Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Ambush Rewatch

November 22, 2016 8:30 AM - Season 1, Episode 1

The first Clone Wars episode to air, but fifth chronologically, Yoda returns to Toydaria to persuade its king to side with the Republic over the Separatists. Opposing Master Yoda's hopes is Asajj Ventress and a small army of droids.

Episode Information

"Ambush" is fifth chronologically in viewing order following "Supply Lines,", for more information about the episode, check out its guide here!

Official Synopsis

"Great leaders inspire greatness in others." Jedi Master Yoda and three clone troopers -- Jek, Thire, and Rys -- must face off against Count Dooku's dreaded assassin Ventress and her massive droid army to prove the Jedi are strong enough to protect a strategic planet and forge a treaty for the Republic.

Trivia!

• The targeting display screen for the Republic frigate is the tried and true Corellian design, as seen in the Millennium Falcon in A New Hope.
• The aurebesh written at the top of Thire's macrobinocular screen says "Regular Mode" while the bottom says, "Infared mode."
• The little creature which perches on Yoda's finger in the episode is a baby neebray.
• The earlier versions of the script opened with the statement, "Great leadership comes in all sizes."
• This was also one of the few times Ventress and Yoda ever met in the show.

Next time on the Clone Wars!

The next episode in chronological viewing order is Season 1, Episode 2's "Rising Malevolence"!

posted by Atreides (5 comments total)

This being the first episode aired was the first episode I saw and completely turned me off to the series back when it was airing. Just nothing that happens seems to matter, there don't seem to be stakes or constraints of any kind. Maybe the episode that shares the most DNA with the prequel films.

I am very glad that I eventually gave the series another try, because it's great. But wow, this one felt like a misstep.
posted by French Fry at 10:43 AM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

French Fry, that'a a good observation; my kid and friends' kids love this ep and Ep 1. For a long time my kid refused to watch any Star Wars except this episode, which made conversations with strangers (Darth Who?) entertaining. Having seen it about 800 times, it feels like the writers are testing the water very tentatively.
posted by tchemgrrl at 6:00 PM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'd agree and look at as somewhat connected most to Attack of the Clones and The Phantom Menace. Incidentally, the next story arc, concerning a super weapon under the control of General Grievous, dips more into Revenge of the Sith, with the sudden waving of the darkness flag.

I think, sadly, that for many children of a certain age, they grew up recognizing Yoda as this small green Jedi who flips around with a lightsaber, and this is one of the few episodes in the entire run where he actually does an extensive amount of fighting.
posted by Atreides at 8:39 AM on November 23, 2016

P.S. This is also the last time we see the king of the Toydarians until Season 4, when we get to it later, it'll be pretty fascinating to compare the tone of the episodes against each other.
posted by Atreides at 8:40 AM on November 23, 2016

Well, I'm watching this with my kids (my first time watching it too) and they loooooooooved it. They thought Yoda was so cool.
posted by medusa at 6:33 PM on November 21, 2020