More Clone Wars - Dodgy Morality?
It’s a war story. There should be grey areas.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.3 “Shadow of Malevolence”
The nasty ship with the ion drive is still out there…and its target is a hospital station. This is just to remind us that the Separatists are slightly more evil.
Slightly.
This is one heck of a hospital…there are 60,000 patients! Some of whom are in bacta tanks and can’t be moved. So even though the Republic has advanced warning and can start evacuating first the walking wounded, they aren’t going to be able to get everyone off.
This is evil for the sake of evil, but what is making clone soldiers? The more humane treatment of the clones is supposed to allow us to sympathize with the Republic.
I really don’t. I sympathize with Ahsoka, for the most part. She’s just a kid, after all. And one who clearly has a strong conscience.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.4 “Destroy Malevolence”
A droid using a lightsaber? I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Grievous. He also seems to have eyes. Is he really a droid? There’s something weird going on here.
Padme Amidala is lured into the battle for use as a hostage, and Palpatine appears to be behind it. Because we all know that in truth the evil is on both sides and this is how the dystopia happens.
The more I watch it, the more I think this would land very differently on Black American fans. If I’d watched this twenty years ago or whenever…not quite twenty…I wouldn’t be going “But the slaves” constantly. Both sides are using slaves.
It doesn’t matter that one side is treating them better.
But Ahsoka is so much fun to watch…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.5 “Rookies”
A group of barely decanted clones is assigned to the boring, easy duty of a listening post where nothing ever happens.
Until it does, of course, and the rookies have to deal with a droid invasion…and think outside the box. Okay, they do get some help.
This introduces the infamous 501st! It was somewhat nice to see an episode with no Jedi, but it also really doesn’t address clones are problematic at all.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.6 “Downfall of a Droid”
R2-D2 is MIA! And his memoty has been left intact because Anakin is treating him like, you know, a person.
But poor R2 is now a prisoner of the enemy. And Anakin’s replacement droid, an R3 unit nicknamed “Goldie” is either malfunctioning or just trying to piss him off. I’m thinking it might be the latter. Anakin does keep insulting him.
This is the first part of a secret two-parter, so slightly unfortunate timing (I watched 5 and 6…not 6 and 7…)
But we all know R2 will be Just Fine.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.7 “Duel of the Droids”
Anakin has been told to abandon R2. In fact, the Republic seems highly determined to abandon the poor little droid.
It’s no surprise that “Goldie” is working for the Separatists…after all, they made a droid a General and gave him a lightsaber.
Ahsoka is really coming into her own…but Obi-Wan is cautioning Anakin about attachment.
I don’t know. I think attachment is fine when it leads you to do the, you know, right thing.
“He’s only a droid.”
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.8 “Bombad Jedi”
Oh please no.
Oh…dear.
Three words: Jar Jar Binks.
This episode is actually an attempt to salvage probably the most annoying character in the franchise. It doesn’t work. He still has the annoying stereotypical Jamaican accent and yes, he’s badass in this, but it’s still Jar Jar.
It doesn’t feel badass, even if him being mistaken for a Jedi is funny.
The only thing that saves this is how cute the sea monster is.
(Padme is badass too, but there’s some weird shit going on with the animation in a couple of places).
I did like the watery planet, though.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.9 “Cloak of Darkness”
For some reason…cross training?...Ahsoka is working with a different Jedi master…on the most boring duty there is:
Prisoner escort.
Of course, the Separatists try to rescue the prisoner…in fact, they succeed, and Master Luminara gets her butt handed to her by Ventress. AfterAhsoka tells her not to try and solo her.
I mean, Ventress is pretty dang badass. But I can forgive a Jedi Master for thinking they can take her.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.10 “Lair of Grievous”
Count Dooku is mad with General Grievous and thinks he’s losing his edge. So he uses the stray prisoner from last time as bait (or rather the ship they stole) to lure a couple of Jedi to Grievous’ personal base.
It’s a test, and Grievous passes…at the cost of a young Jedi who was halfway to falling to the Dark Side anyway. Poor kid, and his poor master.
Grievous is definitely an interesting character. How does a droid get that good? He’s no ordinary droid, I’m sure of it.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.10 “Dooku Captured”
Count Dooku screws up. Specifically, he underestimates a band of Outer Rim pirates who capture him…and demand a million credits worth of spice from the Republic as a bounty.
Needless to say, the Republic sees this as a relatively cheap way to get their hands on the Sith Lord. Meanwhile, Anakin and Obi-Wan are in the area, and in a series of shenanigans. They get sent to confirm that the pirates are holding Dooku.
Unfortunately, the pirates see this as an opportunity to sell Dooku to the Republic then turn around and sell the Jedi to the Separatists! They drug the poor Jedi and not only lock them in a cell with Dooku…but tie them to him. Eww.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.11 “The Gungan General”
As the Jedi and Sith work together (together!) to try and escape, Jar Jar Binks ends up in charge of the delegation to bring the spice.
Boy do I hate that accent, but no, Jar Jar Binks is not a competent general (although “general” seems to be handed out by the Republic like candy, so maybe it doesn’t matter). Shenanigans ensue, Dooku escapes and the pirates…well…Obi-Wan decides they aren’t worth arresting.
Or perhaps he’s thinking they’ll be useful later…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.13 Jedi Crash
Ow. Anakin gets really hurt in this one, and Ahsoka has to take charge, grow up, and try to deal with her potentially dangerous attachment to her master.
Honestly, the Jedi attachment thing makes little sense to me, never did, and I think Ahsoka is the one in the right. But she’s also, what, 14? I dunno how long her species takes to grow up.
We also get a Twi’lek Jedi, and I love the Twi’lek.
Starting to wonder why Ahsoka wears so little, though. Especially as she is, what, 14? Ahem.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.14 Defenders of Peace
The pacifism episode. A village refuses to take sides in the galactic war, but is ultimately forced to do so. Pacifism is a great philosophy, this episode says, but the world will trample over you.
It really says to stick up for yourself, and unfortunately in this world…and that one…you can’t really be a true pacifist. You can seek to put peace first, but if somebody’s bent on beating you down…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.15 “Trespass”
This episode has almost a Star Trek feel. It’s the classic “We didn’t think this planet was inhabited” riff complete with the colonialist asshole who doesn’t care, if the natives don’t bow the knee it’s time to wipe them out.
Obviously, that’s not how this ends, but it’s a pretty solid, if slightly heavy handed, anti-colonialist episode…but again, definitely feels a bit Trek-y. Not that that’s necessarily a complaint.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.16 “The Hidden Enemy”
This one asks the question of: If a clone turns traitor, how the heck do you know which one it is? Yeah, this might just be a downside to cloning your soldiers! (Of course, the battle droids have the same problem…)
But I have to feel some sympathy for the traitor. He wants freedom. We know the Separatists likely intended to just kill him, but wanting freedom for himself and his brothers? I mean, the entire thing with the clones is just plain evil…