Originally published March 22, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
Chris Cooper reviews Star Wars Rebels – ‘Twin Suns’…
Wow.
Now before we get started, I’m foregoing the ‘no spoilers’ rule on this review. This is an extremely rare occurrence for me, but there is no possible way I can talk about Twins Suns without touching upon what happens within it.
As it’s been a few days since the episode aired I’ve had time to see varied reactions. It’s also given me more time than usual to figure out my own. There are a couple of big questions that we can answer straight away.
Is this the best episode of Star Wars Rebels? No. Its ultimate focus is on two characters who aren’t crew of the Ghost so however good it is, it almost doesn’t count.
Did I feel slightly let down at first? Yes. Too much time on Ezra and the final confrontation not lasting long left me somewhat deflated. That feeling has since diminished.
The question of what Maul saw when he and Ezra joined the holocrons has been hanging over Season 3 of Rebels for a while now. It seemed pretty obvious that he had seen Tatooine, the planet where the Sith were first revealed to the Jedi. It just so happens that Obi-Wan, for so long the focus of Maul’s revenge, and a certain new hope are there too. I was unsure if the show could really do the later incarnation of Kenobi justice. Firstly there’s the accent, something even McGregor struggled with at times. Then there’s the fact that Alec Guinness didn’t exactly portray a sprightly fighter when he fought Vader on the Death Star.
Twins Suns deals with Kenobi perfectly. Stephen Staunton nails the voice whilst the animators manage to merge both the prequel and Clone Wars version into the classic original trilogy version, culminating in a noticeable switch from the flashy ‘I’m going to poke you in the eyes’ pose to a much more traditional stance. In terms of bridging the gap I’m so happy to see this.
Maul needed to die before A New Hope, and finally we see it. Actually we don’t really see it, as Filoni has stated that the slicing of Maul’s hilt is meant to signify the damage done in a short but wonderfully precise and intense duel. Frozen in a moment decades before, Maul hasn’t changed, still trying to use the same move that worked on Qui-Gon, and that is his downfall.
Ultimately even more pleasing than the duel is how it closes their relationship. They’ve been enemies for a long time, yet Kenobi’s time in the desert has enlightened him. He cradles Maul, possibly pitying him as Maul still espouses Sith ideas of vengeance. It’s a touching moment.
Obviously everyone’s attention is on the old rivalry, but Ezra is given most of the episode as he struggles through the harsh environment of Tatooine. It gives us time to see the planet and how easily it must have aged Kenobi whilst also displaying just how far Ezra is willing to take his desire to help people. His misunderstanding of the holocrons clashes with that desire as he nearly endangers everything the Jedi Master now lives for.
One last burst of superlatives as this has become the longest Rebels reviews I’ve written in a long time. Twin Suns is an amazing episode. It’s clearly been thought through and agonized over, as it perfectly wraps up the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Maul whilst also giving me the strong feeling that Kanan and Ezra can’t have much longer left. It’s made clear that they not part of Ben and Luke’s story, so where do they end up? We’ve got one more episode left of Season 3 so maybe we’ll find out where things are heading next week.
Chris Cooper
