Star Wars: Clone Wars Season 7 Episode 10 - 5 Ups & 2 Downs From "Phantom Apprentice"
Phantom Apprentice takes Clone Wars to the next level.
The final beats of last week's Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode, Old Friends, Not Forgotten, set up this week's story, The Phantom Apprentice. Ashoka was surrounded my Maul's Mandalorian troops, as the Phantom Menace villain finally made his overdue physical appearance this season.
A continuation of the final story arc of Clone Wars, The Phantom Apprentice follows the confrontation between Maul and Ashoka. All the while, Maul has sensed a something in the force, something which could change everything.
The Phantom Apprentice works so well with Old Friends, Not Forgotten, delivering on all of its setup. The episode has more flare than any other this season, with exciting sequences from its first shot to its last. Filled to the brim with fight scenes, huge revelations, and plot twists, The Phantom Apprentice is arguably the best Clone Wars episode from the seventh and final season.
Here are five ups and two downs from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 7 Episode 10: The Phantom Apprentice.
8. Down - Jesse's Offscreen Capture
Early in the episode, Maul captures Arc Trooper Jesse. He interrogates him, finding out all of the Republic's plans. Showcasing how easily Maul can break an experienced, badass soldier like Jesse also sets up just how powerful he can be.
Why then is this a down? Jesse's capture is entirely off screen. Ashoka finds out what happens to him from another wounded trooper, and we never actually see the battle.
Not only does moving Jesse's capture offscreen rob us of what could have been another great fight sequence, it also downplays the importance of a character we've known since Season 2. The show has asked us to care about Jesse in the past, so why not now?
Plus, in the episode's finale, Maul returns him, damaged, to Rex and Ashoka, and that's the last we see of him. Why not give him some kind of redemption, showcasing his bravery one last time as he tries and fails to kill Maul then and there, only to die himself, or fighting bravely against the Mandalorians? Sometimes, the show cares about the clones, and other times, they feel like storytelling pawns.