Full Series For Discussion of Old TCW episodes...

There should probably have been an jailbreak arc which would have solved that issue.

 

Maybe it was the Bad Batch one? Other than the fates of characters like Rex, Maul and Ahsoka, and the future state of Mandalore, I think the jailbreak is the biggest plothole we're missing.

 

Well i found some info today that reflects that GL DID want to create a whole other spinoff SERIES with the Younglings. This was rumored before but now confirmed by one of the concept artists from the Clone Wars:

Russell G. Chong updated his cover photo.
March 24, 2014 · Edited ·
The 'New Horizon'. GL wanted to do a spinoff Clone Wars series with the Jedilings trekking around in this ship. Alas, it was not to be.



Filoni also confirmed this in his Starwars.com interview:
Dave Filoni: Well, we were still finishing Clone Wars when we started developingRebels. We had a couple ideas about doing something with rebel forces or Padawans on the run.

 

So that's why they hinted at Katooni going on adventures with Hondo ?

 

Lost TCW arcs = still canon

 

Just finished rewatching seasons 1-2. Forgot what great episodes "Grevious Intrigue" and "Deserter" were. The Mandolore episodes were also very well put together and written. Adds so much depth to the entire Clone Wars.

 

This brings a tear to my eye.

 

On Season 4 now. I thought the Umbara series mixed things up quite well. I do think there would be arrogant Jedi, but Krell took things to another level. They needed to show that there would be some resentment amongst the Jedi and clones. I liked the fact that they weren't fighting droids for once! Wish there were more battles against aliens/clones/humans. I am on Escape from Kadavo which I never got to watch all the way through as I missed it on first release, then Cartoon Network I think skipped it when re-broadcasting so glad I got it off local broadcast a few years ago when they were on the U local tv.

Overall impressions watching through is how more mature and powerful Ahsoka has become. This leads me into how the next season of Rebels will portray her. I would like to see a few other ex-Jedi team up with the Rebellion as well.

 

This is just beautiful .

 

It is not surprising at all, I suspected as much a long time ago. Neat concept art though, like it better than The Ghost.

 

The Ghost is definitely not the prettiest of ships....

 

Why should it be?

 

I meant in comparison to other ships in the Star Wars Universe. I am hard pressed to think of another ship in canon that isn't as aesthetically pleasing as the Ghost. There isn't any necessary reason for it to be as long as it gets the job done.

 

The Twilight maybe? Looks like a B-Wing that got scaled up, then hit with the ugly stick a few times.

 

I had conveniently put that ship out of my mind I guess.

 

That concept ship looks modeled on a Tantive IV/Republic medical frigate type design shp.

 

You mean this?

That's more the Crucible from the Younglings arc of Season 5:

Though it's possible that Republic Medical Frigate and Corellian Corvette, were the starting points for the Crucible.

 

Yea, of course. Probably was the Crucible with a different Empire era paintjob(or just the art work) knowing the concept pitch storyline. Likely Tano, Huyang those same younglings roaming around fighting the Empire.

 

Possibly passing through other designs on the way. Going by Wookieepedia, the Jedi Training Cruiser was derived from the Defender-class corvette, which itself derived elements from the Ebon Hawk and the Consular-class cruiser as well as the Corellian Corvette (the Consular-class owes much to the Corellian Corvette anyway):

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jedi_training_cruiser
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Defender-class_light_corvette
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Consular-class_cruiser

 

I'm cross-posting a two-part review of Season 1 of The Clone Wars (working in Chronological order and thus including episodes as part of a particular season that is different than the seasons in which they were originally aired) that was originally posted in the Official Clone Wars thread.

JangoFett21's Clone Wars Season Reviews​

Season 1 (Part 1)

1x01 - Cat and Mouse:
Because it wasn't produced until the second season of the series, Cat and Mouse isn't quite as seamless an introduction to the series as it might've been had it been actually produced with the intention of kicking things off, but what would normally be an issue as far as lack of explanation is concerned actually becomes one of the episode's assets given that it forms part of a Saga where exposition and backstory have never been all that integral to the storytelling process. Everything that we're unsure or clueless about regarding the state of the galaxy and our major characters is explained over the course of the story, which does a nice job of beginning to juxtapose the immature, cocky, and self-assure Anakin we meet in Attack of the Clones with the more mature, yet still self-assure Anakin we see in Revenge of the Sith.

Another of the episode's strengths, which ties back into the way that it begins to juxtapose AotC Anakin with RotS Anakin, is that it gives us a really compelling villain in Admiral Trench, somebody who can match Anakin in both self-assurance and strategic, on-the-fly thinking, but whom Anakin is ultimately able to outwit and defeat. It's a nice way of highlighting who Anakin is at this stage in his character development, particularly since he never really comes up against anybody else who quite 'mirrors' him the way that Trench does.

