RJ Writing Ink

Five of My Favorite Episodes from Star Wars: The Clone Wars

So, the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars starts on Disney+ tomorrow and I just realized that I never told you guys my favorite episodes from the show. That simply will not do. So, after giving it much thought, I put together a list of some of my personal favorite episodes from the hit show, along with an explanation as to why I liked them.

Rookies

Kicking off our list, we have this little gem from Season One of the show. We’re used to the sight of the Clone Troopers kicking droid butt on the battlefield, but they had to get their start somewhere. For the rookie clones that we would come to know as Domino Squad, that somewhere wound up being an outpost guarding the way to Kamino. When their base is captured by a unit of commando droids, the rookies of this squad team up with veteran soldiers Rex and Cody in a desperate attempt to retake the base before the Separatists can attack their home world.

This episode’s basically the plot of any inspiring war drama packed into the Star Wars brand. It sees a ragtag group of soldiers face down impossible odds to complete a mission that could change the outcome of the war. In addition, this episode saw Captain Rex’s first appearance since The Clone Wars movie and the appearance of Domino Squad. While most of the squad would die in this episode, the surviving two members would become recurring characters on the show until their eventual deaths. Though if what I hear about the upcoming “Bad Batch” story is true, that may not be the case.

Duel of the Droids

Can we all take a moment to appreciate Artoo-Detoo and how important he is to the franchise? After a battle against General Grevious seemingly ends in Artoo’s destruction, Anakin refuses to give up on his little droid buddy. Sure enough, his efforts are vindicated when it’s discovered Artoo’s alive, albeit held captive on a Separatist listening post by General Grevious. Taking only a squad of Clone Troopers and Ashoka, Anakin goes on a daring mission to rescue his little buddy before Grevious can uncover the intel he’s carrying on the Republic.

This episode remains a personal favorite of mine for several reasons. Firstly, it demonstrates the devotion that Anakin has towards those he cares about, something that many of his fellow Jedi fail to understand. Secondly, it sees Artoo face down a Separatist spy droid in an epic duel where he reminds us how he’s survived throughout the movies. Finally, there’s the fact that we Ashoka duel against General Grevious and survive! That alone is an accomplishment!

Landing at Point Rain

Even though it looked like the Republic took Geonosis during the climax of Attack of the Clones, season two of the show revealed that the native Geonosians managed to take it back. As a result, the Republic has to mount a deadly campaign to retake the planet. What should have been a simple task, though, becomes a nightmare that sees the Jedi and Clones be put through the ringer.

The show had already given us several noteworthy battles before, but to me, Landing at Point Rain brought a new level of carnage to the show. The sheer desperation that the protagonist’s faced was made all too evident, with them managing to make it through to the end nothing short of incredible. I had to remind myself at times that this was still a cartoon and not a full-blown war movie. In other words, I loved it!

Carnage of Krell

To this episode, I consider this episode to be one of the darkest moments in the entire show, and it’s all thanks to Pong Krell. After Anakin’s suddenly recalled back to Coruscant, his Clones find themselves under the command of Jedi Master Pong Krell. However, Krell proves to be the worst kind of leader: one willing to order his soldiers to die in droves while he refuses to fight. Following a horrific event where its discovered that Krell tricked the Clones into attacking each other, their rage finally boils over.

Before this episode, I had started to suspect that Krell was sabotaging the Republic. Once we got confirmation, I could remember feeling the sheer anger Rex and the other Clones felt. As a result, seeing them deal out justice to the traitorous fallen Jedi was absolutely cathartic. However, this was also the episode that made me remember what was to come at the end of the war. As Krell predicted, the Jedi would fall and the Republic was torn apart from the inside. Thankfully, he never lived to see it. #Don’tmesswiththe501st

The Lawless

Where do I even begin with this episode? After returning at the end of season four, Maul and his brother Savage Oppress proceeded to seize control of the Mandalorian Deathwatch, overthrew the government of Mandalore, and imprisoned Obi-Wan’s love, Satine Kryze. And Maul did all of this just so he could lure Kenobi to him and get revenge on him. As a result, a full-scale civil war erupts on Mandalore between Maul’s faction and those loyal to Mandalore itself.

