Clone Wars Review: Season 4

Prologue

After the rush that was the last eleven episodes of Season 3, fans came into the fourth season of the Clone Wars with great anticipation. Over the summer we were promised that the heightened intensity of the last part of the previous season would be built upon, and were teased with trailers and clips of an epic underwater battle on Mon Cala. As the season neared we also began to see glimpses of more future episodes, like those with the slavers, Mandalorians, and clones on a dark planet. While the hyped marine premiere was met with mostly positive reaction, the episodes following it were very divisive. The focus on characters that had been used for humor in the films like the droids and Gungans for an extended period of time left many fans feeling jaded. However it was during that lull that a new trailer was unexpectedly released, teasing the return of Maul. Once again this event divided fandom, but the generated buzz at least got us through the weakest period of the show.

The Umbara arc that finally came upon us brought the season --if not the entire series-- to new heights in the eyes of many, however the roller coaster ride continued with a pair of inconsistent arcs focussing on comic book slavers and bounty hunters. Yet the season picked up again with a finale quadrilogy that contained at least a few episodes that made it the top of everyone’s list, ending things with a controversial and exciting pair of episodes featuring the possibly over-hyped Darth Maul. Ultimately, I believe that Season 4 can be divided into six general storylines. Yet just like the previous season, these plotlines have yet to affect each other greatly, let alone merge. Hopefully as the series draws near the end, all the loose ends will be tied together to give meaning to some of the seemingly random developments with characters and peoples. In this article I will summarize on each storyline, give my opinion on it, and speculate about where things are headed in future seasons.

Storyline I: Battle Lines

Episodes: Water War, Gungan Attack, Prisoners, Shadow Warrior

Summary: The first four episodes of Season 4 were united by the common theme of marine races coming together to defeat an outside threat. On the planet Mon Calamari, pressure from Riff Tamson led CIS representatives manipulated the native Mon Cala and Quarrens into a civil war. After a series of spectacular battles, the young Mon Cala Prince Lee-Char filled the shoes of his deceased father and inspired the two races to unite against the Separatists and regain their sovereignty with the aid of a fellow underwater species, the Gungans. However following their defeat, the Separatists shifted their focus to Naboo and attempted to Force the Gungans into rebelling against the humans inhabitants of the planet as General Grievous invaded Naboo with his droid army. Meanwhile, Count Dooku lurred Anakin into a trap and captured him. Yet this plot was thwarted when the sacrifice of General Tarpals allowed the Gungans to capture Grievous and trade him for Anakin, while forcing the Separatists to back down.

Assessment: The first underwater in Water War had grand scale and very fluid animation. However this was merely introductory and lacked tension and character development. The middle installment took a closer look at the characters, and provided more intense action with a murkier backdrop. The Hydroid Medusas and Karkaradons had very inventive designs, and the sequence with the Trident ships creating water cyclones which became the environment for epic character showdowns was very well done. The concluding Mon Cal episode had a good balance of character development and action and continued to push the limits of violence in the series. Yet the following episode Shadow Warrior lacked a strong connection to the previous arc and seemed rushed and out of place. Aside from the great portrayal of Tarpals and animation of Otoh Gunga, this was the first of many apparently pointless episodes in Season 4 that failed to both move the story and characters forward and entertain the majority of the audience.

Looking Forward: Considering that this storyline only illustrated the war, rather than alter it, these episodes will probably have little effect on the future. The only thing that I took away from the arc was the knowledge that Ahsoka continues to grow as a character. She now is beginning to become more of a leader than a follower in the Clone Wars, successfully guiding young Lee-Char. With most of the main characters’ fates sealed, her development is one of the keys to providing relevance to storylines that only illustrate events. In a metalogical way, these episodes also set the stage for darker and larger scale battles in future arcs.

Storyline II: Twisted Tales

Episodes: Mercy Mission, Nomad Droids

Summary: After several action packed episodes, the season took a left turn and brought us a couple whimsical stories featuring the droids R2 and Threepio. The first followed the duo as they attempted to unravel a mystery on the planet Aleen. Along the way we saw Wolfpack, tiny ewok like aliens, tree like creatures, and a strange pixie spirit. The episode culminated in the droids solving a riddle and pushing a cover over a hole that was contaminating the air. However their adventures continued in the next episode when they escaped a space battle in a starfighter and then traveled to a series of odd planets, leaving a trail of chaos in their wake. A tiny fat alien was reduced to goo, a plot by pit droids to enslave the inhabitants of a planet was thwarted, and an underground droid fighting ring was blasted into oblivion. In the end R2 and Threepio made it back unscathed to the safety of the Republic fleet.

Assessment: These episodes were nothing more than brainless entertainment that seeked to tease the audience with overdone humor and randomness. Inspired by the brief 1980s Droids TV series and referencing everything from Alice in Wonderland to The Wizard of Oz, this duology left many fans confused and disappointed. Perhaps one episode like this would have been received better, but two seemed drawn out and superfluous. R2 and Threepio are great supporting characters in Star Wars and do provide good humor, but I don’t believe they are strong enough to carry an entire storyline.

