That was a super nice episode!
This is definitely a memorable episode, right along with 'Rookies'. It was great to see the differences between Rex and Cut, and watch how Rex's mind was gradually changed about his situation. I liked how we saw a little bit of Obi Wan's frustration and extreme determination to catch Grievous in these last 2 episodes, seems like a little bit of Anakin is rubbing off on him.
It's great that amidst all the action they always find time to tell a meaningful story. It gives the whole show a lot more depth.
I was smirking a little bit when that trooper said the guns were malfunctioning because of overheating. That's rather hard to believe, considering how the battles are usually portrayed. Here it felt like the writers excuse to have Grevious escape. And speaking of him - I understand he was trained by Dooku in fighting with a lightsabre but that he is not force sensitive in any way. Against full fledged Jedi Masters like Kenobi he comes away too easily.
this episode was surprisingly touching
AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate the droids so much.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2016-02-14T21:09:19Z
9.5/10. My favorite episodes of The Clone Wars so far have all involved the clones themselves. While I'm as invested in the broader Skywalker-based Space Opera that stretched through the main films and threads its way through this series, there's something undeniably compelling about the idea of the clones that makes me sit up and take notice every time the show focuses on them. There's a lot to delve into there, with identical human beings, bred for loyalty and trained to kill and obey, sent off to war.
But rather than lurking in the background, the kind of "fridge logic" issue that gives you pause while brushing your teeth the next morning, episodes like "Deserter" bring those ideas to the forefront. I love the idea of Rex encountering a clone who gave up the fighting, who wanted to settle down and have a family away from the war. His arguments with Cut--about loyalty, about choice, about freedom, and about bravery--are not necessarily subtle, but they're still very complex, and don't take the gravity of the issues or the questions of morality involved in the creation and use of the clones lightly.
And sure, the whole story wraps up a little too neatly, with Rex initially virulently angry with Cut for deserting, and then hearing his tale and fighting with him to protect Cut's family, and eventually coming to accept his brother's choice. It's a tidy little arc, but one appropriate for the tone of the show, and quite interesting in the ideas it explores. In truth, the tack it takes is far more in the vein of Trek than Wars when it comes to star-bound tales, but that just means it leans more toward the contemplative side of science fiction than the whiz-bang epics of science fantasy.
There is, of course, the tracking of General Grievous, which is a much slighter story that, despite the enjoyable comic relief of the battle droids, feels like perfectly good-if-perfunctory plot movement behind the much mre interesting clone trooper story. It didn't hurt the episode, but it didn't really add much to it either as it was a fairly generic cat-and-mouse, search and destroy mission, the likes of which we've seen repeatedly on this show.
But overall, this is one of, if not the strongest and most complex episodes Star Wars: The Clone Wars has offered so far, and I hope it's a sign of things to come.