It’s fitting that these two episodes have been slotted together, as they deal with some of the Clones from the previous story and it’s set on Kamino. Again, the watery planet is beautifully realised here and the animators go to work in a big way. As the action is split in three – the Clones facing off with droids, Anakin sabering it up with Ventress, and Grievous fighting with Kenobi – the climatic tension really does make the episode feel like a season finale. The latter battle between the bearded Jedi and robotic General is particularly worthy of a mention, supremely directed and slightly unpleasant as Grievous scuttles about. The tone gets nasty too. Would-be Sith Ventress coldly, and somewhat graphically, strangles and kills a Clone just for the sheer hell of it (the censors also cut out a moment where she kissed him first). I mean, won’t somebody please think of the children? So, you may have guessed that the story takes a back seat here. Yes, it does, but the episode flies by so quickly, and so pleasingly, that you’ll barely notice. The perfect compliment to the emotional and story-led opener. Read our review of the season 3 opener,Clone Cadets, here.
