Censorship on The Clone Wars is nothing new.
Back in Season 3, there was a big to do about a missing moment with Asajj Ventress. It looks like Cartoon Network censors have struck again, taking out vital elements of the show for what appears to be no reason.
People get their limbs and heads cut off in Star Wars. Sure, it might be a bit much for some kids, but kids affected by that sort of thing should be watching with the parents under their direct supervision anyway.
Lucasfilm confirms in their trivia gallery that it was cut for broadcast and will reappear on the Blu-ray/DVD.
The first time I watched this episode, I felt like there was something missing in that moment. Implying that there had been decapitations was cool, but it felt like a pulled punch. It didn’t seem like a mistake to me until later in the episode when someone slashes at the head of one of the female Bounty Hunters and the shot cuts exactly as it had before when the Black Sun Vigos had been decapitated. I was left to assume the same had happened to the Bounty Hunter.
But then a shot and a half later she merely ducked out of the way.
With the language of cinema being what it is, that assumption would NEVER have been made had Cartoon Network not tampered with the editing in the prior portions of the episode. It’s sloppy and bad for everyone.
I mentioned it on Twitter and Pablo Hidalgo tipped me off that my assumptions about a punch being pulled were correct and the proof would be posted at some point on the official Star Wars website. It’s live now and that’s where this picture comes from.
This leads me to wonder if the iTunes version of the episode is unedited. That way, I’d be able to watch the episode as it was intended and without all of the obnoxious lower-thirds Cartoon Network runs during the episode.
I’m not sure about you guys, but if The Clone Wars DOES move from Cartoon Network, it can’t do it soon enough.
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