A Long Time Ago, During the Clone Wars: "Kidnapped," "Slaves of the Republic," "Escape from Kadavo" & "A Friend In Need"

 Star Wars The Clone Wars

We've got another four episodes to cover in this post. So, let's not waste too much time. I will give you a little tease. These episodes deal with galactic slavery. Uff da.

"Kidnapped," Season Four, Episode 11

"Where we are going always reflects where we came from."

Narrator: "A planet of peace! The artisan colony of the planet Kiros created a society without weapons. Instead of war, they pursued art and beauty. But in the Clone Wars even peace-loving worlds are seemingly forced to change sides."

Yoda attempts to get Governor Roshti of Kiros to hold off on meeting with the Separatists but it is too late. Count Dooku is already on his way. Ten days later, Republic forces led by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, arrive but can't find any of the Kiros colonists. They do find Separatist leader, Zygerrian Darts D'Nar. The Zygerrians are ready to re-build their empire of slavery and take revenge on the Jedi for toppling it in the past.

Goggles, bitch.

This episode kicks off a three episode arc about a pretty heavy topic, but we start off with kind of a standard "The Clone Wars" premise. Another peace loving, wanting to stay neutral planet is being approached by the Separatists. These Switzerland planets think that they can maybe make the Separatists understand why they want to be neutral but the Separatists end up being terrible and walking all over them. It's a tale as old as time. Well, a tale as old as the first four seasons of "The Clone Wars." This episode begins in a familiar way, but it takes some interesting twists and turns that sends the arc into different directions. 

When the Jedi and the Clone Troopers show up on Kiros, it is scarily silent. There is no sign of the colonists. It definitely gives shades of the mystery of the Roanoke colony. It doesn't take long for the Jedi to come across biker droids. I love the fight with the Jedi on speeders and the biker droids. "The Clone Wars" finds fun ways to keep the fights on the show fresh while still feeling like they belong in this world. You have to get shades of battle in the forest of Endor in "Return of the Jedi," but it is still it's own, thrilling exciting thing. 

The Jedi learn that the Separatist left in charge is Darts D'Nar who is a Zygerrian. Zygerrian's are infamous for being a race of slavers and this immediately riles Anakin. I mean, it riles everyone, but Anakin the most because of his past. We learn that Anakin has not shared his past as a slave on Tatooine with Ahsoka, which isn't a huge surprise. Obi-Wan does and it's even clearer how much Ahsoka and Anakin depend on each other.

We get some classic tropes done in the style of "The Clone Wars." Ahsoka and Anakin swapping sniper droid targets in order to take them out. Obi-Wan getting pummeled by D'Nar while he waits for Anakin and Ahsoka to disarm the bombs that D'Nar has placed around Kiros. We get a lot of fun moments. Obi-Wan crumpling droids like a soda can. Using the Force to throw the droid with the bomb attached out the window. Do you ever feel sorry for the wildlife in "The Clone Wars?" This weird tentacle monster gets thrown out of a plane all because of some nonsense that they didn't ask for.

The episode ends on a serious note. The Zygerrians have taken the colonists and are trying to re-build their slavery "empire." It's personal for Ahsoka since the colonists are Togruta. And Yoda feels the presence of the Sith.

Grade: B+

"Slaves of the Empire," Season Four Episode 12

"Those who enslave others, inevitably become slaves themselves."

Narrator: "Kidnapped! During a Separatist invasion of the planet Kiros, thousands of peaceful colonists were abducted by Zygerrian slavers. Determined to find the missing colonists, the Jedi travel to Zygerria, home to the galaxy's most notorious slave empire."

Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahoska and Rex head to Zygerria to try to locate the Kiros colonists. Anakin and Ahsoka disguise themselves as slave and master while Rex and Obi-Wan search for the colonists. Anakin meets with the queen to try to charm her and pump her for information. Obi-Wan and Rex locate Governor Roshti and attempt to escape with him, but they are caught. Anakin can't stand by and let Obi-Wan suffer so he reveals himself. But the Jedi are outnumbered and it isn't long before they find themselves captured by the Zygerrians.

