October 10 2008




Episode Guide: Shadow Of Malevolence

Episode Air No: 3
Production No: 9

Director: Brian Kalin O'Connell
Writer: Steve Melching

Episode Brief: With the help of Ahsoka & Plo Koon - Anakin utilizes new long-range Y-wing Bombers to lead a bold strike on Grievous' warship, The Malevolence and its destructive weapon.

Holy shit. If this series continues to progress the way it has with each episode, we're in for quite a treat. These 22 minutes blew the feature film out of the water.

This chapter reminded me of the X-wing and TIE Fighter games from the early nineties. Remote space stations, squadrons of ships in formation, capital ships chasing each other down and plenty of meaningful deaths took the show to a new level. The flight through the nebula rivals the atmosphere found in the films; bringing to mind Ralph McQuarrie's concept paintings, the asteroid chase of TESB and murky underwater tension reminiscent of Jaws. Matchstick met a spectacular yet alarming end. Grievous and Dooku plotting to wipe out tens of thousands of wounded troops shows their lack of pity and perhaps the desperate ends the war has been taken to.

The episode is notable for introducing the new fully-plated Y-wings. Star Wars lore states that Republic techs began leaving the engine plates off completely because the ships were so troublesome to maintain. It's great to see attention paid to details such as this.

I'm starting to get goosebumps...

The Clones have a big meaning in these series, I like that

This episode reminds me also of the x-wing and tiefighter games, it also has that "A new Hope" taste.

I hope to see more of the known Clone Commanders in future episodes, Thyre has already been introduced so I hope to see more of Bly, Gree, Appo and such.

The series is starting to become what I hoped for since the Old Trilogy, that same feel and atmosphere

Is George starting to get nostalgic?

I hope so!

Act III was A New Hope's bitch. Loved the sound design, with the alternating and distinct hums and whines of each ship as well as the added shrill metallic screeching of one of the Y-wings corpses crashing across the Malevolence's surface. The stark, high-contrast space visuals were very reminiscent of the 1977 film's space scenes. Good to see some of the ethereality of Attack of the Clones' Kamino mixed in for good measure.

Badass Plo took the hyperspace ring with him!

I'm kind of missing the stereotypical tinge to the aliens so far in the series. I miss the Jew-like Toydarians and WASPish Kaminoans. Whatever. Maybe they're saving it for the really bad aliens.

What's up with the aspect ratio? I tuned in last Sunday and I was getting a warped letterbox version, but letterbox all the same. Now it's a croptacular 1.85:1.



Man, it happens!

There appears to be a superior torrent at minova: Star Wars The Clone Wars S1E03 HDTV XviD-SC-SDH

yep, whoever made that first avi needs to go back to school.

The final space battle was definitely a lot of fun. Great homage to ANH. And the nebula creatures were a nice touch as well. I'm still not sold on Anakin and Ahsoka yet, but it's not enough to sink an episode, either.

Megaupload HD Ver.

Thx 4 the heads up Ackbar

Thanks for the upload Cryostar Stupid me forgot to up it myself

Very solid episode. I'm liking this series.

I like the brutality they don't mind killing the clones off.

The exploding Malevolence looked amazing, especially considering it is only a TV show.

Thanks to everyone for posting and the links. The first post has been updated with the HD sourced one with the preview at the end and a 720p version is out that we still need to get.

Initial thoughts and high points: The Malevolence Trilogy should have been the theatrical movie. The score nods to the film scores. Y-Wings leaving the Jedi Cruisers. The Corellian Corvettes (Blockade Runners) used as transports docking the Bespin-style space hospital. The space mantis or "Gas Gulpers".

This episode was freakin' great, but it was almost ruined by Ahsoka's constant whining. I guess if we're not going to have a whining Jar Jar, 3PO, or Skywalker, then I guess we're left to deal with Ahsoka for the time being.

Haven't commented on any of the episodes so far but like the rest of you, woh, this is great. I was truly expecting TCW to be an unmitigated disaster but it's so much more involving than I expected. Not seen the actual movie yet (got a dodgy telecine but not sure if I should go for that or not) so am unable to compare. Is the TV series in a different league to the movie?

Have to say that Grievous is an absolutely excellent err bastard. Loved the way he mashed one of those Battledroids on the main deck of Malevolence. I'm really pleased that he's in this a lot and by the looks of things ends up in a tasty lightsabre battle with Ken this Friday, I’m cock-a-hoop, I really am!

I'm still in shock that there is an adult element to this i.e. clones suffocating, crashing into giant space tadpoles and generally taking the piss out of each other. To give the clones personality was a bold but IMO a wise move. I'm also in cardiac arrest (i.e. serious shock) that the Battledroids are starting to grow on me - Holy Evil Knievel pants! Their inane banter is quite entertaining and I look forward to many thousands being destroyed in all manner of ways.

My only criticisms are: the Commander (what’s his name?) looks and acts like a camp John Cleese, he looks stoopid too with that Freddie Mercury moustache hanging off his top lip, hope he gets pulverised by Grievous; still not entirely convinced by the lip syncing; Ashoka doesn’t do it for me...and I'm not talking about getting the horn for a tentacle head girl either (cos I do get the horn for such ladies) – give her 5 move episodes and let Ventress slice her tentacles off and sell them on eBay. Overall though a quality show. TCW producers…I salute you.

Not going to happen. That is Admiral Yularen and he is actually from ANH. He is the guy in the white imperial officers uniform with the mustache.

Now that's a quality tache! Thanks for educating me on Admiral Yularen and excuse my ridiculous reference by calling him "Commander", I'm disgusted with myself. Shall enjoy ANH even more when I see this fella sitting round the big boys table though, adds another dimension for me so thanks. Back to TCW…perhaps someone can ruff him up though, maybe break some bones or simply just blow him to pieces and have him cloned later. Just a thought that is all, not a very clever thought I grant you, but a thought all the same.

Maybe I have the time line mixed up here, but Grevious is coughing in this episode, and doesn't that happen as a result of Windu destroying his breathing mechanism right before Ep3?

nitpicking I guess, but just checking if I understand the time line of this show and how it relates to Ep3.

I read somewhere that the micro-series is considered Jedi propaganda and is therefore inaccurate and not part of official Star Wars canon.

Pure jealousy. "Someone did it better, so now I have to pretend it didn't happen & do it over my way."

That's because when someone other than Lucas himself plays in the Star Wars sandbox, they win emmys.

When Lucas puts his hands on it, we get annoying pre-teens, fuckin' retarded droid babble, farting slugs & drag queen huts.

Though I will concede that the tv series incarnation has been a lot better than the movie.

It was easy, since the bar had been set so low.