Category: Disney XD

Points for Discussion Regarding the Season 1 Finale of “Star Wars Resistance” on Disney Channel and XD

Last Sunday, the inaugural season of “Star Wars Resistance” had its finale on Disney Channel and Disney XD. It was certainly an action-packed temporary farewell to the Aces team of the Colossus Platform as they finally openly stand against the First Order. It was also an ending to some important relationships as characters cement their alignments on two opposing factions.

Here’s a list of discussion points regarding the two-part “Resistance” season finale “No Escape.” The first part of the episode aired back in March 10:

  1. Major plot tie-in to the 2015 sequel film “The Force Awakens,” as First Order General Hux denounces the New Republic by having Starkiller Base destroy the Republic capital on the Hosnian System. Among the numerous lives lost is the family of Resistance spy Kaz Xiono.
  2. Following the imprisonment of most of Team Fireball, the Aces and Commander Doza, Kaz leads his remaining allies to find a way to escape from Colossus. The solution: the platform itself, revealed to be a giant spaceship long concealed underwater.
  3. That realization plays into how the Colossus people begin to systematically remove First Order Stormtroopers from the place. Through quick decoy play they trick the troopers into sections that can be flooded, flushing them out into the ocean where the monster fishes eat their fill.
  4. First Order Agent Tierney has completely brought over Fireball mechanic Tam Ryvora, who willingly joins them and becomes hostile to her former friends. Since her only reference to the First Order’s predecessor the Empire, is her very kind factory worker grandfather, Tam supports their successors.
  5. After most of the season being spent in starfighter races, the Aces finally get into all-out combat with First Order TIE Fighters. Even ex-Imperial Griff Halloran seems genuinely invested in protecting Colossus from them. More aerial combat ensues and Kaz saves Jarek Yeagar by shooting down Vonreg in a dogfight.
  6. Space pirates have been the initial antagonists for the Colossus’ Aces before the First Order arrived. This time around they return to help their erstwhile victims against the TIEs. Granted, they have their own beef against the First Order, but a new alliance forms here.
  7. The appearance of a Star Destroyer forces the Colossus crew to fall back and escape into hyperspace. Their planned destination is the planet D’Qar, headquarters of the Resistance. Unfortunately the entered coordinates were incomplete, ensuring the Colossus will reappear somewhere else in the Galaxy. And in any case, the Resistance would ultimately abandon D’Qar as of “The Last Jedi” anyway.

“Star Wars Resistance” season two premieres this fall on Disney Channel and XD. It’ll be close to the cinematic arrival of “Star Wars: Episode IX.”

Episode Lists of “Star Wars Rebels” Seasons 3 and 4

While it’s already gotten the green light for a follow-up second season on Disney XD, “Star Wars Resistance” is now busy getting its two-part season finale underway, with the first segment of “No Escape” premiering this past Sunday. At that point the series has caught up to the events of “The Force Awakens” and deals the main character Kaz (Sean Christopher) a devastating, personal blow.

As fans of “Resistance” wait with bated breath for the conclusion of the show’s first season next week, let’s wrap up our own series of lists regarding its predecessor “Star Wars Rebels.” Tuesday last week marked the first anniversary of the end of “Rebels” after four seasons, something fans of the animated series greatly celebrated.

That said we’ll enumerate the episodes for the last two seasons of “Star Wars Rebels” here, ahead of what we hope to be a seasonal wrap-up of “Resistance” next week. As Ezra Bridger said when we last saw him, “The Force will be with you, always.” Obi-Wan Kenobi surely approves:

