To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and the all-new episodes coming thanks to #CloneWarsSaved, we’re undertaking a full chronological rewatch of the five original seasons, The Lost Missions, and the theatrical release. We’d be honored if you would join us and share your thoughts on the award-winning series.
31: “Senate Spy” (Season Two, Episode 4)
"A true heart should never be doubted."
Synopsis:
The Jedi Council suspects that Senator Rush Clovis, an InterGalactic Banking Clan delegate and former colleague of Padmé Amidala, may be working for the Separatists. Against Anakin's wishes, Padmé accepts a mission to accompany Rush to Cato Neimoidia to uncover clues about the Senator's true allegiances.
Analysis:
Personal feelings and professional obligations collide in a rare, quieter episode dedicated to political intrigue and secret romance.
Inside the senate chamber, Padmé and Anakin grapple with their identities as individuals, their duty to each other and the Republic, and ultimately the trust that relationships must be built on to survive.
Anakin is constantly putting himself in the line of fire, a general on the frontlines of the war, and a Jedi who reacts more by gut instinct than tactical plan. But when it comes to his wife, Padmé, he's protective to the point of being suffocating, jealous to the point of being infuriating. "I'm not going to let you do it," he says, as if he has the right of the choice to decide for her.
What he fails to realize in this moment is that Padmé has always been a formidable force, capable and intelligent, dedicated to protecting the people she represents whether as a queen or a senator. She's not afraid to put herself at risk when the needs of the many are at stake.
Anakin's folly is ultimately in trying to control Padmé's decision instead of acting as concerned spouse who ultimately trusts her and supports her choice. By trying to assert his own dominance and leaking some intel Master Yoda had failed to mention, he inadvertently helps to persuade her to agree to the mission to spy on Senator Clovis.
As Anakin and Padmé both put it, with varying degrees of snark, "Duty comes first, especially in war time."
And in the end they're both at least partially right in their assessment. The mission is dangerous -- Padmé's poisoning could easily have been deadly. But it's nothing she couldn't handle (with some help acquiring the antidote, of course.) And the information they uncover is vital to the war efforts.
Hat tip to Obi-Wan, who doesn't even try to control his face when Anakin shows a suspicious level of interest in Padmé's personal life.
Intel:
- This episode is a departure from most of the series, standing out for the elements it lacks: No blasters are fired, no lightsabers are ignited, and there's not so much as an explosion.
What did you think of the episode? Tell us in the comments below and share on social with #CloneWarsRewatch!
Next up: Come back next Thursday when things go terribly awry on Geonosis in "Landing at Point Rain."
Associate Editor Kristin Baver is a writer and all-around sci-fi nerd who always has just one more question in an inexhaustible list of curiosities. Sometimes she blurts out “It’s a trap!” even when it’s not. Want to talk more about The Clone Wars? Hop on Twitter and tell @KristinBaver what you thought about today’s episode.
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