Friday's episode of The Clone Wars continued the story of the Zillo beast, and this two-parter is one of my favorite story arcs of the series. Both last week's "The Zillo Beast" and this week's "The Zillo Beast Strikes Back" are a loving homage to Japanese giant monster movies. At the end of last week's episode we saw the beast captured and ready to be sent to Coruscant, a decision made with the typical lack of judgement of characters in a giant monster story. Whether it's King Kong, Gwangi, or Mothra, it's never a good idea to bring a giant monster to town.
Like any most great monsters, the Zillo beast is as much a victim of man as it is a destructive force. We see some very intense scenes in this episode of the Beast locked up and subjected to cruel experiments and, finally, gassed to death at Palpatine's orders. The episode nicely captures the fundamental theme kaiju stories in which man suffers for being grossly out of harmony with the natural world. These two episodes make me wish the people who made this episode were in charge of the new Godzilla movie because they really get the genre.
These episodes mark a turning point for Palpatine's characterization on the show and the makers are far less coy about his true nature, even to the point where he shares an evil grin with the camera. He comes off as a real bastard in "The Zillo Beast Strikes Back." A running joke in the episode is that the Beast seems to be on to him when no one else is and the monster pursues him through a big chunk of the city. He could have done the galaxy a big favor if not for the Jedi.
Speaking of Palps, he has a great scene in this episode. Padme and the Jedi get wind of his plans to kill the Zillo Beast and, in a foreshadowing of Revenge of the Sith, they try to get Anakin to talk him out of it. Anakin and Padme go into the meeting on the same side, but at some point Palpatine pulls him to his point of view. It's a great scene because there are lots of things going under the surface and it really showcases Anakin's uncomfortable, shifting loyalties.
While the Zillo Beast's design is a little odd-looking in static poses, he was quite impressive moving and spinning through the sky lanes and buildings of Coruscant. That extra arm gives him the ability to move on another axis, which is visually interesting. It was really cool seeing this kind of kaiju urban destruction in a Star Wars setting.
Ultimately, the Beast is a confused and terrified creature which has been taken out of its element and meets its end at the hands of man (and aliens) like many great movie monsters before it. This great Zillo beast story arc gives me hope that The Clone Wars will continue to be adventurous in exploring different genres and ways to tell stories set in the Star Wars universe. After all, Star Wars itself is mix of many disparate styles and influences, and The Clone Wars offers a low risk venue for storytelling experimentation.
Patrick Garone
Creative Director
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The Clone Wars episode from last Friday combined two of my favorite things: Star Wars and Japanese kaiju movies. Kaiju movies are a genre featuring giant monsters, usually let loose in urban areas where they fight and destroy buildings, with Godzilla and Gamera being the most famous of the bunch. The Clone Wars supervising director Dave Filoni is reportedly a huge Godzilla fan and "The Zillo Beast" is a loving homage to Godzilla and other kaiju movies.
"The Zillo Beast" takes us to the planet Malastare, and features the Dugs who were first introduced with Sebulba in The Phantom Menace. The Dugs were one of the coolest and most alien races introduced in the prequels and I'm happy to see them reintroduced in The Clone Wars. They have some very memorable scenes where they ride mounts and fight droids using electrostaffs.
It turns out that Malastare and its fuel supplies are crucial the the Republic war efforts and the Republic is fairly desperate to sign a treaty with the Dugs, which will give them access to the needed fuel. I really like that The Clone Wars has dug pretty deep into Star Wars and given us a situation that is complex and believable with parallels to our own geopolitical situation.
To thwart the massive Confederation force that has invaded the planet, the Republic unveils a new weapon, an Electro-Proton bomb, designed to take out the droids with little or no effect on organics. Mace Windu and Anakin look on skeptically as the bomb is deployed and takes out the droids but also creates a huge sinkhole on the planets surface and ultimately releases the Zillo beast, which is huge, combines features of a reptile and a segmented worm, and is imperious to almost all weapons (including lightsabers). The beast has a sort of awkward, spindly design and even sports a third arm from its back.
