peter's run with the cop though where he asked him what he was doing. That was hilarious.

The Jay Leno joke made me laugh, especially since they got him to voice himself. I still hate the dude, but it was funny.

I love Peter offering to make Brian Meg's Godfather, and him immediately saying "No thanks." The Griffin are truly a terrible family.

Peter thinks Joe's chin is more valuable than his spine. Peter is a moron.

Opie's just drunk? Now he's less funny.

Brass Monkey? I literally haven't heard that in two decades. What a terrible song.

Yeah, if the guy didn't care if Jimmy cracked corn, why did he write a song about it? Good observation by Joe.

I laughed at the Oliver Platt joke. They know what they did.

I really liked the episode, which is weird, because the concept was terrible. But they somehow made it work. ****1/2.

American Dad! "Stan Smith As Keanu Reeves As Stanny Utah In Point Breakers"

If that isn't the best episode title ever, I don't know what is.

I love the surfers. I love that they aren't mad that Stan lied and was CIA, framed them for a crime, and now they'd have to miss the surf tourney. No worries, man. So completely the opposite the way I was expecting the story to go, and I love that the surfers are exactly as chill as they first come across as. Cool.

Roger is perhaps the most stressful person you could possibly live with. Steve is a close second. Do you know the messed up part of him and the drifter? Whenever they entered a scene they seemed to be holding hands. I shuddered at the "He just saved your life," being the Drifter's secret. Creepy.

I am also saddened that Bullock thinks Stan is his best friend. That is just pathetic.

Loved the joke of Herbie killing the poachers. And he should have in the movie too.

Great episode. ****.




Bordertown "Groundhog Day"

Buck Buchwald just made the list for 2016 most annoying characters on television. A couple more episode like this, and he'll top it.

Do you know what I hate most about him? Somebody that sexist, judgmental, and racist cannot satisfy his wife and doesn't even want to. He's always acting like a big man when he has no idea what that means. Learning that he deserted during the Gulf War and briefly joined the Iraqis is another similarly detestable thing about him.

Any good things? The immigrant, the drug dealer, and the terrorist arguing over who was better for America was amusing. But things went downhill fast after that. 0.




You, Me And The Apocalypse "Right In The Nuts"

Another amazing experience. It's not even an episode. It's an experience.

Ironically, it was the Jude and Celine stuff which was the weakest, when it is usually the best. I do not ship them. At all. Their relationship was so refreshing because it's non-sexual. Let's keep it that way from now on.

I also was shocked by Leanne and Rhonda. Yeah, she has a Swastika tattooed on her face. But we all previously thought it was a joke and way for Megan Mullally to be horrible and horribly funny. It's not. It's this woman's horrible reality. Even if by the end of the episode we learn that Leanne DOES have a conscience, it is too late for her. She is already trapped. What are Rhonda's son and wife going to do, shake her hand? This show is so amazing in the way it brings the reality of absurd situations into focus. No matter what happens from now on, Luanne is no longer a cartoon. And now I'm starting to think she never was one.

Jamie being divine is brilliant because I bet it is actually true. And Ariel would make a perfect devil. I sympathized with Jamie pretending he saw the light to get Mary out of the house. That was desperation and a beautiful moment.

As for Ariel, the General and Scotty get sh*t DONE this episode. Sure, Ariel got away and is a national security risk. But he no longer has access to the bunker, and the general seriously messed with his head which is something no-one else has ever done. Who WAS the third person and why was it upsetting him so much? What IS the deal with his and Jamie's wife and why does she make the both of them so crazy?

I know one thing: when this show hits Blu-Ray I'm getting it. It is unlike any other show on television. *****.




Colony "Broussard"

It is insane Katie got the one assassin who believed her. And she was still dumb enough to betray him. She's lucky she changed her mind. He is probably her only real friend.

I loved the religious alien Church stuff. Because face it, there is no better form of propaganda than religion. It's amazing fascists haven't thought of this before. The Nazis were trying to convince people that God was on Hitler's side. Could you imagine how much worse things could have gotten if they tried to convince people Hitler was God? Because a BUNCH of people would have believed it. As if WWII wasn't ENOUGH of a Holy War. Jebus.

On basic cable nude women do not possess nipples, and everyone says the F word very softly. You don't need to do these scenes, Colony, to make me think you are Pay-cable. Because the non-nudity and silent F bombs already scream otherwise. And it wouldn't be doing that if the scenes never existed. I wouldn't have even thought about it.

