The three-part arc that kicks off season 4 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars ended the only way it could: predictably. ‘Prisoners’ had its moments, but the uncertainty regarding a resolution it began with was erased long before the first commercial break.
The episode begins with Prince Lee-Char and Ahsoka, the only combatants from the battle that took place over the previous two episodes to not be captured by Separatists, mulling their options. Realizing the combined Quarren and Mon Calamari forces could overtake the Separatists, the pair far too easily break into a Separatist prison and seek out Captain Akbar’s aid in rallying his people to fight back. Again.
Meanwhile, Anakin, Jar-Jar, Kit Fisto and Padme are being interrogated by Riff Tansom who, under the orders of Count Dooku, seeks out the Prince’s hiding place. The prisoners legitimately don’t know, so Tansom pushes them to the edge of life in search of answers.
It’s hard to become invested in a character’s fate armed with the knowledge they appear in Revenge of the Sith, even when they’re seemingly on the verge of being killed off in The Clone Wars. This group of prisoners could easily be killed during the neat interrogation sequence involving electric shock from giant eels and a helmet filling with water, but every one of their demises was previously written into cannon to take place some time later.
Though Ahsoka and Prince Lee-Char are careful not to be spotted in the prison encampment, it is after being seen from afar and captured that Prince Lee-Char demands an audience with Tansom and, through this back-and-forth, is able to gain the trust of the Quarren and ignite the revolution. It would have been more sensible for the Prince to give himself up after talking to Ackbar, thus allowing Ahsoka to remain free and attack when the time was right.
‘Prisoners’ ends with one last battle, a quickie compared to the first fight, though just as brutal with several scenes framed specifically to show warriors from each race meeting their demise. Tansom shows off a new killing style, yet though he’s able to chew through multiple warriors in seconds, is unable to take out the Prince for a second time.
The Clone Wars season 4 is off to a darkest start of any season yet, both in tone and visual style. It’s also the first arc in which the Jedi heroes played a supporting role in resolving the conflict. That won’t last and doesn’t need to, but was a nice change of pace while it did.
– Dan Bradley