Looking Forward: Hopefully the writers learn from the reaction to these episodes and endeavor to never write any more like them again. I don’t expect the events of this storyline to have an effect on the overall plot of the Clone Wars. They only served to prove that the audience of the show has grown up a bit and would prefer to see stronger writing and more mature themes at this point in the series.

Storyline III: The Descent of Darkness

Episodes: Darkness on Umbara, The General, Plan of Dissent, Carnage of Krell

Summary: Thankfully these mature themes were infused into the Umbara arc. The quadrilogy began by literally dropping us into the middle of an intense battle between the Clones and the mysterious Umbarans on their nocturnal planet. After the first battle, the Jedi in command of the 501st Legion, Anakin, was replaced by Palpatine with the more conventional General Pong Krell, forcing Captain Rex and his men to adapt to the change in leadership. Over the next two episodes, Krell’s “by-the-book” strategies put the Clones in many compromising situations, which resulted in troopers like Fives and Hardcase to frequently bend the rules to complete their missions and stay alive. Eventually Krell grew tired of the disobedience and order the execution of some of the dissenters. However the clones protected their brothers and refused to carry though. This led the cruel General to completely betray his men and trick them into attacking each other. After becoming aware of this atrocity, the clones confronted Krell and captured him after an epic battle. With communications with the rest of the army cut off, Rex was put in the difficult position of deciding whether or not to execute Krell before their base was attacked by the enemy, but the choice was made by another clone named Dogma, who shot Krell fatally after Rex hesitated, redeeming himself partially for previously supporting the General’s maniacal leadership.

Assessment: This was certainly one of the best storylines in the entire Clone Wars series. The scale and animation of the battles brought the show to another level, and the writing and themes transcended most of the entire season. These episodes were very successful in giving Rex and his clones very individual personalities and drawing the audience into their stories. The dialog, action, vehicle design, and music in this arc were all phenomenal. Dee Bradley Baker did an outstanding job lending unique personalities to each of the clones with his voice acting, and Dave Fennoy was equally commendable for contributing to the character of Pong Krell. The General’s assertive tone, stylized design, and awesome pair of double-bladed sabers made him the most popular addition to the season. His final speech about a darkness rising lent great relevance to his time on screen in the scope of the war. With the emotional scenes of Clones accidentally killing each other and Krell brutally attacking them, the Umbara arc brought the series to a new level of darkness, as the heroes were pitted against each other and any semblance of order collapsed.

Looking forward: Umbara provided a great deal of development with the characters of Captain Rex and 501st troopers like Fives. They are starting to realize the true and intended consequence of this war is to rip the Republic to shreds. It will be very interesting to see how the events on Umbara effect these clones’ reaction to Order 66 and the rise of the Empire. It’s very possible that we are watching the path that leads many clones to eventual defection. The writers of the show have promised that Order 66 will be addressed in this series, and I can’t wait to find out more about it and the clones. Another thing that these episodes did was illustrate the stress being placed on the Jedi Order. Pong Krell probably was the first of many Jedi to fold under the pressure and attempt to jump to the other side. Perhaps we will see more occurrences of Jedi going rogue in future seasons.

Storyline IV: Slaves of the Times

Episodes: Kidnapped, Slaves of the Republic, Escape From Kadavo

Summary: Following the events of Umbara, the heroes investigated the mysterious disappearance of an entire colony of Togrutas on the planet Kiros. In the first episode Obi-Wan Kenobi faced off against the Zygerrian slaver Darts D’Nar in WWE fashion while Ahsoka and Anakin rushed to defuse bombs that threatened to blow up a village. After being stalled adequately, D’Nar ran away, only to be caught by the Jedi in an epic confrontation on his ship. Finding out the whereabouts of the kidnapped togrutas from the captured D’Nar, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Anakin, and Rex then covertly infiltrated the Zygerrian homeworld under the guise of slavers. There they met the slaver queen, Miraj Scintel. However Miraj was cunning enough to thwart the heroes rescue attempt and imprisoned them, sending Obi-Wan and Rex to a labor camp where they were broken down emotionally, and forcing Anakin to be her bodyguard. Yet Anakin quickly escaped with the help of Ahsoka and R2 who had accompanied them, and then was joined by Plo Koon and Wolfpack in a the rescue of Obi-Wan and Rex.

Assessment: This arc contained both good and bad moments. The storyline was based off a comic book that had originally taken place earlier in the war, and thus the episodes felt isolated from the rest of the series. There wasn’t a whole lot of development with the heroes, and most of the villains had been killed off towards the end. I felt the first episode was pointless, because Anakin and Ahsoka were rushing around to disable bombs that only would have damaged an empty village. However I did enjoy the final confrontation on D’Nar’s ship. The middle episode was the strongest in my opinion. It had a very Original Trilogy feel, good pacing, and great dialog. I loved the animation of the Zygerrian capital city. However the final episode failed to impress me. The character arc with Anakin and Miraj was dropped, and Dooku was introduced into the story just to make the Zygerrians irrelevant. I much would have rather seen things play out without the meddling of the Sith. Aside from the plot flaws, I did enjoy the action towards the end of the episode, as Wolfpack helped the heroes finally rescue what was left of the captured Togrutas.