Like Godzilla, the Zillo beast is awakened by the use of a "doomsday" weapon and unleashed upon the land. The Dugs are dead set on destroying the creature but Windu insists on capturing this monster, the last of its kind, and taking it to a remote world where it is allowed to run free. We get some great scenes that showcase how out of sync the Jedi are with the more worldly and military forces. Their role as preservers of life is not always comfortable when they are also generals with military and diplomatic responsibilities. We see some nice foreshadowing of conflict between Windu and Palpatine as the Chancellor will not allow the Jedi to ruin the chances of having the treaty signed which will allow access to Malastare's resources.
The Zillo beast eventually escapes from its pit and is knocked out by the Jedi using some vehicles that are clearly inspired by the ubiquitous Maser tanks featured in the Godzilla movies. As they are preparing to beast to be taken off world, Windu receives a message from Palpatine that the creature will be taken to Coruscant for study, setting up next week's no-doubt kaiju-tastic second part. Palpatine has taken an interest in the monster and its nearly impenetrable armor. Obviously, he has never seen King Kong or any other monster movie to know that creatures and big urban areas do not mix well.
"The Zillo Beast" is a really fun and surprising episode that plays to what is the absolute strength of The Clone Wars: the ability to present a wide variety of stories that span wildly different tones and genres all set in the Star Wars universe. Never in a million years did I think I would see a Star Wars kaiju story, so I was sold just on the premise. Again, the opening scenario for the episode-putting a pair of Jedi in the middle of a war for resources-feels very contemporary and real and hints at things going on in the background of the Star Wars stories that we don't really ever think about. After all, those Star Destroyers don't fuel themselves. This enriches the "used universe" concept of Star Wars that has been present since the very first film in 1977.
Patrick Garone
Creative Director
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Bounty hunters have been a part of Star Wars since A New Hope was released in 1977, with Greedo attempting to bring in Han Solo at the Mos Eisley Cantina. In 1980, The Empire Strikes Back introduced us to Boba Fett and his compatriots who were hired to track down the Millennium Falcon. Bounty hunters are part of the big Western influence on Star Wars but for people my age, when we think of bounty hunters chances are you think of Star Wars before anything else.
This season of The Clone Wars was billed as "Rise of the Bounty Hunters" but apart from the Cad Bane episodes at the beginning of the season, we haven't really that much bounty hunter action. "The Bounty Hunters" is a bit of a surprise, as there is not any bounty hunting going on in the episodes, and these bounty hunters are the most sympathetic we have seen in the the Star Wars galaxy.
Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka are investigating a clone medical facility that has disappeared over Felucia while they are attacked by vulture droids launched from a very dispenser pod. They crash land on the planet and encounter a group of farmers who have hired some bounty hunters to defend their settlement from a group of pirates who are lead by the Weequay Captain Hondo Ohnaka. The Jedi reluctantly join the bounty hunters to fight off the pirates and defend the villagers.The whole episode is a Star Wars version of The Seven Samurai, which was directed by the legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurasawa, to whom the episode is dedicated. Kurasawa's movies have been a huge influence on the whole Star Wars series. It's safe to say that Star Wars is 1/4 American Western,, 1/4 Kurasawa Samurai movie, 1/4 Flash Gordon, and a mix of World War II movies and other miscellaneous stuff for the rest. There are whole sequences and plot lines taken directly from Kurasawa's movies (The Hidden Fortress was a huge source of inspiration for both A New Hope and The Phantom Menace). What with director's influence on Star Wars, I've always wanted to see The Seven Samurai given the Star Wars treatment, and with its relative freedom to explore different narratives and tones, The Clone Wars provides a perfect venue.