I love that Bo always takes the path of less work involved. He's always wrong, but if I had his job I wouldn't be invested in it either.

Good week. ***1/2.




The Blacklist "The Caretaker"

Not much to report this week but two things:

1. Red telling Harold to go home and forgive his wife. No kidding. Enough already, Cooper.

2. Amir forcing Ressler to apologize for his horrible behavior to Navabi before he'll help him disarm the bomb. I personally think Navabi should have been just as angry as Ressler at that, but I love that she appreciated it. That's awesome.

Average episode. ***.




Star Wars Rebels: The Complete Season One

The new Star Wars cartoon, set between the events of Episodes III and IV shows a lot of promise. It isn't perfect, but I like what I've seen. I gave up on The Clone Wars pretty early on, but I hear it improved after I dropped out, so I wanted to get in on the ground floor of this one. It's pretty cool, and features famous Star Wars characters in guest starring roles like C-3PO, R2-D2, Ahsoka, Yoda, Lando Calrissian, Bail Organa, Grand Moff Tarkin, and even Darth Vader. Season 2 has turned out to be even better than season 1 so far too, which is always a good thing.

The main character (Ezra Bridger) is a wee bit too emo and Mary Sue, but I like the rest of the cast (well maybe not the psychopathic Droid Chopper). Hera and Sabine seem particularly cool, and I look forward to getting their backstories in future seasons. The Grand Inquisitor is a great villain especially because he's not a Sith, and STILL knows how to use the Force. Plus he cheats when he fights with a light saber which is fabulous. I like the idea that the Big Bad actually probably wouldn't be hot stuff if not for the souped up saber.

Best episodes of the season are the Empire Academy one (Breaking Ranks), the one where Kanan is captured (Call To Action), and the two-part season finale (Rebel Resolve / Fire Across The Galaxy). I really dislike the Ezra and Zeb spotlight (Fighter Flight), and the return of my least favorite Star Wars character, Yoda (Path Of The Jedi). I'll admit it was cool they got Frank Oz back to voice him though. Season Overall: ****.

Spark Of Rebellion, Part I:

Darth Vader is in the first scene in the Blu-Ray version. Is the term "Street rat" exclusive to Disney productions? Because I have never heard it used outside of them. And how dumb is Ezra? He's still talking as if those are his blasters by the end of the episode. Kid has no idea when he isn't in a position to negotiate. "Rare, Hairless Wookie" is the worst bluff ever. I'm tickled to realize Hera calls Kanan "Love" here, which just means they've been a couple for the entire season without me realizing it the first go-round. ****.

Spark Of Rebellion, Part II:

Bad Ezra: The kid continues to show an astoundingly bad lack of insight into human nature and why people do the things that they do. "People don't do that." Ugh. Also totally emo was his "I do! I swear I do!" Good Ezra: We see the genesis of Ezra building a name for himself in the Empire as a master escape artist. He even uses the alias of Jabba the Hutt for the first time. How has he even heard Jabba's name before anyways, and how come the Empire doesn't seem to have? By the by, Wookies look terrible in CGI. Or at least they do if Lucasfilm is not going to put up the money to properly render the fur. Interesting that Chopper voted with Hera to rescue Ezra. Frankly, it makes no sense that he did that since he routinely tries to get Ezra killed as a prank. My favorite moment was Kallus recognizing Kanan was a Jedi and that he was the real threat. Also great was him kicking the Stormtrooper off the platform for cheeking him. It's played for laughs, but in reality he just cold-bloodedly murdered an officer for not being impressed with him. That's a little bit scary. Kanan offering to give the light saber to Ezra was very generous, and far more generous that he deserved. Learning about the Light Saber crystals in the middle of the season told me it's not like Kanan can just go out and get another one. Upon rewatching this, I realize Ezra getting grabbed was entirely Zeb's fault. He practically pushed him into that I.A.P. Agent's arms. This was a solid two-part opener. ****. Two Part Average: ****.

Droids In Distress:

It's interesting Senator Organa does not trust C-3PO enough to be in on the real mission. Kanan having to ask him if that was a Jedi saying is another clue that Kanan is not a full Jedi. He would already know that otherwise. I thought the plan to banish the translator and give the wrong translation about the cargo was very clever. I love whenever we see Sabine using her obviously vast education and language skills. I also liked getting some of Zeb's backstory and seeing Ezra's first encounter with the Force. I was hoping for a bigger smackdown between R2-D2 and Chopper. I liked how outraged Zeb was that Kallus carried a Bo-Rifle and that he was RIGHT to be outraged by that. Kallus is such a bad dude. Ezra leaping rooftops was pretty impressive. I also love the moment where Zeb slyly tells the Empire lady that he can't possibly have disruptors in that crate, because disruptors are illegal, right? Very cunning, and of course gets a "Mind your own business." Interesting episode. ****.