Looking Forward: Even though this episode was hyped to play on Anakin’s slave past, I don’t believe there was significant exposition or development with his character. The only element of these episodes that seems relevant to the overall story is Miraj’s inference that the Jedi are enslaved to the Republic. We know that this message will get through to most Jedi too late, but perhaps Ahsoka will put two and two together sooner. Considering that Ahsoka and Rex were the only major surviving characters in this arc that have an unknown fate, I’m surprised that this theme wasn’t played up more with their characters. Yet the experience still could be referenced in the future as being important to their development.

Storyline V: The Manipulation of Mercenaries

Episodes: A Friend In Need, Deception, Friends And Enemies, The Box, Crisis On Naboo

Summary: After the hit and miss Slavers Arc, the season moved along to a fan favorite faction in the Star Wars universe, the bounty hunters. The first episode followed Lux Bonteri on his quest for revenge for his parents’ deaths, which led him to the doorstep of the militant Death Watch with a worried Ahsoka in tail. However things went awry when she was held captive by the Mandos ,and Lux was forced to watch them terrorize a nearby village. With the help of a droid rebellion incited by R2, Ahsoka and Lux were able to escape the clutches of Pre Vizsla. But still seeking to avenge his parents, Lux left Ahsoka to chase his own destiny. Soon after on Coruscant, the Jedi enacted a plot to fake Obi-Wan’s death and insert him deep undercover in a ring of bounty hunters in order to discover information about the rumored abduction of the Chancellor. Oblivious to the plan, Anakin and Ahsoka then crossed the galaxy chasing Obi-Wan’s killer, who they discovered to be impersonated by Kenobi himself. Following a gruelling test designed by Moralo Eval to determine which bounty hunters were adept enough to help abduct the Chancellor, Cad Bane then led Obi-Wan and other hunters on the mission on the payroll of Count Dooku. Obi-Wan tried to use his inside position to thwart the mission, but at the last minute Dooku pulled the carpet out from under everyone and changed the plan. This resulted in a confrontation between Anakin and Dooku, as Dooku tried to abduct Palpatine himself. Yet with the help of Obi-Wan, Dooku failed and the Chancellor was saved.

Assessment: Like the previous storyline, this one was also inconsistent. I enjoyed the first episode. Even though I wasn’t particularly looking forward to a possible “romance” between Lux and Ahsoka, I felt the writers handled their relationship well by injecting a bit of humor into the situation. This episode was very visually aesthetic, from the snowy planet that it took place on to the architecture of the local’s village. The animation of the action scenes was very well done, and the Mandos were portrayed well. I liked the update to Vizsla’s armor and was excited to see a female warrior in Bo-Katan. The plot of the episode was also well contained. The following trio of bounty hunter episodes successfully built up Obi-Wan’s character and provided great development with the characters of Cad Bane and Moralo Eval. They contained good dialog and several great action sequences. It was awesome to see the sheer number of characters in these episodes, from cool new bounty hunters to owners of businesses. However I was very disappointed with the concluding episode of this storyline. Throughout the preceding episodes, the relationship between Kenobi, Bane, and Eval had been constantly evolving, revealing more about Bane and making Eval a more dynamic character. But in Crisis On Naboo, like he did in the slavers arc, Dooku intervened and stunted any further character growth. I felt like a mercenary storyline should end with a showdown between rogues, not a lightsaber duel that was a blatant copy of something that would happen again in the near future.

Looking Forward: The characters that gained the most from this storyline were Lux, Ahsoka, Bane, and Eval. Lux and Ahsoka’s continue to move forward, and they still may cross paths a few more times. They are coming from radically different places, and it will be interesting to see if they ever do meet in the middle at one point, and where things will go from there. With Bane, for a moment it seemed that his relationship with Kenobi was bringing out a more noble side of the merciless Duros, but upon realizing the betrayal, it’s likely that Bane’s status as a villain has been solidified. I expect that by the time this series end, Bane will meet his fate and be replaced by possibly Boba Fett as the most notorious hired gun in the galaxy. While Eval was portrayed as quite weak in the last few episodes of this storyline, there still may be some more development for him in store. Perhaps his genius might be recruited by the Sith to construct future technological terrors like the Death Star.

Storyline VI: Currents of Chaos

Episodes: Massacre, Bounty, Brothers, Revenge

Summary: The final storyline in Season 4 began with General Grievous leading a Separatist attack on Dathomir as revenge for Mother Talzin’s betrayal of Dooku. Despite being aided by an army of zombie witches, the Nightsisters quickly were wiped out by the droids, leaving only Asajj Ventress and Talzin alive. Having lost yet another family, Ventress then wandered the galaxy, making her way in the universe as a hired gun. She participated in protecting cargo being transported on a subterranean train with the help of fellow bounty hunters Boba Fett, Bossk, and other counterparts. However when Ventress discovered that the cargo was a kidnapped girl being forced into a marriage with a wealthy ruler, she had a change of heart and aborted the mission, returning the girl to her family. In the following episode, the story shifted to Savage Opress’s search for his brother, Darth Maul. Despite being betrayed by a snake named Morley, Savage found Maul in a degenerate state. But with the help of Mother Talzin, Maul was restored and sought to draw Obi-Wan Kenobi into a confrontation. Not expecting to have to face both Zabrak brothers, Kenobi was overpowered, but the unexpected appearance of Ventress initiated a more balanced 2 on 2 duel. Still unable to overcome Maul and Savage, Ventress and Kenobi escaped and left the brothers to plot a future attempt at revenge.

