The Clone Wars: The Young Jedi [094-097/134] ✦ Watchalong Reaction & Review

Re: your final statement... I'm not sure how many times I have to tell you all that I will not start recognizing details and making these connections between different things in SW media until I've seen them all as many times as you all have, and have read the Wookieepedia as much as you all have. 😂

kaiielle

Hey, Kaiielle! A NECESSARY BOND: A surprise attack by Grievous makes allies of strange bedfellows! The daring escape from Hondo's base FAILS spectacularly! It's miraculous GANODI managed to keep a grip on all her classmates for as long as she did! HUYANG gets his head back but remains armless! DAVID TENNANT again voices the Professor. Hondo's charm is lost on a BRUTISH GRIEVOUS and a VENGEFUL DOOKU! Ahsoka strikes a bargain with GWARM to join forces with Hondo for access to his secret hangar. ARTOO matching wits with battle droids is hardly a contest. I love HONDO's fascination at seeing KATOONI assemble her lightsaber. HONDO expresses seemingly heartfelt sentiment about endangering children but then quickly glosses over his actions raiding the 'Crucible' when Ahsoka reminds him of his contradictory behavior! Hondo is BLITHELY AMORAL but did state one true thing about himself in the previous episode: his mood is based on PROFIT and today it is profitable to render aid. In the ensuing battle, Hondo's base is RAZED! HONDO's acceptance of KATOONI as a rear guard hardly comes across as a ringing endorsement! Lol. The hangar contains JANGO FETT'S 'SLAVE 1' FIRESPRAY! After Aurra Sing commandeered it when Boba Fett was arrested, it had been damaged by Ahsoka and crashed over the horizon in "Lethal Trackdown" (Season 2, Episode 22). We learned later that Aurra had survived when she tried to assassinate Padme in "Assassin" (Season 3, Episode 7) and assisted in Ziro the Hutt's escape in "Hostage Crisis" (Season 1, Episode 22). However, we see that Hondo salvaged the vehicle as well as Aurra. HONDO reveals his sentiments about children might be more genuine than not as he gets SHAMED BY KATOONI's pleas to not betray his agreement with Ahsoka. GRIEVOUS is unusually FORMIDABLE in this episode but Ahsoka holds her own against him in this brief rematch following their first skirmish in "Duel of the Droids" (Season 1, Episode 7). Only Hondo would have the temerity to BILL THE JEDI COUNCIL for his rescue services as a way of blustering his way out of facing charges for his piracy and kidnapping! Hondo leaves in the 'Slave 1' but we know it will eventually come into BOBA FETT'S POSSESSION at some point! You've got to love the wily pirate's nod to KATOONI. HUYANG's story of YODA's lightsaber construction is one I'd like to hear! This class of younglings certainly earned their lightsabers! They ought to be promoted to PADAWANS right away! JIM CUMMINGS' characterization of HONDO is the highlight of this arc and the guy handily steals every scene he's in! Kaiielle, there was no recognition of the 'Slave1'! I was waiting for your eyes to light up!

Alex Vazquez

Hey, Kaiielle! BOUND FOR RESCUE: The kids run away and join the CIRCUS! I like PREIGO's caravan and its colorful decor. Of all the DUGs encountered in Star Wars, Preigo is easily the nicest. Love the decorative bangles on his whiskers! The TOGRUTA in his troupe has the longest lekku I've yet seen! Her act involved using trained CONVORS, those little adorable birds. The GAMORREAN clown operated a JETT ORGAN like Max Rebo in Jabba's palace. When the two TWI'LEK dancers usher Hondo to the seesaw, a female Weequay jealously shoves the nearest one aside seeing Hondo's attraction but he, in turn, shoves the slag back by the face for intruding! Lol. I felt bad that the FAMBAA got left behind when Preigo skedaddled. Seeing as how Hondo decapitated a previous group of performers, I hope he doesn't butcher the beast! Some of the kids wear animal masks to conceal their identities. Petro wears a GUNDARK mask, Zatt wears a RANCOR mask and Gungi wears a NARGLATCH mask. Hondo is THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND this entire episode! As irrepressibly amusing as Hondo is, he revealed an UNUSUALLY CRUEL side in this episode in his treatment of Preigo's last act, in his taunting of Ahsoka and in his intention to traffic Ahsoka through what was likely a slavery pipeline to that mysterious underworld buyer. GRIEVOUS was brutal and effective in this episode! He crushed that clone underfoot just to get a rise out of Kenobi! KENOBI's decision to leave Grievous that gloating message was a dumb move. Without the warning, Grievous would've been destroyed when the cruiser blew!

Alex Vazquez

Hey, Kaiielle! A TEST OF STRENGTH: This episode provides insight into the next phase of Jedi training: LIGHTSABER CONSTRUCTION! The INTRODUCTION of ancient HUYANG, an architect droid with a millennia-old database who seems to be a fixture of the Jedi training vessel 'Crucible'. I love how his four arms operate independently enabling him to multi-task. He's a fighter, too, because he's able to pummel a pirate unconscious with just his feet while deprived of his arms or a head! HUYANG is voiced by DAVID TENNANT who is best known as the TENTH DOCTOR WHO, Marvel villain ERIK KILGRAVE aka THE PURPLE MAN on "Jessica Jones" and Detective Inspector ALEC HARDY on "Broadchurch"! The RETURN of Weequay pirate HONDO OHNAKA last seen in "Tipping Points" (Season 5, Episode 5)! I love how honest Hondo is about himself by telling Ahsoka his RELATIVISTIC MORALITY is based largely on profit! I love how Hondo delights in taking advantage of Ahsoka's HESITANCY to harm him by saying, "I know and I appreciate that!". It's a small but telling detail the way HONDO GLIDES HIS THUMB sensuously over Ahsoka's full lower lip while contemplating her prospects for generating profit. It reveals that she is ripening into a woman and Hondo doesn't fail to notice it. The Weequay pirate with the yellow brow and cheek ridges who is Hondo's second is named GWARM which I'm certain is a reference to the alternative sci-fi heavy metal band GWAR! The non-Weequay pirate with the eye stalks and beak is an ISHI TIB. Unable to fulfill Ahsoka's plan, the younglings hold their own by pulling a few "HOME ALONE"-like tricks on the pirates but that PETRO sure is a handful! I wouldn't want to be the Jedi tasked with keeping him in line! Lol. The 'WHIRLWIND OF DESTINY' lightsaber maneuver performed by Petro was devised by a young contest winner who received screen credit and whose saber movements were animated into the episode! If it wasn't for that BURLY WEEQUAY all the pirates would have been sucked into vacuum including Hondo! The only ones who didn't get pulled out of the docking tube were all clinging to him!

