Exploring the Clone Wars V: Top Five Episodes of Season Six of Star Wars: The Clone Wars

I meant to post this yesterday as part of my “Star Wars Wednesdays”, but life happens….

Plo Koon finds the light saber of Syfo-Dyas

Lord Sidious has force choke on Count Dooku

Dooku fighting Anakin and Obi-Wan

As part of my ongoing series in exploring the Clone Wars, I wanted to kick off my exploration of Star Wars: The Clone Wars with the recently-released season 6. In this post, I wanted to share my five favorite episodes. I realized I gave priority not only to really neat fighting, but primarily what advanced the storyline.  And, as you can see, I did not particularly care for the Clovis story arc, which is, as Eric Goldman of IGN writes, the weakest of the story arcs for the season.

#1 – “The Lost One” – interestingly, the only one-off episode (not part of a larger story arc) in season 6. We find out more about Master Syfo-Dyas and some of the intrigue going on around his death.  We discover that while he did order the clone army, he was, however, killed by Dooku.  I think I enjoyed this episode the most since we learn about Master Syfo-Dyas, as well as we understand some of the intrigue surrounding him, and we learn about his role in their creation.

Jar Jar Binks has a royal lover

Mace Windu beating up on the antagonists

#2 – “The Disappeared, Part I” – I tremendously enjoyed this episode, despite Jar Jar Binks! As Eric Goldman of IGN points out:

it’s hard not to think, “Really, we’re gonna take two precious episodes and waste them on Jar Jar?” But the thing is… they’re actually pretty entertaining. The pairing of Jar Jar with the stoic Mace Windu (who often seems as annoyed at Jar Jar as Star Wars fans) makes for a couple of amusing moments, in a storyline that takes some heavy influence from Indiana Jones, of all things. More importantly, even with Jar Jar by his side, it’s good to see Mace get a storyline of his own in the final season, since his spotlight moments were somewhat oddly rare on this show. He has one action scene in particular that is incredibly cool and badass.

That and, of course, finding it fascinating that Jar Jar Binks has a royal lover.

Nala Se discussing the Inhibitor Chip with Lord Tyranus

#3 – “Fugitive” – Clone Trooper Fives and AZI-3 discover that the tumor was not part of Jango Fett DNA and is, in fact, a foreign introduction.  Throughout this episode, a nice amount of drama was created in the search for answers and evading the Kaminoans, which was coupled nicely with the amusing interplay between Fives and AZI-3. We also get to witness an important dialogue that shows the Kaminoans are keenly aware of what they have implanted into the clones:

Nala Se: Lord Tyranus, you summoned me?
Lord Tyranus: Prime Minister Lama Su tells me there has been a complication. What has happened to the inhibitor chip?
Nala Se: It was stolen by a renegade clone.
Lord Tyranus: What does this clone know?
Nala Se: Nothing, as of yet. He’s just a soldier, after all. However, he was a friend to the clone who malfunctioned.
Lord Tyranus: This behavior is unsettling: first, the malfunctioning clone and now a renegade. Are you certain these soldiers will live up to your design in the end?
Nala Se: I am certain the malfunction to the inhibitor chip is an aberration.
Lord Tyranus: And how do you explain the renegade?
Nala Se: I’m afraid the Jedi have inspired creative thinking in some of the clones. That is the cause of this type of divergent behavior.
Lord Tyranus: Will this interfere with Protocol 66?
Nala Se: No! I am certain of that.
Lord Tyranus: Find the renegade clone immediately and make sure you recover the chip. The true nature of the inhibitor chip must not be discovered by the Jedi.
Nala Se: Yes, Lord Tyranus.

Also of interest is the discourse of the tumor being called an “inhibitor chip”, as Eric Goldman of IGN wrote:

When it was mentioned that there was an “inhibitor chip” inside the Clones, I briefly wondered if maybe that term was true – that the Clones were, in fact, genetically programmed to kill the Jedi and turning off the chip was how Order 66 worked. But that term turned out to be all part of Dooku’s lie, complete with saying it was to curb Jango Fett’s naturally aggressive genetic tendencies.

