Broken Frontier

Thank the Force!  Not only is the latest episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars a perfect example of the kind of bold, exciting, and mature storytelling that we’ve come to expect from the series, but it also drags season three out of the bizarre slump it’s found itself in over the past three weeks. Nevermind trade disputes: bring on the bounty hunters!

In “Assassin,” Ahsoka Tano is plagued by visions of an attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala’s life, dreams similar to those experienced by her master Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith. In that film, such grim premonitions—also foreshadowing Padmé’s demise—were the primary catalyst for Anakin’s ultimate turn to the dark side. For the young Padawan, the dreams signal a very real threat on the senator’s life, which just so happens to transpire on Princess Leia’s eventual homeworld of Alderaan.

In the past, I’ve criticized The Clone Wars for its reliance on nostalgia and pointed references to the original trilogy meant to tug at the heartstrings of hardcore fans. Sometimes, as was the case with Greedo’s introduction earlier this season, this sort of thing comes across as pandering. That said, hearing a rendition of John Williams’ “Yoda’s Theme” when Ahsoka visits the aged, green Jedi Master for advice is enough to bring a smile to even the most jaded of Star Wars fanboys. Hearing Williams’ “Princess Leia’s Theme” when the characters arrive on Alderaan has a similar effect, as does watching Padmé’ and Ahsoka bond over a game of holographic chess, similar to the game Chewbacca and C-3PO played aboard the Millennium Falcon in A New Hope. The throwbacks are plentiful in “Assassin” and, in this case, more than welcome.

But references to the classic films would be meaningless if the story didn’t measure up, and this episode doesn’t disappoint. At the end of last season, we watched as feared female bounty hunter Aurra Sing crashed and burned aboard Boba Fett’s Slave 1, thanks in no small part to Ahsoka’s considerable lightsaber skills. But unknown to us, Sing was pulled from the wreckage, emerging more than eager to stalk the heroes of the Republic... for a price.

As it turns out, Ahsoka’s visions have merit, and Sing reveals that one of Padmé’s enemies wants her dead. After Padmé and Ahsoka subdue the cunning bounty hunter, they learn that the true evil behind the assassination plot stems from Jabba the Hutt’s Truman Capote-esque uncle, Ziro. As longtime Clone Wars fans will surely remember, Padmé put Ziro behind bars in the Clone Wars feature film.

The fact that Ziro is still imprisoned places this episode before the season one finale, “Hostage Crisis,” in which Cade Bane and his cohorts hold a group of senators hostage to arrange the release of the purple-skinned crimelord. It’s notable that Dave Filoni and his team don’t feel constrained by sticking to a timeline. In fact, jumping around chronologically gives this series a scope it wouldn’t have otherwise.  However, it’s almost as if the ordering of these episodes is confusing by design.

All in all, it’s great that with “Assassin,” season three of The Clone Wars finally seems to be on track. And, oddly enough, this redeeming episode was actually penned by Katie Lucas, daughter of Star Wars mastermind George Lucas. Dad should be proud.