Broken Frontier

In last week’s episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, “The Mandalore Plot,” we were introduced not only to a ruthless new enemy called the Death Watch—a Mandalorian insurgent group allied with the Separatists—but also to Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore (Anna Graves), leader of the Council of Neutral Systems and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s old flame.

In the latest installment, called “Voyage of Temptation,” we learn that Obi-Wan and Satine first met while the Jedi and his late master Qui-Gon Jinn were stationed on Mandalore for an extended peacekeeping mission. During their time together, Obi-Wan and Satine became more than friends, even though romantic entanglements are forbidden for the Jedi. It seems Obi-Wan and his former Padawan Anakin Skywalker have more in common than we thought.

Anakin has a great deal of fun at his master’s expense once he realizes Obi-Wan’s relationship with Satine was more than just professional. At one point, he refers to Satine as Obi-Wan’s “girlfriend,” much to Obi-Wan’s chagrin. This adds entirely new dimensions to Obi-Wan and Anakin’s falling out in Revenge of the Sith: at that point, Obi-Wan knows exactly what Anakin has been going through in keeping his relationship with Padmé a secret.

Having rescued Satine from the Death Watch and its leader, Senator Pre Vizsla (Jon Favreau), Obi-Wan, with Anakin at his side, is escorting her and a handful of other politicians to Coruscant. Aboard the luxurious Coronet, Obi-Wan and Satine immediately begin clashing over their disparate ideologies. Satine, a pacifist, accuses Obi-Wan and the rest of the Jedi Order of hypocrisy, questioning how peacekeepers can also be warriors. She also calls Obi-Wan a “collection of half-truths and hyperbole.” Ouch.

But there’s still some affection, mingled with mutual respect, bubbling beneath the surface for these characters. What’s great about Satine is that she’s exactly the type of strong-willed woman we can imagine Obi-Wan falling in love with. Toward the end of the episode, he tells her that he would have left the Jedi Order for her. We believe that.

But enough about romance: bring on the action! In this episode, the Death Watch and the Separatists still want Satine dead so they can take control of Mandalore and other members of the Council of Neutral Systems. Early in the episode, R2-D2 and a group of clones stumble upon massive, spider-like assassin probe droids in the Coronet’s cargo hold. If giant spiders aren’t bad enough, each of the probes can unleash dozens of skittering, miniature assassin droids, which prove a nuisance even to seasoned clone troopers and their Jedi generals. Obi-Wan and Anakin learn that Senator Tal Merrik (Greg Proops) smuggled the droids onto the ship to kill Satine and everyone else on board. Merrik takes Satine hostage and contacts Vizsla, requesting reinforcements to help him escape the Coronet with the duchess. Vizsla dispatches a boarding party of super battle droids. After fighting their way through the droids, eight-legged or otherwise, Obi-Wan and Anakin defeat Merrik and Satine arrives on Coruscant unharmed.

However, the way in which Obi-Wan and Anakin save Satine is sure to get Star Wars fans talking. Without giving too much away, Anakin saves the day in a manner that is both shocking to the audience and disappointing to his former master. The Clone Wars team should be congratulated for making Anakin’s fall from grace far more nuanced and satisfying in this series than it was in the prequel films.

While it’s the second installment in a three-part story arc, “Voyage of Temptation” works just as well as a standalone episode. The action is intense and even brutal at times (many clones and crewmen bite blaster bolts in this episode), while Obi-Wan’s past relationship with Satine brings new depth to one of the Star Wars saga’s most beloved characters.