I thought I'd post my thoughts on episodes 3 through 5, definitely some good stuff coming out of this Onderon sequence as things start to escalate, sure it's a bit of a slow burn, but the climax is worth the wait.
S05E03: Front Runners
This third episode was definitely a step in the right direction with more focus on some quite interesting action. Some nice cinematic artistic touches like where in one scene the Rebels are on a rooftop in the city surveilling their next target and then the camera sweeps across the city to a balcony of the royal palace where Onderon's current ruler resides.
The action becomes more intense in this episode as Ahsoka stays with the insurgents, and they infiltrate the city of Iziz and execute daring raids on the Separatist Droid forces garrisoned there. Still not a groundbreaking episode, but you get the feel there is a slow burn and it is leading up to some serious payoff as the action within this Onderon sequence of episodes continues to escalate.
There are also some nice if not subtle nods to the original trilogy, with two of the Rebel leaders happening to be siblings, and also the love triangle sort of thing going on between Ahsoka, Bonteri and Steela.
S05E04: The Soft War
This episode is definitely getting more like what we want to see from The Clone Wars, as the conflict on Onderon escalates. The Rebels continue to cause disruption to the Separatist droid forces in the capital city using hit and fade tactics which prove quite effective despite the addition of droid reinforcements. To assure the people of Onderon and gain their trust, Steela addresses them with a stirring speech via hologram stating the Rebel's intentions and denouncing the current king in favour of the previous one who lost his crown to the current one who had Separatist support. In response to this the king calls the former one (Dendup) in for questioning regarding the Rebels and demands that he orders them to cease hostilities under the impression that he is secretly their leader, to which Dendup replies that he has nothing to do with the Rebels, and that it is the will of the people. In response to this King Rash orders Dendup's public execution.
When news of this reaches the Rebels they decide to plan a rescue attempt at the execution event. Steela's rash brother Saw decides that they must make the attempt immediately and disobeys orders and sets off on his own to rescue the king. His attempt fails and he is captured. Being tortured for information by the Separatist Droid Commander, the Onderon Royal Guard's General halts the interrogation claiming that they need him alive as he's their only connection to the Rebels, though there appears to be hints of sympathy in his intentions. On questioning Saw later you can see the General's sympathies further wavering as he sees what a strong and honorable patriot Saw appears to be, and the strength of his resolve and arguments for rebellion.
The next day both Saw and the ex-king are scheduled for execution in the town square by a laser guillotine like device. The Rebels have heard of Saw's capture, but only have the resources to execute one rescue, so their original plan had to be stuck to regardless of the consequences with regards to Saw. Ahsoka also informs her masters of the escalating situation, but is ordered to remain in a non-combatant observation and advisory role. At the last moment the Rebels strike and free Dendup to the cheers of the people, but then droid reinforcements show up and the victory is short lived. Then there is another stay of execution as the Royal Guard lead by the General attack the Separatist droids and hold King Rash hostage as the Rebels and Dendup make their escape. The General is ready to sacrifice himself to allow the others to escape, but this is too much for Ahsoka who leaps into action to rescue the General and facilitate his escape. Though now the cat is out of the bag, and the Separatists now know the Jedi are involved.
This is a cracking episode, packed with action and intrigue. Once again we have undertones of commentary on past US foreign policy with the aid, but only advisory role played by Ahsoka, wanting to get more involved but finding her hands tied by her orders. There is also more tension in the air with the knowledge that when the crap hits the fan the Republic and Jedi aren't necessarily going to charge in to the rescue like the cavalry at the end of the episode which makes things much more interesting.
S05E05: Tipping Point
And then this week we come to the satisfying conclusion to the Onderon sequence, with knowledge that the Jedi, and therefore the Republic might be involved, the Separatists have taken the kid gloves off and brought in the heavy guns, in the form of Separatist Gunships, introduced to the Clone Wars for the first time here. A Separatist answer to the Republic LAATi Gunships, these droid craft are heavily armed and shielded and are a muscular presence in this episode, effectively showing how the war has escalated beyond what the Rebels are capable of handling. With the ex-king Dendup joining the Rebel ranks they have a true figurehead to rally behind now which the people will respect. With the Rebel cause effectively legitimized by his presence the people rebel against the Separatist forces in the city, and the current King, Rash's hold on the planet is starting to slip. He has to crush the Rebellion swiftly. Receiving word on the location of the Rebel's base out in the wilderness he has the Droid General order his forces out there to destroy them once and for all.
On first engaging the Separatists forces the Rebels do well, with their numbers bolstered by the Onderon Royal Guard, all now under the command of Steela as decreed by Dendup. The skills they have learned serve them well, but when the Gunships arrive they become seriously outgunned and can't tackle the new shielded and heavily armed threat, they simply haven't got the weapons to take them on, and are forced to retreat. Ahsoka informs her masters of this new development, but the Jedi still will not get involved, as long as Rash is on the throne this is still an internal matter. Anakin looks to a less overt way that they can provide assistance though. Enlisting the help of the Pirate Captain Hondo (for the right price), he has him smuggle more advanced weapons to the Rebels in the form of rocket launchers, once again commenting on US foreign policy with this echoing their actions in Afghanistan when they were at war with Communist Russia.
Hondo arrives just in time to deliver the weapons before the next Separatist attack wave hits. Rebels engage on the back of various creatures, calling to mind the battle scenes of Avatar, the winged beasts diving in with their riders hurling grenades at the ground forces, and cavalry charging into the droid forces lines. The new rocket launchers get deployed and the tide of the battle turns as the Gunships prove vulnerable to the new weapons. It doesn't all go the Rebel's way though. A splinter group of Separatist forces manage to make it to the Rebel base with the sole purpose of assassinating Dendup. Separatist Commando Droids break the lines with Gunship support. Steela comes to the rescue taking down the Gunship and managing to use her sniper rifle to dispatch the droids just before they can deliver the killing blow. Saw takes aim at the last surviving Gunship and takes it out with a rocket, but as the craft veers out of control it crashes onto the cliff where Dendup and Steela have ended up. The edge collapses as Steela throws Dendup clear of the danger. She hangs on for dear life as Lux Bonteri attempts to reach her. He can't quite make it and is about to fall himself when Ahsoka uses the force to pull him out of danger. She's about to do the same when the downed Gunship flickers back to life and takes a shot at the cliff edge. Ahsoka is wounded just as she is about to lift Steela to safety and she falls to her death. Resulting in a gripping and dramatic end to the story.
Back in the capital King Rash communicates with Count Dooku by hologram demanding more troops. Asking the Droid General to analyse the outcome of this he determines that this will result in a long drawn out conflict. Dooku then draws the conclusion that the world isn't worth the effort and the droid General summarily executes Rash before the Separatists withdraw from the world.
With the rightful King back on the throne of Onderon, Steela becomes a martyr for the cause of freeing Onderon from oppression. Saw is bitter feeling that it is his fault she died because he fired the shot which downed that ship. Bonteri has also decided to take on the role of Senator for Onderon, with the intention of bringing it back into the Republic, now convinced by Ahsoka's courage that the Jedi are on the right side.
A cracking slice of Clone Wars action with this episode. The battle sequences near the end felt a little too Avatar lite, but were still great stuff. Lots of nice little nods to the original trilogy with lines of dialogue and various events. And the addition of the Separatist Gunship was very nicely handled, introducing them as a formidable force to be reckoned with, with some excellent sound design as well, proper meaty throaty sounding craft when they fly over, really increasing the feeling of threat. Cant wait to see them in action again.
Closed Alpha Test & Deth..
