Blu-ray Review: Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season 3
Season 3 was released on blu-ray yesterday and I just finished binge-watching it. I had seen all the episodes when they originally aired but there's nothing like watching every episode back-to-back. When watching week-to-week you tend for forget things that happened in past episodes when watching the current episode, but when watching them back-to-back it all stays fresh in your memory making like a triple feature of films. There were several things I liked about this season, such as making Ezra and Sabine appear and act older, introducing Grand Admiral Thrawn, concluding Maul's storyline, and making the Empire feel like more of a threat.
I was first introduced to Grand Admiral Thrawn back in 1991 when I read Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire. Zahn's trilogy was fantastic and got me into reading other Star Wars novels, but no other antagonist ever came close to the awesomeness of Thrawn. So when I first saw him show up in Star Wars Rebels I got super excited, as did my wife who had just finished reading Zahn's trilogy last year. I confess I was a bit worried that they might stray from the original character Zahn created but they actually presented him fantastically. He was very cool and calculating, kept his love for art and culture and his attention to detail, and had a large overall plan that no one else could predict. I hadn't read the novels in many, many years but the way they portrayed him is exactly how I imagined him to be.
One thing I didn't care too much for was Kanan's blindness. He became blind at the end of season 2 and thought this would play heavily in season 3 in various ways, but it actually didn't seem to have hardly any effect at all. He may be blind technically, but it still seems like he can see fine. Everything he could do in past seasons he can still do, including fighting, jumping, and driving. I know Jedi's can sense everything around them but they could have made it at least seem like it was challenging. I also don't like the helmet that he wears. On a mission, fine, but everywhere else, even just hanging out on the ship it looks cumbersome. Why not just have some kind of eye covering instead of a full-on helmet?
I like how Ezra takes on more of a leadership role and I like how we get to learn of Sabine's backstory and how she becomes more of a rebel and less of a kid. It's rare in cartoons to have the characters age and it works really well in this context. Sometimes shows can get dull after the first few seasons but after binge watching season 3 I'm really looking forward to season 4. All twenty-two episodes of season three are included along with a bunch of special features, most of which are worth watching.
Special Features
- Return to Mandalore
- Explore where Mandalore fits within the Empire's regime - and whether Sabine can unite her people against the Imperial forces.
- Thrawn: A Legend Reborn
- Learn Thrawn's significance in Star Wars lore, and what the future may hold for this memorable villain.
- Apprentices to Outcasts: Kenobi and Maul
- Track two adversaries who've clashed throughout Star Wars history, and find out why the time was right to conclude their story.
- The Original Rebel: Saw Gerrera Returns - Extended
- Meet the Original Rebel. This exclusive extended version features Forest Whitaker discussing the character he brings to life in both Rebels and Rogue One.
- Five Audio Commentaries
- A Rebel alliance - Discover how the formation fo the Rebel Alliance in Rebels ties into the Rogue One timeline - and the exciting story possibilities that lie ahead for Season 4.
- Rebels Recon
- Go behind the scenes with the case and crew in 19 entertaining and information-packed episode recaps!
