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A Look Back At Season Five of The Clone Wars

Posted by Paul | March 14, 2013 at 09:33 PM ET

JTA reader and resident The Clone Wars expert Michael Taber asked to write a summary and critique of the final season of The Clone Wars. Click through to read Mike's assertions, feelings and overall synopsis and future of this wonderful franchise.

I’m sure by now most of you have heard the disheartening news that Star Wars: The Clone Wars has been canceled after five wonderful seasons. Star Wars: The Clone Wars has truly changed the Star Wars saga for the better and it’s a shame that it is coming to end. It is a mistake for Disney to end the show now before it can develop a proper ending for the characters we have grown to love over these past five years like Ahsoka Tano, Captain Rex, and Asajj Ventress. The intent of this article is to look back the fifth and now final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

The Rebellion on Onderon

The first four part story arc of season five was centered on the planet of Onderon (Revival will be addressed as part of the Maul arc). The Onderon arc was an entertaining, but not exceptional chapter of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In the first episode, “A War on Two Fronts”, we are introduced to the idea of the Jedi going in and training rebels to fight the separatists. It is an interesting concept and I did enjoy seeing Captain Rex and the Jedi teaching the rebels how to fight like soldiers. The three main Onderon rebels we meet are Steela Gerrera, Lux Bonteri, and Saw Gerrera. It was interesting to see Ahsoka deal with the feelings she clearly had for Lux and how they evolved over the course of this story. One problem I had with the Onderon arc was it felt dragged out at times, even when viewing all four episodes together. One character did however benefit from a prolonged story, and that’s Steela. When this story arc begin I didn’t care much for Steela, but as we saw her grow into a leader it gave me more of a reason to respect her character as she was willing to do what had to be done. While the Onderon arc suffered from a drawn out story and sometimes flat characters, it ended on its strongest note with the episode “Tipping Points.” In its finale the Onderon arc delivered heart, action, and humor that I wish was more prevalent in the other three episodes. Going into to the final episode I was expecting someone to die, but I didn’t think it would in such a well done and dramatic fashion. Steela’s death was both unexpected and heartbreaking as Ahsoka had almost delivered her to safety. It was good to see Ahsoka accept that she and Lux should just remain friends and Lux becoming a senator brought a great deal of closure to his character.

Arc Rating: 7.5/ 10

The Young Jedi

While I know not everyone enjoyed the Young Jedi arc, I thought it was a very well done and enjoyable arc. The arc opens up with Yoda and Ahsoka guiding a group of Jedi Younglings to retrieve their Lightsaber crystals from the planet of Illum. The younglings’ experiences in the caves of Illum were a good introduction to the characters and were some of the most beautifully animated scenes in the show’s history. Who didn’t like Gungi? It was also a great to see Yoda take a teaching role and peel back some of the mysteries of the Jedi Order. “A Test of Strength” was an episode that felt like classic Clone Wars. It allowed Ahsoka and all of the Young Jedi to have great character moments and it introduced one of my all time favorite Clone Wars characters, Huyang (voiced by David Tennant). I thought Huyang allowed for a very cool look into the Jedi Order and provided a good amount of humor throughout the story. It was also great to see the return of fan favorite Hondo Ohnaka, but I did feel it was a little out of character for him to be so bloodthirsty during “A Test of Strength.” The next episode allowed for some great action during the battle between General Grievous and Obi-Wan Kenobi while delivering some good humor with a drunken Hondo and a Gamorrean clown, but the circus felt out of place at times. I enjoyed Huyang’s Threepio like relationship with R2-D2 as well as Hondo’s and Katooni’s. I thought General Grievous was portrayed very well in the episode “A Necessary Bond” and his duel with Ahsoka was fantastic. The best moment of the episode was the reemergence of Slave 1. Speaking of Hondo, his itemizing of his bill at the end of the episode had me cracking up. I thought Ahsoka was a great mentor throughout the arc and it really showed how far her character has come.

