As the previous episode's greatness is slowly fading, this episode comes in and offers an exciting and epic first part to this grand finale. One could almost be fooled to think that this was the series finale, but luckily, it is only the conclusion to the third season. The scope of the episode already seems to be huge, and even though it is mainly set on or in the space around Atollon, it offered a lot of moments that were exciting and thrilling for someone who has been following the series from the beginning. Thrawn truly came to play in this, first exposing Kallus as the traitor, and then orchestrating a large assault on Atollon, offering one of the most exciting space battles in "Star Wars" yet, and something that would have been masterfully put together, had it been live-action. I found it weird that they decided to introduce some well-known characters here on the edge, and not earlier in the season, which would have made for some more exciting episodes, but that is literally everything that I found faulting with this first part, and I can't wait to see what happens next and how they finish off this season.
7 Reviews
The Dark Side
A_Kind_Of_CineMagic21 October 2020
This is an epic, dark and gripping episode that has an Empire Strikes Back or Rogue One type tragic feel as our heroes face their toughest fight yet against overwhelming odds.
Thrawn is magnificent and steps up to be one of Star Wars great villains whilst Hera rises to meet his darkness as a beacon of light and impressively heroic leadership. If anyone wants a strong female role model Hera is it. Absolutely top notch.
Alongside Thrawns cool villainy all our heroes shine but the feeling of hopelessness and despair is powerful and dark making this deep and gripping viewing.
My rating: 10/10.
Thrawn is magnificent and steps up to be one of Star Wars great villains whilst Hera rises to meet his darkness as a beacon of light and impressively heroic leadership. If anyone wants a strong female role model Hera is it. Absolutely top notch.
Alongside Thrawns cool villainy all our heroes shine but the feeling of hopelessness and despair is powerful and dark making this deep and gripping viewing.
My rating: 10/10.
Star Wars Rebels ends a solid third season in thrilling, unpredictable fashion
ryanjmorris26 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This hasn't been Rebels' best year. A lot of the promises made by the previous season's superlative finale were skimped on: Maul's journey was reduced to three meandering episodes, Ezra's temptation to the dark side was cut off by the season's second instalment, and the overall damage to the Ghost crew was never really felt at all.
Yet, season three has also been home to some of the show's strongest moments. The uneven Thrawn went from lacking to packing courtesy of the superb "An Inside Man", Sabine's entire history came pouring to the surface in heartbreaking ways in "Trials of the Darksaber", the show even had some of its most tense episodes to date with the game changing nature of "Through Imperial Eyes" and the breathtaking visual spectacle of "Secret Cargo".
"Zero Hour", fortunately, sides with the season's strongest episodes. The character moments are nicely written, just look at the way Hera speaks to everyone in the Ghost crew here, striking the perfect balance between authoritative and downright terrified; the action was thrilling, that opening space battle was brilliantly staged, and the AT-AT onslaught felt inescapable; every character was given something to do, something Rebels frequently seems to forget.
Most of all, it was unpredictable. This has been Rebels' darkest season to date for sure, meaning every second of the finale looms over you, impossible to be figured out. When it builds to a sequence of Kanan speeding back to base while a Star Destroyer blasts the planet from the atmosphere, things really could go either way.
"Zero Hour" succeeds as a finale because it takes all the work the season has done in terms of building up the Rebellion and refuses to take an easy way out. Things don't all turn out okay, it can easily be seen as a slaughter. It might not pack the emotional impact of "Twilight of the Apprentice", but this was a very different kind of season to what Rebels gave us last year. It's only fitting that the finale should stick to that.
It's been an uneven season, but a good enough one to keep interest levels high for the show's fourth outing. There's a lot that still needs fixing but, as always, when Rebels is good it's a god damn blast.
Yet, season three has also been home to some of the show's strongest moments. The uneven Thrawn went from lacking to packing courtesy of the superb "An Inside Man", Sabine's entire history came pouring to the surface in heartbreaking ways in "Trials of the Darksaber", the show even had some of its most tense episodes to date with the game changing nature of "Through Imperial Eyes" and the breathtaking visual spectacle of "Secret Cargo".
"Zero Hour", fortunately, sides with the season's strongest episodes. The character moments are nicely written, just look at the way Hera speaks to everyone in the Ghost crew here, striking the perfect balance between authoritative and downright terrified; the action was thrilling, that opening space battle was brilliantly staged, and the AT-AT onslaught felt inescapable; every character was given something to do, something Rebels frequently seems to forget.
Most of all, it was unpredictable. This has been Rebels' darkest season to date for sure, meaning every second of the finale looms over you, impossible to be figured out. When it builds to a sequence of Kanan speeding back to base while a Star Destroyer blasts the planet from the atmosphere, things really could go either way.
