Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode 12

Episode 12: The Gungan General

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

Following on directly from last week’s episode, when Anakin and Obi Wan went to the planet Florrum where Count Dooku was being kept prisoner by some Weequay pirates (sadly, not one “Aaarrrr!” amongst them!), the Jedi now find themselves captive in an audacious plan by Hondo Ohnaka (the pirate captain) to triple his ransom.

Skywalker and Kenobi fell for the old drugged drink gag; these guys should know better! Straight off, the pair are not only sharing a cell with Dooku but they find they are shackled to him too.

And, of course, the bickering starts almost immediately with Anakin petulantly (does he know any other way?) bemoaning Dooku’s “constant chattering” after barely one sentence from the Sith Lord. Why can’t we just learn to get along?

Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed the title has the word “Gungan” in it, but which Gungan is it? I’ll put you out of your misery, it’s Jar Jar! Bizarrely, Ahmed Best does not reprise the role even though he popped up voicing Binks just a few episodes back - most strange. Annoyingly, his replacement is a poor imitation, almost a parody.

And ‘parody’ best describes Jar Jar’s actions as his buffoonery yet again leads to mass destruction and the freeing of the Jedi. Anakin and Obi Wan had been separated from Dooku and tortured by the pirate captain and this is where The Gungan General takes an odd and rather sinister turn.

The Jedi’s pain in the torture is quite visible and audible but there’s more, kids! When Dooku escapes (again, due to the Senator Bink’s antics), he strangles his captor with his ‘charged line’ and it was a little gruesome but nothing compared to what came next.

As the Count leaves for a ship in his escape he force-chokes Turk Falso (one of the Weequays), uses the force to impel the pirate to kill one of his fellow henchmen with his own blaster (whilst still being strangled). Dooku then casts aside the dead Turk as he makes his escape. Won’t somebody please think of the children?

Great stuff, though. Like last week’s, this episode could have benefited from more action with the pirates but it’s a solid adventure nonetheless (even if it is Jar Jar who saves the day!). The Jedi leave the pirates with no recriminations or punishment but Kenobi leaves them with this warning: “Dooku doesn’t share our sense of honour and he knows where you live.” Sah-Nap!

Check out Cameron's review of episode 11 here.

12 January 2009