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| By Tony Pacitti |
So far, the current season of The Clone Wars has left a lot to be desired if you ask me.
After starting with a bang, we’ve been treated to a lot of political back-story, a Bail Organa/Jar Jar Binks buddy cop routine and an episode where Sy Snootles (a.k.a. the singing alien in Return of the Jedi with big, puckery red lips on the end of her elephant-like trunk mouth) played a crucial role.
It has made for mostly boring TV in a galaxy far, far away.
Making matters worse is the fact that the show jumps rather erratically across it’s own timeline.
Episodes turn out to be prequels to events that happened a season or more ago with nothing to tip you off other than that strange feeling of “Wait, isn’t that guy dead? Why is Ziro back in jail?” Though to be fair, it does make perfect sense for the show to back pedal. After all, it is dealing with a period of finite time.
There is only so much Star Wars that happens between Episodes II and III. I’m sure they don’t want to get all M*A*S*H* on us and have eight more Wookiee Life Day episodes than there were actual Wookiee Life Days over the course of the Clone Wars.
But all of this griping aside there is plenty to like about The Clone Wars.
When the show is firing on all cylinders it’s easy to see that the people behind the wheel grew up loving this world. The way most of it is written, the way the things are designed to look like their logical pre-Original Trilogy counterparts and the way the voice talent brings the characters to life all reflect that. It’s also pretty violent—all out of necessity, mind you, it is a show about war after all—something that I find pretty commendable for a kids show.
All of these factors can be found in an upcoming, three episode story arc that I was fortunate enough to catch during it’s limited theatrical sneak peek. If this story line was any indication, The Clone Wars fans should expect The Clone Wars to form in January.
I’m going to do this as spoiler free as possible, but if you’re extremely sensitive, even to hearing just the gist of things, then bail now.
The three episode arc revolves around Asajj Ventress’ betrayal at the hands of Count Dooku. After he ends their Master/Apprentice relationship Ventress retreats to her homeworld, Dathomir, which should be familiar to followers of the Star Wars Expanded Universe as the home of the Nightsisters, a group of Dark Side witches.
The arc also introduces Savage Opress—say it like you’re French—a member of Darth Maul’s clan and Dooku’s new apprentice. The three eventually clash—with each other and with Jedi—and by the end Ventress is left looking for revenge and Savage embarks on a questionable quest to unlock his dark power.
So that’s it without getting too specific, but again, if this is a sign of things to come than color me intrigued. Savage Opress, despite sounding like the name of a French Street Fighter character, is a total badass. He’s also noble at first, a trait we weren’t led to believe that Darth Maul ever possessed. What got me though was the look we’re given into Ventress’ past and a new way of looking at what her future might be. Ventress, and Anakin’s Padawan Ahsoka Tano, are never mentioned in Episode III.
Poor planning on Lucas’ part?
Could be, but I like to think they maybe we don’t hear about them again becasue they don’t make it that far.
Ventress, an enemy of both the Republic and Dooku, is alone and staring down the ends of both barrels. As for Ahsoka, wouldn’t her death be a huge step forward in Anakin’s path to evil?
Episode III shows us that the straw that breaks Anakin’s back and gives way to Vader is his fear of Padme’s death. The loss of his padawan would only validate those fears. In a series where the end is known, character’s like Ventress and Ahsoka prove to be the most compelling. While we can jump to conclusions about where/how they end up, we could just as easily be very wrong. Maybe they each peace out and are never seen from again.
Maybe they team up and get all Thelma and Louise on us, driving a landspeeder straight into the Sarlacc’s mouth, clutching each other’s hand the whole time because sure, the galaxy might be one, big boys club but damn it all if they’re not going out on their own terms as independent, Force-wielding women!
But back to the point: these three episodes were a return to what has made the Clone Wars a pleasure to watch.
It’s fun, action packed pulp.
It also managed to shake up the status quo for a few of its major players. For the first half of season three I’ve been holding on to the hope that all of the slow, politically based episodes were being lumped together to keep them from slowing down the season’s more exciting back half.
Based on Savage Opress’ debut and a sneak peak at the rest of the season, it looks like Dave Filoni and The Clone Wars writers have been saving the most interesting episodes for last this year. I’m hesitant to say best because in addition to the very dangerous twist at the end of these episodes, the rest of the season looks to be very strange, even by Star Wars standards.
Dangerous, strange, but by no means boring.
