http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/StarWarsRebelsS1E13FireAcrossTheGalaxy
The
Ghost crew travels to Mustafar in a daring attempt to rescue Kanan.
Tropes in this episode:
- Abandon Ship: Tarkin and his crew are forced to abandon his exploding Star Destroyer.
- Actor Allusion: This is not the first Season 1 finale Jason Isaacs voices a high-ranking figure of his empire who served as the Arc Villain for that season, duels one of his enemies atop a bridge, and upon defeat chooses death rather than face the consequences of their failures considering the latter a Fate Worse than Death.
- Air-Vent Passageway: Ezra uses this to get to Kanan's cell after he seals the only other way through. A realistic version in that only Ezra is big enough to fit, and he has to cut through the grill at the other end with his lightsaber. Presumably he's also using the Force to navigate.
- Better to Die than Be Killed: The Inquisitor opts to die on the Destroyer rather than face Vader's wrath.
- Big Damn Heroes: When Hera, Zeb, and Sabine flee in the repainted TIE, they are pursued and unable to return fire. Then Kanan and Ezra swoop in with the Inquisitor's TIE Advanced. It happens again when even Kanan's intervention isn't enough to prevent everyone from getting overwhelmed... only for the Ghost and a squadron of other rebel warships to arrive on the scene and cover their escape.
- Big "NO!": Kanan delivers one after the Inquisitor (seemingly) sends Ezra falling to his death.
- Black Comedy: As Ezra and Kanan look for a ship to escape the doomed Star Destroyer, they stumble upon the recently-deceased Inquisitor's TIE Advanced. Ezra quips that they know he won't be needing it; Kanan replies he finds that kind of comment worrying.
- Bond Villain Stupidity: When the EMP takes out the power on Tarkin's Star Destroyer, the Inquisitor figures the crew of the Ghost is here to save Kanan. Rather than just wait there, however, he allows them to free Kanan and chooses to fight them in the engine room.
- Break Them by Talking: Having failed to break Kanan via physical torture, the Inquisitor resorts to trying this instead, forcing Kanan to relive the death of his master during Order 66 and taunting him about it. While Kanan is visibly shaken, he still doesn't break.
- The Bus Came Back: After last being seen departing the Jedi Order and meeting a nebulous fate, Ahsoka returns to become a major character once again.
- Call-Back:
- The TIE fighter that Zeb and Ezra stole in "Fighter Flight" shows up again, with a new paint job courtesy of Sabine. As revealed in the extras for that episode, Zeb and Ezra parked it between some rocks rather than destroying it as they claimed to Kanan. When Ezra was off with Sabine in "Path of the Jedi", it's because he took her there to give it a paint job.
- After the group is cut off from the only way to get to Kanan, Hera notes that Ezra still has a way to get there: the air vents. Ezra has made liberal use of such vents over the course of the series and it serves as something of a Running Gag.
- The scene where Chopper acts as a Moment Killer for Kanan and Hera is reminiscent of a similar moment from the short "The Machine in the Ghost".
- When Bail Organa welcomes them, Kanan mentions their brief encounter in "Droids in Distress", confused as to why someone whose name he doesn't even know would help them. Hera then introduces him as part of the larger rebellion.
- Call-Forward: A subordinate tells Tarkin that they should abandon ship. For obvious reasons, he actually listens this time.
- The Cameo:
- Bail Organa makes an appearance by holo-comm.
- Fulcrum is revealed to be Ahsoka near the end of the episode.
- Tarkin brings Darth Vader to Lothal, though it's a non-speaking cameo.
- The Cavalry: When the crew are trapped in the short-range TIE-fighters they stole, with dozens of Imperials on their tail, Chopper shows up in the stolen transport, followed by Fulcrum in the Ghost and three Rebel blockade runners for a Gunship Rescue.
- Chekhov's Gun: The crew picks up the TIE fighter that Ezra and Zeb hijacked in "Fighter Flight", which was hidden and not destroyed.
- Combat Pragmatist: When Kanan takes up Ezra's blaster/saber, he puts it to great effect by switching between saber and blaster modes on the fly, forcing the Inquisitor to switch between blocking the bolts and blocking the saber. It works even better once he gets his own lightsaber back, turning it into Gun And Sword. Even Ezra is impressed, having failed to consider such a strategy.
