Full Series For Discussion of Old TCW episodes...

Season 1 Episode 5: Rookies

Droidbait tries to commuincate with the new lifeforms, via the universal language of dance.

Rookies is the first Clone-centric episode, and sets up many of the themes that would recur throughout the Clones' arcs. This episode really makes you feel for the Clones, whose lives are just one step away from being snuffed out at any point. The suddenness of the deaths in the episode really helps reinforce this. But it also shows how the clones can be resourceful, as they cannily take back the base and step up to the challenges presented to them. The Story also ups the stakes with the new commando droids, a much more deadly improvement.

It's remarkable how different the clones themselves can be, and credit must go towards both the writers and Dee Bradley Baker. Echo will follow any order, but struggles to think outside the box. Hevy just wants to kill droids, and is bored out of his skull when on maintenance duty. The Sergeant knows the full horrors of the war. Rex and Cody are efficient leaders of men. Droidbait and Cutup... get killed almost instantly. Hey, not everyone's a winner, including Fives, who is a pun name in search of character at this point in the series. But the groundwork has been laid to expand the clones, and the series would continue to do so from here on out.

Minor Observations

+It's funny how all the clone always refer to Kamino as 'Our Home Planet' whenever they mention. They're all clones, so why do they need reminding?
+The Second Clone Wars drinking game starts here: Take a shot every time you see a grey box, with a green outline and a circle in the middle. As the box can't always be rendered properly, take two whenever the box has a perfect circle on it.
+"Don't forget about those eels."
"Ah, I've never seen one."
Cutup is instantly killed by and eel.

+The scene where the droid impersonates a clone is hilarious, the arm movements and voice work great together
+That said, Rex seems like a bit of a psychopath shooting the droid just because of the flare.
+I'm surprised that the eel goes down after only one shot. Seem's too easy.
+Anakin and Obi-Wan's plot line is rather mundane, but that's good. The Jedi don't need to be getting into trouble all the time.
+I find it weird that the Separatists go ahead with the invasion of Kamino ('Our Home Planet'), even though the fleet has been discovered. Even stranger that it took two seasons to pass before it happens.
+Eel blood must be very good a staining armour, seeing as Rex's hand print will stay on Echo's armour for ages after this.
+The Clone's theme also debuts in this episode. It's really good and one of Kiner's best.

 

Rookies contains the funniest line in all of star wars!

Battle Droid: Reinforcements reporting open up
Hevy (Wielding Giant Chain Gun) You didn't say please

 

Addendum to my Rookies Review:

+My Cousin is a fan of Star Wars, but hasn't seen much of The Clone Wars (Mainly just the Movie and few scattered Season 1 episodes). He had played Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, and his favourite character to play as was Hevy. In that version, Hevy didn't die, and my cousin had never seen Rookies.

Recently he decided that he wanted to watch the series through. When we got to Rookies he was devastated to learn that Hevy died at the end.

That's how good the Clone Wars is at creating emotional drama. The episode elevated the Clones into real characters, and made him feel for them.

 

Poor thing, he'll be confused when he gets to season three.

 

Hevy DID die in Lego Star Wars III

The troopers catch his helmet falling from the sky, give him a respectful salute then bugger off home

 

Lol on the hand print!! It was a bit extreme shooting the apparent clone owing to the flare. Though it had been suspicious behavior before this. It's that ARC training.. he sensed it.

 

How did those commando droids' three finger hands fit inside those five fingered gloves again?

 

The force can lead to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.

 

Season 1 Episode 6: Downfall of a Droid



This episode always felt a bit a slog to me. The plot doesn't have that much tension regarding R2, as it's rather obvious that they aren't going to kill him off. The stupidity of some characters in the episode is rather annoying, like how noone suspects R3 at all, and how devoted to him Ahsoka is.

Still the opening battle is visually striking (Walkers... in Space!), and the grubby salvage ship is nice contrast to the mostly clean Republic and Separatist facilities. The battle at the end just feels a bit pointless however, and is just an excuse for R3 to do some evil things. So not the best episode.

Minor Observations

+The music in this episode is some I really enjoy, with a techno beat, making it very unique.

+I love the room with the circular door, where they enter the salvage ship. It was reused in Destroy Malevolence (which was produced after) and it's just a cool way to enter the ship.

+The Assassin droid fight just feels like a waste of time.

+"A gold droid, for gold leader, of gold squadron!", I love this line, and quote it whenever I hear the words Gold leader now.

