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A Look Back At Season Four Of The Clone Wars

Posted by Paul | May 19, 2013 at 09:41 PM ET

Our resident The Clone Wars expert Mike_5555 is back with a recap of Season 4 of The Clone Wars. He analyzes the various episodes and story arcs that were part of the season and adds commentary and even scores them based on their impact to the overall series. Click through to read this in-depth analysis.

Here we go again! When I put out my retrospective of The Clone Wars season five, I never expected to get the outpouring of support or the calls to do more reviews that I received. I just want to say thank you. Since I began with season five, it seems fitting that season four would be the next one up to bat. Start reading below to see what made season four my personal favorite season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars! (Mike_5555)

The Battle for Mon Calamari

The story arc that opened up season four is similar to the Onderon arc from season five in that they were both entertaining but unexceptional arcs that didn’t quite live up to hype. How many of you wondered what Ackbar was doing during the Clone Wars and wanted to see a massive underwater battle set in the Star Wars? We were kind of setting ourselves up to be a little let down. I had trouble connecting with the character of Prince Lee-Char, who was the main focus of this arc. Maybe it’s just because I wanted to see more of characters like Ackbar and Kit Fisto. I thought The Clone Wars team did a great job bringing the world of Mon Calamari to life and reintroducing the character of Ackbar, even if he didn’t say “It’s a trap!” The animation reached a new level of excellence as we saw the Mon Calamri and the Republic face off against the Quarren and CIS forces in a series of underwater skirmishes. The villain of this story was the shark-like alien Riff Tamson. I know some people felt he was a little too much like a shark and he felt out of place in Star Wars, but I feel the exact opposite. If Riff Tamson’s species was around during the OT Kenner would’ve made a figure of him, named him “Shark Head”, and called it a day. So in that vein, he felt like a classic Star Wars alien. Tamson’s animalistic attacks throughout these three episodes were chilling and made him a real threat to our heroes. “Prisoners” was definitely my favorite episode of the arc as it had the right blend action and humor, and a nice Indiana Jones reference from Kit Fisto. The final battle was a sight to behold as the Jedi, Mon Calamari, Quarren, Gungans, and Clones launched an all out attack on Tamson and his forces. The showdown between Tamson and a more confident Lee-Char ended in a truly gruesome fashion, as Tamson was killed with his own exploding knife and we saw his severed head drift to the ocean floor in the ultimate Jaws reference. Tamson’s death perfectly demonstrates that The Clone Wars team was willing to take Star Wars into new, dark directions as they entered their fourth season.

Arc Rating: 7.5/10

Grievous vs. Gungans!

“Shadow Warrior” was one of the two standalone episodes of season four, and it’s probably for the best that this story wasn’t any longer. Before I get an angry email form JTA legend Bombadgungan (how do you not have carpal tunnel?) let me just say I’m a fan of the Gungans and I was actually looking forward to this episode, but “Shadow Warrior” had more than a few issues. The whole episode felt rushed and the entire first act was less than entertaining. Between Boss Lyonie, Padme begging for peace (again), and a few plot holes the episode got off to a slow start and only slightly improved. It did have its moments though. Jar Jar’s encounter with Grievous was actually pretty funny (“Messa more of a deep thinker”), and any scene with Tarpals was pure gold. It was great to see Tarpals again, and The Clone Wars team got his character just right. His death at the hands of General Grievous was a high point of the season, not just this episode. “Shadow Warrior” was truly a mixed bag. It delivered some great moments, but not a great episode.

Episode Rating: 5.5/10

Artoo and Threepio’s Magical Mystery Tour

The Clone Wars took some time to focus on the dynamic duo of Artoo and Threepio with the episodes “Mercy Mission” and “Nomad Droids.” What was the most exciting part of “Mercy Mission?” It was probably seeing Commander Wolffe in his new phase 2 armor. Overall I found the episode to be rather boring, but Artoo and Threepio got a few funny moments. However, I actually really enjoyed “Nomad Droids.” It would’ve made a wonderful standalone episode that reminded us of the different kind of events that happened throughout the Clone Wars, no matter how small. You have to accept it for what it is and just have some fun with Star Wars. I enjoyed seeing Artoo and Threepio travel to all those planets and the antics that ensued. The scene where Artoo and Threepio lost power was a truly touching moment and added a new layer to both of their characters. Too bad Threepio won’t remember all the various adventures he had with Artoo during the Clone Wars.

