Thursday, February 7, 2013

Clone Wars Season 5 Finale Ahsoka Arc Trailer Analysis


The toughest part about analyzing the season five final arc trailer is that from what we have been given there are multiple storytelling pathways which are equally compelling and thus also equally likely.  Below there will be spoilers of what is publicly available plot summaries, images and my own informed speculation about what is to come.  I am likely to be wrong many times, but perhaps just once or twice I will be correct.  Read with caution.

S05, E17  "Sabotage"

Anakin and Ahsoka investigate an explosion at the Temple, suspicious that a Jedi-turned-dark is responsible.



S05, E18  "The Jedi Who Knew Too Much"
After meeting with Letta Turmond, Letta turns up dead and Ahsoka is arrested.


S05, E19  "To Catch a Jedi"
On the run in the underworld, Ahsoka makes a bargain with Asajj Ventress while hunting for proof of her innocence.

S05, E20 The Wrong Jedi
With Ahsoka on the run, Anakin, who continues to believe in Ahsoka’s innocence, hunts for the truth.



So we know the arc opens with Anakin and Ahsoka on a mission to Cato Neimoidia where their Jedi Starfighters come under attack by buzz droids.  Does the similar opening to Episode III portend dark events in this arc?

Meanwhile back at the "Old Folks Home" protesters are picketing outside the Jedi Temple.  I would think that if anyone group in the galaxy could withstand protesters it would be the Jedi. Silly protesters.


What looks to be a LAAT/i lands in the Temple's hanger while some innocent workers are loading and unloading, and proceeds to explode. How rude.


Good luck getting the Mon Cala smell out of the walls.


A little too familiar imagery of terrorism.  But it gets the point across.



Anakin and Ahsoka speed back to the Temple.


Ahsoka runs into some old friends at the Temple


Jedi funeral, not becoming one with the Force = FAIL.


Ahsoka looks more devastated than most of the Jedi, did someone she cared for perish?


Things don't go well for Mace when it is stormy on Coruscant. But in HD the rain on the window looks terrific.


CSI Jedi style.

The David Caruso droid is featured in this episode. Did I ever mention that I saw Caruso's Kiss of Death in the theater? I have no idea why I went to see it in the theater, but it was hilariously bad, not even Nic Cage bench pressing a girl could save that steaming pile of a film. But it did have Mace Windu in it as well.

These are the images I am having some of the most trouble placing in the arc. Either Ahsoka is presenting what she learned to the Jedi Council as part of her investigation, she is being tried first by the Council for the death of Letta Turmond or she is standing before them ready to leave the Order. I would think if it is part of the investigation then Anakin would be present as well. I suppose upon further pondering it could also be Ahsoka asking for permission to search for prime suspect Letta Turmond on her own.


This solo shot of Ahsoka walking makes me wonder if she is leaving the Order at least temporarily after the events of the arc. Not sure where to put this image chronologically.


Ahsoka tracks down Letta.


Sometime after this encounter Letta is killed and Ahsoka is blamed. Who kills Letta and who framed Ahsoka, it has to be agents of Palpatine, but who?

I absolutely love every single "Imperial" shot in this trailer. Breathtaking.


Tarkin's back, back again, Tarkin's back, tell a friend.


This doesn't look ominous at all.

We get some very interesting new character models. Lightsabers, masks, and armor? Who might these be? Velma thinks they might be what eveolves into the Imperial Senate Sentinels, so lets call them Republic Senate Sentinels for now.



For the prosecution, Admiral Tarkin. He is pretty much the antithesis of Perry Mason.


Foreshadowing much.  It's the little things but the Imperial Guards are one of my favorite character designs in all of Star Wars.  They need more screen time.


Yeah, about that democracy thing. Not so much.


I put these next two shots together because of the back grounds.  Does Anakin attempt to break Ahsoka out of jail? The architecture looks very similar.



Ahsoka on the run in the underlevels of Coruscant, while security patrols hunt for her.


Time for quick cuts, grimaces, angry looks and fisticuffs.





Anakin looks a little bit like he is about to slaughter peeps.


Asajj without the mask fighting Anakin?


