Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 4 "The General"

As the second in a 4-part special event, it was bound to have more action (and clones, as it is Umbara) and it didn't disappoint! Lots of action and clones in this episode. There was a lot of great fighting scenes, and like the last episode, it had it's brutal moments. Such as when Hardcase blew up a damaged Umbaran tank with a rocket launcher, the Umbaran inside fell out, dead, but Rex shot him several times anyway to be certain. Soon after that, some wounded Umbaran creatures were flying around, when Kix gunned down two of them and Rex finished off the third. This episode was never going to be as action-packed as "Darkness on Umbara", which is arguably the best episode in the series. The amount of clones was great, it was great to have Rex get more action, and great to see Hardcase being hilarious again. "I don't know. Could be fun!" about a suicide mission. It was interesting to see Appo from ROTS (Revenge of the Sith) make an appearance, although, as a sergeant this time, not a commander like he was in Revenge of the Sith. Maybe we will see Appo get a important role later in the series, or in this arc.

The clone scenes were especially good in this episode, and I really liked this one. Rex has just informed his men of Krell's latest suicide mission for them, and almost all of them (except Dogma) are angry with Krell. Dogma maintains that they are running out of time. Rex tells Fives to ease their minds, telling Fives he hounours his code.
Full debate:
Kix: "The casualties are going to be high!"
Tup: "Is Krell trying to get us killed?"
Jesse: "You know, I wasn't sure that Krell was crazy before. But now, I'm positive!"
Fives: "We had to retreat from the capital because the general forced a flawed strategy, now this!"
Hardcase: "I don't know. Could be fun!"
Dogma: "Well, I for one, agree with the general's plan. We're running out of time and this is the best option!"
Jesse: "No recon? No air support? We don't know what we're up against! They have weapons we've never seen before!"

All in all, that was among my favourite Clones-only scenes from the series...

The explosions in this episode were epic, and it is obvious a lot of great effort was put into the explosions. Lots of different colours for explosions as well, including green, though it isn't in this picture. Dave Filoni said this season would have "lots of explosions" and he wasn't lying, the explosions here are the best in the show!

One cool thing in this episode was the new Umbaran technology in it. One those was the "Impeding Assault Tank" (pictured above) and it wasn't so much a tank as a robotic version of some reature (centipede?). The design and colours of this was awesome, until my clone Hardcasae blew them away with a rocket launcher. Another was the even more devestating "Umbaran Heavy Mobile Tank", to which rocket launchers had absolutely no effect. In the end, Hardcase and Fives had to use the Umbaran's vehicles against them, blowing up the devestating mobile tanks.

I really liked the climax to this episode. It certainly was very humourous, I couldn't stop laughing for a while. (take note Lucas, humour episodes do NOT involve C-3PO and R2-D2). Hardcase and Fives had snuck into the airbase, before stealing (attempting to) the Umbaran starfighters. Having eventually turned them around, Fives and Hardcase used them to blow up the mobile tanks. One of my favourite endings to an episode, where the awesome green explosion showed up. Even Krell was grudgingly impressed...

My verdict: This was never going to be awesome as last week's episode, which was out of this world. Take nothing away though, this was still another excellent episode in the Umbara arc, and I can't wait for "Plan of Dissent" and "Carnage of Krell", the remaining two in the Umbara arc. Rating: 9/10.