Season 3

  1. Steps into Shadow: Part 1
  2. Steps into Shadow: Part 2 – September 24, 2016 (2-part season premiere)
  3. The Holocrons of Fate – October 1, 2016
  4. The Antilles Extraction – October 8, 2016
  5. Hera’s Heroes – October 15, 2016
  6. The Last Battle – October 22, 2016
  7. Imperial Supercommandos – November 5, 2016
  8. Iron Squadron – November 19, 2016
  9. The Wynkahthu Job – November 26, 2016
  10. An Inside Man – December 3, 2016
  11. Visions and Voices – December 10, 2016
  12. Ghosts of Geonosis: Part 1
  13. Ghosts of Geonosis: Part 2 – January 7, 2017 (2-part midseason premiere)
  14. Warhead – January 14, 2017
  15. Trials of the Darksaber – January 21, 2017
  16. Legacy of Mandalore – February 18, 2017
  17. Through Imperial Eyes – February 25, 2017
  18. Secret Cargo – March 4, 2017
  19. Double Agent Droid – March 11, 2017
  20. Twin Suns – March 18, 2017
  21. Zero Hour: Part 1
  22. Zero Hour: Part 2 – March 25, 2017 (2-part season finale)

The third season is particularly popular for bringing over a character from the old “Star Wars: Expanded Universe” book series into the new Disney-Lucasfilm continuity: Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen). It also sees a good focus on the Mandalorian culture, from which Sabine Wren hails (and which were actually appropriated by Jango Fett and his clone-son Boba Fett).

Season 4

  1. Heroes of Mandalore: Part 1
  2. Heroes of Mandalore: Part 2 – October 16, 2017 (2-part season premiere)
  3. In the Name of the Rebellion: Part 1
  4. In the Name of the Rebellion: Part 2 – October 23, 2017 (first 2-part episode that is neither a season premiere nor finale)
  5. The Occupation – October 30, 2017
  6. Flight of the Defender – October 30, 2017 (first 2-episode air date in the series, of which there will be more)
  7. Kindred – November 6, 2017
  8. Crawler Commanders – November 6, 2017
  9. Rebel Assault – November 13, 2017
  10. Jedi Night – February 19, 2018 (mid-season premiere, famous as the episode that depicted the death of popular character and Jedi purge survivor Kanan Jarrus)
  11. Wolves and a Door – February 26, 2018
  12. A World between Worlds – February 26, 2018
  13. A Fool’s Hope
  14. Family Reunion
  15. Farewell – March 5, 2018 (3-episode air date, with the latter two being a 2-episode finale for both the season and the series)

The fourth season is the culmination of the struggle to liberate the planet Lothal from the Empire by the Rebel Alliance cell centered on the spaceship Ghost. The costs would be ultimately heavy especially towards the end, but will provide “Star Wars Rebels” with incredible storytelling across its plot arcs. This complete package would endear the show to “Star Wars” fans and set another high bar for the successor animated series, “Star Wars Resistance.”

Episode List for Season 1 of Marvel’s “Spider-Man” (2017 Series)

It’s said that the most easily memorable period in the life and superhero career of Peter Parker/Spider-Man was when he was still a high school student, something that’s been reflected on his most recent animated series adaptations. Still, Disney XD’s Ultimate Spider-Man (2012-17) somewhat divided the fan-base with its presentation, leading to a newer Spider-Man series that started in 2017.

While some might have been put off at seeing a high-school aged Peter again (older animated series had him in college, or an adult), and disapproving for multiple from limited animation to the introduction of other Spider-powered characters, Spider-Man was popular enough in terms of its ongoing storylines to warrant a second season, now ongoing.

