– Spoiler Review –
When the Martez sisters reveal a terrible moment from their past, Ahsoka Tano has more than a “Dangerous Debt” to worry about in the latest The Clone Wars episode!
While I found the Martez sisters’ distrust of the Jedi understandable, since they eke out a living far below the Jedi’s throne and war, ignored and forgotten, never did I suspect it would come from an interaction with the Jedi that exemplified all the worst aspects of how the war only exacerbated the Jedi’s estrangement from those they swore to protect. Stuck in Pyke prison, the Martez sisters respond to Ahsoka’s righteous feelings about her choice in not selling spice to the gangsters, saying she sounds like a Jedi, though they use the word like a bit of a curse. Turns out, they had an interaction with the Jedi, even in the underworld, during the Jedi’s chase of Ziro after his escape from prison (part of which we saw in Season 1, Episode 22, “Hostage Crisis” ) thanks to Cad Bane and his team. At one point (not seen in the previous episodes), Bane decides to hide in the Underworld to sneak Ziro back to the Hutts, and while they descend down the shaft, much like Ahsoka did in “Gone with a Trace,” Bane shoots a civilian ship to distract the Jedi, who must choose whom and what to save as it tumbles into the abyss. The Jedi’s choice is fateful, as it leads to the death of the Martez sisters’ parents, who save their daughters but die in the process. A Jedi, who from Rafa’s description sounds like Luminara Unduli, comes up to the frightened and sad girls and tells them, “I made a choice. May the Force be with you,” leaving them to make their own way than find a way to help or assist them. The Jedi of the prequel era, especially during the war, lost sight of their goals and mission, and this moment is a PRIME example of how misguided and out of touch they were getting.
It’s a tragic backstory for the two and helps explain how they got caught up in the life of small jobs and turning the other cheek for those they hurt in an effort to help themselves. In their situation, what other choice did they have? It’s a compelling argument for Rafa to make regarding her choices ever since she starts looking out for her younger sister, as while it all comes from a noble idea, the means haven’t been. By not worrying about the consequences, feeling like no one would want to look after them anyways, Rafa has led them down a similar path as the Jedi who left them behind, as neither thought too much beyond the consequences and did what they felt was right in the moment, trusting on some unseen force to make it right in the end.
And in this episode, without trying, Trace’s actions make a great case for why she might have been the better choice to look after them both. There’s conflict in her regarding their way of life, and she’s proven to be far more resourceful and successful than her sister, getting a whole starship while Rafa continues to drag them down a path long lost from its original ideals. In fact, it’s Trace that helps break them out of prison and kick off the big long escape scene, as she acts like she faints when she sees the torture droid and then quickly reveals she’s a crack shot. Both Rafa and Ahsoka think they have Trace’s best interests at heart, and for Ahsoka I imagine she sort of sees herself in the younger Martez. In a way, Rafa feels like a substitute for Anakin, someone who has their protégé’s best interests at heart but whose methods can be suspect at times, no matter if it comes from a good place or not. Ahsoka has a chance to help Trace get out of such a relationship, much like she did at the end of Season Five, and she makes the case to Rafa that Trace should be in this life at all. Rafa defends herself by saying her sister would’ve left if she wanted to, but Ahsoka’s counterpoint is Trace won’t leave because she’ll always believe Rafa will have her best interests at heart. Like I said, this whole situation gets eerily, and interestingly, close to Ahsoka’s big decision to leave the Jedi Order and I can’t wait to see what happens to the Martez sisters after all of this is said and done in the next episode.
I really loved the escape/chase sequence that carries much of the episode, even if I was a bit disappointed it resulted in them back where they started. It was such a small scale sequence, it made the action more tense and exciting, while the sense of progression as they make their way out into the city helped keep up the pace and a sense of accomplishment for their actions. Ahsoka got to show off some of her natural combat skills, as well as ingenuity for how to use the Force and not get caught by the sisters, while Trace and Rafa prove their survival skills a few times throughout.
In the crowds of Oba Diah, a familiar mask (and voice or two) watches the trio’s escape: Bo-Katan! Bo-Katan will go on to be the last person seen with the darksaber before Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian, but for now she’s just trying to win her home back from Maul’s proxy rule. In this episode, she’s flanked by two other Nite Owls, one being Ursa Wren, Sabine’s mother from Star Wars Rebels (which the credits confirmed my suspicions), who discuss the possibility of recruiting Ahsoka to help them with their cause. Their scene and inclusion is a bit of a setup for the final 4 episodes of The Clone Wars, which deals with the Siege of Mandalore, an eventful battle that unfortunately overlaps with Order 66. I had been curious how Ahsoka gets wrapped up in the battle specifically, and it looks like the Nite Owls are going to reach out to her and try to gain her help, which after Ahsoka’s words about seeing people in need and doing her best to help them, it makes sense she won’t say no. It was also really neat to hear a younger Ursa Wren, mother of Sabine, and I hope we’ll get a little more time with her throughout the final 4 episodes. In the end, I’m betting the trio of Nite Owls will help get Ahsoka and the Martez sisters out of their current predicament.
Here are a few other things:
- We recently had an interview with Michael Moreci, writer of the upcoming The Clone Wars – Battle Tales miniseries from IDW. It was originally meant to launch in April, but due to the pandemic, it likely won’t be out until June.
- As always, expect the episode guide to drop on Monday at the official site!
“Dangerous Debt” is a fun prison escape episode that reveals some darker moments for the excellent new Martez sisters.
+ Dark backstory for Martez sisters dealing with Jedi
+ Debates between Ahsoka and Rafa
+ Small scale but exciting escape sequence
+ Cameo and setup for grand finale
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
THE CLONE WARS REVIEWS
Season Seven: Ep. 1 “The Bad Batch” | Ep. 2 “A Distant Echo” | Ep. 3 “On the Wings of Keeradaks” | Ep. 4 “Unfinished Business” | Ep. 5 “Gone With a Trace” | Ep. 6 “Deal No Deal”
Legacy Impressions: Crystal Crisis | The Bad Batch