CLONE WARS Season Finale: Season Fire

This fifth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars has been the best season yet.  Now that the show has its footing, the SWU (Star Wars Universe) and a strong fan base Dave Filoni (the main force behind the show,) is taking swings and stepping out in was that were never possible before.  If you follow the show, you know that they’ve created characters and plot lines that have open all new possibilities in the SWU.  First, lets take a look at all the plots the tied up this year.

Pre Vizsla, leader of Death Watch and wielder of the ancient, black, Jedi lightsaber.  Dead.

Dutchess Satine, Dutchess of Mandalore and the love of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s life.  Dead.  Savage Opress, brother of the dreaded Darth Maul.  Turn into a killing machine by the mysterious Mother Talzin, Count Dooku & Asajj Ventress & betrayed by all.  Dead.

And most shocking of all, Ahsoka Tano, padawan of Anakin Skywalker, has left the Jedi Order.  She is officially a Jedi no more!

This, my dear readers, is marching us closer and closer to the end of The Clone Wars and the beginning of Revenge of the Sith.  But thankfully Dave and The Clone Wars team have left enough doors wide open for us that we still have lots of land to cover before all is said and done.

Let us remember that Darth Maul is alive and well.  After Darth Sidious aka Chancellor Palpatine aka The Emperor, killed Maul’s brother (Savage Opress,) Sidious told him, “Remember, the first and only reality of the Sith.  There can only be two.  And you are no longer my apprentice.  You have been replaced.”  After which Sidious proceeds to put the hurt on Maul.  Maul begs for mercy to which Sidious replies, “There is no mercy.  Do not worry.  I’m not going to kill you.  I have, other, uses for you.”  What other uses?  What is Sidious planning with Maul?  Does it involve Dooku at all?  Will Dooku know about Maul?  And what about Obi-Wan?  Maul killed Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan’s master and Dutchess Satine, Obi-Wan’s love.  I know revenge isn’t the Jedi way but I would love to see Obi-Wan give Maul what he deserves.  I also think it would be an interesting plot twist for Obi-Wan to seek revenge and really give weight to how he failed Anakin.  How Anakin takes the same dark path his master went out and thought, well I guess this is ok.

Now let’s talk about the Jedi Order.  It is falling apart.  We’ve only known Count Dooku as a villain but long before that he was a Jedi Master.  Then last year we had Jedi Master Pong Krell.  He sent lots of Clones to their death in the battle of Umbara.  When asked why he answered.  “I am no longer naïve enough to be a Jedi.  A new power is rising, I’ve foreseen it.”  He was prepared to join Dooku and the dark side.  And now Barriss Offee.

What’s very cool about this is this is not the first time we’ve met Barriss Offee.  She’s been at Ahsoka’s side in many a sticky situations.  She’s made appearances in a handful of Clone Wars episodes and even has a well known presence in the Star Wars Extended Universe.  And now she takes center stage and our season five finale villain.

Barriss planted a bomb in the Jedi Temple, then murdered all her associates and framed Ahsoka for it all.  Ahsoka was expelled from the Jedi Order and put on trail by the Republic.  But with the help of Ventress, Anakin discovers Barriss’ plot and arrest her.  When asked to confess Barriss says, “I’ve come to realize, what many people in the Republic have come to realize.  That the Jedi are the ones responsible for this war.  That we’ve so lost our way that we have become villains in this conflict.  And my attack on the temple was an attack on what the Jedi have become.  An army fighting for the dark side.  Fallen from the light we once held so dear.”  Her methods were wrong, but was her point?  I don’t think so.  Who will be the next Jedi to fall to the dark side.  Anakin?  Or will there be more that pave the way for him.

Regardless, the Jedi Council admits their mistake and invites Ahsoka back to the Jedi order.  But she declines.  The Council didn’t trust her, and now she doesn’t trust them.  Anakin tells her she’s making a mistake.  “Maybe,” she replies, “But I have to sort this out on my own.  Without the Council and without you.”

What we’re left with is two sides.  The Republic and The Separatists.  The “good” guys and the “bad” guys both lead by the ultimate bad guy.  We’ve got lots of players still in the game.  We know where Maul stands, but now Ventress and Ahsoka seem to be the only players that are in the gray zone.  Which, from what I can see, looks like the lightest color on the board.

The only negative part of this is we have to wait till next season for any new adventures for our beloved heroes and villains.  Well done with season five Clone Wars team.  Enjoy your break.  You’ve more than earned it.