"Zero Hour" succeeds as a finale because it takes all the work the season has done in terms of building up the Rebellion and refuses to take an easy way out. Things don't all turn out okay, it can easily be seen as a slaughter. It might not pack the emotional impact of "Twilight of the Apprentice", but this was a very different kind of season to what Rebels gave us last year. It's only fitting that the finale should stick to that.
It's been an uneven season, but a good enough one to keep interest levels high for the show's fourth outing. There's a lot that still needs fixing but, as always, when Rebels is good it's a god damn blast.
I am the Great Bendu
leopd1228 December 2020
Part 1
Trey_Trebuchet10 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I absolutely loved this first part! And this whole finale as a whole.
This was an excellent build-up to the second episode whilst remaining perfectly thrilling. The fight between Thrawn and Kallus was a great scene, and the energy stays the same from that point onward.
Ezra flying and fighting in his own ship is just really satisfying to see for some reason. Kanan angering Bendu was... interesting.
Honestly, all of the space stuff was directed really well. This show may be animated and very PG for the most part, but the stakes really feel high regardless.
Great first part.
This was an excellent build-up to the second episode whilst remaining perfectly thrilling. The fight between Thrawn and Kallus was a great scene, and the energy stays the same from that point onward.
Ezra flying and fighting in his own ship is just really satisfying to see for some reason. Kanan angering Bendu was... interesting.
Honestly, all of the space stuff was directed really well. This show may be animated and very PG for the most part, but the stakes really feel high regardless.
Great first part.
The end is nigh
Fluke_Skywalker26 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Plot; As the Rebels prepare to mount an attack to free the planet of Lothal, Grand Admiral Thrawn intercepts their plans and mounts an offensive to destroy them before they can launch.
IMO, S3 of Rebels has been uneven, and even at its best, not up to the standard set in S2. There have been some solid episodes, but few standouts ("Through Imperial Eyes" and "Trials of the Darksaber" come to mind). In this first of a two-part finale, the series gets back to what it does best, even if it's still not quite the series at its best. The pieces are in place for a strong closer, and that could rectify many of S3's sins, because as the old saying goes, "It's not how you start, it's how you finish.".
IMO, S3 of Rebels has been uneven, and even at its best, not up to the standard set in S2. There have been some solid episodes, but few standouts ("Through Imperial Eyes" and "Trials of the Darksaber" come to mind). In this first of a two-part finale, the series gets back to what it does best, even if it's still not quite the series at its best. The pieces are in place for a strong closer, and that could rectify many of S3's sins, because as the old saying goes, "It's not how you start, it's how you finish.".
Flashy and exciting, but ultimately a disappointing end to a disappointing season
DoctorEvil133725 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I really am disheartened that I have to give it this low of a rating. Star Wars Rebels became one of my favorite shows in its first two fantastic seasons, but this season so far has been anything but consistent and overall a let down, which is somewhat reflective in its finale.
Before I begin, I want to say that in order for a season of a serialized show to be successful, it has to demonstrate change. Character, circumstance, or both, and it can't just be to something we've seen before, it has to be meaningful. Here, we have neither (since the rebels are basically where they were in season 2 now, and the characters are exactly the same).
Basically, the set up is that the rebels are preparing for a fight on Lothal to blow of a tie defender factory, it's been hyped for the past few episodes. The thing is, blowing up a measly factory isn't something to get the audience excited about, but I digress. Then Thrawn finds Kallus transmitting to the Rebels that there will be an attack, and just has him watch as he begins the attack. He then explains how he knows the rebel base location, which the show tries to make it seem like a work of genius when really it's just putting A. and B. Together. Compare to EU Thrawn, this Thrawn is fairly average in terms of intelligence, which still says something since every imperial is a complete moron *cough*Constatine.
Speaking of which, the only reason the Rebels managed to win is because Constantine is a moron, which diminishes the fact that they escaped to simple incompetence, which then reduces the whole heights of the conflict. If the empire is really this simple-minded, then why hasn't anyone taken them down yet?
Anyway, Ezra gets sent off to get help, Kanan gets Bendu to try and help them leave (big meaning he was this season, and they hyped him so much), Sato gets killed (nobody cares), The rebels escape and Thrawn ends up confudled. Perhaps the only tension in this episode was whether or not Kallus will survive. At this point, he's the only character I care about.
What's so frustrating is this had so much potential, and had a lot of cool moments, but for every one of those there were a "facepalm" moment. Like really, why would Thrawn relent on the bombardment? He had to know that the shield wouldn't last forever, but oh "plot armor" yeah.
I feel that this would have meant more had a major character died, say Kanan. I was almost certain that he would given that there was almost a goodbye sequence between him and Ezra, and it would have provided an opportunity to fix the damage done by the writers to his character and create growth. If there was any meaning this episode should have had, it would have had to have been for a major character to die in order to let the others grow. There is no reason for Kanan to be around anymore, and him being there holds the others back from growing.
