25. "Rookies" (Season 1)
The Clone Wars got off to a pretty rocky start, thanks in no small part to the mediocre 2008 movie. It wasn't until the fifth episode of Season 1 that the series started to show its true potential. And it did so by shifting focus away from Jedi and to their loyal clone soldiers. "Rookies" puts the spotlight on Captain Rex, Commander Cody and a team of newbie clones thrust into the deep end as they face an unexpected Separatist attack. This episode is an early showcase for what would become one of the series' greatest strengths - lending depth and humanity to the clones. Though they all share one face and one voice, many of these clones developed distinct personalities and motivations over the course of the series. The titular rookies introduced in this episode would go on to play pivotal roles in many future storylines, with the one common thread being that all of them met tragic fates in the end. But then, that's sort of the case for everyone who fought in the war, isn't it?
24. The Zillo Beast Duology (Season 2)
These two episodes - "The Zillo Beast" and "The Zillo Beast Strikes Back" - are fun and unique outliers for the series, as they're basically a Godzilla movie disguised as a Star Wars adventure. In "The Zillo Beast," the Republic field-tests a new weapon it believes can bring a swift end to the war. Instead, that weapon winds up awakening a fearsome, nearly indestructible monster. These two episodes bring a novel monster movie feel to the series, particularly in the second half as the beast runs amok on Coruscant. And like the best Godzilla movies, these episodes have a lot to say about the toll of war and the unintended consequences of seeking ever bigger and more powerful weapons. This is also one of the first times where the series really highlighted the true nature of the outwardly benevolent Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.
23. "Tipping Points" (Season 5)
This episode caps off the first major Season 5 story arc, with Ahsoka lending a hand to a group of rebels trying to liberate the planet Onderon from their corrupt, Separatist-loyal king. Only in hindsight is it clear how important this particular episode is to the larger Star Wars saga, as we see a young Saw Gerrera take his first steps toward becoming the paranoid, morally compromised fanatic he is in Rogue One and Star Wars Rebels. But even ignoring that setup, this episode stands out as one of the more successful attempts at exploring the toll of the Clone Wars conflict and Ahsoka's disillusionment with the Jedi.
22. "Deception" (Season 4)
The Clone Wars never put Obi-Wan Kenobi in the spotlight as often as we would have liked, but at least we have episodes like "Deception." This installment pushes Obi-Wan in some fascinating directions, even opening with his apparent death at the hands of bounty hunter Rako Hardeen. It's not long before we learn that death was staged in order to allow Obi-Wan to capture and impersonate Hardeen. Thus begins a whirlwind journey where Obi-Wan teams up with Cad Bane and tries to maintain his cover in a situation that tests his Jedi morals like none other. It's both a fun change of pace for the series and a sobering look at how even the Jedi were willing to make compromises for the greater good.
21. "Hostage Crisis" (Season 1)
Even as The Clone Wars steadily improved over the course of Season 1, there was always a nagging sense that something was missing. The Season 1 finale finally introduced that missing ingredient in the form of new villain Cad Bane. Bane's debut ushered in a new status quo for the series, one where opportunistic bounty hunters emerged to take advantage of the ongoing conflict between the Republic and Separatists. Bane himself quickly became one of the series' most compelling new characters, with this episode showing him to be crafty enough to outwit even Anakin.
20. "The Box" (Season 4)
The penultimate chapter of the Rako Hardeen story arc, this action-packed episode thrusts the undercover Obi-Wan into an even more hairy situation. He and his fellow bounty hunters are put in a deadly arena to battle it out for the right to work for Count Dooku. That's a recipe for a very exciting and suspenseful episode. Can Obi-Wan win a spot on Team Dooku without giving away his true nature? Can he fool Dooku himself? This episode is also great about adding new layers to both Cad Bane and Anakin. The former shows that even he has a code, while the latter takes an important step closer toward becoming Darth Vader as he discovers the truth behind Obi-Wan's "death." His distrust and latent hatred of his fellow Jedi is that much more believable thanks to this arc.