Assessment: This might have been the strongest storyline in Season 4 if not for some pacing issues in the third episode. The animation and action in Massacre was phenomenal, and the character development with Asajj Ventress through the first two episodes was exceptional. The second episode had an entertaining western feel and also included a good amount of action. I was glad that they included so many awesome bounty hunters in this episode, because I was disappointed in how things were left in the previous arc. Boba’s new armor was cool, Bossk looked fierce, the new characters Latts and C-21 were designed well, and it was great to see the addition of the Original Trilogy character Dengar. Yet the third episode confused me a little. After a great deal of hype, Maul didn’t show up until the last several minutes. I also felt like this was a lost opportunity to develop Savage’s character more. But the last episode ended the season on a high note, with fantastic action and animation, and great dialog. The final duel between the brothers, Kenobi, and Ventress was probably the best choreographed showdown in the entire series. I was glad that they left the story open at the end, because there was too much potential for further development with the characters to end things at that point.

Looking Forward: Considering that the return of Darth Maul was hyped to be the focal point of this storyline, I was disappointed to see how little explanation and purpose surrounded this event. I’m hoping that future Maul episodes will provide more backstory about his life after we last saw him in The Phantom Menace. Since he already avenged Qui-Gon’s death by defeating Maul, I don’t believe this storyline has any major effects on Obi-Wan’s character, but Savage and Ventress both have undecided fates that can be worked towards in the future. I’m guessing that they probably are headed in opposite directions, one will fall into darkness and be defeated, and the other will come to the light and die nobly or live a fulfilling life. It’s also interesting to note that this storyline briefly featured Boba Fett. He wasn’t strong enough to prevail this time, but eventually we will see him come into his own.

Epilogue

In conclusion, Season 4 was an average season filled with both ups and downs, exceptional stories and mind-boggling flops. It started off with a solid arc, then fell to low depths of mediocrity, only to rebound with one of the strongest arcs in the entire series. Then it ended with a series of inconsistent arcs that contained at least one or two dud episodes. After watching four seasons of the Clone Wars, it is my opinion that four part arcs are too long. So far, these are the quadrilogies we have seen, Geonosis (which actually had five episodes of you include the loosely connected Senate Spy), Umbara, Bounty Hunters, and Ventress/Maul. I personally feel like each of these arcs would have been better if condensed into three episodes each. Yet we still are hearing that more four part arcs are down the road. One other thing that I believe about this season in retrospect, is that the Slavers arc should have aired before the Umbara arc. The comic book episodes were clearly lower quality than the Umbara ones and suffered from dashed expectations after the high that was Carnage of Krell.

Looking forward to Season 5, I hope to see a continuation of the stories of Ventress, Maul, and Savage. I expect to see the Mandalorian story picked back up, with tensions and violence rising between Satine’s government and Death Watch. I’m looking forward to seeing how Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Lux, and possibly Boba Fett might get caught up in the situation. Another thing I will be looking for is continued development with Captain Rex and other clones and exposition about their relationship with the Jedi and Order 66. I’m hoping that Season 5 is more consistent then Season 4 was and the arcs are more interconnected and build off of each other. One of the greatest flaws of this show is its inability to successfully float in the space between episodic and serial television, the result is plots and characters frequently being built up and then dropped or rendered irrelevant. I’d liked to see all of these sporadic storylines tied together and merged into one dynamic story that deepens the films and completely bridges the gaps between Episodes II and III. To do this, we need more Sidious and episodes that are relevant to the overall plot of the Clone Wars. As always I am optimistic that all of this can be achieved, and look forward to another season of this groundbreaking series.

Revenge Review

I can't believe another Clone Wars season is over! This one went by really fast and fortunately went out with a pretty big bang. After the first Maul episode didn't live up to the hype for a lot of people, I was worried that this one might be a mixed-bag too and came in with pretty low expectations hoping to be pleasantly surprised, and I was. Revenge pretty much had everything right where Brothers had it wrong, from the pacing, to the music, to the animation. Unfortunately I still feel like this arc as a whole is flawed because there was so much filler time in the previous episode. I believe that the part with Morley should have been cut out and everything moved up, with Brothers ending after the first act of Revenge, leaving more time in this episode for action and character development. But I still think this arc ended strongly.

I'm going to start by talking about the most important thing for me in this episode, and that is Maul and the explanation of why he is still alive and needs to affect the story. Personally, I wasn't completely satisfied with the simplistic notion of his "hatred" keeping his spirit alive while his body turned into an animal. I was really hoping for more than that, and hopefully we might get more. However I think I have a good idea now of why he was brought back from a plot point of view. Initially I was confused because Obi-Wan really didn't need any development forced by Maul; he already had avenged his master's death, so battling Maul again would be pointless. But I think that Maul's return isn't supposed to have much of an affect on Obi-Wan, but rather on two characters whose fates are unknown, Savage Opress and Asajj Ventress. The return of Maul puts both of them in a really interesting position.

