Imperial Super Commandos (Star Wars Rebels - S03E07) - Animated Series

"Mandalorians are crazy." SPOILERS. 

I have a feeling that this will be relatively brief review. There just isn’t much to discuss this week. “Imperial Supercommandos” managed to pull off the impressive feat of feeling inconsequential and rushed at the same time. This was yet another filler episode of Rebels, but it also glossed over and rushed the character development. Although the extended jet pack chase was fairly enjoyable, it and the other action scenes took up so much time that any sense of character development felt rushed and manufactured. This episode was style over substance. When Rau decided to go back for Ezra and Sabine, it should have been impactful but instead it felt perfunctory. Speaking of Ezra and Sabine, having an episode focus on the series’ weakest characters isn’t a recipe for success. Yet again, the writers missed a chance to develop Sabine as a character. There is some promise in Sabine’s relationship with Fenn Rau, but it didn’t really go anywhere of value this week. Regarding Sabine, this episode just offered me more hints about her past. That isn’t character development.

The episode began with Sabine visiting Fenn Rau in his prison cell. Apparently, the rebels have been holding him prisoner since his appearance last season. When the signal to the Mandalorian Protector base was lost, Sabine, Ezra, and Rau were sent to investigate. When they arrived, the base was destroyed and the Protectors had all been killed. The Protectors had been ambushed by a group of Mandalorians who had sworn allegiance to the Empire. I think this was a logical next step for the Mandalorians. While some Mandalorians will always resist outside rule, it makes sense that some would join the Empire. After Darth Maul plunged their world into civil war, it’s understandable that some Mandalorians would seek stability. The leader of these Imperial Mandalorians was a man named Gar Saxon. Saxon was first introduced in the Son of Dathomir comic series, which was an adaption of unfinished Star Wars: The Clone Wars scripts. In that series, Saxon served as one of Darth Maul’s lieutenants. Introducing Saxon as the commander of the Imperial Mandalorians was nice nod to The Clone Wars. Saxon wasn’t the most memorable character, but he was a serviceable villain for this episode. I loved the design of the Imperial Mandalorians’ armor though. It was clearly influenced by some classic concept art and it felt like the perfect blend of Mandalorian and Stormtrooper armor. While I loved the exploration of the Mandalorians and their society on The Clone Wars, I have been a little disappointed with their portrayal on Rebels. Seeing them on Rebels is a reminder of how small the scale of Rebels is compared to The Clone Wars and highlights the drawbacks of its simplistic animation style.

Saxon confronted Sabine and Ezra. Saxon claimed that even Sabine’s mother submitted to Imperial rule after Sabine deserted the Imperial Academy and disgraced her family name. So Bo-Katan is Sabine’s mother right? They’ve referenced Sabine’s mother several times throughout the series and it appears she was a prominent member of Clan Vizsla. As I mentioned earlier, this was another missed opportunity to develop Sabine. The writers continue to rely on cryptic hints to her past, but that adds nothing of value to her character. There was a prolonged jet pack chase that was pretty fun though. It would have been more enjoyable if this episode even tried to develop the characters. In the end, Fenn Rau decided to join the rebellion. “Imperial Commandos” was simply unexceptional. It wasn’t space whales bad, but it felt like yet another missed opportunity.

What Worked

• Imperial Mandalorians
• The Jet Pack Chase Was Fun

What Didn’t Work

• Focus on Ezra and Sabine
• Filler Story That Still Felt Rushed
• Style Over Substance

External Links:

• StarWars.com Episode Guide
• Wookieepedia Episode Summary