#with a hera syndulla tv show the first season would be set just after a new dawn

[kanerallels]

Thinking about a Hera Syndulla tv show again lads

[samspenandsword]

hi sam!! congratulations on 300 well-earned followers my dear. thank you for always being such a kind, talented, and fun ray of light in this fandom 🫶🏻 i love your idea for the celebration, so if it’s alright i’d like to submit mine to ya!

first off my name is lauren, i’m 21 years old, and my pronouns are she/they. i’m bi so i’m totally fine being paired with a man or woman for the ship prompt! my favorite star wars planet is bespin, there is just something about those sunsets and clouds that GET ME lol. i think for aesthetic mine is kind of all over the place but i always go back to the good ol 70s groupie/vintage baddie aesthetic lmao. i’m 5’7 and definitely a big bitch haha. i have a full sleeve of flower tattoos and a couple others scattered around, my hair is long and brown and my eyes are green:) as for music i listen to literally everything. my playlist goes anywhere from foo fighters > fleetwood mac > iron maiden > nwa > carole king > sturgill simpson > sza haha so trust me when i say everything. my favorite food is anything asian and mexican! i love to shop, listen to music, go antiquing, play video games, read, write, and watch movies/tv shows. my favorite season is definitely spring, i can’t get enough of everything coming back alive after the cold winters! and to top it all off, i am a coffee girlie till i die <3 as for prompts, can i get a ship and family? for the third one, i’m gonna ask for the dealer’s choice if that’s alright 🥰 but if you only wanna do the two i completely understand 💕 thanks for letting me submit this and congratulations again on your milestone, i am excited to see you grow your blog even more! 💛

LAUREN!! It's always so nice to see you on my dash! I really hope you're doing well! So without further ado, let's get into it!

Sam's Pen and Sword 300 Follower Celebration (Closed)

Lauren's Follower Celebration Request

Ship request 👄

For you, my mind instantly went to one of my all-time favorite SW characters, Hera Syndulla. I can 1000000% picture Hera blasting (space) Foo Fighters and Fleetwood Mac in the cockpit of the Ghost while flying through the skies. She hasn't been home in a while, but she still loves to reminisce about the spring season on Ryloth, and would one day love to take you there. Or perhaps on a sunset flight through the clouds of Bespin. There's nothing that Hera loves more than flying and being in the skies with her loved ones around her.

You weren't sure how long you'd simply been idling in the sky, watching the clouds change color as the sun set on the horizon. And if someone asked you to describe the sunset on Bespin, you weren't sure you'd even have the words to describe the myriad of colors and beauty it held. They'd simply have to see if for themselves. The quiet ambience of the cockpit was broken by the beeping of your girlfriend's murderbot. It sounded like whining. If that were even possible. But you knew Chopper loved whining almost as much as he loved violence. "What did I tell you?" came the voice of your girlfriend. Hera popped out, her brows crunched with frustration. "Did you finish the repairs?" There was some indignant beeping and wobbling. Hera did not look impressed. "Uh-uh. Get to it." Chopper rolled away with no small amount of grumbling. And Hera sank into the pilot's chair with a groan. You simply couldn't help your laugh, leaning over to kiss her cheek. Hera's lip twitched up. "Kids these days, huh?" you joked. "Ergh, why is he so frustrating?" You knew Hera loved that droid more than just about anything, but she was right, he could be frustrating. "Hera, relax." You stood, coming to stand behind her, lightly massaging her shoulders through her ever-present flight suit. Hera's head drooped back, and she looked at you with grateful green eyes. "Thank you." You smiled and kissed her forehead. Hera looked forward again, a relaxed smile playing on her lips, and you wrapped your arms around her shoulders. She reached up, lightly tracing the floral tattoos on your arm, having memorized them long ago. And the two of you simply watched the sunset, a moment of respite amongst the chaos around you.

