The Clone Wars: Season Three

We have reached the end of Season Three in our exploration of The Clone Wars.   Episode posts resume next Tuesday with Season Four.  But first, a quick reflection...

General Impressions

The Clone Wars hits its stride in Season Three, especially in the latter half of the year.  The stories in this season have done particularly well in developing the antagonists.  We get some great dark side exploration in both the Nightsisters and Mortis story arcs.  The Separatists gain nuance in the "Heroes on Both Sides"/"Pursuit of Peace" doublet.  Strong villains have always been a hallmark of the Star Wars franchise and it's great to see the series devote quality material to the nemeses.


Favorite Episode: "Overlords"

via Wookieepedia

Tough call.  All of the story lines mentioned above are strong.  But the Mortis arc is the must-see.  Anakin is essentially offered the role of a god as arbiter between good and evil.  It is the basic moral dilemma of the entire franchise played out in miniature.  Even picking a favorite among the three is tricky but I'll go with the first.


Least Favorite Episode: "Evil Plans"

via Wookieepedia

Droid stories tend to leave a lot to be desired.  It's too bad.  I really like Artoo and Threepio.  While a little bit goes a long way, too much is quickly tiresome.  Even the title of this episode is pretty lame.


Favorite New Character: Savage Opress

via Wookieepedia

Another tough call.  Both Savage and Mother Talzin are introduced in the Nightsisters arc.   Both are awesome.  Savage wins on a few counts.  For starters, he is voiced by Clancy Brown.  Also, his transformation from run of the mill goon to killing machine along with his conflicting loyalties - to his brother, to Assaj, to Dooku - make for quite an engaging story. 

Onward

In April 2011, Prince Willima, Duke of Cambridge married Kate Middleton in front of an estimated television audience of 2 billion.  In May, Osama bin Laden was killed.  The biggest ongoing story of 2011 was the Arab Spring.  In August, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown after 42 years in power.

I'm certainly looking forward to Season Four.  Mother Talzin is back in episode 19, Savage in episode 21.  We'll have an aquatic world adventure to kick things off.

Please visit the other participants today.  Next Tuesday: "Water War."