REVIEW: Tales of the Underworld
Tales of the Underworld is the third in the animated Tales of… series by Dave Filoni. It started with him sketching out backstory for his favorite character, Ahsoka Tano, while commuting between Los Angeles and Lucasfilm homebase San Francisco. He shared this idea with Lucasfilm Executive Vice President Carrie Beck. She found the money to produce six character vignettes called Tales of the Jedi. Three stories focused on Ahsoka Tano and three on Count Dooku. Following the critical reception of the first series, Tales of the Empire expands the stories of Barriss Offee and Morgan Elsbeth, a former Jedi and Nightsister, respectively, who clashed with Ahsoka Tano at different points. For May the Fourth again this year, Disney+ released Tales of the Underworld, which highlights new stories for fan favorites Asajj Ventress and Cad Bane.
While Asajj Ventress, who first appeared in The Clone Wars movie as Count Dooku’s apprentice, could technically fit as a Sith, by the end of the The Clone Wars animated series she had survived an assassination attempt by her master and became a bounty hunter. In the book Dark Disciple, based on an unfinished The Clone Wars animation arc, she fell in love with Jedi Quinlan Vos and died helping the Jedi Order. Vos returned her to the burial waters of Dathomir. Underworld picks up at this moment, revealing that Ventress accepted the opportunity for a new lease on life via revival by Nightsister magick, but at the forgoing her “heart’s desire” to love Vos. Unlike other Tales of character arcs, Asajj’s story is more like a full-length television episode split into three 15-minute segments rather than a vignette anthology jumping through time.
Ultimately, this resurrection story wasn’t a surprise after a very-much-not-dead Asajj Ventress had showed up in The Bad Batch to offer guidance to Omega and test whether Clone Force 99 was worthy of keeping her safe. What Underworld offers is the further story promised at the time that would explain how she lived and offer her new motivations going forward. We learn some more about Quinlan Vos’ Hidden Path, an underground movement that sheltered Force sensitives from the Empire (as seen in Obi-Wan Kenobi). Ventress’ interaction with Lyco Strata, a former Jedi Padawan on the run, proves to be a test of the bargain she made to live. Her relationship with Lyco has the master-apprentice banter of Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger in Star Wars Rebels and keeps these three episodes entertaining. Characters returning from The Clone Wars are bounty hunters Latts Razzi (Clare Grant) and C-21 Highsinger in the second episode “Friends” packed full of action.
As is typical in these Tales of stories, parallel themes run through all six episodes. For Cad Bane, Underworld reverts back to the anthology style storytelling with a strong Western tone tying the episodes together. What we learn about Cad Bane and his friendships isn’t as compelling as the other characters featured in this series. While some villains are ripe for exploring their motivations, not every one needs that much exposure. If you want to know where Bane’s famous hat comes from and a few other details as a fan of the character, then the episodes deliver. But if you don’t feel compelled, you’re not missing out on an important character arc. Where Asajj Ventress’ arc feels like it’s setting up more story, Cad Bane’s feels like it exists for the sake of filling in backstory details.
Tales of the Underworld is available now on Disney+. For our interview with Nika Futterman, the voice of Asajj Ventress check here.
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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