Fyraltari watches The Clone Wars (2008) for the first time

[Fyraltari]

Season 2, Episode 19: The Zillo Beast Strikes Back

Spoiler: Recap

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The Zillo Beast arrives on Coruscant where it's greeted by tanks and clone troopers who adorably point their rifles at the thing as if they could even tickle it. As it is being driven into a cage-hangar-thingie, Mace and Anakin meet with Palpatine (who can barely hide his Sith-boner for the beast's destructive potential) and Amedda. Windu points out that this is all a terrible idea and leaves after the weapon expert from last time assures him it'll be well treated. She seems to be more of a general I-have-twenty-two-degrees kind of scientist, since she starts conducting experiments on the zillo. Some prodding from Palpatine gets her to agree that the study would go faster if the beast were dead and he orders her to find a way to kill it, taking inspiration from the dugs' fuel. She thinks the beast might be intelligent but acquiesces nonetheless.

Obi-Wan heard the story from Windu and he gets Padmé and Anakin to petition the Chancellor about it. Anakin is reluctant because of the danger the zillo represents but agrees once he sees how strongly Padmé feels about it (rather than admit to her points about the morality of the situation). Palpatine deplores the ease with which secrets are found out on Coruscant. Padmé counters that transparency is kind of the point of democracy and Anakin shows his authoritarian side again saying that in war secrets have to be kept. Palpatine makes a for-the-greater-good-the-war-is-killing-millions argument. Anakin refuses to take a side which pleases Palpatine greatly (insert "the only thing necessary for evil the dark side to triumph..." here) and he leaves. Padmé is pissed at Skywalker.

The doctor attempts to poison the beast but only manages to make it furious enough to break out of bondage. What a surprise. I am shocked. Shocked, I tell you. It kills some clones just after they've had enough time to reflect on the pointlessness of their rifles. The beast carves a path of destruction towards the Senate. The senate is being evacuated. The beast attacks another of Palpatine's huge talking screens (still saying undecipherable stuff about the war and the Jedi) and generally spreads death and mayhem all around. It reaches Palpatine's office before Amidala, Palpatine, R2, 3P0 and Skywalker leave through the Chancellor's emergency shuttle. Windu and Kenobi arrive with a little army while the doctor informs the Chancellor they've produced another dose of poison.

The zillo catches the shuttle in the air and tries to crack it open. The Jedi (now joined by Yoda and Ayla Secura) hold their fire for fear of killing Palpatine and the others. Anakin starts cutting the shuttle open. Mandatory bad felling about this and "this is where the fun begins". Kenobi calls it one of his "improvised plans". Windu is confused about how a plan could be improvised "Just catch them when they fall. A lot of the general's plans involve falling" answer Obi-wan and Rex. Sounds about right. Yoda and Ayla get on the beast, Shadow of the Colossus style to distract it. The shuttle breaks and the Jedi manages to catch everyone (Ani gets to save his wife). The clones uselessly fire on the beast who's still fixated on Palpatine. R2 carries him to safety on his magic thrusters while the shuttle pilot is killed. The clones fire the poison gas at the zillo, and you know it's dying because the music turns to all violins. Cut to the next morning where Palps makes a show of being sad and orders the beast cloned as soon as the Jedi aren't looking. Obvious sequel hook is obvious.

Spoiler: my thoughts

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Okay, what was Palpatine's angle in this? I don't see how widespread destruction on Coruscant would help him. Does he plan to blame the Jedi? How? Or did he really think it wouldn't escape? The zillo seemed to always know where Palpatine was (except for the big honking screen moment) coupled with the pondering on its intelligence I thought they were going to reveal it was force-sensitive but I guess not. I like the way the zillo fight, lots of spins to attack with its tail and dorsal arm.
Not much else to say, this episode felt a bit crowded maybe?