Tales of the Jedi: Episode 4: The Sith Lord
What is it ? : We begin with Count Dooku sneaking through the Jedi Archives, and we witness him deleting details of the planet Kamino from the databanks. As he leaves the archives he notices there seems to be some commotion among the Jedi, so he speaks to Jedi Archivist Jocasta Nu. She tells him that Qui-Gon Jinn has returned from Tatooine having faced a Sith Warrior.
Dooku approaches his former apprentice in a corridor to find out what has happened, and Qui-Gon tells him virtually the same story as he told the Jedi Council, while also singing the praises of his own apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi, watching him leave along with Jedi Master Yaddle.
Later Dooku has heard that Qui-Gon was struck down on Naboo, and stands contemplating on a tree in the gardens, Yaddle approaches him, and they speak of their apprentices growing up so quickly, and Dooku tells her how Qui-Gon born in the city sprawls of Coruscant used to come to this tree often. Dooku refuses to join the council on Naboo, deciding to let Qui-Gon go as he has become one with the force.
Yaddle senses something in Dooku and follows him as he boards a speeder and heads out into the industrial districts of Coruscant. He confronts Sidious, telling him that Maul went too far in killing Qui-Gon, when Yaddle emerges from hiding, trying to talk Dooku back to the Light Side before it is too late, but Dooku ignites his lightsaber and the two fight. He fights Yaddle to exhaustion, almost crushing her in some giant blast doors, but as she lies weakened, he kills her with his lightsaber . . .
High Points : This is truly gripping, we see the end of the story of Dooku's fall to the Dark Side we've watched across the previous two episodes, even down to seeing him delete the details of Kamino from the Jedi Archives using Sifo-Dyas' identity, confirming that it was he that ordered the Clone Army for the Republic.
It's easy to empathise with Dooku in these episodes, he loses essentially what he considers his son, he witnesses the corruption at the heart of the Republic, and how his beloved Jedi order is merely puppets to the politicians. His decision to help Sidious to tear it all down and rebuild it with something perhaps better is understandable.
And the fight with Yaddle is excellent, as she is fairly inoffensive, so it makes his execution of her all the more shocking and clearly marks his fall to the Dark Side as Sidious' puppet.
Low Points : There's not a lot to criticise, although I understand that some of the events contradict some of the novels, but since I don't read those and consider anything on screen to be A level canon, that doesn't concern me.
So what do you really think ? : While the remaining two episodes of Tales of the Jedi are really good, this is the high point of the series. Dooku's tale is absolutely amazing, really humanising and fleshing out a character which before this was a little flat and basically a one dimensional bad guy.
Final Words : An extremely strong episode, and one that told a fantastic untold story, which is what I understand that Tales of the Jedi was supposed to do. Whereas the first episode told a story which really didn't need to be told, of Ahsoka's birth, something we didn't need details of. This one fills in a story, and helps us understand dialogue in Attack of the Clones, some 20 years later. Dooku wasn't lying about wanting Obi-Wan to work with him, to tear down the Republic and Jedi Order and rebuild them as something better, to overthrow Sidious and destroy the Sith as well. A character whose nobility we were told about, we are now shown, making him a far more relatable character and one whose fall is actually quite sad.
Score : 9.5/10
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