 Ahsoka looks a little peeved herself.



In the end it's hard to say exactly what is going on with Ahsoka. I would bet that Palpatine uses that anti-war protests and potentially a Jedi subverted by Dooku to stage a terrorist attack on the Temple. He would do this knowing that Ahsoka were away on a mission and that they would be the most likely Jedi because of Anakin's importance to lead an investigation.  He does this to set in motion the downfall of Ahsoka and further emotional trauma he wants to inflict on Anakin.

Ahsoka seeking to prove herself asks or disobeys orders and goes looking for fugitive Letta Turmond.  She confronts Letta, but Letta is killed in such a way that witnesses or holo-cams make it look like Ahsoka is responsible.

Palpatine issues an arrest warrant for Ahsoka, and the Jedi lead by Plo Koon go looking for her to bring her in for questioning.  The Jedi go along with this believing that the facts will clear Ahsoka, but conscious that given public distrust of the Jedi they must submit to the civil legal processes or they will prove their critics correct.

Anakin of course disagrees with this approach, he knows Ahsoka is innocent and their is no reason to put her in jeopardy in his view.  The Council is worried about Anakin because his emotions are swirling and they are not sure if he can sit back and let the legal process play out.

Ahsoka is hauled into the Hall of Justice where Palpatine sits in judgement, I bet that Tarkin presents the evidence against her in what amounts to a military tribunal. This is the Clone Wars version of GITMO.

Ahsoka is either convicted or while the proceedings are taking place she escapes and once again is on the run, where she runs into Asajj Ventress in the slums of Coruscant.

Asajj initially thinks Ahsoka is after her so she attacks Ahsoka. Ahsoka is close to being killed when she convinces Asajj that she needs her help and Asajj puts her lightsabers away.

Ahsoka and Asajj team up to look for proof of Ahsoka's innocence and to find the real killer.

Meanwhile Anakin leaves the Temple and comes looking for Ahsoka, in addition to countless Republic military forces searching for her.  You will notice in the trailer that she is fending off stun bolts, so clearly the order is to detain not kill at this point.

I would bet the arc concludes with two major things happening.  1) Ahsoka is able to find evidence that exonerates her. 2) In his passion to search for Ahsoka, Anakin dips his toes into the dark side again and commits some act of violence that Ahsoka witnesses that shocks her.

Ahsoka at the end of the arc is a tangle of emotions, doubts in the Jedi Order over how they treated and doubted her and doubts in her Master after what she witnessed.  Ahsoka leaves the Order in the closing shots of Sesaon Five in an attempt to find peace and make sense of it all.


SOURCES: Zap2it, Teletoon, Youtube 

7 comments:

  1. Interesting analysis. I look forward to how this will all play out!

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  2. Or she might get killed off by Clones or Ventress...

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  3. Some expanded episode synopsis's are here: http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/news/120424-star-wars-the-clone-wars-season-5-finale-trailer.html

    My prediction: Ahsoka gets stabbed by a lightsaber through a wall. Its a red one. The last reveal of the episode is behind the wall to see Palpatines lightsaber stuffed into his robes. Perhaps a small crackle of laughter.

    Also interesting, it seems we'll find out the new voice actor of Palpatine anyway. He's a bit different to the old one. I perhaps thought they could find someone closer. But anyway.

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  4. Considering that Ahsoka in Season 6, unlikely she will die. In all likelihood, she is probably looking at voluntary/involuntary leave from the Jedi Order, or reassigned to another Jedi to complete her training. For both cases, it could be temporary or permanent.

    I did read an Ashley Eckstein interview on the web somewhere, and in the interview she stated that the season final may leave more questions than answers.

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    1. Ahsoka is not officially confirmed to be in S6, and we can't really trust the CW team on telling us if she will. I doubt that, if she dies, when asked what happens to Ahsoka, they would tell us ''Oh, we won't tell you what happens, but it ends here.'' So be careful when basing yourself on what they say, they have a no-spoiler policy about this arc.

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  5. Anakin is holding a green lightsaber in the end. It's not Ahsoka's. Does anybody know to who it belongs?

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  6. this is all a sham, this is really her jedi trials to become a jedi

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