Clone Wars Season 2 Premiere

What a great start to Season 2 we just witnessed. Tonally we appear to be headed in new directions this year. Two dead Jedi in two episodes, dubious "victories" at best for our heroes, and even the lighting and animation have kicked things up a notch. The scene of Bane and Sidious negotiating on Coruscant was pure noir goodness, down to the beautiful slanted light coming in through the blinds. There were many moments in Holocron Heist where dialogue and space between the action beats took center stage, moments where the show could breathe for a minute and we had time to invest more fully in the narrative. Todo 360 was a choice piece of comic relief and I was sorry to see him go so soon, although sometimes comedy like that is better as a brief flame than an overstaying-its-welcome source of humor.

Cad Bane continues to impress. Kudos to the scriptwriters for letting him be so talkative but remain so aloof and mysterious. I think Lucasfilm may have very well found their next Darth Maul in Bane, difference being that Bane has already had more screen time to his credit! I welcome seeing the Jedi face a credible threat and am glad to move away from Separatists a bit.

Nicely done second episode as well, particularly the Anakin-Bane showdown at the end. Bane got very lucky in getting the one Jedi with the biggest attachment issues in the Order, one who couldn't bear looking his Padawan in the eye and then sacrificing her for the good of the order. Can't wait to see next week's ep - looks like Anakin's choice to open the holocron will have some rather severe repercussions.

I am so HAPPY to have Star Wars back on TV!