- Continuity Nod:
- The television movie that started the series was called "Spark of Rebellion". The season finale takes the "spark" to its logical extreme: a widespread "fire".
- Sabine returns to the TIE fighter docking area that she stopped by in "Art Attack". The stormtroopers remember her as "the artist". She notes that their aim is "a little better". When she blows the TIEs up, one stormtrooper laments "Not again..." just before it happens.
- The last time a giant EMP was used, in The Clone Wars' "The Zillo Beast", clone troopers were shown reacting to feedback from their helmets as the wave passed through them. Here, the stormtroopers aboard the Sovereign are outright knocked unconscious by a more powerful version of the effect.
- The Inquisitor brings up Order 66 while discussing how Kanan's master died.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Kanan is forced to remember Order 66 and the moment he was Forced to Watch his master die to ensure his survival.
- Dead Man Switch: Tarkin has the Sovereign broadcast an all-clear signal at regular intervals while giving the rest of the fleet specific orders to immediately send boarding parties if they miss a broadcast interval. When the rebels attack, he stops broadcasting the signal, and the reinforcements come running.
- Defiant Captive: Kanan still refuses to give any information about his crewmates (or other rebels) up. That he doesn't know anything to begin with hardly detracts.
- Disney Death: The Inquisitor throws his lightsaber at Ezra. Though Ezra deflects it, it still nicks him and he falls off the bridge to a lower level. Kanan assumes him to be dead, but he wakes up after the commercial break.
- Disney Villain Death: The Inquisitor allows himself to fall into an exploding reactor after Kanan beats him, warning Kanan that there are worse things coming.
- Driven to Suicide: The Inquisitor commits suicide by letting himself fall after failing to defeat Kanan.
- Dual Wielding: Kanan takes up Ezra's lightsaber after the Inquisitor knocks Ezra off the bridge they're fighting on.
- EMP: Sabine loads up the stolen TIE fighter with pulse grenades to disable the Star Destroyer holding Kanan. It also knocks out every stormtrooper by overloading their helmet electronics.
- Fate Worse than Death: The Inquisitor mentions this just before he falls, in reference to what Vader would do to him for his failure.note Later canon establishes that Vader sought him out and punished him anyway, binding his spirit to a Jedi outpost as guardian... forever.
- Foregone Conclusion: Obviously, Tarkin has to survive due to being in A New Hope.
- Foreshadowing: Tarkin has been questioning Kanan about other rebel cells this whole time. Kanan never had any clue what he was talking about. Turns out, Tarkin had good reason to be concerned about other rebels.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: For the first time, the SWEU acknowledges that when you cut through a thick metal wall with a lightsaber and show the edges glowing red hot, that they'll actually be red hot, as, in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it bit of comedy, Ezra cuts his way into the ship and touches the hot edges of the hole he made.
- Godzilla Threshold:
- Rebel cells are supposed to operate independently, with only minimal cooperation through a select few individuals. After the crew's broadcast in "Call to Action", however, Ahsoka felt it necessary to gather them together to keep the crew from being wiped out, lest their message of hope meet a sudden and depressing end.
- The Inquisitor's death is this for the Empire, as Tarkin calls in Darth Vader to deal with the Rebels.
- Gondor Calls for Aid: Chopper calls Fulcrum (who is later revealed to be Ahsoka Tano) when reinforcements arrive at the Star Destroyer. He then leaves and comes back with her and a few CR90 corvettes.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: Ezra gets a couple of distinctive scars on his cheek thanks to the Inquisitor's lightsaber. He'll keep them.
- Goomba Stomp: Sabine does this to one stormtrooper on her way aboard the Imperial cruiser Ezra and Zeb steal.
- Gun And Sword: Kanan takes advantage of the blaster mode of Ezra's lightsaber to keep the Inquisitor unbalanced by alternating between modes. When he picks up his own lightsaber later on, he continues to use this strategy.
- Gunship Rescue: Fulcrum shows up with the Ghost and three Corellian corvettes to bail out the crew before they're gunned down by a swarm of TIEs.
- Hannibal Lecture: The Inquisitor delivers a particularly powerful one to Kanan, attacking his actions during Order 66.
- "Hell, Yes!" Moment: When the reinforcements show up and start strafing the TIEs.