The only thing that I don't think quite works about the episode is the way that the stealth ship gets introduced. Since we haven't been given any previous indication that cloaking technology does actually exist in the Star Wars universe beyond what is essentially a throwaway line in The Empire Strikes Back, the ship comes off as a bit of a deus ex machina/macguffin that exists solely for plot purposes, which is something that Star Wars hasn't really had as part of its narrative structure either before or since.

1x02 - The Hidden Enemy:
I just listened to the The Clone Wars Strike Back podcast, Episode 1, which covered Cat and Mouse, The Hidden Enemy, and the movie, and have to say that while I agreed with most of the podcasters' thoughts on the 3 stories, the one thing I didn't agree with them on is the 'narrative flow' of The Hidden Enemy in terms of its chronological placement. All 3 of the hosts thought that the episode was a bit out-of-place narratively as far as its subplot of the Clone traitor Slick was concerned, but I think having that particular bit of story come out at a point where we haven't yet gotten to truly understand and appreciate/see just how diverse the Clone Troopers actually are actually makes everything that follows as it concerns them work better.

I also like the way that the Clone traitor plot is juxtaposed with Anakin and Obi-Wan's adventure into Separatist territory and their confrontation with Ventress, particularly after we learn that she's working directly with Slick and seemingly directing both his actions and influencing his thoughts and attitude. That revelation ultimately ends up giving the Clone traitor plot even more weight than it already had, especially since it helps establish Ventress as quite a formidable adversary.

I do wish that she would've featured in Cat and Mouse so that there was a bit more of a seamless transition between the events of that episode and the events of this one (which is really the episode's only weak spot, IMO), but that's really neither here nor there. What is most interesting to me about the Ventress parts of the episode is that it establishes a history between Obi-Wan and Ventress that never really gets explored or explained, but that nevertheless enriches both characters and makes the subsequent times when they come into direct conflict with one another mean more than they would if there was no particular history between them.

1x03 - The Clone Wars (Theatrical Release):
This is one of two theatrically-released Star Wars movies that I never saw in theaters (the other being Return of the Jedi when it was re-released in 1997), so my perception of it may be skewed by the fact that I never got to experience people's initial reactions to it firsthand. I will admit that the first time I heard about it I was quite skeptical, particularly as it related to the idea of giving Anakin a Padawan, but, having now watched it twice (once a couple years ago when I started my first, unfinished foray into the series, and once as part of this new watch-through), I have to say that it's quite an excellent story in its own right, although I do kind of wish it had had a more 'serial' feel to it, with each part having had a clearly delineated beginning, end, and moral to it than having been edited together into a single seamless whole, which I don't think quite works for what it's meant to do, which is to introduce us to the style and narrative approach of the series.

As far as its individual narrative is concerned, I really like the way that Ahsoka gets introduced, which is pure George Lucas storytelling through and through. It's also just pure fun to see the way that Anakin's immature, cocky, and self-assured personality clashes with her more naive and inexperienced one while also drawing out more of her own self-assuredness just because of the fact that she has to act more self-assured in order to keep up with him. I also love that they're giving each other nicknames practically within minutes of meeting one another, as it adds some depth upon which the rest of their relationship can gradually build and helps establish both of their personalities fairly quickly but without giving everything about the future development of their relationship away.

I also really enjoyed the way that the film introduces us to Ziro the Hutt and cuts against the often-too-seen assumption amongst the SW fandom that one single member of a given species represents the totality of said species. The fact that Ziro is so drastically different from Jabba really helps cement him as an interesting character and challenging adversary for our characters. His introduction also provides us with an opportunity to see Padme in action for the first time in the series, setting up subsequent adventures for her as well as showing us that returning to her daily duties as a Senator after the chaotic events of Attack of the Clones hasn't dampened her spunk and self-reliance in the least, which is fun if you're a fan of the character like I am.

The only part of the narrative that doesn't quite work for me is Obi-Wan's bit where he goes to the Separatist camp to seemingly negotiate a full surrender. The entire sequence came off a bit too goofy and forced, especially for a character like Obi-Wan, and is really the only time in the entire series that we see him behave out-of-character and where the childish Saturday Morning Cartoon humor that permeates the entire show has a detrimental effect on its storytelling.

1x04 - Clone Cadets:
After starting out with what is essentially one big long 7-part story, Clone Cadets is really the first opportunity that the series has to do something that is basically standalone, but that will ultimately end up having connections to subsequent stories as well, which is a nice change of pace and a way to further help establish the narrative approach for the series.

Getting to see the inner workings of the Clone training process in a way that Attack of the Clones could never have shown us helps to humanize the Clones and show us that, despite what Lama Su tells Obi-Wan, they're not quite entirely uniform in personality and autonomy, and helps build on the seeds of that idea that were planted in The Hidden Enemy and that will be further developed in subsequent stories. I do wish we'd had more of a sense of who the two bounty hunters were and why they'd been tasked to help oversee the Clones' training, especially since that role is a fairly prominent part of the episode's narrative, but it is what it is.

