Shadow of Malevolence – Clone Wars episode 1.03

Blue fortune cookie.

“Easy is the path to wisdom for those not blinded by ego.” Suck it, Michael Jordan.

Shadow of Malevolence.

Anakin has a plan to take out Grievous and his ship, the Malevolence. I hope, hope, hope it’s a suicide mission.

Cut to the Malevolence destroying more Republic Star Destroyers. Is this Anakin’s plan failing? Is it some other Republic fleet? We have no idea because the writers choose the wrong time to hop off the 8:15 exposition train (a train, I might add, that they board all too frequently). Dooku’s not aboard this time and tells Grievous to attack a Republic medical facility.

Meanwhile, back in…the past? another fleet? what? Ahsoka is upset that she has to tag along as Anakin’s gunner instead of flying her own ship. What is with the whining? Do all Jedi have the ‘Force whine’ power at full blast by default?

It turns out the fleet that got wiped out was just a random fleet. So we’re still in the present. Anakin hasn’t unleashed his (suicide?) attack yet. The Republic has caught wind of Grievous’ plan. Anakin and his squadron are in Y-wings except for Plo Koon (Anakin has his own fleet and his own squadron of cutting edge bombers…really? Dark Side? Really?).

They get in their Y-wings, go into hyperspace, then Anakin takes them out of hyperspace and into a nebula for a ‘shortcut.’ I…I don’t think George Lucas understands the concept of lightspeed.

Dooku warns Grievous about Anakin’s attack because both sides have Enigma machines from the other.

Anakin’s squadron is attacked by Space Manta Rays in the nebula which is the best non sequitur action scene since the Superfriends journeyed to the center of the earth and killed every creature they encountered for the sin of merely existing. Like on the Superfriends, the Space Manta Ray attack is merely filler and the squadron escapes out the other side of the nebula.

Good timing. The Malevolence exits hyperspace and the fight is on. Grievous fires the ion cannon at Anakin’s fighters and half are knocked out.

For some reason, the ion cannon takes longer to fire the second time around. Ahsoka suggests changing the plan. Plo Koon audibles that if they damage the ion cannon, it will overload when fired. This is pretty astute since the first time he had ever seen a weapon of this type was last episode. Now he suddenly knows the schematics by heart.

Bottom line: they do; it does. The Malevolence’s hyperdrive is damaged in the explosion. Kenobi’s warships pursue.

The number of times the phrase “point of view” is used: 1.

To the next episode: Destroy Malevolence, or back to the episode guide.