- I Owe You My Life: Kanan expressing his gratitude to his friends for saving him.
- It Has Been an Honor: Ezra offers this sentiment when it appears they're about to be swarmed by an army of TIE Fighters. Then reinforcements show up.
- The Juggernaut: After Kanan's realization that the Force is greater than any fear, he becomes unstoppable and the Inquisitor is on the back foot for the rest of the fight.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: When the Rebel fleet arrives, there's a triumphant musical sting, which Chopper immediately echoes.
- Lethal Lava Land: Mustafar, which also effectively doubles as a Fire and Brimstone Hell in planetary form. They never actually go down there, though.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: After Ezra is apparently killed by the Inquisitor, Kanan takes a moment to calm down and collect himself. After taking a breath, he tells his opponent that he's made a mistake in (seemingly) killing his Padawan: now Kanan has nothing left to fear. He proceeds to utterly stomp the Inquisitor using a combination of Dual Wielding and Gun And Sword. Later given extra depth, when it's revealed that Ezra only fell to a lower catwalk and is fine, something Kanan could have seen clearly. The Inquisitor couldn't kill Ezra, because the Force is their ally.
Kanan: Now I know there's something stronger than fear, far stronger. The Force. Let me show you how strong it is.
- Midfight Weapon Exchange: Kanan and Ezra wield each other's lightsabers in the final swordfight since the Inquisitor had taken Kanan's and they both know Kanan is the better swordsman. Ezra ends up swiping Kanan's from the Inquisitor's belt while he's distracted.
- Moment Killer: Chopper ruins a moment between Hera and Kanan.
- Mythology Gag:
- New Content Countdown Clock: The marathon leading up to the episode premiere had one.
- No OSHA Compliance: How else could a falling lightsaber set off a chain reaction that blows up a Star Destroyer?
- Not Afraid of You Anymore: Kanan tells the Inquisitor that his intimidation tactics aren't going to work on him anymore.
Kanan: Now I know there's something stronger than fear,
far stronger ―
the Force. - Nothing Is the Same Anymore: The crew of the Ghost have officially connected with the larger rebellion, Ahsoka Tano has revealed herself, and Darth Vader has arrived to hunt them personally.
- Now, Let Me Carry You: Ezra rescues Kanan, reminding him that Kanan rescued him from a Star Destroyer in "Spark of Rebellion".
- Oh, Crap!:
- The stormtroopers, when they see Sabine has left primed grenades all over their base.
- Chopper makes an "Uh-oh" sound when Imperial reinforcements board the Sovereign.
- The Inquisitor actually loses his typical composure when Kanan gets serious, and gets a really nice one when he realizes Kanan is about to wreck his lightsaber.
- The crew gets this when it seems Chopper has abandoned them. It turns out he was just getting reinforcements.
- Kallus is visibly shaken by Vader's appearance.
- Oh, No... Not Again!: The landing pad is once more plagued by Sabine, which the stormtroopers lampshade.
Stormtrooper: Not again... everyone, evacuate!
- Out of the Inferno: Kanan flies his stolen TIE Advanced out of the Sovereign as it's exploding.
- Properly Paranoid: Tarkin knows that Rebels are resourceful and determined, so he's set up a system whereby the different ships of the fleet send out all-clear signals at regular intervals, with orders to send reinforcements if a signal isn't sent on schedule. This means the team has less time than expected before reinforcements arrive.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: The Inquisitor taunts Kanan over his survival of Order 66, deeming him a coward for running and allowing his master to die.
- La Résistance: With the exception of Hera, who already knew better, the crew discovers that they are merely one cell in a much larger rebellion. After their broadcast in "Call to Action", Ahsoka rallied the troops to keep that message from being snuffed out.
- The Reveal: Fulcrum is Ahsoka Tano.
- Scars Are Forever: Ezra receives a scar on his left cheek thanks to the Inquisitor. He'll keep it for the rest of the series.
- Ship Tease: Kanan and Hera share some very affectionate banter and an intimate hug when they reunite.
- Shout-Out: According to
Word of God, the engine room that the Inquisitor and Kanan duel in was inspired by Super Dimension Fortress Macross. Especially the three background pillars, which look like the ill-fated anti-grav engines that ripped out of the Macross early in the show's run. - Shut Up, Hannibal!:
Kanan: That was a mistake.
