Although I would’ve liked to have gotten this post out a fair bit sooner, I’m really really glad it’s here anyway, because this wonderful episode has a lot of great neat stuff to talk ’bout! Join me, Freemaker fan-fam, as we Return To The Wheel!
Contains spoilers from Rebels episode Hera’s Heroes and Freemakers episode Return To The Wheel (along with potential spoilers from much of season one)
The way Rowan said “home”… it not only turned my insides to absolute mush, but it also filled me with intrigue. I was somewhat surprised the Freemakers thought so fondly of the bustling space station and its little repair shop. Now, I’m not going to drown you in all my headcanons, but I definitely have always assumed the Wheel was where the kids turned when they, for whatever reason, found themselves with nowhere else to go. I figured with all their past business challenges and all the scraping by they did to survive, Freemaker Salvage and Repair wouldn’t have been the most homey place for them. But the more I thought about it, the more I remembered that, though they’ve been through some tough times, perhaps it was these tough times that brought them closer, especially after the youngest turned out to be a Forcebuilder. So even with a great place on Home One, I’m glad they can look back at their former residence and see something meaningful… even when it’s among the most dangerous places for them to be right now.
So remember a couple posts back when I commented how glad I was the Empire didn’t remember that Rowan could lead them to kyber crystals? Didn’t see it coming when Graballa got that idea first (technically Yuppo but Grabs don’t care). I was all “oh snap this gonna get real”. And real it does get, ’cause the Hutt’s calling in not only Dengar, but IG-88, 4-LOM, Bossk, and Zuckuss. Oh it was great hanging out with these guys! They might not have Boba Fett’s street cred (or massive fanbase), but they’re nothing if not intense and intensely cool in their own right. And I love getting more of a handle of who they are, particularly with the droids (or droid-like?) we haven’t seen as much around the SW galaxy. Though it’s impossible for me to truly pick favorites out of the bunch, Zuckuss kinda stole my heart. I’m totally behind the idea that the guy yells everything he says and always refers to himself in third person. That’s canon far as I’m concerned! XD But yeah now I really want to find some more stories on these stellar hunters in the future, ’cause their presence this episode was a complete blast.
Pun 100% not intended.
The idea of a complicated homecoming called back to mind the Rebels episode Hera’s Heroes, and had me suspecting some troublemaking someone or someones might’ve taken up residence in the old shop the same way the Empire made themselves comfortable in Hera’s childhood home. Didn’t expect it to be Wick Cooper though. Buuut honestly it seems just like Mr. Cooper to be once again making things difficult for the Freemakers because it’s basically his job in life. Or maybe more of a hobby. Also didn’t expect he’d be running an expensive classy-casual kaffe cafe. I would’ve figured he wouldn’t care to rub elbows with Middle Ring “riffraff”, but obviously he knew what would strike gold! I can kind of respect how he keeps finding new ways to up his impossible levels of selfish self-centeredness…
Also, I just absolutely love Zander and Rowan’s mustache accents. Not convincing, but nothing short of brilliantly hilarious! They gotta take this show on the road! XD OK got that out of my system now we can move on to bigger story elements. Like how Rowan managed to fit in that ‘trooper armor. OK that I theorize would look a lot different if it weren’t Lego SW. But it’s kind of funny to imagine him in this oversized doesn’t-quite-fit-his-smallish-tween-boy-frame suit of armor… and then he still manages to avoid detection! Hmm does make you wonder though why they didn’t throw in an Imperial cadet along with the bucketheads so Ro could disguise himself that way. Oh right because then we wouldn’t get a “short for a stormtrooper” joke out of it XD
Of course I’m going to need to talk a bit on the tragic [nonexistent] romance of Zander and Becky Smoochenbacher. As it was a brief goofy mention way back on Zander’s Joyride, I wasn’t expecting this mystery girl from the Upper Ring to end up being a fair-sized plot element. But I’m so glad they did what they did, because watching Zander turn ’bout every conversation to her and confess his undying love to a fire extinguisher is pure hilarious gold. I’ve theorized that Becky was a customer of the Freemakers’ at some point (this perhaps being the only reason Zander could know her full name), a rich kid who came to their shop needing a repair on a dent on her parents’ expensive spacecraft. And the rest is history. Or not, as these “lost stars” may never cross again. But yeah OMG Zander is such a sweetheart and a romantic I just can’t. The boy deserves to be loved ❤
And yes I probably do put too much thought into this sort of stuff… but whenever there's a little story inside of SW about a boy, a girl, and a galaxy… the feels and warm fuzzies come full-force :3
Adding to the long list of things I wasn't expecting this episode: the fact that it was the Freemakers who would find the Rebels’ first clue to the construction of the second Death Star! Ackbar’s command to send for the bothan spies sounds like we’re getting really really close to the events of Episode VI. I figured originally they’d probably keep all the series’ events entirely in-between the films, but this makes me wonder if maybe we’ll get to see the Freemakers running right alongside the Rebels during the Battle of Endor, or even maybe beyond that. Oh my gravy is that thought not amazing?? I don’t know if there’s any way the people at Lucasfilm and Wilfilm could do that, but getting a glimpse at the war’s end through the eyes of these precious kids would just be astounding! Anyway, yes this unexpected twist certainly has me excited! Just have to wait and see what happens next as both sides’ building projects near their completion…
Now, a moment of silence for what we know will become of the bothans. I can’t be the only one who quietly cried out “noooo those poor bothans…!”, right? Force be with them. *Salutes*
Anyway, this episode has become an instant classic for me, and it felt good getting all these Freemaker-y thoughts out on paper! (Well, online, technically) Hopefully this’ll be the last of my late posts. Until next follow-up…
Keep The Peace,
– Twilight
Padawanline 