Week 24 - The Umbara Arc

Garbage arc. Garbage all around. Wish the previous episodes could have been 4 instead.

I watched this arc twice the past week. It's all very good obviously, but the tricky part is sorting out how I rate the episodes among one another.

Yeah this is one of the few arcs I can continuously watch and still enjoy, I think I always find something new on it since it keeps me engaged.


I just really like that we see the Republic vs Organics for once instead of droids, although I wished the clones touched on that more. Funny enough I think we see more organic species fighting alongside the CIS then we do with the republic since the republic is always represented by clones

I can’t tell you how many times I watched this arc in 2012 lol.

It's also interesting to wonder what Palpatine's reason for summoning Anakin was. I'm not so sure if he knew it would result in Krell becoming involved in Umbara or not, but the coincidence is interesting. Either way, it demonstrates the close relationship the two had.

I think it's funny that Fives almost got killed by Clones in this arc, and ultimately it would've happened because of Palpatine.

The General is an excellent followup. In the previous episode, one half was big battles, while the other was more character work. In this one, things are integrated together more. I think this episode has the best battle scenes of the entire arc. As much as I love the landing sequence of the last episode, things are kicked up to eleven here. The centipede sequence is just insane. One of the coolest things the show has ever done. The other battle scenes are also quite good and become even better when they get us so invested in the characters.

Beyond those cool battles, I really love the scene where the clones debate Krell's plan and compare him unfavorably to Anakin. Fives and Jesse, who know this is wrong; Rex, who knows he is wrong but thinks there is room for compromise; Dogma, who has trust no matter what; Kix, who has clear disdain for Krell but takes it out on Rex; Tup, who doesn't know what to think; and Hardcase, who doesn't care. None of these characters act in unreasonable ways, even if we don't agree with them. In fact, they feel really relatable. It just adds to the level of humanity the show has already given for the clones. It asks complicated questions about who these clones are. I like especially that one moment where Fives askes Rex if he really believes what he says, or whether he is engineered. Maybe it was unintentional, but it's a nice callback to Rex's conversation with Cut Lawquane, where he asks him the same thing.

The battle against the crab tanks is in particular very hopeless. That's kinda the theme of this episode: hopelessness. An overlooked character in this arc is Kix. But I think his actions in this episode are perhaps the most affecting. As the medic, he is the most concerned with casualties. He seems the most on edge and frustrated at the situation. Realizing how futile his efforts are, Kix tries to throw himself in with the dead, nearly getting himself killed several times.

But to offset that is the really fun sequence in which Fives and Hardcase commandeer the starfighters. Just them trying to figure out how to fly them is one thing, but it's hard not to smile when they return to win the battle.

I've heard people say this episode is a bit pointless and that Umbara could have been condensed to three parts. I couldn't disagree more. Not only was this episode rife with cool sequences and has great character moments. I also think that the arc would have felt rushed if Fives betrayed Krell in the second episode. And we also wouldn't have time to think and consider if Krell was really all that bad. This was absolutely a necessary episode, one I enjoy very much, and one that hits more incredible highs. Another 9/10.

Carnage of Krell. Holy Potato Rules. Here we go.

Okay, this used to be my absolute favorite episode. It still is really good. I love it. But there are problems I didn't think about when I was 12.

Let's get those out of the way. Rex frustrates me in this episode. I still can't believe that he was fully willing to execute Fives and Jesse. Sure, he didn't want to, but he did nothing to stop it. I like Fives' speech but I wonder if it would have been better if Rex stepped in and said something like that. It just felt kind of ridiculous that Rex went along with Krell until the last possible second, when he would have to be a complete retard to follow him i.e. Dogma. It also would've been more interesting if the clones turned not because Krell was an evil traitor, but because they had enough of his callous nature. if Rex had to make a choice without his hand pretty much being forced. I don't know. I just think there's a better way they could have resolved this.

Furthermore, I would have liked it if Rex killed Krell himself. That's how it was in the original script. Sure it was a bit more surprising to see Dogma do it and I liked that moment, but I think it would have been a good character moment for him to pull the trigger. Also, it seems a bit weird that he would find it so hard to kill Krell but would kill Argus no hesitation just one arc later. Also where was Boil?

