Episode: The Clone Wars 3.02 – “ARC Troopers”
Original Air Date: September 17, 2010
Screencaps from The Clone Wars Screencap Gallery.
So I can’t put two-and-two together.
As this episode started off, I realized that the Domino Squad troopers from “Clone Cadets” are the same members of the first season episode “Rookies.” I thought I’d remembered there being troopers named Fives, Echo, Cutup, and Hevy.
With General Grievous and Ventress planning to attack Kamino, Kenobi, Skywalker, and their respective clone troopers arrive to protect the clones’ home planet. A bittersweet reunion takes place with Ninety-Nine, Fives, and Echo, as the older clone learns Hevy’s fate on Rishi.
As the attack commences, Grievous plays right into Anakin’s weaknesses to reveal the Separatist general’s real plan of attack. Though Obi-Wan makes the actual discovery, he quickly experiences problems of his own.
The episode clearly takes its design cues from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with the assault craft, though it gives us a new type of droid with the Aqua Droids. In addition to Ninety-Nine, Fives, and Echo, this episode also sees the return of the young cadets from last season’s episode “Death Trap.”
Characterization is better than the previous episode, and it’s a pleasure to see Grievous and Ventress play off each other. Every scene they have together is a one-upsmanship of evil, though more talk than action. Of course, since this is a battle, there’s plenty of action to go around too. From the first attack, the fun never slows down, and everyone gets a chance to participate. It’s also nice to see Ninety-Nine finally get his moment. Lastly, for their work in defending Kamino, Five and Echo get something they always wanted.
All in all, this episode somewhat redeems “Clone Cadets,” which was a necessary lead-in given the involvement of characters like Ninety-Nine, Fives, and Echo. It had more than enough combat to make up for the previous story too. This was a great way to end the season premiere.
Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
About the Author
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has this to say about John Rabon:
John got started on the path to geekdom thanks to his brother's collection of comic books and Star Wars toys but was cemented into the geek class forever when LeVar Burton took Reading Rainbow viewers on a backstage tour of Star Trek: The Next Generation. A love of Monty Python soon followed, and it wasn't long before he was starting to collect his own comics. The rest, as they say, is history. But really, who are they to say something?
Since discovering the BBC some years ago, John has become an obsessive Anglophile. In fact, he even likes the food they serve over there! As such, some of his favourite programmes include: Doctor Who, Primeval, Coupling, QI, The Mighty Boosh, The IT Crowd, and Shaun the Sheep.
Upon choosing a university, John enrolled in the University of South Carolina, which was nice enough to give him a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a Master's in Teaching. Feeling that he hadn't been put through enough academic torment with student teaching, John decided to enroll in law school at Campbell University.
Hobbies, when he can find time for them, include: writing, video games, reading, and wasting time in the pub.
The names are Echo, Fives, Cutup, Hevy, and Droidbait