Hello and welcome back to yet another review of The Clone Wars here at the Star Wars Report! This week the Death Watch returns as Ahsoka tries to save season 3’s Lux Bonteri from the Mandalorian terrorist group led by Pre Vizsla after Lux seeks their help to kill Dooku in the episode A Friend in Need!
The episode starts out with negotiations on the neutral planet of Mandalore, and very quickly elevates into a shootout between Republic guards and Separatist commandos after an unexpected interruption from the returning character of Heroes on Both Sides, Lux Bonteri. Later we find that this was a plan to get the location of Count Dooku from his hologram transmission. Ahoska and Lux travel to the planet of Carlacc where Lux meets up with the Death Watch. This planet is absolutely stunning! The snow, the trees, the villages, the colors all have a very Feudal Japan feel about them, which is perfect considering this is an episode about a group who’s history is a culture that fights for honor, rather reminiscent of the Samurai.
When we first see the Mandalorian camp, I found it somewhat difficult to relate this new Death Watch to the Mandalorians of old, even the past generations of their own group at times. Yes, I can understand burning villages, and their ruthless grip over the planet, the Death Watch is the more barbaric and bloodthirsty of the Mandalorians, but the target practice on the defenseless droids just seemed too easy for these warriors. I couldn’t help but think that they were just thugs wearing Mandalorian armor. In my opinion, even the splinter group they are a part of would have seeked out a tougher challenge when training, or even when it’s just for fun. Mandalorians are about being the best, right? I’ll let it pass though since the droids play into the story later. And where these thuggish Mandalorian recruits might take away from the Mandalorian experience is immediately redeemed by our returning villain Pre Vizsla, who is a much darker, intimidating, and ruthless villain than when we last saw him. He is almost unrecognizable from the Concordian governor we met in season two. A complete visual transformation is included in some of the new attachments to his already incredible helmet, I love it!
Remember the droids the Death Watch had been using for “target practice”? While I was a little hesitant to accept the fact that the Mandalorians were lowering themselves in my opinion by shooting unarmed droids, I did like how it tied into the climax neatly, and we also see how much the battle droids, and R2, can put their alliances and differences behind them to help someone in need. But whether these droids were reprogrammed by the Mandalorians to erase their objectives, or really did forget that their duty was to march, shoot at clones, and die, is left to our imagination. You can’t deny that a battle between Mandalorians and a makeshift army of now re-armed battle droids was the coolest thing to come out of season 4 so far! Especially while Ahsoka and Pre Vizsla have an awesome lightsaber duel in the midst of the battle. That is what The Clone Wars is all about!
In the end, Ahsoka and Lux escape, after fighting off the Mandalorian excellently voiced by Katee Sackhoff of Battlestar Galactica and 24 fame. It all seemed to work out, and they can finally get to Coruscant, when Ahsoka finds out that Lux is going back. So not only did we witness cool battles, the destruction of villages, and the iron fist of the Death Watch, there is powerful emotion between our two main characters! There have been a lot of really good character relationship moments in this series (romantic and not), but Lux going back to face the Mandalorians after saving Ahsoka was one of the best of them all. Could he be going to certain death? Probably, but hopefully we’ll see him again. Even if we don’t, this ending was the perfect place to leave the Ahsoka/Lux relationship. Whether it’s for good, or for sometime in the distant future, we’ll just have to wait and see.
A Friend in Need was much more enjoyable than I expected. There aren’t too many one episode story arcs that can have that much character, action, story, and memorable moments packed into twenty two minutes. The designs were amazing, Pre Vizsla was as menacing as ever, and the cliffhanger for Lux and Ahsoka was truly great. I really can’t say enough about this episode and I can honestly say it’s one of my new favorites. Well done Clone Wars team! What did you think of this episode? Did you love it? Hate it? Somewhere in between? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for reading and may the Force be with you…always!
–Ryan
Author: admin
The Star Wars Report: A Star Wars Podcasting Network and Website.
Overall I really liked this episode. The Ahsoka/Lux stuff got a little cringey for me. I kept thinking, c’mon Ahsoka you can do better than this guy.
I agree Ryan, the Death Watch didn’t seem like the honor bound Mandos we have seen in other sources. I guess that’s why they are the bad guys. They do remind me of the way Mandos have been portrayed in the recent Fate of the Jedi novels. I think it would be cool if the show eventually introduces us to a group of Mandos who fit the culture we are used to from the EU.
The end of the episode was great. R2 causing the distraction while Ahsoka escaped made me cheer. Her move, decapitating four guys with one swipe, was surprising and violent but so cool.
Bo-Katan was a cool character and I can’t wait to find out more about her next season.
I felt bad for those droids, especially the big one.
The ending made no sens. How could Ahsoka be so attached to him? She barely knows him, he is naive, ungrateful, pointed a gun at her, electrocuted her, joined ennemies of the jedi, and they weren’t a team; he got them in trouble, she saved them.
Regardless of what kind of relationship they have, It’s her duty as a Jedi to see Lux to safety. It was also established in Heroes on Both Sides that Lux proved to Ahsoka that not all Separatists are 100% bad, so when you say she barely knew him, I think that’s partly why she has such an attachment for him. I think she could identify with him that people make mistakes, and there were many times in the start of the series when Ahsoka was very naive, sometimes misguided, but someone was there to show her back to the right path, or help her(I’m thinking right now of how Tera Sinube helped her on the episode Lightsaber Lost, when he didn’t need to, especially when Ahsoka was very impatient and frustrated). wasn’t she trying to get him out of these situations the entire time? It just shows how much she’s grown, and is able to be the one to help others now. I feel the end of the episode showed Lux’s true courage and character, even though he has taken the wrong path, he’s still going to go back and face it.
anyways, I hope that made sense, those are just some scattered thoughts I had on that subject, and part of the reasoning behind why I did like the ending as much as I did
Thanks!
-Ryan
So many good thoughts in the comments! Cedric, I like your point, though I agree with Ryan in that Ahsoka wants to help Lux. Aaron, I found the Ahsoka/Lux moments to be a bit eye-roll worthy. =) I do find it interesting that Ahsoka is so positive though, she always seems to think that something will work out, even though a more world-weary, jaded person can see that odds are, things often don’t work out. It seems to me as if Ahsoka’s and Anakin’s approaches to situations and life in general are beginning to grow apart; their ideas don’t match up quite as much now as they once did. I really wonder how Ahsoka and Anakin will deal with each other if this dynamic continues or grows worse. What happens when Ahsoka starts seeing more of the Revenge of the Sith Anakin come out? ~ Bethany
I seriously hated how Lux was a little pansy the entire time. He pretty much ruined the episode for me.
I loved Deathwatch and how ruthless they were, but these weren’t Mandalorian warriors. More like idiots with jetpacks and flamethrowers. A true Mandalorian warrior wouldn’t burn a village down unless it was filled with warriors who presented a challenge.
George Lucas screwed up on this episode. Though, the lightsaber duel at the end was pretty sweet.
Also, if Lux can’t see that giving the location of Duuku to the Republic would be far better of an idea than giving it to selfish bloodthirsty morons, then I think Lux deserves to never appear in the Star Wars universe ever again. Unless he comes back as a bamf, and not a naive damned fool.
can someone please explain to me how come Ahokas light saber turned yellow? She has two green ones and one of them turned yellow…
Lux sucks