Fighter Flight:

Nice to see Ezra and Zeb get along by the end, but I have to say I was kind of sour on the rest of the episode. Chopper is just plain annoying, and Ezra holding the fact that he saved Zeb's life over his head was beyond uncool. Heroes don't keep score. It fosters bad teamwork, and makes Zeb not want to ask for help when he really needs it. Maybe the 8-year-olds in the audience can relate to such juvenile behavior. But it doesn't mean the heroes should be doing it. Things of note: Chopper's "Waugh Waugh" upon tricking Ezra into thinking he used the Force rang false. Am I supposed to believe they have game shows in the Star Warsverse? I also liked Zeb's nervous "Good. That's good," upon Ezra saying he just knew when to turn the ship. You could tell the answer frightened him and that was Zeb's way of trying to rationalize it to himself in a way that made sense to him. I also liked the moment when the Stormtrooper incredulously realizes Ezra was causing all of this trouble just to steal fruit. Zeb crazily laughing while the TIE Fighter was spinning in circles and blasting Stormtroopers was fun, as was him steering it upside-down with his feet at the end. And I laughed at Kanan's reaction that Ezra and Zeb stole the TIE. But the rest of the episode was problematic. *1/2.

Rise Of The Old Masters:

Points to the episode for pointing out that Yoda's insipid "There is no try" means nothing. Demerits for trying to attach a plausible explanation behind it at the end of the episode anyways. The whole "This plan keeps getting worse." / "Hope it doesn't change" seemed to be a direct reference to Lando's "Deal" moment with Vader in Empire. I approve. The Inquisitor cuts quite a severe figure, doesn't he? Love that Ezra's never heard of the Dark Side of the Force. That meant that he has no judgments about it other than the Inquisitor is trying to interest him in something that bores him. And that's a cool moment for a hero. Much cooler than Luke's "I will never join the Dark Side! Never!". I also loved the moment where Zeb tells Ezra he doesn't deserve a medal for simply doing his job. That was cool. I like the Light-Saber battles at the end too. ****.

Breaking Ranks:

Good for the show for giving us a new no-brainer Star Wars concept: Empire Academy. I like that when Ezra does a little TOO well, the guy in charge tells his underling to take note of it. That says a LOT about how the Empire is run. They want good soldier, but they don't want them to be TOO good. Those are the types that are hard to control. I was also amused they have target practice at the Academy. Because Stormtroopers are all universally notoriously bad shots. They're doing it wrong. The Cadets jumping from floating platform to platform was beyond cool. That would make a good videogame level. Do you know what sucked? The Commandant telling the Cadets that there are no friends in battle and that only victory is what matters. Because that is terrible advice and makes me realize why Stormtroopers are as lousy at their jobs as they are. In a military unit you have to be able to trust your fellow soldier with your life, or the group cannot function. Any commander who doesn't know that is a lightweight. I'm starting to think Tarkin was right to off the guy. I liked Ezra saying in his message that he was staying because the Rebels' heroics were rubbing off on him. That was a nice moment. Great episode. ****1/2.

Out Of Darkness:

Random thoughts: Hearing Hera call Kanan "Dear" AGAIN made me realize she and he were a thing and that I didn't even know that before! THAT is how 'shipping in genre projects SHOULD work. In the background. Subtle. Not driving the focus of the story. I love that. Sabine's outburst over the comm angered me about as much as when Data and Wesley would make sarcastic, smart-alecky insults about the alien on the viewscreen on NextGen, and always seemed surprised the aliens took offense to being made fun of. Completely unprofessional and bad writing. I hate Chopper so much, and this episode shows why: his pranks involve injuring someone in life-threatening situations. I guess because he can't speak, the creator's believe they can't actually do anything subtle with him, but if that was the case, they shouldn't have made him a prankster in the first place. As of now, he seems to be a sociopath in how little he values his supposed friends' lives. I like how Hera is not only a better Pilot than Kanan, but knows the Ghost better too. I wasn't feeling this episode. **1/2.

