Warning: this review contains full spoilers for Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 7, Episode 12. If you need a refresher on where we left off, here’s our review for Season 7, Episode 11.
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And so ends the Clone Wars. “Victory and Death” is a fitting conclusion o both the Siege of Mandalore arc and the series as a whole. It doesn’t necessarily have many surprises to add to the stories of series mainstays like Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex, but it cements this arc as the very piece of Star Wars television to date. For all that The Clone Wars has struggled in the past to maintain a consistent level of quality over the course of longer arcs, this final tale has been a thrilling ride from start to finish.
“Cinematic” is really the operative word with this arc. Perhaps more than any episode of the series, “Victory and Death” leaves you with the impression that it must have been an extremely expensive and time-consuming. The scale of this finale is incredible, especially during the climax as Ahsoka and Rex battle their way out of a doomed Star Destroyer and the focus shifts to an impeccably rendered free-fall sequence. Maul has a terrific moment of his own, singlehandedly dealing a death blow to the ship by ripping its hyperdrive apart. More than ever, I’m crossing my fingers these four episodes are eventually re-released as a feature film, because those sequences would surely look incredible on the big screen.
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Also impressive is how easily this episode maintains a high level of suspense despite viewers knowing the ultimate outcome. We know where Ahsoka, Rex and Maul end up years after the dust of the Clone Wars has settled, yet we’re still trapped on the edge of our seats watching the three battle overwhelming odds in a bid to escape. That tension remains even when the episode cheats a little bit and applies some of that Star Wars plot armor. It’s always funny how Clonetrooper/Stormtrooper armor is completely worthless as protection, yet someone like Ahsoka can take multiple, direct blaster hits and keep fighting.
It helps that the prolonged firefight in the hangar also emphasizes the tragedy of the situation and the fact that Ahsoka is fighting for her life against a group of soldiers who would have gladly given their lives for her just hours before. Ahsoka could have taken the easy way out by following Maul’s example and fighting to kill, yet she did her best to spare the lives of her men. Even more tragic is the fact that her efforts were all in vain. The ending gives no reason to assume anyone other than Ahsoka and Rex survived the crash. Ahsoka gained nothing by fighting honorably, but the fact she tried at all is a testament to her heroism. She may not be a Jedi, but the Force is with her.
Given how directly the previous episodes paralleled and mirrored the events of Revenge of the Sith, it’s a little disappointing we don’t see that element repeated in the finale. I would have liked to see these events somehow sync up with Anakin and Obi-Wan’s battle of Mustafar or Anakin’s rebirth as Darth Vader. It also might have been nice to see a more extended epilogue sequence showing how Ahsoka and Rex went into hiding and what set Ahsoka down the path toward becoming a Rebel agent. Did she ever make contact with Yoda or Obi-Wan? Granted, we have the Ahsoka novel to address some of that, but it still would have been nice to see a little farther past the events of Episode III.
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Still, the closing scenes are excellent about setting a somber mood and making that transition from the Prequels into the gloomy Imperial era. The emphasis on silence and mournful reflection really seals the deal. The final shot of a robed Ahsoka contemplating her future seems an intentional callback to the finale of Star Wars Rebels. And though we don’t get a new perspective on Anakin’s final descent into darkness, we do get a very welcome closing scene of Vader surveying the wreckage of the Star Destroyer and finding Ahsoka’s discarded saber. Without Vader uttering a single word, it’s clear the burden of the war and all the empty victories and painful losses remains with him. And at long last, The Clone Wars has a true and proper finale.
Source: IGN.com Star Wars: The Clone Wars Series Finale Review