Oh man your comments on the two episodes make me want to go back and watch these great Rebels episodes. I can’t wait until it comes out on blu-ray!

I think the criticism is that this show gets compared to “Clone Wars” and hardcore Star Wars fans. Though both shows are in the same timeline, universe, and have repeating characters, they are *very* different in storytelling and directed audience. “Rebels” is meant to look more lighthearted and kid-directed than the full-out military regalia and warfare of “Clone Wars”. I find that ironic because this episode is anything but lighthearted.

Having seen only a little of “Clone Wars” (and admitting I’m trying to watch it currently) , I’m rapidly falling in love with “Rebels” for three reasons:
-Because it’s drawing closer to the heart of Star Wars in the original trilogy and Ezra’s journey reminds me of Luke’s. Despite all that’s happened to him, I perceive an innocence and optimism in Ezra that inspires him to keep on fighting
-It reminds me of the too-short “Firefly” show by Joss Wheadon about a surrogate family in space
-Because it *isn’t* trying to copy “Clone Wars” but is definitely impacted by those events while drawing on other Star Wars elements to bring new stories into this universe

I agree, so emotional without having to show on-screen violence or the gory fate of his parents. And while there is always that “they’re not dead” angle we get in sci-fi stories, the fact that Ezra sees them in spirit forms makes me think that they really are dead and now their spirits reside within him.

Ezra was certainly flying off the handle at the start of the episode, not without a good reason, and it was good that he didn’t throw off everyone else who was trying to help him before he did anything rash. It would’ve been terrible if he was all alone at the end of the episode. But having Kanan hold Ezra when he cried and then assure Ezra that his parents reside within him was bittersweet; it was crucial that Kanan was there to remind him that Ezra had lost one family and there was another one right there to comfort him.