Inquisitor: Why? Because you have no one left to die for you?
Kanan: No. Because I have nothing left to fear.
- Spanner in the Works: More literal in this case, but with lightsabers instead of a spanner. When Kanan disarms the Inquisitor, the blades don't extinguish when they fall into the engine works below... and then slice up some rather critical explosion-suppressing components of the engines. Kanan inadvertently brought down a Star Destroyer with a flick of his wrists.
- Sword and Gun: Even though he built a lightsaber that is also a stun gun, it never occurred to Ezra to use both functions in tandem, rather than one at a time. Kanan does, to good effect, managing to hold off the better trained and more experienced Inquisitor by himself.
- Taught by Experience: Kanan has been away from the Jedi temple for a decade, forced to fight almost exclusively with a blaster. Thus when he goes into the fight with the Inquisitor wielding Ezra's lightsaber, he's equally comfortable using it as both a blaster and a sword, switching between modes as suits him in the middle of the fight.
Ezra: Hey, I never thought of that.
- Tempting Fate: Sabine notes that it will take a while for the Imperials to find them on a Star Destroyer... which they do immediately after she finishes her sentence.
- Throwing Your Sword Always Works: The Inquisitor actually manages to hit Ezra with his thrown lightsaber, in contrast to his two failed attempts against Kanan. Ezra manages to deflect the worst of it away, but still ended up with a conspicuous pair of cuts on his cheek and was knocked off the bridge they were fighting on.
- Tonight, Someone Dies: One trailer ends with the note of "Who will fall?" ― a phrase familiar to fans of The Clone Wars. Turns out it's the Inquisitor, quite literally.
- Took a Level in Badass:
- When Kanan thinks Ezra has been killed, he takes up both his and Ezra's lightsabers. In the ensuing fight, he destroys the Inquisitor's lightsaber and leaves him hanging from a ledge.
- The Rebellion as a whole does as well. Inspired by the Ghost's example rescuing Kanan and calling for help, the fighters of the Rebellion have decided to move out of the shadows and take a more visible role fighting the Empire. Also, the citizens of the Empire have been inspired and are rising up against it.
- Trailers Always Spoil:
- Averted. The digital release of the episode was delayed until after it aired on television in order to avoid spoiling any major plot points. However, the ads made a big deal out of Vader's cameo at the end, but thanks to the context of his arrival, the scene still manages to pack a punch despite Vader's appearance being spoiled.
- A German trailer showed both Vader and Ahsoka for a split second ― again, without context, although Ahsoka's appearance was arguably more surprising than Vader's.
- Tranquil Fury: Kanan slips into this after Ezra is supposedly killed.
- Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Kanan expresses a little concern over a somewhat macabre joke Ezra makes about the recently deceased Inquisitor.
- True Companions: Hera realizes that, after her cold assessment of Kanan in the previous episode, she needs to rescue her comrade. Everyone else agrees in spite of the obvious danger involved.
- Vader Breath: The man himself is introduced into the episode with that familiar sound.
- Vehicular Turnabout: While Sabine is distracting stormtroopers, Zeb hijacks an Imperial transport. The crew also flies the stolen TIE fighter from "Fighter Flight", with a new paint job courtesy of Sabine.
- Wham Episode: The Inquisitor dies, the Rebels finally get to see the extent of the nascent Alliance, Fulcrum's identity is revealed, and the last minute of the episode introduces a new and deadly playmate for the Ghost crew next season... Darth Vader; both Ahsoka and her former Jedi Master making their Rebels debuts.
- Wham Line:
- Wham Shot: Why hello there, Ahsoka Tano and Darth Vader.
- Who Is Driving?: Played with. After the successful rescue, Ezra asks who's piloting the Ghost, since Chopper is flying the Imperial transport. Cue The Reveal.
- Worthy Opponent: The Inquisitor acknowledges the combined threat of Kanan and Ezra at this stage to be a fight worthy of his time. Then, when Kanan declares he no longer fears the Inquisitor, the smile on the villain's face says it all. The two then salute each other before beginning the final phase of their duel.
- You Would Do the Same for Me: Ezra says this to Kanan while rescuing him.
Kanan: You shouldn't have come for me, but I'm glad you did.
Ezra: You would've done the same for me. In fact,
you have.
