The preview on my DVR for tonight’s episode spoke of mutiny and Captain Rex having to make decisions, so I eagerly tuned in to see Krell get his comeuppance. I don’t want to jump too far ahead, but I was not disappointed!
Fives and Jesse are court-martialed. In a show of disrespect, Krell refuses to call them by name, only number. Rex pleads their case, begging Krell for leniency, but his chilling comment that “some clones are just defective” doesn’t bode well. He agrees not to court-martial them but instead orders their immediate execution. Rex vows not to let him get away with it.
As the two stand in front of the firing squad made up of their fellow clones, they call out for help. Dogma insists that they be executed, but no one will do it. Krell locks the traitors in the brig but tells Rex to finally take the capital. In a very ominous scene, Krell tells Rex to inform his troops that the enemy may disguise themselves as clones.
[Spoilers ahead!]
The clones advance, wary of an ambush. They are suddenly under fire but unable to see who’s shooting at them. Just as Krell predicted, the enemy is dressed as clones. Rex unmasks one of the attackers and finds that they are, in fact, other clones. He orders everyone to take off their masks, and they see they’ve all been shooting at their own brothers. The “enemy” platoon leader tells Rex that Krell gave the orders to attack, and also told them that the enemy would be dressed in clone armor.
The clones are disgusted and horrified. Rex gathers his men and proposes that they arrest Krell for treason against the Republic. This act in and of itself is of course considered treasonous, but none of the men waver. Dogma sneaks away from the group. Jesse and Fives are given guns and freed. When confronted, Krell lashes out with his double lightsabers, and the chase is on. Dogma is loyal to his previous orders and tried to defend Krell. Rex tells him, “We’re not droids; we’re not programmed. You have to learn to make your own decisions.” They throw Dogma into the brig and pursue Krell.
Krell is hard to fight. He whirls with his double sabers and is able to break the backs of clones over his knee. The clones lure him towards one of the native creatures of Umbara, a sort of Venus flytrap. The fight with the creature weakens Krell, and then he is stunned.
At this point, Rex asks Krell how he could have killed so many of his own men on purpose since he is a Jedi. Krell responds with, ” I am no longer naive enough to be a Jedi.” He speaks of a new power that will rip apart the Republic, as well as Dooku, who will appoint him as his new apprentice. Krell crows that Dogma was the easiest to fool, because of his blind loyalty.
The clones find the transmitter Krell had disabled. They learn that Kenobi has captured the Capital and is fighting towards the clones. As long as Krell’s alive, he is a threat – he knows the Republic’s codes and strategies. Rex orders Krell onto his knees, facing away. When Rex hesitates, Dogma is the one who shoots and kills Krell.
They’ve taken Umbara, but no one feels very victorious. It’s a very dark episode, but these are the plotlines I love best. War is hard and gruesome, and everyone who has seen the movies knows that there are even darker times ahead. I like to see these stories as the occasional slips on an increasingly steep decline into all-out destruction. It’s fascinating to see just how things went down, and so far Clone Wars is telling a dramatic story.