One of the issues with the past episode, is that for me, there was no suspense. Everyone knew the entire story from previews and common sense, and the only surprise was Morley's involvement, which a lot of people could have done without. I felt like I was anticipating everything before it happened, and it didn't feel fresh or exciting. But this episode was completely different. Obi-Wan Kenobi was the only character that I knew wouldn't die. Everyone else was fair game and I had no clue how things would end up. There was also a very tension filled feel to the editing that made the experience of watching it for the first time very engaging.

One thing that really stood out in Revenge was the music, which I felt was a little more familiar than the score of Brothers. A lot of the themes echoed John William's Sith theme. There was a good mix of instrumental and choral pieces, and even one that sounded similar to the Order 66 music. And let me say this, the scene when the brothers arrived on the planet to "slaughter" the civilians was extremely well done and heavy. I think that the way violence was portrayed was one of the reasons why this episode was more enjoyable to watch that the previous one. Sometimes it is better not to show violence, but to heavily infer it by building up a scene with music and contrasting shots of the villains and victims, then cutting away right before it happens, leaving the viewer feeling unbalanced and uneasy. This was in stark contrast to the graphic scenes of Savage killing the inhuman Junkers and was reminiscent of Anakin killing the younglings in Revenge of the Sith.

The animation and design of this episode was really good. I think the way that Maul's new mechanical legs moved was very fluid and I also liked the last few scenes of him on his spider legs. The entire reconstruction scene was very well done, from the writhing model of Maul, to the coils and gears being called to him, to his metal legs being forged in a stone mold and then the stone breaking away to reveal molten metal. The shots of environments, characters, and vehicles all were executed from a variety of different perspectives that emphasized different things. Some shots of Maul talking with the camera panning upwards providing a backdrop of the Dathomir sky was very artistic, and the close shot of him igniting his lightsaber before the camera cut away in the scene leading up to Maul taking the villagers hostage was very good. Overall the editing of this episode was superb and all the shots flowed into each other very well.

Another aspect that also stood out in Revenge was the action. The climactic duel between the Zabrak brothers, Obi-Wan, and eventually Ventress might possibly be the best in this series so far. It including a lot of other elements that just bland lightsaber clashing, like the characters moving around the cargo hold, utilizing their surroundings, and employing a good mix of Force use, hand to hand combat, and sword play. The fact that Savange had two blades, Maul had only one but had mechanical legs, and Obi-Wan had one of Ventress' sabers at a point made the duel very unique and interesting. There were many awesome shots like the brothers clotheslining Obi-Wan, Maul pushing Kenobi back and taunting him, and Ventress riding Savage by his horns like a bull and punching his face. There were many other cool shots involving characters jumping from place to place and using martial arts moves against their opponents.

The dialog in this episode was also superb. There were tons of great one liners. Maul was portrayed in a much more believable fashion after Talzin repaired his body and mind, Ventress was her usually catty self with an interesting twist, and Obi-Wan never failed to utter a witty line in the tensest of situations. I also really liked the scene with Yoda where he denied help to Obi-Wan because he sensed that Ventress would be making a surprise appearance. This reminded me of the Yoda from the Empire Strikes Back who was actually able to perceive things unlike the Prequel Yoda whose mind was always clouded and seemed pretty useless.

In conclusion this was definitely one of the best episodes this season, same with the arc as a whole. I am glad that Revenge ended on a slight cliff hanger, because I felt this story was too good to wrap up in 22 minutes. I'm really looking forward to Season 5 where we expect to see a continuation of this plot line as well as a Mandalorian arc. I have had a blast writing my first full season of reviews and I hope everyone has enjoyed reading my opinions on the episodes! Until next time, may the Force be with you!

Friends And Enemies Review

After the past couple episodes that featured Death Watch and scores of fan favorite bounty hunters, Friends And Enemies had a lot to live up to. In my opinion, this was the best episode since Umbara, not only because it contained great characters, dialog, and sequences, but was actually the first post Carnage Of Krell episode that was relevant to the overall story of the Clone Wars, in the form of the dynamics between Anakin, Obi-Wan, the Jedi Council, and Chancellor Palpatine. It contained the right mix of humor, plot, action, and suspense for me, and really exemplified a quintessential bounty hunter espionage story in the Star Wars universe.

I am going to start with the plot here. A lot of Clone Wars episodes are weakly written in my opinion. Sometimes the story is too black and white, and only heavy action and breathtaking animation can pull the show above water. There are heroes and villains, but rarely character conflict to any extent. The shining episodes of Season 4 from a character standpoint are the Umbara episodes, because they forced the heroes to break the mold and act independently. This arc and episode also follows that path to compelling story telling. The heroes Obi-Wan and Anakin are put in a position by the writers, where they are in conflict with each other, despite both characters doing the right thing in the audiences eyes. This setup creates tension and suspense, and even though we know that neither of them will perish, there is still suspense concerning how their conflict will affect their relationship with each other, as well as other characters whose fates are yet to be sealed, like Cad Bane and Ahsoka.

