Star Wars: The Clone Wars Bonus Content Rumor: To Be Apple Exclusive? Via Jedi News

The Force seems to be strong with JediNews.co.uk lately as they have been getting a number of news making rumors. The latest rumor regards the "bonus content" for Star Wars: The Clone Wars.  This content consists of finished and unfinished episodes from the planned sixth season of the cancelled television show.

As recently as Disney's D23 convention, Lucasfilm's Pablo Hidalgo has said that they are still trying to determine the best way to distribute this content.

According to Jedi News' source the following may be what is planned:

“A Disney branded app for Star Wars will launch on Apple TV devices, with plans to distribute the final Clone Wars episodes exclusively digitally only through the Apple TV device for a limited period of time. This will happen in this holiday season.

In 2014, plans are in an early stage to use the platform to deliver SW7 production news ‘live’ from the sets, followed with Star Wars Rebels in late 2014 taking us all the way through to SW7 release.”

iOS 7

“Distribution will only be on Apple TV devices capable of running iOS7 and there has been no confirmation if the same app will be available to other iOS devices such as iPad or iPhone."

Apple TV is a streaming device that attaches via HDMI to your television.  It features not only content through the Apple iTunes library and store but also stand alone content providing apps such as Netflix.  Apple TV is currently on it's third generation of development, I would expect a fourth generation release sometime in the next year but there hasn't been an official announcement yet.  There is also speculation that the device may be replaced ultimately by an Apple branded iTV that will include the Apple TV functionality in an HD Smart TV sold by Apple.

Apple iOS 7 is rumored to be released as early as September 10th. iOS 7 features a radical re-design of the operating systems graphics along with other features.

If the rumored Disney Star Wars App works on Apple TV as well as iOS 7 devices, then the following currently released devices may be able to use the App.

I wouldn't rush out today and buy an Apple TV, but as someone who already owns a Roku 2 and a Sony Blu-ray player with much of the same functionality a Star Wars App that was Apple exclusive would convince me to spend the $99 to get an Apple TV device.  I am not sure if the promise of The Clone Wars exclusive content would make the App a major selling point for the device, however I bet if there is Episode VII exclusive news and documentary content on the App that it would cause many to purchase the device and particularly could be the deciding factor in taking market share away from other digital streaming devices.

It is interesting to note that Lucasfilm and Apple have a relationship when it comes to movie promotion.  The reason that many of use visit Apple.com or use the Movie Trailer App on iOS devices is because of a collaboration between Apple and Lucasfilm that was created with Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I was not aware of this relationship until it was discussed at Pablo Hidalgo's D23 Star Wars 101 Panel, but here is a version of the story, basically Lucasfilm released a trailer on Starwars.com and the folks at Apple thought that it was very sub-par and that with their QuickTime software they could provide a much higher quality product.

The idea of a Disney branded Star Wars App seems a bit odd, though there is some inconsistency on Disney's part. For example the Marvel comics App is not branded as Disney-Marvel, but the Pixar Toy Story App is branded as Disney-Pixar.  

I have long decried the lack of a Star Wars App, and I would certainly welcome one.  It is important to note that Disney does have some new Apps launching both a Disney Channel and Disney XD App is now available on iOS devices.  This provides access to programming that airs on these channels, however you must have a cable or satellite contract and your provider must allow access to these channels for the App to work.

Stay tuned as we endeavor to learn more about the future of the unreleased Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes.

Source: Jedi News 

The Clone Wars Bonus Content News & Rumors: Is This Cad Bane's Ship?

Cad Bane's New Ship

Star Wars: The Clone Wars supervising director and Star Wars Rebels co-executive producer Dave Filoni revealed at Star Wars Celebration Europe that bounty hunter Cad Bane's ship would appear in The Clone Wars' "bonus content."

Video of the panel and the concept art have surfaced on-line thanks to Youtube poster TheHuskyDog7

The new ship pictured above has a very lean and mean look to it. It looks like an aggressive and attack vessel.  It is also a serious departure from the concept art for Cad Bane's ship that was developed in 2009 for the Republic Heroes video game.

