Broken Frontier

The latest episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, titled “Senate Spy,” is pretty light on action when compared to previous installments this season, slowing things down to examine the relationship between Anakin Skywalker and his secret bride, Senator Padmé Amidala. Their romance—the catalyst for Anakin’s transformation into Darth Vader—is arguably one of the most disappointing aspects of the prequel films, so it’s great to see The Clone Wars flesh out this doomed pairing on the small screen.

The episode kicks off with the Jedi suspecting Senator Rush Clovis of conspiring with the Separatists. When Anakin arrives at the Jedi Temple following a prolonged absence, he learns that Clovis and Padmé were very close early in their careers, and that the Jedi have asked Padmé to get close to him and learn what he’s up to. Since Padmé declined initially, Yoda asks Anakin to convince the young senator to agree to this mission.

Anakin confronts Padmé about her relationship with Clovis and learns they were romantically entangled many years earlier. Anakin’s jealousy gets the better of him, which is actually quite funny. Of course, if you’ve seen Revenge of the Sith, you know that Anakin’s possessive tendencies lead both characters down a very dark path. Mercifully, the writers don’t beat us over the head with foreshadowing.

While Padmé is reluctant to believe Clovis is a traitor, she agrees to earn his trust and spy on him, much to Anakin’s chagrin. She accompanies Clovis on a trip to Cato Neimodia, and confirms that the shifty senator is funding construction of a new Separatist droid factory. But once Clovis’ Separatist partners learn that he’s brought a senator with him, they attempt to poison her and use her as leverage to boost their profits. Fortunately Padmé manages to out Clovis as a traitor (with some help from R2-D2) and Anakin administers the antidote in time. Everything wraps up nicely for our heroes, and Clovis is left to face the consequences of his treachery.

 “Senate Spy” may be the weakest episode this season—largely because of the ho-hum storyline—but there are plenty of nuanced character moments between Anakin and Padmé that are surprisingly effective for an action-driven animated series. Also, take note when Anakin learns that Clovis and Padmé have history together. Witnessing his former Padawan’s reaction to this news, Obi-Wan Kenobi lifts a knowing eyebrow. He clearly suspects Anakin and Padmé are more than just friends at this point but he’s keeping his mouth shut. It’s not necessary for this particular story, but it’s still a nice touch.