REVIEW: The Ahsoka Arc – The Clone Wars Season Finale
Sunday, February 24th, 2013 at 11:08 pm Category: Clone Wars, Reviews, Star WarsOver the weekend, I had the honor of attending the season five theatrical finale event of The Clone Wars at Lucasfilm’s Presidio headquarters.
Save for a few thoughts at the end of this piece, I’ll have a much fuller report about the event itself here and on the Full of Sith Podcast.
We arrived in the theatre at ILM (the same one I saw the season three premiere in) and spotted many of the cast and crew of the show, including Dave Filoni, Joel Aron, Ashley Eckstein, Matt Lanter, and Sam Witwer. Producer Cary Silver and Dave Filoni introduced the episode (they also inducted Bonnie Burton into the Wolf Pack) and then we were off.
Filoni cut together a special version of all four episodes of the arc and opened it in an unusual fashion: with the theatrical Star Wars main theme instead of the regular show theme. Sabotage, the first episode, which I found a bit dry the first time I saw it, held up much better in the context of the larger story. In fact, it telegraphs a lot of what is to come in the finale, much more than I would have expected. But that’s the mark of excellent storytelling, it’s all there for you to see, you just need to know how to look.
But the first two episodes set the stage for the final two, which are absolutely breathtaking. We’re taken to the underworld of Coruscant (which looked heavily influenced by Blade Runner), where Ahsoka hunts for clues to prove her innocence, with the unlikely help of Asajj Ventress.
She’s led into a trap and caught, when we see her put on trial next week for the murder of the Jedi Temple Bomber and her involvement in the plot. Anakin, for his part, is absent at her trial seeking to discover the true villains in the plot.
This episode is beautifully animated, heart-wrenching, and leaves us with so many question marks to come that I can’t even begin to comment on them until after the episode airs. What I can comment on, though, as did Dave Filoni at the Q and A afterwards, was the music. Kevin Kiner pulled out all the stops for these episodes, even recording a live orchestra for the music in this arc. It’s also the first time a number of the best and most recognizable John Williams themes are used on the show to the maximum possible effect.
More than anything, this final episode is emotional. Perhaps one of the most emotional I’ve ever witnessed. For the last two thirds of this episode I was holding back tears and a lump in my throat. Matt and Ashley did some of their finest work in the final sequences of this episode, but it would never have come off without the incredible animation that puts a soul in the eyes of living, breathing characters that would otherwise be nothing but limp pixels on a screen.
Also: Continuity wonks are probably going to be upset by the handling of a couple of situations and characters, but their use in this arc were used to tell an excellent story, so, please do your best to ignore the problems with less than Lucas-level canon.
Bottom line: put together in a theatrical experience, these four episodes are four of the best I’ve ever seen. They hit all the right notes to make us care and make us thirstier for more, more than we’ve ever been.
I am so excited for everyone to experience the episode so we can all talk about the ramifications of the final act. I’ll post a spoiler filled review of the final episode next week after it airs. If you’re in any way invested in this show and it’s additions to the mythology of Star Wars, my guess is that this episode will be a tear jerker for you. Have tissues handy.
In the meantime, there’s something else I’d like to mention while I have your attention. At the Q and A afterward, Pablo Hidalgo mentioned that there has been no official announcement about if and when the sixth season (or future seasons) will be airing or available for our consumption. I did ask questions about the future of the show, but was greeted with many no comments. One person close to Lucasfilm did tell me, though, that now is the time to raise a ruckus about the future of the show. I’d been waiting until the Disney schedule announcement in March to start causing a stink, but I think that might be too late.
This show is too good to let slip away. And after the unanswered questions raised by these last two arcs, it would be a disservice to fans to let episodes that are already in various stages of production never see the light of day.
And trust me, after this last episode, you’ll have twice as many questions than you did after that business with Darth Maul.
Responses to “REVIEW: The Ahsoka Arc – The Clone Wars Season Finale”
Not good news about the show’s future. What did your contact suggest?
Two things I’d really love to have you answered: Did they say who is voicing Palpatine now? Secondly, does the orchestra mean that we’ll likely be getting a soundtrack for this arc released? I had noticed a difference in the brass sound. I’m glad I wasn’t just imagining it.
Why is it tear jerking?!!?! Does Ahsoka die?????
I agree with Matt – who can we contact to “raise a ruckus?”
Lets collect everything.
Anakin squeezing Ventress to get knowledge about Bariss. Than chasing Bariss to kick her butt.