Arc Rating: 6.5/10

The 501st Descends Into Darkness

Season four really kicked into high gear with the Umbara story arc. I can comfortably say that this is my favorite story arc of the entire series. Over the course of this story we saw Captain Rex, ARC Trooper Fives, and the rest of the 501st battle Umbaran soldiers and deal with the crazed Jedi General Pong Krell. “Darkness on Umbara” depicted the initial invasion of Umbara, and it was spectacular. We hadn’t seen action on that level since “Landing at Point Rain.” The design of the eternally dark planet of Umbara and the strange technology the Umbarans used was something very different and it added a new dimension to the ever growing Star Wars galaxy. Although the story mainly focused on Rex, Krell, and Fives, it was great to see the different kinds of clone troopers that make up the 501st legion. Their personalities were so different, from by-the-book Dogma to trigger happy Hardcase. In particular, it was great to see Fives again. He’s been one of my favorite The Clone Wars characters since we first met him in “Rookies.” Fives played a pretty major role in this arc, often acting as a foil to Rex. I really enjoyed their relationship. Rex and Fives seemed like old war buddies that had seen it all. Then there was General Krell. He’s reckless tactics cost the lives of many clone troopers throughout the first two episodes and tested the loyalty of his men. In “Plan of Dissent”, Fives led Jesse and Hardcase on a mission to destroy an enemy supply ship against Krell’s orders. After a stunning space battle, Hardcase sacrificed himself to destroy the supply ship and save the others. Much to Rex’s chagrin, Krell planned to execute Fives and Jesse for their disobedience. “Carnage of Krell” is my second favorite episode of the series as we saw Rex face his ultimate test. Rex and his men (expect Dogma), didn’t want to execute Fives and Jesse and dropped their weapons in a very tense and well done scene. Then came the fateful moment where Krell ordered his men to intercept an enemy patrol disguised as clones. The following scene was one of the most emotional moments of the entire series as the clones unknowingly killed their own brothers. As Rex ran through the carnage to stop it, you could really feel for these mean. We soon learn form a dying Waxer that it was Krell who had deceived them. As we watched Rex and his men march on the tower that Krell was in, we saw his defining moment. As he put that helmet on, he changed from being a soldier that just follows orders into a soldier that does what is right no matter the cost. General Krell was absolutely chilling and the gruesome murders of his own men pushed The Clone Wars into a bold new direction. Krell is a perfect example of what the war can do to the Jedi. Krell taunted Rex before he was shot in the back, not by Rex, but by Dogma. The episode ended with Rex and Fives questioning their role in the universe. The Clones Wars’ finest story arc had come to a close.

Arc Rating: 10/10

Zygerrian Slavers

This arc holds the distinction of being the only story that was adapted from the Expanded Universe. This arc was adapted from the comic story line Slaves of the Republic, written by former head writer for The Clone Wars, Henry Gilroy. Gilroy and Stephen Melching, two experienced The Clone Wars writers, were brought back to write this arc. It was a perfect move to air a story that was so rooted in Star Wars mythology after the more experimental Umbara arc. The opening episode, “Kidnapped”, was a good start to the arc and it reminded me of the earlier, more lighthearted The Clone Wars episodes. The gang was back together as Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Rex, and Artoo were sent to investigate the disappearance of Torguta colonists. After a short but thrilling speeder bike battle the Jedi learn that Darts D'Nar, a Zygerrian slaver, is the one behind all of this. It was interesting to see Anakin to have to deal with slavery after being way from it for all these years. When D'Nar revealed he had planted explosives all over the city, Obi-Wan had to keep him busy while Anakin and Ahsoka had to go disarm all of the bombs. Yes, Obi-Wan was stalling, but his fight with D'Nar was brutal. “Slaves of the republic” was a good winter finale for the Clone Wars and it gave us a great look at the culture and brutality of the Zygerrian slave empire. Throughout the episode we witnessed how brutal the Zygerrians are whether it was the Twilek slave committing suicide rather than go back to “processing” or the brutal whipping of Obi-Wan. We also met their leader, Queen Miraj Scintel. She was a fascinating character who seemed to have a soft spot for Anakin, even though she stood for everything he hated. The episode came to a head at the slave auction, which resulted in a battle that was a wonderful homage to Return of the Jedi. The episode ended with an interesting offer from the Queen, Anakin stays with her and she’ll let his friends go. “Escape from Kadavo” was an amazing episode of The Clone Wars that offered up tons of action and character development. Dooku arrived on Zygerria and ordered the Queen to kill Anakin, but she refused and he force choked her. When Anakin arrived, he engaged in another duel with Dooku but managed to escape. The Queen’s final act revealed the location of the Obi-Wan, Rex, and the colonists. The battle of Kadvao was nothing short of extraordinary, and it reminded me of a battle that we might see in the Original Trilogy. Rex also had one of the best moments of the entire series in this episode. Keeper Agruss taunted Obi-Wan that he knew the Jedi wouldn’t kill an unarmed man, so Rex simply said “I’m no Jedi” and through a spear right through Agruss’ heart. The colonists were rescued and the Zygerrians defeated. Overall, this was a great arc that felt like classic Star Wars.

