The Clone Wars - Season Five Discussion Thread

[Nicklab]

I have to say, I think Eminence was the best episode so far this season.  Maul and Savage are a force to be reckoned with.  Their scheming against the Mandalorians, all while building an alliance with them, really gets to the heart of the Sith identity.  Using a potential adversary for your own gain, all while planning on betraying them in the long term makes Darth Maul look like a far more sophisticated character than we ever saw in The Phantom Menace.

I definitely enjoyed watching Maul, Savage and the Death Watch going to Mustafar to meet with Black Sun.  Bringing the Falleen & Black Sun in to the mix was a very nice nod to Xizor from Shadows of the Empire.  And if you're a fan of the comics it was also a cool callback to the Dark Horse limited series that featured Darth Maul taking on Black Sun prior to the events of The Phantom Menace.

....And then they take on the Hutt crime families?  That was pretty amazing.  First they go to Nal Hutta, which is a major EU gem.  Yeah, I know the show has gone there before, but this time it just had a bit more gravity.  Plus, the combined Sith / Death Watch / Black Sun forces attack Jabba's Palace on Tatooine?

My only gripe here?  That we had to sit through that terrible Onderon arc, and the first half of the D-Squad arc to get here.

[EpicGon]

Maul is building a team based on fear, Vizla doubts of his project in the end of this chapter.

Action was ok, but showed with haste (sometimes fights were naïves, like kung fu operas)

when Black Sun and Jabba are free from menace they turn in Maul´s favor. (the gangs alliance looks questionable)

Seems for credibility, Mandalores must left garrisons in both places (a detail missing in the episode)

Hope if they use Dengar again, they won´t show him as a runner. Always that guys in turbant vendage seemes mysteryous.

[Jabba the Slug]

Using a potential adversary for your own gain, all while planning on betraying them in the long term makes Darth Maul look like a far more sophisticated character than we ever saw in The Phantom Menace.

I agree with you x10 on this one, and that's why I think Filoni and the crew are finally doing Maul's return some significant justice. A lot of the original thing with Maul in Episode I was that he was pretty much a one-dimensional character because he looked so badass, but honestly we didn't know anything about the dude or his own personal morale. Now that there's a chance to develop him, it really proves that he really is still that evil badass, and he's truly a Sith at heart.

[Scockery]

The scene after this cut scene makes more sense now.



I was wondering why they asked the greeter to make the decision.

[Jesse James]

This was a much more fun episode than, well, anything this season...  It was a good episode in general, but I still largely prefer a lot of other past season's episodes over this one.  I'd maybe put it top 10 out of the entire series though, but I'd have to go back and think about that a bit.

I have some issues like others mentioned...  Finding the Maul brothers adrift, kinda weird and unlikely but whatever.  I can live with that.  A little more annoyed at the zippy pace they took with this week's episode more than anything.  Felt like they crammed way too much into a short time.

I didn't care for Jabba being made look weak, IMO, by episode's end.  Kind of diminishes his character to me some.  I always liked that he basically laughed in the face of danger.  Now he seems weak I guess.

I loved the Mando's, and I really feel like this series has missed a chance to take them and make that whole arc a much more compelling and important story in the overall Clone Wars themselves.  A missed chance, IMO, as the series has what I feel is a quickly diminishing shelf life at this stage of the game.  Instead the Mando's are involved in an almost wholely separate conflict.  I just don't like that, and feel it was a bad direction.  Yet more of the series called The Clone Wars being about anything but The Clone Wars, to me.

I liked the Younglings arc (despite it sort of deviating from the war as well), so I can't say this is the only episode this season I enjoyed, but it's been pretty slim pickings so far.  I did enjoy this one a bit though and look forward to next week a bit more.

[McMetal]

First off, thanks for the cut scene picture, I was wondering "how hard would it have been to throw Xizor in just sitting at the table" but now I know why they didn't include him.

Yay, Katee Sackhoff got another paycheck! Hang in there, girl!

It felt like three episodes crammed into one. Some amazing stuff, I mean - Embo, Sugi and Ratts Lazzi versus Maul Bros? Hell yes!

But yeah, the whole toy-wistfullness quotient was way high on this episode. Some of these would have been absolute no-brainers two years ago.

[Phrubruh]

Do you think we will see Xizor do something to avenge his brothers? Why do these guys all have to wear the same clothes?

[Jayson]

Today's episode was nuts! 

[Scockery]

SPOILERZ (as if that isn't given)

Surprised by the return of Ex-Prime Minister Kidkill (that's a Simpsons reference). But it wasn't like Maul would find some new character to be his puppet.