Found family request ❤️

I took a while to think on this one, because I wanted to get it right. But as soon as it hit me, a whole world of stuff popped into my head. So I envisioned you as a tattoo artist on Coruscant who suddenly saw an influx of clone troopers at the beginning of the war. When the Jedi encouraged them to give themselves nicknames, personalized armor, fun hairstyles, all that jazz, many of them branched out to get tattoos as well. I headcanon that Fives and Echo came in not long after "Rookies," Fives wanting to get something to remember his batchers by. Echo came by for moral support, not really being one for tattoos. But over the years, Fives started coming in with other brothers, always regaling you with stories of their latest missions and lots of bad jokes. So over time, I see Fives coming to see you as not only a friend, but the closest thing he's ever had to a sister. You become someone he can vent to when a mission has been particularly trying. Someone who always has snacks on hand. Someone who can give him shit but ultimately hugs him and tells him to be safe.

"Please tell me you're kidding." Fives' smile did not falter. And you had to suddenly pause in your work, the tattoo gun turning off and being set aside. "Nope." He popped the "p." "You should've seen in," Jesse said, relaxing a bit into the chair. He was lying on his side, blue ink glistening on his skin a bit in half-completed geometric patterns. Hardcase. You thought briefly of the more hyperactive clone. He'd always been fun. You'd miss him. But that wasn't the point right now. Right now, Fives was telling you all about the latest shenanigans of his general, who you could swear did not possess an ounce of impulse-control. "He had to know that jumping onto the back of an angry acklay was a bad idea." Apparently General Skywalker had a new scar or two to commemorate his latest victory. Fives and Jesse gave similar grins and shrugs. "It's General Skywalker," Jesse explained away. "Never know what he's going to do next." You shook your head, amazed how he was still alive, and turned back to Jesse's ribs. About twenty minutes later, Fives had not run out of things to tell you, but you'd finished working on Jesse. You lightly bandanged the new tattoo, going through the aftercare with Jesse. "Leave the bandage on for 1-3 hours, then wash with warm water and antibacterial soap. Pat dry and apply bacta cream. Do you need more?" "Nah, I've got some." "Good." You turned to Fives. "Do you need a touch up?" You weren't talking about the little number 5 on his forehead. Rather, the large hand print on his chest. "No, it's holding up. You do good work." You smiled at the compliment. You snapped off your gloves and got up from your chair, hugging Fives. "Be careful out there, okay?" You weren't sure the next time you were going to see him. Could be weeks. Could be months. Could be never again. "You know me," Fives chuckled hugging you warmly. "That's why I'm saying it." Fives laughed again. He kissed you on the cheek before stepping back, joining Jesse. "See ya, vod'ika." Your chest bloomed with warmth at the term. And you smiled as the pair left the shop. You really hoped you'd get to see them both again.

Bestie request 😎

So for the dealer's choice, I went for a SW bestie. And for you, I chose the one and only Leia Organa. Honestly I could see the two of you palling around, complaining about homework and school in your favorite coffee shop. You two are regulars. The baristas know your names and orders by heart and can even tell when you're going to switch your order to a double concentrated cold brew or an iced vanilla latte by the way you two walk in to the place.

Leia had never quite grown out of the desire to run from the palace, even as a teenager. Long gone were the days where she snuck out to the woods with Lola, but she still found a relieving freedom in the days where you two walked from campus to the coffee shop you frequented to work on your respective piles of homework. Or more accurately, complain about your respective piles of homework. Because honestly, what were the instructors thinking, assigning 200 pages of reading, two research papers, and a group presentation just before you were due to go on break? You scowled over at your bag, where your pad and materials were packed away, ready to be worked on. You did not want to. Leia's parents had been gracious when their daughter had requested the opportunity to attend regular school. For a chance to live outside the palace, with more than just her tutors and diplomats for company. Leia excelled at school. When she wanted to. Your best friend's gaze was narrowed on her own pile of things, eyeing them like they were that cousin of hers she didn't like. Your lips twitched at the sight of it. "I could just order them to give me a passing grade," Leia was saying. You snorted. Leia would never actually abuse her position and status like that, but it was an amusing thought. "I'm not sure Nevsan would go for that." Leia rolled her eyes at the mention of your Economic Policy instructor. As ancient as he was stuffy, Nevsan was the type of instructor to brag at the beginning of each term that his class was the hardest you'd ever take. And the most important. It was neither, but his outdated lessons and archaic methods made the class frustrating. Even if Leia weren't a princess, with a position that required her to learn galactic economic policy, she would've had to take the class, as it was required for all students. Ugh. "Come on, we should get to work." But even as you said it, it was with a whine in your tone, and all you wanted to do was sink into the armchair beneath you and savor the delicious coffee in your hands. "Counter offer: we do shit." "I see your point." "Of course you do. Because I'm right, you're wrong, so shut up." You laughed.

