We reach the final part of the season’s final trilogy, as we prepare for the end of Season One.
“Compromise is a virtue to be cultivated, not a weakness to be despised.”
1. Windu!
Last week, I complained about the lack of Mace Windu and, this week, the show delivered. Sure, it was nice to see Mace do some cool Jedi shit, but I still feel like the character is incredibly one-dimensional. The idea of a Sam Jackson Jedi is such a cool one, and thus far, even in the cartoon, he’s just a stone faced bore. I like seeing how both he and Obi-Wan have far greater Jedi abilities than we’ve previously seen, but whereas Obi-Wan is a really fascinating person to spend time with, Mace is just dull.
2. Justice Jogger
Only kids of a certain age will have any clue what I’m talking about, but there was a ridiculous accessory as part of the Super Powers toy line of the mid to late 80s called the ‘Justice Jogger.’ Look at this insanity:
Why a man with flight and super speed among his powers would need an ‘overland villain chaser’ is beyond me, but I had that toy, and loved it.
I’m guessing that one of the designers/animators on The Clone Wars did as well, because Windu and the Clones had their own versions of that this week.
3. Alliances and diplomacy
One of the highlights of this season, to me, has been the work that the show did to ensure that we are aware that the galaxy is far more diverse in opinion/affiliation than it has long been presented. Cham Syndulla and his freedom fighters don’t want to be a part of the war, they just want to keep their planet safe. Earlier this season, we got the Lurmen and their natural inclination to avoid violence and conflict. It is a nice, subtle, touch that really builds the show up.
There was also the nice moment of Syndulla and Senator Taa coming to an understanding that their alliance would help protect their people, even if they see their roles/tactics quite differently.
4. Distinctive droid voice
This is a silly observation, but TA-175 has the most distinct droid voice on the show thus far. I was almost convinced that this was a celebrity voice, much like George Takei earlier this season, due to how different his voice sounded than every other robot on the show. That wasn’t the case, but I will make the argument that the show should diversify its droid voices a bit. If anyone from the show is listening and has a time machine, make sure to do that.
5. Sound editing
This episode had, perhaps, the best sound editing of the whole series thus far. It was used very interestingly in the final battle scene, where the sound became muffled and then exploded into full volume. They say that editing is often something you notice more for a mistake than for a triumph, but this is the opposite. I was very impressed, overall, with this episode from a technical standpoint. Little details like that really do help episodes stand out from the pack.