The episode feels strangely like last season's "Jedi Crash" and "Defenders of the Peace" story arc, which found Anakin, Ahsoka and Aayla Secura defending a village against a Separatist attack, although narratively much tighter without the thematic complication of the pacifist villagers. The villager's in "The Bounty Hunters" are not pacifists, just kind of beat down and victimized. The episode also brings back Hondo Ohnaka and his band of pirates from last season's episode "Dooku Captured," who has apparently still managed to elude Count Dooku's revenge. Hondo has a lot of old-school pirate swagger but is not really effective as a villain, particularly with his rapid and lame retreat at the end of the episode.
The bounty hunters felt a little off as well, and not at all what we have been lead to expect from the hardened, cutthroat Star Wars bounty hunters we have been shown up until now. That being said, some of the character design on these mercenaries is pretty cool. They are lead by a female Zabrak named Sugi. There is also cool new character named Embo, who wears an armored shield on his head like a hat. These bounty hunters have a pretty cool battle against the pirates at the end of the episode, and the action is quite good.
The setting is the planet Felucia, which appeared briefly in Revenge of the Sith and was featured prominently in The Force Unleashed. The Felucians seen in this episode, are nothing like the wild and strange creatures seen in that game. I suppose the story called for cuter less ferocious aliens. Personally, I would love to see some TFU characters or references in the series. Although, the big jungle rancors were a nice nod.
Overall, "The Bounty Hunters" is a decent episode with an interesting pedigree. Unfortunately, as we get towards the end of the season, the "decent" episodes are starting to outnumber the good and great ones. Lets hope the new month delivers the promised slam bam conclusion to season two of The Clone Wars.
Patrick Garone
Creative Director
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The second season of Clone Wars continued Friday night in good form with the new episode "Cat and Mouse" which pits Anakin and Obi-Wan against a cunning new enemy, Admiral Trench. One of the great things about the series is that there is a kind of anthology vibe to the show as it jumps around in character focus, style and even time. 
"Cat and Mouse" feels a lot like a tense submarine thriller, along the lines of The Hunt for Red October or Crimson Tide, with Anakin, Admiral Yularen, and their clones in the dark and claustrophobic confines of a small stealth ship attempting to outmaneuver their better-armed opponent. While it doesn't have the awe factor of some of the better episodes this season, "Cat and Mouse" is a strong piece of Star Wars storytelling.
Continuity is a difficult thing to nail down in The Clone Wars, as episodes are not necessarily aired in their chronological order, although there is apparently some sort of timeline present. "Cat and Mouse" seems to represent the earliest events in the series and take place prior to the events in The Clone Wars theatrical movie with served as a pilot to the series and introduced us to Ahsoka and the Battle for Christophsis. Last season's episode "Traitor" was set immediately before the movie, and "Cat and Mouse" is set even before "Traitor."
This episode introduces us to a great new villain, Separatist Admiral Trench, a member of an arachnid species that I believe has not been seen in Star Wars before and who sounds like a cross between Darth Vader and John Rys-Davies. Like any villain who is worth his salt, Trench is smart and competent and the episode is built around his search for Anakin and the stealth ship. Since Anakin is also (tactically) smart and competent, it makes for an interesting story to see these two worthy adversaries take each other on. Trench is also built up nicely by the normally cool Yularen's fearful reaction to him based on a previous encounter. Sadly, it is almost entirely certain that Trench is killed off at the end of the episode. But since the series does jump around a lot in time, perhaps we can see an episode based around his first encounter with Yularen.
Speaking of Yularen, it was nice to see him off the bridge for once and that he was given something to do other than standing around and being uptight. Pairing him up with Anakin for a mission was a nice touch.
Overall, "Cat and Mouse" as a solid-if not spectacular-entry to The Clone Wars as season two races toward its conclusion next month. You can check the episode out online at starwars.com.
Patrick Garone
Creative Director
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Star Wars™ Fans will Feel the Force at C2E2
Carrie Fisher to Headline Star Wars Presence, Which Will Include Celebrity Appearances, Autographs,
Exclusives and More
Months before Star Wars Celebration V comes to Orlando, fans can feel the Force at Reed Exhibitions’ Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), at McCormick Place, April 16-18, 2010 in downtown Chicago. There’s a whole galaxy of fun on the exhibit hall floor, including celebrities, autographs and an exclusive collectible t-shirt that can only be found at the show – as well as a special appearance by Carrie Fisher, who portrayed Princess Leia Organa in the original Star Wars trilogy. In addition, Reed Exhibitions is producing Star Wars Celebration V – in cooperation with Lucasfilm – at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from August 12-15.