Concept art from artist Jeremy Love (aka Coldrum) worked up concept art on a ship for Cad Bane.  Love worked on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels. 

The Slight of Hand

It is interesting to note that it has a similar color scheme and design elements as the previously shown main character's ship from Star Wars Rebels, called the "Ghost." The yellow paint, angular lines and top blaster canon turrets all have similar looks between the two ships. 

Star Wars Rebels ship, the Ghost

A poster on the message board Brick Horizon says that the ship is viewable in a Clone Wars demo game on the Playstation and that the ship is called the "Slight of Hand." The name of the ship is confirmed by the artist in his description of the artwork.   

It will be interesting to see of Bane's ship retains the "Slight of Hand" moniker or if the ship will receive a new name.  

SOURCES: Youtube, Brick Horizon, Imagine FX and, CG Hub

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Joins Cartoon Network's Toonami Programing Block

It was announced via Toonami's Tumblr page that The Clone Wars would be joining The Cartoon Networks' Saturday night programming block.

It isn't clear if this is a continuation of the previous contract for The Clone Wars distribution, if there are some continued rights for Cartoon Network to air the series in perpetuity or if this is a new distribution contract.

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars begins airing on Toonami on August 17th, replacing Eureka 7 (full schedule to come)."

It is also not clear exactly what time the series will air within the Toonami block.  Stay tuned to this blog for continued coverage of The Clone Wars.

SOURCES: Tumblr and TheOuthousers.com

Star Wars Celebration Europe News: The Clone Wars Season 5, The Complete Series Box Set, and Bonus Content Update

 Friday's "Secrets of Star Wars: The Clone Wars" panel at Celebration Europe featured Dave Filoni and Pablo Hidalgo.  The fan site The Star Wars Underworld live-tweeted the panel and has a recap posted.

At the panel we got some insight on what might have been in a Season Six, the status of the bonus content and release date and information on the Season Five and a Season 1-5 Box Set home video releases.

On what might have been:

There was going to be a Yoda arc featuring the Wookiees, a dramatic resolution for Ventress, scenes dealing with Ahsoka's choice, and an appearance of a Sith Temple. In the bonus content we shall see Cad Bane get a new ship and the return of former Chancellor Valorum.


On the bonus content: 

"Hidalgo says they are still working on how to distribute Bonus Content, may be outside the box, could include unfinished animation."


For a complete collection of tweets check out SWU's recap of the panel.

On the Season Five and Season 1-5 Box Set Releases:

It was also announced that October 15th will be the release date for both The Complete Season Five Blu-ray and DVD sets as well as "Seasons 1-5 Box Set."

Caveat emptor applies with the Season 1-5 Box Set, I sense that based on the title there will be a further home video release down the road that will likely include the bonus content and other bonus materials.

It is cool to see that there are two books included in the Season 1-5 sets, the "Episode Guide" and the box set exclusive "The Art of Star Wars: The Clone Wars."

I am very curious about the dimensions on the "Art of" book because it looks to be pretty tiny, which while a cool inclusion doesn't really fit with the coffee table size of the traditional Star Wars "Art of" books.

No prices have been announced but my guess would be $59.99 for Season Five and between $99.99-$139.99 for the Season 1-5 Collection.

Season Five and Season 1-5 Box Set Trailer:

SOURCE: SWU

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Rule of Two: Wins Two Daytime Emmy Awards

Image Source: THR

It's about time.  I would just like to wish a big heartfelt congratulations to the entire cast and crew of Star Wars: The Clone Wars for their Daytime Emmy Award win tonight.  It is a much deserved honor for a show that took television animation to a whole new creative level.

To those members of the cast and crew that I have gotten the chance to interact with, you guys rock and the passion and hard work that went into the series was evident and while fan appreciation is great, sometimes it is nice to get a shiny trophy to.

The Clone Wars may be over as a on-going series, but it will live on in syndication and home video releases and like all good Star Wars projects it will lead to a wave of talent finding other projects to work on in Hollywood both in the Star Wars universe and outside of it.  The best of luck to all the cast and crew in their future endeavors.

