Monday, March 15, 2010

Season 2, Episodes 12 - 14 - The Mandalore Trilogy


Hey everyone! Clearly, I'm way behind on my reviews. So I'm going to catch up quickly but reviewing in total the last three episodes: The Mandalore Plot, Voyage of Temptation, and The Dutchess of Mandalore. These three episodes compose an arc that is nothing less than superb.

The story: Prompted by a series of terrorist actions by a rebel group called DeathWatch, Obi-Wan Kenobi is dispatched to Mandalore in order to see if Republic intervention is necessary. The Dutchess of Mandalore is Satine, who is dedicated to being a neutral party in the Clone Wars. She and Obi-Wan, we discover, have a rich personal history that frames and supports the story.

These three episodes have just about everything you'd want in a prequel era story. They deepen our understanding of Obi-Wan Kenobi, they offer us a wider perspective on the Star Wars universe, they open us up to iconic but as-yet-unseen worlds, and they offer intrigue, adventure, and action. I can't speak highly enough about the final few moments of Voyage of Temptation, where writer Paul Dini is able to create a wonderful dilemma and make gleefully vicious reference to Anakin's fate, all in one swift stroke.

Of course, one of the great pleasures of the series is seeing the Mandalorians, or at least a sect of them dedicated to their war-like history, in action. The design of this armor is arguably one of the most enduring in Star Wars. It's a part of not only the Fett visuals, but became the template for the Clone Warriors pre-stormtrooper gear as well. To see where it supposedly "all comes from" was a thrill.

Plus...black energy lightsaber? Come now. That's just so right that it almost felt... wrong.

Rating (out of five): *****

I'll be back on schedule from now on. I'm putting a play up in New York City (Will be ruin his anonymity, they ask?) and it's been keeping me very busy.

4 comments:

Jambert said...

Good you're posting again. I thought because of Lightsaber Lost you stopped watching :0

Dave Williams said...

Fantastic to see you posting again, and on Twitter where I can nag you if you stop posting again! (I'm ukdavew btw).

I enjoyed these episodes but was intrigued by the portrayal of the current mainstream Mandalorian culture, are they portrayed in this way in other EU properties?

CloneWarsFan said...

Thanks for the good word, gentlemen. No, Lightsaber Lost didn't dissuade me. Heck, if I can take Truman Capote Hutt, I can take anything.

I'm not honestly sure. I know this is heresy, but I'm not a huge fan of the EU. Or, maybe I should say, I don't follow it like some do. I liked it, but then it became it's very own kind of fandom.

Rose said...

Bleh, I hated this episode!! Seriously, Obi-Wan falling in love...? Or at least, was in love. That was just...weird. Dented my opinion of Master Kenobi, to say the least. :)