Special Star Wars C2E2 guests include:
Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia Organa) A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi (Scheduled for Saturday & Sunday only)
Ray Park (Darth Maul) The Phantom Menace
Daniel Logan (Young Boba Fett) Attack of the Clones
Amy Allen (Jedi Aayla Secura) Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith
Orli Shoshan (Jedi Shaak Ti) Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith
Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Revenge of the Sith
“We are enormously excited to be making this announcement,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President of the Reed Pop Culture Group and Show Manager for C2E2. “I know that this will be a huge attraction for the thousands of Star Wars fans who will be participating in our show. This is an exclusive showcase that can only be found at C2E2 where fans will get a chance to share and participate in official Star Wars activity.”
Organizers note that in addition to the opportunity to meet stars, collectors will have the chance to get their hands on an exclusive Celebration V/C2E2 t-shirt that will only be available to those who purchase their tickets for Celebration V at C2E2. The t-shirt gives a nod to both shows. In addition to the celebration on the show floor, there will be activity on stage as well. Lucasfilm’s official presentation begins at 1:15pm on Saturday, April 17th in the IGN Theater, with Steve Sansweet exploring the past, present and future of Star Wars – from the 30th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back to the exciting weekly animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the upcoming Star Wars Celebration V.
Sunday is Kids Day at C2E2.. Kids of all ages can learn to draw The Clone Wars characters at the Variant Stage at 1:00pm with Star Wars artists Katie Cook and Grant Gould. Drawing paper and pencils will be provided, or budding artists can bring their own sketchbooks.
Organizers for C2E2 note that tickets for the show continue to sell quickly, and so all fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance! For more information on guests, tickets, or C2E2 in general, visit www.C2E2.com or check out the show’s official blog, MediumAtLarge at www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/c2e2. For further information about Star Wars Celebration V and to buy tickets, go to www.starwarscelebration.com.
ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP:
The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain's New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched Star Wars Celebration in partnership with the Lucasfilm Ltd. and UFC Fan Expo. Additionally, it holds a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.
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The Clone Wars returned from its hiatus with the new episode "Senate Murders," which centers around a critical vote in the senate to increase the production on clone troopers and escalate the war against the Separatists. Standing against the increase is Senator Amadala and her posse, including Mon Mothma, Bail Organa and Rodian Senator Onaconda Farr, who was introduced last year as an old friend and mentor to Padme.
Another faction of competing senators stand in favor of the escalation, including new characters Deechi and the Kaminoan Senator Halle Burtoni. When Senator Farr is poisoned, Padme and Organa team up to investigate his murder an they discover a plot at the heart of the Galactic Senate.
Overall, "Senate Murders" is one of the weaker episodes this season, and not just because it is a Padme-focused, politics oriented story (although the movies handled this kind of political intrigue in a much more satisfying way). For me a lot of the new characters fall flat and feel off in this episode. Deechi is a one note, "evil" character and does little before his demise. While I was happy that a plausible explanation was given for there being a senator from Kamino, Halle Burtoni was jarringly different from the placid, ethereal, Kaminoans we saw in Attack of the Clones. Her aging vamp personality didn't feel quite right for the character. The other new character, Detective Divo was annoyingly caricaturish and it was hard to take him seriously with his round little body and Karl Rove-like face. It turns out he is the one in charge of those goofy Bobby Droids we've been seeing.
"Senate Murders" was a lackluster episode marred by some over-the-top characters. I did like that it was a different kind of a episode, a Star Wars who-done-it and when the killer was finally revealed, that person had a good reason for doing what they did. This is another example of the show's evolving moral complexity. I just wished that this point would have been packaged in a better episode.