Arc Rating: 9/10

The Death Watch Returns…

When “A Friend in Need” opened up with peace negotiations on Mandalore, I’ll admit I was a little concerned. My fears quickly went away as the episode quickly escalated into one of season four’s most thrilling episodes. Lux Bonteri returned and got Ahsoka tangled up in his plot to get revenge on Count Dooku. Lux and Ahsoka’s relationship isn’t the most popular among fans, but I thought it was handled very well in this episode. Lux’s plan took him, Ahsoka, and Artoo to the planet of Carlac where they met up with the Death Watch. These are the Mandalorians I wanted to see in season two. This episode solidified Jon Favreau’s Pre Vizsla as one of The Clone Wars’ best villains, and introduced us to the character of Bo-Katan. Vizsla was truly evil in this episode, I mean he stabbed a teenage girl in the back and burned down an entire village. When he discovered Ahsoka was a Jedi, he planned to execute her. But before that could happen, Artoo provided one of his trademark distractions and Ahsoka decapitated four, yes FOUR, Death Watch soldiers. How cool was that? Ahsoka had a great Lightsaber duel with Vizsla, and Artoo’s band of misfit droids gave them enough time to escape. The final scene with Lux and Ahsoka was a good note to end the episode on, and it established she clearly had feelings for him. “A Friend in Need” was jam packed with Mandalorians, decapitations, and Ahsoka’s first kiss but it managed to keep a good pace and keep up the momentum established by the last two story arcs.

Episode Rating: 8.5/10

Obi-Wan Undercover

This not a typical Star Wars story, but it’s actually one of my favorites. The first episode in this story, “Deception”, opened up with the “death” of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Of course it was faked, but Anakin and Ahsoka’s reaction really added a lot of emotional wait to that scene. We quickly discovered the Jedi Council had Obi-Wan fake his death so he could go undercover in prison to uncover the plot of terrorist Moralo Eval. Eval was a fascinating character, who was clearly crazy, and I thought he was a great addition to The Clone Wars. Obi-Wan assumed the identity of the man who supposedly killed him, Rako Hardeen, so he could get close to Eval. When Obi-Wan arrived to prison he quickly learned that Eval had hired Cad Bane to break him out. Cad Bane is one of my all time favorite characters, and it was great to see him again. Bane initiated the prison break by paying Boba Fett and Bossk to start a riot in an awesome cameo by two of our favorite bounty hunters. The next episode led our escapees to the planet of Nal Hutta, which feels like it was ripped right out of the Original Trilogy. At the same time Palpatine sent Ahsoka and a very angry Anakin to track down Hardeen, Bane, and Eval. The pwan shop scene had a ton of great easter eggs, the best being Indiana Jones’s hat and Obi-Wan’s awesome Ralph Macquarie inspired armor. I loved Obi-Wan and Bane’s constant back and forth throughout the episode, as well as the cameo by a drunken Sy Snootles. I actually laughed out loud when Ahsoka recognized Bane because, “who else wears a hat like that?”, and the fight at the end of episode was very well done. “The Box” was a fun episode that played out a lot ike a video game, but I had a few issues with it. It didn’t really move the plot forward and Obi-Wan did almost everything while fan favorites Cad Bane and Embo followed his lead for most of the episode, but I loved the scene where Bane shot the Ithorian bounty hunter just to get his hat. Obi-Wan’s brutal fight with Eval was another standout scene. Dooku eventually picked Bane to lead the mission and they were off to Naboo. “Crisis on Naboo” felt rushed because of the last episode, but was a satisfying conclusion that offered up plenty of twists and turns. Cad Bane and his bounty hunter crew were stopped pretty easily as Obi-Wan saved Palpatine pretty early on in the episode. It felt a little anti-climatic, but the last few minutes more than made up for it. It was a great twist to have Dooku waiting in the dining hall for Palpatine and Anakin where he revealed the bounty hunters were nothing but a distraction. The ensuing duel between Anakin and Dooku was probably one of their best, but that wasn’t the most interesting part. Whether Dooku knew it or not, this was Palpatine’s first big play to get Anakin to turn to the dark side and replace Dooku. This story arc offered up a fresh story, great characters, and revelations that set up Anakin’s character for Revenge of the Sith.

