Star Wars: The Clone Wars S05E17-20 - Ahsoka's Fate

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
Season 5, Episodes 17-20 (FINALE ARC)

Many of you might think that “The Clone Wars” (TCW) is a kids’ show only and that is just a funny throw-away series for older people like, well then, yourself. But you’re wrong. “TCW” is the best thing that ever happened to the Star Wars franchise, and I’m talking in a big way here. Forget the prequels (well, except for Ewan McGregor you can forget them entirely whatsoever, even so they are not entirely bad, just 90% but the effects are cool (=10%)), forget the books (if you even read them) and EVEN forget the original trilogy as all these combined can’t beat “TCW” in its game. The show may be animated but its story arcs and characters are so much more than you would imagine, this show has simply been mind-blowing for five years in a row now with presumably a final sixth to come.
Since this is my first “TCW” review, for the background a little bit:

Child show only? Don't think so.

“TCW” started back in 2008 with a movie. Yes, a TV show that got started as a TV show in cinemas. This is definitely a first. It was then almost immediately followed by a first season consisting of 22 episodes as did seasons 2-4, respectively. Season 5 which just aired its big season finale yesterday only consisted of 20 episodes, another arc centering about separatist senator Rush Clovis (who we met earlier in the series) being held back or delayed for an unknown reason. The future of the show is in motion right now as a sixth season has been advertised but as of now no official statement has been released confirming this. Well, since it was at least confirmed that they’re working on “additional episodes” I think it’s pretty safe to say there is one coming and also which seems pretty obvious at this point, it might just be the show’s final year. So, to prepare everyone for the show’s end, this season took us even closer to Episode III as design and characteristics of the Republic changed to its worse form. The Jedi order is not as strong as it once was and justice is failing while everyone is being deceived by a darker-growing Palpatine as our famous Sith Lord chancellor. 

Crime Scenes in a galaxy far far away are more awesome
than ours actually.

During previous seasons we have been shown a not-so-dead Darth Maul, his evil witch brother Savage Opress, the witches of Dathomir, a side-turning Asajj Ventress and Admiral Tarkin. What may never be forgotten is also the amazing Mortis arc that explained to us how the force worked, showed us Darth Vader himself in “TCW” and can be counted as both trilogies’ replacement arc as well as the dark General Krell arc that was so dark and brutal you might just have seen an R-rated movie. (“TCW” has also been censored during its broadcast of its Kamino arc for its pictured brutality, so don’t talk about it as it would be a kids’ show only.)
Season Five however started off real bad and even so I’m in love with the show, I've got to say: lame. It got slightly better at its half but it reached its known awesomeness with the last two arcs, the finale arc being the even better one. So, for the final act of S05 Dave Filoni and George Lucas took us on a Hitchcock-like journey with lead character Ahsoka Tano as she is being charged with crimes against the Jedi order and the Grand Army of the Republic, both leading to one of the most tragic turns in the show’s entire history.

As for the review itself, I’m just giving you a short overview of the four episodes themselves as the show would do (quite literally) and then I will talk about the arc in one. Enjoy.

EPISODE 17 – “Sabotage”

An attack on the temple and the culprit must be found within the Jedi. Ahsoka and Anakin are sent out to investigate, soon finding a lead. 

Funeral attendees: Sith Lord, Traitor and Jedi.

The episode gave us a robot version of CSI: Miami’s David Caruso which just shows us again how much fun the team behind “TCW” actually has during making this show. The story itself set up what was to come and did so real good but not giving anything away in your first watch. The lead then being Letta, the wife of the used living bomb. 

EPISODE 18 – “The Jedi Who Knew Too Much”

 

The Jedi’s only lead, Letta, is killed off by ways of the force and the Republic is blaming Ahsoka for it, ultimately leaving her no other choice than to run and proof her innocence on her own as no one believes her.

Welcome to Level 1313. Enjoy your flight.

E18 sets the chains into motion as Ahsoka is blamed for murdering the only witness they had in the investigation of who’s behind all the attacks. In the end she runs which Anakin can understand pretty well but he’s the only one as that as she is now enemy of state no.1. Great visuals start to kick in here and at the end we’re shown the underground of Coruscant for its entity for the first time. It also is no coincidence that the story is playing around Level 1313 which is as you may know the ttitle of a soon to be released star Wars video game. Nice tie-in there. 