[asmywhimseytakesme]

As promised, here is a list of my favorite tropes in fiction. I may continue to refine this over time.

Note, I am not pulling these from a website, I’m writing these up myself. There may be a page on tv tropes for all or most of these, but I’m trying to articulate to myself what I like and why I like it, so I’m naming my own tropes and writing descriptions that are specific to my own taste. I’m also including a short list of examples for each.

Needless to say, if you know of a book or show that includes some of these tropes (the more the better) and it isn’t mentioned here—PLEASE TELL ME. And of course, these are just my preferences and opinions—if you disagree, that’s fine, we just don’t like the same things 😁

These are organized loosely by category—character tropes, relationship tropes, and plot tropes.

Under a cut so people who aren’t that interested in my specific tastes don’t have to scroll forever.

Character Tropes

Mastermind—

An extremely clever and competent character who reads people, pulls strings, and often has a grand scheme the other characters are unaware of. Usually a good guy (at least my favorites tend to be), but doesn’t have to be.

Eugenides (Queens Thief), Miles Vorkosigan (Vorkosigan Saga), Peaceable Sherwood (the Sherwood Ring), Lord Peter Wimsey (the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries) Sir Percy Blakeney (the Scarlet Pimpernel), Sherlock Holmes

Note: all the above examples are male characters, but I don’t consider this a gender specific trope. I would love recommendations of female characters who fit this trope.

Not Just A Soldier / Not Just A Mom

I originally had these listed as two tropes, and then realized that they were just inverses of each other. They each have to do with fulfilling gender stereotypes in some ways, while subverting or transcending them in others.

For a male character in the genres I read, Not Just A Soldier is typically a fighter of some kind, and really good at it. Basically, on the surface he appears to be a very Masculine Male Manly Man. But! It turns out he is also just a really nice guy. And not only that—he’s smart, and he’s good with kids!

On the flip side, Not Just a Mom seems at first glance to be your typical motherly feminine character. But! That isn’t her entire personality! She also has a (not particularly feminine) career and hobbies outside of parenting, and she is confident and competent doing those things—AND (this is important) those non-mothering things she is good at are essential to the plot. (This tends to be less of an issue that needs to be specified with male characters, grumblegrumble.)

So on both sides, we have a character who is fulfilling gender stereotypes on one hand, but subverting them on the other.

Not Just A Soldier examples: Costis (Queen's Thief), Din Djarin (the Mandalorian), Cazaril (the Curse of Chalion), Uncle Iroh (ATLA)

Not Just A Mom examples: Hera Syndulla (Star Wars Rebels), Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan and Ekaterin Vorsoisson Vorkosigan (Vorkosigan Saga), Katara (ATLA)

Adventurous Parent

A parent who continues to be cool and have adventures and stay involved in the plot even after becoming a parent (a GOOD parent, of course).

Din Djarin (The Mandalorian), Dr Mensah (Murderbot Diaries), Hera Syndulla (Star Wars Rebels—-we’ll see if this holds true now that she actually has her own biological child?? Assuming she’ll show up in future Star Wars projects—I’m hoping to see her in the Ahsoka series🤞)

Reluctant Ruler

It seems like many bad guys would kill to be king—and many good guys would really, REALLY rather not be in charge, thanks. But when a good guy is forced by circumstances beyond their control into becoming a ruler, and they decide that they might as well try to do a good job at it, and then THEY ACTUALLY DO—this trip has my whole heart.

Maia Drazar (The Goblin Emperor—this book is basically the perfect example of this trope and I love it SO MUCH), Eugenides (Queen’s Thief), Sophos (Queens Thief), Aral Vorkosigan (Vorkosigan Saga), And hopefully Din Djarin in Mandalorian season 3? OH PLEASE YES I NEED THIS.

Broken, but loved

The name basically says it—these are characters who believed themselves broken, heartless, and unlovable, but others chose to love them anyway. It’s important to note that they are NOT “saved by love”, but they do CHOOSE to try and be better because of love.

This trope just GETS ME EVERY TIME GUYS. It makes my heart hurt in the most joyful way.

Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries), Attolia (Queens Thief), Zuko (ATLA), Medraut (the Winter Prince)

Friend Indeed

This is a simple one—a character who befriends someone who is in the middle of a difficult situation, when it would be much easier to just keep their distance.

Ratthi (Murderbot Diaries), Csevet (The Goblin Emperor), Kuill (the Mandalorian)

Magic Schmagic

The character in a fantastical story who can’t do magic, doesn’t know about magic, and doesn’t WANT to. They just wanna carry on being their own non magical, mundane selves and we love them for it.

Sokka (ATLA), Din Djarin (the Mandalorian), Digger (Digger), Gideon (Gideon the Ninth)

Relationship tropes:

Found Family

Ok, this is a popular one so don’t think I need to explain it. Since these often involve large groups of characters, I’m just going to list a few of my favorite pieces of media where this trope features prominently.

Star Wars Rebels, the Mandalorian, Digger, Murderbot Diaries

Reluctant Friendship

Where two characters are thrown together and one or both doesn’t particularly want to be friends with the other, but as they move through the adventure together they gradually come to like each other and form a friendship.

I also love the romance side of this trope but I’m just as happy to read about a platonic relationship.

Ben and Nathaniel (This Was Our Pact), Kaidu and Rat (The Nameless City), Kamet and Costis (Queen’s Thief), Digger and Shadowchild (Digger),

Magical Animal Sidekick

A character who forms a deep personal bond with a magical creature. It doesn’t have to be an actual creature—in a sci-fi setting this could also be a sentient robot or ship.

Temeraire and Laurence (His Majesty’s Dragon), Ani and Falada (Goose Girl), Murderbot and Art (Murderbot Diaries), Ezra and the Loth Wolves (Star Wars Rebels)

Prose/plot tropes:

It’s Complicated

Related to the Mastermind character trope, the distinction here is that this is a plot that wasn’t manipulated by a single character intentionally, rather it’s a complex series of interactions and misunderstandings that are all revealed to be interconnected in the end.

The Court Jester, Howl’s Moving Castle, To Say Nothing of the Dog, Digger

Sarcastic, Witty, and/or Colloquial narration

The name says it all. I usually prefer this in 1st person, but it can be fun in 3rd person too. In 3rd person it might be the narrator who is witty, or it might just be the main character's thoughts that are witty as related by the narrator.

1st person— The Thief, Murderbot, Digger, Dragonhaven

3rd person—Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, Gideon the Ninth

Written For You

First person narratives are interesting and tricky because there is the question of WHY narrator is telling the story, and who they intend it for. I love first person stories where the narrative is specifically addressed to a person or group, which adds a level of meaning to the story. This isn’t the same as a story told in diaries or letters (though that can be fun too).

The Thief and A Conspiracy of Kings, the Winter Prince, All Systems Red, Dragonhaven

The juxtaposition of Magic and Mundane

I deeply love stories that mix magical things with mundane details of life in a deliberate way. I feel this makes real life feel a bit more magical, and helps magic feel a bit more real. This juxtaposition can be a central idea of the plot, or might simply be present in the way a narrator describes things.

This may be my favorite trope of all, come to think of it (though there are a lot of great ones listed above, so maybe I shouldn’t start naming favorites…) most of my own story ideas center on this idea to one degree or another.

Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s Moving Castle, His Majesty’s Dragon, Digger, Hilda, Queens Thief, Dragonhaven

Tropes I would like to see less of: prophecies, hereditary magic, a Chosen One, Soul Mates, fate/destiny. Yes, many of the stories I love involve these tropes, they’re hard to get away from in the genres I prefer to read. These tropes are Iess exciting to me first off because they’re done so often, but there’s a bigger reason I’d like to see less of them, which has to do with characters agency. I’m much more interested in a story that is about a character who CHOOSES to do the right thing, not because they were Chosen, but because they CHOOSE themselves to do the right thing. In the same vein, characters who CHOOSE to build and maintain a relationship are so much more interesting and, frankly, romantic to me than people who are just meant for each other BECAUSE FATE OK. Just.... no. People making tough choices because it’s the right thing to do makes for a much better story (aim my opinion) than people who do the right thing because DESTINY. So the overall theme here is, more character agency! (And as I said above—if you disagree, that’s fine! This is just me listing my preferences and opinions.)

