Broken Frontier

Ever since intrepid freedom fighter Princess Leia Organa made her onscreen debut in the early moments of A New Hope, strong female characters have remained at the center of the Star Wars saga. This galactic girl power has never been more apparent than in the ninth episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which also happens to be the best episode in the series thus far.

Titled “Cloak of Darkness,” this episode picks up where “Bombad Jedi” left off, with the slimy Trade Federation viceroy Nute Gunray in Republic custody and on his way to Coruscant to stand trial. Count Dooku, knowing that the cowardly Gunray would surely spill Separatist secrets if pushed, sends his skilled assassin Asajj Ventress to retrieve him—or silence him—before he squeals. As she infiltrates the Republic ship holding Gunray, Anakin Skywalker’s Pawadan Ahsoka Tano and Jedi Master Luminara Unduli are all that stand in Ventress’ way.

Luminara, who had very little screen time in the live-action film series is depicted here as a noble, by-the-books Jedi Master, a far cry from Ahsoka’s often rebellious mentor. It’s apparent in this story that Ahsoka may benefit from more structured teaching from someone like Luminara, particularly when she holds a lightsaber to the throat of a defenseless Gunray during an interrogation. There are shades of Anakin in Ahsoka's actions which, as Star Wars fans know, is not at all a good thing.

But what is most certainly a good thing is this episode’s writing, courtesy of Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series). While, it’s often difficult to strike a tonal balance in a kid-friendly animated series like The Clone Wars, Dini manages to keep the story and the action engaging enough for both children and adults without alienating either group. In the past, The Clone Wars has grappled with comic relief, which often comes in the form of cringe-inducing banter between battle droids or, in the worst-case scenario, Jar Jar Binks. Here, Dini utilizes humor sparingly but effectively in his dialogue, which flows as effortlessly as it did in his best episodes of the Emmy Award-winning Batman series. It's obvious that Dini is comfortable with these characters, and one hopes that supervising director Dave Filoni—who seems to be getting fairly comfortable in the Star Wars galaxy himself as this series progresses—keeps him on tap for many future installments.

Of course, this wouldn’t be the best Clone Wars episode yet without the crackle of a few lightsabers. “Cloak of Darkness” features a two-on-one saber duel, as Ahsoka and Luminara team up against Ventress, whom Ahsoka unflatteringly refers to as “the hairless harpy.”  The episode’s lightsaber duel—which actually accounts for a sizeable chunk of its running time—bears some similarities to ones we’ve seen before in the live-action films but has a kinetic energy that would be impossible outside the realm of animation.

The episode ends in true cliffhanger fashion, with the villains getting away as the protagonists plan their next move and recover from defeat. While our heroes may be downtrodden, Star Wars fans and the team behind The Clone Wars have every reason to celebrate this latest adventure. The bar has officially been raised.