Review – The Clone Wars: The Final Season – “Dangerous Debt”
After Rafa’s deal with the Pykes went south in last week’s episode of The Clone Wars, this week’s Dangerous Debt finds Ahsoka and her new friends imprisoned on Oba diah as the Pykes seek to learn what happened to their missing spice shipment. With prison breaks and surprise cameos, naturally spoilers are ahead.
The episode opens with Ahsoka and the Martez sisters imprisoned deep within the Pyke’s fortress on Oba diah. Right off the bat I have to admit that the blue Snaggletooth easter egg made the action figure fan in me chuckle. Trapped, with no way of escape, the trio are debating whose fault their situation is and the morality of dealing with a crime syndicate like the Pykes. And, just as it looks like Ahsoka may reveal her Jedi past, we learn why Rafa doesn’t trust them, or anyone from the upper levels of Coruscant. Years ago, back near the start of the Clone Wars, the Jedi were chasing the escaped Ziro the Hutt down a portal to the lower levels of Coruscant when Cad Bane destroyed the engine of a cargo transport. The Jedi were able to steer the transport away from a heavily populated landing platform, instead crashing it into the portal wall. Trace and Rafa’s parents were able to see the ship coming in time to save the sisters, but at the cost of their own lives.
At first I thought this was a clever re-contextualization of a scene from earlier in the series, turning a heroic save into a tragedy. Instead it looks to be an event that happened off screen, taking place between Ziro’s escape from the senate building in Hostage Crisis and Obi-Wan and Quinlan Vos hunting him down in Hunt for Ziro. Even so, it’s a strong scene, showing the consequences to the hard choices that the Jedi have to make, their perceived aloofness, and why they aren’t seen as heroes by all, even on Coruscant. It adds another layer to how Palpatine was able to convince a large portion of the galaxy that the Jedi had turned against them in Revenge of the Sith and shows how The Clone Wars has grown up as a series since it premiered over a decade ago.
Whilst Rafa is interrogated by the Pykes, Trace confides in Ahsoka that, whilst her sister is right that it’s been the two of them against the galaxy since their parents died, that’s not how they were raised. Her mother believed in helping others, that’s why she helped Ahsoka. The contrast between the two sisters is well done in this episode, as it has been for the arc so far. They’re both good people, but Trace seems to carry more light within her, a hope for a better tomorrow, whilst Rafa is a survivor, doing whatever it takes to ensure she and her sister stay alive. When it’s her turn to be interrogated, Trace pretends to faint, steals a blaster, and escapes. The younger Martez sister possesses an aim that would make Princess Leia proud. Seeing the commotion in the prison Ahsoka seizes the opportunity to use the Force to unlock their cell, telling Rafa that a power outage caused the door to fail.
Whilst Deal No Deal was fairly light on action, Dangerous Debt more than makes up for it as the prison escape escalates and the trio go from the cell block to the outside of the Pyke compound, to the streets of Oba diah. The animation this season has been simply phenomenal. I’d go so far as to say that animated Star Wars has never looked better than this season. From the colors of the explosions to the fluidity of the characters movements, it just looks gorgeous. As they work to escape the fortress, Ahsoka begins to fall back on her Jedi abilities more and more. From helping Trace make a jump, to her own Force leap across a seemingly impossible distance, to moving some of the Pyke guards out of their hiding places and into Trace’s line of fire. We all know that we’ll be seeing the former Jedi in full action in a few weeks, so for now it’s fun to see her using the Force whilst pretending that she’s just “more athletic than I look.”
Hitting the streets of Oba diah the trio have a moment to regroup, leading to a heart to heart between Ahsoka and Rafa as they clash over what’s best for Trace. When Ahsoka says that in her life, when you find those who need help, you help them no matter what, she appears to get through to Rafa, reminding the older Martez of the mother she lost. It’s a line that goes to who Ahsoka is as a character. Even though she is no longer a Jedi, she’s still a Jedi at heart. It’s something we as fans have already seen in Rebels, but chronologically this is the first time we’re seeing Ahsoka since she left the Order and it’s an important reaffirmation for her character.
Rediscovered by the Pykes, the trio race through the streets of Oba diah. During the chase, Ahsoka brushes past a cloaked figure who turns to reveal a familiar helmet. Death Watch are on Oba diah! Bo Katan and Ursa Wren, along with an unnamed third Mandalorian, watch as the Martez sisters are caught and Ahsoka flees into the city. Though they don’t interfere, Katan’s suggestion of a common enemy hints that the Mandalorians may come to aid Ahsoka in next week’s episode. This is almost certainly one of the biggest changes made to the arc when Disney brought The Clone Wars back for a final season. Bringing in Bo Katan here sets up a clear narrative link to the series finale arc, streamlining Ahsoka’s original arc and removing the untold story arc that wold have seen her exploring the Sith Shrine under the Jedi Temple. And adding in Ursa gives an nice, and unexpected, Rebels connection. I’m curious to see if they give Ursa more of a role in the siege of Mandalore now that they have introduced her here.
As the Martez sisters are brought before Marg Krim, Ahsoka attempts another rescue but it turns out that it’s a trap, with the Pykes deliberately keeping the sisters in the open to lure Ahsoka to them. Imprisoned once more Krim tells the young women there will be no more jobs, no deals, they will be tortured until he gets his spice. As Rafa apologizes that she should never have taken the job, Ahoska comforts her by saying they live and learn.
This was a hard episode to judge because essentially it ends right back where it started, with the trio in jail. And I do find myself asking if The Clone Wars wasn’t set on four episode arcs, could this story arc have been condensed, with the essential character beats added to the previous episode or the next, making way for another untold tale this season? But on the other hand, having four episodes allows the story more room to breathe. It allows you to get to know and care about the Martez sisters, and it allowed them to spend the first quarter of the episode on that great scene where you learn their history and why they distrust the Jedi. Ultimately, whilst the plot may have been one step forward one step back, the character moments were worth it. All three leads grew as individuals and in their understanding of each other. When this arc ends they will all be somewhere new and better for the journey.
Score: 7/10
Dangerous Debt is now streaming on Disney+
Chris is a lifelong fan of Star Wars, Disney, and super heroes who can’t quite believe this golden age of movies and TV we’re living in. Having written blogs dedicated to Disney’s Aladdin musical and Star Wars Celebration, Chris is excited to be part of the SWNN and MNN teams.