I really liked the establishment of Domino Squad's individual personality traits and quirks and how they influenced the nicknames that ended up being assigned to them by one another, especially since, in the end, it is those individual quirks and traits that end up being the thing that allows them to pull together and accomplish their goal of being formally approved for field duty. I also liked that the episode gives us an opportunity to truly get to know the group before pretty much all of their number is seemingly eliminated in what is essentially their first major field engagement, making the things that they experience during said field engagement mean more than they might've otherwise.

1x05 - Supply Lines:
I've always been an unapologetic fan of the character of Jar Jar Binks, and the impression (true or not) that his role was downgraded in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith because a vocal minority of fans had a problem with him is something that's always bothered me, making me very happy to see him included in several prominent Clone Wars stories, beginning with this one. It also doesn't hurt that his prominent inclusion in the episode simultaneously gives us an opportunity to see more of the Trade Federation and Bail Organa and get an in-depth glimpse into the culture and society of two alien races - the Toydarians and the Twi'leks - in a way that the live-action films never could given their narrative structure and purpose.

This episode is another case where the hosts of The Clone Wars Strike Back podcast had some trouble with its chronological narrative flow (in relation to the episode that immediately follows it, Ambush), and another case where I disagree with them on that score, primarily because I see the arc of this episode and Ambush in a different light than they did. The episode may have its focus split between the plotline on Ryloth (which serves as setup for the episodes Storm on Ryloth, Innocents of Ryloth, and Liberty on Ryloth) and the plotline on Toydaria involving Jar Jar, Bail Organa, and Trade Federation senator Lott Dodd, but it is really the latter storyline that I feel is the true 'heart' of the narrative and that I feel becomes the 'glue' that holds both this episode and Ambush together as two parts of a single narrative arc (something that I'll get to a bit more-in-depth a little later).

If there's one issue I have with the episode, it's that there seems to be a bit of a disconnect in terms of the characterization of Cham Syndulla relative to his chronologically subsequent appearances and behavior in the Ryloth Trilogy later on in the season, but, again, it is what it is and isn't that big of a deal.

1x06 - Ambush:
The hosts of the The Clone Wars Strike Back podcast spent most of their discussion about the episode focused on how bad-**** it makes Yoda look and how it offers a return to the personality traits and characterization that the character exhibited when we were first introduced to him in The Empire Strikes Back, but I couldn't help but feel, as I listened to what they were saying, that, in focusing on those aspects of the storyline, they missed the true narrative purpose of it and the reasons that it's chronologically placed where it is.

For me, the thing that holds the episode together narratively - and allows the writers to just have some fun with Yoda being all bad-**** - is that it's a direct continuation of the narrative threads that were set up in Supply Lines during the plotline involving Bail Organa and Jar Jar's mission to Toydaria. Without that particular piece of the narrative puzzle, it becomes easy to just focus on the superficial action-y elements of the story involving Ventress' challenge to Yoda, which I think misses the ultimate point of the entire exercise.

The story of this episode, IMO, really isn't about Yoda being all awesome and outhinking Ventress and her droid army whilst bonding with 3 Clone Troopers and offering them some sage advice, but about how calmness of mind and oneness of spirit can lead directly to understanding and cooperation (which is also a big underlying theme, at least for me, of the Jar Jar/Bail storyline in Supply Lines), and it's that deeper narrative message that makes it stand out for me as one of the highlights of Season 1 far moreso than what it offers us in terms of Yoda's characterization and portrayal.

1x07 - Rising Malevolence:
My perception of and thoughts on not only this episode individually but its narrative arc as a whole may differ from others' because it's directly influenced by the fact that I saw it and its narrative brother episodes for the first time in their proper chronological placement as the 7th, 8th, and 9th episodes of the season as opposed to as the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Their later placement in the season ultimately ends up giving them more narrative 'weight', IMO, and in turn influences the tone and direction of that narrative.

This episode is tasked with doing some very important things narratively, and doing them in a very short span of time. The first - and most important of these things - is to offer us our first Chronologically Canonical glimpse of General Grievous and establish his characterization, personality traits, and narrative role in the overall Star Wars Saga. The second thing that the episode is tasked with doing narratively is establishing the very real danger of Grievous' "mystery weapon" and giving us - as an audience - a reason to care about what it can do, which ties in with the third thing it has to do narratively, which is to flesh out Plo Koon and make us as an audience care about him as a character so that we in turn care about Grievous destroying his fleet of ships using the Malevolence and coming after him, his Clone squad, and the rest of the survivors of his fleet with his (Grievous) squad of "Pod Hunters".

