Chris Cooper reviews the tenth episode of Star Wars Rebels season 3…
Mid-season finales. It’s that time of year.
If you watch any major series that airs around this time of year you’ll know the drill. The last episode before Christmas essentially sets up the back end of the season. The major characters have been moved into place and it’s all ready to escalate towards the finale. Perhaps there will be a big loss or something hugely antagonistic set up.
Coming into Visions and Voices I wondered if Rebels could really end on a strong note having given us such a strong episode last week. How could they go bigger?
They didn’t. Rather than try to one up An Inside Man Filoni and Co went a different way, and in the process they’ve set up the possibility of an extremely interesting second half of Season 3.
It might not be a massive surprise to those who know their Star Wars history but what we do see (and seriously if you consider this a spoiler I don’t know what to say to you) is a Maul who I feel is truly lost. I get a strong air of ‘reclusive madman’ from him now which makes me question his intentions and any sort of plan he may have. Witwer one again manages to bring it, enthusing Maul with anger and passion alongside what is so nearly something I could sympathise with. It’s a fine line to walk and it’s managed really well.
The rest of the cast keep up with Witwer, with Gray’s Ezra in particular ending his yo-yoing between competent and…not, with a mature display to end the year.
The overall impression of the episode is that everyone brought their A-game. Voice actors, animators, designers. Even second long expressions across character’s faces tell their own story.
Would I have appreciated this episode more if I knew The Clone Wars more thoroughly? I think I may have. I knew enough to get a few of the winks the episode was making at me but some of you out there might have a lot more to get excited about.
Visions and Voices takes a slightly different approach to the mid-season finale and I’m very pleased with the direction the show is going in. There are risks as we get nearer the Original Trilogy but I have faith.
Until next year! We’ve got a small standalone Star Wars story to enjoy in the meantime. You may have heard of it.
Chris Cooper
Originally published December 11, 2016. Updated April 16, 2018.
