Clone Wars -- "Victory and Death" (Ep. 7.12) & Season 7 Wrap Up

"I have a plan. Don't worry; it's a good one."

I don't have much I want to say about this episode. In other words, I have a lot I want to say about this episode but only with people who have also seen the episode. They did an extraordinary job entwining the plot with the events of Revenge of the Sith, including the ramifications of Order 66, of which Ahsoka feels the full effects. So does Darth Maul.

I talked about some of this in the write up for the previous episode and, honestly, I don't remember what was in the specific episodes at this point. It was more like a movie that had been split into episodes for viewing. I'm sure that's how they meant it, to feel like another movie.
Let's just say the ending is poignant and highlights the differences between Ahsoka and Anakin. I hear there's are some new fan cuts, four hour fan cuts, of Revenge with this final arc of Clone Wars edited in. I may actually have to watch one because I think seeing the divergence of Ahsoka and Anakin, here at the end, would be interesting to watch as it's happening to each of them.

As it turns out, especially with what seems to be Ahsoka's new upcoming return to the live action side of things in the SWU, this is essential viewing. It's definitely top three of all Clone Wars stories.
Which brings me to my issue with season seven...
After the quote.

"I didn't much like being a commander anyway."


Yeah, only one. I was too busy watching to write them down.

If you go back and look at my earlier reviews of the unfinished episodes which were to make up season seven of Clone Wars, you'll see that there are eight episodes reviewed. Four of those were the episodes dealing with the Bad Batch and the search for Echo; the other four were fucking brilliant and, as I said in my reviews at the time, possibly my favorite story arc in all of Clone Wars.
And they cut it.

Not that I don't understand why they cut it: They basically re-did that story in Rebels -- because it's an important story and part of the lead up to Rogue One -- before they knew they were going to go back and finish season seven, so it makes sense they wouldn't want to re-present a story about finding a giant Kaiburr crystal. It doesn't matter that the Clone Wars one was actually first. People wouldn't see it that way.

But, fuck, the Clone Wars story was so much better. I'm probably going to have to see if StarWars.com still has it available, because I would now like to watch it again. And part of what they replaced it with was the lackluster story of Ahsoka and Trace, which was completely unnecessary. But, you know, they had to have four more episodes about... something, so now I know why those felt so throwaway. They were. That's what they came up with to fill the gap of the story they took out.

I guess it comes down to this: Rebels was fine. It was a completely enjoyable show, but it was really... usually, would say popcorn, but I think it was more like rice cakes. And it was specifically meant to appeal to kids. Clone Wars had substance. And I miss it. And I wish they would bring it back.
For good.

Clone Wars -- "Shattered" (Ep. 7.11)

"You actually captured him."

Oh, yes, I failed to mention in the previous Clone Wars post that Ahsok did, indeed, capture Maul.

There's a direct tie-in with Revenge of the Sith this episode via a reproduced scene from the movie. Things are getting real. This is all happening during Obi-Wan's battle with Grievous and just prior to Windu confronting Palpatine. And, man, Mace is cold to Ahsoka. Makes me think he almost deserves what he's about to get.

This is a pretty hard episode to watch, all things considered. As we continue with our parallel Revenge story, we see the execution of Order 66 as it affects Ahsoka. And Rex.
Oh, yeah, and Maul.
It's an interesting alternate view. Not essential but really, really good and highly recommended.

"I wish I was good at something. Other than war."

"...Go cause some chaos. It's what you're good at."

Clone Wars -- "The Bad Batch" (Ep. 7.01)

-- Embrace others for their differences, for that makes you whole.

Despite being called The Clone Wars, the series doesn't much deal with the clones. Sure, they are in most of the episodes, but the clones are generally supporting characters for the Jedi, especially Anakin and Obi-Wan. Don't get me wrong, this is not something that I mind. The relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan is central to, basically, all of Star Wars, and I have enjoyed immensely the more detailed exploration of that relationship. However, the occasional episodes that focus specifically on the clones, in which the Jedi are mostly absent, are also nice, and this is one of the best of those episodes.