Tup about to shoot Tiplar

#4 – “The Unknown” – This episode is actually quite an exciting one and, of course, the episode in which a clone has Protocol 66 go active in him.  We see some interesting battle scenes early on and, of course, some interesting back-and-forth activities towards the end, the latter of which done, as Eric Goldman of IGN wrote, “all that in a tightly-told, exciting manner”

Yoda fighting his dark side

Yoda destroying his dark side

#5 – “Destiny” – This episode is definitely good, but strange; it greatly reminds me of the Mortis storyline – in this episode, the planet is where the Living Force and the Unifying Force are one, while Mortis is a conduit for the Force.  Although that part is weird, in both, we get a better sense of our protagonists and some of their struggles.  What’s great is that we get to see more of Yoda fighting, which is sadly infrequent in the series.  It’s also really interesting to see his own internal struggle, as he fights a dimension of himself at one point.  This episode is important in, as Dave Filoni was interviewed to say, helping us

understand, finally, that Yoda in the Clone Wars period is not at all the same person that he is in The Empire Strikes Back. People, I think, have always wondered, “Why [in The Clone Wars] isn’t he like he was in Empire? He’s not as odd, and he’s not as quizzical. Why is he so much more serious in the Clone War and where’s the fun little Yoda who was wise?” Well, he’s not there yet, you see. The story that we tell goes a very long way toward explaining who Yoda is prior to the Clone War and who he becomes after the Clone War.

Yoda comes to numerous realizations, including realizing that he had failed Ahsoka Tano when they did not defend her.  One highlight of this episode is his fighting with his dark side in which we get the following bits of dialogue:

“Yoda recognizes you not.”
“See not what is inside Yoda, eh?”
“I choose not to give you power.”
“And yet you spend your days in the decadence of war and, with that, I grow inside of you. Know your true self. Face me now or I will devour you.”
—-
“Part of me you are not.”
“Part of you I am. Part of all that lives.”
—-
“Why do you hate what gives you power?
—
“Yoda thinks me not worthy.”
“Recognize you I do. Part of me you are – yes. power over me you have not. Through patience and training, it is I who control you. Control over me you have not. My dark side you are. Reject you I do.”

Honorable Mention:

Yoda fighting Lord Sidious

– “Sacrifice” – It is interesting to find out that the Sith have a home world and it’s pretty fascinating that Yoda decides to go there.  The exciting segment is at the end when Lord Sidious fights him in somewhat of a weird arrangement.  Nevertheless, Yoda is unable to discover Lord Sidious’ true identity.

Mace Windu fighting Mother Talzin

– “The Disappeared, Part II” – There are some cool fighting scenes in this episode and we see Mace Windu tolerating Jar Jar Binks….  It was awesome to see Mother Talzin return and it was crazy to see her almost wield more power than the Jedi and the Sith, although she is defeated (and vanquished(?)).

Fives trying to tell Captain Rex and Anakin Skywalker about the chips implanted into the genetic code of the clones

– “Orders” – In this episode, Fives gets set up by Chancellor Palpatine – who tries to make it seem as if the inhibitor chip really does work – so he leaves and goes on the run.  At the end, he tries to make his case to Anakin:

Fives: “I was framed because I know the truth – the truth about a plot; a massive deception. Well, there’s a sinister plot in the works against the Jedi. I have proof of it. I can prove that everything I know is true beyond a shadow of a doubt.”
Anakin Skywalker: “Show me.”
Fives: “It’s in here – it’s in all of us, every clone.”
Captain Rex: “What is it?”
Fives: “Organic chips built into our genetic code which make us do whatever someone wants, even kill the Jedi. It’s all in here.”

However, since he is dying and seemingly crazy, it is hard for Captain Rex and Anakin Skywalker to believe him.

See you soon….

Related posts:

Exploring the Clone Wars VI: Top Ten Highlights of Season Six (“The Lost Episodes”) of Star Wars: The Clone Wars Exploring the Clone Wars I: Star Wars Clone Wars Season 1 Exploring the Clone Wars IV: Top Ten Highlights of Star Wars Clone Wars Exploring the Clone Wars II: Star Wars Clone Wars Season 2