Review of ‘The Clone Wars: The Wrong Jedi’

March 4, 2013 at 1:00 am | Posted in Reviews, Television, The Clone Wars | 1 Comment
Tags: the clone wars season 5

A poignant ending for a very nice season finale. Dave Filoni promised that this arc would raise a lot of questions for the future, and I think he delivered. “The Wrong Jedi” wraps up the four part Ahsoka arc with a bit of action, a lot of drama, and some excellent character moments. Join us below for a venture into spoiler territory.

“To Catch a Jedi” set us up with a new villain. We knew it wasn’t Ventress. We knew it was a female. And we knew it was a Jedi. But honestly, I never conceived that it would be Barriss. I didn’t catch any clues that led me to believe she was wanting to split from the Order. Her friendship with Ahsoka seemed genuine. Barriss appeared to be just another good-hearted Jedi. Alas, it was not so. In some ways, it made sense. The last episode in the season would have been a rough spot to introduce a completely new character. They needed a Jedi traitor. Who better than someone Ahsoka was close too? It certainly had a nice emotional impact on Ahsoka. You could tell at the trial that she had some very mixed feelings. She was glad her master stood up for her and got her out of trouble, but she was equally sad to see her friend was the culprit.

The trial itself was pretty interesting. It wasn’t so much a genuine court case as it was a show trial. Chancellor Palpatine headed the proceeding with the Jedi Council in attendance. Senator Amidala defended Ahsoka while Admiral Tarkin prosecuted her. The trial chamber was massive, the proceedings were brief and a bit bare bones. No one ever presented any holocam footage from Ahsoka’s escape or of Bariss Offee’s infiltration of the prison, which seemed really suspicious. All we had was Amidala stating Ahsoka’s side of things and Tarkin spouting his. The only direct evidence was the video showing Ahsoka possibly strangling the prisoner she was accused of killing. On this alone, the entire court was ready to sentence her to death. Lucky for Ahsoka, Anakin never gave up on her.

It’s also worth mentioning the Jedi Council’s mini trial of Ahsoka. Before her official Republic trial, they stripped Ahsoka of her Jedi status and kicked her out of the Order. I suppose their evidence was about as good as the Republic trial…they went on the word of Tarkin and his blurry holo footage. Never mind that no one ever saw Ahsoka cutting down any clones. Never mind that multiple witnesses could attest the great lengths she went to to not harm anyone during her several escapes. Or the fact that she was seen with Ventress, who also did not hurt anyone. Let alone the glaring omission of any senior council member searching Ahsoka for any feelings of the dark side. I suppose that dark side cloud Yoda keeps talking about has pretty much rendered them useless. They couldn’t detect a traitor or an innocent when the fate of their entire Order depended on it.

Ultimately, the failings of the Jedi Order was fully illustrated in this arc and brought to full light in this episode. With all of their power and high regard, the Jedi Council failed to catch a Jedi traitor, failed to stand by an innocent Jedi, and failed to trust themselves. Anakin was the only one willing to trust Ahsoka. By going it alone and rebelling against the Council, he once again saved the day, laying down a foundation of action that will ultimately lead to his downfall. When Ahsoka’s innocence was proven, the best the Jedi Council could do was a weak apology and an offer for her to come back, as if that was really big of them and such a great offer. I’m glad Ahsoka turned them down. It was a good move for the show and for her character. It also plays well into showing how far the Jedi Council has fallen. If the public viewpoint of the Jedi was already bad or flailing, it will be down right awful now. Imagine what the public will see out of this: Jedi padawan wrongly accused, nearly executed, excommunicated from Jedi Order, and when given a chance to come back, refuses. Having Barriss be a traitor was bad enough, but having a fellow Jedi hero of the Clone Wars leave the order? Their PR couldn’t get much worse.

The emotional impact of the episode was great. The way the story played out was a perfect way to show the failings of the Jedi Order and to open up new territory for the show. There are so many questions and possibilities for season six. What will Ahsoka do now? What will Anakin be like without his apprentice? How much worse will he now view the Jedi Council? What about Maul and Sidious’ plans? There’s so much to look forward to.

I give “The Wrong Jedi” a five out of five metal bikinis. While it may take me a while to get used to Tim Curry as Palpatine, the rest of the cast continues to shine in their roles, the animation looks wonderful, and I applaud the show for taking a few risks. In my opinion, they paid off.

Reviewed By: Skuldren for Roqoo Depot.