“Legacy of Terror”

“Sometimes, accepting help is harder than offering it.”

Poggle the Lesser, the Archduke of Geonosis who has been causing problems lately (see the last few episodes), has too much information to let him get away, so Luminara bucks authority and rides off by herself to find him. Poggle appears to be riding toward the Progate Temple. The Jedi are miffed by this movement because nothing could have survived the battle in that area. In a somewhat frequent technological blunder, the hologram is mistaken for a holodeck when Luminara turns around to seen Anakin while speaking to Obi-Wan and Mundi, as she confirms her plans to follow Poggle. However, Mundi, Anakin, and Obi-Wan are discouraged from leaving the base because of the approaching sand storm.

At the temple, Luminara informs the other Jedi that Poggle has gone town to catacombs, but is suddenly cut off,. When Obi-Wan, Anakin, and some clone troops arrive, they discover a dead clone, signs of a struggle, and Luminara’s lightsaber. Above the doorway, there is a sculpture of a hideous Genosian that Obi-Wan hypothesizes might be the queen whom he thinks is a myth. A beeping watch-like device tells them that the hallway is a dead end (another use of the chronometer?). In the catacombs, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and the troops engage in battle with warriors with glowing eyes who cannot be killed. Obi-Wan suspects this may be caused by a hive mind that persists even after death. Translation: ZOMBIE BUG WARRRIORS.

Using a tilted, extreme close-up, the clone warriors’ apprehension is conveyed well, despite their seemingly emotionless helmets. The zombie warriors grab them from above. When the others return they are on the ground, dead. The remaining clones, Obi-Wan, and Anakin discover the innermost chamber of the catacombs in which the infamous queen resides. Geonosians unload sacks the queen excretes in an army-ant-fashion. The hallway outside the chamber is littered with bones and the stench from the queen’s chamber.

Obi-wan wants to talk, and learn about the Geonosians, while Anakin wants to attack. In a bit of role-reversal, Anakin chides Obi-Wan to be wary when his plan fails. The Queen aunt of the Geonosians speaks in semi-yodaspeak, refusing to give into Obi-Wan’s request that she release Luminara. In a classic villain mistake, the queen reveals her ultimate weapon, a ceti eel type animal that melds the queen’s and Luminara’s minds and puts the queen in control. Obi-Wan still insists on speaking to the Geonosians and says, “I’m curious, the more we know the better, come now which do you think it will enter the nose or the ear?” Although laughable at the time, Obi-Wan’s plan will prove to have been a necessary caution.

Luminara cringes all-too-knowingly, saying, “I hate this part of the plan.” Then, Anakin and the clones collapse the roof of the cave, causing dust to billow up and force them out of the tunnel. The entrance to the temple disappears in dust cloud, sealing the evil away forever, or, at least, we hope. This episode is gateway that introduces a new evil whose full impact is yet to be seen.

4.5/5 lightsabers for awesome zombie warriors and the promise of future good episodes, plus we all like to think about The Wrath of Khan.