EPISODE 19 – “To Catch A Jedi” 

Ahsoka on the run. Joining forces with separatist villain Asajj Ventress, Ahsoka tries to find evidence that she is being framed while wandering through the lower levels of Coruscant’s underworld, not aware of the criminal mastermind being always one step ahead of her the whole time. 

"'The Fugitive' a movie was I liked."

Delivering the most stunning suspense, we get treated to a fantastic re-enactment of a scene out of the movie “The Fugitive” with Harrison Ford and afterwards see Ventress being attacked by the mastermind, once again then framing Ahsoka and leaving her with evidence to be arrested by the incoming clones. 

EPISODE 20 – “The Wrong Jedi”

Ahsoka on trial. Expelled by the order, she faces a military tribunal and the penalty of death as Anakin daringly tries to rescue his former Padawan as he hunts down the mastermind on his own, discovering that an old enemy might just be the best friend he has. 

Court room designed pretty colorful for a Sith Lord,
don't you think?

What this episode achieved is both a real good take on the Republic’s corruption as it is the main theme of the prequels and second, delivering the answer of Ahsoka’s ultimate fate. Well, not quite. 

ARC REVIEW (not to be read as an “ARK reactor” as that is Iron Man’s tale or an ARC trooper for that):

Stunning visuals.

What this arc mostly does is being a reference to old classics such as “The Fugitive”, “The Man Who Knew Too Much” and so on. Delivering suspense nearly the whole time, these episodes are ending speculations about whether Ahsoka dies or lives at the end of this season. And as advertised, it is an ending that involves tears. 

I like how the show put one message into four episodes and didn’t press it through for once, it felt so much more real this time around as Ahsoka had not a single chance to succeed alone and that blind trust may be the worst thing that happened to the Republic, next to its bureaucracy. Admiral Tarkin more and more becomes the bad guy we know him as later in the films, Palpatine becomes more and more Sidious-like even as the chancellor and the Jedi order suddenly fears political pressure instead of political correctness. Everything Episode III showed us is now finally becoming a reality in “TCW” which is one of the big changes the show did with these few episodes. Another one is Anakin now openly showing his dislike of the Jedi council, even into their own faces. But only Obi-Wan and Yoda seemed to have noticed that and just slightly, open for interpretation even. 

"Behold, Ahsoka, I'm the one framing you."

Ahsoka on the run was an interesting turn of events and one that allowed the show to focus on both the underground world and the Jedi philosophy changing. Brilliant animation combined with great visuals in design and atmosphere and another fantastic voice acting (introducing Tim Curry as Palpatine's new voice, did a very good job there) make this arc one of the most rememberable. Early on, we already know that a Jedi is responsible for framing Ahsoka and with the third episode it becomes quite clear who that Jedi is: none other than Ahsoka’s former friend Barriss Offee. Which comes to a surprise as of how good this show has become with age: they even change the only supporting friend in her age to be a traitor who actually is completely right about why she became like that. The Jedi order has changed and not for the better, she sees what the council does not: a corrupt senate seizing control over them and the Grand Republic failing once and for all. She is right with everything but no one would listen, so she attacked the temple and had to frame Ahsoka, possibly to even save her from the Jedi but then why would she want her to be dead? The court marshal of Ahsoka was also a fine one, sadly we didn’t see much of it, one of the very few negative points of this finale. 

"Child molester, ahhh!"

Dramatically closing the chapter of the temple attack, Ahsoka’s trust is being destroyed and Anakin’s hate grows even stronger as the bond between them stays as it always was: strong.

While the ending itself was another story: Ahsoka decided not to re-join the order (which is the right decision for the moment) and leaving it in an emotional way for herself and Anakin who will sure be more open to the dark side now after this little talk at the end. 

This was the moment where you shed tears if you’ve grown a liking to Ahsoka (and who would not) but since this is a TV series after all, I think the lead character of the show might be back for its (presumably) final season but not as a Jedi and after all, Ventress is still out there with her story not being finished either. 

While this review comes a little bit short in story terms, I just wanted to talk about the story as a whole, so here are my thoughts again: 

This arc was exceptionally well done and delivered one of the strongest performances in the show’s history, ending on a sad and realistic note that is worthy of more than just applause. Character wise this was an emotional ride where the alliances shifted and the Republic made a turn for the worse, introducing us to the darker last year of the three-year Clone conflict between Episodes II and III. And even if you’re not a big fan of “TCW”, you will like this one.
If not, well, then, you might just be no “Star Wars” fan at all. ;) 

Goodbye.

5/5 epic stars for a tale that is truly exceptional. Earned, indeed, these stars are.