Favorite CLONE WARS episodes (so far)

~Rookies: It can be summed up in one word: sacrifice. (and I said I would write about why clones are interesting, here it is!) Jedi have been taught their whole lives that death is nothing and that to sacrifice oneself is honorable, therefore I would say it is easy for them to die and get over it. Now compare that to a clone trooper. Nobody ever told them that "Oh, you're going to go into the Force the same as any Jedi so sacrificing yourself it really honorable." or " You're a great person!". They had no reassurance, no confidence in what happened when the inevitable happened, nothing. That's why their deaths meant more, because they gave their lives from their hearts, not from anything else. Dying is one of those things I used to be terrified of, now I've told myself what I think is in store in the afterlife and have gotten over it. I can't even fathom what fear they must feel at the point when they realize it is their life that must be given. But then again, the courage and their good hearts is what inspires them to give to the last full measure.

~Darkness on Umbara, The General, Plan of Dissent, &Carnage of Krell: Love, love, love the Jedi/clone conflict in these ones. I'm a firm believer that this wasn't the only example of Jedi mistreating their men. Think of Quinlan Vos, though he was essentially a 'rogue' Jedi, his actions toward Bly ultimately got that commander on the wrong side of the Jedi. And he practically physically beat Faie when the clone was trying to reason with him. It's Jedi like these that are at fault when considering the outcomes of Order 66. And what's even more troubling is the varying degrees of misuse done by good Jedi like Obi-Wan or Mace Windu, even Yoda! I think the only Jedi you can see exempt from this would either be Anakin or Kit Fisto. Skywalker's will to save Rex is awesome. I think the Jedi just have a hard time coping with the outcomes of fighting alongside unForce sensative clones and realizing that this attachment isn't bad, that they should embrace it as a simple act of kindness and concern toward's a group of individuals who could easily die in the next minute. Their failure to acknowledge that was what turned the clones off towards them. (MEGA SPOILER ALERT!!) Also I'd have to say I bawled my eyes out when Waxer died in "Carnage..". Who couldn't after seeing how sweet he was and what an important roll he played when he comforted Numa on Ryloth. 

~The Hidden Enemy: I like this one because it was the first one that directly confronted the issue of the Jedi's 'use' of the clones. You can also see the conflict beginning between Cody and Obi-Wan which I love because Kenobi doesn't realize what's going through his commander's head. He also doesn't realize that it's not just Slick that is sick with the way he sees his brothers treated. You can totally see it in Cody's face at the end-- he's not stupid. I just love how he fights it though. He doesn't want to believe that his own Generals are beginning to forsake them a little bit. I think it completely justifies why they went through with Order 66. Even though Cody more or less saved Obi-Wan's life by making it seem like he had died only so he could get away. In my books (literally) Obi-Wan (like the rest of us) goes on thinking that Cody did it on purpose and without consideration to their friendship, up until the end when he meets the clone again. Kinda sad but I love it. Shows us that you don't have to be a bad guy to do stuff wrong.

~Cloak of Darkness: Because it has Gree kicking butt in it! :) Gree would have to be my second favorite clone commander because as a person, he's really interesting. I mean, how many clones are culture buffs?! He 's like the anthropologist of the GAR. And I think that's awesome!! Kinda makes you wonder what some of these guys could have been after the war if there had been a happy ending. :'( In compassion he was almost equal to Cody.The good guys lost a great man when they killed Gree. He's going to have a special place in my books.

~The Deserter: I just love the line where Rex says "Because I'm part of the most pivotal moments in the history of the Republic. And if we fail, then our children, and their children will be forced to live under an evil I can't well imagine."
I think this is a great representation of not only the rich gravity of the Clone Wars but Rex 'growing up'. At first I really disliked him because he kept calling the younger clones 'shinies' and seemed like he was showing off all the time. Now that I've seen this one and Darkness on Umbara, I think we really get to see him becoming more 'Cody-like'. The reason why I used that is because Cody always seemed to be the elder clone, he always was quiet and humble when it came to Rex's escapades. I think he was standing back and letting the captain find out for himself what it really meant to be a clone and even human for that matter. Cody of course (in my books) began as a lowly private and saw the worst you could see. He knew how precious life was. It was in that way that Commander Cody comes across as a deeper, wiser clone. (I can't wait to see him on Season 3!) When Rex left that house, he had 'grown up' in a way.

~ Innocents of Ryloth: Not only was that a great representation of what compassion clones are really capable of but also the Jedi's ignorance to what they actually feel. (I'm sorry if I'm hating on the Jedi a little too much but this is just what I see them doing) True Obi-Wan was just trying to help too, but the part where he literally snatches the Twi'lek kid away from the people who actually found/saved her always makes me mad. It's like Kenobi is thinking: Why is she hanging around them? They don't even speak her language. The natives are supposed to converse with only the Jedi. Only we can understand their needs. That's just what it felt like to me. I make sure to cover this in many of my 'battle' books where I explore the natives' reactions to both the Jedi and the clones. Just a clue: It's very different! The clones seem to have a more casual yet more 'deep' (ideologically: as in what they talk about) relationship than the Jedi, which are served respectively but not as closely as the clones. The reason being, clone troopers can't sense a person's intentions or morals like a Jedi can and therefore can only come to a conclusion by talking to the person and using their amazing attention to detail to decide whether the person is bad or good. In this way, they are actually making more contact with the native inhabitants of the planets. Which is something I'm sorry we don't see more of in the Clone Wars show because it's the Jedi who are always the spokesperson and negotiators, not the clones. Another failure of them to engage the total assets of the clones.
   On a more positive note, I love how the clones don't exactly know what to do to comfort her. It's clearly very awkward for them and you can see that when they go to her house. I think the episode did a great job illustrating this awkwardness. I also love how it shows human compassion and how much a part of a person it really is. Even though the troopers couldn't precisely identify what they felt or what to do, simple gestures like a pat on the head, a hug, or calm speaking are clear examples of what humans do to comfort people. If you watch the episode now you will probably see that Waxer did more acts of kindness to Numa than Obi-Wan. The Jedi picked her up but he didn't really talk to her like the clones did. Think of what would have happened if the troopers had never found her. The mission would have probably failed, save for Cody's intelligence would have most likely been their sole savoir.