There’s a moment in the season premiere of Clone Wars during the invasion of Kamino that you won’t see in this week’s premiere, and you’ll have to wait until the Blu-ray comes out this time next year to see it.

And it’s a shame, since it was perhaps my favorite moment in both episodes combined.

It’s no secret that Asajj Ventress plays a significant part in the invasion of Tipoca City, and in my initial early review I commented about how hyper-sexualized she’d become and it was a very interesting and dynamic layer added to the character.  One moment stood out above all others, and after running a clone through with her lightsaber, she kisses him before she turns her saber off and lets him fall to the ground.  That scene was on my press screener and I was very impressed by it.  It added new layers to a character who I thought could be pretty boring.

But on Friday’s premiere, that shot will not be in the episode.

I watched the premiere last night at Lucasfilm’s Presidio complex with the creator, cast, and crew and was a little shocked to see the scene missing.

I asked about it, and Joel Aron (the CG supervisor) and Dave Filoni (supervising director) told me that they found out that Cartoon Network insisted on cutting it while at Celebration V and they were pretty sad about it.  They also told me that this was the first instance Cartoon Network ever specifically censored a moment in the show.

My question to Cartoon Network is why?  It’s not like you have Clone Wars on early enough for kids to watch it, and kids are watching it with their parents.  I watched the screener with my 8 year old and it wasn’t too much for him, not beyond the rating of the show at all.

I’m told this moment will be included on the DVD, but everyone should know that Cartoon Network has, in a very small way, compromised one of the best moments I’ve ever seen on the show.

In any case, even with this one small moment missing, these are two of the best episodes in the entire series and I wouldn’t advise missing it for anything.  It premieres September 17th on Cartoon Network.