Full Series For Discussion of Old TCW episodes...

Maybe it doesn't have much space for droid starfighters, due to the ion cannons.

 

Season 1 Episode 13: Jedi Crash
"Medically, he's completely healthy. For reasons we can't explain, we're losing him. We don't why. He has lost the will to live."


Jedi Crash is quite a strong episode, with the long trek across the empty grasslands, Anakin and Rex's nighttime battles, and the stunning opening battle (in tha atmosphere!). Aayla is a nice character, and helps move along some of Ahsoka's themes, like letting go of her master, making the pairing more sensical that just putting Ahsoka and Luminara together and seeing what sticks.

The Lurmen's have a nice design, and I like the way Wag-Tu rolls around like a droideka. Their voices are a bit strange though, the accent being a bit odd. But overall a cool species design. Their pacifism is a bit annoying at times, even when life and death situations are right next door to them.

So, a pretty good episode all round. (You know I always have trouble concluding these, I never know what to write.)

Minor Observations

+Aayla appears to be French. I find it weird that from this point on, all Twi'leks will have French accents. Why French? Who knows.

+I love that Anakin's life support makes Darth Vader breathing noises.

+The bird-wolf creatures remind me of the Krafayis from Doctor Who.

+It's a shame that we never see Bly again after his debut (or Gree either for that matter). Seeing as how they're some of the only named clones ins ROTS, it seems weird how minimal their roles were.

 

I enjoyed those episodes featuring Hondo. He was funny and much needed. I liked the banter Anakin and Obi-Wan had with Tyranus while they were attached to him, and I liked TCW's portrayal of a somewhat smarter Jar Jar Binks.

 

I like how the writers thought it'd be ok for Dooku, a powerful Sith Lord, to get captured by pirates

But if the same thing happened to Vader in Rebels THEN EVERYONE LOSES THEIR MINDS!!!!

 

Season 1 Episode 14: Defenders of Peace





This episode is still a good one, but unlike the previous episode the ultra-pacifism gets a bit too preachy and annoying. I'm all for pacifism, don't get me wrong, it's a strong moral standpoint. But the failure of Tee Wat Ka to do anything to protect his people just seems stupid. His head is buried too deep in the sand to recognise the obvious danger presented to him.

But there are still things to like, like George Takei, who has a great larger-than-life character in Luk Durd. The Defoliator tank is really cool as well, and it's a shame it wasn't used a bit more often.

Minor Observations

+This episode certainly contains a lot of accents. Aayla is french, the Lurmens are scottish, Luk Durd is japanese, the clones are from New Zealand, and Anakin and Ahsoka are American.

+I love that Separatists are the ones that invented the Probe Droids. It helps to reinforce how the Empire in the OT is comprised of the remnants of both the Republic and the Separatists, like the mouse droids in ROTS.

+It seems a bit strange how quickly the droids set up such a big compound. The nighttime raid on the base is really awesome though.

+I love the concept that the Lurmen's houses are made from the fallen fruit (or nuts?) from the tree.

 

Wouldn't it be a bit different with Vader? He blocked blaster bolts with his hand! Dooku wears no such armor.

Do you think his capture would've been more believable, if he had put up a fight first?

 

I always thought that Tee Wat Ka was a pacifist to a ridiculous degree whereas Satine was a more realistic one

 

Season 1 Episode 15: Trespass

Obi-Wan is shocked when the Talz leader grabs him so hard, that his eyeballs pop out.


Trespass is one of my favourite episodes of TCW. It's one of the best standalones the series did. The planet of Orto Plutonia, while heavily reminiscent of Hoth, manages to feel distinct, with it's towering columns of rock in which the Clone base is located, and the caves where the Talz live.

The battles in the snow are incredible, especially considering the constant blizzards and snow being kicked up, which must have made this very difficult to animate.

This episode did suffer a bit on my most recent watch through. I think it's because it comes right after Defenders of Peace, another story about a 'primitive' culture being discovered by the outside Galaxy, except this time the natives are war-like and agressive, instead being ultra-peaceful.

But it's still very solid, though not something you could expect to see regularly on TCW.

Minor Observations

+I love the Phase I Snowtrooper outfits. A really cool design. The snow-speeders are nice as well, with the enclosed cockpit.

+Are the Talz native to Orto Plutonia? In ANH, we see one in the Mos Eisley cantina, so by that point they have space travel of a sort.

+I feel sorry for the two clones who ride over the ice bridge to their deaths.

+I love that musical theme in this episode is a slowed down version of the Battle of Christophsis theme. I wish it had been released.

+It always seemed a bit weird that a blue-skinned race came from a planet called Pantora. Avatar, anyboy?

+The ending is really powerful, with the ships blowing the chairman's hat on it's pole for the last time. A wonderful image to leave the episode on.

 

In the canonverse yes, in the Legendsverse no, Ordo Plutonia is a colony rather than the homeworld.