Plotwise, the impetus behind the story of Palpatine's imminent kidnapping is irrelevant, since we know how it happens in the events leading up to Episode III. However this circumstance creates two very interesting situations from the characters' perspective. On one side, you have a grieving and unstable Anakin with a more level headed Ahsoka being put on the trail of the convicts by a crafty Palpatine, and on the other side, you have Obi-Wan interacting undercover with two notorious and interesting bounty hunters in Eval and Bane. Both of these plotlines are enjoyable to watch in themselves, but then their climactic convergence at the end of the episode proved to bring things to a whole other level.

Starting with Anakin's path, it was great seeing Palpatine get involved in the story. It's very possible that he has inside knowledge about the plot against him, especially since Dooku seems to be the one who is funding Eval. One has to wonder if Palpatine is just putting on a ruse to purposely pit Anakin and the other Jedi against each other. By letting Anakin in to the mission, distrust and stepping on toes was very likely to occur, and Anakin nearly killed his undercover master. Chaos has long been a sharpened tool of the Sith, and Palpatine is employing it masterfully, just like when he replaced Anakin with Krell in the Umbara arc.

Moving on to Obi-Wan and the bounty hunters, I found their storyline to be very enjoyable to watch. The rivalry between Hardeen and Bane added a lot to the episode and provided some great dialog and plot twists. It's always interesting to see three equally wise yet ambitious characters thrust into a situation where they need to work together. Each one is treating each other wisely in their own way. Hardeen is doing a good job of going far out of his way to wedge himself into the other's twosome, Bane is being wisely skeptical of Hardeen and has nearly been successful in ditching him, and Eval is wisely staying out of the quarrel, in a possible attempt to allow Bane and Hardeen to kill each other off, so he has nobody to pay in the end for his rescue.

From plot to animation and design, Friends And Enemies contained a lot of cool things in these departments. The animation of the swampy Nal Hutta and its seedy spaceports was superb, building off of what we had seen in Season 3's Hunt For Ziro. The fuel station at the end of the episode was also well designed. I enjoyed seeing Indiana Jones' fedora in the pawnshop, and also liked the reference to an early Boba Fett concept design in Hardeen's helmet. The variety of alien species in this episode was also a nice touch, as we saw a cool Ithorian bartender, a Bith salesman and fuel station owner with a nice side story about them scamming buyers, extra obese Gamorrean guards, a Nikto torturer, and even a cameo from Sy Snootles. It was also great to see a little of Rex and the 501st in the Coruscant scenes.

The final element that added to the greatness of this episode was the action sequences. The opening scene of Hardeed making a crash landing on Nal Hutta was well edited and animated, and carried a bit of irony with it, considering that Obi-Wan who usually hates rough flying took a page out of his former Padawan's book. The implied violence between Cad Bane and the Rodian pawnshop owner as well as the altercations between Bane and Hardeen were well executed. It's also interesting to note that Anakin seems to have zero qualms about openly and agressively interrogating innocent by-standers in front of Ahsoka. Between this and the slavers arc, Ahsoka must be getting a really good idea of what depths her master will sink to when he's desperate.

The final sequence of the confrontation outside the fuel station was the cap on a brilliant episode. I loved how it contained three stages, an initial dogfight between the ships, a very well choreographed fight between characters outside the moving ships, and a great scene after the ships crashed. Cad Bane showed off his skills by employing his jet boots and projectile rope, Hardeen continued to display his gritty fighting style, and Ahsoka exhibited a good deal of dexterity as well as flying skills. The fact that no one was killed in this showdown hints that there might be an even bigger one in store in subsequent episodes, and I can't wait to see it.

In conclusion this was one of my favorite episodes this season; it included all the elements that I look for in the Clone Wars, action, suspense, humor, good design, plot relevance, and cool references. In my opinion this is the Clone Wars at its best, and I can't wait to find out if the future episodes in this arc can top this one. Perhaps a little more Boba? At least we know a certain other epic-hatted bounty hunter will show up.

Deception Review

There was something about this episode that felt very Season 2, and I don't mean that in a bad way. The flavor reminded me of Lightsaber Lost and Lethal Trackdown, and fit the Rise Of The Bounty Hunters description of the second season more than this season's Battle Lines. This was the type of episode that Season 3 lacked. Only Hunt For Ziro comes close in my book. All sci-fi and fantasy franchises have solid heroes and villains, and possibly a few confused characters in between, but what causes Star Wars to rise above them in my opinion is the depth given to the universe by third party factions like assassins, mercenaries, and bounty hunters. Like many other Star Wars fans, I have always found these hoards of scum and villainy to be both entertaining and fascinating, and I'm really glad that the Clone Wars is shining the spotlight on them once again.

The aura of Deception felt very timeless to me. The seedy underbelly of Coruscant carries a mid twentieth century vibe with futuristic technology similar to Gotham City in the Batman franchise. The opening scenes of this episode with the three Jedi walking along the streets and then pursuing their assailant reminded me especially of parts of Lightsaber Lost. The remainder of the story that took place in the prison also could have been told in any time period.