At least Vizla didn't go out like a chump. A warrior's death he deserved.

So Satine is still alive to be a scapegoat. Maybe they schedule her execution next week.

BTW, what's the point of high tech holding cells that allow you to easily converse with the inmates next door? Besides for plot purposes?

The Pikes still seem mysterious...and the callback to the school lunch poison crisis made me wonder why they didn't use the reptillian smugglers from that episode, but apparently the Pikes were some Lucas personal creation he wanted in.

I didn't notice any Hutt henchmen used in the attacks.

I like Opress knocking some random woman over the railing (a guard saved her). Those super-high buildings just seem like they'd lead to many falling deaths.

Easy new figure, Guard leader with a new head...never happen. It's kind of annoying to see the Mandalorian police men used in action so much, since their figure lacks knees.

[Jabba the Slug]

That duel was.... W T F!!!!!!

[TheSon]

Almost makes you wish they would have fleshed this story out to last the entire season. I feel like I would pay to watch Star Wars the Mandolorian Wars.

[Jabba the Slug]

According to Wookiepedia, this season is only going to be 20 episodes long, as opposed to the normal 22 episodes.

After this Maul/Mandalore arc, which has one episode left, is the Ahsoka 4-episode arc, which I guess will be the finale for this season. It seems anyways that this last arc is also very climatic as well as being hugely important for Ahsoka; Filoni had always mentioned that by saying something important would happen to her this season.

I always thought that there was something off about the second trailer for this season - it had a lot of material that we haven't seen yet, and with all of the arcs being mostly 4-parters, I always wondered how they would fit all of these episodes into this season. For example, it looks like the Clovis arc has been eliminated (which, in the trailer, showed Anakin beating him up in front of Padme) and also whatever episode(s) would have Embo trying to assassinate Padme (like in the snow chase scene from the trailer). 

Too bad Filoni didn't do away with the whole terrible D-Squad arc and free up four episode slots for the eliminated episodes. I wonder if they'll be in Season 6.

[McMetal]

Sweet Jesus, i can't believe we wasted 4 tediously dragged-out episodes with Colonel Froglegs and then have to rush through all the total badassery like they have been doing. This could have easily been a 4 episode arc, and yeah I know there is one more to go but sheesh! It was like their whole epic crime spree occured in about twenty minutes, I mean literally.

It's hard not to dig on Clancy Brown, Sam Witwer and Jon Favreau throwing down...some A-list talent there. Adios Pre Vizsla, may your untimely exit not impede our chances for an updated animated figure this year!

That was a pretty sweet duel, no doubt, but I don't see why Maul just didn't just force choke him or whatever. Not good theatre I guess. I kept wondering "how does this guy keep going toe to toe with Maul when Kenobi was getting pwned last time?" I LOVE the Vorpal Saber too....man, that thing is sickly animated.

How cool are the freaking Pykes?!?! Damn, I want one of those now. Ditto Black Sun dudes, Bo Katan, etc ad infinitum...

If nothing else, it seems clear the show can be pretty freaking awesome with no clones, no Jedi. Hats off to Filoni for getting the groove back~

[EpicGon]

Nice episode "Shadows of reason"

Funny to watch 

Maul ambition is growing bigger as he is an improvised tyrant for Mandalore

About Pre Vizla death, it makes Death Watcha looks headless, alienated to a different band (sith, dathomir, renegade warriors)

Only one flaw in the combat between these dudes: Maul could be more kung fu proficient, but it is not credible he kick pushed
so powerfully Vizla in the air, while he was high flying and at full speed of his jet pack.

For the upcoming battle among Sidious and the horned brothers,
I can say one of these devils would die, if not both; perhaps Savage Opress
will get stabbed many times by Palpatine.


As Maul returned to life, however in the end of Episode I, Windu said they made an analysis of his heart... and why they didn´t incinerate the body, where it was buried or preserved?

Palpatine can collect the Maul and Savage bodies to clone and manipulate them, as Force Unleashed proposed this use of
Starkiller Galen Malek.

[Jesse James]

A much better episode...  I liked how it played out.

Ultimately it feels a little like Lucas reaching to "fix" The Phantom Menace...  Making something that actually seems more evolved than his movie, out of a few episodes of a cartoon, is kind of sad.     It has a very TPM'y feel to it though, in that it's the whole "who's orchestrating this?" vibe going on...  I kind of hope they acknowledge that similar premise when you-know-who decides to put a stop to the Sith silliness going on and get the war back on track.

Hate when you hit speedbumps like your dead apprentice coming back and being competent.