It’s not perfect, but “Heroes On Both Sides” is easily the best installment of The Clone Wars this season. It features a complex, multifaceted exploration of the Clone Wars. In many ways, this episode reminds me of how Deep Space Nine would explore an issue, giving voices to many different points of view. Of course, The Clone Wars is a half-hour show, aimed at a slightly different demographic, so the explorations aren’t as deep and there’s action tacked on at the end just to liven things up a bit. But on the whole, this is a fantastic installment, one that gets beneath the surface and reveals that, in war, there is rarely a simple set of “right and wrong.”

The episode begins with a debate about expanding the spending for the clone army. This can only be done by deregulating the banks. The premise opens up a couple of mature lines of thought. For starters, there is the timely (though painfully obvious) allusion to current debate on regulation of financial systems. More importantly, though, is the depiction of war profiteers and pacifists, elements which make the deregulation vote symbolic of their beliefs. This “second step” of exploration reveals just some of the complexities involved in any large-scale debate. And considering we’re dealing with a half-hour children’s show, this level of depth is commendable.

But like any good drama, this is only important because of the characters. The episode provides a cavalcade of small character moments, creating a much larger mosaic of not only character, but theme as well. And that process begins in the opening scenes. Anakin and Padmé discuss and debate Anakin’s role as a Jedi and a confidante of Chancellor Palpatine. A notable exchange begins with Padmé questioning, “why are we fighting in the first place,” while Anakin replies with “we have to restore order.” It’s a small moment that is important because it gives voice to two prominent and important opinions about the clone wars — and reinforces the arcs these characters are traversing.

Ahsoka’s there, too, and she offers the episode an opportunity to demonstrate learning and growth. Her initial perspective is very simplistic — almost purely black-and-white on the matter of Separatists and Loyalists. In this episode, she’ll have her preconceptions challenged — a growth foreshadowed by her updated character design. But she’s not a simplistic character.

Padmé suggests that Ahsoka use her Jedi clearances to affect passage to the forbidden Separatist world Raxus — home to Padmé’s former mentor and friend, Mina Bonteri. Padmé hopes the trip will trigger a pacifist vote from the Separatists that might help forestall the escalation of war that will be triggered by deregulating the banks. Ahsoka, in a quick bit of mind-bending logic, manages to justify the trip — demonstrating that, while she may have a simple perspective on the Clone Wars, she has complexity of thought. Not only that, it demonstrates just how much she is learning from Anakin about “bending” the rules.

Once on Raxus, Padmé and her mentor renew their friendship, demonstrating that deep disagreements can take place civilly and respectfully. At one point, Bonteri and Padmé debate the virtue of Count Dooku as a principled leader. Not only does it make for an interesting study in character, the scene is instructive — even (and maybe especially) to adults — that it’s possible to disagree without resorting to immature conversation.

The concept of maturity is left to Ahsoka and Mina Bonteri’s son, Lux. These younger characters had never met “the enemy” before meeting one another. That is to say, they never met someone who wasn’t in the field of battle, so-to-speak. They share war stories to an extent — Ahsoka has been on the field of battle, Lux’s father was killed by clones — but more importantly, they actually talk to one another. The friendly relationship between Padmé and Mina provides a kind of guideline for how Ahsoka and Lux ought to behave. And through their conversation — they even flirt with one another — they are able to learn a measure of understanding. It’s this growth which is so important to not only the characters, but the episode as well.

Also on the subject of maturity, “Heroes On Both Sides” features new character models for both Ahsoka and Anakin. The updated look helps provide a visual cue that the characters are growing, and that the rigors of war are beginning to take their toll. Ahsoka is now more fully clothed and Anakin looks much more like he does in Revenge of the Sith.

The episode’s subplot features a scheme initiated by Count Dooku, and enacted by General Grievous, to attack Coruscant — which hasn’t been attacked in “thousands of years.” The idea of preying upon the overconfidence of Coruscant and the Republic is reminiscent of what happened on 9/11. But more importantly, for the episode, it proves to be an act which undermines the nascent peace process. Destroying the power generators as the Republic Senate was voting to strike down the deregulation of banks effectively overturned the vote, and allowed war to be expanded.

That it all happens under the cover of blood red “emergency” lights adds a particularly symbolic sense of doom to the proceedings.

Still, this plot has some issues. I liked the Infiltrator droids (and the “Jawa Droid” theme whenever they were on screen), but structuring a last-second blast to change the course of the vote felt a bit too contrived. Worse still, in an episode titled “Heroes On Both Sides” (which seems to want to establish a kind of moral balance between the two sides of the conflict) the only explicitly villainous acts we see come from the Separatists.

And that leads to the final criticism of the episode: The use of “heroes” seems a bit extreme for this particular story. True, one could argue the heroism of standing up for peace in a legislative setting — something both Padmé and Bonteri do — but title seems to imply heroism far greater than introducing legislation or debating a bill. It all works, but the story doesn’t quite fit the connotation of the words.

Overall Grade: A-

“Heroes on Both Sides” is an excellent episode of The Clone Wars. Its flaws are relatively minimal compared to the complexities and subtleties of theme and character it portrays.

Note: If you have not already done so, please check out the Clone Wars Episode Timeline — a somewhat futile attempt to put the Clone Wars series into a chronological order!

Featured Article: The Clone Wars Episode Timeline
Topics: Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, Bail Organa, Captain Typho, Chancellor Palpatine, Count Dooku, General Grievous, Lux Bonteri, Mas Amedda, Padmé Amidala, Raxus, Sci-Fi, Senator Halle Burtoni, Senator Lott Dod, Senator Mina Bonteri, Senator Mon Mothma, Senator Orn Free Taa, TV Reviews
Filed under: Clone Wars

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