NOW we’re cooking!!! I’m very happy that I got to rewatch this season, because it’s personally one of my absolute favorites! The storytelling has drastically improved, lots of important context have been added to the prequel trilogy, and the dialogue have gotten deeper! And that’s only scratching the surface, because this season just has so much to appreciate that it’s hard to simply fit this intro, so let’s get started!

The Characters

Everyone was beautifully written as always, but it also feels a bit different at the same time. One reason I say that is because there was surprisingly less focus on Ahsoka compared to previous seasons, but that’s probably because I’ve talked about her so much. Either way, I still understand that she probably doesn’t need as much spotlight with all that’s been built up for her until now. But whenever she was on screen, I always take a second to notice her moments of confidence, leadership, and combat (like in the three-episode premiere arc in Mon Cala). 

Another reason I feel like the characters are a bit different is actually a great one: everyone in the show explores more about themselves. While the other seasons accomplished this, this season provides more time for proper character arcs by splitting them into multiple episodes, accompanied by lingering on-screen appearances and dialogue. For example, in one of the most popular arcs in the whole show, Captain Rex is faced with what being a soldier truly means. Rex had to follow a general (Pong Krell) who is straight up rude and doesn’t give a crap about clones, but feels the need to stay committed no matter what. However, as Krell’s orders get to the point of treason, he starts to question his commitment to the cause he was raised to believe in. Does it take blind following to be loyal? Or does it take a little independence?

One of the things I love most about the characters, though, is shining more spotlight on Darth Maul. I have to be honest though, even as a kid, I thought bringing Maul back was random, unnecessary, and a cheap move to win fans with a popular character. However, after watching Clone Wars then and now, I am so grateful that they did! From psychotic cyborg-spider to slightly less psychotic cyborg, I love how you can just see the intense craziness and rage in Maul’s face, while he manages to look and sound cool and collected. This is especially satisfying because we never saw anything about the character outside of Phantom Menace, and I never read any of the Legends books, so this was a real treat for me. 

The Dialogue

Let me just say that I am SO GLAD I’m at the point in the show where I can finally and fully enjoy the dialogue! As far as I could tell, there weren’t any childish lines or poorly written scripts, or at least none that caught my attention. Instead, every word continues to build on the last three seasons and become more mature and thought-provoking. A great example of this is during the Umbara arc, when Rex and the clones talk about Krell’s plan to take a nearby airbase. I love this scene so much because it’s not just two people talking, but we get multiple perspectives: Fives and Jesse call Krell crazy and reckless, Dogma full-on agrees, Rex shows a mix of loyalty with some slight hesitation, meanwhile Harcase literally says “I don’t know, could be fun!” Probably the best part, though, is when Rex tries to get Fives to convince the rest of the men to agree. Fives outright questions if his loyalty is what he’s engineered to think (which foreshadows his individuality in his season six arc), while Rex says he believes he has to honor his code (basically not confirming Fives is right or wrong about that). 

However, what makes the overall dialogue even better is the fact that even the villain speeches make sense. Take Maul for example: when Savage found him, one might dismiss Maul’s words as the psychotic ramblings of a madman. But for another, one can see a method to the madness in quotes like, “Always remember I am fear. Always remember I am hunter. Always remember I am filth. Always remember I am nothing!” or “Far above, far above, we don’t know where we’ll fall. Far above, far above, what once was great is rendered small.” It’s poetic with the words he says and how he says them, because he’s not only portraying the ideals and beliefs of the Sith, but also how he sees himself. After all, he went from being the ruthless apprentice of an extremely powerful Sith Lord to a crazy cyborg-spider living in garbage. I’d imagine anyone’s self esteem would be shattered after that. But in all seriousness, it shows the tragedy of how Maul allowed all that rage and hatred to consume him to the point of insanity. And if you’re familiar with Maul’s backstory, this scene hits especially hard. 

The Story/Action

I’ve heard many people say that this is the point in the series where the creators finally stop walking on eggshells, and I’m all the more happy for it! The action has gotten so much better, but not because the fights look cooler, but because they’ve gotten physically and emotionally more intense. I’ve already talked about the Umbara arc a few times in this review, but it’s a great example since it’s just as intense as I remember! After all, the clones have to fight on a dark, frighteningly unfamiliar planet with a general who puts them through one suicide mission after another. Aside from the said general’s sabotaging efforts, the sheer intensity of the battles and indestructibility of the enemies’ weapons make it a miracle anyone actually survived to the end. But even though everyone won, the cost was too high. Not only was the casualty rate ridiculously high, but like I said earlier, each clone had a rude awakening of what loyalty truly means. The realization either completely shattered clones like Dogma, or at least stirred something inside of others like Rex and Fives. Either way, I’m always glad to see this show dive into mature themes such as this one. 

Aside from that, one other thing I love the most about this season is how it provides additional context to the prequels. Specifically, we get to see more on Anakin’s “character development” in four particular episodes, explaining how he became the way he was by the time of Revenge of the Sith. In said episodes, Obi-Wan goes on a deep undercover mission disguised as a bounty hunter, in order to infiltrate a Separatist plot to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine. The only problem? No one thought to keep Anakin in the loop. I mean, watching your best friend and mentor die in front of you is traumatizing enough, but knowing he was alive the whole time and never told you? Who wouldn’t have trust issues after that? But that’s not even the worst of it, as Palpatine (being the opportunistic weasel that he is) takes advantage of this whole situation. He not only engineers that whole plot just to prod Anakin closer to the dark side, but he also preys on Anakin’s newfound insecurities and distrust. Of course, we all know where that leads in the future, but it’s still sickening to see Palpatine do this and we can’t do a thing about it. 

Conclusion

I feel like the only proper rating this season should get is a 9 out of 10! It was seriously that good, and this season is one key reason that I would recommend this show to any newcomers! Now, I’m not saying the first three seasons were terrible by any means, but season four proves how some shows are worth trudging through to get to moments like this one.