"The Bad Batch" introduces us to four new clones: Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, and Tech; clones which are not quite "right." As we saw somewhat early on in Clone Wars, the clones sometimes suffer mutations. Generally speaking, those clones are kept around in menial position, like janitor, or scrapped completely; however, there are sometimes "positive mutations" which makes those clones valuable assets, thus the Bad Batch.

I'm going to say that I enjoyed these four much more this time than when I watched this episode in its unfinished form. At the time, I felt like this was dangerously close to being nothing more than an X-Men knockoff, a way of adding some variety to the very static clones, but I think, now, that it's a little more than that. Not to mention that it allows them to tell this story about the clones without the need of including any Jedi in it. On the surface, there's this idea of accepting those who are different in some way, but I think the actual thrust here is being accepting of those around us whom we deem "normal." Or, maybe, that's just me, but I know I have my issues in dealing with Regs, so that's what struck me about this episode this time around.

And, now, my thoughts back when I watched it the first time, more than two years ago:

It's been a while since we've had Cody and Rex together in an episode. Thinking back on it, it seems that it's been that Cody has been missing for a while. Or not mentioned. Rex pops up here and there, but I can't remember the last episode with Commander Cody. Sure, yeah, I could go look it up, but it's not that big a deal, just an idle curiosity now that they're teamed together again.

Against our old pal Admiral Trench... who just keeps coming back. He's worse than Grievous.

They're joined by a squad of defective clones, Clone Force 99. If you remember way back to season three, you might remember clone 99, for whom the squad is named. These are clones who didn't turn out quite right but who have beneficial, let's say, mutations. Sort of like the X-Men of clones. Basically, they have a special mission, and they need a group that is a bit... unconventional. You can't get more unconventional than Clone Force 99.

Of course, things go to hell almost immediately.

And then we have an echo of an old character long thought dead...

That's all I'm going to give you. The hint should be enough.

"It's not that they win, it's how they win that worries me."

Rebels: "Ghosts of Geonosis: Part 1" (Ep. 3.12)

-- "There are times I hate being right, and I hope this isn't one of them."

I guess we're on a dead planet kick: Dathomir last episode, Geonosis this episode and next. Wow! The Clone Wars really left a lot of dead planets. Which makes me wonder about the "current" state of Mandalore. The original conception of Boba Fett was that he was the last of the Mandalorians, but so much of that got changed in the prequels and the subsequent Clone Wars episodes dealing with Mandalore that I'm sure what the current status actually is. I'm not even sure the Fetts were supposed to be Mandalorian at this point.

None of which has to do with this episode at all.

So getting back to Geonosis, a great place for a vacation home!
If, you know, you like absolute solitude. That is until the zombie bugs come for you.
None of which are in this episode.

But Saw Gerrera is in this episode! And he's looking more like how he looked in Rogue One than he did last time we saw him. Saw's an interesting character, one who could probably support his own series. [Hear that Disney? Give us a Saw Gerrera series!] He's gone missing on Geonosis investigating the disappearance of the entire population of the planet. And what do you do when your team investigating a disappearance also disappears? You send more people, of course!
And Jedi, if you have them.

Not that the rebels have actual Jedi, but they have the closest thing to it that's left in the galaxy.

I'm sure all of this is leading us toward the Death Star and Rogue One, but that's just a guess.

"They kind of look like battle droids to tell you the truth. Ugly battle droids that smell."

"Honestly, I was hoping I'd never have to come back to this dust bowl."

Rebels: "Stealth Strike" (Ep. 2.09)

"Just so you know, when I escape, I won't hurt any of you."

Well... It's actually been a couple of weeks since I watched this and it's not exactly fresh in my mind. The Last Jedi is fresh in my mind, but I'm not going to talk about that until I've seen it again.

Here's the thing, Kanan and Rex don't exactly like each other. More to the point, Kanan doesn't like Rex. You kind of can't blame him considering that Kanan was a Padawan when Order 66 was enacted, and he watched his Master killed by clones and had them try to kill him, too. There's a lack of trust going on despite the fact that Rex has stated he removed his control chip prior to Order 66.

Kanan and Rex do have a thing in common, though: their affection for Ezra. So, of course, when Ezra is captured, Kanan and Rex go together to rescue him. I mean, neither of them can let the other guy get the credit for it.