May the Force be with you, always.


SOURCE: Emmyonline.org

The Clone Wars Bonus Content News & Rumors: Ten Episodes According to Kevin Kiner

The Clone Wars composer Kevin Kiner recently gave an interview with the Full of Sith podcast in which he reveals a bit about the planned Star Wars: The Clone Wars "Bonus Content."

In the episode titled, "Special Release: Kevin Kiner" released on June 11, 2013 at approximately 20 minutes into the episode, Kiner talked about his work on the bonus content.

"We have about ten shows that we're still working on, that are going to be part of this special material. And even hopefully there is going to be a soundtrack record as part of this special material. We'll see they're in negotiations about that so we're not positive that's going to happen. "

Ten episodes means we are likely only getting three story arcs or three story arcs and a stand alone episode. Of course he said "still working on" so it may be even more assuming they aren't working on the Clovis arc which we assume was completed because it was planned to be mid-season five originally.

The three Clovis arc episodes are "An Old Friend," "The Rise of Clovis," and "Crisis at the Heart." These episodes were 4.19-21 in production order meaning they were produced at the end of the season four batch of episodes. They were originally scheduled to be episodes 6 through 8 of season five.

This could mean that we are getting the Clovis arc (3 episodes) plus an additional 10 episodes. The Order 66 arc (4 episodes?) and a Sifo-Dyas arc (4 episodes?), and then 2 more unknown episodes.  Star Wars Underworld captured a Twitter discussion from TCW writer Matt Michnovetz which seems to confirm that he believes the Order 66 arc and the Sifo-Dyas arc are both 4 episodes in length. It is also important to keep in mind that there are two arcs that we know about that may or may not be getting finished, one of Michnovetz's Bounty Hunter arc and the other is the Yoda arc.  The Disney Star Wars Weekends clip of Yoda and Anakin from the bonus content may have been from another arc, not the Yoda arc that has been discussed by TCW cast and crew.  

The other interesting aspect of what Kiner had to say was connecting the soundtrack and the bonus content. Could it be a DVD/Blu-ray plus soundtrack combo pack? 

I will keep you posted as soon as any Clone Wars news breaks, but I think we will be waiting until Star Wars Celebration Europe (July 26-28) before we get any official announcement about the form and content of the "bonus content."

Source: Full of Sith 

The Clone Wars Bonus Content Speculation: Disney Home Video Release and Disney Digital Copy Plus

In a series of posts I will examine the most likely channels for Disney to distribute the remaining Star Wars: The Clone Wars finished episodes.  Up first is Digital Copy Distribution.

Temporary Cover Art

While I don't think we know the legal particulars, i.e. if Warner Bros. retains any home video distribution rights to The Clone Wars series or whether those rights were merely temporarily licensed like the rights licensed to Cartoon Network.

"Cartoon Network’s sister company Warner Bros. distributed the Clone Wars movie in 2008 and has been selling past episodes of Clone Wars on DVD and Blu-ray discs. That is another deal that is likely to move in the future to Disney for home video distribution." ~The Hollywood Reporter

If Amazon UK and Blu-ray.com are to be believed it looks like Warner Bros. will be distributing Season Five's home video release.

If home video distribution rights revert to Lucasfilm and it's parent company Disney with the sale than it is possible Disney could add the finished Season Six episodes, now referred to as "Bonus Content" as a additional digital copy download when purchasing Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season Five Blu-ray or DVD.

It is also possible that Disney will be releasing a complete The Clone Wars Box Set that could include these episodes on a bonus disc as well as digital copies.

It was recently announced that on June 11th, Disney will be ditching it's current "digital copy" program and replacing it with a new "digital copy plus" program.  According to The Hollywood Reporter:

"Instead of accessing the digital copy from a disc in the “superset” combo pack, a digital copy of the film can now be accessed directly from the website by consumers who purchase any disc configuration of the film. The website then facilitates the digital delivery of the movie through the consumer’s provider of choice -- in this case, either iTunes, Amazon Instant video or Vudu -- and eliminates the need for a digital copy to be included in the disc package." 