Arc Rating: 8.5/10

D-Squad and Colonel Gascon

This arc is even more disappointing now that we know season five is the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. While this arc did have some good moments, frankly it was a waste of four episodes that could have been spent on characters like Captain Rex and Cad Bane who were unfortunately overlooked this season. This story arc focused on Colonel Gascon and a group of droids known as D-Squad. While I did enjoy the voice work of Stephan Stanton, the character of Gascon still fell flat for me. At times I actually found him to be rather annoying, but the character of WAC-47 was much worse. I did not find WAC’s antics to be amusing but instead flat out annoying. I am not saying there isn’t room for humor in Star Wars, but it has to be done right. The other droids were sort of a non-factor, except Artoo who had some great trademark moments throughout the story. To me, this story failed to deliver the humor and heart that made the Young Jedi arc successful. The episode “A Sunny Day in the Void” rivals season three’s “Corruption” for the series’ most boring episode. One good thing did come out of this arc though, and that’s Clone Commando Gregor. His character was a great addition to the Clone Wars, and I really enjoyed seeing him go through a heroes’ journey and recover from amnesia of the course of the strongest episode of this arc, “Missing in Action.” The final episode had an amazing explosion and some good action, but again the characters and attempted humor fell flat for me.

Arc Rating: 6/10

The Rise and Fall of Darth Maul

The Darth Maul story arc from season five delivered on every single level. It is one of the best, if not the best, story arcs in the show’s history. The first Episode of this arc, “Revival”, was moved to the front of the season and made the season premiere. I thought this was a smart move because it gave the viewers a nice continuation of Maul and Savage’s story that began in the season four finale. “Revival” was also a little disconnected from the other three episodes, so it felt like a natural move. In the episode “Eminence” we saw Darth Maul and Savage Oppress team up with Pre Vizsla and the Death Watch. The episode was filled with action as Maul and his new allies from the Death Watch began building an army of criminals that included the Black Sun, the Pykes, and the Hutts. Although “Eminence” felt rushed at times it delivered amazing action while setting up a divide between Darth Maul and Pre Vizsla that would come to a head in the next episode. “Shades of Reason” is one of my favorite episodes. I enjoyed watching the plans of both Pre Vizsla and Darth Maul unfold on screen. Savage also got some fantastic moments that showed even though his brother had the spotlight, he could still deliver some very cool scenes. The duel between Darth Maul and Pre Vizsla was nothing short of extraordinary. It was one of the best Star Wars sequences I’ve ever seen. Vizsla’s death was appropriately chilling and Bo-Katan’s refusal to follow Maul was a brave new direction to take her in. “The Lawless” is not just the best episode in this arc, but the best episode of the entire series. Other than a few clumsy lines from Korkie at the beginning of the episode, it was pure perfection. It was a nice touch to see Obi-Wan not only arrive in the Twilight, but also his Rako Hardeen armor from season four. Obi-Wan’s attempted rescue of Satine ended in a thrilling battle at the docks that revealed his true enemy was none other than Darth Maul. Maul’s execution of Satine was one of the most emotional scenes of the series, and it was a great way to end her character. The Mandalorian civil war that unfolded was spectacular and the realization that Bo-Katan was Satine’s sister added a whole new dimension to her character. Darth Sidious’ duel with Darth Maul and Savage Oppress was an extraordinary moment for the series that perfectly demonstrates how far it has come over the years. The death of Savage was actually very sad and one of the best scenes of the episode. I found it very interesting that he transformed back into his old self as Mother Talzin’s magic left his body when he died. I was really happy to see that Darth Maul actually cared for his brother, as I suspected all along. Darth Sidious defeated Maul and proclaimed, “I have other uses for you” in the biggest cliffhanger in the history of the Clone Wars. I would remise if didn’t bring up Ian Abercrombie’s flawless portrayal of Darth Sidious and his tragic passing. Rest in peace Ian, Star Wars fans will never forget you.

