The Clone Wars S1 E4 - 'Destroy Malevolence' Mini-Review


All Part of the Plan.

In an episode which could've been lifted straight from the live-action movies, Anakin and Obi-Wan board the crippled Malevolence to rescue Senator Padme Amidala. Only four episodes in, I can already tell I am going to fall in love with this series. Seeing Anakin and Obi-Wan fight side-by-side once more is brilliant, as was the action set-piece centred on the jet-rail trains. I still take issue with the often cringe-inducing dialogue, but the action and plot more than makes up for it. This story-arc has been a great one to kick off the series with, and I struggle to see another one topping this in season one.

 JEDI MESSAGE
"A plan is only as good as those who see it through"

 STORY ARC - Malevolence (3/3)

 FEATURED CHARACTERS
- Anakin Skywalker
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Ahsoka Tano
- Plo Koon
- General Grievous
- Count Dooku
- Padme Amidala
- C-3PO and R2-D2
- Admiral Yularen

 FEATURED LOCATIONS
- The Kaliida Nebula

 TRIVIA

  • Anakin says to Obi-Wan that spinning is "a good trick", referring to flying. This is a direct reference to what Anakin said towards the end of "Episode I: The Phantom Menace"
  • Some ideas from the original script of the episode included: Captain Panaka from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) being captured alongside with Padmé and being brutally murdered by Grievous; a lightsaber duel between Grievous and Plo Koon on the exterior of Malevolence in space; and Jedi sneaking aboard the Malevolence by freezing themselves in carbonite to get past droid bio scans and radiation beams
  • The internal train system on the Malevolence warns its departing passengers to "Mind the gap"; this is the same message played on the London Underground
  • General Grievous greets Obi-Wan "Hello there!" - A reference and taunt of the same phrase used by Obi-Wan in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith on the planet Utapau
  • In the original script, Anakin's original plan of entering the Malevolence was a foolish hyperspace micro-jump to deploy the Twilight centimeters from the ship's hull. Padmé and C-3PO were also originally rushing to the battle site to aid in the evacuation of the Kaliida Shoals Medical Center, but these were also changed after script revisions
  • After Anakin decides to go rescue Padmè, Plo Koon says he goes "craving adventure and excitement". This can be seen as a reference to Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, where Yoda says to Luke: "Adventure. Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things."
  • The final frame of the episode shows all these prequel characters (Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé, C-3PO, and R2-D2) being depicted together for the first time. (They were scattered across different planets in the films)
RATING: 9/10

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