Clone Wars S01 E19 (SPOILERS)

Mixed feelings with this one.

Again, the idea of cramming all the story set up into the opening narration continues and I’m beginning to find the three-part-story format frustrating, especially as the ties between what were once frequent stand alone stories interspersed between larger stories is kind of weak.

Episode #19 is a great episode for both Ahsoka’s character and space battles but there’s the annoying spectre of how it all relates to ‘part two’ hanging over the whole affair and that detracts from what we’re actually seeing in this episode. All of this is par for the course now, I guess. 19 episodes in and when a new episode of Clone Wars now airs, it’s pretty clear exactly what we’re getting – I’m okay with that, I guess, I just wish these stories weren’t in so much of a rush to please everyone.

Nonetheless, episode #19 really did Ahsoka justice, perhaps not as a teenager but certainly as a young woman who initially had little military training yet has spent the last year/half-a-year or so living as a soldier in a very military environment.

Mar Tuuk is another interesting character in this episode whom, despite being new to the series displays something of ‘the Thrawn method’ to evaluating his enemies. Hopefully he’ll turn up again soon.

With that, I find we’re rapidly approaching the end of season one. Perhaps the new format of season two will help shake things up a bit but, even if it doesn’t, the Clone Wars TV series remains one of the highlights of my delayed Sunday viewing. It’s not a perfect show but it’s a long way from the car crash of some of Lucas’ canonical material and that means that, despite what you might think about it, it’s probably still ‘more’ Star Wars than you might expect and that in itself should be enough to recommend it.