The plot of the episode focuses on Obi-Wan faking his death and then assuming the identity of his pretended killer to infiltrate a ring of hardened criminals to expose a plot against the Chancellor. I find it a little odd that the Jedi Council would chose Obi-Wan for this mission and leave Anakin out of the loop, considering how sensitive Anakin has been known to be. And like a clap of thunder following a strike of lightning, dark scenes involving Anakin to heavy overtures of the Imperial March ensued. Perhaps this doubly serves to test the limits of Anakin's attachment issues, or from at least the audience's perspective, illustrate once again that Anakin can be unstable. Perhaps it was merely Ahsoka's existence at this point that kept Anakin from completely losing his cool.

Unfortunately with only 22 minutes of screen time, Ahsoka's emotional reaction to Obi-Wan's "death" was all but ignored with the exception of a well done shot of her eyes watering when telling Anakin the bad news. Quickly, it seemed like Ahsoka's worry for Anakin began to overshadow the effect of her friend's death. This definitely suggests that Ahsoka responds to death in the way a Jedi should, moving on and dealing with the situation pragmatically, which leads me to believe that her character may not necessarily be heading down a dark path.

This brings me to Obi-Wan, who was without question the star of this episode. Lately Obi-Wan has been dumped on by the writers, getting beaten up and emotionally worn down in episode after episode, but finally he has reclaimed his spot as one of the preeminent Jedi during the Clone Wars. This is definitely my favorite Obi-Wan episode, and James Arnold Taylor did a great job voicing lines with typical Obi-Wan wit and sarcasm in Hardeen's tone. I found seeing a shaved and bald Kenobi a bit jarring and fascinating at the same time. The animation of his hair getting pulled off by the droid was well done, as well as the effect of his facial structure changing.

I've always liked spy shows and movies, and loved the notion of a hero going deep undercover and vicariously showing the audience the underworld and its denizens, even be it initially in lock down. Kenobi's dialog and body language as Hardeen was done very cleverly. I also believed that he went by the code name "Ben" in this episode, which was a great nod to A New Hope. Obi-Wan's treatment of the Karkarodon prisoner was classic, and his subtle warning to Boba fit Kenobi's character well. The sequence in which Obi-Wan hesitated shooting one of the crematorium officers was also a great one.

In addition to Obi-Wan, this is episode benefited greatly from the appearance of fan favorite bounty hunters Boba Fett, Cad Bane, and Bossk as well as the new character Morallo Eval. It was great to see Boba again and I really hope that his character is expanded upon in future episodes. I'm still dying to see how a slightly immature young man turns into the galaxy's most ruthless bounty hunter. Bossk appeared a little more intimidating in this episode than in previous ones, benefiting from some of the viciousness added to the Trandoshan species in the Season 3 finale.

It was a bit strange to see Bane stripped of his hat, breathing tubes, and other epic accessories. But I still really enjoyed seeing his personality thrown into the mix. He certainly continues to be the most interesting and fearsome bounty hunter in the Clone Wars, and raises the stakes of any plot he is involved in. We are led to believe from previews that he will be featured more in further episodes of this arc, and I can't wait to see how his presence will play into the story.

Eval was certainly an interesting addition to this episode, voiced by our friend Stephen Stanton, he appeared to be the ring master type, always plotting and thrusting others into his plans like pawns. But in this situation he was a bit too eager to gain accomplices, and allowed Hardeen to tag along despite Bane's warnings. I'm guessing this quickness to trust others may be Eval's downfall.

One thing that pleased me about this episode, was how it seemed to fit into a larger story, but didn't seem boring or repetitive at the same time. It left me satisfied with what I had seen, as well as excited about the next chapter. So far this arc is really to my liking, and I hold a lot of confidence that it will continue to grow into an even more interesting story. I feel like the show is really on a roll now with these past two episodes, with no sign of slowing down, and I'm enjoying the ride!

A Friend In Need Review

This was the episode that I was looking forward to the most this season, and it didn't disappoint. From the beginning to the end, it flowed well and brought together the Mandalorian and Lux Bonteri storylines very well. Considering that Mandalore Plot and Heroes On Both Sides were two of my favorite episodes, A Friend In Need naturally measures up. There were a few little things that I would have rather been different, but overall, this episode held my interest, and moved the characters and plot along significantly, which is something that the Clone Wars series doesn't always do effectively.

At the end of Season Two's Mandalore arc, Death Watch was left hanging when Satine and Obi-Wan thwarted the Separatist plot to doctor a hologram and sway the people against the pacifist government. This left myself and a lot of other fans extremely unsatisfied with the way things ended. It was even more mind-boggling that the writers turned their focus in the following season to Satine and the pacifist yet corrupt government of Mandalore, and did not return to Death Watch. Thus I am elated that this fascinating fringe faction that hearkens back to classic Mando culture has finally been thrust back into the spotlight in Season Four. After Dooku's withdrawal of support from Death Watch's impending invasion of Mandalore, it only makes sense that Pre Vizsla would turn against the Separatists. I am always intrigued by wild card characters and groups in Star Wars, and Vizsla and Death Watch certainly are fitting that mold.

