Episode 9: Cloak of Darkness
in a review preview, io9.com sums up my thoughts perfectly:
Originally on io9.comEverytime that the show is this good, I get optimistic -overly so, perhaps - that this is the sign of a new era where every episode moving forward will be this good, and everytime, I get disappointed. If every episode of Clone Wars managed to get the mix of influence and originality as right as this one did, then it'd be must-see TV.
This one rocked, next one looks badass too.
Except......Ahsoka facepalm She's so....un-Jedi.
Did anyone else think the Senate guards looked like Oblivion's guards? sly I was waiting for the dude to say 'Stop right there, criminal scum'.
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Are you going to do your own review Alliance? I like reading them 👆
Cloak of Darkness
Net Reaction: Positive
Season 1 Record: (4)-5
Summary:
A bad episode setting up a good one...this is becommign a trend. Also, we finally have a lightsaber duel. Unfortunately, the 4th good episode of the series will probably fail to change the direction as we slump back into the bad ones.
Pros:
Gree: This stud was around in Bombad, but he didn't do much. Gree is the third clone commander from ROTS to make an appearance in the series, with Cody in the movie and in Rookies, and an under-ranked Thire in Ambush. For a history buff, the guy is a bit rough, but his handcuff jokes, brawling with Argives, and getting whacked on the back by Gunray gave him a shining role in the series. He is also the first movie clone to appear with a Jedi in which he was not tasked to hunt down (Cody with Kenobi, Thire with Yoda after the senate battle...Alpha/Rex doesn't count as he never made a canon appearance on film). Gree was axed by Yoda, but Luminara was also on Kashyyyk with Gree during the execution of 66, but she dealt with commander Faie. So, there is a connection there to note, but the disconnect is also noticable.
damn enter key...this is going ot be a two-parter
Pros continued
Girl Power: Enough has been said, but why weren't they making out?
Luminara: While Plo broke the naming barrier for Jedi, Unduli has broken the gender barrier. Still both are council members (though Luminara is a lesser one) and featured heavily in the films. Fisto will continue this 2nd tier of jedi next week, but its still refreshing to see a newer face, even if its not new.
Action: This week has it, on all fronts. Codpiece to the wall action. Ashoka puts her snipy-ness into combat, even makes a few mistakes like charging after Ventress. Nice. Just nice. I even winced at some parts where the clones got sliced.
Win: Ventress does something and executes it well. OMG. This must be a first for a seemingly perennial loser. She even kills a few clones.
Gunray: This character finally shows some character. Him mocking Ashoka in the cell was excellent. As was his repeated "I always knew I liked you."
Betrayal: Wow, an enemy from within. Are we finally going to start showing that there is a war going on and just because you're "with" the Republic doesn't mean you're trustworthy. Still, both Goldy and Argyus were instantly smelt out by me. Guess thats life.
Skywalker's Filthy Obnoxious Annoying Little Pet: Great line. Nice to know someone else thinks it. (not me, but I know there is a movement against Ahsoka)
Bald-Headed Harpy: Better comeback. The Ventress cackle later on just made it perfect. Reminds me of Hillary Clinton. *shudders*
Blues: It was nice to see the Senate Guard make an appearance. Just a quibble: wtf was with their giant left pauldron. They have ceremonial robes as we've seen in the films, if we're going to give them combat gear, why still have a ceremonial thing like an arm length pauldron...it just looked awkward.
Mommy, its WALL-E!: Maybe Lucas Animation is having a little bit of Pixar-envy, but the scenes with the confused little 327-T were really cute, especially as he scurries and screams away as the clones upright him.
Cons:
Ashoka-modding: First off, the comic excuse for why she was there was entirely lame. Its clearly a transplant. It would have been much more believable if Anakin has been there and been separated in the explosions on the ship. A padawan shouldn't be leaving her master. Besides, when you capture a major rebel leader, one of your finest isn't "needed elsewhere." The situation was contrived. Secondly, this is the third time imo Ashoka has been over-powerized. In the movie she took on 3 magna guards, then she took on grievous (though seeing her batted into the wall, choked, and doging sabers in the ventilation ducts helped make up for it), and now when Luminara, a Jedi council member, can't take on Ventress, Ashoka magically can. I understand Ashoka needs to be be valuable to the saga, but she's a bit amped for my-first-padawan.
Luminara: For being a master, and after Plo was portrayed as such a austere magical guy (he is a permenant member of the council which Luminara is not) Luminara was at times cocky, and had some weak sauce moments like the steam. She could have had a few more moments of skill and wisdom, though, she does admit and accept her misjudgment in the end.