Alright, let's get to the Potato Rules I like. Like I said before, I do like Fives' speech. It was a very emotional moment that spoke to the heart of this show. And I liked the moment after with Rex, even though he immediately went back to being Krell's bitch. And the 501st vs 212th. Jesus Christ that was good. I remember it being a bit obvious but that doesn't take away from the scene at all. I know I've said this a lot lately but that is definitely the most powerful scene of Season 4. Waxer's death was such a surprise since we hadn't seen him except for a cameo in "Darkness on Umbara." I feel like if you binge this series, you might not remember who Waxer is, kinda like with Echo's death but as someone who had watched "Innocents of Ryloth" many times, this one hit me. The scenes after were also incredibly badass. I love Rex's dialogue and I love the cool music.

And then we get to Krell vs Clones. It's not really that deep to dissect but it is really well done. Just kinda think how unexpected this climax would be when you first watched the arc. It goes on for just the right amount of time. It's epic. It's brutal. It's satisfying. What comes after is also satisfying. I like how they reference the coming Rise of the Empire, and there's even a nod to Dooku's recent apprentice troubles. We do kinda understand that while Krell is certainly sadistic, he was in fact quite intelligent and had thought out a plan. I kinda already said what I think of the execution scene so I'll leave that there. Rex and Fives' conversation at the end is brief but effectively gives you a sense of the darkness to come.

This is a really really good episode. It's still an excellent one to watch, but I can't call it perfection. There are some things that I wish it did differently but it is still epic, thoughtful, and heartbreaking enough for another solid 9/10.

Carnage of Krell is lauded by so many causal fans and critics alike, and it's easy to see why. I wish I could say the same about the conclusion of this amazing arc, but it falls a little short for me. There's a lot to love with this episode, namely the fight between Krell and the 501st. It's brutal, dark, and wild to watch. This episode also delivers other great moments like the execution scene and the 501st vs the 212th. There was real tension in the first, given how this arc has not been shy to do the unexpected. As for the latter sequence, it was so emotional, especially when Waxer died. The episode ends on a strong note with Krell's hints of the Empire and Sith rising. Seeing Rex and Fives contemplate the purpose of the war at the end briefly is also a good touch.

Yet despite all of this, I feel like the episode should have been even better. Large portions of it were predictable, Rex's character seemed a bit off, and the plot could have been stronger. When watching this arc for the first time, I kind of suspected Krell would be a traitor. It's not downright obvious, but I'm sure plenty of people could see it being possible. I don't mind him turning out to be a traitor, but I wish they expanded his motivations or maybe even kept him alive to be a secondary threat later in the series for just one more arc. Krell wanting to join Dooku seemed a little strange, and I almost wish he had just been a complete third party instead.

As powerful as the 501st vs the 212th scene was, it was sort of predictable that it was a set-up by Krell. It doesn't detract from the emotion, but I can't help but be a little disappointed by that. Rex's willingness to allow Fives and Jesse to die was also strange. I suppose his final straw to fully turn on Krell wasn't until the aforementioned twist, but even here I feel like this was a bit odd not to have Rex at least interject and encourage the clones not to go through with the execution versus leaving it to Fives to persuade them.

Again, this episode is still great, but largely due to what the previous episodes established. Maybe if the Krell twist had more to it, I would be more satisfied, but I can't help but feel his betrayal was almost a bit of a lazy ending. I still enjoyed it a lot, but this episode always left me wanting a little more than what it delivered. For that reason, I have to keep it at 8.5/10.

Krell reaction to Rex at the end does kind of contradict his character later on, maybe he was reconsidering his future actions briefly. I doubt any man in Krell battalion spoke up like that either so.

The way I thought of it was his own attempt at quelling Rex’s dissent before it started.

I know this arc was meant to be focused on the 501st, but it would've been cool to see some of the other groups (Ahsoka, Barriss, Saesee Tinn, Kenobi) sprinkled in throughout the arc or at least the start of Darkness on Umbara.

Also apparently the Umbarans left the Republic after their senator died (I think it was in Senate Murders). Strange that Sly Moore stayed to aid Palpatine publicly though, but I guess that she could be an exception.

I think it would have been cool if Krell referenced something greater than Dooku, i.e. Palpatine.

And then what Fives learns in “Orders” could kinda tie back to that.

After thinking about it more and in relation to other episodes, I'm boosting Carnage of Krell to a 9/10.