The episode has to also narratively expand on the relationship between Anakin and Ahsoka, not just as partners, but as Master and Padawan, and do so in a way that offers something different than what we saw during the events of the Clone Wars movie, which is chronologically the last time we saw them, and set up Anakin and Grievous as adversaries without actually having the two of them physically interact. It also has to function both as a self-contained story in its own right as well as the first part in a bigger narrative arc.

Because the episode has to juggle so many narrative balls all at once, you might expect it to collapse under the strain, but it doesn't. Instead, it not only very deftly handles all of its various narrative requirements, but does so in some rather surprising ways.

My absolutely favorite element from the episode is the seeming rift that is established between Anakin and Ahsoka over Ahsoka speaking out of turn during the holo-conference between him, Yoda, Mace, and Obi-Wan, and the way that said rift ultimately ends up being repaired. It's a nice touch to see Anakin seemingly frustrated and angry over Ahsoka behaving exactly as he has in the past relative to the Jedi Council and the overall tenets of the Jedi Order itself, only to turn around and do exactly what Ahsoka wanted to do in a way that, as in Cat and Mouse, kills 'two birds with one stone' because it not only deepens the bond between him and Ahsoka as partners and as Master and Padawan, but also demonstrates for really the first time that Yoda and Obi-Wan's plan to teach Anakin some restraint by giving him a Padawan may both simultaneously work as well as backfire since he and Ahsoka have far more in common than I think either of them (Yoda and Obi-Wan) thought they might.

1x08 - Shadow of Malevolence:
This episode is a very nice continuation of the arc started in Rising Malevolence, but in terms of its individual narrative depth, it lacks something that both Rising Malevolence and its subsequent brother episode, Destroy Malevolence, lack, which is an opportunity to delve into the emotions and minds of the characters. It's much more of an "action set-piece" episode, and while there's nothing really wrong with that, it does lose some of the narrative weight it could've had if it were to have included some more introspective moments.

I do like that it gives us an opportunity to see Anakin in action as a fighter pilot for what is really the first time since the end of The Phantom Menace, and our first real opportunity to truly see his ship-to-ship fighting skills (since neither his heroics during the Battle of Naboo or the speeder chase that he and Obi-Wan go on in Attack of the Clones truly offered any opportunity to showcase his skills in that arena). I also like that things predictably don't go exactly according to plan, since it helps establish that he still has a lot of room for improvement as far as his strategizing and command decision-making is concerned.

1x09 - Destroy Malevolence:
This is my favorite episode of the Malevolence Trilogy, and the reasons it's my favorite have to do with the ways in which it, like Rising Malevolence, juxtaposes frenetic action with introspective and character-building moments. I'm particularly enamored of this episode because it gives the writers their first real opportunity to remind the audience that Anakin and Padme are married, but do so in a way that doesn't really raise any red flags as far as the people around them are concerned. It also allows us a chance to see Grievous engage in lightsaber combat for the first Chronologically Canonical time by pitting him against Obi-Wan, thereby casting their later interactions in Revenge of the Sith in a whole new and interesting light.

The episode also lets the writers just have some flat-out fun and do a nice callback to the droid foundry sequence in Attack of the Clones, especially since there are several beats during the rail sequence that are almost virtually identical, visually, to the moments of frenetic action that play out during the earlier sequence.

I also like that the episode helps establish that, in spite of being able to fight with four lightsabers, Grievous is still very much a coward, which is, for me, the thing that makes his character work and that sets him apart from other adversaries such as Maul, Ventress, Dooku, and Sidious.

1x10 - Rookies
This is an episode that, IMO, benefits greatly from being placed chronologically later than it was originally because it allows us, as an audience, to have already been introduced to its major protagonists in several other stories. This is particularly true when it comes to Domino Squad, as the fact that we've already met them in Clone Cadets makes the things that happen to them during the course of the episode have more narrative weight.

I didn't mention this in my review of The Hidden Enemy, but I liked seeing Cody and Rex work together in that episode, and liked that their partnership is continued here. I also like that the episode establishes that, in spite of their difference in rank, they're not really superior (Cody) and subordinate (Rex).

The episode also gives us our first real chance to delve into Rex's character a bit in the way that he interacts with Domino Squad, especially when he notes that they're "Shinies" (although Wookieepedia describes the term as derogatory, I didn't get the feeling that Rex was using it in that context at all, and was using it as more of an observational adjective) and then later says that they're "not Shinies anymore" (which, BTW, is one of my favorite lines from the show so far, as there's just something about the way the line is delivered that makes it awesome).

The introduction of the Commando Droids here (their appearance in Clone Cadets doesn't really count because they're not recognizable as such) is pretty neat as well, and I love their design. I also like that it takes a bit more to take them down than your typical Battle Droid or Super Battle Droid.