Argyus' hair: WTF is wrong with it? That was the scariest part of this episode.
What I want to see next:
More of Gree, thats for sure...
We finally saw the Republic suffer a small loss, but it was a win that became a loss, not a net loss for the Republic. It still has not been shown that this war is serious beyond the episodic skirmishes. The Republic has yet to lose a battle, to loose a planet, or to see a Jedi fall. Cloak of Darkness upped the ante, but we still aren't there yet.
As far as content, it would be great to see Jedi masters being wise and skilled while padawans and other jedi being less wise and skilled. The younger guys make mistakes and we learn as they learn. Sound familiar? This may be the first time we actually see what I want to see next.
And...dare I dream...two good episodes in a row?
Luminara: While Plo broke the naming barrier for Jedi, Unduli has broken the gender barrier. Still both are council members (though Luminara is a lesser one) and featured heavily in the films. Fisto will continue this 2nd tier of jedi next week, but its still refreshing to see a newer face, even if its not new.
Luminara wasn't a Council member, that was Shaak Ti (who we'd better see in this series at some point) who was. And featured heavily in the films? Sure, if you count having more than 15 seconds of screentime yet no lines at all as being heavily featured.
However, it's definitely nice to see some of the background Jedi from the films. Especially Luminara, as I really like her and Barriss (here's hoping she'll also make an appearance in Clone Wars at some point!).
You are right, she was not a council member. My error.
She is more heavily featured I believe than Shaak Ti. She is in the Chancellors office in AOTC with Mace, Yoda, Plo, and Kit, she is in the Arena sequence, and she is also shown on Kashyyyk in ROTS. I believe that is more than Master Ti who is only shown during the arena sequence and in the council chambers. I will have to watch the films again.
But in a SAGA with I believe 7 named Jedi (Yoda, Mace, Qui-Gon, Kenobi, Anakin, Luke, Vos (not matched name with face), having your face shown is a priveledge lol.
Master Ti is one of the coolest. I'm sure she'll get a spot, but I'd rather see a clone episode than her lol.
Originally posted by Alliance
You are right, she was not a council member. My error.She is more heavily featured I believe than Shaak Ti. She is in the Chancellors office in AOTC with Mace, Yoda, Plo, and Kit, she is in the Arena sequence, and she is also shown on Kashyyyk in ROTS. I believe that is more than Master Ti who is only shown during the arena sequence and in the council chambers. I will have to watch the films again.
But in a SAGA with I believe 7 named Jedi (Yoda, Mace, Qui-Gon, Kenobi, Anakin, Luke, Vos (not matched name with face), having your face shown is a priveledge lol.
Master Ti is one of the coolest. I'm sure she'll get a spot, but I'd rather see a clone episode than her lol.
I honestly would love to see Barriss and Shaak Ti featured in episodes at some point. There are basically no female characters in Star Wars, damnit, so let's have some focus on the few that exist.
(Also, I just think Barriss is very cool in general, being my favorite of the 'background' Jedi, and I was her for Halloween 😛 seeing Luminara in an episode has me hoping that she'll appear too)
Originally posted by MIŠT
Someone say Vos? sly
Do you have a radar built in or something? 😛
Originally posted by Peach
I honestly would love to see Barriss and Shaak Ti featured in episodes at some point. There are basically no female characters in Star Wars, damnit, so let's have some focus on the few that exist.
I liker her better than Luminara, but she always seemed like her design was a rejected concept for Luminara. I never like that they were so similar AND master and apprentice. If i had to make a prediction, I think they will both feature in their own episode, Shaak Ti certainly as after the Gendy Series and TFU, she's really taken a headliner role.
Originally posted by MIŠT
Someone say Vos? sly
No.... 😉
He better make an appearance...and be nekkid.
Originally posted by Dark Exile
Haven't seen it yet but does it lead up to Lair of Grievous?
No. Fisto is mentioned, but its not a direct tie in.
Originally posted by queeq
Good epsiode, and good review Alliance.A tidbit about the Wall-E droid. That type is already featured in ANH, inside the Jawa sandcrawler...
Oh I totally know. I'm just though the parallels and the behavior of the droid were kind of intriguing. It was more like some kid wouldn't know the difference. Not what we saw in ANH were all the Jawa droids lethargically sauntered around like they were high, excepted for mouse droids which were clearly buzzed on something.