Overall this season is just one giant step back and filled with disappointments. Remember Ezra's trip with the dark side? Dealt with in one episode, not even mentioned again. Darth Maul supposedly having a huge impact on this season? You really could just skip his episodes and nothing really would change the arc of the season. Thrawn? Completely over-hyped, rambles too much, and almost seems like a shoe-horn in for the fanboys when in reality they make him look as dumb-founded as season-1 Kallus. Bendu? Who's Bendu? Oh that turtle guy who was supposedly some big thing when all he did was just create a storm, ripped off from Pirates of the Caribbean with Calypso.
There were some good moments here and there, but the problem is Rebels is trying to be two shows at once: A friendly Saturday morning cartoon and a gritty, edgy show with some harsh truths that Clone Wars became in its later seasons. The writers need to make a decision on which it wants to be, before more people like myself become disheartened.
Perhaps the biggest let down, though, is the fact that they kept hyping it to be so epic, and all of these things to happen, when it all was just "really?" If you watch the season trailers, it teases some DBZ level tension, but the actual product is more like the filler episodes of DBZ. For instance, they kept teasing and hyping Obi-Wan vs Maul - Rematch, and while his end is fitting it was somewhat lacking BECAUSE of the marketing.
I really hope they learn from the mistakes of this season. Season 2 was truly incredible, and its finale rivaled the writing of many other shows. This, however, is simply predictable, asinine, and overall a waste.
Before I begin, I want to say that in order for a season of a serialized show to be successful, it has to demonstrate change. Character, circumstance, or both, and it can't just be to something we've seen before, it has to be meaningful. Here, we have neither (since the rebels are basically where they were in season 2 now, and the characters are exactly the same).
Basically, the set up is that the rebels are preparing for a fight on Lothal to blow of a tie defender factory, it's been hyped for the past few episodes. The thing is, blowing up a measly factory isn't something to get the audience excited about, but I digress. Then Thrawn finds Kallus transmitting to the Rebels that there will be an attack, and just has him watch as he begins the attack. He then explains how he knows the rebel base location, which the show tries to make it seem like a work of genius when really it's just putting A. and B. Together. Compare to EU Thrawn, this Thrawn is fairly average in terms of intelligence, which still says something since every imperial is a complete moron *cough*Constatine.
Speaking of which, the only reason the Rebels managed to win is because Constantine is a moron, which diminishes the fact that they escaped to simple incompetence, which then reduces the whole heights of the conflict. If the empire is really this simple-minded, then why hasn't anyone taken them down yet?
Anyway, Ezra gets sent off to get help, Kanan gets Bendu to try and help them leave (big meaning he was this season, and they hyped him so much), Sato gets killed (nobody cares), The rebels escape and Thrawn ends up confudled. Perhaps the only tension in this episode was whether or not Kallus will survive. At this point, he's the only character I care about.
What's so frustrating is this had so much potential, and had a lot of cool moments, but for every one of those there were a "facepalm" moment. Like really, why would Thrawn relent on the bombardment? He had to know that the shield wouldn't last forever, but oh "plot armor" yeah.
I feel that this would have meant more had a major character died, say Kanan. I was almost certain that he would given that there was almost a goodbye sequence between him and Ezra, and it would have provided an opportunity to fix the damage done by the writers to his character and create growth. If there was any meaning this episode should have had, it would have had to have been for a major character to die in order to let the others grow. There is no reason for Kanan to be around anymore, and him being there holds the others back from growing.
Overall this season is just one giant step back and filled with disappointments. Remember Ezra's trip with the dark side? Dealt with in one episode, not even mentioned again. Darth Maul supposedly having a huge impact on this season? You really could just skip his episodes and nothing really would change the arc of the season. Thrawn? Completely over-hyped, rambles too much, and almost seems like a shoe-horn in for the fanboys when in reality they make him look as dumb-founded as season-1 Kallus. Bendu? Who's Bendu? Oh that turtle guy who was supposedly some big thing when all he did was just create a storm, ripped off from Pirates of the Caribbean with Calypso.
There were some good moments here and there, but the problem is Rebels is trying to be two shows at once: A friendly Saturday morning cartoon and a gritty, edgy show with some harsh truths that Clone Wars became in its later seasons. The writers need to make a decision on which it wants to be, before more people like myself become disheartened.
Perhaps the biggest let down, though, is the fact that they kept hyping it to be so epic, and all of these things to happen, when it all was just "really?" If you watch the season trailers, it teases some DBZ level tension, but the actual product is more like the filler episodes of DBZ. For instance, they kept teasing and hyping Obi-Wan vs Maul - Rematch, and while his end is fitting it was somewhat lacking BECAUSE of the marketing.
I really hope they learn from the mistakes of this season. Season 2 was truly incredible, and its finale rivaled the writing of many other shows. This, however, is simply predictable, asinine, and overall a waste.
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