Anakin messed up here.

I am not sure how to talk about this episode. I think that tackling slavery on "The Clone Wars" makes sense. Slavery has been prevalent in the Star Wars universe. As we all know and was mentioned in the previous episode, we meet Anakin and Shmi Skywalker when they are slaves on Tatooine. Anakin brings it up again when they are walking through the... I guess... slave market at the top of the episode. He tells Ahsoka that it was at a market like this that Watto first purchased Shmi. It's sobering. And it should be. These are awful beings. They are consummate villains. And one thing the show does that is great is it never lets us forget that.

Tonally, I think this episode is kind of all over the place and I am not sure if it works. Like, at the beginning of the episode, Anakin makes a slave/master joke to Ahsoka and it's not funny. And I'm not sure if it is appropriate. Like, I get gallows humor, but it just seems like a weird place for it. 

Then, there are more serious parts. Like when Anakin stops a woman from stabbing Queen Miraj Scintel. She ends up throwing herself off the balcony rather than go back to slavery. It's sobering and awful. Or there's the moment at the end of the episode when Obi-Wan and Rex arrive at the "re-education center" and are greeted by Keeper Agruss. He murders five of the Kiros colonists in front of Obi-Wan and Rex in an attempt to begin the process of breaking their spirits. It's another horrific action from horrific people who are doing horrific things. 

If I have a major issue with this episode, it's that I don't necessarily feel like it goes far enough. There's so many stones here that I feel like the show doesn't turn over. Anakin was so angry last episode when he found out that the Zygerrians were involved. We don't see enough of that anger in this episode. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me that Anakin is chosen to be the one to be the suave seducer of the queen. That feels like Obi-Wan's job. Maybe it's because Obi-Wan is too recognizable? But wouldn't Anakin be, too? I feel like this is the perfect time for Anakin to let his anger out. Particularly with the comments from Yoda at the end of the last episode about the Sith. 

Then, you have Anakin basically back in slavery as the queen's bodyguard at the end of the episode. Honestly, Anakin being relatively meek here is something I struggle with. It's just not who he is and who he would be in this situation. It's one of the things that holds this episode back from being truly great and really kind of saying something. I needed more of those moments where he Force choked the queen. 

Grade: B

"Escape from Kadavo," Season Four, Episode 13

"Great hope can come from small sacrifices."

Narrator: "A people enslaved! To locate the abducted colonists of a peace-loving world, the Jedi infiltrated the slaver planet of Zygerria, only to be captured by its ambitious queen, who plots to rebuild her empire of oppression. Now, even Obi-Wan Kenobi must come to terms with a life in chains..."

Anakin is still the bodyguard for Queen Scintel. Luckily, R2D2 is still rolling around and helps his master escape. Anakin frees Ahsoka and briefly duels with Dooku. They flee Zygerria to help Obi-Wan and Rex free the colonists with some help from Plo Koon and the Wolf Pack.

Togruta Together.

If you watch the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or if you read my re-watch posts about them, you are aware that there is a formula that even the best of them follow. It's a formula that "The Clone Wars" was using long before the first "Iron Man" came out and they routinely applied it to these three episode arcs. No matter how deep things may get in the first two episodes, when it comes to the third, it pretty much devolves into a battle of some kind. It's either a space battle or a lightsaber battle or even a battle underwater. And that is exactly what happens here as soon as Anakin and Ahsoka arrive on Kadavo. When Plo Koon and the Wolf Pack show up, it's basically just a firefight for the remainder of the episode, so there's not a lot to talk about. It's thrilling. It's well done. It's fast paced. I just wish there was a bit more meat to it overall. 