This episode was basically the culimination to several ongoing plots throughout the show’s run, and Kenobi got put through the ringer during the whole ordeal. While he had enough reason to hate Maul for killing his Master, Obi-Wan’s hatred reached new levels when the former Sith killed Satine in front of him. Sadly, their rematch was not to be. Deciding that Maul had become too great a threat, Darth Sidious personally intervened to dispatch his former apprentice. The result was an epic lightsaber duel that reminded us all why Darth Sidious is the big bad of the Star Wars franchise. Thank the Force this story will be resolved in the final season!

Agree with my picks? What were your favorite episodes of the show? Let me know!

Click here for some of my Star Wars stuff.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Twelve years on, and I still remember going going to see Star Wars: The Clone Wars in theaters with my old man. Little did I know at the time, but the movie that critics tore to shreds would spawn one of the best cartoons I have the pleasure of viewing, Star Wars: the Clone Wars. With the release of Revenge of the Sith three years prior, everyone thought the circle of the Skywalker Saga was now complete. Thank the Force that Lucasfilm proved us wrong.

If you recall my earlier post on the subject, I have a bit of a soft spot for the Prequel Trilogy, in spite of its flaws. As a result, I took to The Clone Wars fairly quickly, to the point where I had a weekly ritual for watching it. I would grab an old lightsaber I had lying around, and when the opening started, I would swing it around like a Jedi before striking a cool pose. It was totally nerdy, but I didn’t care. I would end up watching The Clone Wars throughout its five year run on Cartoon Network, and as a fan and a critic, I can safely say that kept the flame of Star Wars alive during that time.

A Grand Adventure…

In hindsight, I realize that there was a pattern to the show regarding its tone. At the start, it seemed a lot more light-hearted and fun, with very little continuity between episodes. The writers made the whole thing seem like some of grand adventure, with an epic clash of good vs evil. It was still a show about a galaxy-spanning war, but seeing the heroes win every week made us forget about that. 2

Looking back, I now see this as a deliberate attempt by Filoni and the writers to induce a sense of idealism. We would start with something exciting and pure, like the kind of war movie you’d expect John Wayne to star in. That’s how many used to think wars were like: dangerous but exciting. Maybe we just wanted to think like that because we knew what awaited us at the very end. As the series continued, though, it began to delve into more nuanced stories that went beyond the war. Suddenly, the grand adventure didn’t seem so grand anymore.

…Suddenly Gets Darker

I think I mentioned it before, but one thing I loved about The Clone Wars was how it matured as it got older. Slowly, the reality that we were watching a war that would end with the fall of the Jedi began to re-assert itself. Then came the Umbara Arc; while it wasn’t the best arc in the show, for me, it was what really drove home the truth about the conflict. The Jedi would ultimately go into hiding, Sidious’ Empire would rise, and darkness would reign.

After that, I just saw the show get progressively darker and cooler before we got the darkest story yet: Ashoka on the run. Ever since the film, fans had been wondering if Ashoka survived the Clone Wars. Thus, when she wound be falsely accused of crimes she didn’t commit, we thought this is it. Ashoka’s done for. Anakin cleared her name, but the damage was done.

After seeing the Jedi Council throw Ashoka to the wolves with so little hesitation made me lose almost all respect for them. No wonder she chose to leave the Jedi order. Deep down, though, I was also relieved, as it meant Ashoka would survive the war. However, it would be years before we found out what happened to her, or to Rex. Star Wars: The Clone Wars was cancelled, a victim of Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm and the Disney-Warner Bros. War.

The Return

Lucasfilm’s put up a sixth season on Netflix, but to be honest, I didn’t really watch it. The fire had just gone out for me. However, like many fans, I hoped for the day when the final episodes of the show would be made. So, when word came that a 7th and final season of Star Wars: the Clone Wars would air on Disney+, I was filled with joy.

Thanks to material that’s come out since the show first ended, we already know how the series will end. Ashoka will face off against Maul, Order 66 will begin, and she and Rex will go into hiding. However, that’s not going to make the whole thing any less exciting. So you can bet you credits that I intend to review every episode of this final season. So, come back tomorrow night to see my review of the first episode of the final season, “The Bad Batch.” If the promo’s are anything to go by, though, it’s going to be good!

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.

Click here for some of my Star Wars stuff.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Ever since Star vs The Forces of Evil ended, I’ve been reading a lot of fanfics about the show. Some have dealt with alternate versions of the cast,. Others have picked up where the show left off. However, there’s one fanfic whose concept has stood out among the others. That concept being “what if Star and the others were to see their future? How would they react?” This fanfic is essentially a reaction story in text form, all for averting the end in the show.