Patrick Garone
Creative Director
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"EARLY BIRD" SPECIAL TO END FOR SUPER7'S STORMTROOPER SUPER SHOGUN
The countdown to the end of the "Early Bird" discounts has begun at STARWARS.SUPER7STORE.COM. This is the final week for collectors to preorder Super7's Star Wars Stormtrooper Super Shogun and qualify for the following benefits:
* FREE SHIPPING of the mammoth toy - a $30 savings! (This offer applies to continental US only.)
* An exclusive EARLY BIRD commemorative certificate
* Guaranteed to receive the STORMTROOPER SUPER SHOGUN itself before any other customer
The Early Bird special is inspired by the original Christmas 1977 preorder event in which fans were treated to a certificate while they waited for the first-ever Star Wars figures to arrive. Super7 s Early Bird program concludes at 12:00am Midnight PST next Wednesday, March 17th. The retail price of this highly anticipated, limited-edition collectible is $299, and will be released on Saturday May 29th, just in time for the 20th anniversary of Episode IV: The Empire Strikes Back!
The Star Wars Stormtrooper Super Shogun stands a whopping 24 inches tall, and includes all of the features that you expect from an authentic Jumbo: free rotating wheels on the bottom of his feet, and a spring-loaded Rocket Punch firing fist.
Utilizing the same techniques implemented by Japanese toy manufacturers in the 1970s, the Super Shogun is constructed from durable, blow-molded polyethylene with a painted vinyl helmet. The figure is articulated at the neck and shoulders, and includes a removable, highly-detailed BlasTech E-11 laser blaster, which even features a posable stock that unfolds from below the barrel. This marks the first authentic Super Shogun produced in over twenty-five years.
For more information, please visit the dedicated website STARWARS.SUPER7STORE.COM.
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"EARLY BIRD" PREORDERS BEGIN FOR SUPER7'S STORMTROOPER SUPER SHOGUN
Super7 is set to begin accepting preorders for the Star Wars Stormtrooper Super Shogun in the manner of the original Star Wars collectibles: as part of a special "Early Bird" program. Preorders begin at 12:00pm Noon PST (3pm EST) this Friday February 26th at the website STARWARS.SUPER7STORE.COM
"Early Birds" will receive the following benefits:
* FREE SHIPPING of the mammoth toy - a $30 savings! (This offer applies to continental US only.)
* An exclusive EARLY BIRD commemorative certificate
* Guaranteed to receive the STORMTROOPER SUPER SHOGUN itself before any other customer
The retail price is $299 , and is scheduled for release on Saturday May 29th. The Early Bird preorder benefits will be offered for a limited time only.
The Star Wars Stormtrooper Super Shogun stands a whopping 24 inches tall, and includes all of the features that you expect from an authentic Jumbo: free rotating wheels on the bottom of his feet, and a spring-loaded Rocket Punch firing fist.
Utilizing the same techniques implemented by Japanese toy manufacturers in the 1970s, the Super Shogun is constructed from durable, blow-molded polyethylene with a painted vinyl helmet. The figure is articulated at the neck and shoulders, and includes a removable, highly-detailed BlasTech E-11 laser blaster, which even features a posable stock that unfolds from below the barrel. This marks the first authentic Super Shogun produced in over twenty-five years. For more information, please visit the dedicated website STARWARS.SUPER7STORE.COM.
ABOUT SUPER7
Founded in 2001 as a magazine devoted to the obsessive-compulsive world of Japanese toy collecting, Super7 embarked on a mission to become the premiere outlet for information and reference for the obscure oddities of the toy universe. The success of the magazine immediately led to Super7 collaborating with Japanese toy manufacturers to create exclusive toys and various special editions, evolving over time to Super7 designing and manufacturing its own collectible toys.
Super7's philosophy is to make products- toys, books, magazines, t-shirts, and even their own retail store in San Francisco- that its collector founders would want, resulting in Super7's products being recognized by fans as original, unique, and most of all, genuine.