Given Disney's penchant for squeezing every last penny out of home video sales, I would think it isn't terribly likely that the bonus content would be added as a free download to the purchase of a Disney distributed The Clone Wars box set either Season Five or The Complete Series.  The distribution of the bonus content this way would be a cool use of the revamped digital copy system that Disney is deploying however.

Another viable option would be to edit together the bonus arcs into short 66 or  88 minute films and release them directly to video.  This could be as single releases (probably only on DVD) or as a collection (probably on both DVD and Blu-ray).  If they release the bonus content as feature length cuts I think fans would really dig it and they could air them as prime time specials on the Disney Channel or XD before their home video release.  Again if they do a home video release for them they could also do the digital copy plus copy as well.


SOURCES: IGN and THR 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season Six Bonus Content: Yoda Arc

Our little green friend is back and it appears that we will be getting some Yoda focused bonus content as part of The Clone Wars bonus content package (episodes previously produced but not aired before the series' cancellation).

In a clip aired at Disney's Star Wars Weekends, we see Yoda in the hospital wing of the Jedi Temple under the care of a Jedi healer and under guard by a pair a Jedi Temple Guards.  Anakin comes in and Yoda used Anakin to leave the hospital wing and make his way to the hanger where R2-D2 helps him get in his special starship and depart Coruscant.

Why is Yoda under armed guard?  Is it simply to force the Jedi Master to take a break to rest and heal or is there more going on here?

Let's take a look at some screen shots from the trailer, resolution is poor on these.

Tom Kane may have shed some light on what may be going on in an interview with the Bombad Radio Podcast episode #76, where he mentions that their is a story arc featuring Yoda, where George Lucas allowed them to pull back the curtain a bit and reveal some of what is going on inside Yoda's head and his background. Tom reveals that last he heard they were going to try to finish that arc off. This seems likely that the clip we are seeing is what he was referring to.


SOURCE: Youtube

Cancelled The Clone Wars is: Initial Thoughts on the Disney / Lucasfilm Decision

All good things must come to an end.  Unfortunately for Star Wars fans, the groundbreaking animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars will be coming to a close very rapidly.  From the sounds of today's announcement they will find a new delivery medium, perhaps direct to video, paid download, or on-line to burn off some remaining story arcs that are already in advanced production.  The Clone Wars will not have a televised Season Six, but just how the series will ultimately be wrapped up remains to be seen.

The Lucasfilm Announcement on Starwars.com:

A NEW DIRECTION FOR LUCASFILM ANIMATIONMarch 11, 2013 

As we enter into an exciting new era focused on the next Star Wars trilogy, Lucasfilm has decided to pursue a new direction in animated programming. We are exploring a whole new Star Wars series set in a time period previously untouched in Star Wars films or television programming. You can expect more details in the months to come.  

As part of this shift, we have also made some key decisions affecting Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Detours. 

After five highly successful and critically acclaimed seasons of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, we feel the time has come to wind down the series. While the studio is no longer producing new episodes for Cartoon Network, we're continuing production on new Clone Wars story arcs that promise to be some of the most thrilling adventures ever seen. Stay tuned for more information on where fans can soon find this bonus content. In the video below, Supervising Director Dave Filoni offers a peek of what is to come in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

At Star Wars Celebration VI last year, George Lucas gave fans a glimpse at the animated comedy series Star Wars Detours from Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, and Todd Grimes. Detours was conceived and produced before we decided to move forward with the new Star Wars trilogy, and in the wake of that decision, Lucasfilm has reconsidered whether launching an animated comedy prior to the launch of Episode VII makes sense. As a result, we've decided to postpone the release of Detours until a later date.

We are incredibly proud of the teams at Lucasfilm Animation for creating some of the most amazing animation ever produced for TV. Keep checking StarWars.com for new developments on these and future projects.