I think that may be my biggest critique for this arc overall. I wanted more. I think there was the potential for more, but it doesn't feel like the show ever reached it. One thing that I wanted more of was more Sith. Yoda ends the first episode of this arc with that ominous message about him sensing Sith involvement or how this reminds him of how the Sith operate and then it is basically dropped. When Sidious appears before Dooku before he reaches Zygerria to confront the queen, he mentions that the Sith empire was built on the backs of slaves and that if they want to re-build it they will need millions of slaves. I want to know more about this, but it's sort of mentioned and dropped. As if they only bring it up, to make the Sith even more evil. 

I didn't love the stuff with the queen in this episode. I'm happy that she died because she's awful. But I didn't really buy the whole "you're a slave too" analogy. It didn't work for me. And I didn't really get the point of it. Were they trying to make people empathize with the slaver queen? Couldn't be me. Let her get betrayed by Dooku and die. It's too late for her to be redeemed and to learn a lesson.

I enjoyed Ahsoka helping to rescue her fellow Togruta and the killing of Arguss by Rex with Obi-Wan's agreement. But overall, this just kind of felt slight overall, which is surprising based on the subject matter and the fact that it was three episodes.

Grade: C+

"A Friend In Need," Season Four, Episode 14

"Friendships show us who we really are."

Narrator: "Divided by war! In an effort to end the galactic conflict, the first ever sanctioned meeting between the Republic and the Separatists will be held and Mandalore is chosen as neutral ground for these precarious meetings. Tensions run high as many hold hope for these important negotiations..."

During the negotiations, Lux Bonteri, son of former Separatist leader and friend of Padmé Amidala Mina Bonteri, bursts in and accuses Count Dooku of murdering his mother in cold blood. Bonteri is dragged away but Ahsoka Tano follows, knowing the Separatists will kill him for his outburst. After saving him, Lux knocks Ahsoka out and when she awakes she find out that Bonteri has allied himself with the Mandalorian splinter group, Death Watch, in order to kill Dooku.

Is this The Mandalorian?

Do you remember young Lux Bonteri? He first appeared in the season three episode, "Heroes On Both Sides." There was some light flirting between Lux and Ahoska in that episode, so it's not a huge surprise that they decided to bring him back. 

Is it just me or do Lux Bonteri and Ahsoka Tano have a ton more chemistry than Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala? They've been in two episodes together and I'm ready to root for these crazy kids as hard as I rooted for Padmé and Anakin to break up.

The most exciting thing about this episode is the return of the Mandalorian off shoot Death Watch. We haven't seen them in awhile. This is the first "Clone Wars" appearance of Bo-Katan. If you're a watcher of "The Mandalorian" and not "The Clone Wars," this appearance would probably come as a shock to you. I love that "Battlestar Galactica" standout, Katee Sackhoff, voices her here and portrays her in "The Mandalorian." She doesn't get a ton of screen time but it's cool to see her.

It also might shock "The Mandalorian" viewers that Death Watch is such a fucking garbage group. When we see them, they are terrorizing droids. We find out that they have taken the residents of a nearby village hostage and have basically made them slaves. A pattern. Pre Vizsla murders the granddaughter of the village chief in cold blood with the Darksaber in front of him. 

I didn't mention R2 much in the past episodes, but this little droid earns his keep in these four episodes. He is the reason that Anakin gets away from the Queen. He finds Ahsoka's lightsabers and holds them for her. He repairs the droids that Death Watch is using for training and turns them against the squad and they help Ahsoka and Lux take down the squad. 

I really enjoyed this episode. I love episodes where Ahsoka is the focus. Death Watch is an interesting group and it refreshes us on the conflict in Mandalore, so clearly it will be coming back soon. Lux escapes to appear again another day. It's set up for sure, but set up that is really well done.

Grade: B+

Next up, another four episode arc where Obi-Wan fakes his own death and goes undercover to investigate a plot orchestrated by Count Dooku to assassinate Chancellor Palpatine.

What do you all think of these episodes? Do you agree they could have gone a little further? Let me know in the comments.