Meanwhile, here’s a list of the episodes from Season 1:

“Origin” Shorts

  1. Introduction! – June 28, 2017
  2. Observation! – July 25, 2017
  3. Hypothesis! – July 26, 2017
  4. Prediction! – July 27, 2017
  5. Experimentation! – July 28, 2017
  6. Conclusion! – July 29, 2017

Main Season

  1. Horizon High Part 1 and 2 – August 19, 2017 (two-part episode)
  2. Osborn Academy – August 26, 2017
  3. A Day in the Life – September 2, 2017 (two standalone episodes in one week)
  4. Party Animals
  5. Sandman – September 16, 2017 (three standalone episodes in one week)
  6. Symbiotic Relationship
  7. Stark Expo
  8. Ultimate Spider-Man – September 23, 2017
  9. Kraven’s Amazing Hunt – September 30, 2017
  10. Halloween Moon – October 7, 2017
  11. Spider-Man on Ice – October 14, 2017
  12. Venom – October 21, 2017
  13. Screwball Live – October 28, 2017
  14. The Rise of Doc Ock Part 1 and 2 – January 21, 2018 (two of four-part episode)
  15. The Rise of Doc Ock Part 3 and 4 – January 28, 2018 (rest of four-part episode)
  16. Spider-Island Part 1 and 2 – February 4, 2018 (two of five-part episode)
  17. Spider-Island Part 3, 4 and 5 – February 11, 2018 (three of five-part episode)
  18. The Hobgoblin Part 1 and 2 – February 18, 2018 (two-part season finale)

List of “Star Wars” In-Universe Merchandise (and Franchise Shout-Outs) in “Star Wars Resistance” Episode 5

Star Wars Resistance is now five episodes into its inaugural season on Disney XD and Disney Channel, and so far the reception’s been quite good. After all, it’s filling in the blanks space after the original Star Wars trilogy and the yet-to-conclude sequel films. The fact that the same show-runners from Star Wars Rebels are at work here’s another bonus.

Episode 5 of Resistance, “The High Tower”, finally brings the overall plot to some progression by marking the first in-series appearance of the Imperial remnant First Order, bad guys from Episodes VII to IX. They’ve been who Kaz (Christopher Sean) has been assigned by General Leia Organa’s Resistance to spy on at Colossus after all.

So we have Kaz trying to do his spying thing that he’s been waiting for. He gets discovered and must hide before the First Order troopers find him. His hidey-hole turns out to be the room of his fellow Ace pilot Terra Doza, and it’s filled with items that are both in-universe merchandise from the Galaxy Far, Far Away, and clever references to stuff from the decades-spanning sci-fi saga loved by millions of fans around our world. Here’s the list:

  1. Poster for the Boonta Eve Classic (the Tatooine pod-race organized by Jabba the Hutt, which Anakin Skywalker races on in The Phantom Menace)
  2. Poster of graffiti art by Sabine Wren (the Mandalorian anti-Imperial bounty hunter, TIE pilot washout, and graphic artist from Star Wars Rebels)
  3. Model of T16 airspeeder (mentioned by Luke Skywalker in A New Hope; he had a personal T-16 and a similar scale model in his old Tatooine home)
  4. Imperial Stormtrooper action figure
  5. Ubese bounty hunter action figure (aliens from planet Uba IV; one of them, named Boushh, was impersonated by Princess Leia following his death elsewhere, to infiltrate Jabba’s palace in Tatooine during Return of the Jedi)
  6. Bantha doll (based on the quadruped mounts of the Tusken Raiders/Sand People as seen in A New Hope)
  7. Tooka doll (based on alien cats in the Star Wars Galaxy, first mentioned in the Expanded Universe/Legends before being introduced in The Clone Wars as both dolls and the actual creature; a particular Tooka breed is the Loth-cat seen in Star Wars Rebels)
  8. Ewok doll (based on the small humanoid bearlike natives of Endor, who helped the Rebel Alliance defeat the Empire in Return of the Jedi; current-continuity books have even mentioned Ewoks as therapy animals)

Information courtesy of Star Wars.com

“Big Hero 6: The Series” Rogues Gallery List

Following the success of Disney’s 2014 animated film Big Hero 6, loosely adapted from a minor Marvel Comics title, Disney decided to develop it into a franchise with a sequel animated series. Big Hero 6: The Series premiered on Disney XD last year with the special pilot “Baymax Returns” then transferred to The Disney Channel for its full first-season run.

