Clone Wars, you are a cruel show.
The finale to the Onderon arc spares no one caught in its sights. And that’s just about everybody.
The episode begins with King Rash and his droid general regrouping after the rebels run off with the former king. Saw, being his impulsive self, wants to rush into Iziz and take the fight to them but the others, including Ahsoka, think it’s better for the safety of the civilian population to draw the droid army out of town. Remember Saw’s impulsiveness and aggression, everybody!
The droid army and rebels clash in the highlands in a battle somewhat reminiscent of “Avatar.” But because the rebels don’t have Michelle Rodriguez in a helicopter, the droid army is kicking their butt. Ahsoka dials Coruscant for help but officially the Jedi must respect the Prime Directive. Initially they order Ahsoka to withdraw and help the rebels escape. But then Anakin comes up with the idea of illegally purchasing weapons from Hondo (with whose money??).
Remember Anakin’s willingness to bend the rules and use underworld types to accomplish his goals, everybody! This whole operation’s his baby and he wants to make sure the rebels succeed.
Hondo delivers some rocket launchers, which help turn around the battle. But Lux and Steela are put into danger when Saw shoots down an enemy craft and the impact leaves them dangling off a cliff. Ahsoka rides in to save the day, rescuing Lux. But when she uses the Force to rescue Steela, Ahsoka is cruelly shot in the back (!!!), making her lose concentration and sending Steela to fall 1000 feet to her horrible death.
This whole operation ends up biting everybody in the rear. Saw recognizes Steela would have appreciated the sacrifice to restore the rightful king but he still blames himself. Lux loses his new girlfriend. Anakin and Obi-Wan had to get their hands dirty. Ahsoka got shot. King Rash is eventually betrayed by Dooku and his general.
Oh sure, the king is restored and Lux will become the new senator from Onderon, loyal to the Republic. Anakin thinks it all worked out great even with the losses of life and injuries. But none of it matters because it’s ALL A LIE!!! A liiiiiiieeeeeee!!!
Ahsoka once again got to shine in this episode. She accepts Lux’s burgeoning romance with Steela, even teasing him after Steela kisses him. Good thing too, now that Lux is a free man again. She desperately wants to do the right thing to help her new friends but is bound by the silly pretense that the Republic and the Jedi are “neutral” in this matter. She has to carry around the guilt of losing Steela. And she knows at the end that it all cost perhaps more than it was worth.
I told you this was too sophisticated for the pajamas and cereal hour.
The animation was spectacular; I loved the design of the flying creatures. The battle scenes were fantastic.
All in all a winner even though it is incredibly dark.
Tags: Clone Wars
October 29, 2012 at 7:34 pm |
I agree, LP…the time change to Saturday morning just doesn’t fit. I have no problem being up and about by that hour, but the occasional heaviness of the stories/themes works so much better at night…thank God for DVRs. I hope there’s enough room this season to revisit Ahsoka’s disillusionment with the dynamic of the war; in a weird way, it gives me hope for her fate–that she’ll just be like, “forget this!” and walk away instead of a more grim ending for her character.
October 30, 2012 at 9:52 am |
Yeah, I mentioned in my own review that episodes dealing with “victories” in the war ring hollow because of what we know about what’s REALLY going on.
Also, is it my imagination, or did the rebel woman who got shot and killed in this episode look and sound a LOT like the rebel woman who got shot and killed in the last episode? (you remember, LP, the one you suspected of being a double-agent in part 2?)
October 30, 2012 at 9:16 pm |
Yeah, she totally does! I’m glad I wasn’t the only person who noticed that.