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Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, Episode 12

Somber. If I had to describe the final episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, it would be somber. We’ve known for fifteen years how the Clone Wars ends, and we’ve known for five years how it ends for Ashoka and Rex. They escape, Maul escapes, and don’t meet again until Rebels. What I wasn’t expecting was how they all get out of Order 66, and it rivals the best the movies have to offer. Or video games, for that matter.

War Drives Men Mad

Picking up where the last episode leaves off, Rex is free from the madness of Order 66, and he and Ashoka have to get off the ship. Something that becomes harder when Maul single-handedly destroys the hyperdrive, takes the only shuttle, and leaves everyone to crash into a nearby moon. Classic Maul. Worse, thanks to Darth Sidious, the other Clones are beyond the point of reasoning. When Rex makes the logical argument that Ashoka’s not a Jedi and not subject to Order 66, the Clones don’t listen. 

Herein lies the true tragedy of the Clone Wars, in my eyes. This show helped to make the Clone Troopers human. Thus, fans feel compelled to care about them. To see them form bonds and friendship’s only to be turned into mindless drones by Sidious is heartbreaking. Thank the Force that Rex and Ashoka have enough compassion to avoid killing them; even if they’ll all die when the ship crashes.

Speaking of which, the final third of the episode is a cinematic masterpiece that would make Genndy Tartakovsky proud. No dialogue as the heroes endure high-flying, Tomb Raider stunts as the ship goes down. When the dust settles, the two are alone in a Galaxy ruled by the Sith. Before they set out on the next stage of their journey, Ashoka pays one final tribute to her former comrades. The sight of the Clones buried in graves marked by their helmets is something you’d see in photos of long-ago wars. It’s a haunting reminder of many people who go to war never come back from it. 

May the Force be With You

There’s probably some parallel universe where the show ended on Cartoon Network years ago. However, this universe gives us the courtesy of knowing that the two live to see the fall of the Empire. Their stories have yet to end, and if rumors are true, we’ll be seeing Ashoka in the next season of The Mandalorian. However, I think this is a perfect end to one chapter of Ashoka and Rex’s lives. Quiet, solemn, and a somber reflection of what they’ve lost. The war’s over, fans; no one wins. Except for Darth Sidious.

May the Fourth be With You.

I Give “Victory and Death” a 4.5/5. War’s Over

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, Episode 9 Review

To quote from Tony Stark, “part of the journey is the end.” Star Wars fans knew going into The Clone Wars what to expect, how this story would end. Anakin’s transformation into Darth Vader; the Jedi forced into hiding, and the victory of the Sith. Now, after all these years of waiting, we’re in the final arc of The Clone Wars, the Siege of Mandalore. And by the Force, is it beautiful.

Bittersweet Reunions and Farewells

In the last episode, Bo-Katan recruited Ashoka to help her liberate Mandalore from ex-Sith Lord Maul. If you’ve seen Rebels or read the Ashoka novel, then you know what happens next. Ashoka and Rex lead part of the 501st to capture Maul, but then Sidious launches Order 66. The end result is Ashoka and Rex going into hiding while Maul escapes. Had the show finished its run on Cartoon Network, then we’d have the fortune of not knowing what happens next. And the fortune of surprise. Knowing what happens doesn’t make what this episode any less emotional.

Seeing Ashoka reunite with Anakin, Obi-Wan, Artoo, and Rex is a bittersweet moment. It’s the last time we’ll ever see the five of them together in one place. Mid-episode, Anakin and Obi-Wan have to return to Coruscant to rescue Palpatine, kicking off Revenge of the Sith. Knowing that this is the last time Ashoka will see her master as a friend, and likely the last time she sees Obi-Wan at all, brought tears to my eyes. So many things unsaid, unresolved.

The real gut punch comes from the best characters in the show: the Clones themselves. Even after Ashoka left, they salute her and call her “Commander” out of respect for their comrade. Rex and his company even paint their helmets to mimic her facial markings. The message is clear: they’re loyal to Ashoka. Which only makes what’s to come even harder.

How Far Ashoka’s Come

When the Siege of Mandalore finally begins, it’s a masterpiece. Mandalorians and Clone Troopers donning jet packs, dueling in the skies of Mandalore and in the streets of the capital. It’s enough to make fans of the franchise giddy with excitement!

At the heart of everything, though, is Ashoka, and she kicks ass! As the final act of the show, the Siege of Mandalore showcases how much Ashoka’s grown. As the battle begins, she confidently jumps into the sky and effortlessly makes her way to the ground, taking out enemies as she goes. I always thought she had the potential to be one of the best of the Jedi, and this basically affirms it. Our little Padawan’s all grown up. Is it any wonder we can’t wait to see her in season two of The Mandalorian?

Maul Appears, Final Battle Begins

The one flaw to this episode is the lack of one key player: Maul himself. We know he’s hiding on Mandalore, but we don’t see him until the final moments of the episode. It’s a letdown, but I think it helps to build up the tension.

