Clones, Clones, and More Clones
Star Wars: Clone Wars 2.9 “Grievous Intrigue”
So, we learn Grievous is working with Dooku because of a personal hatred of Jedi. We don’t learn why.
Grievous is a named bad guy with plot immortality and the chess game between him and Obi-Wan is actually kind of fascinating. Each knows the other that well that they can never quite get the upper hand and you know if there wasn’t a war on they would be friends.
It’s actually a shame they can’t be…or perhaps we’re all better off for it.
Grievous, of course, gets away, but they are able to rescue his hostage. He and his droids flee to a nearby planet.
(Unlike Dooku, Grievous, of course, values the lives of his droid troopers).
Star Wars: Clone Wars 2.10 “The Deserter”
Okay, Grievous is still pretty mean to his battle droids, force marching them until they drop.
Meanwhile, Rex gets hurt, and the meat of this episode is his encounter with a farming family on the planet…the husband of which is a clone trooper who has deserted.
I was just thinking they hadn’t hit as hard on the slavery in this season as they did last, but this episode is really about the choice. Rex is a good man, and we see a lot of him, but he was bred for war. The clones are child soldiers.
The farmer is a grown man who has made his choice to leave the war because he doesn’t want to kill any more. He tries to get Rex to desert to.
But Rex has also made his choice. The choice to be who your family wants you to be, this episode says, is as valiad as rebelling, as long as you do choose.
My one issue with this episode is that I don’t quite buy that humans and Twi’leks are reproductively compatible. Sexually, sure, but if those are actually half human (well Mandalorian) and half Twi’lek and not his stepkids, I struggle with that. They look like clone colored Twi’leks so I’m pretty sure we’re supposed to believe…yeah.
Star Wars: Clone Wars 2.11 “Lightsaber Lost”
Ahsoka gets careless on an investigation and a pickpocket steals her lightsaber. Oops. She’s too embarrassed to get help from Anakin and winds up partnering with an ancient Jedi who’s basically retired.
Who has a fair bit to teach her about patience and strategy, as well as not letting her lightsaber out of her sight.
Worth watching for the cinematic parkour (don’t feel bad, Ahoska, she’s an expert, you’ll get there).
Oh, and for the fact that the old Jedi hides his lightsaber in his walking stick like a sword cane, that was amusing.
Star Wars: Clone Wars 2.12 “The Mandalore Plot”
We tend to think of Mandaloreans as those Klingonesque warriors who only take their armor off around lovers and people they trust.
But in this episode we visit Mandalore as it is now…and all that is supposedly gone. Mandalore is a peaceful, neutral world, allying with other neutral worlds and determined to stay out of the war under the jurisdiction of a Duchess.
Obi-Wan, stop flirting with her already. Seriously, it’s obvious they have feelings for each other, but he’s abided by the Jedi Code and never acted on them.
And, of course, there are Mandalorean throwbacks, armor and all. Who are honestly more interesting than the peaceful Mandaloreans who are just, ya know, your regular humans.
Star Wars: Clone Wars 2.13 “Voyage of Temptation”
Yup, the Duchess is Obi-Wan’s ex…but he is a committed Jedi avoiding attachments. Mostly. Here’s the question…why the obsession with romance?
And why is it only an attachment if you act on it?
Jedi are weird.
Anakin does something decidedly evil in this episode, although it might well be the only solution to the problem…
Star Wars: Clone Wars 2.14 “Duchess of Mandalore”
Syteen is actually a really badass character, strong in her convictions, but not perfect…man, that temper.
She’s also been set up for murder, with the goal of getting the Republic to occupy Mandalore. The Death Watch and separatists think, entirely reasonably, that this will result in the Mandaloreans rebelling and backsliding into their warrior ways.
Fortunately, they aren’t going to get away with it. But there’s also a murder to deal with, right?
Right.
Obi-Wan’s relationship with the Duchess is pretty star crossed…but I suppose it’s a good thing he held strong. Can you imagine him falling to the dark side?
(That said, Leia manages to fall in love and have a kid…I don’t actually think it’s his relationship with Padme that destroys Anakin after all).
Star Wars: Clone Wars 2.15 “Senate Murders”
A Rodian Padme considers her uncle is murdered right in front of her…and everyone drank from the same bottle.
(Of course, somebody made use of the fact that the poison only affects Rodians).
This, needless to say, interferes with a vote to reduce military spending in the middle of the war…which was obviously never going to pass. We also meet Bail Organa, and start to see the beginnings of why Padme might trust her daughter to him.
(And also the fact that the Republic WAS cosmopolitan. Uncle Rodian would never happen during the Imperial era).
Star Wars: Clone Wars 2.16 “Cat and Mouse”
I am highly amused by the fact that when the cloaked ship cloaked they turned the lights red and made submarine noises.
It even looked a bit like a submarine.
Anakin is supposed to use this “new toy” to get relief supplies to the surface, but when the enemy attacks the people down there (including Bail Organa, whom we need later) he changes tactics, against orders, and proceeds to Hunt For Red October the bad guys. I don’t know if they were thinking of that or not, but there was certainly some classic submarine movie homage going on here.
Star Wars: Clone Wars 2.17 “Bounty Hunters”
Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka get shot down after investigating a medical station that went offline (with extreme prejudice).
On the planet they discover pirates shaking down the locals for a valuable medicinal herb, but they also need to get back to report stat.
The farmers have hired some mercenaries to protect them…who turn out to be honorable mercenaries who stay bought. But ultimately they need to learn to protect themselves.
Basically stand up to the bullies, right?
Star Wars: Clone Wars 2.18 “The Zillo Beast.”
An EMP wakes up Godzilla. I mean, not quite, but the name and appearance are clearly intended to invoke a certain kaiju without violating anyone’s copyright.
The locals, who have dealt with the species before, want to kill it and think they know how, but it’s evolved resistance.
Eventually, the Jedi capture it, let the locals think it’s dead…and they plan on relocating it somewhere suitable and uninhabited.
Except…somebody decides to take it to Coruscant. We have all seen this movie.
Star Wars: Clone Wars 2.18 “The Zillo Beast Strikes Back”
Taking it to Coruscant works as well as you might expect. Now Palpatine has the beast, he’s determined to kill it so that he can study its armor and use it to make better ships and clone warrior armor.
Of course, all they do is piss it off and send it rampaging through Coruscant in a very fun Clonetrooper Vs Kaiju sequence.
But in the end, they kill the poor thing…but now Palpatine wants it to be cloned.
This is such a bad idea even for him.
Star Wars: Clone Wars 2.20 “Death Trap”
They’re so cute at that age. Young Boba Fett infiltrates a batch of junior clone troopers. It’s very well done…the audience can see he’s about an inch taller than the others, but he’s close enough.
(It seems that while most clone troopers wear the same hairstyle, they do have some freedom of expression in this area…Boba’s long hair is remarked on, but still seems to be regulation).
Boba is, of course, the natural son of the donor used to create the clones. It’s beautifully done and you can see him fighting between expediency and honor.
Expediency, alas, wins.