Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Season 4 Episode 5: Mercy Mission
What is it ? : The Planet Aleen is suffering from earthquakes (Aleenquakes?), and a humanitarian relief force is being sent to offer aid to the inhabitants, with food and medical supplies. Clone Troopers are manning the relief force, but to help with translation with the inhabitants C-3P0 is being sent, along with R2-D2 to provide technical help. The Clones are very dismissive of he droids, who the inhabitants take to a golden seal in the ground that has been opened. Falling into it during the next quake, the droids find themselves in underground caves with intelligent lifeforms.
After speaking with them, they discover that the underground dwellers are causing the quakes in an attempt to close the seal, as the atmosphere below ground is poisonous to the surface dwellers and the surface atmosphere is poisonous to the under-dwellers. After solving a riddle, R2 and 3P0 manage to get to the surface again, and close the seal saving both sets of planetary inhabitants.
Returning to the Clones, 3P0's story is dismissed, and the Clone Troopers discuss ditching the droids at the next opportunity.
High Points : This is a fantastic little story, a total diversion from the main storylines, and very much what I wanted from the Clone Wars series when I started watching it, the stories which make up the entirety of the Clone Wars.
Along with the animation improvements, this is the first time I've seen the Clone Troopers wearing the v2 armour from Revenge of the Sith, which is great to see. That said, I would like to have seen the introduction of the armour being part of the story, the improvements it brings, if there was a reason it was introduced, did new troops get it first, or did they stockpile it and everyone started wearing it at the same time, not important I know, but I'd have been interested in seeing it.
Again to complement the visual style, but when the ships are shown arriving at Aleen at the beginning of the episode, they're dirty and worn, a real visual guide to how late in the Clone Wars this is, a very small touch but great attention to detail, something I really never expected of Clone Wars when I began watching it.
The Clone Troopers constantly display Anti-Droid sentiments throughout, which makes a lot of sense given they have been fighting for a number of years a droid army, again would like to see more made of this, but nice to see anyway (Since Episode 2 came out, I've had a theory that the barkeeper of the Mos Eisley cantina must have been involved in the Clone Wars as an explanation of why he doesn't like droids in his bar.
The underground caves and creatures look amazing in this episode, and I would loved to see it explored more, from the intelligent beings the droids interact with, right through to the scenery itself, it all looks great.
Low Points : Don't have any criticisms for this one, not a perfect episode, but very enjoyable and watchable.
So what do you really think ? : Was surprised they didn't follow on the attempted invasion of Naboo from the last episode, Dooku, Grievous and a lot of Battle Droids had landed on the planet, but after the prisoner exchange of Anakin for Grievous, they all seem to have left.
Final Words : Great episode, and I see the next is another droids one, look forwards to comparing it to this.
Score : 8.5/10
Comments made about this Article!
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30/Jan/2018 00:14:46
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Posted by hellstormer1
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This one, and the next episode (or 2?) I like a lot, for obvious reasons. I'm glad to see a short focus on these characters, kind of in the vein of their old cartoon.
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