October 2 2009

view: (720p)




Episode Guide: Cargo Of Doom

Episode Air No: 24
Production No: 113

Director: Rob Coleman
Writer: George Krstic

Episode Brief: Anakin & Ahsoka intercept Cad Bane's Warship hoping to recover the stolen Jedi Holocron - the Jedi underestimate the Bounty Hunter's cunning tactics.

I missed the first half, but I liked the second half. Lots of good action.

Man, the animation got even better than in season 1. And I don't mean only the technical aspect of it.

EDIT: Ah! It was Rob Coleman directing.

Torturing a Jedi to death? This show is getting darker than I would have thought and I love it.

Bane was all sorts of awesome this episode. I love him trash talking the droids; there's a lot of GREAT subtle animation when he's ordering them around on thr bridge. Loved his coreographing his death and escape. He's quickly becoming an iconic Star Wars character.

This is easily the best action serial I've ever seen.

I had serious trouble hearing dialogue in my HD broadcast, especially Bane. The music and sfx were mixed way too loudly. I'll have to give one of these rips a go.

They were alright episodes. We're definitely treading into darker territory than even the movies with scenes like the Jedi torture. Anakin is still much more badass and likeable than in the movies. Ahsoka never really annoyed me that much, but she's getting better as a character.

Frankly I'm sick of the lightsaber deflect-a-thons. Every episode, sabers a-twirling as billions of bolts are swatted away. I don't know, it's just sickening to me. Whenever they did that kind of thing in the OT, you could really feel the power behind the bolts and the blades. Huge sparks and crazy sound effects. Remember when Luke reflects the laser at the dude on Jabba's sail barge? Blam! Ever since the prequels, the lightsabers and this sort of combat just seem much less cool. I miss the Excalibur lightsabers.

Another thing that annoyed me was the presence of Jedi like Kit Fisto and Aayla without speaking roles. Reminded me of how lame it was having them in the background of the PT doing and saying nothing. They were set dressings. At least have the voice actors record a few lines for them.

Again the MF downloadable HD files are the only way to watch the new Clone Wars. With lightsabers, less is more. The Prequels and now the TV shows have demystified the tool to where it can be wielded by a elderly Librarian.

The torture death of the Rodian Jedi was somewhat torturous itself to watch. While the show could be applauded to feature such a death, it could of been done in a more entertaining manner. Another issue is how Anakin gave into Bane's demands. Bane's escape with a opened hologram should have been handled in way without having Anakin emo out and open it. We are dealing with the future Vader here who previously massacred an entire Sand People village and who will eventually behead a Count.




ABOVE: This episode's Hannibal Lecter escape pictured.

DP, I have to disagree with your Anakin comments. I think his shortcomings make him a more interesting character. The PT set-up Anakin to be a character with contradictory traits. (For example, he wants to be the most powerful Jedi ever, but at the same time rebels against the Jedi way of life.) In this episode, we have Anakin behaving according to this premise. Specifically, he shows that he is very unconventional when it comes to military tactics, but also very predictable when it comes to his emotional response. In the end, he seemingly both wins and loses the battle.

In general, Lucas has always shown restraint when it comes to Vader. In the Annotated Screenplays book, he states that: “I didn’t want Vader to be all-powerful. In the first film it was very easy to make him into some kind of superhero. But I decided not to do that.” Lucas understands that you can do more in terms of storytelling with a character that can be admirable one minute and contemptible the next.


I do agree with you in regard to the torture scene. Filoni has some interesting thing to say about that sequence over at the OS:

[spoil]
[flash width=626 height=384]http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/starwars_e/embedflv/swf/fop_embed.swf?pm=4&id=15879941[/flash]
[/spoil]



I have to admit that I really liked these episodes. I’m not someone who thinks that darker automatically equals smarter and better. So going in, I was worried that the creative team would go for the grim stuff over substance. For the most part, there was decent balance between action and character. Bane is more fun than expected him to be. He truly takes pride in his clever cruelty. As such, he reminds me more of Jack Palance in Shane and than Van Cleef in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (see clip below).


[spoil]
[flash width=560 height=340]http://www.youtube.com/v/KsskPPgkIe4[/flash]
[/spoil]

The only disappointing part of the première was that the final chapter in the arc wasn’t shown. In this regard, I wish Filoni & Co. would have pulled all three together into one long episode much like the movie last year.

Speaking of the movie, it seems that Lucas is incorporating his dualism motif into the show. Besides the two Lector-like escapes, we also have last season and this season starting off with tales about kidnapped children. Will season three start-off with an abduction premise as well?

I agree with DP on this. The reaction was not what we would get from the movie Anakin, and I don't necessarily even mean what Anakin did but the lack of anger. The only way I buy that response is if he has little to no attachment for Ahsoka. When someone threatens one of his loved ones he loses all rationale and charges in guns blazing. Which maybe I just changed my mind.

The only 2 people he ever really loved were mommy and Padme, he wasnt even willing to leave Naboo when Obi was in danger, but after the attempt on Padmes life the next time he confronts Dooku he looses almost half his arm. If Bane had Padme instead Anakin would have force choked the shit out of him, but since it was Ahsoka he is rational and does what is right.

I see where you are coming from, but I don’t believe that Anakin’s response would have been different for Padme. Despite his anger, I think Anakin would be able see the helplessness of the situation and make the same choice. If anything, he may relent more quickly than he did with Ashoka.

Afterwards, however, I think his approach would change. No matter the circumstance, I don’t see him abandoning his hunt for Bane. He would want blood.

While I agree that Anakin’s feelings for Padme trumps all else, I think you’re undervaluing his relationship with Ahsoka. As Filoni has stated, she is like a kid sister to him.

In light of this analogy, I wonder about Ahsoka’s fate. If Anakin was to lose her, it would be another devastating blow. Her death would give another layer of perspective to his anxiety in Episode 3.

In general, I wouldn’t worry about seeing Anakin’s darkside in the series. In the Episode 3 webdocs below, Lucas states that Anakin begins to enjoy killing during the Clone Wars. I expect Anakin to become progressively aggressive as the series moves closer to the start of ROTS.

http://www.starwars.com/video/view/000309.html

Err... I think Anakin very rarely gets so emotional as to lose all his rationale. Charging in guns blazing is just his everyday style.

top post updated