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Super7 announces full product details and a new website for the company's first collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd.: the highly anticipated Star Wars Stormtrooper Super Shogun.
Children growing up in the 70s and 80s had their lives touched by two pop culture phenomena: the Star Wars saga and Jumbo Machinder toys (marketed in the US as Shogun Warriors). Acclaimed toy design firm Super7 has combined Star Wars characters with the towering Japanese Super Robot aesthetic to create a collectible that could only have been imagined in the past. This marks the first authentic Super Shogun produced in over twenty-five years.
The Star Wars Stormtrooper Super Shogun stands a whopping 24 inches tall, and includes all of the features that you expect from an authentic Jumbo: free rotating wheels on the bottom of his feet, and a spring-loaded Rocket Punch firing fist. Utilizing the same techniques implemented by Japanese toy manufacturers in the 1970s, the Super Shogun is constructed from durable, blow-molded polyethylene with a painted vinyl helmet. The figure is articulated at the neck and shoulders, and includes a removable, highly-detailed BlasTech E-11 laser blaster, which even features a posable stock that unfolds from below the barrel. Collectors of both Japanese and Star Wars memorabilia are sure to be impressed with the care taken to fuse the disparate concepts into one unique entity.
Packaged in a dynamically illustrated gift box, each Stormtrooper is individually serial numbered as part of this one-time limited edition production run. As a special bonus, metallic foil stickers are included to allow fans the option to customize the torso with the character name in English or in Japanese.
Star Wars collector and Lucasfilm's Head of Fan Relations Steve Sansweet says he can't wait to get his hands on one. "I collected both Shogun Warriors and Star Wars toys, and to me this is the perfect mash-up. I've been following this piece since I saw the first internal prototype, and its awesome size and cool features (a firing fist!) along with its limited availability put this high up on the must-have list."
Tom Franck, renowned Japanese toy expert and possessor of one of the largest collections of Jumbo Machinders in the world, remarked "Toys like this just aren't made anymore and it would be easy to produce a modern-era product that is similar to the original Jumbo Machinder line in name only. Throughout the prototyping and manufacturing process, Super7 has stayed true to the distinct aesthetics of the Jumbo Machinders. It is so exciting to see the return of a classic, and I cannot wait to add it to my collection."
In celebration of the impending release, a dedicated mini-website has launched at STARWARS.SUPER7.COM containing additional product specifications, photos, and more. The home page features a countdown clock highlighting the date that the first preorders will begin being accepted online. The site will be updated regularly and will serve as the headquarters for all future Super7-Lucasfilm collaborations.
OFFICIAL SUPER SHOGUN SITE
ABOUT SUPER7
Founded in 2001 as a magazine devoted to the obsessive-compulsive world of Japanese toy collecting, Super7 embarked on a mission to become the premiere outlet for information and reference for the obscure oddities of the toy universe The success of the magazine immediately led to Super7 collaborating with Japanese toy manufacturers to create exclusive toys and various special editions, evolving overtime to Super7 designing and manufacturing its own collectible toys.
Super7's philosophy is to make products- toys, books, magazines, T-shirts, and even their own retail store in San Francisco- that its collector founders would want, resulting in Super7's products being recognized by fans as original, unique, and most of all, genuine.
ABOUT LUCASFILM LTD
Lucasfilm Ltd is one of the world's leading film and entertainment companies. Founded by George Lucas in 1971, it is a privately held, fully integrated entertainment company.
