Episode II: “It’s A New Day; A New Beginning.” -Ahsoka Tano
Happy May the fourth be with you (aka Star Wars day) everyone! This is one of my favorite holidays of the year. It’s the day where I get to binge all the “Star Wars” films and shows all at once. This is going to be so much fun especially since “The Rise Of Skywalker” is being added to Disney+. This means the whole Skywalker saga will be available! I specifically finished all my homework and finals early for this moment. I am debating in what order I should start, as discussed in my last entry, but I am leaning toward chronologically. There is so much to watch in one day!
Since my last post, I have completely caught up with “The Clone Wars,” and today was the final episode of season seven marking the end to “The Clone Wars” story… I. am. in. TEARS!!! This show has given us so much! A deeper understanding of who and what the Republic, Separatist, Senators, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-wan Kenobi, and the Jedi Order was. It gave the clones stories, personalities, and emotions. But most importantly, it gave us my favorite character in “Star Wars,” AHSOKA TANO. One of the best Jedi I have always known and loved. “The Clone Wars” has been my everything especially season seven during the quarantine. I don’t know what I am supposed to look forward to every Friday now that this chapter is truly closed. However, let me just recap all my emotions and thoughts from season seven specifically into these paragraphs.
“Star Wars The Clone Wars” season seven takes place around a year after season six (which was cut short due to the show being canceled). Dave Filoni, the executive producer and director, was very smart and waited patiently until the opportunity was offered and killed it with this comeback! From the first episode called, “The Bad Batch,” to AHSOKA TANO’S RETURN in episode four!!! I will say this season was worth the 12 year wait. I could tell all the time, thought, and emotion put into these 12 episodes. Almost every single one made me cry for the characters and plot. Now I would be called out by my “Star Wars” friends for not mentioning this already, but hey! I save the best for last. And what is that?… Episodes 9-12 of season seven.
These four episodes are by far, in my opinion, some of the BEST “Star Wars” content I have seen in a while! I couldn’t have asked for more from the producers, directors, writers, voice actors, editors, etc. Episode nine perfectly intertwined with the beginning of “Revenge of the Sith.” Ahsoka Tano is recruited by Bo-Katan to free her people of Mandalore from Maul and his followers. They both ask for help from Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. It truly is a heart-touching moment as we see Ahsoka reunite after all this time with her old master, mentor and friend. However, just as everything was looking up, Chancellor Palpatine is captured and Anakin and Obi-wan must go save him, which we see at the beginning of the 2005 live-action film. Ahsoka is disappointed that the Jedi council still seems to play around with politics instead of help with the siege of Mandalore. Anakin then gifts her half of his 501st battalion including the newly promoted commander and friend, Rex. This scene left me very emotional as most of us already know what happens, and that this is probably the last time Ahsoka will see Anakin.
With these final episodes focusing on mostly the siege of Mandalore, Maul’s capture, and Ahsoka and Rex’s stories, the creators have made these into a four-part series that they will then cut into another film for this franchise. Watching all of this unfold has been a bright light of hope in my world at the moment. While all of it is amazing, I will have to say that my favorite scene has been Maul and Ahsoka’s fight scene in episode 10 because they used motion capture that made it feel like this battle was real.
Check out the behind the scenes features here.
The scene that probably left me crying the most was episode 11 when Ahsoka could hear and feel Anakin turning to the dark side while Order 66 had begun and Rex was forced to almost kill his friend along with the other programmed clones. But I mean ALL OF IT was something speechless to many, and a perfect end to give closure to “The Clone Wars.” So many questions like how Ahsoka and Rex survived Order 66 as well as Maul and the siege of Mandalore were finally shown in beautiful art. I will forever remember these feelings in a time of distress and uncertainty. To the show that kept me going, thank you.
As for me, this will be my final entry for the semester until the fall. I love writing these and expressing who I am with what I love. “Star Wars” is my symbol of hope. And don’t forget, “We are one with the force, and the force is with us.”
HCXO, Valentina