Alex Vazquez

Hey, Kaiielle! THE GATHERING: This episode provides insight into JEDI TRAINING and the nature of kyber crystals in that the PAIRING seems to be specific to the being. In the opening FLASHBACK, we are shown Kel Dor Master Plo Koon determining the Force-sensitivity of youngling AHOSKA TANO on Shili, the Togruta homeworld. In the opening montage, we see old Cosian Master TERA SINUBE overseeing the younglings' acrobatics lesson. He was last seen in "Lightsaber Lost" (Season 2, Episode 11). ILUM is the world visited by the younglings. It was considered a sacred place by the Jedi because of its abundance of KYBER CRYSTALS. It is one of the planets players must visit in the "Fallen Order" video game. The Empire relentlessly strip-mined the planet resulting in a massive EQUATORIAL TRENCH visible from space. Later, the First Order converted the mining trench into the superweapon platform known as 'STARKILLER BASE' seen in "The Force Awakens"! HUMAN male youngling PETRO learns the value of cooperation. THOLOTHIAN female youngling KATOONI overcomes her lack of confidence. RODIAN female youngling GANODI learns to quell despair. NAUTOLAN male youngling ZATT learns not to rely on technology. WOOKIEE male youngling GUNGI learns patience. ITHORIAN male youngling BYPH learns not to be paralyzed by fear. One infers that overseeing this youngling rite of passage is part of PADAWAN TRAINING for Ahsoka. I liked how YODA messed with their heads about being trapped in the cavern for 19 days if they didn't return quickly enough. Lol.

Alex Vazquez

That was really wonderful to see, for sure! I loved this arc.

kaiielle

Amazing arc imo. Learning how the younglings pick their kyber crystals and assemble the lightsaber never gets old for me. Even Hando was like “that’s truly amazing” haha. Hando’s character is so funny. Some epic Ahsoka shots in there too. Some arcs in CW feel like filler material but not this one. I enjoyed every minute! Definitely going to pitch in on that lightsaber on your list. Now just gotta get through D-Squad and we’re to the good stuff

Absher

That game is on my list to get into eventually! Once I'm finished KOTOR II, probably gonna take a break from Star Wars games and dive into something else for a bit. But it is a game I want to try out!

kaiielle

A very fun ARC! Gungi and Katooni are my favorites and Professor Whoyang is AWESOME!!! I love getting a deeper dive into the force, lightsabers, and how the Jedi are supposed to be. The Traditions and teachings followed appropriately, not just they Grey Area of a War. Though that is one of the things Star Wars does best is force beloved Characters into Grey Area situations😅. GOTTA LOVE HONDO! Ya just have too. Also Jim Cummings plays Hondo and Winnie the Pooh. I always enjoyed this ARC as a kid. Also recommendation for a Game for you to play “Jedi Fallen Order” once you finish the Clone Wars would be a great time to play it if you ever want to.

Justin

Honestly, though!

kaiielle

Ahh David Tennant, cool! The only thing I've seen him in was the fourth Harry Potter film (Goblet of Fire) but he didn't have a very large speaking role in that movie. Definitely wouldn't recognize his voice. I think the circus part of this arc was super unique and fun!

kaiielle

Miff

Who knew Hondo was such a softie?

Andrew Sitek

Those little moments are great, aren't they? Yeah, this arc was a lot of fun! ☺️

kaiielle

Going into this, I was actually expecting to not like it all that much, the silly arcs have never been for me and very much drag in my opinion, but this one surprised me! The younglings weren’t annoying, no one was particularly out of character, and there were some genuine stakes! Very impressed, those little character moments where Hondo looks back at one of the younglings is the stuff I LIVE for, it shows so much depth to the characters, I love it so much.

Sean H

The ice looked THICK to me! 😅 So yeah, I was totally worried! A very good lesson, indeed. Yes, Ahsoka has really grown in the last little while and I like how her outfit change a while back kind of shows that visually a little bit too. I'm super excited to go back and watch some of these earlier arc's once I'm done with the show (and others).

kaiielle

I love the lesson from Yoda about the door just being ice. They obviously set it up so the younglings have to face their weaknesses to get their crystals and fear to get back out. Funny that you were just as worried about it as they were. Can we talk about Ahsoka's development in the last season and a half or so? Anakin had such a problem letting her do things on her own 2 seasons ago and now she's uncovering corruption on Mandalore, helping rebel fighters on Onderon and now we get her in a mentorship role with younglings and facing pirates. She's come so far and it's so gradual it's hard to really recognize until you take a step back and compare where she is now vs the early seasons.

Andrew Sitek

The most sacred planet of the Jedi. What a great place for a Sith to build a planet killing weapon.

Yoshi1990