1x11 - Downfall of a Droid:
Even though it wasn't aired directly following Destroy Malevolence, and even though it deals with an entirely different set of circumstances, this episode feels very much like a continuation of the Malevolence Trilogy, particularly in terms of the way it continues to establish and flesh out Grievous' characterization. It's also a nice continuation of the development of the relationship between Anakin and Ahsoka, and a nice way to establish that Anakin's relationship with R2-D2 is yet another thing that sets him apart from your typical Jedi (there's a small sense of this in Attack of the Clones, but it really gets hammered home here).

The episode starts off with a nice action set-piece that builds on Anakin's fighter-pilot skills from what we got to see in Shadow of Malevolence, although I do wish there'd been some indicator of continuity between that episode and this one as far as his fighter squadron is concerned, since it didn't make a whole lot of sense that he'd have an entirely new fighter squadron, Gold Squadron, under his command when his previous one, Shadow Squadron, hadn't been entirely wiped out. Having him in charge of a new fighter squadron did allow the writers an opportunity to give Ahsoka a clever line later on in the episode when introducing his replacement droid, R3, and give him the nickname of "Goldie", so it ends up balancing out in the end, but it would've been nice if the episode would've mentioned whether or not some of Shadow Squadron had been incorporated into the new Gold Squadron.

I really liked the sequence aboard Gha Nachkt's freighter with Anakin and Ahsoka having to think on their feet to fight off the IG assassin droids, as it gave us another chance to see the kind of laid-back interplay between them that we hadn't really seen since the movie, and to showcase how Ahsoka, like Obi-Wan and others, doesn't quite understand the bond that's developed between him and R2 (even though she'd previously given him a nickname, "Artooey", there's not really the same kind of affection in their relationship as there is in the relationship between him and Anakin).

The one area where I think the episode doesn't quite succeed is that it doesn't make it explicit that R3's incompetence isn't actually incompetence, which I think it needed to do in order to set up the events of the following episode, Duel of the Droids, but that's my own real complaint about it.

Season 1 (Part 2)
1x12 - Duel of the Droids:
One of my favorite things that was added to the Star Wars mythos by the Prequel Trilogy is R2-D2's overt status as an unsung hero whose actions and antics often result in victory for our main protagonists, and this episode once again allows that aspect of his characterization to come to the fore.

I mentioned in my review for Downfall of a Droid that I wished there had been more overt telegraphing of R3's incompetence not actually being incompetence because it would've helped set up the events of this episode, since the reveal that he's a spy for Grievous falls somewhat flat given that it comes pretty much out of nowhere and is revealed in such a way that seems overly convenient.

I do like that the revelation of his spying does lead directly into Ahsoka engaging Grievous in lightsaber combat, which provides an opportunity for us to witness her skills in a way that is different and more personal than we've seen previously. The fight between her and Grievous is honestly my favorite of the various one-on-one lightsaber fights that have been showcased on the show up to this point.

I liked the way that Anakin and the clones discover R3's treachery far more than the way that Ahsoka (and we as an audience) does, especially since it doesn't feel like it was done just for the sake of convenience and plot, especially since it leads to yet another opportunity for R2 to become the unsung hero that the Prequels showed us he was (as mentioned above). His physical confrontation with R3 may not last very long, but it's a nice thrilling action set-piece that is ultimately just as fun to watch as Ahsoka's fight with Grievous and the firefight between Anakin and the Clones and the droids that R3 intentionally siccs on them.

There's not really anything about this episode that I didn't like, per se, although I do wish that it had ended with Ahsoka having sided with Anakin rather than Obi-Wan when it comes to R2 being seen as more than just a simple droid, since I think it was a missed opportunity as far as furthering her characterization and the development of her and Anakin's relationship is concerned.

1x13 - Bombad Jedi:
This may get me some sideways glances considering that there are any number of arcs and episodes that would probably be considered to be much better than it, but Bombad Jedi is hands-down my favorite episode of the series so far.

I'm a huge fan of both Padme and Jar Jar, so getting an episode focused solely on them was a lot of fun. It also doesn't hurt that the episode provides a perfect opportunity to once again showcase Padme's resourcefulness and independence and Jar Jar's inept heroism (which is my favorite aspect of the character) in a way that encapsulates everything that is enjoyable about Star Wars from a purely childish standpoint while also telling a great story that helps further flesh out Padme's characterization and add new layers to the already-rich mythos of the GFFA.

It was also a lot of fun getting to see Nute Gunray get his comeuppance for putting a hit on Padme in Attack of the Clones, and the way in which he gets captured in this episode is a nice callback to the conclusion of The Phantom Menace.

C-3PO's involvement in the episode is also pretty fun, especially since it gives him a little bit of an opportunity to at least attempt to be heroic, which is something we'd not really seen from the character before.

The only thing I wish the episode had been more clear on is whether or not Padme was actually telling the truth when she told Nute that she and Senator Farr had set everything up as a way to capture him.

