"Nightsisters" Review

Here is my initial review of the Clone Wars episode "Nightsisters" upon seeing it for the first time.

All Clone Wars episodes should be like this! There were heroes, villains, and shades of grey. There were action packed battles and fight sequences, as well as well timed dialog and plot exposition. However I am not saying this is the best episode of the Clone Wars this far. And I believe that the episodes in the Savage ARC will have to be viewed together and not separately to portray their true strength. Even though I was not disappointed by this episode, it left me feeling a little empty. I wish that Cartoon Network had chosen to air at least a few of the Savage episodes together to provide a more cohesive and in-depth story. I was expecting to see Opress sooner, and I was slightly annoyed that after all the hype, he did not show up at all in this episode.

Aside from this minor issue, I found the episode within itself to be solid. It was definitely on par with some of the best episodes of this season. The character exposition of Ventress was phenomenal for this series. The initial sequence in space reminded me of the microseries. I wish this sequence was a little longer, but I understand the time constraints that come with the 22 minute limit. In fact, I believe this episode was very ambitious considering this fact. It is amazing how much we actually saw in 22 minutes, an epic dogfight is space, an equally entertaining lightsaber duel in the ship's hanger, the intriguing environment of Dathomir, and the imposing palace that was home to the mysterious Count Dooku which was a fantastic stage, internally and externally, for the well choreographed duel that ensued.


Even though most eager Star Wars fans have gleaned significant information about the plot of these episodes during the last half of 2010, I would like to touch on the storyline for a moment. In my opinion the idea that members of the Sith would fight against each-other for power and vengeance is a much appreciated addition to the complex Clone Wars plot. The Star Wars EU is filled with compelling stories of this nature and the departure of the monotonous Republic vs Separatists storyline by the Clone Was series is a much needed breath of fresh air.

I laud the ambition and innovation of "Nightsisters". I cannot wait to see all of the newly introduced locals in high definition when the box set is released this fall. But most of all this episode left me with the same feeling that I took into it, the feeling of anticipation. The nightsisters were intriguing, but it is the imposing monolith of Savage Opress that beckons my imagination. And from what I have heard from those fortunate enough to see this arc in it's entirety, I believe my anticipation is duly felt.

Pursuit of Peace Review

This is my first official Clone Wars episode review! Pursuit of Peace aired on December 3rd, 2010 and took place directly before the Season 2 episode Senate Murders.

I thought Pursuit of Peace was a decent episode. In my opinion it lacked the flair and gravitas of the previous episode, Heroes on Both Sides. However there still were some exciting and interesting elements.

I was really put off by the dialog that was mired in political terminology. By referring to the war affecting the Republic's ability to "meet the basic needs of its people", Padme was in effect painting her government as a socialist state. I find it hard to believe that the Republic can both be run by corporations and be so entrenched in its people's welfare. The two just don't mix. There is no way that the Republic could fund, yet alone orchestrate, the healthcare and electricity of trillions of citizens. If that were true, then the CIS would also have to provide these social services to its constituents. I never got the idea from the prequels that Naboo relied on Republic aid to survive...

But there were also a few really cool sequences in this episode. The speeder chase in the middle of the episode was fantastic. It reminded me somewhat of the chase in Attack of the Clones. This episode was certainly a testament to the scale that the Coruscant environment has grown to in Season 3 of the Clone Wars TV series.

The real "moment" in this episode, however, was the final scene. This series has done such a good job of masking Palpatine's intentions thus far, leaving some fans to clamor to see his true side; and finally the Clone Wars is beginning to hint at his evil. I am all for shocking developments at the end of episodes, but I think most will agree that the revelation of the Chancellor's possible duplicity in Pursuit of Peace was much more dramatic and relevant than previous "secrets revealed" this season, namely Ziro the Hutt's involvement in Padme's attempted assassinations.

Overall, I give this episode a "B+". The action was sufficient, and the plot was relevant to the overarching storyline of the series. I just wish some of the political speak was toned down, and Palpatine's puppet-mastery was featured a little more.