Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode 10 review

Episode 10: Lair of Grievous

WARNING: This review contains spoilers that may ruin your enjoyment of this episode.

Crikey, you might want to send the kids to bed before watching the carnage that is the latest episode of The Clone Wars. Higher death count than Resurrection Of The Daleks? Very possibly.

This installment follows on directly from the previous story with Nute Gunray being the target in the Jedi’s sights. Enter the debut of Kit Fisto, voiced by Phil LaMarr, invoking another of his vocal creations, Hermes from Futurama. His Jamaican lilt takes a bit of getting used to but he’s a likeable character nonetheless. Kit meets up with his former Padawan, Nahdar Vebb, an impish Mon Calamari who is also endearing from the get-go.

The tutor/mentor relationship is kick-started again for these guys as they fall into a trap, stuck in the titular lair belonging to Grievous. As the Clone Troopers are picked off one by one, the pair are left battling mano e droido with the General in a spectacular scene that will get those eyebrows raised in interest and shock.

Grievous himself is astonishingly well animated and realised, matching his part in Revenge Of The Sith. As a character, he receives much time over this series to flesh out (sorry!) his story. None more so here than when his mask is removed and we hear only his excruciating cries of pain. Grim stuff.

But there’s some jocularity in the form of his ‘caretaker’ droid, A-4D. Jocularity, yes – but he’s loyal to Grievous and wastes no time in giving up the positions of the Jedi as they begin their attack. The little guy also attends to the droid general’s needs and you’ll be a little sad to see him lightsabered out of existence.

Not as a sad, however, when the new addition to the Jedi, the aforementioned Nahdar Vebb, is shot by Grievous. Yup, you read right, shot. Not taken down by the Jedi’s weapon of choice, but a flippin’ lazer. And I was just getting to like that little Mon Calamari. Typical Grievous! Like me, you’ll be glad that Obi Wan takes care of him in Episode III.

So, another corker from The Clone Wars. The tone was spot on and the series seems to work best when it deals with the peripheral characters in the Star Wars galaxy (though they’re not peripheral in the war, of course) rather than concentrating on the more familiar names like Anakin and Obi Wan. Top marks to everyone involved and if I do have a negative point to make it’s that I have to wait ‘til 2009 before the next episode. Bah! Bloody Christmas…

Check out Cameron’s review of episode 9 here.