Star Wars the Clone Wars "Overlords" TV Review



I'd hate to be the guy having to stare down that thing...

Want to watch this episode?  Head over to Starwars.com or follow this link http://starwars.com/video/view/001217.html.  Episodes are put on the website the Monday after they air on TV, and are taken down two weeks later.

Star Wars the Clone Wars has been a collection a self contained stories that focus on either the finer aspects of the Clone Wars or the character development of some of the minor characters like what we got with Asajj Ventress in the Nightsisters story arc.  This strategy has led to some awesome story telling  and all, but sometimes you wish that the series would try harder to make a direct connection with the actual films.  Until now.

     "Overlords" sets out to achieve some very bold things, not only for the show but for the Star Wars saga as a whole.  The most obvious thing is that it deals with the very nature of the Force and Anakin's destiny as the Chosen One, even going as far as to challenge what that title even means.  This results in a very compelling episode, one of a kind really, that's only shortcoming is that it's leaving a satisfying ending up to the next two upcoming episodes.

     The story begins with Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka heading off into deep space in search of the source of a Jedi distress signal.  Instead they find a gigantic monolith which sucks them up and transports them to a mysterious planet (which by the way sounds more like something that would happen to the crew of the USS Enterprise).  They soon discover that the planet is inhabited by three powerful beings, who are referred to as the Daughter, the Son, and the Father.  Each of the family members has a mystic, almost god-like quality to them, giving "Overlords" a mythological tone that is like what was seen in the original trilogy times ten; there's also a great deal of symbolism as well.  The Daughter represents the Light Side of the Force and the Son the Dark Side, with the Father being the balance between the two forces.  At the Jedi's arrival the Father is dying, leading him to petition Skywalker to take his place in keeping the balance in order to fulfill his destiny as the Chosen One.

     Right there a big question pops up.  Before this episode, we assumed that Anakin had brought balance to the Force by killing the Emperor at the end of Return of the Jedi.  Now it seems like at the very least there is an alternate interpretation to the prophecy.  What if keeping the balance between the Son and Daughter is  meant to be a metaphor for what Skywalker's supposed to do with the Light and Dark Sides of the Force?  It's a real head-scratcher, and unfortunately the episodes ends with it unresolved.  Ah well, that's what sequels are for, I guess.

     While the story is focused on Anakin, there is also some neat insights into the other characters as well.  Obi-Wan gets a vision from his old master Qui-Gon, which while cool doesn't reveal anything new.  Ahsoka on the other hand dreams of her future self, who warns her that to stay Anakin's apprentice will send her on a path that will eventually lead her to the Dark Side.  Boom.  Ahoska's future is the big question mark in the series, and having a tease like this is driving me nuts.  Yes, the Father establishes that the dream was probably sent by his Son, but does that necessarily mean that it's wrong?  Only time will tell.

     On a final note, this episode was a presentational masterpiece, both visually and audio...ly.  The transformations of the planet were beautiful, and the vocal overlays that occured whenever the family talked were well done and had some nice easter eggs here and there.  Try to guess which Sith Lord the Son emulates after Anakin subdues him.  Yep, your ears aren't playing tricks on you.

Conclusion:  I thought that the Nightsisters trilogy was phenominal, and to my surprise I'm finding this three part series even more exciting.  "Overlords" has opened the door to some great Star Wars lore, and is a much see if you consider yourself a Star Wars fan.  My only nitpick is that the ending left me a tad confused as to how this will all fit together.  Until next week then!

Rating:  9/10 "Awesome"

Favorite Moment (Spoilers):  Anakin's test against the Son and Daughter was, to say the least, epic.  Seeing the sky rapidly shift from night to day was jaw dropping and the power the Anakin was harnessing was pretty potent.  Maybe that was his destiny after all.