Empire Day:

I think it was very smart to make Ezra's birthday the actual Empire Day. It gives him and the show a personal connection to the canon they didn't have before. I also loved that bartender turning around the Stormtrooper's "It's the law" on him. Kanan's routine as a drunk Empire Day-happy Dad was funny too. And who doesn't love the Jolly Imperial Parade March? The Inquisitor's TIE fighter helmet is cool too. ***1/2.

Gathering Forces:

Could somebody please explain to me what exactly is so bad about the Dark Side of the Force? Aside from the fact that the people who use it always seem to be aholes, the thing itself seems pretty neutral to me, and just a part of the tool that is the Force. It seems to me how it is applied is the only thing that matters. Am I wrong? I thought Ezra was a little too emo this episode, but I like the idea that he accepted his parents death so quickly, because if he expected them to come back and save him, that he'd never survived. That's a perspective you don't tend to get from Mary Sues, and as Ezra clearly IS one, I appreciated it. Still, this episode is easily the Mary Sueiest he ever acted. His whole "Coward! You could have stopped them!" thing with Zeebo was 10th Level Emo and he even gets a whiny "Nooo!" in there at the end as well as "Mom! Dad!". The Inquisitor looks scary when he laughs. I also really like the idea that Zeebo didn't volunteer for the hook-up to get damaging intel on the Empire. That was just a side benefit. He was really looking for info on Ezra's parents. That is really cool. The episode is pretty good but you couldn't tell that by Ezra's annoyingness. ****.

Path Of The Jedi:

I hate Yoda. Worst Star Wars character ever. And yes, including Jar-Jar Binks. At least people HATE Jar-Jar Binks. Yoda has entirely too much credibility in the Star Wars fandom. He's annoying, stupid, rude, manipulative, a total user, wrong way more often than he is right, and (especially egregious) totally unfunny. Still, I will give the episode props for luring back Frank Oz to voice him. That's not anything to sneeze at. I think Ezra's wants and desires for why he wants to become a Jedi are logically inconsistent. If you can be tripped up by a numbnuts like Yoda, you might want to rethink things. Another problem I had was the dream sequence where the team talks smack about Ezra. Why? Because I don't think the scene went far enough. A better show would have twisted the knife way more than they did. First off, Hera stating she's nice to Ezra because he's useful is probably the weakest horrible thing I've ever heard someone say. She's actually complimenting his competence and revealing SHE'S the monster, not Ezra. A really dark dream sequence would have had her say Ezra was useless and holding the team back, and that they only keep him around because they're sorry for him. And Sabine's "I pity him" moment was too nice too. If they REALLY wanted her to be nasty she would make fun of Ezra's crush on him, and call it embarrassing, and that he was just a stupid kid. That could have been a REALLY juicy scene had they chosen to play it that way. Still, Ezra trying out his light saber at the end WAS a pretty cool scene though. **.

Idiot's Array:

Lando! My favorite moment was Zeb saying that "impressionistic connoisseur" probably meant less than Lando thought. And Ezra's light saber's a gun! Why can't Kanan's do that? And Kanan not knowing how to use the Ghost's guns shows again that it is actually Hera in charge. Speaking of which, Zeb betting Chopper in a card game was a d*ck move. Hera was right for being furious with Kanan for allowing it. Also, here's ANOTHER thing saying that Hera runs things: She overrules both Kanan and Ezra when they offer to trade Lando for their lives with Azmorigan. SHE is the one calling the shots. I liked her kicking Lando in the nads too. Funniest moment might have been Zeb telling Ezra he wouldn't have bet him because he wouldn't have covered the pot. Fun episode. ****.

Vision Of Hope:

I keep feeling that Brent Spiner should have had a MUCH bigger career in animation voice-over than he got. He had the potential to be as big as Mark Hamill, Clancy Brown, and Phil Lamar when it came to live-action actor transitioning to cartoon voices were concerned. I may be wrong, but I also think this makes Spiner the biggest Star Trek name to participate in Star Wars. As I said, I may be wrong, but I don't think so. Good for Hera for not falling for the Senator's story. It was a really bad one, and even if I'll accept Ezra is naive enough to buy it, that foolishness should not extend to Hera. He was needling them for information he should have already had, he tried to convince them to surrender, he was stalling in the tunnels. Of COURSE Hera sees through him. I think the Rebels may have made a mistake in keeping Trayvis there though. He could have been a valuable hostage and a good source of intel. Kallus' look of disgust at Trayvis holding his injured eye told me he was angry that Trayvis just lost the one valuable thing he brought to the Empire and now they can never get it back. The look on his face was contempt and Trayvis looks outright embarrassed about it. As he should be. I love that Kallus is so dumb he still thinks Ezra's name is Jabba. I didn't quite get the jokes about Sabine knowing what Ezra smelled like. Good episode though. ****.

