IR TV Review: STAR WARS - CLONE WARS - FINAL SEASON - EPISODE 2 ("A Distant Echo") [Disney+]

The progression of "The Clone Wars", even in its original incarnation, was revealing deeper mythology-based arcs within the greater story. What this new iteration seems to be doing is adding in some interesting character moments in between the plot. The 2nd episode entitled "A Distinct Echo" works on a couple different levels though the progression of where these series of episodes is going seems to be moving towards a certain path...or seemingly might be trying to introduce the world to new viewers. That said, the story is still pretty densely populated to those who have seen the previous seasons of the series from a couple years back. What the beginning of this episode tends to do is speak to inherent natures, whether it be a clone or a Jedi. In a scene that might not have happened a few years ago before "Rebels", Anakin speaks almost in secret to Padme with Rex, who undergoes a crisis of self doubt in this episode, protecting him. It speaks to a deeper friendship but also the essence of privacy, one which through one line Obi Wan says shows a breathe of knowledge. It is a small element of perspective but one that adds immense layers to later stories and also lends credence or at least weight to doing a live action Vader series showing doubt within Hayden Christensen's portrayal of Anakin.The story continues in this episode to follow The Bad Batch as they seek to find Echo both to protect Republic strategy but also unearthing what might be an algorithm at the center of the identity of the Clones which again speaks back to the eventual General Order. Without giving too much away, the team led by Anakin integrates with local aliens who attack because they don't want the war brought to them. The resolution speaks more to guilt than a sense of redemption. The animation continues to add different angles including close up and fluidity of lightsaber moves. Before this might have been done extremely quickly but now the scenes seem to take their time to give a sense of pace beneath the moves. In earlier animation, it might have been done quickly to cover up frame jumps per se. It is a small technical thing but one that makes all the difference. "A Distant Echo" also speaks to the shortcomings of the past but without understanding those consequences for these characters in the future.B

By Tim Wassberg