1x14 - Cloak of Darkness:
I have some mixed feelings on Cloak of Darkness. It's a great episode in its own right and I like the story overall, but I still find myself wishing there had been character continuity between it and the episode that preceded it, Bombad Jedi, especially since it more or less undoes everything that happens in that episode.

For what it gives us, though, CoD does an excellent job fleshing out the character of Luminara Unduli and letting Ahsoka have her first big independent 'hero moment' away from Anakin, which is important for developing her own characterization as an individual and not just as his partner and Padawan. I like that we get to see another reminder (the first being in Rising Malevolence) that, for all of the responsibilities she's been given, she's still fairly young and has a lot of growing up to do, as evidenced by the scene where she loses her cool and threatens Gunray (which is a nice parallel/callback to some of Anakin's behavior in Attack of the Clones).

I also like that said reminder is bookended by her ultimately being right about Ventress being more dangerous than Master Luminara is giving her credit for being, providing her an opportunity to save the day even though it results in Ventress getting away.

I do wish Commander Argyus's betrayal hadn't felt so trite and pat, though, especially since it does make Ventress look a bit weaker than she ought to given that Gunray's liberation is ultimately a success for her after a couple of unsuccessful mission assignments (the mission to kidnap Jabba's son and the mission to recruit King Katunko).

1x15 - Lair of Grievous:
This is another episode where I wish there'd been some character continuity from the previous one, although it's more forgivable here than it was in Cloak of Darkness since the episode really doesn't continue the Nute Gunray story from the previous two episodes so much as spring from it.

One of the strengths of TCW just as an addition to the Star Wars Canon is that it provides opportunities for characters to be fleshed out in a way that the live-action films never could, something that is readily apparent in this episode. Without the story that's told in this episode, Kit Fisto would be nothing more than just a cool-looking alien Jedi Master who is introduced in Attack of the Clones and gets killed off in Revenge of the Sith by Palpatine. It also provides an opportunity to flesh out Grievous' character some more and establish that, although they're ostensibly working together, he and Dooku have different priorities.

I also like the episode because it gives the writers a chance to do a 'haunted house'-type episode and explore the idea of arrogance having become a more common issue amongst members of the Jedi Order than before, which is something that gets brought up in passing during Attack of the Clones but isn't really followed up on.

I do wish we'd gotten to know a bit more about Nahdar before seeing him killed off, especially since he's the conduit by which the writers explore the theme of arrogance and belief in the superiority of one's own power driving one's actions, but that's my only real complaint about the episode.

1x16 - Dooku Captured:
For what is the start of a fairly standalone (in the grander scheme of things) two-part story arc, Dooku Captured actually covers a lot of ground and has a pretty big impact on the Star Wars mythos as a whole and the self-contained mythos of the Clone Wars series itself, introducing us to the planets of Vanquor and Florrum and the character of Hondo Ohnaka.

I like that the episode starts out with Anakin having seemingly gone MIA during what is presented as a reckless and impulsive 'rogue mission' but turns out to actually be part of a pre-orchestrated plan, as it showcases some of the resourcefulness and camaraderie between Anakin and Obi-Wan that we later see in Revenge of the Sith but hadn't yet gotten to completely see thus far in this series due to the piece-meal nature of the war and the fact that both men have their own individual sets of responsibilities. As with the reveal of Ahsoka being Anakin's Padawan, I'm glad this wasn't something that was telegraphed before being revealed.

Another thing I like about the episode is that Dooku's escape from Anakin and Obi-Wan is really nothing more than a catalyst for the introduction of Hondo Ohnaka and the creation of a situation that puts both Anakin and Obi-Wan in a bit of a 'tight spot' and allows the writers to continue to explore their friendship and partnership in a way that, as noted, hadn't really been done thus far.

The hunt for Dooku - which could have easily been the sole focus of the episode - effectively becomes 'just one more adventure' for Obi-Wan and Anakin. I also like that, as revealed in the next episode, they're still caught off-guard in spite of knowing that they need to be on their guard around Hondo and his pirate crew, as it helps establish that they're not infallible and do occasionally find themselves in over their heads.

1x17 - The Gungan General:
As the conclusion of the story started in Dooku Captured, The Gungan General does a really good job, but one of my favorite elements of it is that it also provides a vehicle for further exploring Jar Jar's character and once again allowing the writers to showcase his inept heroism.

As I mentioned above, I like that this episode opens with the reveal that Anakin and Obi-Wan had still been caught off-guard by Hondo and his pirates in spite of taking precautions and keeping their guard up, not only because it helps establish that they're not infallible (as I also mentioned above), but also because it puts them into a situation where they're forced to cooperate with Dooku in order to get themselves - and him - out of the predicament they're in.

My favorite thing about the character of Hondo is that, despite being a pirate and a scoundrel, he is, in his own way, honorable, since it would've been very easy to just paint him as your typical criminal scumbag character who is only in the episode to serve as an obstacle for our heroes. It's refreshing to see that he can be outplayed and deceived by his own men, thus making him sympathetic while also ensuring that there's a chance for us as an audience to see him again at some point.

