IR TV Review: STAR WARS - THE CLONE WARS - FINAL SEASON - EPISODE 10 ("The Phantom Apprentice") [Lucasfilm/Disney+]
Working the progress of a fall from grace is an interesting diatribe in the current Ahsoka situation with "The Clone Wars". The traits and failures of her past but almost the ignorance of a path ahead is an interesting choice that blinds her but makes her a more dynamic character than we saw before. This is placed in view by the dreams of Darth Maul of all people. The crux of foresight and Ahsoka's eventual reveal to him as Anakin's padewan is a flashpoint for the series in many ways. This final season of "The Clone Wars" continues in the final perceptions of Ahsoka to be dramatically different than they began. But perhaps that was the plan all along. It is about fate but also lack of information. While the aspect of Maul in reflection of Crimson Dawn shows that he lives on past the fall of the Republic, the showdown that happens is in the best Star Wars tradition a sense of scale with the intimate and ironic lying underneath. While the lightsaber battle harkens back to many fights of note, both combatants are clearly confused by what to believe, whereas in most Star Wars battles, somebody has the distinct upper hand.
Whiole Maul is operating with direct assumptions, his vision is cloudy and incomplete as he does not know who Darth Sidous truly is. The politics of the Jedi aren't in play either. What is interesting is seeing where this interacts with the timeline that was consecutively happening in "Revenge Of The Sith" shielding why we would never have seen her in the film. That is another very dynamic part of this episode in knowing what is going on in the exact same time frame as the Siege of Mandalore. Maul's essence of revenge overwhelms him with Obi Wan. Many have tried to kill him yet Kobe lingers. There is also a distinct irony that plays in the reveal of life versus death for Ahsoka. She is trying to make the right decisions but The Force keeps trying to wrestle its idea of balance back into question. Like those that have been tempted before, Ahsoka's choice and reasoning is not as clear as one would think. But the resolve and reveal (and subsequent betrayal) is only a small amount of episodes away.A-
By Tim Wassberg