With only three episodes left in the series, there’s still plenty of time for action and drama. After stumbling through the “Ashoka Alone” arc, this episode gives me hope that The Clone Wars can end on a high note. I can’t wait for next Friday as the Siege of Mandalore continues!

I Give “Old Friends Not Forgotten” a 5/5

Stray Observation

I would like to point out that this episode doesn’t dispute the events of the Battle of Coruscant that were depicted in Tartakovsky’s Star Wars: Clone Wars mini-series. Ergo, it’s still canon to me.

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, Episode 8 Review

After struggling to find its footing, the Ashoka Alone arc finally manages to do so in its final chapter. I’ve made it clear that I think this arc has not been that exciting; it’s got a lot of pacing problems! However, this final episode finally manages to get its message across. That message being that while Ashoka’s not a Jedi anymore, she can still do good in the galaxy. Which actually brings her closer to what a Jedi should be like in the first place.

A Test of Character

Throughout this arc, one of the big concerns that’s been hanging over Ashoka’s head is whether or not she should tell her friends about who she is. A lot of people don’t have a high opinion on the Jedi anymore, and she doesn’t want them to abandon her. However, she decides that the risk is worth it, in the end. Sort of. She pretends to sell out the Martez sisters to save herself while they go to get new spice.

If the Jedi Council saw what she was doing, they would likely reprimand her. Me, I think this is the best option. She gets her friends out of harms way, leaving her free to bust out on her own. Plus, she makes it clear to the sisters that she’s not turning on them: “Trust me…”, she says. However, only Rafa catches on to the cadence in her voice. So they decide to go back because Rafa refuses to let herself get one-upped by Ashoka. And not because she’s grateful for her help!

What it Means to Be a Jedi

As it turns out, it was a good thing they go back, because Ashoka gets caught once more, only this time because she discovered something much bigger was afoot. The Pykes are taking orders from none other than Maul, former Sith Lord and one of the most dangerous beings in the Galaxy. His location: Mandalore.

I had hoped that this arc would be eventually segue into the long awaited “Siege of Mandalore”. However, it didn’t happen like I thought. Instead of the Mandalorians freeing her and telling her everything, she found out on her own. Worse for her, the Pykes reveal to the returning Martez sisters that she’s a Jedi, which does shock and upset them a bit.

However, this doesn’t stop the three from working together like badasses and escaping the Pykes back to Coruscant. After which, the Martez sisters pull her aside and give her their honest opinion. She may not consider herself to be a Jedi, but she’s more of a Jedi than any the sisters have ever met.

I’d have to agree with that sentiment. Ashoka may no longer be a part of the Jedi Order, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have to follow their ideals. Now that she’s no longer bound to the restrictions the Republic puts on the Jedi, Ashoka can go out and do more good than she would otherwise. Just travel the galaxy and help people, like Samurai Jack. In other words, Ashoka’s more a Jedi than most of the Order at this point.

A Good Segue to the Final Chapter

This arc is not going to be one that I’ll remember well in the long run. However, it does manage to provide a good segue to the final chapter of the show. At the end of everything, Ashoka’s approached by the Mandalorians, led by Bo-Katan Kryze. They’re not Death Watch anymore, they’re just trying to free their world from Maul. And they want Ashoka to help them.

We already knew that Ashoka was going to join them, but what we didn’t know is how. Well, now we know! The whole point of this arc was to remind Ashoka that she can still do a lot of good in the galaxy and that she shouldn’t give up her past as a Jedi cold-turkey. However, she’s still worried about where this path will take her in the end.

As for me, I can’t wait to finally see how the show will end. This is going to be good!

I Give “Together Again” a 3.5/5

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

Remember how I said that I was looking forward to seeing what happens in the next episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars? I take it back; so far, this arc has been a snooze fest for me! Which is a shame, as I wanted Ashoka’s return to be this big thing. It’s the lost chapter in the life of one of Star Wars‘ best characters, and something I was looking forward to. Yet the story with the Martez Sisters feels like it’s going in a circle with little growth.

Prison Time

Thanks to the series of bad decisions the trio made last episode, Ashoka, Trace, and Rafa are locked up by the Pykes until they get their spice. Which they won’t, since Trace dumped it. So the three begin debating over the ethics of smuggling spice to a crime syndicate. Ashoka tries arguing that giving them something that helps them ruin lives makes them just as bad.

The thing is, Rick and Morty did the exact same thing years ago when Rick sold a gun to an assassin to kill a sapient, organic hating cloud. Bottom line, Pykes would get the spice either way, so Ashoka’s argument falls flat.

I have to give this episode credit, though: it does show why Trace and Rafa don’t trust the Jedi. Apparently, when Ziro the Hutt was freed from prison in “Hostage Crisis” back in Season One, the Jedi chased after him. Cad Bane sent a speeder plummeting out of control, and a Jedi stopped it from hurting anyone. Except for Trace and Rafa’s parents, who were killed when said speeder crashed into their shop.