 

So, what happened to all the Talz's technology in the old EU? Why did they regress to a more primitive state in Trespass?

 

The Alzoc III Talz are pretty low-tech as well. Maybe they've never been spacefarers - but were delivered to Ordo Plutonia by someone else (the Sith?).

 

Season 1 Episode 16: The Hidden Enemy

The clones finally track down the thief who's been stealing from the canteen.


Here we have the first 'prequel' episode. The Hidden Enemy is a pretty strong episode, adding some nuance to the Clones, and has a nice little side plot for Anakin and Obi-Wan.

I love the scenes where Cody and Rex interview the clones, as it shows how they can all be different. Dee Bradley Baker just keeps getting better at giving each clone individuality.

However, I do have some reservations about having a clone traitor this early in the series. Everything about Slick is fine, it just feels to soon. It might have felt more natural in seasons 2 or 3.

But, it's still one of the highlights of the season regardless.

Minor Observations

+When Rex and Cody are fighting Slick, it feels like the part in Toy Story when Buzz and Woody fight. It's something about the 'plasticy sound effect' when they punch each other.

+I love how the droids just keep coming in the opening ambush. There are so many of them.

+I like that one of the clones has been taking trophies from the dead droids. Though, if this was a war between organics, taking enemy fingers would just be disgusting.

+Ventress bows out from the series here for 29 episodes. I find it weird that they never used her once in season 2. I never really liked her at first. She just felt like a way for the Jedi to duel someone other than Grievous or Dooku all the time (not that that stopped them). The banter with Obi-Wan is nice, but not enough. I'm glad that Nightsisters redeemed her to me.

 

Lol on that caption that Anakin has lost the will to live! And the clones finding the canteen thief is pure gold!!!

Agreed - a super opening battle, with the Star Destroyers versus CIS cruisers. I also thought the introduction of Aayla Secura was brilliant. It was great to see this Jedi appear and have a brand new Jedi to interact with, especially a strong, talented and confident young woman. Especially her taking charge when the powerful Skywalker was knocked out.

I liked the premise of wanting to stay out of the war and the Jedi stopping their destruction in the next episode. It was also cool to have the night time battles as you said, and even a little humorous interaction between the CIS general (who starts ranting about his promotion) and the droids (the commander goes "Er..yeah. Btw there are Jedi ahead of us")

I also thought the Lurmen were droidekas at one point. If the CIS had brought droidekas would that have been game over for our heroes?

The raid on the CIS base was super, especially Aayla and Ahsoka's stealth infiltration. Ahsoka's skills also have grown as demonstrated by her diplomacy and fighting.

Maybe a shame though why the other clone troopers got killed by the animals so that only Bly and Rex were left. Might have been nice to see them die fighting a bit like on the Ryloth last stand in another season. Would have added some tension. Not to mention having Anakin struggle a little in his later fight - given he was injured! Might have been better to have one of the other Jedi take on the general at the end or Anakin using his immense power of the Force whilst remaining still (like Vader would in the future). I also agree the breathing sound was cool!

The ship jumping to hyperspace was cool, and I loved Aayla's line to Yularen. And those birds did look like the time correcting birds of Who.

Agreed on Aayla being great (I've posted a thread on her in the TV section if you're interested). In a way, Aayla's accent was kinda hot and fits her persona. I do think the CGI Aayla Secura was very well done. She is also a lovely and cheeky character. It is very good to see another Jedi of Anakin's generation. Talented, athletic, compassionate and kind. Aayla's fighting style was also very energetic and a nice touch. I do hope that we get to see more of Aayla one day, maybe leading and having interactions with more citizens. She is a great Jedi. Let's have more of her!!

George Takei as the general was nice. And the probe droids that would be utilized by the Empire later being designed by the CIS. Very good.

Overall two very good episodes, enhanced by Anakin fighting to protect people even when injured, Ahsoka developing on her own, and bringing in the awesome Aayla Secura!

 

RE: Trespass

I always found Chairman Cho an annoyingly 2D character who was clearly written as the villain character for the episode. The way he doesn't listen to anyone and just wants to start a war for no reason "I want this planet I've never visited before to myself" was an annoying motive for him. He was just an overall *******!

 

He seemed like an anti-colonialist's parody of a actual colonialist.

That being said, the views he was espousing were rather vile: "This culture is at a different level of teleological development, and I want an empire. Kill 'em all!".
So it's hard to complain too much.

 

Season 1 Episode 17: Blue Shadow Virus





This episode ends up rather forgotten most of the time. It's neither great nor terrible, hitting straight for average. There are still things to enjoy though, like Nuvo Vindi's hilarious OTT performance, and the ending raid on the secret lab is nice.

But there's not that much here to talk about really. It's just not that interesting an episode.

Minor Observations

+Jar Jar is still being played by the mysterious BJ Hughes. His delivery of the lines is rather painful, especially considering how good Ahmed Best usually is in the role. It gets weirder when you consider that Best voiced Jar Jar in Bombad Jedi, and then in Supply Lines onwards in Season 3. So why was Hughes used for these episodes? Very strange.