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The show follows the continuing adventures of Hiro Hamada, his rebuilt partner care robot Baymax, and his techie friends from the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology (SFIT) as they fight crime on the side while balancing schoolwork and ordinary life.

Of course, with the antagonist of the BH6 movie behind bars, the good guys need some villains to take on during their vigilante work, and Disney TV Animation plus Man of Action Studios have obliged with a truly eclectic collection of baddies to serve as Big Hero 6’s Rogues Gallery:

villainsscreen

  1. Obake (Andrew Scott) – an enigmatic criminal mastermind with some sinister plan for San Fransokyo, setting up other criminals to fight the Big Hero 6 to learn more about them and prepare appropriate countermeasures; the only clue Hiro has is that he’s a former SFIT student
  2. Mr. Yama (Paul Briggs) – returning from the original film, an underground bot fighter with a bad rep, whom Obake ropes into being his reluctant right-hand man; shares some past history with Hiro in underground bot-fighting
  3. Baron von Steamer (Jeff Bennett) – an eccentric mad scientist with an obsession for steam-punk technology; archenemy of Fredzilla’s dad Mr. Frederickson aka superhero Boss Awesome
  4. Globby (Andy Richter) – formerly Dibs the purse thief; an accident while snatching Honey Lemon’s chemical-purse turns him into living goo
  5. High Voltage (Katy Mixon and Sophie Reynolds) – real names Barb and Juniper, a “popular” mother-daughter villain tandem with electrical powers and a rock music motif
  6. Momakase (Naoko Mori) – sushi chef who moonlights as a cat burglar; armed with cooking knives
  7. Nedd Ludd (Jon Rudnitsky) – a former real estate developer who cracked under the strain and became a reclusive extremist Luddite who gets violent at the very sight of any technology
  8. Mad Jacks (Rob Riggle, Kevin Michael Richardson, Kerri Kenney) – adrenaline junkie mercenary trio whose names include “Jack” somewhere in them
  9. Mr. Sparkles (Patton Oswalt) – unpopular host of a somewhat popular game show; goes insane after his popularity is upstaged by the Hamada’s pet cat, Mochi
  10. Noodle Burger Boy (Lucas Neff) – animatronic mascot of the Noodle Burger fast-food, reprogrammed by Yama
  11. Orso Knox (Fred Tatasciore) – businessman turned into a wild monster
  12. Trina (Christy Carlson Romano) – a bot-fighter around Hiro’s age, revealed to be a humanlike robot created by Obake, whom Trina considers to be her father

Episode List for “Marvel Rising: Initiation” Web-Series on Disney XD

Marvel Rising is a new franchise being pushed by Disney and Marvel Animation to bring the characters and stories of Marvel Comics to a new generation of fans. Its initial big offering, the TV film subtitled Secret Warriors, premiered on both The Disney Channel and Disney XD last September 30.

But prior to the release of Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors, Marvel Animation also produced a web-series for the franchise, with the subtitle Initiation. In six episodes it shines the spotlight on the primary characters of Marvel Rising prior to the events of Secret Warriors that assembled them into a team.

Here’s a list of episodes for Marvel Rising: Initiation, which premiered in its entirety on August 13 at Disney XD.

  1. Ghost Hunter – starring Ghost-Spider (Gwen Stacy)
  2. Floor Toms and Spider Webs
  3. BFHF (Best Friend Heroes…Forever) – starring Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) and Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green)
  4. Two on One
  5. The Stories They Tell – featuring Patriot (Rayshaun Lucas) and Quake (Daisy Johnson)
  6. The Secrets We Keep

Episode List of Remade “Ducktales” Season 1 on Disney XD / The Disney Channel

When Disney first teased in 2015 that they were going to remake beloved 1980s animated series Ducktales, fans of the original were cautious, owing to the hit-or-miss nature of reboots in general. They were however mollified with the first previews, and when the one-hour special premiered, they were more receptive.