Arc Rating: 10/10

Ahsoka on the Run

This story arc opened with a fantastic space battle that harkened back to classic Clone Wars action and highlighted Anakin and Ahsoka’s relationship. I found this to be the perfect way to begin this story because by the end of it, nothing would be the same for our heroes. “Sabotage” unfolded like a CSI mystery as Anakin and Ahsoka were called back to investigate the bombing of the Jedi Temple. It was a fun episode that allowed the viewer to learn more about the inner workings of the Jedi Order and introduced the growing distrust of the Jedi by the citizens of the Republic. I was however disappointed by the lack of suspects in this episode, and the rest of the story arc for that matter. “The Jedi Who Knew Too Much” is one of my favorite episodes from season five. It was great to see Tarkin take on a larger role within the Republic as he had the bomber removed from Jedi custody. The reintroduction of Barriss, who we hadn’t seen since season two, was sudden and immediately raised a lot of people’s suspicions. I was hoping the Clone Wars wouldn’t be so obvious. In a shocking turn of events, Ahsoka was framed for the murder of the bomber and several clone troopers. The animation throughout the episode was stunning. The detention center filled with shock troopers made the Republic feel more like the Empire than ever before. As Ahsoka made her escape, Anakin and Captain Rex were quick to rush to her defense and make sure weapons were set to stun. The chase sequence that followed was one of the best sequences of the entire series. Ahsoka’s confrontation with Anakin and her decision to pull a Richard Kimble displayed how far her character has come, and how much we have come to care about her. The hunt for Ahsoka throughout the underworld gave us a fascinating look into Coruscant and allowed for the return of fan favorite Asajj Ventress. The team up of Ahsoka and Ventress was something I never thought I would see, but it worked very well. It’s a testament to how far both characters have come since the Clone Wars movie. “The Wrong Jedi” proved to be one of the series’ best episodes that would change the lives of everyone involved. The Jedi Council has never looked worse. They were so quick to expel Ahsoka from the Jedi Order, I don’t blame Anakin for not trusting them by the time of Revenge of the Sith. I was pleased we got to see more of Anakin’s dark side in his confrontation with Ventress. I still think Barriss was too obvious, but the duel between her and Anakin was one of the series’ finest. I couldn’t imagine what Ahsoka was thinking when it was revealed one of closet friends was behind everything, and Barriss was right. The Jedi have become an army fighting for the dark side, I really felt for Ahsoka in that moment. I said previously that “The Lawless” was the best episode, but the final scene of “The Wrong Jedi” was the series’ finest moment. Ahsoka’s decision to leave the Jedi Order and her conversation with Anakin at the steps of the Jedi Temple were pure perfection. Kevin Kiner’s amazing score coupled with the fantastic voice work of Matt Lanter and Ashley Eckstien brought a beautiful end to the fifth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Arc Rating: 9/10

The Future…

This is a sad and uncertain time for Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The show has been canceled and we are not getting a sixth season. However, it has been confirmed that more story arc are coming in the form of “bonus content.” We don’t know when or where we will see these future stories. Dave Filoni has promised the upcoming “bonus content” is both impactful and “The best episodes that my crew has committed to screen." This seems to be the case based on the clip that followed the announcement which featured heavy foreshowing of Order 66 and the return of fan favorites Admiral Trench and ARC Trooper Fives. I just hope we get a proper ending and not just the leftover material that was already under production. Do not stop writing to Disney; we need to make sure we see a proper ending. Thank you Dave Filoni and the cast and crew of Star Wars: The Clone Wars for providing us with five wonderful years of some of the greatest Star Wars stories ever told. I have grown to care about characters that you introduced like Ahsoka Tano, Captain Rex, and Asajj Ventress just as much as the principal movie characters. Thank you for all you have done for Star Wars fans, and may the Force be with you.

Michael Taber (Mike_5555)

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