Ahsoka at the same time defending herself at the temple.
i think ventress will be brought to the temple or escapes, bariss will manage to run away or get arrested. ahsoka coming free and learning how bariss framed her. crying. anakin tries to calm her. both crying and boom end.
at the end dooku laughing.
Fand have too get noisy NOW, before its too late. There are many ways to tell Disney you want the show to go on. The most effective one would be to send a letter to the following address:
Walt Disney Studios
500 S Buena Vista St
Burbank, CA 91521
Attn: Bob Iger
You can also send them an e-mail, via this webpage: http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/contact-us/corporate-communications
There is even a petition to keep the Clone Wars airing:http://www.causes.com/actions/1733395-allow-star-wars-the-clone-wars-to-remain-on-the-air-till-the-end
I suggest we all use those three methods to get the message through. Remember, the letter is the most effective way.
Perhaps a “Jericho Nuts” style mail-in campaign would get some attention. Maybe along with a letter, a clone action figure.
I can’t imagine we fans would have to actually fight for the show’s survival. I’d say its just a marketing ploy to get publicity and get the fans buzzing about the show. No way Disney wouldn’t take it up and put it on their own channel. (seriously… has the show ever had any ratings issues? its in syndication for cryin out loud! so I call bunk)
for 2nd week February 2013: Star Wars: The Clone Wars Ratings – TVbytheNumbers
The Saturday morning action-adventure line-up of Beyblade: Metal Fury (8 a.m.), Pokemon BW: Adventures in Unova (8:30 a.m.), Ben 10 Omniverse (9 a.m.) and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (9:30 a.m.) each ranked #1 in their respective time periods among boys 9-14. Compare to the same time period last year, Ben 10 Omniverse and Star Wars: The Clone Wars both grew all kids and boys demos, mostly by double-digits, ranging between 7% and 60%.
August 29th, 2012:
The Season Four finale was the #1 watched telecast of the day versus all of television among boys 9-14, and #1 for its timeslot among boys 6-11.
Edward: I hope you are right, but it’s better to use prevention than just wait to know what happens. There are numerous logical reasons for Disney to continue the Clone Wars, but it costs nothing to fight now; the odds that the show gets cancelled will never be too small, for there is always a possibility it gets cancelled, no matter how small the odds are.
true. I’m not suggesting not showing support but its unlikely a highly rated show will just be arbitrarily tossed since high ratings = high value and top dollar for advertising placement. Its a money maker for whichever network carries it hence the fact that its now syndicated on other channels… not to mention the dvd sales. Sure any show is at risk but Disney = Cartoons and own multiple cartoon stations. I’m sure they will want it on at least one of those. They could even wrap up the Clone Wars and move into another story… perhaps even an animated show between Sith and New Hope. Even the top rated network shows usually only last 7 to 10 seasons at most anyway but I think there is plenty of life left in Clone Wars.
Corporate executives will care more about their company politics than profitability, especially if they have no personal stake in the show’s success.
No-one at Disney has any stake in this project and with the heavy pro-OT stance they’re taking trashing anything to do with the prequels might even make them look good.
I’m not American but if you are please write a letter. The word is a letter will have a hug impact.
I was at this showing as well,and all I can say is ‘Holy Crap’. This show has matured so much, and watching it with the 501st, Filoni, the entire crew, Ashley and Matt, was awesome. I’m always sensative about not wanting ‘to see how the sausage is made’, but I felt like I was in the center of the production. I couldn’t help but sense a bittersweet mood in the room, but as Paul said, I just think they don’t know yet. While I’ve done my part in broadcasting the petition, if it were to end at this part of the story, I’d be ok with it from a canon perspective. From a fan perspective…not so much.
I have no idea what you are talkign about, savetheshow. By this logic they would have reworked the entire Marvel enterprise into a disney esque asthetic………… last time i looked mickey mouse wasn’t swinging in with the avengers, nor was Storm from X-men wearing a princess dress.
You really think that they are gonna tamper with the star wars themes? they bought the company, and the people working for it as well, cause these people know what to do. And while yes, they have nothing to lose if the show is canceled, they have SOOO much they can gain if it continues. more moeny, more fans, hell they might be able to lure some cartoon network die heards to the disney channels by putting one of theri favorite shows there.
they have left their purchased licesnes to theri own devices for the msot part. disney is smart enough to know that they get more moeny not manhandling the people who actually know how to work these licenses and theri stories.
considering we have a crappy teen kill teen situation being generated by marvel, which seems like it would be the antichrist of disney intents, i think we can assume the license won’t have any disney princesses.
A number of viewers are keen to watch comic video clips, however I like to watch terrible video clips on YouTube.
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