If you read all that—wow! To all those who made it this far, thanks, and if you have any book/show recommendations that involve these tropes, please tell me about them!!

[narkinafive]

more essay updates, not much new content but filling out the structure a little bit. i can’t believe it’s only 1500 words right now. it feels simultaneously way too long and way too short

Few franchises can match the breadth of Star Wars, and fewer still can claim to be as iconic. Not only have the characters, dialogues, settings, and aesthetics been directly referenced and lovingly parodied across all genres, so too has John Williams’ music. Yet Williams’ music is perhaps most referenced, riffed on, and remixed within the franchise itself; it is difficult to find a piece of Star Wars media which does not contain any number of Williams’ leitmotifs, such as the bombastic “Main Title” fanfare, the sweeping majesty of the Force theme, or the foreboding, villainous “Imperial March.” Within the many, many Star Wars related properties, composers for the franchise’s “lower tier” [properties], i.e. any property outside of the nine-film “Skywalker Saga,” are presented with a difficult challenge: how does one emulate and reference Williams’ original, titanic score, keeping a coherent sonic aesthetic, without copying him directly, and allowing space for the composer’s own musical language?

The larger Star Wars chronology can be broken into three general eras: the Original Trilogy era (OT), which focuses on the time represented by the films A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and Rogue One, the Sequel Trilogy era (ST), which is comprised of the films The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker, as well as the TV series Star Wars: Resistance, and the Prequel Trilogy era (PT), as represented by the films The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, and Solo, as well as the TV series The Clone Wars. Of these properties, Williams has obviously scored the lion’s share of the films; Rogue One’s soundtrack was composed by Michael Giacchino, Resistance by Michael Tavera, Solo by John Powell, and The Clone Wars by Kevin Kiner.

Kiner’s other work for Star Wars was the score of another TV series, Star Wars Rebels. Rebels occupies an interesting place within the greater Star Wars chronology, qualifying as a prequel due to taking place before the events of A New Hope, yet both aesthetically and narratively more aligned with the OT, rather than the PT. [Though Rebels is nominally a prequel, Kiner’s musical language sets it firmly within the OT era, with frequent sonic callbacks to Williams’ score, with each aesthetic connection serving not only to link the viewer to the OT era, but highlight the narrative differences between Rebels and the original films. This is particularly exemplified in the parallels and contrasts between the heroes of Rebels and the OT, Ezra Bridger, and Luke Skywalker.] -fixxx

From the outset, several parallels can be drawn between Ezra Bridger and Luke Skywalker: both are orphans from provincial areas of the galaxy, both are accidentally caught up in insurrectionist rebel activity against the Empire, and both discover that they can wield the powers of the Force. They are even roughly the same age, born within days of each other. Contrasts do abound, however. Ezra receives several years of Jedi training from a former Jedi, while Luke receives very little; Ezra is actively involved with the Rebel Alliance from the very beginning, while Luke has to be drawn into it due to personal tragedy; Ezra’s primary motif is connected to the twin moons of his home planet of Lothal - this, in contrast to the famous scene of Luke Skywalker gazing into the twin sunset of his planet of Tatooine; and so on. [more parallels]