Moving on from Hondo, let's talk about Jar Jar. I do wish that we'd gotten an explanation as to why he was one of those chosen to deliver Hondo's spice ransom, but that minor nitpick is very easy to overlook since the episode is, as noted above, a great vehicle for further exploring his character and once again letting the writers focus on his inept heroism and the things that make him who he is.

I absolutely love that circumstance puts him in charge of a battalion of Clone Troopers and that he actually does try to lead them in spite of his clumsiness and general ineptitude (just as he tried to take some leadership role back on Naboo during the ground battle with the Trade Federation's Battle Droid army), particularly since it does allow the writers to show, just as was done in TPM, that, clumsy though he may be, he's still capable of saving the day almost in spite of himself.

1x18 - Jedi Crash:
Although Bombad Jedi is my favorite episode of the series thus far and my favorite episode of Season 1, Jedi Crash comes in a close second (along with its direct follow-up, Defenders of Peace), mainly because it builds on the thematic narrative of exploring Ahsoka's character and reminding us that she's still very young even though she's been given all this responsibility that was first focused on in Cloak of Darkness, but in a much more in-depth manner than that episode was able to given its story. I also like the episode because it gives the writers a chance to set up and explore the theme of what it might cost to maintain a peaceful existence in a world that's anything but peaceful.

I love that this episode establishes that, even though they've only been together for a fairly short time, Ahsoka's already developed a fairly strong bond with Anakin by essentially taking him out of the equation for most of it and allowing somebody else to mentor and guide her.

Since she's one of the few Expanded Universe characters that George Lucas personally incorporated into filmic Star Wars Canon, I've always been intrigued by Aayla Secura even though she's nothing more than a background character in both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, so getting to see her used here was fun, especially since she's voiced by the magnificent Jennifer Hale (who is one of the few people I can think of who can say that she's been a part of two of the greatest Space Opera/Sci-Fi/Sci-Fantasy franchises in history [Star Wars and Mass Effect]).

I also really enjoy the way she's able to teach Ahsoka about the dangers of getting too attached to people, even though it's also clear from the episode (and its follow-up) that Ahsoka doesn't entirely learn the lesson (another thing she has in common with Anakin).

The other thing that makes this episode my second-favorite episode from Season 1 is, as noted, the way it introduces the Lurmen and uses them to explore the theme of what trying to maintain a peaceful existence in a world that's anything but peaceful may ultimately end up costing you. It's hard not to sympathize with Tee Watt Ka's standoffish reaction to the presence of Aayla, Anakin, Ahsoka, and their Clone battalion on their peaceful little world, especially since their presence does present a very real danger to him and his people, both physically and on a psychological level, but it's also not hard to see things from the opposite perspective, especially since it's not our heroes' fault that they crash-landed on Maridun and disrupted the Lurmen's peaceful way of life.

1x19 - Defenders of Peace:
As mentioned above, Defenders of Peace is tied with its companion episode Jedi Crash as my second-favorite episode of Season 1 (behind Bombad Jedi), mainly because it continues the exploration of the thematic idea of what it might cost to maintain peace in a world that's anything but peaceful, but also because it, like Return of the Jedi, explores the idea of a much more primitive society prevailing over a much more advanced society.

I also really like the episode because it initially puts Ahsoka and Anakin on opposite sides of a philosophical debate, which is a nice counterpoint to the fact that they have such a close bond as Master and Padawan. The idea that circumstances ultimately force our heroes into disrespecting the Lurmen's neutral stance in order to put a stop to Lok Durd's schemes is handled extremely well and without coming down on any one particular side of the debate itself is another thing that makes the episode work as well as it does.

I also really like the character of Lok Durd. He was a nice counterpoint to the other Neimodians we'd seen previously, and the way George Takei plays the character as fussy and slightly uptight only adds to his interesting nature as a character and antagonist. My favorite moment of his from the episode is his reaction to his forces losing: "There goes my promotion". It's so totally hilarious and yet totally Star Warsian at the same time.

1x20 - Trespass:
I really like Trespass, although not quite as much as I like Bombad Jedi, Jedi Crash, and Defenders of Peace. There's nothing wrong, per se, with the episode that makes me rank it lower than those 3 episodes, but I just found myself enjoying those 3 particular episodes more.

Trespass is notable for me in that it's a return to exploring the underlying theme of cooperation and co-existence that underpins much of The Phantom Menace, yet doesn't feel like it's retreading that same thematic ground. I also like it because it introduces us to yet another character voiced by the magnificent Jennifer Hale in the diminutive Senator Chuchi.

The Talz are a really interesting species that, apart from their focus here, we don't really get to see all that much of in Star Wars Canon, so it was neat getting to see them fleshed out as a culture and a society, especially since they really weren't doing much more than defending their own sovereign territory against unwanted invaders. It's kind of ironic that, in a very real sense, the title refers not to the Talz themselves but to everyone else besides them.