Arc Rating: 9.5/10

Darth Maul is Alive!

Yes, this story saw the return of Darth Maul but the first two episodes focused on Asajj Ventress trying to find her place in the universe. The opening episode, “Massacre”, is somewhat controversial among fans. Some loved it, while others felt like the magic seen in this episode doesn’t have a place in Star Wars. Personally, I thought it was a great episode that provided amazing action and great character development for Ventress and General Grievous. It was amazing to see the droid armies face off against the Nightsisters, both living and undead. I’m glad Grievous got a win, he really needed one. The duel between Ventress and Grievous was fantastic and it felt like something that was always meant to happen. With the Nightsisters wiped out, Ventress had to look for a new purpose. That took Ventress to Tatooine where she joined a group of bounty hunters led by Boba Fett after she killed one of their crew. I loved all the bounty hunters in “Bounty”, and it’s probably one of my favorite episodes. Simon Pegg fit the role of Dengar, but it would’ve been nice to see him get screen time. Clare Grant’s Latz Razzi was an awesome character that I still want to see in the Black Series at some point. The Clone Wars has really made me rethink Bossk’s relationship with Boba Fett. Bossk seems to be pretty loyal to Boba at this point, and they make a great team. It was great to see a more confident and deadly Boba Fett in this episode, and his new armor was amazing! “Bounty” allowed for us to see some awesome bounty hunter action and Ventress’ human side as she helped out that young girl who had been taken away from her family. “Brothers" switched gears as Savage Opress’ search for his long lost brother unfolded on screen. I have to be honest and say I was a little disappointed. The episode mostly consisted of various characters feeling a disturbance in the force and Savage yelling at an annoying snake. Things really picked up when Savage finally found his brother. I thought they handled Maul perfectly in this episode. He had to be crazy and barely clinging to life. The Clone Wars team needed to start him out this way to show his journey and give it some depth. The season four finale, “Revenge”, is a highlight of the series. Maul’s transformation at the hands of Mother Talzin contained some great moments like when Talzin was literally pulling the insanity out of Maul’s head. Maul’s conversation with Savage alluded to the fact that he was destined to have a larger role in The Clone Wars, which I thought was a very cool idea. I also appreciated that Maul didn’t instantly gain all of his powers back. This was perfectly illustrated when Mau had trouble picking up his Lightsaber with the force. Maul and Savage made a great team and were very chilling villains. The scene where they executed an entire village, including children, just to get Obi-Wan’s attention sent a shiver up my spine. Sam Witwer did a truly amazing job as Darth Maul and took that character places I never expected him to go. Obi-Wan sure took a beating from the deadly Zabrak brothers, but Obi-Wan’s humor gave that scene a nice balance. When it looked like all hope was lost Obi-Wan was saved by an unlikely ally, Asajj Ventress. She and Obi-Wan had great chemistry and they worked well with each other. The duel between Maul and Savage and Obi-Wan and Ventress is still one of the best Lightsaber duels in the Star Wars saga. Maul proved to be a great addition to The Clone Wars and this story allowed fans to learn more about his past while setting up his future.

Arc Rating: 9/10

There you have it! Be sure to let us know what you thought of season four of Star Wars: The Clone Wars in the comment section. What were some of your favorite stories? Which ones didn’t connect with you?

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