Set five years before the events of A New Hope, the backdrop of Rebels depicts the formal declaration of the Galactic Alliance, the establishment of the famous rebel base on the planet of Yavin IV, and numerous references to the secret construction of the Death Star, alongside several integral character cameos, including Lando Calrissian, Princess Leia, and Obi-wan Kenobi, while the main thrust of the story centers on the crew of the Ghost, an early cell of the as-yet-undeclared Rebel Alliance, and the journey of its newest crew member, Ezra Bridger. Described by Dave Filoni, [title] and creator of Rebels, as a con artist, and Taylor Gray, the character’s actor, as a [street smart thief], Ezra happens upon the crew of the Ghost as they commit a minor act of terrorism against the Galactic Empire, stealing several crates of supplies. Rather than pick a side in the conflict, Ezra elects to steal a crate of the same supplies for himself, outrunning the comedically incompetent Imperial police force, and dodging the members of the Ghost crew as they try to get the supplies back, until Ezra is forced to seek refuge on the Ghost to escape the marginally more competent TIE figher pilots. After helping the crew in distributing the supplies - namely, food - to a nearby refugee camp, Ezra is convinced by the Ghost’s pilot and leader, Hera Syndulla, to assist in a rescue mission. Despite his initial capture and subsequent escape from Imperial custody, Ezra chooses to see the rescue mission through to the end, and witnesses the Ghost’s second-in-command, Kanan Jarrus, wield a lightsaber, revealing himself as a survivor of the presumed-distinct and quasi-legendary Jedi Order. Recognizing that Ezra has the same gift, Kanan offers to train him to wield the Force in order to continue fighting against the Empire, dispelling any notion that the Jedi are gone with a triumphant declaration, “Not all of us.” Filoni states [need src] that Ezra decides to join the Ghost not only to learn how to use a lightsaber, but because he is in need of a family, having lost his own parents at the age of seven, when they were arrested for their underground, anti-establishment radio broadcasts. Initially, Ezra joins the Rebellion not because it is the right thing to do, but because it is convenient to him at the time; the Ghost functions as a roof over his head, its crew members as a new set of parents and siblings, and its missions as a source of food and income, along with the added bonus of learning how to use an incredibly powerful, specialized weapon, despite the target it paints on his back. Part of Ezra’s journey over the course of Rebels is re-learning how to think beyond himself, and sacrificing himself for the greater good of everyone, and not just the good of his family and friends, but, as one would expect, at the very beginning of this story, he is far more selfish than selfless. It is halfway into the first season before Ezra begins to grok the Jedi lessons Kanan has attempted to teach him, beyond lifting rocks with his mind, as he [tearfully] admits his fears while in the middle of a vision quest (presided over by the disembodied voice of Master Yoda). Over the course of the show, Ezra has frequent, deep brushes with the “Dark Side” of the Force, becoming more inclined to hurt, [something], or even kill in the name of pragmatism and getting victories for the Rebel Alliance.

Luke’s introduction to the Rebel Alliance is equally accidental, though arguably far more heroic. When his uncle and adoptive father Owen purchases a pair of droids for the farm, Luke discovers a secret message hidden within one of them: Princess Leia’s plea to a mysterious Obi-wan Kenobi for aid. Luke’s first instinct is to help her. [more]

These parallels are further underscored by their respective musical motifs. Consider Luke’s theme, the “Main Title” fanfare. [GL quote, SWO 2, 20 min in]. Comprised primarily of perfect intervals, the theme begins with an ascending major fifth, an opening salvo so famous that music students everywhere, yours truly included, use it to identify perfect fifths in other contexts. As Lucas notes, the principal instrumentation is in the brass section, immediately conferring an old-world heroic air to Luke. [SWO hero’s journey quote]. [insert sheet music here, recap] As a theme, it is punchy, energetic, deliberately and intrinsically tied up in the “Rebel Fanfare,” and generally underscores moments of onscreen heroism and valiant derring-do [explain] [example] [example] [example]

By contrast, while Ezra’s theme is also played by the horns, they are muted, thinner, ringing out more softly over shimmering, sustained strings. [insert sheet music here, recap] Ezra’s theme mostly serves to underscore the character’s moments of emotional reflection, rather than his superhuman action. [example] [example] [example]

[aion-rsa]

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 12 Review: Rescue on Ryloth

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This Star Wars: The Bad Batch review contains spoilers.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 12

Look at that: it’s a two-parter after all. The Bad Batch take a bit more of a front role in their own show as they reluctantly help out in “Rescue on Ryloth,” directed by Nathaniel Villanueva and written by Jennifer Corbett. The show still feels too entwined with everything else in Star Wars to have mass appeal, but this episode in particular learned more from Rebels than from The Clone Wars in terms of giving characters the time to talk to one another and allowing beats to sink in between all the action.

I almost hoped last week’s episode was a one-off, just one story in an anthology, but am at the same time happy to see these characters back. It helps that everyone in this arc is just so charming. Twi’lek freedom fighters Cham and Eleni have been captured after the faked assassination of their senator. Their daughter Hera calls Omega, who convinces the Bad Batch to help despite Hunter’s disinterest. Meanwhile, Clone Captain Howzer continues to have doubts about the Empire, but can’t bring himself to act on them. There was a lot of conversation in the fandom over the last week about whether Howzer’s control chip was malfunctioning or whether his doubt came from his personality and/or his friendship with the Syndullas, and … more on that later.