Yes, this is another rescue mission... but it's not exactly the kind of rescue mission you'd expect.
And it's a lot of fun to have Rex and Kanan together.

"This armor doesn't protect you from anything!"

"So much for stealth."

"It's not like they don't know we're here!"

Rebels: "Brothers of the Broken Horn" (Ep. 2.06)

"We were enjoying a friendly game of sabaacc and, well, now, it's my ship."

With one episode, Rebels won my heart. Hondo Ohnaka was one of  my favorite side characters from Clone Wars, and it's a delight to have him show up here. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he was my favorite side character, but he was definitely top three. I hope this is just the first of many episodes for him to show up in. [Evidently, he still has the best writers. So many great lines!]

"Oh, the stories I could tell, so many of them true."

Ezra's having a hard time dealing with all of his responsibilities. On top of learning to use the Force and all of the other things he has to do to be a part of the team, Rex is now working on teaching him how to be a soldier. It's more than a bit overwhelming, which is what leads to running into Hondo. Ezra takes a... day off. So to speak.

Nothing philosophical. Not really. Just a fun episode. A romp, if you will. Definitely worth a watch.


"Well, that's another version of the story; I suppose."

Rebels: "Always Two There Are" (Ep. 2.05)

"You're like a broken protocol droid!"

Ooh... A haunted house story! Well, you know, derelict space craft/station story. I don't remember them doing one of these before. Of course, Rebels hasn't done one of these before, but I don't remember one from Clone Wars, either. I think the closest we've had to the feel of the beginning of this episode is Luke's visit to Dagobah. If someone had said, "I feel like...," I wouldn't have been surprised. It was an appropriately creeping beginning for a visit to an abandoned Republic space station.

It's good to have Rex in the series; he's a good foil to Kanan. I hope he stays around for a while.

Mostly, though, the episode is about introducing us to the new Inquisitor. Excuse me, two Inquisitors. The image of the new Inquisitor from last episode is appropriately imposing, but, as it turns out, Fifth Brother is just the muscle; Seventh Sister is the real creep fest, here, and it works to introduce these two in this episode.

BUT!

The show has yet to tackle any of the more complex philosophical issues that Clone Wars often took on. Rebels has become more enjoyable as they've deepened the personal relationships, etc, but it hasn't really taken on any questions beyond the difference between good and evil. It seems like there will be a lot of that as Ezra has more individual contact with characters like the Inquisitors. So, yes, I'm liking Rebels more than I did, but it still lacks the depth and complexity of The Clone Wars. But more on that next time...

Rebels: "Relics of the Old Republic" (Ep. 2.04)

I'm a bit reminded of Howl's Moving Castle with this pair of episodes. The clones live in an old Republic tank, travelling slowly around the desolate planet they live on. There are things, like laundry, hanging off the outside of the tank. Being just a 20-minute show, they don't spend much time delving around the innards of their home, but there's just enough there to make me wish that they had. The fact that Gregor's kind of crazy just heightens that desire. I mean, who knows what kind of stuff he has stashed in odd corners inside that thing.

The only problem in all of this is that someone called the Empire. "Hello, we have a Jedi here..." As if Kanan didn't have enough against the clones already.

But it does give us a chance to see the clones scoff at and make fun of their first AT-ATs. That was a fun moment. Oh, come on, it's not anything people haven't said before, so it's good, I suppose, to see the creators making fun of their own thing. And what do AT-ATs care?

All of that, and a new Inquisitor is coming to town...

So far, season two is shaping up to be far superior to season one. The themes being introduced are much more mature and interesting than the rather juvenile season one. Which is not to say that I don't expect there to be more juvenile hi-jinks, because even Clone Wars had its more juvenile moments.

Rebels: "The Lost Commanders" (Ep. 2.03)

"There are questions, questions that need answering."

With those words Ahsoka is off to delve into the mystery of the Sith Lord she encountered last episode because, yeah, she doesn't know that Vader is Anakin. That conveniently takes her out of the picture for the moment, leaving our own little rebel band to go off on their own mission.