19. "Monster" (Season 3)
His name may be a bit dorky, but Savage Opress wound up being one of the most compelling and tragic characters introduced in The Clone Wars. It all starts in this episode, which explores how the Nightbrother rose from a life of slavery to briefly become the new righthand-man of Darth Tyrannus. In the course of one episode, we see Savage evolve from reluctant warrior struggling to protect his weaker younger brother to brutal, one-man Jedi slayer. This episode is also crucial in terms of fleshing out the mythology of Dathomir and the Nightsisters and even Darth Maul's murky history. And as viewers would soon learn, this was just the beginning where Maul was concerned.
18. "Heroes on Both Sides" (Season 3)
The opening crawl for Episode III teases the notion of there being "heroes on both sides" of the Clone Wars, but that wasn't a topic the movie had any room to explore. Instead, it fell on this series to make good on Episode III's tease. This episode explores that theme as well as any other, with Ahsoka assigned to protect Padme as the good senator attempts to broker a peace treaty with the help of a friend and Separatist counterpart. Obviously, that was never going to pan out, but this episode is still crucial in showcasing the other side of the war and the notion that the Separatists are far more than just endless waves of disposable droids.
17. "Grievous Intrigue" (Season 2)
General Grievous is nothing if not an odd character. His early, pre-Episode III appearances (such as in the Genndy Tartakovsky-produced Clone Wars series) paint him as a terrifying force of nature, whereas his portrayal shifted in a more comedic direction after that. This series attempted to split the difference, with "Grievous Intrigue" serving as the best example of how to make Grievous a force to be reckoned with while still highlighting his cowardly nature. This cleverly executed episode (written by The Tick creator Ben Edlund, no less) simultaneously paints Grievous as an unstoppable monster and a self-serving villain more concerned with his own survival than fighting fair.
16. "The Wookiee Hunt" (Season 3)
The Clone Wars dragged in pretty much every familiar Star Wars character it could get its hands on for a guest appearance, including everyone's favorite Wookiee co-pilot. Chewbacca helps elevate Season 3's final story arc, as he helps Ahsoka protect a group of vulnerable Younglings from Trandoshan slavers. But more than just giving fans a fun team-up, "The Wookiee Hunt" marks a critical point in Ahsoka's character arc. This is the episode that proves Ahsoka is capable enough to chart her own course, free of Anakin's protection. From here on out, the series shifted more to exploring Ahsoka's growing disillusionment with the Jedi path and Anakin's reluctance to let his student go.
15. The Umbara Quadrilogy (Season 4)
Star Wars is, at its core, a very all-ages-focused series. But the longer it went on, the less The Clone Wars seemed geared towards children. And nowhere is the series more dark and depressing than in the four episodes that comprise the Umbara story arc. Here The Clone Wars veers into full-blown, Saving Private Ryan-style war movie. These four episodes feature some of the biggest and most satisfying battle scenes of the entire series. Having a character like Pong Krell who's capable of wielding multiple dual-bladed lightsabers at once certainly doesn't hurt. Beyond the carnage of war, the Umbara arc stands out because it examines the plight of clone soldiers forced to carry out orders they don't necessarily agree with. This arc forces Captain Rex to reconcile his loyalty to his clone comrades with his duty to the Republic. And with Krell himself turning out to be the main villain of the story, we come to understand that not all clones view the Jedi with reverence. For some, maybe Order 66 was a pleasure.
14. "The Lost One" (Season 6)
Outside of the non-canon novel Darth Plagueis, no Star Wars story has attempted to tell the story of Syfo-Dias, the lost Jedi Master who commissioned the Republic's clone army. This Season 6 episode finally addresses that mystery, with Anakin and Obi-Wan tracing Syfo-Dias' steps and coming dangerously close to uncovering the true secret of the Clone Wars conflict. With an intriguing mystery angle and what would prove to be the final battle between Anakin, Obi-Wan and Count Dooku pre-Episode III, this episode adds a lot to the larger tapestry of the Clone Wars.from IGN Reviews https://ift.tt/2yp7wQ8
This could be a real lead forward for personal gaming... Revolutionise gaming
No comments:
Post a Comment