The three big takeaways from this announcement are the fate of The Clone Wars, putting Detours on the shelf, and a new animated series in previously unexplored television or film ground.

In terms of Detours, as entertaining as this comedy show would have been it doesn't carry the canonical and story telling impact of The Clone Wars. I am first and foremost a fan of stories, and as such my interest in Detours is at a lower level than The Clone Wars, the Live-Action series or this new animated series.

Regarding The Clone Wars, it is good to know that they simply aren't going to lock up the unaired but in production episodes.  There are two very curious phrases in the announcement.  Instead of calling future Clone Wars stories "episodes" they are referred to as "story arcs."  The reference to arcs makes me thing that they are going to be shown in an unconventional way. Either these story arcs are going to be edited together to make feature length specials or they could be broken down into micro-episodes and perhaps aired on-line on Starwars.com in a simlar fashion to Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome.

The other phrase that is curious is referring to these story arcs as "bonus content" that makes it sound like it comes in addition to another purchase.  Could they be launching a new Hyperspace like on-line membership soon?  Could the episodes come as digital copies attached to the Season 5 blu-ray?  Much remains to be seen.

The new series that is being "explored" can go in a number of directions based on the line that it will take place in "a time period previously untouched in Star Wars films or television programming." The two most likely settings are the era between Episode III and Episode IV or the era between Episode VI and Episode VII.  If the series was set during the rise of the Empire between Episode III and Episode IV you would likely get a Jedi purge story focused on Vader and the hunt for Jedi and Rebels.  This would very cool but probably a little too mature in terms of content for Disney animated standards.

The more likely scenario is that we will be getting a new series set after Episode VI that will preform a Jedi mind trick and erase the events of the Expanded Universe from the minds of fans before Episode VII.  Of course if the new series was set between Episode VI and Episode VII, one wonders how long it would run given Episode VII's tentative release year of 2015.

Either way I am very curious in look forward to more Star Wars stories.  I would lie if I didn't say I am sad to know that The Clone Wars is wrapping up soon, but I think we all knew that there was only a couple seasons left ultimately.  The main thing for me at this point is to try to resolve some of the fates of characters created for the series, but that is the subject for another post.

I'll leave you with Dave Filoni's comments and an awesome video clip with the return of a very cool villain who is now more machine than...spider?

Dave's The Clone Wars Eulogy:



SOURCES: Starwars.com

Battle Meditation Review: Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Wrong Jedi (Episode 5.20)

Yoda: "Ready he is, to teach an apprentice. To let go of his pupil, a greater challenge it will be. "

 The Season Five finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars was an amazing piece of cinema shown on television. Complete with a full orchestral score, stunning animation and the best voice acting of the lead characters in the series, the story of Padawan Ahsoka Tano wrapped up in compelling, satisfying and heart-wrenching fashion.

"Never give up hope, no matter how dark things seem."
On trial for murder, Ahsoka faces her greatest challenge.

There is so much to say about this episode, but the highest compliment I can pay is that it made me care and feel about characters in a way that no animated television series ever has.  The relationship between Anakin and Ahsoka is so deep and complex by this point in the series that the emotional pain that both are feeling during this episode is clearly conveyed to and felt by the audience.  I was very skeptical of Ahsoka's character at her introduction, but I can without equivocation say that she is my favorite character in the series.  Her relationship with Anakin is an odd amalgamation of parent-child, teacher-student, friend, and at time co-conspirator.  

The trial scenes both in the Jedi Temple and in the Republic military base where dramatic and well done.  The revelation of Barriss Offee as the traitor was handled well and the action and story where so compelling that even a Expanded Universe devotee such as myself didn't event think about continuity once while I was devouring this episode.   The exchange between Anakin and Asajj was beautifully done and  Nika Futterman  once again delivered some incredible acting.  

I could say more, and I have speculated on Ahsoka's ultimate fate and the fate of the series, but what I want to focus on are the final two scenes, the Jedi Council's apology and Anakin and Ahsoka's goodbye. 