Averting the End

Author: LockandKey989

Type of Fan Fic: AU/What If

First Published: August 26, 2019

Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

In a universe that’s 99% identical to that of the show, Omnitraxus learns what happens during the events of the show. More specifically, he learns of the destruction of magic and the role that Star, Marco, and everyone else plays in it. As a result, he tells his world’s versions of the Magic High Commission, and they all agree they need to keep this from happening to their timeline.

So in order to learn how these events came about, they grab most of the show’s cast and drag them back to Hekapoo’s dimension. Using magic, everyone then watches the events of the show unfold in order to avert the end of magic. That, and they basically react to what happens.

Review

This fan fic is, as I said, a reaction story that sees the majority of the Star vs. cast watch the events of the show unfold. In order to stave off copyrights, though, the author doesn’t include the whole transcripts to the episodes. Instead, LockandKey inserts the most important lines and scenes into the writings, and then shows the cast react or comment to them. It’s a simple concept, but one that’s brilliantly executed and enjoyable for a number of reasons.

#1- We see the cast grow alongside their canon counterparts

By getting to see and reflect on the actions of their canon counterparts, LockandKey’s version of the cast learns a lot of about themselves and each other. As a result, they grow and learn as much as they did in the show, perhaps moreso since they’re able to judge their development without the hassle.

The best part about watching their alternate future selves, though, is getting to see the effects of their actions and learn from them sooner than they did in the show. That, or other people call them out on their mistakes. For example, Star realizes she should be more responsible with her magic. Moon gets a wake-up call on how strict she can be with Star and how she should listen to her more (especially when it came to St. O’s). As for the Magic High Commission, they face the fallout when their secrets get exposed and make them question their past decisions. It’s very cathartic to watch.

#2- Queens of Mewni Past React

It’s not just the living cast members of Star vs. The Forces of Evil that gets to react to the show. By the time the story reaches Season Two, it’s revealed that Glossaryck had taken steps to counter the MHC’s spoiling the future. He informed the spirits of all the past users of the Butterfly Wand of what was happening and gave them the ability to watch it themselves. As a result, the story shows both the living and deceased reacting to the events and revelations of the show.

Besides Eclipsa and Solaria, we never got to see the past Queens of Mewni in the show’s run. What LockandKey gives us is an opportunity to see how Star and Eclipsa’s ancestor’s react to the show’s events. I thought it was fun to see the opinions they each formed on Star and everyone else, but it was Solaria I was most interested in. What she sees makes her realize that she made a lot of mistakes in life; i.e. creating Mina, not listening to her daughter. It’s cathartic to see her knocked down several pegs.

By the way, most of the Queens end up being Starco shippers 😉

#3- React with the Cast

Once you get past the fact that Star and the others get to see what could have been, Averting the End is a fun trip down memory lane. Fans of the show get to enjoy being able to experience Star vs. The Forces of Evil all over again. Only this time, it’s like they can do it with all the characters they love watching alongside them. This leads to some very great moments where cast members react much like fans of the show would. Here are just a few of my favorite moments:

• Everyone’s reactions to the horror’s of St. Olga’s, especially from Moon. The whole episode makes her go “oh my god, I was going to send Star there. I’m a horrible mother!”
  • I agreed with Janna and Ponyhead: burn St. O’s to the ground!
• Almost everyone calling the Magic High Commission out on their treatment of Monsters. Even the adults from Earth do so.
• How everyone responds to seeing Toffee’s plans almost succeed… and the absolute joy when they see Star waste him.
• The rage everyone feels to the MHC when the truth about Meteora comes out.
• The fight against Meteora. Read it.
• The sight of adult Marco. Every girl his age goes gaga over them, and so do several of the Queens. One starts purring, another’s face turns beet red, and another tries drawing adult Marco with emphasis on the abs.
  • Okay, honestly, that’s my favorite moment.

A Fun Trip Down Memory Lane

Overall, I think that LockandKey does a great job of portraying the show’s cast as though this were actually them viewing their future selves. It’s a fun and retrospective look back on the show and all its best (and worst) moments. As for the story itself, seeing the future seems to have spurred the main characters to not repeat the same mistakes. With the story about to head into the fourth and final season, though, time will tell if LockandKey lets these lessons stick. Here’s hoping the MHC actually owns up to the fact that they’ve been boneheads!

Click here to see my other reviews of fan fiction