The Clone Wars Review: Monster

Hello everyone!  I’m Riley.  Readers of EUCantina might not know me, but if you’ve listened to many of the fabulous podcasts from our sister site, SoloSound.net, you may know my voice.  I’m a former co-host of EUCast and the current host of The Bothan Report.  I’m very excited and privileged to present to you, EUCantina’s The Clone Wars episode reviews.

This week we finally saw the debut of the much anticipated Clone Wars villain Savage Opress.  That is, if you didn’t already see the half dozen or so preview clips that Lucasfilm released.  Really, for those who weren’t at the special screenings around the country, it must have felt like they’d already seen half the episode before it aired.

One thing that really stood out to me about this brand new character was not Savage himself.  Though he was interesting, it was his surroundings and background that really stood out.  Ever since we saw the clip of his introduction at Celebration V, we’ve known what a “monster” he would be.  However, at the beginning of this episode, we get to see his background, how close he is to his brother, and how he hasn’t “hulked” out yet.  

The first impression isn't what you'd expect.

 Another great part of this episode was the fighting.  Most of the combat was fought using primitive weaponry.  The games that Ventress put the Zabraks though were fought in a gladiator-style arena with clubs, pikes, and spears, not to mention the Sickle-of-death.  Thanks to the excellent animation, you could feel the weight of both the weapon and the person wielding it.  Ventress’ fighting style was sneaky and underhanded, matching her more lanky stature.  On the other hand, the Zabraks – specifically Savage – were straightforward and brutal.  Savage didn’t mess around.  He used his greater size and weight to counter Ventess’ tactics.  Distinguishing two opponents based on their physical differences brings a never-before-seen level of detail to the series.  For the Nightsisters, anyway, perhaps size does matter.

"When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the monster."

Finally, someone who I think deserves our close attention is Mother Talzin.  At this point, there’s really no telling how long she’s been planning to plant her own loyal servant as Dooku’s apprentice, but I’m guessing it goes back pretty far.  In a way, Mother Talzin reminds me of Palpatine.  She has successfully manipulated this series of events to… what end?  What’s her game?  The easy answer is that she wants Dooku out of the picture, but I think there’s much more to it than that.  Many fans are wondering how she could possibly fool a Sith Lord… but I’m wondering what secrets will eventually be revealed about Mother Talzin.

How similar are they?

This brings me to my question for the week.  Do you think that there is something more to Mother Talzin?  If so, why?  Leave a comment below or hit us up on Twitter!

- Riley