The Jedi Council, so quick to bow to political pressure and self-doubt to believe that Ahsoka could be guilty comes back to the Ahsoka in what can only be considered a half hearted apology. As Yoda says, "back into the Order, you may come." The council acts as if it is doing Ahsoka a favor by asking her back and offering her the promotion to Jedi Knight. 

Ahsoka's rejection of the Council and the Order feels to Anakin like a personal rejection.  The animators really worked over time in this scene. From the body language of Ahsoka and Anakin, the moment as Plo Koon reaches out to restrain Obi-Wan from going after his former Padawan as Anakin chases down Ahsoka, and the look of sadness that washes over Yoda are all conveyed beautifully.  

In the final scene on the steps of the Jedi Temple, Ahsoka reveals to Anakin that she needs space to work out everything that happened. This is important because it doesn't foreclose the possibility for her rejoining the Order at some point down the road. It is clear that whatever happens with Ahsoka's relationship to the Order it will be on her terms not Anakin's and not the Councils.

This scene also shows the desperation and attachment that Anakin has developed for Ahsoka.  Anakin cannot handle loss, it isn't in him to give up or let go.  This is both his greatest strength and his greatest flaw, Anakin wins in battle because of this, but it also causes him to lose himself.  

His confession to Ahsoka of his thoughts of leaving the Order and her simple yet full of meaning "I know" reveals just how close the master and padawan have become. Not only can Ahsoka sense Anakin's emotions and desires, but she knows his great secret and his forbidden love of Padme.  This scene works so well because Ahsoka treats Anakin not as her master but as her equal and her friend.  It is clear just how much she cares for him and how difficult Ahsoka's departure will be for both of them.  

 I could watch that final scene on a loop and be a very happy Clone Wars fan.  From lighting, animation, sound and acting it was pitch perfect. It was worth every minute I have spent obsessing over this series to reach this point.  Thank you to the entire cast and crew at Lucasfilm for this brilliant episode.

Direct Link to Watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Wrong Jedi

Direct Link to Watch: Clone Wars Download 520: The Jedi Vanishes

SOURCE: StarWars.com

The Final Fate of Ahsoka Tano and the end of The Clone Wars

Yoda: If into the security recordings you go, only pain will you find.

As the dust settles following the developments in The Clone Wars Season Five finale, it is time to revisit the fate of Ahsoka Tano and how the series should end.  I am not going to even deal with the issues of production and distribution in this post, this is purely about what I really care about, the story.

Just as the Jedi Council lost faith in Ahsoka, her faith in the Order and the Republic has been shattered.  So quickly they were to believe in her guilt despite of her devoting her life to their cause, can you really blame her?

The Jedi try to make it up to her by granting her the rank of Jedi Knight based on her experience in this arc representing her great trial.  The irony is that even the council seems not to understand that the rank bestowed by the Order means nothing to someone who no longer respects the Order. Their olive branch is meaningless to Ahsoka, the only thing that even makes her briefly question her decision to leave is her familial love for Anakin.

What does Ahsoka's departure from the Jedi and from her role as a Commander in the Grand Army of the Republic mean for her and for the series as a whole?

For Ahsoka her life is at a cross-roads.  She is no longer a Jedi, but her separation from the Order could allow her to be a true Jedi.  This story line also strikes me as a bit of insurance.  If the show is not picked up for distribution and continued production on a new channel or avenue, leaving Ahsoka alive but outside the Jedi Order and the GAR allows for a plausible explanation of her absence from Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and allows for her character to survive and be used in other storytelling venues, be it books, comics, a spin-off TV series or a stand-alone film.

I am an eternal optimist so assuming arguendo, that The Clone Wars continues to be produced let me lay out how I see Season Six and Season Seven going.

Season Six would see the Clone Wars ramping up to the wars end, we would continue to see stories focusing on Anakin, Obi-Wan and the rest of the background Jedi leading the Grand Army as they get closer and closer to capturing Dooku and Grievous. At the same time we should see at least two full arcs or between 6-8 episodes focusing on Ahsoka.  The first arc would be Ahsoka finding her own new path, the second would be a more action packed adventurous arc as Ahsoka is being a galactic do-gooder.

