After the massive jump in quality in Season 3, the rest of the series would end up having some really strong arcs. Season 4 is my favorite overall though, it definitely has some of the best storylines in the series.
The Battle Of Mon Cala Arc: This story arc feels like something out of some of the earlier seasons, though with much better animation. As a result, there isn't too much to unpack here, not much character work or deep themes, it's just a lot of fun and visually impressive underwater action, along with the chance to get to learn more about Admiral Ackbar's planet. All three episodes are pretty much the same. There's some fun action and a pretty standard storyline about a Mon Calamari who has to learn to lead, though I do like how genuinely devastating the ends of the first two episodes are. The Gungans appear in this arc as well, but only halfway through, and they're not too bad. It's weird that I don't have much else to say for a three-episode arc but it left so little of an impression. It's a decently fun set of episodes but nothing more, I think the action and massive amount of characters definitely saved it for more.
3/5 Stars
Shadow Warrior: Well, here's another Jar Jar episode, but wow, this was actually kinda dark? The premise of Jar Jar disguising himself as another person isn't super original (Bombad Jedi did it too), but it's actually kinda tense this time since he has to meet with Grievous. The Separatists are also super cold this episode, killing multiple Gungans, and kidnapping Anakin to use as a bargaining chip. It's really weird for me to say this was a dark episode about Gungans, but it genuinely was, with Tarpals' sacrifice in particular really getting me! If you told me yesterday that I'd feel for a Gungan, I would have laughed, but damn, poor Tarpals! Then again, there's only so much Gungan I can take, so while the story was good, you'd still have to sit through a lot of "meesa"s. Probably the best Jar Jar episode, though still on the weak side.
2/5 Stars
C-3PO And R2-D2 Arc: Evil Plans wasn't that good so I was worried about these two episodes. Thankfully, I thought they were somewhat enjoyable, if still a bit stupid. Unlike Evil Plans which splits the duo up and mostly stays in the same location, the two episodes in this arc are much larger adventures where C-3PO and R2-D2 stay together. Mercy Mission is definitely the weaker of the two as it takes some time to really get going, but it lets the two droids use their strengths to do something good for the galaxy. Nomad Droids is way more entertaining though, a fast-paced planet-hopping adventure that leaves the two droids close to being wrecked more times than not. I'd even say that I genuinely loved that scene where the two nearly power off, it's oddly sad. But best of all, this is the end of the pretty meh stretch of episodes that starts off the season. From here on out, the quality jumps up pretty dramatically, and stays there.
2/5 Stars
Darkened World Of Umbara Arc: Ah, the famous Umbara arc. Yeah, I don't think I need to tell you that this one's pretty great. The main premise is that Rex and his squad are trying to retake the beautiful planet of Umbara, but they're being commanded by a clone-hating Jedi named Krell whose methods are cruel and brutal. I adore this arc, the visuals are striking, the clones are well-developed, the conflict moves the show into further morally grey territory, and the action is brutal and intense. Just like many of the best episodes in the series, it's an exploration of the major theme of the clones' free will. It's also a rare arc where each episode is better than the last.
Darkness On Umbara is a strong start that establishes an interesting contrast between Anakin and Krell's methods. The tension between Rex and Krell is compelling, the action is intense, and the scene where Krell threatens Fives with a lightsaber is shocking. The General is even better, with some interesting conversations between the Clones, some crazy fights against the Umbaran's badass mechanical weapons, and a dark ending that hammers home how reckless and flawed Krell's lead is. Apparently, this episode has the highest amount of casualties in the series? That makes a lot of sense if it's true.
Plan Of Descent is a bit of a breather compared to The General, with some pretty funny moments and a greater focus on the characters. Once again, the clones have some really interesting arguments, and the cliffhanger about Fives and Jesse getting court-martialed is excellent. And finally, the amazing Carnage Of Krell, an emotional, stunning, and thought-provoking finale. It really brings all of the themes to the forefront, from civil disobedience, to the toll of war. There are also a ton of great scenes, from the tense firing squad sequence to the reveal that the 501st were fighting clones and not Umbarans, to the final battle with Krell, to the somber ending. Also, wow, there are some brutal death scenes in this episode, Krell's brutality genuinely made me wince at some points. This whole arc is just one amazingly told story, one of the show's best.