By the time the first season of the new Ducktales ended this August, a solid majority of the fandom, old and new, were believers. Having a 100% fresh score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes is a strong argument for the remake’s quality. And as the second season draws near (with a third season green-lighted already) let’s walk down memory lane a bit by listing the episodes of the inaugural season.

  1. Woo-oo! (August 12, 2017) – one-hour special; if divided into two half-hour episodes, the second half is retitled…
  2. Escape from Atlantis!
  3. Daytrip of Doom! (September 23, 2017) – first of two distinct episodes in one-hour premiere, the second being…
  4. The Great Dime Chase!
  5. The Beagle Birthday Massacre! (September 30, 2017)
  6. Terror of the Terra-Firmians! (October 7, 2017)
  7. The House of the Lucky Gander! (October 14, 2017) – airing order reversed with following episode on Disney XD Canada
  8. The Infernal Internship of Mark Beaks! (October 21, 2017) – airing order reversed with preceding episode on Disney XD Canada
  9. The Living Mummies of Toth-Ra! (October 28, 2017)
  10. The Impossible Summit of Mount Neverrest! (December 2, 2017) – last episode premiered on Disney XD before the series moved to The Disney Channel
  11. The Spear of Selene! (May 4, 2018) – first new episode on The Disney Channel
  12. Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System! (May 11, 2018)
  13. The Missing Links of Moorshire! (May 18, 2018) – broadcast premiere made on Disney XD Scandinavia, March 21
  14. Mystery at McDuck Manor! (May 25, 2018) – broadcast premiere made on Disney XD Scandinavia, April 3
  15. Jaw$! (June 16, 2018)
  16. The Golden Lagoon of White Agony Plains! (June 23, 2018)
  17. Day of the Only Child! (June 30, 2018)
  18. From the Confidential Case Files of Agent 22! (July 7, 2018)
  19. Who is Gizmoduck?! (July 14, 2018)
  20. The Other Bin of Scrooge McDuck! (July 21, 2018)
  21. Sky Pirates…in the Sky! (July 28, 2018)
  22. The Secret(s) of Castle McDuck! (August 4, 2018)
  23. The Last Crash of the Sunchaser! (August 11, 2018)
  24. The Shadow War! – Night of De Spell! (August 18, 2018) – first part of two-episode one-hour finale special
  25. The Shadow War! – Day of the Ducks! – final episode of season 1

Ducktales season 2 starts October 20 on The Disney Channel.

Meet the Aces: Pilot Characters of “Star Wars Resistance” on Disney Channel / XD

Starting Sunday, October 7, the latest Star Wars animated series from Lucasfilm Animation, Star Wars Resistance, will premiere on the Disney Channel, followed on Disney XD. Taking place six months before the start of The Force Awakens, it follows a young Resistance pilot and spy snooping on suspected First Order activity at a refueling station on an ocean planet.

While there, Kazuda Xiono will meet new people, who will become friends, rivals and possible foes as he tries to determine who to trust and not, while the Galaxy hurtles into a new period on galactic conflict for its very existence.

Kazuda
Kazuda Xiono

Star Wars Resistance focuses on Kazuda and Ace Squadron, a group of mercenary star-fighter pilots who provide security for Colossus Station on planet Castilon. When not fighting against raiders and other potential threats, the Aces spend time by doubling as racers on aerial and space courses, competing for extra money and celebrity while giving Colossus a show to gamble on.