+Anakin and Ahsoka pretending to be a couple is humourous. 'Pookums' especially.

 

Not sure Anakin and Ahsoka were posing as a couple more like father and daughter.....

 

Whatever floats your boat.

 

Season 1 Episode 7: Duel of the Droids




Anakin watches as Ahsoka misses the platform an plunges to her death.


This episode feels much stronger than the preceding one, with the infiltration of Skytop Station actually providing a plot, instead of everyone just pottering around or angsting about R2. The mission is very cool, from the skydive at the start, to the collapsing station at the end. The titular duel of the droids is short, but satisfying, as R2's improvements help him defeat R3.

Grievous also gets a good story, being creepy ("We're all droids here"), and powerful, nearly defeating Ahsoka.

Anakin seems a bit obsessed in this episode though. I know it's to show his attachment to R2, but when he says things like "Noone could ever replace R2" or when he recognises R2 whistles over the radio, it all seems a bit too over the top. Still, it gets the point across I suppose.

Minor Observations

+I love that the station is one of the cores from a trade federation battle ship. It's so cool to just see the center hovering in mid air.

+Rex having to carry R3 is great.

+During the skydiving sequence, Ahsoka is seen to hold her breath and her cheeks puff out. Anakin doesn't do this however, so what the point of it is moot.

+The hangar in the station is full of the circle boxes from Rookies, suggesting that both the Separatists and the Republic get their boxes from the same supplier.

+Ahsoka still seems convinced that R3 is just making mistakes for a really long time. It's obvious that he's a traitor long before Ahsoka realises.

 

Is it alright if I post this now? It's techincally a double post, but nobody's posted in a while, and I want to continue my reviews.



Season 1 Episode 8: Bombad Jedi



I have to admit this here first, I really like Jar Jar Binks. That probably explains why this is one of my favourite episodes of TCW. Also it’s really funny, especially with the double-act of C3PO and Jar Jar. Why did it take so long for someone to put these two together!? The scene where the battle droids attack is comedy gold, showing off Jar Jar’s slapstick and 3PO’s general cowardliness. Padme also gets some good action sequences, and Rodia is a gorgeous planet.

The return of Gunray is appreciated, as he’s different kind of villain to Dooku or Grievous, motivated by profit and a desire to save his own skin. It’s a shame that he didn’t appear much after this.

Minor Observations

+I love that Jar Jar calls 3PO, 3SO, and that 3PO keeps trying to correct him

+”Battle droids?”
“No.”
“Jar Jar?”
“Jar Jar.”


+”I couldn’t possibly say, but our only option is to hide in this cupboard” Also

+The console in Padme’s prison cell looks like a TARDIS console.

+”Meesa eyeball is stuck in the sleeve”, despite the fact that the robe has no sleeves. Only Jar Jar could do that. I still quote this line when getting dressed though.


+It’s nice that Padme has one of Anakin’s spare robes in her ship. It’s a nice reference to their secret relationship.

 

OK, Thanks.

 

A fellow Jar Jar appreciator! Good for you. He lends that touch of alien quality to the whole series.

 

I have to agree I was not there biggest fan of Jar Jar in the PT but he worked better on the clone wars.

 

Season 1 Episode 9: Cloak of Darkness


"This time we will take her together"
"I was about to say that"


Here we have an episode that doesn't quite work for me. Firstly, it's strange that Ahsoka is randomly working with Luminara in this episode. Add to that a pretty basic plot, where the ending is a foregone conclusion (We know that Gunray must escape), makes for an unsatisfying episode.

There are some positives. Argyuss is interesting, motivated by personal greed, compared to the clones unwavering loyalty. Makes you wonder why they don't replace the senate guards with clones. But it's still a nice moral debate with Gree.

Ventress is good in this episode, but she never really feels like that much of a threat.

Minor Observations

+The little binoculars droid is really cute! I also like how the clones get his number wrong, and he corrects them.

+The bit where Ahsoka gets angry at Gunray shows how she's picking up stuff from Anakin. It also works well against Gunray because he's a known coward.

+It's so funny when Ventress propels herself through the vent using the explosion's shockwave. That would never work!

+Ventress' brutal murder of Argyuss is probably her best moment so far.

+I love how the hunters from Rising Malevolence are being used as boarding ships. I like how they burrow into the ship and then open up to unleash the droids. A very cool and unique concept.

 

Season 1 Episode 10: Lair of Grievous



Kit Fisto sits down to watch Lair of Grievous.

