The Pyke’s Connections With Mandalore and Ahsoka’s Further Involvement Become More Clear in Episode 8, ‘the Clone Wars’ — Review
The final season of The Clone Wars has divided more fans than expected. However, the exposition of the last three episodes pays off in this one, which the final episode in Ahsoka’s personal arc. And, boy, does it pay off big time. While there are only four episodes left, Episode 8, “Together Again,” perfectly leads into the Siege of Mandalore. Not only did this set up that arc perfectly, but it also gave a good sendoff to the Martez sisters with some fiery action and more heart. [Spoiler alert: Spoilers ahead for The Clone Wars Season 7, Episode 8].
Ahsoka takes charge to get the Martez sisters out of trouble
Ahsoka and the Martez sisters are back in a jail cell on Oba Diah. The cogs churn in Ahsoka’s head on how to get them out. Her Jedi abilities have helped thus far, but should she still keep it a secret from them? They obviously don’t trust the Jedi, and for good reason. But it might be worth it if it helps them escape.
At first, Ahsoka finds a way to get them off the planet without revealing anything. She devises a plan to trick the Pykes. They let the sisters leave to bring the spice back, while Ahsoka pretends to sell them out. That leaves Ahsoka alone so she can escape her jail cell using her powers with no witnesses.
As she’s snooping around the facility, setting up bombs everywhere as she’s done numerous times throughout the war, she discovers that Maul is connected to the Pykes. The audience knows this because of Season 5; Maul and his brother Savage Opress devised a plan to take over Mandalore with Death Watch, a terrorist group of radically violent Mandalorians. They gathered several crime bosses and their clans to form the Collective, took over that planet, and now Maul governs it. He overthrew Death Watch; he has Almec as the figurehead in charge, but Maul pulls the strings.
The title card for this episode reads, “You can change who you are, but you cannot run from yourself.” Ahsoka left the Jedi Order and is no longer a Padawan. However, she is someone who is good and helps others in trouble. She will not sit back as a Dark Side force wreaks havoc on an innocent planet. Ahsoka is turning into a leader and agent of her own destiny. So, of course, she’s going to investigate further.
Maul basically owns the Pykes, and a major ‘Solo’ reference comes into play
It’s very obvious that the Pykes are scared of Maul. Deathly afraid of him. They’re a part of the Shadow Collective. They all went in as equal partners thinking it was a worthwhile endeavor; it’s not. Maul is ruling them with fear of his power.
The leader of the Pykes says that if their spice failure with the Martez sisters becomes known, it will “jeopardizes everything.” This is seemingly referring to Maul’s control over their business. There can’t be more delays that make him suspicious.
Probably the biggest reveal from this scene is Crimson Dawn. If you remember from Solo, the Han Solo spinoff film, Crimson Dawn is the criminal organization Qi’ra belongs to, unbeknownst to Han. Throughout the whole movie, you don’t actually know she’s a criminal, but once you do find out, it’s then revealed that Maul is in charge of it.
Without giving too much away about the future of the Shadow Collective, it’s very interesting that Crimson Dawn is already forming during the Clone Wars. It shows that Maul had so much in motion, that despite the upcoming Siege of Mandalore, he’s able to keep criminals loyal to him. Maul threatens the Pykes that if they can’t handle the spice running, that Crimson Dawn will have to take control of their operation. Intriguing!
Crimson Dawn must be a higher rank of the Shadow Collective because the Pykes know he pits them against each other. But the leader remarks that it’s, “an efficient way to deal with our kind of business.” They have no way of defying him his orders; Maul owns them.
Ahsoka’s Jedi secret is out, and a special Mandalorian asks for her help
It seems like Maul can sense Ahsoka, or at least another Jedi, through the holochat, but brushes it aside. But Ahsoka saw the whole thing and now knows Maul is working with the Pykes, but why? She ends up tracking the call and finds he’s on Mandalore. Again, she doesn’t know the reason behind it. This is interesting because she should have heard about it from Obi-Wan Kenobi before she left the Order, but maybe they thought Maul left.
Whatever it is, Ahsoka will get more answers next episode. Bo-Katan finally makes herself known to Ahsoka, which is probably why the title of the episode is “Together Again.”
Bo-Katan follows Ahsoka back to Coruscant. The end of this episode is intensely exciting because you can clearly see it all coming together. The Mandalorians, Ahsoka, and Maul; it’s all leading toward the Siege of Mandalore and has the audience nearly vibrating with excitement.
Bo-Katan tells Ahsoka that Death Watch is gone — again, this is news to Ahsoka but not the audience — and their common enemy (Maul) unites them. Ahsoka is very uneasy about joining the cause. She tells the Martez sisters that she’s “afraid of where it might lead.” It might be a path straight back to the Jedi Order. The group she purposefully left because of the trust lost from them. However, Rafa tells her, “It’s what you’re meant to do.”
And with that, Episode 8 is done. Episode 9 is the start of the final arc in this final season. It is entirely bittersweet, however, the excitement is only growing from here on out.
