The third part of the Droids arc is probably the first one I just wasn’t feeling. Gascon, Artoo, and the rest of the droids have made their way to a city through the void. Still holding the encryption module and needing to find a way off planet and back to the Republic, they look for ways out.
Gascon, finding himself scrambling for food in a garbage pile, discovers an amnesiac clone working as a dishwasher. Reminding him of his heritage, his memory returns and he offers to help them get back to their ship.
That’s it. That’s what the entirety of the episode was.
It has some interesting ideas and moments. There was a message about sacrifice and soldiers, but it seemed a bit ham-fisted. I did like the Russian Sullustan, too. I love seeing the modelers branch out and bring us animated versions of classic Star Wars aliens with a twist. This was no exception. I’d just like to see a benevolent Sullustan now. Or even a young Nien Nunb.
The other interesting idea in the episode seemed more like a bone to throw video game nerds. Gregor is a Republic commando and has to single-handedly help the droids get away. His sequences feel like a first person shooter, right down to the exploding barrels.
I enjoyed the Republic Commando game as much as the next man, but I really didn’t need an episode of The Clone Wars devoted to it. I preferred the droids when they were on their own and acting as comic foils to each other and the drama. This episode was rather dry and had a few oddities to it.
For one, it felt odd that the camera cut every time a character was going to cross the orange water gutters in the street. They were there to add flavor, but at the point where it was set-dressing that wasn’t used or addressed, something just felt off about it. And I also noticed for the first time, too, that there weren’t any stairs at all. Everything is a ramp. Is animating people walking down stairs that difficult?
I might just be the reverse of everyone watching this arc. I loved the first two and this one, the second the brought in a clone, was boring to me and I sort of wish they hadn’t.
But knowing a bit about the dramatic arcs coming up, I won’t–can’t–complain. The Clone Wars has given us a hundred episodes and the vast majority of them have been beyond fantastic. Here’s to hoping we get at least a hundred more.