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Clone Wars Debriefing: "Secret Weapons"
Dec. 3rd, 2012 06:02 pmI have to admit I was really disappointed that the Anakin/Padme stuff got pushed back AGAIN, this time until almost the end of the season, so I was kind of “eh” on watching this episode.
That was until I realized that every second of it was like torture on the viewers who only want constant war, action, splosions, and lightsaber battles. Don’t get me wrong, it genuinely was a fun and entertaining episode but it’s soooooo what the haters don’t want in Star Wars: humor, whimsical characters, and a childlike charm.
Several droids are recruited to carry out a mission that has to do with breaking General Grievous’s encryption code, including Artoo, QTKT (the droid based on the pink R2KT), and a funny, overeager pit droid WAC-47. Their leader is Colonel Gascon, a tough military guy who has been around since Geonosis. If you missed seeing him in AOTC, there’s good reason for it. He’s really small. But he can jump around like crazy. This unlikely crew of droids and one tiny leader go off on their mission, doing adorable and funny things along the way. Eventually the droids run into the bad guys but Artoo and his friends, including an unlikely hero in the pit droid, help save the day.
This episode is similar to the recently ones with the younglings where everybody learns their worth and contributes something of value to the mission. The pit droid seems like a blustery screw-up whose bravado is potentially trouble and he’s always calling the colonel “corporal,” but when it counted, he came through. All of the droids are outfitted for the mission by a character who is a cross between a mad scientist and Q from the James Bond movies and each droid’s modification ends up serving a purpose in the end: individual contributions in the spirit of teamwork.
Aside from the Big Lesson of the week though, it is quite difficult to pull off a lighthearted episode where almost everyone is a droid, yet the writers are skilled enough to pull it off. The key is to give your droids a lot of personality, a technique Star Wars has always done well. There was some nice attention to detail too, like Anakin briefly touching Artoo’s dome before leaving the briefing room, as though he’s saying, “Good luck, little buddy.” Another great attention to detail was the pit droid fighting another droid, where he pulls some WWE moves. I thought that was hilarious.
Kids and the kind of fans who like droids and the lighter side of Star Wars will appreciate this episode.
That was until I realized that every second of it was like torture on the viewers who only want constant war, action, splosions, and lightsaber battles. Don’t get me wrong, it genuinely was a fun and entertaining episode but it’s soooooo what the haters don’t want in Star Wars: humor, whimsical characters, and a childlike charm.
Several droids are recruited to carry out a mission that has to do with breaking General Grievous’s encryption code, including Artoo, QTKT (the droid based on the pink R2KT), and a funny, overeager pit droid WAC-47. Their leader is Colonel Gascon, a tough military guy who has been around since Geonosis. If you missed seeing him in AOTC, there’s good reason for it. He’s really small. But he can jump around like crazy. This unlikely crew of droids and one tiny leader go off on their mission, doing adorable and funny things along the way. Eventually the droids run into the bad guys but Artoo and his friends, including an unlikely hero in the pit droid, help save the day.
This episode is similar to the recently ones with the younglings where everybody learns their worth and contributes something of value to the mission. The pit droid seems like a blustery screw-up whose bravado is potentially trouble and he’s always calling the colonel “corporal,” but when it counted, he came through. All of the droids are outfitted for the mission by a character who is a cross between a mad scientist and Q from the James Bond movies and each droid’s modification ends up serving a purpose in the end: individual contributions in the spirit of teamwork.
Aside from the Big Lesson of the week though, it is quite difficult to pull off a lighthearted episode where almost everyone is a droid, yet the writers are skilled enough to pull it off. The key is to give your droids a lot of personality, a technique Star Wars has always done well. There was some nice attention to detail too, like Anakin briefly touching Artoo’s dome before leaving the briefing room, as though he’s saying, “Good luck, little buddy.” Another great attention to detail was the pit droid fighting another droid, where he pulls some WWE moves. I thought that was hilarious.
Kids and the kind of fans who like droids and the lighter side of Star Wars will appreciate this episode.
