A Long Time Ago, During the Clone Wars: "Cat and Mouse" & "The Hidden Enemy"

 Star Wars: The Clone Wars

We have made it to The Clone Wars and are starting the series that bears its name. The show started in 2008, after a movie that was pretty terrible. The show went on to be very good and introduce some unforgettable characters to the Star Wars canon like Ahsoka Tano, Cad Bane and Asajj Ventress. You may be wondering why we aren't starting with the movie and then moving on to season one. Well, I've decided to watch and recap in chronological order so we will be jumping around a lot. Along with the episode title, I'll include it's season and episode number, so you can follow along if you so choose.

"Cat and Mouse," Season Two, Episode 16

"A wise leader knows when to follow."

Narrator: "An impenetrable defense! Separatist ships blockade the resource-rich planet of Christophsis, trapping Senator Bail Organa and his relief effort. Desperate to aid the esteemed Senator, a Republic task force under the command of Anakin's Skywalker must break the impasse. But time runs short for the Senator and the good citizens of Christophsis..."

Obi-Wan joins Anakin outside Christophsis to try to help him penetrate the blockade and get supplies on the ground. Obi-Wan has something that he thinks can help: a stealth ship. He loads the supplies on and Anakin pilots along with Admiral Wullf Yularen. Yularen believes the blockade is being ran by presumed dead Admiral Trench. And he's right. Can Anakin and Obi-Wan defeat Trench? Will Anakin listen to Obi-Wan?

Pretty.

Even though this technically isn't the pilot of the series, it is still a pretty good representation of a typical episode in the first season. The Republic and the Separatists battle, usually to take a planet or convince a planet or system to join them, Anakin and Obi-Wan show up. Anakin blatantly disregards what Obi-Wan says. Obi-Wan is exasperated but things usually work out well and scene. If you haven't watched the show, that may sound like it could be repetitive but it really isn't. The show leans into war and the toll it takes on everyone involved. Because the show is animated, it's able to focus on characters that are only briefly in the films or introduce all new characters, deepen the characters we already know.

There's a lot of good in this episode and I think it starts with Admiral Trench. Trench was introduced in this episode and I'm not sure if we ever see him again. Sure he ends up getting exploded at the end of the episode but he escaped death once before. Why not another time? Spider people are always going to creepy, even if you like spiders, and this is no different. The design for Trench is amazing, thought there is a lot of telling us that he's this super bad guy and not a lot of showing. 

I went back and for on the animation style for "The Clone Wars" when it first premiered. The human figures bothered me for a while but I've gained an appreciation for it as the years have gone by. That being said, the shots in space and the space battles are always breathtaking and this episode is no exception. The pitched battle above Christophsis is thrilling and smartly rendered.

Another thing "The Clone Wars" did is really show people the bond that Anakin and Obi-Wan have. You can kind of see it in the prequels, but the flat writing and flat performances, mainly from Hayden Christensen, don't really drive it home. Watching this show, you see the respect they have for one another. You feel the brotherhood. Even when Anakin is blatantly defying orders and getting rewarded for it. Like, what is that teaching children? If you THINK you have a better idea, go ahead and do it, damn the consequences and it will work out most of the time so it's fine? Sorry. Little rant there. Kind of a pet peeve.

All in all, a solid episode and a great way to start my re watch of the series.

Grade: B+

"The Hidden Enemy," Season One, Episode 16

"Truth enlightens the mind, but won't always bring happiness to your heart."

Narrator: "A planet under siege! Separatist forces mercilessly batter the beautiful and elegant world of Christophsis. Unable to defend themselves any longer, the people of Christophsis call upon the Jedi for assistance. Hoping to save lives and prevent further destruction, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker plan a daring ambush that can turn the tide in the fight for this crucial star system..."

Obi-Wan and Anakin's daring ambush is ruined when the droid army bursts in on them. The Jedi and the clones pull off a daring escape, but don't understand how the Separatists figured out what they were going to do. After meeting with Rex and Cody, it's determined they have a traitor in their midst. While, Anakin and Obi-Wan head to the Separatist stronghold, Rex and Cody stay behind to find out who the traitor could be. Will the Jedi be able to stop the Separatists while Rex and Cody interrogate their brothers?

Ventressssssss.

Asajj mothereffing Ventress. I have to start this by just pointing out how bad ass she is. Rocking dual lightsabers and putting Anakin and Obi-Wan through their paces. All while not being cut in half by Obi-Wan. Suck it, Darth Maul. I love the character of Ventress. I love her arc on the series. Nika Futterman, the voice actress for Ventress, is perfect. She is slithery, seductive, menacing. This episode would be your introduction to her if you are watching along chronologically and it is perfect. The semi flirtatious banter between Ventress and Obi-Wan is here. An amazing lightsaber battle with some impressive Force use. 

"The Clone Wars" does a great job humanizing the clone soldiers. Sure, they all look alike and are loyal to the Republic and their brothers, but they are individuals and I love the little details the animators put in to show that. From armor decorations to hairstyles or visual markings, it's great to see them treated as human beings, not just disposable soldiers who end up betraying the Jedi. In fact, making them more human makes the moment they start carrying out Order 66 hit even harder. 

The scenes where Rex and Cody are trying to suss out the traitor are extremely well done. There is senses of individuality but the reaction when they find out that Chopper is collecting droid fingers from the battlefield is great. The disgust. It's little things like this that hammer home that this is war and there is a "right way" to wage it. Slick being the traitor is kind of telegraphed but it still works. Slick's reasoning for betraying the Republic makes sense. Talking about being slaves to the Jedi. Foreshadowing anyone? The ending works well too, with Obi-Wan and Anakin showing back up, the droid army hot on their tails. There is no concrete end which is fitting since this is a war we are talking about. 

My only real issue is that they never really mention why Christophsis is so important to the Republic and the Separatists. Does it have a resource unavailable anywhere else? Is it part of an important trade route? Maybe they did say something and I missed it, but I don't recall. If I did, enlighten me in the comments. 

This is a fairly minor quibble in regards to a pretty great episode.

Grade: A

Next up, gird your loins, because we are watching the Clone Wars movie. Yikes. 

Who loves "The Clone Wars?" Have you watched chronologically? What are some of your favorite characters? Episodes? Let me know in the comments.