Cartoon Review: The Second Season of the 2008 Series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" (Spoiler Alert)

If I could sum up my feelings for the second season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars in one word, it would be: frustration.  You see, the writers and producers just couldn't decide what they want this cartoon series to be.  Was it supposed to be a kids' cartoon, with silly story lines and goofy characters?  Or was it supposed to be a mature cartoon, aimed at adult and teenage fans with more sophisticated plot lines and dangerous characters for the Jedi to face.  It is this inconsistency that drove me crazy.

The season started on a impressive note.  Having introduced the nefarious bounty hunter Cad Bane in the season one finale, he returned for a story arc to kick off the second season.  He continued to be a formidable challenge to the Jedi Order.  Calculating and cold-blooded, he presents a real challenge to the show's heroes.

Likewise, season two introduces us to the mythical planet of Mandalore.  Ever since the introduction of Boba Fett in his Mandalorian armor, serious fans have been dreaming about this race of warriors.  I was not disappointed by the story arc establishing the conflict between the planet's violent past, as represented by Death Watch, a group of Mandalorians embracing that history and sporting the armor Boba Fett made famous, and the Duchess Satine, who represents the plant's current dedication to peace.  It is a plot line skillfully complicated by Obi-Wan Kenobi's struggle to keep his feelings for the Madalorian leader, fueled by their past relationship, under wraps.

The season builds upon an underlying theme introduced in the first season.  That is the conflict created by the fact that the clones are essentially slaves of the Republic, created specifically to fight the war for it. The cartoon introduces us to one clone, who took the opportunity of a chaotic battle to desert from the war, and start a family with his Twi'leck wife.  The show continues to ask whether the clones truly have free will and choice.  It is a conflict I look forward to seeing develop further.

Yet, the series continues to have an episodic feel.  Aside from a few multi-episode story arcs, most of the conduct of the war just appears random.  New planets are introduced to the conflict.  But why the Jedi or the Separatists are suddenly interested in a particular planet appears random.  No effort is made to paint the natural ebb and flow of the war.  There is no explanation of an overall strategy of either side tying the various battles together.  Different systems simply find themselves invaded by one army or the other seemingly on a whim.

The series also has a foundational inconsistency.  The Republic is supposed to value democracy.  Yet time and again, we are introduced to new planets and new species, all of whom seem to be ruled by a monarch.  For a entity that is supposed to represent freedom and equality, the proliferation of kings, duchesses and queens just defies logic.

Inconsistency plagues the season's development.  In one episode, the writers present us with a plot most likely aimed at children, such as a grandfatherly Jedi teaching the young Padawan, Ahsoka, about patience.  Yet, another string of episodes presents a story-line likely to frighten that same young audience by mimicking the plots of various horror films.  Specifically, a three episode arc presents a plot that is a combination of films like "Aliens," "Night of the Living Dead," and "Attack of the Body Snatchers."  This completely unoriginal story-line, borrowing from R rated movies, can only be seen as nightmare-inducing to the same audience otherwise attracted by child-like plots as described above.

We also see an episode where the lead villain, Darth Sidious, places babies at risk in order to develop a line of spies within the Jedi Order for the dark side of the Force.

As if to further emphasize this desire to appeal to an older audience, the overt sexualization of most female characters.  I was given false hope in the second episode, when Ahsoka wore a more modest costume.  However, that hope was fleeting, as he belly-button revealing bikini-like outfit returned, and remained for the rest of the season.  As the season progresses, she is joined by servant droids who are prototypical of the pin-up.  The robots sway their wide hips, and sport large breasts.  The functionality of these features for a droid remains a mystery, other than to titillate adolescent sci-fi fans.  Later in the series, we are introduced to yet another Twi'leck, dripping of sexuality.  Speaking with a seductive bayou-like accent, she barely keeps her breasts from being exposed with her low plunging top.

Stereotypical accents continued.  Bannamu, for example, a petty thief from the slums of Coruscant, speaks with an Italian accent, as if he were an underling from a Mafia-esque criminal organization.

The series also presents a stereotypical view of women.  In one episode, Padme becomes angry with Anakin because he is repeatedly unable to spend time with her due to his obligations as a Jedi.  Never mind that as a Senator, Padme has the same problem.  Nonetheless, Padme embarks on a mission to elicit information from a former boyfriend.  It is a mission she readily agrees to because it will make Anakin jealous.  The writer clearly wants to portray Padme as stereotypically flighty and fickle, driven by emotions and desirous of playing mind games with the man in her life.  Indeed, in this plot-line, Padme abandons her normally subdued and conservative appearance, instead donning a costume bearing her midriff, and then another which is low-cut and accentuates her breasts.  Yet another strong female turned into a sexual object.

As for the episodes depicting the battles themselves, they might as well all be the same.  In each one, Anakin, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan engage in playful banter, the other Jedis get annoyed, during the battle, the three wind up yelling at and blaming each other.  But the villainous droid army and General Grievous are depicted as incompetent and cowardly.  Indeed, it is hard to understand how the narrator can begin episode after episode that the Separatist forces are winning, when those very forces are shown to be as competent as the Three Stooges.

Interesting concepts are introduced, but never fully developed.  For example, what are the ethical rules of the Jedi mind trick?  We see multiple Jedis in one episode attempt to influence the mind of a strong-willed individual.  But we never see a debate over how such power should be used responsibly.

Frustration lies in the fact that interesting story-lines, and controversial topics are introduced, but to get to them, you have to wade through a lot of bad writing.  Many times, I had to force myself to soldier on, all the while fearful that my eyes might permanently roll up into my head.  In the past, I watched The Clone Wars piecemeal.  That is, an episode of Star Wars: Rebels would raise a topic that had been covered by The Clone Wars, such as Mandalore's history, and I would go back and watch only those episodes relevant to that topic.  Sadly, this is a much more satisfying way to watch the series, as it avoids the poorly developed episodes and story-arcs you would otherwise have to watch, if you viewed every episode in succession.

I honestly don't know how I am going to get through all six seasons before watching the new seventh season on Disney+.

By: William J. Kovatch, Jr.

Look for the Dantooine Free Press on Twitter (@DantooineP), Instagram and YouTube!