Season 5, Episode 8: Bound for rescue

Spoiler: Recap
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So it turns out the improvised "repairs" of the last episode were only good for one jump into hyperspace. the younglings, now stranded into space, contact the fleet, more precisely "the General Kenobi?" They quickly recap the last episode for him and he says he'll send Cody pick them up while he goes to Florum to deal with Hondo. "Will Ahsoka be alright? -Hondo would be even more of a fool than I think he is to even think to hurt her." ... I think you have an overly optimistic assessment of Ohnaka's cognitive abilities, Obi-Wan. Naturally Petro wants to be part of the rescue mission, but Kenobi is having none of it. However, before Cody or Kenobi can go anywhere, a separatist fleet shows up and opens fire, putting the rescue mission on the backburner.

While waiting to be rescued, Katooni, Gunji, Petro and Byph are assembling their lightsibers. Not sure how Petro got new parts since Huyang is still in pieces. It's a very nice sequence, each doing essentially the same thing but the levitating pieces move at different speeds giving each a bit of personnality. Katooni is calm and methodical, Petro is quicker, Byph is unsure and then precise and Gunji is focused on one part at a time. Gunji's got a green blade while Byph and Petro have blues. Katooni's lightsaber doesn't work yet, though. They start wondering where the rescue is and Petro insists they try and rescue Ahsoka themselves. Gunji and Byph (surprisingly) agree while Katooni reminds them the reason they are treated like children is because they are. In come Ganodi and Zatt who explains they have a big problem: the coolant system is leaking meaning they risk an explosion soon. They have to land to "let the system reset". Petro points out that since they have to land anyway, they might as well do it on Florum and rescue Ahsoka.

Cut to Florum, where the pirates are throwing a party, because why not? Tano tells Honaka to let her go. He says that'd be unprofitable and short-sighted. I'm surprised that last one features in his vocabulary, honestly. Then he teases her with some alcohol for no reason other than being a prick. MEanwhile, the Republican fleet isn't doing so well and the Separatists are sending boarding parties. One of which lands in the central rift on Obi-Wan's cruiser (you know, the one the hangars all connect to?) and out comes Grievous. Laughing. In space. I get surviving in space for a while, but he can speak in space? He and Kenobi meet face to face and the cyborg crushes a clone underfoot, something the Jedi vows to make him regret. You know, even if you did manage to kill him there and then, I doubt he'd think "Ah, if only I'd just killed 19,999 clones instead of 20,000, he'd have let me lived!" THey start fighting.

The children land on Florum, in the middle of nowhere for safety. Zatt orders R2 to finish repairing Pr. Huyang, and Petro tells ganodi to stay with the ship, because she's the only one who's done flight simulation at the Temple and they're probably going to need to make a quick escape. She agrees. They start walking towards the pirate base (Zatt's scanners detect a big power source) and Petro admits he doesn't actually have a plan to rescue Ahsoka, but they'll think of something right? Ahsoka tells Hondo the Republic won't pay a ransom for her and the separatists would rather kill them both than pay him. Ohnaka admits Dooku holds a grudge against him since the whole "hostage" business. I dunno, you seem to be doing an awful lot of breathing for a guy a Sith Lord has a grudge against. Not to worry, Hondo has another client in mind: more nefarious criminals than him, who would pay handsomely for a Jedi especially a female one (I don't like the way he empathized that word at all) and who don't care if she's alive or dead. Okay, what the actual ****, Hondo!

In space, Kenobi throws a fuel barrel at Grievous (the resulting explosion doesn't even hurt him) and runs for it. He orders the crew to abandon ship and tells Cody they're going to leave Grievous a parting gift before escaping. On Florum, the yougnlings spot a huge speeder belonging to a travelling carnival act headed to Hondo's base. They introdue themselves to the ringmaster, a Dug called Priego, as stranded... acrobats who would want to join. They convince him by improvising a couple human (sapient?) pyramids and he eagerly take them in, never questionning why five preteen acrobats would be wandering the galaxy alone. Back to space, Grievous takes over the command center of the ship and orders every bit of intel recovered. A message left by Kenobi plays, congratulating him on his victory and telling him the ship is set to self-destruct. Why would you ever tell him that? the Republican soldiers leave in the escape pods while Grievous makes it to his shuttle just before the cruiser explodes. Obi-Wan watches the light-show and laments that the younglings are on their own. You are in escape pods in the middle of space battle you side is clearly losing, worry about yourself, man!

The carnies come to the pirate's base with loud music, juggling clowns, dancing twi'leks wearing Hutt-masks (this is even weirded than last time!) and tamed colorful beasts. Is that a Gamorrean in kabuki make-up? Priego pays his respect to his hosts and hypes his number. Hondo is glad and reminds him that he had his previous artists beheaded for not being entertaining enough. One pirate even produces a skull to mock the carnies with. Why would you ever come back to this place?! the younglings, wearing garish costumes that do a good job at concealing their faces spot Ahsoka's lightsbaers on Hondo's belt just as he has her brought to watch the show. The younglings strat performing a rather elaborate act (to Ahsoka's consternation) involving a plank placed across a cylinder to lauch someone in the air when somebody else jumps on the opposite end. Petro invites Hondo to participates, somethign Priego and the twi'lek encourage for some reason. Ohnaka, who is clearly drunk ("I may not be as young as I once was, but I'm older!") willingly walks to the plank while Katooni pickpotes the sabers and Byph jumps from the top of Priego's ship onto the plank, catapulting Hondo through the air and sending him crashing into a pile of rubbish.

Katooni frees Ahsoka and gives her her weapons back. Hondo is still having fun... until his second-in-command spots the acrobats fleeing with the prisoner and understands what's happening. the pirates open fire and the Jedi parry with their lightsabers (hey, Zatt finished his offscreen!). The carnies run away in panic, the Jedi... commandeer a speeder and the pirates pursue on jetbikes. The only one left is a confused, drunk Hondo who end up hugging a beast of burden Priego forgot. After making sure they've shaken the pirates off, Ahsoka tells the kids they were very brave and, although she should pretend to be angry with them, she's learned from her master to not always obey orders. Points for honesty? PEtro calls Ganodi and tells her to prepare for take-off.


Spoiler: My thoughts
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this was a fun one. Rather light-hearted, despite a dark moment when Hondo talks about his clients. I mean, most children won't understand what he's getting at, but still, what the hell was that necessary for?

still, the carnies made for some interesting visual designs and the acrobatics were very nice. The space battle was clearly padding, but a bit of space combat is always welcome. Kinda wished they'd spared grievous yet another humiliation, though.


Next up: A Necessary Bound. No idea what it's going to be about. Since this show likes it's four-parters, I'm going to guees the conclusion of the younglings' trip and them being assigned masters?