Well, yet another episode that features plot lines about interest rates. Pursuit of Peace follows the proceedings of Season two's murder mystery episode Senate Murders. All in all, this episode does everything it can with a plot that, like last week's episode, relies heavily on buzzwords from today's political climate.I won't retread what it is I like about the complexities of the Clone War (read my review of Heroes on Both Sides for that). That being said, there's very little that can be done to make conversations with cheating bankers get the blood boiling. It's clear that the chase scene and a few scenes were thugs threaten Senators were included to make the overall plot some energy.
It's because of these sequences that the episode has a sort of identity problem. By reducing the difficult decisions of Senators to "I don't want to get beat up"...they back away from the reasons that someone might escalate a conflict. On the other hand, it's hard to argue that what this episode needed was more conversations that take place in offices. The final few moments, though, are given a nice bit of stagecraft as screens show Padme essentially addressing the entire planet.
So...all in all I thought the episode itself was well put together and animated. It was a bit clunky, but not ineptly assembled. Maybe my problem with it was, essentially, one of context.
The episode as a stand-alone is fine. Season 3, though, has been filled with episodes that seem focused on the backroom deals and political ethics surrounding the war. Look at Supply Lines , Sphere of Influence, Corruption, The Academy, Assassin, and Heroes on Both Sides. Including Pursuit of Peace, that's 7 of the aired 11 episodes that feature political lessons, or that star Senators giving speeches or making difficult votes. I think I've hit my saturation point.
Rating (out of five): ***
