Episode 2.9 – “Grievous Intrigue”

Jedi Master Eeth Koth is captured by General Grievous. In a transmission from General Grievous to the Jedi Council, he uses hand signals to alert the council to his location. Grievous accurately predicts that the Jedi Council will send Obi-Wan and Anakin to rescue the kidnapped Jedi. Throughout the episode, the Jedi follow Grievous’ predictions.

Obi-Wan and a fleet of Republic ships arrive at the Saleucami System. Obi-Wan hails General Grievous’ ship; Grievous intends to have a rematch with Obi-Wan. The ships link together through a hallway, and Grievous and his droid troops engage Obi-Wan and his clone troops. While Grievous is seemingly distracted by this encounter, Anakin and Jedi Master Adi Gailla leave Coruscant and arrive at the battle above Saleucami. Anakin speeds in and lands under Grievous’ ship, attaching the landing gear to the ship.

Sneaking in by cutting a hole in the bottom of the ship, Anakin and Adi Gailla infiltrate the ship and make their way to the bridge. However, Grievous’ T-6 droid, standing proudly in the center of the bridge, informs them that Grievous had accurately predicted their plan. Commando droids emerge and surround the Jedi Knights. In an attempt to subdue the Jedi, T-6 threatens to kill Jedi Master Eeth Koth if they take even one step, but Anakin outsmarts him, Force-pulling him towards himself and cutting off T-6′s arm. While the Jedi engage the commando droids, T-6 crawls toward his arm, however, each time he reaches the arm it is swept away from him. As Anakin and Eeth finish off the commando droids, T-6 picks up his arm, but, in a highly comical situation for a droid, he discovers he can’t push the little red button with his stub. Anakin cuts T-6 in half and releases Jedi Master Eeth Koth.

While Anakin and Adi Gailla were battling droids, Obi-Wan was dueling a few more droids, Grievous and his IG-100 Magna Droid (as seen in Force Unleashed). But, despite a good fight put up by Obi-Wan, their feud is unresolved. Grievous flees the seen and orders the droids in the bridge to detach the ships. Obi-Wan and a few clone troops chase Grievous to the hallway connecting the ships, but, as both ships start to pull apart, the side of hallway tears open, exposing the men inside to the vacuum of space. Grievous, intent on closing the blast doors and leaving Obi-Wan to the elements, flees the hallway, but meets Adi Gailla. Again, Grievous flees the scene, giving Adi Gailla the chance to save Obi-Wan and his troops. Grievous climbs into an escape pod, but it is hit by debris and falls to the surface of Saleucami.

Episode 2.10 – “The Deserter”

Obi-Wan and Adi-Gailla are picked up by a Republic ship and head down to the surface to track Grievous. Grievous and his droid troops are running low on battery. Only one of Grievous’ escape pods made it to the surface in tact. In other words, the race is on! Obi-Wan and his troops head to Grievous’ crash site, but, after finding nothing, they split. Rex and his crew are traveling toward one pod when a commando droid shoots down Rex. One of his men notices that the Eopies are domesticated. Upon finding the homestead, a female Twi’lek, Suu, refuses to let them stay, then relents and offers them refuge in her barn. Her daughter comments that Rex looks like her father.

While Rex is resting that night, he hears an intruder and discovers a clone looking back at him. The clone reveals himself to be Cut, a deserter who left the army after the first battle of Geonosis. Rex states that he must report him, but, nonetheless, Cut offers him food and the opportunity to stay the night. During his stay, Rex and Cut discuss Cut’s allegiance to his family which he considers more a family than the army, though they may all be brothers. Rex understands his concern but says he must remain committed to the army. Cut’s children leave the house to play and accidentally activate the commando droids in the pod that landed in their field. Cut and Rex successfully defend the homestead together.

When Rex leaves the homestead the next morning, he tells Cut that he will not report him, revealing that he suffers from the same identity crisis as Cut. Rex rejoins the clones as they are battling Grievous. Both have found the last escape pod. Obi-Wan and his clones attempt to drive away Grievous’ rescue ship, but Grievous uses a cable to attach himself to the bottom of the ship and escape.

I give these episodes a 4.5 together. The lightsaber fights in “Grievous Intrigue” were well done, and I was impressed by the exploration of the clones’ identity. Although the show did not go in depth because it is aimed toward children, it is significant that the creators took the opportunity to point out to any kids (that can pay attention long enough :) ) that the clone wars have a social dimension beyond the effect of the war itself.