Heading into the home stretch people, as we kick off the season's last story arc this week. And we start off strong with Anakin and Ahsoka flying in to halt the invasion of Cato Neimodia. Wait, isn't Cato Neimoidia already a Separatist planet? I mean the Neimoidians head the Trade Federation which is the backbone of the Separatist Confederacy. So shouldn't they already control their own planet?
Whatever, it doesn't matter. Anyway, our heroes fly in in their Jedi Interceptors (from the beginning of Episode 3) but it isn't long before they're swarmed by buzz droids. I meant to mention this back in the 100th episode review, but I like the buzz droids. A droid destined to just tear your ship apart is a clever idea for a space weapon. Plus, their saboteur nature ties into this episode's theme and title. Ahsoka avoids the buzz droids but Anakin gets covered with them, getting him knocked out and causing his fighter to crash. Ahsoka ditches her fighter to save her master, so she and R2 crash Anakin's fighter (on purpose).
I really like the back-and-forth between Anakin and Ahsoka here. It seems like we don't see them together much, despite supposed to be Master and Apprentice, so when we do see them together here it's nice that they have a visible relationship. Like Anakin and Obi-Wan. Anakin wakes upad thanks Ahsoka, but before they can get on with stopping the Separatist invasion of a Separatist planet they get a call from Yoda. He says they have to come back to Coruscant. Anakin rightly points they're kind of in the middle of something, but Yoda says what's happening on Coruscant is more important. The Jedi Temple has been bombed. Dun DUN DUN!!!!!
More after the break,
The two head back to Coruscant where the Temple is still smoking. How long did their trip take? The Jedi Council gives them the skinny, a bomb went off in the Temple Hangar and rumor is a Jedi could have done it. Le gasp! Since Anakin and Ahsoka were off-planet when the attack happened, they're impartial so they'll lead the investigation. How are they more impartial? I know they were off-planet but they're still Jedi. They aren't going to believe a fellow Jedi did it. Wouldn't the regular police be more impartial?
Anyway, they head down to the crime scene and meet Russo the Jedi's personal CSI droid. Wait, the Jedi Temple has a personal CSI? No wonder the guy's so pissy, this is probably the first action he's had in a while. Now it's time for CSI: Coruscant.
Russo and Ahsoka interview the survivors of the attack and find a lead, Jakar Bowmani. Jakar was a maintenance worker for the Jedi and as we'll find out a munitions expert. Too bad they can't find the guy. Yes, Jakar seems to have disappeared, which is news to both the Jedi and his wife who's been protesting outside the Temple. Anakin brings Letta (the wife) inside for questioning and we find out Jakar was loyal employee of the Jedi and doesn't sound like the type of guy who would blow up their temple. Unfortunately, he's the only lead. Ahsoka and Russo go over the crime scene again where despite evidence of an explosion there's no evidence of a bomb. While Anakin and Ahsoka muse on the possibility that a Jedi might somehow still be behind this, Russo finds some evidence. Explosive nano-droids. That only Jakar could have.
I really like the atmosphere of the scene. While Ahsoka and Russo investigate, there's a very detailed hologram of the attack playing out around them. Props to the animators for the scene. Our heroes double their efforts and finally find Jakar. What's left of him. Turns out they could only find his hand because his body had been doused with nano-droids, he was the bomb.
Anakin and Ahsoka head to Jakar's place for more evidence and just break in, because Jedi don't need warrants apparently. They both take scanners to look for nano-droids. This is very tense scene with great atmosphere, dark and foreboding down in the Coruscant slums. Ahsoka finds nano-droids in the food, meaning Jakar was fed the explosives. Before the two can speculate further, Letta appears. She agrees to go back to the Temple for more questioning, but of course she's gonna run. Lo and behold, she does. Should have expected this from someone named after a crazy swan-fucker. The Jedi chase her down and Anakin gives his best Vader to get a confession out of her. Letta had fed Jakar the explosives without his knowledge. She's arrested and our episode ends with our heroes discussing what her motives were and how opinion is turning against the Jedi. Methinks we've started down the road to Order 66.
Overall, a satisfying mystery. This episode started off with a great hook, the Temple attacked by an unknown assailant, and spun a good but not great story out of it. It's pretty clear from when we hear about him that Jakar is the attacker, but the script is good enough that it keeps us guessing whether he was a pawn or a traitor. Impressive for a character we never meet. Good work by Matt Lanter and Ashley Eckstein as Anakin and Ahsoka who give the characters a very realistic chemistry.
I'm not sure about Russo. He wasn't a bad character or performance, but he came across as unnecessarily antagonistic to the Jedi despite working for them. There was even a point where I thought he might have been the bomber. Maybe something will come f this in the next three episodes, but it was still weird. Also we never learned Letta's motives for attacking the Jedi leaving the episode's resolution a little deflated.
All in all, a good entertaining mystery that puts the focus back on our ostensible leads. Not exceptionally great but good on the all the counts that matter. Looking forward to the season's conclusion.
See you next week.
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