The worst part is that the Jedi didn’t do anything to help them beyond saying “the Force will be with you.” They didn’t even try to help them or take responsibility for collateral damage. No wonder they don’t like the Jedi.

The Mandalorians Return?

So, the trio manage to briefly escape the Pykes and come close to getting off-planet, but they end up back where they started. They get recaptured, and the episode ends with them in another prison cell. What a waste of time!

Or maybe not. While Ashoka flees the Pykes, we get a shot of someone in a nearby crowd of people. Someone wearing a Mandalorian Helmet. After that, we then see another group of Mandalorians who recognize her from what happened on Carlac. There’s only one group that would know of that: Death Watch, now lead by Bo-Kotan Kryze.

Right now, my hope is that we see the Mandalorians bust Ashoka and her friends out in the next episode, then invite her to help them take down Maul and free Mandalore. It would be an amazing segue to the final arc of this season, as well as the final act of the Clone Wars. Plus, given the rumors that Ashoka will appear in Season Two of The Mandalorian, this would make for an amazing tie-in to that!

This arc has been boring for me so far. However, if it helps to transition to the long-awaited Siege of Mandalore, then I hope the next episode sticks the landing.

I Give “Dangerous Debt” a 2/5

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, Episode 4 Review

Of all the Clones we’ve come to know during Star Wars: The Clone Wars, few have stood out as much as Domino Squad. As this FANDOM Article puts it, this quintet of Clone Troopers was abnormally quirky. Once they stepped up, though, they seemed like they would accomplish great things, and several of them did. Then one by one, they all died. However, the final season opened with the reveal that Echo was alive. Thanks to the Bad Batch, Rex, and Anakin, they rescued him from being used as a living computer. However, Echo has unfinished business with the Separatists, and regarding his future.

In a last-ditch attempt to retake Anaxes, Echo decides to use his cybernetics to mess with the droids. So they take Anakin, Rex, and the Bad Batch Squad to sneak aboard Admiral Trench’s ship to do just that.

Now, Tom Kane’s opening narration leaves us with the interesting question of whether Echo can still be trusted. Could years of captivity led to brainwashing by the Separatists? Considering how his comrades accidentally left him behind, it would be understandable for him to hold a grudge. However, I knew from the get go that Echo was going to stay loyal to his brothers, even if the Bad Batch didn’t feel the same. It also makes for unnecessary drama in the scheme of the episode.

Jedi Are Awesome and Anakin Channels his Vader

The real drama, though, comes in the form of Obi-Wan and Mace Windu’s attack on the main Separatist facility. Mace, in particular, gets a chance to show off how much of a badass he is. In a moment that would make Samuel L. Jackson proud, Mace’s voice actor gives the following speech to the battle droids.

They should have taken the offer.

However, the main drama this episode came from Anakin himself, who’s gotten a backseat most of this season. We’re only a few months away from Revenge of the Sith, and Anakin’s transformation into Darth Vader. However, the Clone Wars and other materials have shown us that his turn wasn’t sudden. We’ve seen Anakin give in to his dark side several times in the show’s run, but “Unfinished Business” gave us his most Vader-esque moment yet. When he corners Trench on the bridge to get the codes to disarm a bomb, he makes it clear he’ll kill the enemy commander if he refuses; and he does! Granted, Trench tried to attack him, so it was self defense. Still, it was very unsettling to see him do this.

I said in another post that one of the Jedi’s biggest failures was their inability to truly help Anakin, and as we see in this episode, he needs help. He’s been fighting a war for three years and has lost so many friends and loved ones to it. As a result, he became protective of those he had left to the point he’d kill in cold blood. It’s part of the reason why he becomes Vader, and we’re already seeing what he’s going to become in just a few short months. It’s a sad sight, a truly sad sight.

The Future of Echo?

In the end, Echo is able to help the Republic retake Anaxes, and is promised medals and praise coming his way. However, and I wish they had explored this more, Echo realizes that he may not have a place in the regular Clone Army anymore. His cybernetics, while useful, won’t exactly help him in the heat of battle. In addition, while he has Rex, the rest of Domino Squad, his brothers, his family, is dead.

Thankfully, that’s where the Bad Batch comes in. Domino Squad was always quirky and one step away from being ‘defectives’. the Bad Batch could have ended up like them had things gone differently with their genetics. So, after admitting they were wrong to doubt him, the group offers Echo a place with them, which he accepts.

I’m happy about this end to the Bad Batch arc of The Clone Wars for two reasons. Firstly, it’s bringing Echo’s story full circle in a way. He lost his old family in Domino Squad, but now has a new one in the Bad Batch where he’ll fit right in. Secondly, it leaves the door open for future writers to tell more stories about Echo and his new comrades. What happens to them after the rise of the Empire, and what sort of things do they do? So much potential to be had!

However, I think the show’s ending this arc at the best possible time. I want to see Ashoka’s story continue next!

I Give “Unfinished Business” a 4.5/5

By the way, I loved Wrecker in this episode. “This is the happiest day of my life!”

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