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Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, Episode 6 Review

You’d think that an arc that brings back one of The Clone Wars breakout characters would hit the ground running. Last week, our first look at Ashoka post-Jedi crashed; quite literally, too. She crashes in front of the shop of two young sisters trying to get out of their shady life. As a result of their meeting, Ashoka gets a dose of how life’s not black-and-white like the Jedi say. Sometimes, it can be a gray galaxy, and Ashoka has to adapt to it.

A Simple Job

“Deal or No Deal” starts with Ashoka tagging along with the Martez sisters for a simple job that promises to make a lot of money. She wants to make sure they stay out of trouble out of the goodness of her heart, but the cynical Rafa think she has “an angle.”

This is a classic example of cynicism vs. idealism. Ashoka’s been raised with the strong moral code of the Jedi, so she tries to hang onto that as much as possible. Having been shaped by her tough life, Rafa doesn’t care as much about morals, only surviving. It’s a gray galaxy they have to live in. As a result, these two end up becoming the little angel and devil on Trace’s shoulder during the episode. Too bad neither of them can do what’s best for the trio.

Worse, it turns out that Rafa’s “big job” is delivering spice for the King of Kessel to the Pyke Syndicate.

Kessel Spice Run and Gray

I remember Kessel from the Expanded Universe: a misshapen asteroid that barely had an atomsphere. Anyone who got sent to the dark spice mines had little chance to escape. While it looks like an actual planet now, complete with greenery, I saw through it. It’s a gilded world of corrupt elites and abused slaves.

One would think that Kessel’s the kind of place the Jedi would want shut down. However, it’s Ashoka’s turn to be cynical about the matter. When Rafa remarks that the Republic would shut the operations on Kessel down if they knew, Ashoka can only scoff and say “you’d think they would.” It’s sad, but also reassuring to know that she’s not as naive as some Jedi. Yet she still tries to live up to their morals, as she tries to talk Trace out of delivering the spice.

So, Trace dumps it all, which was the absolute dumbest thing she could have done.

Ashoka in a Gray Galaxy

The whole point of this arc is to show Ashoka adjusting to living in a morally gray galaxy. It will help her to survive until her return in Rebels years later. As a result, she has to learn to balance between her morals and what’s necessary.

Case in point, when the three have to deliver the absent spice to the Pyke’s, Ashoka resorts to using a Force Mind Trick on their leader to get the credits. The Jedi Council would reprimand her for doing such a thing. However, given the circumstances, a lot of people would do the same thing. Heck, I pulled similar stunts while playing Knights of the Old Republic. Still not sorry!

Fortunately, Ashoka remembers enough of her Jedi past to keep herself from falling down a slippery slope; or at least of what Anakin taught her. Speaking of whom, we get a touching scene near the start of the episode that shows how Anakin still cares about his former Padawan.

When Trace accidentally flies her ship into a military lane, Admiral Yularen’s ready to arrest them. However, Anakin senses that Ahsoka’s on board, and and she senses him in turn. In a moment that mirrors what will happen between him and his son Luke in Return of the Jedi, Anakin lets them go. Yet another example of how Anakin may be more of a Jedi than most Jedi. Which only makes his fate all the more tragic.

How will Ashoka Get out of This

By the end of the episode, Ahsoka, Trace, and Rafa have all screwed up. As a result, the Pyke Syndicate takes them prisoner. However, we all know that Ashoka will get out of this situation intact. the Martez sisters, though, may not.

This episode was a step up the previous episode, and I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out for Ashoka. This is one step on her way to becoming the badass leader she is in Rebels, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I Give “Deal or No Deal” a 4/5

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, Episode 2 Review

Of all the Clone Troopers that we’ve met in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Captain Rex is by far my favorite. In the beginning, I saw him as just another one of many Clones, but as time went on, I think he became one of the best characters in the franchise. Now, the show’s final season seems to be cementing that notion for many others.

Despite being a badass soldier, though, Rex still deals with the same pain of loss that all soldiers feel. He’s lost many comrades during the show’s run, and will lose more in the future. So when he discovers evidence that his friend Echo may be alive, he’s ready to throw caution to the wind and rescue him. Everyone else, though, is skeptical about it, and that drives the plot to this next episode.

Being Anakin’s Wingman

Rex was with Anakin all the way up to the events of Revenge of the Sith, so I think it’s fair to say that he was like Anakin’s wingman. Almost every time Anakin wanted to leap into danger over most people’s objections, Rex stood by him; like a good friend and wingman would. Yet it takes a talk with Padme (who is showing subtle signs of her pregnancy) to make him realize that he taught Captain Rex that.

In the reversal of situations that we saw in this episode, I think fans got to see how much of an impact Anakin had on Rex. The young Jedi taught Captain Rex that sometimes you have to make your own decisions instead of following the rules. This episode, to me at least, helped to drive that point home. Which helps make it an important moment for Captain Rex.