In addition to its motion-picture and television production operations, the company's global activities include Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, serving the digital needs of the entertainment industry for visual effects and audio post-production, LucasArts, a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide for video game console systems and PC; Lucasfilm Animation, and Lucas Licensing, which manages the global merchandising activities for Lucasfilm's entertainment properties Additionally, Lucas Online creates internet-based content for Lucasfilm's entertainment properties and businesses
Lucasfilm's motion-picture productions include five of the 20 biggest box-office hits of all time and have received 19 Oscars Together, the company has been honored with 41 Academy Awards and 107 Oscar nominations, while its television projects have won 12 Emmy Awards
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The three part Mandalore story arc concluded with Friday's episode, "The Dutchess of Mandalore," which is set entirely on Coruscant and is sort of a distorted reflection of The Phantom Menace. In TPM, Amadala and her Jedi guardians travel to the capital world to petition the Senate for Republic action on the part of her world and is stymied by political bureaucracy and the machinations of Palpatine. In "The Dutchess of Mandalore," Satine makes the trip to prevent Republic interference on her world, as it would exacerbate the terrorist threat on her world...and is stymied by bureaucracy and the machinations of Palpatine. This idea that even with good intentions, going into a situation with guns blazing can make things worse is a fairly sophisticated and timely theme and a nice break from the usually absolutist Star Wars point of view.
The previous episode was so good and wrapped things up so well that "Dutchess of Mandalore" almost seems like a bit of an afterthought. The Obi-Wan/Satine story was well-capped in the last episode and this one is largely concerned with political machinations in the Senate and an attempt by the Mandalorian Death Watch to assassinate Satine. I would have like for the three episodes to have been treated more like a movie, where the resolution of the doomed romance between the Jedi and Satine was moved to this last episode. It would have made the whole thing more satisfying, and spread some of the "quality" around between the three.
We now return to Sith Span...
I for one am actually a fan of the political angle and intrigue that was present in the Prequels but in this episode, the plot is somewhat hare-brained and dependent on characters making stupid choices. The Clone Wars is often a smartly-written show but can play dumb when it wants to. I can just imagine an exhausted writer collapsing with, "Well it is a kid's show...so it doesn't have to be smart." Wrong, slacker! Lots of adults watch the show and it has proven that it can be smart, so you do have to attempt to reach that bar.
I didn't buy the whole subplot of Satine having to go on the run because someone was shot next to her. She could have easily turned herself in made a case for herself. Are the police on Coruscant that incompetent that they are unable to tell from where a shot was fired? There is a lot of very lazy writing in this episode. I was rather hoping that Satine would be killed off, as it would have great consequences for Mandalore and Obi-Wan, as well and perhaps bring us closer to where things are in the movies. I have a feeling we will be seeing more of Mandalore, if only to put pieces in place for where they need to be in the EU.
Sadly, Coruscant's finest.
Palpatine has a bigger role here than usual and the show doesn't seem to know how to treat him. I have a feeling that the writers under the "Don't let on that Palpatine and Siddious are the same person" embargo, so they are probably required to be coy with him. In this episode his plotting is so transparent as to be laughable. Anyone paying attention can see how he is manipulating things. Palpy is an evil genius and deserves better.
On the plus side, Obi-Wan and the Mandalorian assassin have great fight scene and we actually get to see a Jedi offensively using telekinesis, which they have been a bit shy about on the show. There are also a couple of nice classic Star Wars references such as the presence of Mon Mothma in the Senate chambers and a large outdoor plaza that is straight out of Ralph McQuarries original Coruscant artwork created for Return of the Jedi.
Patrick Garone
Senior Reviewer
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DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES ALL-NEW
STAR WARS™ SERIES, KNIGHT ERRANT!
AS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC DRAWS TO A CLOSE,
WRITER JOHN JACKSON MILLER MOVES TO AN UNCHARTED CORNER OF THE GALAXY!
Coming off the heels of penning the breakout hit Mass Effect: Redemption and the gripping finale of Knights of the Old Republic, writer John Jackson Miller introduces us to Kerra Holt, a young Jedi who’s about to realize that her role in the galaxy is far more important, and vastly different, than she could have ever imagined.
Set one thousand years before Episode I, in a time referred to as the “Dark Age of the Republic,” this story takes place in an era when the Sith were legion and the Republic was strained to the breaking point, leaving large swaths of the galaxy with no one to turn to. This pivotal time in the history of Star Wars has been largely unexplored, until now.
Additionally, for the first time ever, the writer of this new comics series will also be authoring a novel for Del Rey Books, set in the same era and involving the same cast of characters in an all-new adventure. It’s going to be a unique event for Star Wars, and one that will give fans a whole new perspective on the galaxy.