Ace Squadron

  1. Kazuda Xiono (Christopher Sean) – a New Republic pilot from an influential family with a Senator for a father; recruited into the Resistance by Poe Dameron and assigned to the Outer Rim world of Castilon to check possible movements from the First Order; joined the Team Fireball star-fighter racing crew and becomes one of the Aces
  2. Torra Doza (Myrna Velasco) – youngest Ace of Ace Squadron and daughter of Captain Imanuel Doza, boss of Collossus Station on Castilon; became a pilot to get out of her overprotective father’s shadow and is Kaz’s closest Ace rival
  3. Hype Fazon (Donald Faison) – a Rodian merc and the most egotistic pilot of Ace Squadron; his fighter carries labels from corporate sponsors
  4. Griff Halloran (Stephen Stanton) – a grizzled former Imperial pilot who has the air of a veteran; pilots his old TIE Fighter that has been customized beyond its original specs
  5. Freya Fenris (Mary Elizabeth McGlynn) – cold and business-like, the oldest Ace pilot aside from Griff; she shares a last name and resemblance to Astrid Fenris, a smuggler seen in the background of Solo: A Star Wars Story
  6. Bo Keevil (VA unrevealed) – a Kel Dor Ace pilot who wears a mask and speaks little, if at all; notorious for trying to stunt-fly his star-fighter beyond its capacities, leading to frequent crashes in racing and fighting
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Kazuda’s Ace Squadron “teammates” (L-R) Bo Keevil, Freya Fenris, Torra Doza, Hype Fazon and Griff Halloran

List of Upcoming Disney Animated Series on Cable

Disney on the cable front is currently making big splashes with some of their current animated programming, from the Ducktales reboot to series adaptations of Animated Canon films like Tangled and Big Hero 6. But new shows are always being conceptualized and developed, with some having gotten previews shown recently.

The Annecy International Animated Film Festival has kicked off in Monday, June 11. While a spot was prominently given to Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2, Disney also made time to show teaser images of animated series they announced last year, and announce one new show to accompany them.

  • Vikingskool – newly announced at the 2018 Annecy, an Irish-French-Norwegian co-production; follows the adventures of three Viking friends as they attend the titular Vikingskool, described as a “Top Gun” school for future Viking adventurers; due to premiere in late 2019 in Disney cable channels for Europe, Africa and the Middle East

  • The Owl House – created by Dana Terrace, it focuses on normal human teen Luz, who stumbles into a portal to the Demon Realm and comes under the care of Eda the Owl Lady, an unconventional witch; despite being a magic-less human, Luz is determined to become a witch and makes herself Eda’s apprentice; will premiere in 2020

  • The Rocketeer – a younger-oriented adaptation of Touchstone Pictures’ 1991 period superhero film, based on the same-named comic books; Kit Seacourt gets an unusual birthday gift: a rocket pack that marks her as the latest iteration of the retro superhero the Rocketeer; she blasts off for adventure with her gadget inventor friend and aircraft mechanic uncle; coming 2019 on Disney Junior

  • 101 Dalmatian Street – another take on the popular Animated Canon entry, live-action adaptation and earlier animated spinoff; the Dalmatians, all with names starting with “D”, live in North London as interpreted by Disney in super-rich backgrounds; announced last year and set to premiere sometime in 2018

  • Big City Greens – due to arrive this month on Disney Channel, this series is about naïve troublemaking country boy Cricket Green, who moves to the city with his farming family, and their livestock and everything from home

List of Episodes for Disney Web Series “As Told by Emoji” (Season 4)

We’re almost done with this project by this point. Another week is here and with it, another segment in our steadily-compiled list. We’re talking about the Disney web series As Told by Emoji, and now we’re down to enumerating the episodes of Season 4. So without further ado, they are:

  1. Ducktales – a “preview” of the 2017 reboot, animated to the new theme song cover by Felicia Barton, with a prominent September 2017 calendar marking the premiere date on Disney XD
  2. Judy’s Journey – a “prequel” to Zootopia, detailing Judy Hopps’ journey from her Bunnyburrow hometown and through police training to become “1st rabbit cop”; also doubles as a special message to advocate Bullying Prevention
  3. The Little Mermaid
  4. The Lion King
  5. Olaf’s Frozen Adventure

The last three are more straightforward condensed adaptations.