Call To Action:

You can tell by the seriousness of The Imperial March at the beginning that something big was going to happen and it did: Grand Moff Tarkin! And I suddenly see why this guy had such a great reputation in the original film. He's smart, insightful, and offs two of the more comical recurring villains for their repeated failures. Tarkin was the biggest character in the original film who didn't get an action figure, and I like that this series still treats him with the respect he always deserved, but that his bland non-toy-ready outfit made sure he never got. I can't decide between my two favorite Tarkin moments. I love how Tarkin says at the end "I know how to win a war", and earlier in the episode when the Commandant says that the Jedi lives up to his reputation, Tarkin says softly "Oh, I doubt that very much." SO spooky is our Grand Moff. I love how horrified the Minister was at the murders. Darth Vader used to ALWAYS kill his underlings, but you can tell the Empire Base on Lothal used to use kid gloves before then, and she was like "This just got real". I also laughed at Tarkin giving the Inquisitor the stinkeye while saying "Boy, it sure would be handy if we had someone who was supposed to be an expert on Jedi." Excellent wit. A great episode. And like Empire, the heroes actually lost. ****1/2.

Rebel Resolve:

When Hera says "Kanan didn't know anything" I can't tell if her saying that is cruel, sad, or true. Possibly all three. When the Inquisitor says "Jedis feel pain," I winced. Loved Zeb being convinced to watch the Droid by Ezra flattering him by calling him intimidating. Also funny was Ezra mistaking Vizago's bow as an invitation to grab his horn. And Chopper pushing that Droid overboard shows that he is a psychopath. Do you know what moment I loved? "There's the courier. Where's his escort?" "Not our problem." It solves a gaping plot hole that would be nagging at the back of my mind in just a couple of lines. Greg Weisman sucks but he is able to rationalize bad writing like nobody's business, which is a VERY important skill for a good writer to have. And he always manages to make it sound remotely plausible, when in fact a Droid showing up unescorted, should have raised red flags. But those Walkers, man. Their vehicle design sucks. Walking death traps, the lot of them. What was Lucas thinking? I like that Hera is not just mad at Ezra for disobeying her, but for what he had to trade to get the information he did. This was a great episode. ****1/2.

Fire Across The Galaxy:

Darth Vader! And Ahsoka is Fulcrum. Because of course she is. I didn't much like Sabine's "Miss me?" puns, but I love that the codename the Empire has given her is The Artist. That's cool. I love that she actually made the dust from the explosion into a work of art and I laughed at the Stormtrooper admitting he liked the colorful TIE before getting zapped. But really, how stupid was she for painting the TIE in the first place? She never foresaw they'd use it again in the future? Rebel lightweight. Kanan's interrogation scene with the Inquisitor was phenomenal. Jason Isaacs was amazing. Speaking of which, the three way light-saber battle between The Inquisitor and Ezra and Kanan was super sweet, especially because Ezra was impressed to see Kanan use moves with the blaster light saber he hadn't thought of yet. Great stuff. And the Inquisitor's mistake isn't leaving no-one to die for Kanan. It's giving him nothing left to fear. Great moment. And Chopper has the Han Solo moment at the end. This series isn't perfect, but this was a great finale. *****.

The Machine In The Ghost:

Kanan and Hera nearly kiss at the end of this short. That completely blew by me the first time I saw this. ***1/2.

Art Attack:

A Sabine short. The weakest of the shorts. ***.

Entanglement:

I liked Kanan getting angrier and angrier at Zeb over the comm. Stormtroopers are REALLY stupid. ****1/2.

Property Of Ezra Bridger:

Ezra sees the Ghost in action from a distance. ****.

Star Wars Rebels: The Ultimate Guide:

A recap of season one by Kanan. Interesting that C-3PO and R2-D2 are not mentioned. ****.

Rebels Recon:

Star Wars .Com promotional featurettes. They actually answer questions I had. Overall: ****1/2.

Inside "Spark Of Rebellion": Zeb is Steve Blum's cockney accent? Sounds more Australian to me. ***.