“There’s such wonderful chaos going on in the galaxy in this period,” said writer John Jackson Miller. “More than a generation before Darth Bane introduced the Rule of Two, Sith Lords are colliding not just with the Republic, but with each other. Kerra’s going to find that good intentions just may not be enough in a galaxy gone mad! This is a wide-open area to explore, and I’m thrilled that Dark Horse and Del Rey have given me this opportunity to do so.”
“With John writing both the comics and the novel, Knight Errant will be a Star Wars story on a scale we've never undertaken before," said comic-series editor Dave Marshall. “This will be a first-of-its-kind opportunity to introduce the Expanded Universe of the Dark Horse comics to the fans of the Del Rey novels and vice versa!”
With more news in the coming months, look for Star Wars: Knight Errant to arrive on shelves later this fall!
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The three-part Mandalore story arc continued last Friday with the melodramatically-titled "Voyage of Temptation" which follows Dutchess Satine, her retinue, a clone squadron, and the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker as they head toward Coruscant together so that the pacifist Satine can make her case for Mandalore's continued neutrality and against the war.
This episode arc has a lot of parallels with Attack of the Clones and Obi-Wan and Satine as a couple were faced with a lot of the same dilemmas as Anakin and Padme but made very different choices. There is even a scene as the two Jedi take the lift up to see Satine where Anakin notes Obi-Wan's anxiety that is very similar to the scene in Clones as the two are making their way to Padme's apartment. This was a very revealing episode for Obi-Wan and is full of many great character moments and some really nice dialogue which is not something for which Star Wars prequel or original trilogy) is known.
The great chemistry that we saw on display between Satine and Obi-Wan during last week's episode continues and the two get a lot of great digs in at each other, such as when Satine refers to Obi-Wan as a "collection of half-truths and hyperbole." This insult rings true to anyone who has ever pondered his "certain point of view" speech in Return of the Jedi. "Voyage of Temptation" has the extra level of having Anakin present to relish Obi-Wan's discomfort and to learn something about his former master that he had apparently never known. Obi-Wan and Anakin have a particularly poignant exchange in which Obi-Wan notes the remorse that comes with the Jedi rejection of attachment.
Meanwhile, a traitor in Satine's retinue has smuggled a few Separatist "assassin probes" aboard. These spider-like droids take over the cargo bay and manage to eliminate a lot of clones in a sequence that has plenty horror elements and some nice allusions to Alien. I particularly like the scene in which a clone picks up an empty helmet only to have a mini-droid leap out of it and attach itself to his face.
Some of the droids manage to make their way up to Satine but they are dispatched by Obi-Wan and Satine herself who packs a small ion pistol. The idea of pacifism pops up every now and then on The Clone Wars and is almost always handled clumsily. The show is called Star Wars: The Clone Wars, after all. Satine is one of the few pacifist characters who doesn't come off looking foolish in the show. Her pacifism leads to an interesting ethical Mexican standoff between her, Obi-Wan and the traitor which Anakin resolves in a moment that is at once shocking, immensely satisfying, and totally character appropriate. The fact that the Imperial March plays faintly during it is a great touch, as is Anakin's hilariously nonchalant reaction to it.
"Voyage of Temptation" is a great example of The Clone Wars in top form. In many ways the show manages to surpass the movies in quality. This episode presents well-drawn characters, good dialogue, and even a touching, textured, and mature love story all in a twenty-two minute "children's show," something that all of the movies have struggled to do.
Patrick Garone
Senior Reviewer
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These episodes mark a turning point for Palpatine's characterization on the show and the makers are far less coy about his true nature, even to the point where he shares an evil grin with the camera. He comes off as a real bastard in "The Zillo Beast Strikes Back." A running joke in the episode is that the Beast seems to be on to him when no one else is and the monster pursues him through a big chunk of the city. He could have done the galaxy a big favor if not for the Jedi.
