Full Series TCW Grade the Episode: S05E02: A War On 2 Fronts

You guys know the drill.

Poll results are available by clicking on the number of votes next to each score.

That being said, we'd still prefer you to post with your score and a brief description of what you liked and disliked. Again, it's not the episode discussion thread so we don't want a wall of text post.

 

9/10, solid episode. Not as good as the last one. Though depending on how this arc goes, I may want to revise this up or down. It's only the first 1/4th of the story.

 

5/10
Better than last week, but just duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuull. Nothing substantial happens, the setting is poorly contextualized. Props for animation highs (flowing capes, Iziz), but cons for animation lows (Steela and Saw's facial animations)

Overall lack of logic on the part of the main characters, contradicting dialogue, and lots of padding. Just boring.

 

10/10

I loved every part of this episode, i'm being biased

 

7/10

Loved the idea of the story and really liked the council scene. The episode overall was a bit dull, but it’s clearly written to be an introduction, and it’s difficult to rate it without having seen the following three parts.
The biggest problem for the episode is that it doesent match the Darth Maul story in epicness and intensity.
It was a very good move to not start the season with this, its way to low key to work as a season opener.

 

On its own, I gave a 6. As part of an arc, it may improve once we see the arc. It wasn't bad, not at all, but not "that good." I'll say enjoyable, but not near as much fun as Revival.

 

6.5/10, rounded up to 7/10 I guess. I agree with everything Asharak said. Definitely would be a failure as a season opener, I don't know how they decide the episode viewing order, but I'm glad someone stepped in to say "let's go with something exciting".

We'll do a "Grade the Onderon Arc" poll once it's finished. It is definitely true the rest of the arc will help determine how successful this episode is.

If the love quadilateral stuff continues unabated for 3 more episodes, I might have to stab out one of my eyes. And destroying the tanks seemed a little too easy.

That being said, the Council scene was fantastic at the beginning, although every time I see Yoda I think "Ric Olie, you have become". And the Iziz scene was great - as someone noted, it felt very classic SW and Kenobi and Skywalker felt like their classic selves.

The "impressive - most impressive' stuff might have felt a little on the nose, but I've mentioned before that Vader is actually totally sarcastic and hilarious in the OT, while Anakin is nothing like him in the PT. I like throwing a couple of mannerisms in there to bridge the character.

 

7/10. It's good minus the stupid love stuff. Music seemed a bit over-dramatic in the combat which makes me roll my eyes.

 

8/10. Solid opening to what I think will be an exciting arc. Amused by the awkward love triangle. interested to see what's in store for these rebels in general. Overall it makes me want to tune in next week.

 

10/10

I loved this episode. The animation, the plants moving, the Jedi robes/Council scene, the night sky twinkling, the training sequences, Anakin sensing Ahsoka's lack of focus, Ahsoka's struggles with human emotion, the diversity in the flora and fauna, and Iziz looked amazing, totally evocative of Ancient Rome.

 

6/10 for me. It wasn't terrible, but it did have some plot issues. Mostly, it was just a pretty dull episode IMO.

 

8/10
Generally enjoyable episode, with a rare zero blows to established canon. In fact, Onderon appears faithfully recreated in almost every detail, contributing highly to my liking of the episode. The episode suffers from a few minor points, however, which led me to deduct half a point for each, including: Slow pacing, unsubtle love triangle business, too short of a period for training while overemphasizing dull "roll the ball" elements of the training for too long, and weak battledroid humor/tactics. Altogether, Minus 2.

 

8/10, I really enjoyed it, it wasn't anything spectacular, and some of the scenes dragged on too long for me.

 

If this wasn't the first episode with robes, it would definitely be a 5 or 6. But since it is, and also because it depicts Anakin and Obi-Wan's relationship exceptionally well (for the fraction of time that was dedicated to that), I'm giving it a 7. I freaking love the robes.

 

7/10

I can forgive this episode for not being very action oriented, just because of how character-driven it was. That being said, I hope the love quadrangle is resolved in the next episode, because it was already wearing out its welcome by the end.

+o em gee robez!!!!
+explanation of how destroyer shields work was neat
+Anakin beginning to notice Ahsoka's feelings towards Lux
-Confusion about the monarchy of Ondoran in the opening reel.
-Lux is now the senator of Ondoran? When did that happen?
-"Most impressive" Yes we get it you're going to be Darth Vader someday

 

Isn't Anakin's robe, the same robe that we see Jar Jar wearing in Bombad Jedi?

 

Going to give this a 6/10. It was a good opening episode that set up the premise and the characters well.

 

7/10. This episode was pretty boring and compared to "Revival" which was excellent.

The training part was to long and just not very creative, even Rex didn't make it more interesting to me besides that odd smile he gave Lux when he tossed the droid popper to him. The love triangle stuff is also pretty weak although I guess I'll give them a chance to do something with it. Steela is a pretty uninteresting character on top of that. I didn't feel like Anakin or Obi-wan did much in this episode.

However the Jedi Council scene at the beginning, fight at the end, and more intimidating battle droids were all good points of the episode. Lux continues to be a character I enjoy, he still seems way over his head here, and I like how Saw picks on him. The call back to "A Friend in Need" was also well done and its always good in my book to have Rex in an episode.

"A War On Two Fronts" reminds me a lot of how "Kidnapped" was a weak start to the Slave of the Republic arc and the remaining episodes kicked that one up a notch. I hope this Onderon Arc picks up like that.

 

He ascended to his mother's place after her death. He was addressed as "Senator" by Count Dooku in "A Friend in Need"

 

8.9/10
Good intro for the beginning of this arc
+ Liked the Jedi council scene seeing how they are divided in dealing with the Onderon situation seeing Ahsoka listening each side of the argument.
+Jedi robes and the setting of the planet of Onderon like Iziz
+ interested in the love triangle that is happening between Ahsoka, Lux, and Steela. Also interested how Ahsoka deals with these feelings she might have and how it will affect her.
+The Jedi and Rex explaining to the rebels how to take down the droids.
+probe droids also funny dialogue
-slow paced though understandable as it is the first part of the arc.
-having to have to wait a week for each new episode
? waiting to see how Lux, Steela, Saw characters are going to be developed in this arc.
?Confusion about Monarchy on Onderon and wondering what do the rebels mean by the true king.

 

+The art design is amazing as always
+Steela and Saw have character potential
+Jedi argue about realistic and controversial dilemma

-Almost 20 minutes of watching adults play toss-the-detonator
-Cliched teenage romance plot riding on physical contact rather than the character's personalities
-After some of the complex villains we've seen so far, the show throws us a curve-detonator with some dude we know next to nothing about
-What's the background to the rebels again? What exactly is Lux's connection to them?
-Dumb droids -- not only are we lacking a credible (or visible) villain, the only worthwhile "threat" in this entire episode were droids who can't shoot strait

Final Verdict: Half-baked plot. Lots of wasted potential.

4/10

 

Wheres that old 1/10 vote?! Now the whole grading system is skewed

 

This only gets a 7 from me for the perfect way Anakin and Obi-Wan's relationship was handled and introduction of robes (orgasmotron), without which it'd be a 5 or 6. Spending SO much time on elementary training scenes felt very S1 and like a waste to me, and the Disney-love-sub-plot with Ahsoka is total barf-o as my mom once said.

 

7/10

Like most others here, I think that by itself, this episode deserves about a 5, but I have a feeling that once we see it within the context of the upcoming story arc, it will serve as a nice intro.