Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1x12-x13

[jedi_of_urth]

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – 1x12: "The Gungan General"

So this episode was...awkward. Not bad exactly, definitely better than it probably deserved to be, but not very good either.

Let's start with the retcon. It sure seemed like last ep was implying that Obi-wan and Anakin didn't get drugged. I actually found that slightly oddly shown as I couldn't figure out exactly how they switched their drinks out, but we saw a movement I was pretty sure was meant to imply it and then the people next to them passed out presumably from the swapped drinks with roofies in them. Now, it's perfectly feasible that they were drugged somewhere later in the evening but it undoes one of the last parts of the previous episode.

It continues the oddly paced feel of this arc. Which also isn't helped by the fact that this episode seemed to drag. Not as badly as the Kit Fisto ep, that was just a bunch of nothing; this just seemed like it didn't have quite enough material. But considering last episode appeared to have too much story and this too little I feel they could have restructured it.

Also, I could have missed it but it seemed like last ep was going out of its way to not call Hondo by name, it was in the closing credits but I decided to stick with not naming him in my review. Which means I now have to point out that I don't particularly like the naming choice; not because it's bad but it's so clearly from 'well we have a character that's kind of like Han or Lando; I know, Hondo,' that it's distracting. (It was probably Hando at one point but somebody didn't make the letter 'a' clear so it looked like an 'o' and someone else decided that swap should totally hide the name origin.)

Another thing I didn't bring up last time, maybe because I thought this ep might address it, but what is Spice exactly? I always read it as being a drug, which means the pirates were effectively asking for a ransom to be paid in cocaine. And while, sure, the Republic probably has Spice stores of confiscated goods or even a legal stash for dealing with planets that don't take credits, it's still a bit of an ask. Also, I can't decide if the economics are quite right here, asking for Spice in value instead of weight or volume. They'll be appraising the value of the drug at Corescant or at least core world value, where supply and demand probably drive the price up, then likely selling it in the outer territories where they may not make the highest profit. Yes, these are the kind of minutia that distract me when watching stories; or possibly be useful as the bookie to a crime lord.

Okay, now we have to talk about the plot instead of the minutia. And I think I'll do Jar Jar side first so I can end on the better plot. This wasn't as annoying as Jar Jar's prior episode, partly because he wasn't that prominent in this episode, and because there were clones around to find him as annoying as I do. They decided to weaponize his ineptitude; not telling him to go in there and mess things up, just counting on the fact that he would. The story does ignore that he definitely got people killed (and sets a bad example for kids watching that he survived without using a seatbelt, while the responsible ones died), and still lets him get away with being so inept and annoying, but at least it recognizes that he is and that's...marginal improvement.

But there a problem when I, the person who rants about the show treating the clones as interchangeable when it's so easy for me to acknowledge their personhood, and goes on rants about the ethics of droid killing, looks at your “lovable comic sidekick” and mutters 'could someone just shoot him already?' It literally happened a couple times this episode, I do not like this character.

The captives plot is an odd one. Because it accomplishes nothing so it feels like we don't need it. It's a bit too infected by the comedy shtick of the other plot, so it's not allowed to explore anything more weighty than bickering. And it also feels like it's missing a beat; rule of three isn't satisfied with two escape attempts. Off the top of my head we needed to see them improving at working together and getting further each time (which they did but only through two attempts). Or what the staging almost does, having Dooku leading the first attempt, Anakin the second; so in this rule of three option, the balanced Obi-wan takes point and is able to see the way out clearly.

More to the point, the real problem is that you know that's exactly how it would have gone if this wasn't also a comedy Jar Jar ep. And not in the sense that he interrupts the expected narrative flow and breaks them out while they're still working out the pieces for the next attempt. It shorts the rule of three and kind of makes Anakin right that what they needed was to lose Dooku. Dooku does better without them, and they do better without him (though only because Jar Jar enabled it).

There is some good banter between them in the attempts we get. It's just that as a story it feels wrong in structure. And I'll admit that had they escaped together then they'd have to explain how Dooku gets away, but I'm sure it could have been done.

So yeah, an okay episode but a letdown after the last one.



Star Wars: The Clone Wars – 1x13: "Jedi Crash"

So I have about a dozen thoughts on how to make this episode better, because it really isn't very good as is.