Inside "Driods In Distress": I didn't know Paul Reubens did the robot's voice or that clones age so fast. ***1/2.

Inside "Fighter Flight": Vanessa Marshall's statement about the Cone of Silence intrigued me. I love the idea that the episode was based on the fact that as kids the writers would often put hero action figures into the Tie Fighter toys, even though only bad guys fly them in the movies. That's a very relatable reason to create the episode. Also interesting that later paintings of the Tie Fighters seemed to be more based on the Hasbro design than the movie one. I also never noticed C-3PO had mismatched legs in the original trilogy until this pointed it out. ****1/2.

Inside "Rise Of The Masters": Calling the Inquisitor's Light Sabre a "Cheat" saber is brilliant because that's what it is. I also think it is very interesting that just because someone uses the Force that doesn't automatically make them a Jedi or a Sith. There are different skill levels involved, and that's why the Inquisitor isn't a Sith. I like that because it makes perfect sense. ****.

Inside "Breaking Ranks": One of the producers said that his controversial opinion was that the Clone Troopers were better than their job than the Stormtroopers. How is that controversial? It's easily true! Stormtroopers suck and can't hit the broad side of a barn. Clone Troopers have ALWAYS been shown to be more professional. That shouldn't even be up for debate for fanboys. Do you know what is? Using an episode of "The Clone Wars" to justify the use of a way too detailed and realistic color Hologram. The only thing that proves is that The Clone Wars did it wrong too. ****.

Inside "Out Of Darkness": The ideas that Hera probably knows more than Kanan about their missions and that Sabine is educated and intelligent are interesting to me: because they are probably true, and I had never gotten that before. I mean Sabine DOES translate practically every language, and she must have learned that somewhere. I also am amazed that the producers actually gave the answers for what the Kyber Crystals could be used for: The Death Star's laser cannon. And suddenly I realize that this section where producers answer fan questions (which are usually all jokes) is occasionally gonna give us a genuine excellent answer. *****.

Inside "Empire Day": Interesting to note that the Founding of the Empire was very popular when it happened and the tide only turned when Palpatine couldn't deliver what he promised. Bush and Cheney were popular once upon a time too. I'm starting to think the Iraq War allegories many people noted the prequel trilogy contained may not have been so far off base. I too loved the fact that the episode turned the terrifying Empire March into a jolly parade march. That was warped and funny. But how does Andi not know it was Steve Blum doing the newscaster's voice? It's not like the dude's gravelly voice is hard to pick out. ***1/2.

Inside "Gathering Forces": I didn't know Kanan didn't complete his Jedi training. All of the heroes died at the end of The Clone Wars? Spoiler alert! ***1/2.

Inside "Path Of The Jedi": Getting Frank Oz was quite a coup. I also like how diplomatic the producer was about the question of Stormtroopers' actual competency. ****.

Inside "Idiot's Array": Great Fulcrum clue. That SNES Star Wars game was impossible, wasn't it? ***1/2.

Inside "Vision Of Hope": Interesting that Lando had probably already lost the Falcon at that point. ****.

Inside "Call To Action": As the producer noted, villains with face paint and extra robot arms are more cinematic, but there is something inherently terrifying about a severe British man. ****1/2.

Inside "Rebel Resolve": I learned about Hera's true parentage, and the fact that the Droid Chopper punked probably had a sad ending. But I have to say the fairytale answer about Jedi still doesn't make sense to me. I mean, there are actual broadcasts and camera footage in the Star Warsverse. None of that has caught a Jedi on tape before? Unlikely. ***.

Inside "Fire Across The Galaxy": Ashley Eckstein seems to be happy and loves to annoy the producer with her Ahsoka theories. I am placated with the Tarkin Death Star explanation, and also loved learning that even though Stormtrooper armor is airtight, those troopers Chopper punked are almost certainly dead without an air supply. ****.

Rebels Infiltrate Star Wars Celebration:

That season two trailer drove everyone nuts. Once Rex pops up, the audience seems to wet itself. *****.

Rebels Season 2: A Look Ahead:

A producers talks what is coming, we are shown concept art, and then the amazeballs official Season 2 trailer! *****.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer:

Simply astonishing. One of the best trailers I have ever seen. Seeing the destroyed Empire ship in the Tatooine desert was amazing enough. But hearing Harrison Ford saying "Chewie, we're home," meant I WOULD be seeing this in the theater. It was awesome. *****.

Blu-Ray Menu: Fully Animated. *****.