I've always liked this episode. The strong sense of dread, the way all the clones get picked off one by, the first Jedi death in the series.

But last time I watched this episode, I found a new viewpoint: Grievous'. From his point of view, this is essentially Home Alone.

Some of his rivals to break into his house. Once there, they begin to trash the place. Once Grievous arrives he's assaulted and he sets up up a load of convoluted traps, like pits of lava. The rivals then kill his beloved pet and his butler/doctor. At the end, Grievous finds out that this was all a ploy by his boss to test him.

I mean, Grievous must have had one hell of day.

Minor Observations

+The doctor droid is hilarious.

+I love how painful Grievous sounds when his mask is removed. I'm also glad that we don't see what's beneath as it adds to the mystery.

+I'd like to imagine Grievous throwing a house party. I can just imagine the Separatist leaders navigating the lava pits, and having dinner in the castle.

+The foggy atmosphere of the planet is really cool.

+I like that Kevin Kiner reused the Rancor fight theme, originally composed for Castle of Salvation (though unused) for the battle with Gor.

 

Season 1 Episode 11: Dooku Captured





This episodes debuts probably the last key part of TCW (from season 1 at least). Hondo Ohnaka. He us a joy to watch and listen to, with so many choice quotes, I don't know where to even start, so I'll just list whenever I reach one.

This arc in general is all about captures and escapes, with the episode starting with Anakin in custody, to Obi-Wan and Anakin being trapped in the cave, to Dooku's imprisonment. Vanquor is a really nice planet, and it's nice to see Gundarks for the first time. Florrum's ok, but it feels a bit too familiar, like someone mashed Geonosis and Tatooine together, then put some animals from Naboo there.

Regarding complaints about Dooku being captured, I don;t think it diminishes his character that much. Hondo's pirates feel strong enough to trap him, and it's nice to see a new perspective on the galaxy with them.

Minor Observations

+As far as I know, this episode features the first mention that Holograms can be faked. I find this weird for some reason, but I guess it makes sense.

+I love how Dooku has a secret escape chair. It reminds me of Thunderbirds, where he takes the chute straight to his ship.

+"Blasters, cannons, that glowy thing, voom voom!"
"You mean a lightsabe-
"That's it."

+I never expected Gundarks to be so big. Something about hearing that they live in nests, made me think they were small.

+The pirate UFOs are really unique and cool. They remind me of the one at the end of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

+Dooku Duel count: 2 (I forgot to do this for Castle of Salvation)

+"How am I supposed to become a Master, when I'm always being caught?"
"At least your'e a master... of being caught"

 

Okay, the fun's over, now back to work *grumble*

 

Season 1 Episode 12: The Gungan General



I feel this episode works less well than the previous one. Adding Jar Jar to mix does it no favours, as his part of the plot is rather weak. The scenes with Dooku and the Jedi are really good though. It's interesting seeing the different ways that they try to escape, with Obi-Wan using his mind tricks, and Dooku manipulating objects, like at the end of AOTC.

So not a bad episode, but not great either

Minor Observations

+The Clone Wars seems to have a thing about people being tortured via electric shocks. Here, Anakin and Obi-Wan are the victims, but this form of torture will be used again and again in the show.

+I like that one of the pirates calls Jar Jar, Representative Bink.

+"As my sweet mother always said, 'son, if one hostage is good, two are better, and three, well, that's just good business!"

+I like the staff of Ra cameo, the first of many Indy references in the show.

+I like the way the seats in the shuttle lift up to reach the cockpit.

 

Great reviews btw. I loved the caption on this one!!! What did you make of the Clone Cadets, Jedi Crash, Defenders of Peace and Corruption episodes?

I liked the line Gold droid for Gold Squadron. It was great. Another good one was in Cargo of Doom, where the droid on the bridge goes "I hate this job!". It also demonstrated that clones and droids are as good as their commanders - e.g. the droid advised against continuing the interrogation of the Jedi and that it might kill him. He even had a sad voice to note his demise.

 

Thanks about the caption. I always try to think of something for each episode, but can't always.

I'll get to the later episodes eventually, but I'm still on season 1. Jedi Crash will be soon though.

 

That's great. Only thing is for the Malveolence arc, I couldn't understand why Grievous didn't succeed in destroying the station. Or indeed how the Republic fighters took on a massive cruiser which must have had thousands of droid fighters onboard to launch? Not to mention canons?