Governor Vizsla himself looked a bit ragged. After turning on Dooku, he has become even more beleaguered and wary than he was in Season Two. While his reduced mojo takes a bit way from his character, his new scar definitely adds some cool factor back, and who doesn't love a little Darksaber action? Yet even with the return of Vizsla, the real scene-stealer was his new lieutenant, Bo-Katan. It was great to see another strong female villain in the Clone Wars series, and the fact that she was wearing Mando armor tripled her cool-factor. I am really glad that the Clone Wars writers took the initiative to add her to the ranks of Death Watch, because she only heightens their already high level of epicness.

But it can't be all great. The fact that Lux Bonteri and his supposed "romance" with Ahsoka would show up in this episode certainly created some nervousness and negative anticipation among fans. I liked Heroes On Both sides due to the role it played in opening Ahsoka's eyes to the reality of the war, and felt like her relationship with Lux was an unnecessary embellishment. Yet I promised myself to push aside any negative views I held on Bonteri's character before watching the episode, and I have to say that I feel like the writers did a decent job with him and Ahsoka.

From Lux's point of view, the Separatists that he grew up trusting and supporting were proven treacherous when it was revealed that they were behind his mother's death. The situation that was created reminds me of Asajj Ventress' plight in Season Three. But unlike Ventress, Lux isn't filled yet with hate, and seems to have a good heart, even though it is filled with the lust for revenge. This is evidenced by Lux's desire to protect Ahsoka, and I respect his character for that reason. I am now very interested to see the parallel journeys for revenge by Asajj and Lux, and also consider young Boba Fett's journey to be similar. The collection of these rogue characters that the Clone Wars writers have assembled will certainly make for some interesting story-telling down the road.

And now to the elephant in the room, Lux's "relationship" with Ahsoka was definitely the most shocking aspect of this episode. I was afraid that the two teenagers would naturally be drawn together in a cringe-worthy sequence of events worthy of a certain teen vampire franchise. But if the writers really wanted to use Lux to broach the topic of romance with Ahsoka, I feel like they did it in the best way possible. Forcing the two into a fake relationship was a well executed manner to hint at their possible attraction to each other light-heartedly. Because of this approach, I found any affection between them to be more humorous than nauseating. In fact I really enjoyed the overall humor in this episode and laughed out loud several times.

It says a lot about the growth that Ahsoka's character has seen, now that she is being mainly used as a positive influence on other characters like the Padawans in the Season Three finale, the Prince in the Mon Calamari arc, and Anakin in the Slavers arc. I really liked her portrayal in A Friend In Need. In Heroes On Both Sides, it was Lux opening her eyes to the world of the CIS civilians, and now in this episode she has returned the favor by being by his side in a very confusing time. Hopefully her influence will prove successful in the end, but regardless of the outcome, I am fully invested in these characters' journey.

There were a couple of undertones in this episode. The first was the political undercurrent at the beginning between the Republic and the CIS. Once again, the Sith's involvement in the politics of both peoples has dashed any hopes of negotiation, as Palpatine's insidious plot continues to thicken. I really liked the design of the female Separatist representative. There was something saurian about her species' appearance. I also liked Padme's outfit, and it was good to see Satine and Bail Organa again. I was also happy that Dooku was not overused in this episode, as he put the plot in motion, but was not lazily used as a tool to resolve things.

The other undertone was the sub-story of the struggle between Death Watch and the native people of the planet they were occupying. This served the purpose of illustrating to Lux that the path toward vengeance will most likely take him into some very dark places. Bonteri's reaction toward the Mando's oppression of the natives shows the audience that there is good in his heart. It was great to see a new race being introduced into the story in a controlled and meaningful way like this, and added a great deal of depth to the story.

Aside from all of the wonderful plot points, dialog, and character development that this episode included, the physical look of A Friend In Need was very well constructed from an artistic point of view. I loved everything from the designs of the Mandalorians to Ahsoka's winter coat, to the outfits of the natives, to the whole environment of the snowy planet. While the Clone Wars can slip into mediocrity plotwise sometimes, the aesthetics of the show continue to improve, and are without question the best on television.

With a great plot and look, the only thing that this episode needed to be a classic was great action, and it certainly had that. The initial sequence with Lux being hauled into the CIS ship with Ahsoka in tail moving through commando droids like water carried an ideal amount of suspense. Later in the episode, the final battle sequences with the heroes, Vizsla and Katan were very well choreographed and edited, and the wintery environment only added to the tension and visual appeal. Ahsoka's duel with Pre Vizsla and her speeder-top showdown with Bo-Katan were both fantastic sequences from all perspectives, as character, animation, plot, editing, and choreography all were sewn together masterfully. I can only hope that this intensity continues and increases throughout the remainder of Season Four.

In conclusion, A Friend In Need was one of my favorite episodes of this series and certainly one of the best in Season Four, right up there with Carnage of Krell. As a Mando fanboy and a fan of character development this episode seemed to be made just for me. I am elated that Pre Vizsla and Death Watch are back, I am excited to find out what happens with Lux in his journey for revenge and how Ahsoka will play into that, and I am pleased that the Clone Wars continues to bring us awesome new characters like Bo-Katan. This episode felt very Asian to me from the look to the plot, which is usually a good sign that I will appreciate it, due to a strong focus on character and morality. I can only hope that future episodes will be just as good and am greatly anticipating the continuation of this arc.