Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 4 "Prisoners" Review

The Mon Calamari arc that kicked off season 4 of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars series reached it's conclusion in the episode "Prisoners". Read on to check out my thoughts on it!

As the title states, there are "prisoners" in this episode. Having been captured at the end of the last episode, "Gungan Attack", our heroes Kit Fisto, Anakin Skywalker, Jar-Jar Binks and Padme Amidala are brought before the villain Riff Tamson. Riff wants information on where Prince Lee-Char is: And he isn't afraid to torture our heroes for the information. One part I didn't quite like about this bit is, at one stage: Riff grabs Padme and Jar-Jar, tossing them to a couple of Quarren Soldiers. Anakin then says "Let go of her!", referring to Padme. That doesn't make sense because Tamson wasn't holding her, all he did was grab her and throw her aside. Strange quote if you ask me...

The torture scenes overall were done well. Padme and Jar-Jar watching on helplessly from where a couple of machines held them still, while Anakin and Fisto were tortured by eels. A single movement inside the eels that were around you, or even talking, would electrocute you, as Anakin later in the episode finds out, after Fisto tells him, "Less talking helps".

I liked how Riff Tamson kept trying in vain to get Lee-Char's whereabout's out of the Jedi, but they refused to tell him. Not just because they wouldn't tell Tamson in the first place, they didn't even know themselves where Lee-Char was!

One moment which was rather creepy, Tamson got fed up with the Jedi's resiliance to the torture by the eels. So, Tamson took the matter into his own hands and attacked Padme. Crushing into her scuba helmet with his teeth. Once part of the glass on the helmet was broken, the water could then infiltrate inside, and too much water inside her helmet would prevent Padme from breathing. When Tamson got word of where Lee-Char was. Anakin told him he had to save Padme from dying. Tamson coldly replies "No, I don't!" before leaving. Anakin shouts his name furiously "TAMSON!" before getting electrocuted ferociously by the eels, as Anakin struggles to contain his anger.

In my opinion, there wasn't much to think about in terms of animation in this episode. Due to most of the thinking being about how our heroes would escape captivity. The animation wasn't as epic as in the opening episodes, however the lighting surrounding those eels was quite nice. Even if the eels themselves weren't so nice...

Two of the more impressive characters of this arc appeared here: Captain Ackbar, the white-geared one. Fan-favourite from the movie "Return of the Jedi" made his Clone Wars debut in this arc. He didn't get to say his famous line "It's a trap!" but he was given a similar one, "It's an attack!" when the Quarren attacked the city in the first episode. The other one, Prince Lee-Char. Having been childish, and not a good character in the first two episodes. He definitly improved in this one, and was a great character to watch in "Prisoners", having been unbearable in "Water War" and "Gungan Attack"...

One of things that perked my interest during the episode: Our loser, Nossor Ri: What sparked my interest, he had pledged himself to the Separatist alliance, but was against the torture methods used by Tamson and Count Dooku. Nossor Ri continuously looked like he was considering changing sides, due to how Dooku and Tamson acted on Ri's world. Nossor Ri eventually realized that he had picked the wrong side: when Tamson told him he would be taking over this world. Dooku had lied with his arrangement to Ri, and was planning to give Tamson, and his species: The Karkaradon, full control of Mon Calamari. This shocked and annoyed Ri, and is likely the reason he went against the Separatists and fought against them towards the end of the episode.

After it was announced when Lee-Char went to speak to Tamson and Ri. Tamson declared there would be a public execution for Lee-Char. All our heroes watched in despair, summed up by an Anakin and Ahsoka quote towards each other (I'll put the quote at the end of this review), showing how helpless their situation was. Three Karkarodon soldiers from Tamson's homeworld prepared to execute Lee-Char. But this was when the Quarren played their trump card. Unseen by the Separatists, the Quarren handed the clones, gungans and Captain Ackbar their weapons back. Ri infiltrated the execution area and saved Lee-Char. The Karkarodon's were then shot down themselves. That's the one thing I didn't like about these Karkarodon soldiers: They didn't do anything really, just were put in the execution spot, so they could be deceived and killed off. Quite pointless from my point of view. Due to numbers, Tamson and his troopers were defeated.

This was one scene I liked. When Gungan's and Mon Calamari smash their way into a Trident Drill ship. Once the glass explodes, the ship crashes into the buildings, destroyed, with the Battle Droids inside wailing in despair. If my calculations are right, this is the first time any Battle Droids have been their silly selves since "Supply Lines" in early season 3. A pretty long time ago. This time last year in fact. So, It's good to see them being themselves again...

There's always one main character who has to die in an arc. This time around, the villain Riff Tamson was the person to fall: Having seen his side crumbling before him, he draws out explosive daggers, before stabbing several enemies with them. He swims past as those enemies explode. Lee-Char confronts him, and brings my favourite quote of the episode:
Tamson: "I killed you're father! Without pity or mercy!"

Lee-Char: "Then I'll return the favour!"

Lee-Char, having taken one of the explosive daggers during a brief scuffle with Tamson. Tosses it into Tamson's chest: Tamson tries to pull it out, but it can't come out. Tamson then launches himself at Lee-Char, intent on taking Lee-Char with him. Lee-Char just about shoots the explosive in time, blowing Tamson up: Bringing the first true gorey moment to the series, where you see Tamson's destroyed skull floating right in front of you. We've had shocking moments before, such as Cad Bane's torture of Bolla Ropal, but this was the first true gorey scene.

After that, the civil war between the Mon Calamari and the Quarren is over. Lee-Char is then officialy made king of the planet...

My rating: This was an excellent episode. However, it was not perfect. There was far too much talking going on it, nowhere near as much action as the previous two. The ending was really good though, and was definitly an interesting end to the arc. Lee-Char's killing of Tamson was a shocking end, and there could soon be complaints from kids about it: due to it being a kid's show. But I sense there could be worse ahead. After a lacklustre season 3, it finally seems like we are getting back to the true "Clone Wars". Rating: 8.5/10.

Next time: Anakin vs Dooku, Grievous vs Gungans, and Jar-Jar Binks as a Gungan Boss of Naboo? Next-time in the episode, "Shadow Warrior"!

Oh, and here's that quote I mentioned: Between Anakin and Ahsoka:
"Good job, protecting the prince"
"It's all part of the plan, Master"
"I was hoping you were gonna say that. Anything I can do?"
"Unfortunately, this time it's out of our hands"
"I'm not sure I like this plan after all!"