+It's nice to see a starring female Gungan at last in Peppi Bow. Though her voice is a tad annoying, she fits in well to the episode, especially when paired with Ahsoka towards the end.

+The secret lab feels very reminiscent of Zurg's secret base at the start of Toy Story 2. It has the same cameras that pop out of the walls or floors, and the hangar door even opens in a similar way.

+More electro-torture in this episode, with Padme and Jar Jar suffering this time.

+I love how 3PO tries to convince the tactical droid that he's a separatist.

+Seeing as this is their first major appearance, the Tactical droids are a really nice addition to the series. More competent that commander droids, they prove a slightly greater challenge to outwit, while still being expendable. This helps the series not to rely as much on the same few villains every time. Another great aspect about them is that so many of the voice actors in the show get to do a cameo and voice one at some point, including Ashley Eckstein, Matt Lanter and James Arnold Taylor among several others.

 

Ah, now we're on to the real quality episodes..

 

Blue shadow brings me back.

 

The Blue Shadow arc nearly killed my interest in the show again at that point, after some earlier ones I really liked. Thankfully the Ryloth trilogy which directly followed it was awesome.

 

Season 1 Episode 18: Mystery of a Thousand Moons


"Yousa thinkin', yousa people gonna die!?"

Like the previous episode, this one is often overlooked, but I find it really fun anyway. Iego has a nice design, and the concept of Droll is really well executed, though defeated a little bit too easily. I like Jaybo Hood and his army of reprogrammed droids. The tense B-plot in the bunker is really good as well, with everyone succumbing to the virus.

It's an episode I really like, and a very overlooked gem.

Minor Observations

+I have to question what the point of including the angel was. It walks on screen, says a few lines, then departs completely from the plot.

+The Separatist defence system seems a bit over the top for this backwater planet. And why do they never use it again, say on Ryloth?

+Anakin and Obi-Wan's climb to the root is a really fun sequence. I love the casual banter between the two of them in this era of TCW.

+The effects of the virus are quite creepy, with the grey skin and cracked features.

+Seeing as how Jar Jar is the only one left with a working bio-suit at the end, he would survive while everyone else dies. I can't quite imagine Jar Jar trapped in a room full of corpses.

 

Something that is still a big question mark for me about Mystery Of A Thousand Moons is how they managed to get Padme, Ahsoka and the other infectees out of the virus gas-filled catacombs without spreading the virus above the ground. They just cut from Anakin and Obi-Wan leaving the planet Iego with the cure to Naboo where the infected individuals are being shipped away for treatment and not a word is said (nor is anything shown) about how they avoided having any of the virus escaping.

 

Well, they had a cure, so it wouldn't have mattered that much. I guess it would have just dissipated into the air eventually.

 

Season 1 Episode 19: Storm Over Ryloth

Mar Tuuk shows us how many episodes he's been in.


This episode is good enough, but I always see it as a bit dull. Ahsoka gets a solid plot, and losing her men is quite dramatic. Her solution at the end is alright as well, turning the ships on their sides.

Anakin also gets a nice plotline, pretending to surrender. It feels like the sort of thing Obi-Wan would do more than Anakin, but it's certainly up to his reckless standards.

Mar Tuuk is a decent villain, though I don't really see why they wanted him to survive so they could bring him back. Seeing as how they never did bring him back that really just proves my point.

So, ok character development for Ahsoka, but not much else.

Minor Observations

+Yularen being injured is a nice touch that ramps up the seriousness.

+I love the droid that says he's the captain at the end.

+Why do the Venators actually have 2 towers? Is there one tower for certain parts of the ship? We only ever see one room at a time.

+ The little spinny light on Mar Tuuk's head is rather distracting. It reminds me of the phasers in Star Trek, how they flip round and change colour when changing from stun to kill.

 

The EU answer is that one bridge is dedicated to starfighter control - since coordinating 400-odd starfighters at a time is a lot of work.

 

Season 1 Episode 20: Innocents of Ryloth

"So, this is where I stick the pins in?"

The Ryloth arc improves with this episode, as the battle reaches the surface. The urban warfare is really striking, reminiscent of conflicts in the Middle East. The journey of Waxer and Boil with Numa is really sweet. I like how Boil pretends to be all hard on the outside, but shows his true feelings eventually.

The ending's really nice as well, with the clones learning that Numa's been calling them 'brother' all this time.

Minor Observations

+The concept of using the villagers as human (or should I say Twi'lek ) shields is quite dark, all things considered.

+The proton cannons are really cool. Cannons... with legs! I always like playing on them in Lego Clone Wars.

+The destruction of the tactical droid at the end would be really gruesome if he wasn't a droid, having all his limbs ripped off. I do like how Obi-Wan tries to cover Numa's eyes, and she peeks out anyway.

+Obi-Wan force controlling the Gutkurrs is really cool.