I think it would be interesting to see TCW borrow a bit from the Expanded Universe and Ahsoka seeking out some other Force using groups a bit like Jacen Solo's off-screen five year Force journey. Ahsoka could visit a few different Force using groups seeking to find answers or inner peace on what she should do in her future apart from the Jedi.

Ultimately I think Ahsoka finds her role by acting to help those in the galaxy, doing things that the Jedi would normally have done in the past but are too consumed with the war to currently do.

Then either in the Season Six final arc or early in Season Seven, something happens that causes Ahsoka to cross paths with Yoda, Anakin, or Obi-Wan and causes her to either re-join the Order or to work as a Jedi Independent Contractor.

In Season Seven or possibly in Season Eight if it continues that far, I believe we are now on an inevitable course that will end with Ahsoka's death.

The only question in my mind is if George Lucas and Dave Filoni are willing to deal Ahsoka as tragic an end as I have in mind.

If I were telling the story, Ahsoka will selflessly return to the Jedi Order in a time of their great need just before Order 66, this act of selflessness ultimately leading to her own death at the hands of her former Master.

Anakin Skywalker when confronted by Obi-Wan on Mustafar doesn't believe that he had killed Padme, it is only after when Palpatine convinces him of it that he comes to this "knowledge." The Clone Wars gives us the chance to expand on what can feel like an abbreviated and rushed fall to the Dark Side of Anakin.  If there is one act short of killing Padme that Anakin could never forgive himself for it would be killing Ahsoka. As such I believe Star Wars: The Clone Wars will end with Order 66's Operation Knightfall.  I believe that this fate is foreshadowed by the inclusion of the Young Jedi arc younglings in the Season Five finale. Ahsoka will be in the Temple when Anakin comes in with the clone troopers, she will step between Anakin and the younglings and they will duel. Ahsoka will actually duel Anakin to an advantage but hesitate and be unable to kill Anakin.  Sensing this moment of hesitation Anakin kills Ahsoka and then proceeds to the slaughter at the Temple.  This is the moment that Anakin is reliving on the balcony on Mustafar, the guilt, shame, and regret that he is overwhelmed by.  This helps push Anakin so far that neither Obi-Wan or Padme can reach him at the end.  At the end as the Vader personae takes dominance, he hates himself more than anything else.

The only other ending that feels right to me at this point is the same set up except Ahsoka escaping her duel with Anakin, much like Yoda escaping his duel with Sidious and fleeing into hiding with a small group of padawans or younglings. This would be the less tragic and more commercially friendly ending for future projects, but to me would be less emotionally profound.

I am very pleased to say as skeptical as I was of Ahsoka during The Clone Wars movie, she is now one of my all time favorite characters in the vast Star Wars universe. I care about the character's fate and that means that the goal of any good storyteller has been accomplished. As much as I wish Ahsoka could live, when the series ends she should die.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Wrong Jedi (Season Five Finale) Preview Clips

Perhaps Ahsoka will resort to the "Wookiee Defense" to extricate herself from the clutches of the Republic justice system, or perhaps not.

One thing is for sure, if the current Clone Wars story arc is a procedural, then we are in to courtroom part of the Law & Order episode.

I find it interesting that Admiral Tarkin refers to Ahsoka as "former Padawan Tano" did the Jedi already expel her from the order or demote her?  Hmmmm.

Check out four clips below to get a taste of what is in store this Saturday.  Will Ahsoka be convicted before the Jedi framing her is exposed?  Will she be put to death? Will Anakin lose his mind and get all Sithy? Will Tarkin lose and get all grumpy?  Tune in Saturday, same Jedi time, same Jedi channel to find out.

Clip #1: The Jedi Council Judges Ahsoka




Clip #2: Anakin confronts Asajj, just how long will it take him to realize she doesn't have her lightsabers?




Clip #3: Ahsoka before the mercy of Palpatine with Tarkin prosecuting. She is so boned.