Even in the very start I found myself wondering why this show isn't more fully serialized; the movies are based on old-timey serials so why don't we go from cliffhanger to cliffhanger? And from another angle I wonder why the announcer takes on a stereotypical old-timey war correspondent voice, and yet the previously on segments aren't structured as a news report, bringing us up to date on the war effort. With a little extra thought they could be a little subversive too, that these are the in-verse news edits that don't exactly reflect the reality as we know it. Or maybe I just want Shiro Shinobi to do it.

After that we get to an action scene that combines a lot of things I don't like, but it ends with the only one I feel like talking about. Namely, did they stage a rescue effort only for the Jedi on board? Because they don't seem very concerned with rescuing the crew of the ship, just Aayla. And even if they had wanted to do more, and there must be a crew of thousands on the ship, they came in a little shuttle with apparently minimal medical ability. To a very small extent I might allow most of the crew to have gotten off on escape pods and the shuttle went in to pick up the stragglers and it makes sense that the Jedi would be one of the last. It's possible, but I don't exactly buy it.

And that's before we get to the biggest mistake the episode makes; when it walks up within sight of something interesting but decides we need to watch characters run around instead. This should have been introspective. We should have spent a good chunk of it in Anakin's head/memories. They could have paralleled it with present events Ahsoka was dealing with, either showing them learning the same lesson of contrary ones. Flash back to some event between Obi-wan and Anakin pre-AotC, or maybe spend some time fleshing out Anakin's relationship to Palpatine in those years where he gave Anakin advice that on the surface seems like a good idea but it is actually corrosive in the long run. Ahsoka learning something about not being clingy and trusting that she can let go when the need arises; while we see Anakin learning that clinging can be a good thing, as in it proved to be the right choice and he's never actually learned to do the alternative.

I can see a few other elements of the episode would probably have to be tweaked for this to work, but it seems like such an obvious road to take that I don't know why they wouldn't. It's not as if the present day adventure was the slightest bit interesting and couldn't be modified slightly to allow more room for Anakin's inner struggle.

I may be letting some of the timeframe questions go, but this poses a big one. How long has the war been going of for the rolling raccoons to have come to this planet, figured out how to use and withstand the local environment, build a town, and all the rest, if they came here to escape the war?

And as far as the rolling raccoons, I do wonder what lesson we're supposed to take from them. Because their attitude is presented as a good one (and I don't exactly disagree), I even approve of showing there are people in the galaxy who want nothing to do with the war; but what is the story point in it? They're preaching what the Jedi should already know, and there would be value in exploring it being pointed out that the Jedi have lost their way, but that isn't touched on. Maybe if this arc continues next episode we'll see it better explored, but so far it's an irrelevant add on to a boring episode.

Even worse is they don't take this opportunity to tell us what the damn war is about. They're fighting for freedom and liberty; so has said every army in history; so would say the Separatists if they're army was made of anything but droids . Are the Separatists trying to set up a fascist dictatorship? If so, come out and say it (never mind that the Chancellor is fast making himself into one and we don't just know this because it happens). Or say that they support slavery and people like this will be targeted (never mind that the Republic turns a blind eye to slavery anyway). Say there will be death camps, or they'll take away your droids, or set up a police state. JUST TELL ME WHAT THE WAR IS ABOUT. Even if it's propaganda that the Jedi have bought into, give me something.

I do kind of want to talk about the mild exploration of Jedi hypocrisy surrounding Jedi supposedly rejecting attachments and then having them form super close attachments between masters and apprentices. But that does feel like a step being laid down to explore later, so I'm going to kick talking about it down the road too.

Also...should they maybe take Anakin's armor off at the end before putting bandages on him? Seems like it would be more effective that way.

~~~~

Sometimes I will have to include a comment based on the roleplaying game that my Star Wars views were so shaped by. I'll try and separate it from the main review, but sometimes it will happen. And this episode had two things than need noting.
-So we have Aayla, this is distracting to me as the twi'lek in our game was names Ayln.
-My treehugger mechanic/very novice Jedi would have fit in the the raccoon people, up to a point. She was also a city dweller who was uncomfortable under too much open sky so this village would have given her a panic attack. Also her treehugger tendencies were a lifestyle choice right up until the moment she or people she cared about were attacked; and while she would try and avoid violence as long as possible these guys seem even more extreme that her.