Warning Full Spoilers for the Episode “Hidden Enemy” Below

Last week I started my re-watch of the fan-favorite cartoon Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I have been an avid fan of the show ever since it first aired in 2008. Every week I would sit down and just throw myself into a world full of action, excitement, and adventure. Doing my now third binge-watch as an adult has definitely brought some of the show’s more glaring flaws to mind, especially those of the first two seasons.

As I stated last week, the show was aired out of order, so I have been using the official chronological guide to jump around season one and two. The pilot episode was the sixteenth episode of the second season, and the second episode was the sixteenth episode in the first season. It can get a little confusing, but thankfully, watching it in order is pretty easy. This second episode sets things up nicely for the feature length film.

”Hidden Enemy” takes place shortly after the events of “Cat and Mouse”. Anakin and Obi-Wan are setting up an ambush to take down the separatist droid army, however, at the last minute the droids break off. They ambush the Jedi and fellow clone troopers. After an action-packed opening and a intense escape from the droids, the republic forces escape with the head of a tactical droid. This information leads Commander Cody and Captain Rex to the fact that there is a spy.

In response to this new information, Obi-Wan and Anakin decide to go behind enemy lines to see if they can find anything out. This is where I find that the episode falls apart a little bit. The tone feels very inconsistent, and the ideas of the characters just come out of nowhere. Obi-Wan just decides that they will go behind enemy lines and there didn’t really seem to be any reason behind it. With it being so sudden, it feels like an excuse to add a lightsaber duel toward the ending of the episode.

”Hidden Enemy” was at its best when it was focused on Rex and Cody investigating the turn coat. This wasn’t an in-depth investigation or anything and all the pieces fell together really quickly without much input from the two clones. Right away they encounter the traitor when they realize that he has been listening through a communicator. The chase is cut short when he runs into the mess hall. With the lead lost, Rex and Cody return to the drawing board and find that an irregular signal has been being broadcasted in the weapons barracks.

This leads the Clones to a small squadron of troopers that could have been the culprits. Again this all should have been engaging, but I was just left a little bored since the dialogue between each character felt a little flat and repetitive. For example, when Rex would state a fact Cody would then repeat that same fact and add on to it. It happens a lot between not only Rex and Cody but also Obi-Wan and Anakin as well, which left this episode feeling a little too basic. I know this show started off on Cartoon Network for children, but I think it kind of beat people over the head with what was going on and kept it a little too simple at times.

In the meantime, Obi-Wan and Anakin are behind enemy lines. They are being watched by separatist droids as they make their way to enemy headquarters. This part of the story feels inconsequential as they walk into a building and meet Asajj Ventress. There wasn’t much of a revelation here besides her introduction, and the fact that this fight leads right into the film.

The climax of the episode feels so tonally inconsistent as well. As the fight between Ventress and the Jedi continues, the episode cuts between this and the revelation on who the traitor was. This moment feels undercut by the unnecessary action going on with the Jedi. I felt “Hidden Enemy” would have been a lot more interesting if the Jedi were helping catch the spy instead of having a duel.

These early episodes of The Clone Wars are definitely weak when compared to the stories told in the third season and beyond. It starts out very “Monster of the Week” style with a small bridging narrative that keeps fans coming back just to see fan favorite characters in different scenarios than the ones in the main saga films.

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars

7

Score

7.0/10

Pros

• Rex and Cody are a highlight this episode
• Closer look into the lives of Clone Troopers

Cons

• Obi-Wan and Anakin feel unnecessary in this part of the story
• Investigation falls too easily in place
• Tonally Inconsistent Scenes