So... Ever wonder what happened to the clone troopers after the end of the Clone Wars? Did they end up on street corners holding bean cans while begging for handouts? I can't answer that question for you, not in a general sense, but we do get to find out what became of Captain Rex. Turns out he's on my least favorite planet in the galaxy. Oh! and hey! Gregor survived! Well, more or less. You remember him, right? The best part of my leasy favorite Clone Wars story arc ever.

The problem with all of this? Kanan was there when the clones turned on the Jedi. He watched his Master gunned down by clones she had served with for years, and he ran as they turned to do the same to him. They are both his betrayers and his reminder of his own guilt. Should be some interesting stuff if the clones stay around long enough, though there may be more betrayal in the offering.

Personally, I hope Rex stays around, and I hope we find out what happened to Cody, too, though I suspect nothing good if he's not with Rex.

Oh, and Zeb gets used as bait. Like worm bait.

Clone Wars -- "On the Wings of Keeradaks" (Ep. ?.7)

-- In war there is no such thing as neutrality.

Decimate is one of those words I can't stand to hear used, not because I have anything against the word itself but because no one uses it correctly. As someone who values language and the meaning of words, it's a little more than annoying. Imagine my reaction to the "organic decimator" device. Really? Because that's gross. Not to mention the part where "organic" is used as a substitute for... I don't even know, because, of course, this is a weapon designed for use against the clones, so Wat Tambor seems to be able to stand by while it's used without any care at all.

So, sure, I get that organic decimator sounds (sort of) cool, but, really? Be more on point with your terminology.

Anyway, as it turns out, Echo was still alive. Or being kept alive. It's not clear how much of what's left of Echo is still Echo, but they have to get him out of the hands of the Techno Union to stop the stream of tactics and information they've been streaming out of Echo's head.

Oh, and it turns out those creepy new battle droids are a bit like flying monkey droids. I really wish they'd made it into the series.

"I'm guessing no one wants to hear the odds of us making it across here... alive?"

Clone Wars -- "A Distant Echo" (Ep. ?.6)

-- Wars are not won with superior weapons but with superior strategy.

Padme is sexy nose art on the Bad Batch's spacecraft, and Anakin is not pleased. Ah, the amusing things this show throws in and just another reason I'm still sad it ended.

Rex believes Echo is still alive and mounts a covert operation to rescue him, so covert even the Jedi Council doesn't know about it... because, well, they said "no" to the idea of the mission in the first place. And, of course, if there's something going on that the Council has said no to, it's a safe bet to assume that Anakin's involved, which he is. It's also a safe bet to assume that Obi-Wan knows about it but is standing the side. I just realized I don't know what I think about that.

Basically, Obi-Wan, by repeatedly allowing Anakin to disobey the Jedi Council without consequences, has completely undermined the authority of the Council, at least in regards to Anakin. Maybe it's no wonder things turned out the way they did?

But I digress...

Though there's not much left to say about the episode other than that it looks as if it was introducing a creepy new type of battle droid. It's too bad those didn't make it into a final version.

Oh, and Rex gets into it with one of the members of the Bad Batch.

Good stuff.

"Hope nobody's scared of heights."

"Well, I'm not scared of nuthin'. I just... When I'm up real high, I got a problem with gravity."

Clone Wars -- "The Bad Batch" (Ep. ?.5)

-- The battles are over, but the heroes live on.

Thank you Clone Wars fans.

It's been a while since we've had Cody and Rex together in an episode. Thinking back on it, it seems that it's been that Cody has been missing for a while. Or not mentioned. Rex pops up here and there, but I can't remember the last episode with Commander Cody. Sure, yeah, I could go look it up, but it's not that big a deal, just an idle curiosity now that they're teamed together again.

Against our old pal Admiral Trench... who just keeps coming back. He's worse than Grievous.

They're joined by a squad of defective clones, Clone Force 99. If you remember way back to season three, you might remember clone 99, for whom the squad is named. These are clones who didn't turn out quite right but who have beneficial, let's say, mutations. Sort of like the X-Men of clones. Basically, they have a special mission, and they need a group that is a bit... unconventional. You can't get more unconventional than Clone Force 99.

Of course, things go to hell almost immediately.

And then we have an echo of an old character long thought dead...

That's all I'm going to give you. The hint should be enough.