Also, I love the fact that Anakin trusts Rex enough to cover for him while he talks to family. True wingman material!

Echo’s Alive

So, spoiler warning, but yes, Echo is alive. The last surviving member of Domino Squad, who we thought died at the Citadel, somehow survived. I never liked the Citadel Arc, partially because it’s where I thought Echo died. So you can imagine how happy I am to know that he’s still alive!

However, it appears his time as a prisoner has left him worse for wear. He’s more machine now than man, but thankfully not twisted or evil. According to the Star Wars Wiki, most of his body’s now cybernetic and capable of being hooked up to a computer, which is how the Separatists used his knowledge of the Clone’s tactics to beat them on Anaxes.

I doubt that Echo will ever be able to fight on the front lines again, but his return and transformation does lead to some interesting opportunities. Think about it: one of the most memorable Clones from a Squad of soldiers that we followed form the beginning. That’s grade-A material for future stories.

Rex Gets Echo Home

So, thanks to Anakin, Rex, and the Bad Batch, Echo’s been rescued. Now they need to get him home. Easier said than done, but they Anakin, so it’s pretty much assured.

As a whole, I think that this episode some of the “oomph” that “Bad Batch” had. It chose to forgo some of the action in favor of the more personal moments, but the action scenes were still decent. Next week, though, will likely be when everything hits the fan, and I can’t wait! Bottom line, go watch this on Disney+ if you haven’t already!

I Give “A Distant Echo” a 4/5

Also, “The Techno Union is Neutral” my foot! We saw you on Ryloth, Tambor! WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID!

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 7, Episode 1 Review

It feels like only yesterday when we learned about the cancellation of Star Wars: the Clone Wars. So many stories were left unfinished, and to be honest, that “Lost Episodes” season didn’t cut it for me. Six years later, and Dave Filoni gets to give his masterpiece the final season it deserves. After watching the first episode of the final season, I can only say one thing. It’s like we never left the Clone Army behind.

While Star Wars is often about the Jedi and their Sith enemies, longtime fans will remember that some of the best episodes of The Clone Wars focused on the actual soldiers. The long-awaited seventh season chooses to start off working with the latter perspective. When the Clone Army begins taking heavy losses on Anaxes, Rex begins to suspect that they’re using his own tactics against them. So, his friend Cody decides to call in an elite squad: Clone Squad 99, better known as the “Bad Batch“.

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge how this squad’s name pays tribute to CT-99, a deformed Clone Trooper that fans will remember died heroically protecting Kamino from a Separatist attack. It’s fitting, too, because the members of Bad Batch are all Clones with genetic defects. The difference here is that it’s for the better.

The Cavalry is Here!

From the moment they appeared on screen, I fell in love with Bad Batch. This quartet of misfit Clones is like GI Joe and the Ninja Turtles rolled into one, and each member is a super-soldier in and of themselves. There’s Wrecker, the muscle with superhuman strength who can lift a gunship. Tech, who I think has super-intelligence like Donatello. Crosshair, who’s a master sniper and man of few words. Finally, we have Hunter, the leader who possesses superhuman senses. Did I mention Hunter looks just like Rambo, because he does!

By far, seeing the Bad Batch squad in action was the highlight of the episode. I almost squealed when I saw them take down an entire platoon of droids on their own. However, high amounts of testosterone have a tendency to lead to tension. Squad 99 seems to look slightly down on other Clones, calling them all “Regs”, leading to them clashing with Rex and Cody’s group. Fortunately, the bond of camarederie between the Clone Army is too strong to break, and once the initial tension passes, the two groups work like a well-oiled machine.

Band of Brothers

A lot of praise for The Clone Wars has gone to the way they’ve humanized the Clone Troopers. Before, they were more or less generic soldiers. The show gave them all names, distinct personalities and bonds. The Clone Wars made the Clone Army human. Which only made it harder when we saw a Clone we got attached to die.

That loss is even greater for men like Rex and Cody. They’ve watched friends die in front of them. Of all those losses, though, I don’t any were as hard as that of the members of Domino Squad. Introduced all the way back in Season One, we had the pleasure of seeing this squad go from rookies to elite soldiers. Which only made it harder when they all died; or so we thought.

Rex realizes that the tactics the Droids are using were only known to him, Echo, and Fives, the two surviving members of Domino Squad. We thought Echo had died back in Season Three, but this episode changed all that. Not only is Echo alive, but the Separatists are using him to counter the Republic strategies. It’s not only a huge surprise to fans who didn’t know about this, but to Rex as well. One of his closest friends is alive, and he’s determined to bring him home.

So, in short, this was an explosive start to the final season of one of the best things Star Wars has ever seen. I loved it, and I only wish that the next episode was out already. If you need one reason to get Disney+, then do it so you can watch the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

I Give “Bad Batch” a 5/5. It’s like we never left

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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!

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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.

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