I really liked Senator Chuchi's character, not just because she is, as noted, voiced by Jennifer Hale, but also because of the role that she ends up playing in the episode.

The conflict that arises between her and Chairman Chi Cho is handled really well, particularly since you get the feeling that Senator Chuchi would rather not be at odds with him but that she feels she has no real choice but to disagree with his aggressive stance towards the Talz, making it immensely satisfying when she's able to outmaneuver him and ultimately resolve the situation without further bloodshed.

It's also fun getting to see Obi-Wan, Anakin, and others running around on an ice planet in a nice precursor to what will happen with Luke and the rest of the Rebellion in about 25 years' time.

1x21 - Blue Shadow Virus:
Naboo has been one of my favorite planets in the Star Wars universe since its introduction in The Phantom Menace, so it was fun getting to revisit it in this episode, especially since coming back to the planet allowed the writers to introduce yet another interesting member of the Gungan species in Peppi Bow (which is a great name, BTW). I love that she's so very different to both Jar Jar and Boss Nass, and I also like that, when she's first introduced, she doesn't seem like she's going to be much more than a background character yet ends up playing a pivotal role in this episode and its follow-up.

The story of having to deal with a man-made plague is an interesting one to explore, especially using Naboo as a backdrop, although I do wish that the villain of the piece, Nuvo Vindi, hadn't been such your stereotypical mad scientist, although his personality and accent do allow the writers and voice actor to have a bit of fun at times, offering some levity in what is otherwise quite a heavy episode.

I do kind of wish the episode had a bit more introspection in it than it does, especially given the very personal aspects of its follow-up. The final 10 minutes or so with everybody rushing to stop the virus bombs from being detonated is a lot of fun, but I think it could've used a bit of contrast. That's really neither here nor there, though, and the episode works very well as-is.

1x22 - Mystery of a Thousand Moons:
This episode may not have been intended to be a season finale as produced or aired, but it works very well as one because it's got all the elements that make up a good season-ending story. It's a great follow-up to Blue Shadow Virus that juxtaposes frenetic action with personal drama in a way that we don't get to often see in Star Wars, and also lets us finally see just what Anakin was talking about when he asked Padme if she was an Angel during their first encounter with one another.

I really liked getting to see the planet of Iego, although I do wish we'd spent a little more time there getting to know its inhabitants, especially the one Angel we meet, but since Anakin and Obi-Wan were on a fairly urgent mission, I can forgive the writers for not spending any more time on the planet than was absolutely necessary, especially since the action going on on Naboo with Padme, Ahsoka, Jar Jar, and the Clones being trapped in Vindi's underground lab and slowly succumbing to the Blue Shadow Virus was so gripping and personal.

Anakin's visceral reaction to the release of the plague and the fact that people he cared about, particularly Padme, were in danger was perfectly played by Matt Lanter, and I'm rather surprised that it didn't get more of a reaction from Obi-Wan than it did, especially given what we as an audience know about the true nature of his and her relationship.

I also liked this episode in that it offers us our first opportunity to really see the two most important women in Anakin's life - his wife and his Padawan - interact with one another, and helps highlight the things that make both characters an asset to both Anakin personally and to the Republic at large. The scene where a weakened Padme comes to the rescue of Ahsoka and the Clones is really well-done, and is my favorite individual scene in the series thus far.

Final Thoughts on the Season:
It can be really difficult to launch a new cartoon series even if said series isn't directly connected to one of the most popular and successful franchises in history, but the team behind The Clone Wars not only managed to successfully launch the series, they also made it as compelling and interesting to watch as anything put forth by the live-action Star Wars movies.

I do wish that the series had been initially produced and broadcast in chronological order, because it would've made what is already an excellent Freshman outing for the series even better, but that's really neither here nor there.

The Clone Wars' first season is a very worthy addition to the mythos of Star Wars that serves as a great follow-up to Attack of the Clones and the beginning of a great bridge between that episode and Revenge of the Sith (even if said 'bridge' ended up being incomplete due to circumstances beyond the control of any of the individuals involved in producing the series).

***
I intend to continue doing these reviews for the remaining seasons of the show, but will post them here now that I know of this thread's existence. I'm hoping to have the first part of my Season 2 Review posted tomorrow, but in the meantime, let me know what you guys think about what I had to say.

 

What about the Ryloth trilogy?

 

You'll see.

 

They are doing it in chronological order

 

Pardon me if this has been discussed before, but had anyone noticed an uncanny resemblance between the first Inquisitor on Rebels and the "Son" from the Mortis episodes on TCW?

 

I think it's intentional. The Son is represents all the Sith seen in the films, past and future. So having his physical appearance resemble the Iquisitor makes sense.