Tales of the Underworld: Episode 6: One Good Deed
What is it ? : We return to the neighbourhood where Niro and Colby (Cad Bane) grew up, and it is a nice place now, pleasant parks where parents and children walk. Two of Lazlo/Bane's gang ride through the streets on speeder bikes, and head for the spaceport. Watching remotely, Niro, now the Marshall, watches and an assistant is concerned that two of Bane's gang are here, but Niro tells him that Bane is still in prison for another 5 years.
They check systems and discover that Bane has been released on a technicality, and the shuttle from the prison world arrives and 12 noon, and it is currently 11am.
Niro is summoned by the council who suggest he lies low because this is a personal problem, but he refuses to let the community slide back into lawlessness, he glances at his son Isaac, who he comments doesn't know the full story vowing to keep it that way.
Niro visits the derelict site of the store where he and Colby used to visit, and spots two Duro children similar to he and his former friend.
Niro confronts Bane's gang, who threaten violence but back down when it looks like actually happening. Returning to the station, Niro discovers his deputy has handed in his badge, so he asks a Police droid to take his adopted son home.
Bane arrives on the shuttle meeting with his two gang members, who give him his hat, he asks about Arin, who they tell him married Niro.
Bane walks through the streets, scaring citizens until he arrives at the police station where Niro waits backed by police droids, meanwhile Bane's sidekicks have taken up positions on nearby roofs, and Isaac watches from a police speeder.
Bane demands to know where Arin is, and Niro tells him that his wife passed away two years ago, which further angers Bane. Isaac runs to his father hugging his leg, and Bane promises to take care of the child.
Touching his hat Bane signals to his sidekicks to open fire, and they take out some of the police droids, but the droids return fire. Bane and Niro fire their blasters, and Niro drops to the ground dying. Bane approaches him as Isaac tends to his adopted father, and Bane tells Niro that he took everything from him, which Niro denies indicating Isaac, and Bane realises Isaac is his son not Niro's.
Bane tries to approach Isaac, but the townspeople move to protect the child, and Bane walks away. . .
High Points : This episode is definitely told from the point of view of Niro, and perhaps this whole arc has been, and from that point of view it's a watchable version of High Noon. The Marshall who has transformed the neighbourhood, improved peoples lives and situations, stands alone against a man out for revenge for being caught murdering the previous Marshall.
Niro is abandoned by his deputy, and is a single father, raising a son not his own, he's the definite good guy here, but that doesn't save him.
Low Points : But speaking of being abandoned by his deputy, I have to ask why? At this point, Bane was a sidekick of Lazlo, who tried to revenge Lazlo's death and got caught. That doesn't sound particularly scary to me. He doesn't even bust out of the prison, proving his competence, he instead is released on a technicality. Why is anyone scared of Bane, he's a goon with a good lawyer.
He's also kind of dumb, last episode we saw him touching Arin's belly, indicating he knew she was pregnant, but in this episode he's surprised that the child who is the same age as the length he served in prison is his son. Did he think she rushed out and aborted the pregnancy when he went to prison?
So what do you really think ? : For a story arc trying to fill in the background of Cad Bane, this fails badly. We don't know where he got his skills from, although we do know where he got his hat and toothpick chewing habit. Instead of giving us the motivations or history of this character, we get told that he just copies his mentor.
Final Words : I've never been a particular fan of Cad Bane, but this story arc is poor even for being based around him, and the Ventress story arc isn't even a story arc, just an adventure she goes on and gains a new sidekick. It really seems to just be setting us up for her re-appearing in the Darth Maul series which they're planning, to explain why she now has a Jedi sidekick.
Tales of the Jedi was a really interesting series, making me look at the prequels in a different way, and embedding Ahsoka into the movies. Tales of the Empire had a couple of good ideas, but was mainly poor, and Tales of the Underworld was pretty pointless. I hope they just give up on the idea now.
Score : 7/10
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