REVIEW: Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Gathering
One of the best things about this week’s episode of The Clone Wars was that you didn’t need to know a thing about the Cartoon Network show to enjoy it. Anyone familiar with the movies and the themes of the Skywalker Saga can grasp the basic concepts of fear, hope, selfishness, patience, confidence, and instincts. These are the elements that prove the weaknesses of Anakin Skywalker and the strengths in turn of his son, Luke. In a vivid recall of the The Empire Strikes Back’s Dagobah cave, six Padawans earn their lightsaber crystals by testing those character traits and begin their paths to becoming true Jedi.
In her review this week, Megan Crouse sums up the beauty of this episode.
Unlike many episodes, “The Gathering” was really emotionally engaging despite having few adult characters – maybe Yoda’s age averages it all out – and few characters we’ve met before. It was heartening to see the young Jedi succeed. I was as amazed by the beautiful crystal cave just like the characters who fell into it, and the competitive nature of the story meant that the beauty was heightened by a little bit of tension. “The Gathering” broke out of The Clone Wars’ mold to good effect.
And if you are a student of intense Star Wars theory, the episode is seeded with callbacks to the Force philosophy-heavy Mortis trilogy from Season Three. Either way – as a simple child’s tale or more complex allegory for the perils of power and the price of heroism – the Young Jedi arc is definitely looking like it is meant for the Star Wars kid that exists in every fan. Check out Megan’s review.
Tricia Barr's novel, Wynde, won the 2014 Independent Publisher Book Award Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Ebook. She was also part of Silence in the Library's successful all-female creator science fiction and fantasy anthology Athena's Daughters, which is available now. For excerpts and tales of her adventures in creating a fictional universe, hop over to TriciaBarr.com.
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