Clip #4: Cartoon Network's Teaser for the episode



SOURCE: Star Wars YouTube Channel

Battle Meditation Review: Star Wars: The Clone Wars: To Catch a Jedi (Episode 5.19)

"In war, truth is the first casualty." ~Aeschylus

I've got a bad feeling about this...

"Never become desperate enough to trust the untrustworthy."
The fugitive Ahsoka escapes to the criminal depths of Coruscant.

This week's episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars followed Ahsoka's flight from Republic authorities into the underlevels of Coruscant where she receives the aid of fellow Padawan Barriss Offee and Sith acolyte turned bounty hunter Asajj Ventress.  There is a very neat bit of story telling going on in this episode, but I'll get to that in a bit.

This week's episode was written by Charles Murray and directed by Kyle Dunlevy, and while I don't like how I believe this character arc is going to effect certain characters, I have to say it has been superb.

This story revolves around trust. Anakin's trust of Ahsoka, the Jedi Council's trust of Ahsoka, Mace's trust of Anakin, Ahsoka's trust in Barriss and Ahsoka's very tentative trust in Asajj and Asajj equally tentative trust in Ahsoka.

The brilliance of the storytelling is that both Ahsoka and Asajj are being falsely accused in this episode. Ahsoka of the bombing and murder of the clones and Asajj of attacking Ahsoka and presumably next week being accused by Anakin of being behind framing Ahsoka.  This works well because both characters are coming from such different personal histories but finding themselves in similar circumstances.  How quick are the Jedi to doubt Ahsoka and how quick is Ahsoka to doubt Asajj and believe the masked assailant was Asajj.  This pairing continues next week as both Ahsoka's and Asajj's fates appear to be hanging in the balance, I don't think both can escape this story arc unscathed.

I think we can look forward to three big events next week; 1) The trial of Ahsoka and her sentencing, 2) The revelation of the Jedi behind the bomber, presumably Barriss Offee, and 3) Anakin's confrontation with Asajj.

Ahsoka's trial will be fun because we will get to see Palpatine being all Palpatiney.  It will also be interesting to see if Ahsoka is convicted and expelled from the Order and exiled from Republic or if the true culprit is revealed during the trial and Ahsoka is found innocent but her trust/faith in the Jedi and Republic is so shocked she leaves of her own volition.

All signs point to Barriss being the villain in this arc. If you look at the previous episode The Jedi Who Knew Too Much in light of this week's episode, all of Barriss body language points to her being guilty.  In addition in this week it appears that she sets up Ahsoka by convienently sending her and Asajj to the munitions factory where she is caught red handed with nano-bombs.

The fact that the mysterious assailant is a slim Force using female and we have no other characters used in this arc that would fit for this big reveal makes it a pretty telegraphed shot.

I also found the mysterious assailant's fighting style to seem much more graceful and Jedi-like than one would expect.  It was a nicely choreographed duel.

I also get the sneaking suspicion that Anakin is going to over react next week and not believe Asajj's denials about not attacking Ahsoka and being behind the plot. Is she able to somehow convince him, or does Anakin slip into darkness again and kill Asajj?

On the continuity front, if Even Piell's death was a continuity tremor, then Barriss Offee's turning bad will be much worse.  Barriss Offee was the star of the Medstar Duology (MedStar I: Battle Surgeons and MedStar II: Jedi Healer) , a set of two novels written by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry set during the Clone Wars.  These books are under appreciated gems in the Expanded Universe.  Of all the Jedi to take this turn Barriss seems like the most unlikely of candidates and seems like she is being used simply because TCW team has not dedicated enough time to building up a group of friends or peers around Ahsoka.  Outside of Barriss and Lux, I am not sure Ahsoka knows anyone her own age or in her peer group.

Direct Link to Watch Episode 5.19 To Catch a Jedi

Clone Wars Download 519: A Wretched Hive: The Coruscant Underworld

Next Time on Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Episode 5.20 The Wrong Jedi




SOURCE: StarWars.com