Stream your Star Wars favorites right here!

I like that the entire Bad Batch gets time to talk through their plans and air their opinions in this episode, which was refreshing. At the same time, the naiveté of their position is grating. (“We can’t put our lives on the line every time someone in the galaxy is in trouble.” “Why not? Isn’t that what soldiers do?”) After all, these aren’t proto-rebels. Instead, they’re still shocked that the Empire would treat a citizen planet the way the Republic treated a Separatist one. I don’t mind the one-sided approach to soldiery per se, since it fits the characters’ perspectives. In addition, viewers are supposed to know the Batch aren’t entirely in the right here. After all, Hunter thinks the job is too hard and refuses to help the citizens, even when Hera wants to pay him double. Omega’s appeal to family is tested, and it’s only when she pushes that the Batch gets involved.

But the amount of work some conversations, or even gestures and postures, do in this episode was its major, unique strength. Even the rather generic Admiral Rampart looks tired and distracted at one point. There’s also time to develop a little bit of a dynamic between Howzer and Crosshair, who’s on Rampart’s bad side because his methods haven’t been effective. That was also a nice reminder of the larger stakes. Remember, Crosshair is the Kaminoans’ proof that investing in clones is worth the Empire’s money.

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Last week, I was delighted to discover my Twitter feed giggling over the reluctant Captain Howzer, who, well, is a very handsome clone. His closeness with the Syndullas show he has a moral center, and one his control chip either doesn’t affect or for some reason can’t touch. Their conversation isn’t revolutionary, but there’s at least some stuff to unpack when it comes to the argument between Howzer, who uses the threat of rebellion to back up his own tentative moral objections, and Rampart, who believes “peace has a cost.” I have mixed feelings about the episode’s utter disinterest in whether Howzer’s choice to act on his doubts is purely from the heart or has something to do with his control chip. After all, the answer has implications for Crosshair, the ambivalence toward which you all know I believe has been a weak point of the show from the beginning. 

To me, the movies seemed to say the clones’ control chips kicked in mostly when Palpatine invoked Order 66 in particular. But Howzer’s feelings seem to suggest a good portion of Crosshair’s loyalty to the Empire in the aftermath of the Clone Wars is actually of his own free will. Is Howzer’s decision all-natural? I’m still not really sure, but the questions and the dynamic between the three Imperials were fun.

Read more

TV

Star Wars: Why Hera Syndulla Should Be in The Mandalorian Season 3

By Megan Crouse

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Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 11 Easter Eggs Explained

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The last 10 minutes of the episode feature a decent series of action scenes in true Star Wars finale fashion. They’re impressive for the way they intertwine, the tension around Howzer’s attempt to sway other clones against the Empire, and for a particularly heart-wrenching occasion, Hera’s first flight. I adore that she was clearly over-enthusiastic but competent.

However, this episode doesn’t quite balance its main characters with the Twi’lek plot as well. Since Hunter legitimately doesn’t have any skin in this game, his team’s job is less grounded in the plot and setting than Hera’s or Howzer’s.

There’s one major exception to the Batch mostly taking a back seat. Shoutout to Tech, who doesn’t have a ton of depth but does just happen to be the trope in the five-man band I enjoy. His lack of emotion and nerd interests are usually portrayed as useful but a bit off-putting, even to his brothers. He doesn’t have any less characterization or competence than, say, Echo, but usually sticks to a side role. So, it was especially satisfying to see him do some fancy flying in this episode, slaloming a ship around to nearly a dead stop so Wrecker could take the shot.

The other nice thing about this episode is that it doesn’t go for shock: it’s hopeful in the end, pulling some characters out of a fire while making the viewer tense against the burn. It’s already been established in canon that Hera’s mother doesn’t survive the early years of the Rebellion, but I’m glad not to have watched her die today.

While the show continues to feel inessential, the last two weeks have been very entertaining. It also managed to pack a lot of answers to the central question of the show: What happened to the clones after Order 66? It’s turning out to be a hard question to answer, and at best, like today, that feels realistic instead of inconclusive. The answer might end up being that a lot of different things happened and a lot of different people worked according to their interests. “Rescue on Ryloth” ends with Crosshair off the leash, further tying a mostly-standalone episode to the wider story.

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