5/5 Stars
The Slaves Of Zygerria Arc: Oh, I was dreading this one. I'm not a fan of this arc, but I wouldn't say it's bad. I generally like it when Clone Wars gets dark, but this one is just plain depressing, especially once the Jedi are forced to disguise as slavers. There is some really dark content in this arc, made worse by Anakin starting to turn even darker. Kidnapped is a solid first episode with some fun action and an interesting subplot about Anakin dealing with his old past as a slave, actually a really cool concept. Slaves Of The Republic is by far my least favorite, it's borderline torture porn for most of the cast, especially Obi-Wan, though it does have another neat instance of foreshadowing for Revenge Of The Sith. And then there's Escape From Kadavo, which is far more fun and satisfying, while still also having Anakin's haunting attitude while slaughtering the slavers in a similar scene to Attack Of The Clones. Overall, this arc is fine, it's just one I don't like to watch too often.
3/5 Stars
A Friend In Need: I'm not a fan of characters being force-fed love interests, and Lux might be one of the worst instances of this. I didn't complain about this in Heroes On Both Sides because he didn't appear too much, but it was just unavoidable here, I don't like that they made gave Ahsoka a love interest in Lux. They lack any sort of chemistry, and the fact that Ahsoka has managed to be consistently interesting without any romantic storylines just makes it feel unnatural. It's as if the show was just trying to fill a quota to give its protagonist a love interest regardless of whether or not he fit. But what about the episode? Well, Lux was annoying, but everything else was actually pretty cool. Death Watch is back, and Bo-Katan made her first appearance! I also liked how the show finally dealt with the droid stigma with the R2 subplot, given how early it was established, I'm surprised it was never an issue before. I also thought the final act had some great action, with a darksaber fight, a badass quadruple decapitation, and a fun speeder chase against Bo-Katan. I also just like that this episode is another step towards Ahsoka changing her viewpoints on the war. It's a shame, I feel like I could have loved this episode, but Lux's role just did not sit well with me at all.
3/5 Stars
Obi-Wan Undercover Arc: I really liked this arc, it's a lot of fun! It feels like the culmination of all the bounty hunter storylines in the series, from Boba Fett to Cad Bane, and it focuses on Obi-Wan to boot! Well... kinda... it definitely sucks that we don't get to hear Obi-Wan's distinct British voice for most of the arc, but that's just a minor quibble, the rest of it's great! I even like how we get the start of some of Palpatine's manipulations of Anakin. Deception is a pretty standard prison break storyline, but it brings the main cast of bounty hunters together and has a really tense opening. Friends And Enemies was my least favorite of the bunch, but Obi-Wan's plan was fun, and the finale where he had to face off with Anakin and Ahsoka was great. The Box was always one of my favorite episodes, it's similar to Monster but instead of mostly combat encounters, the challenges in this episode were these super fun and creative obstacle courses. I also thought the lineup of bounty hunters was cool (Embo's back!), and they all had great chemistry. Crisis On Naboo is a solid conclusion with a phenomenal Anakin/Dooku fight that sets up RoTS, but I do think it resolves things a bit too easily. Regardless, this is a great arc with a lot of entertaining action, neat characters, and great plot progression.
5/5 Stars
Darth Maul Returns Arc: This is easily one of my favorite arcs of the series. Not only is it big and climactic, but it's also varied, spanning multiple genres, locations, and casts. As a whole, it's everything a strong Clone Wars arc should be. Massacre is dark, like this episode legitimately traumatized me as a kid. The zombies, the Nightsisters being slaughtered, and most of all that voodoo doll sequence, this massive war between Dooku and Talzin was just so intense! There's a great Ventress/Grievous fight and a massive downer ending for Ventress. It hardly even feels like a kid's show at this point and while I might not have liked it back then, I live for this stuff nowadays! In contrast with the grim Massacre, Bounty is insanely fun even if it's probably not quite as good. I loved watching Asaaj Ventress be a bounty hunter and the fights on the train were a ton of fun, this one just wasn't as dramatic though. Brothers finally brings Maul back in spectacular fashion, even if it was mostly set up for the finale. Speaking of which, then there's Revenge, one of my favorite finales in the series. Maul is back at full force, Obi-Wan gets to team up with Ventress, and the sheer amount of potential it adds to Season 5 is just so exciting. I adored this arc, it's so varied and exciting, ending on a strong finale for the season.
5/5 Stars
Overall, this season has its rough bits, but it's definitely my favorite in the series. Between the Umbara arc, the Obi-Wan arc, and the Darth Maul arc, all of which I'd easily give a 5/5, I think this season just has the most good stuff, and even its weaker story arcs aren't nearly as weak as those in other seasons.
5/5 Stars
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