Star Wars: The Clone Wars stays stuck in a bit of a rut, even if there are moves afoot to put things in place for the future...
3.5 Corruption
The Clone Wars seems to be hitting a bit of a slump at the moment. Not awful stories, or even bad. Just a tad dull.
Sadly, Corruption is yet another trading conversation-heavy episode with 'essential' characters such as the Minister of Finance, Minister of the Interior and, wait for it, the all important customs officer. To make matters worse, the latter even gets a dramatic dun-dun-dunnnn-style build-up during his introduction before someone announces in awe, "It's the customs officer!"
The story itself sees Padmé on a diplomatic mission to Mandalore (pictured here with a rather tasty new hairdo), where she teams up with old chum, and once possible squeeze of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Satine Kryze. It doesn't help that the voice artists are hardly engaging for two characters who are supposedly friends.
Thankfully, there is a plot afoot.
She and Satine soon find something sinister lurking beneath the planet's serene facade after schoolchildren are poisoned by the actions of the new addition to the Star Wars universe, Moogan smugglers ('The Moogans' - great name for a band). The kids have been drinking bottled tea, diluted with a hazardous chemical and, for once, someone is thinking of the children.
This is where the interest of the episode lies, with terrorism taking centre stage. Though the previously seen terrorists on Mandalore, the Death Watch, are not to blame. But it once again brings up the notion of the planet's neutrality in the war (established in the previous season). One senses that Mandalore's passive nature will become an issue again in a future story
Corruption has the feel of a set-up, as the drama doesn't really go anywhere or say anything, and there's no resolution. As I said to begin with, not awful, not bad.
And definitely not as great as The Clone Wars can be.
Read our review of episode 4, Sphere Of Influence, here.