There was nothing too surprising here – especially since, because of "Rookies" we knew these guys were destined to pass. Thus, when the episode began with them as a dysfunctional group in danger of flunking out, they obviously had to work through their issues and become a team that could rely on each other.
That being said, the material was all handled well – and because we had seen "Rookies" and knew what was to come for these guy, there was also an added sense of sadness to the proceedings, as we knew all of these guys, save Echo and Fives, were also not destined to live much longer after their graduation.
This especially helped to add to the already sweet scene at the end, in which Hevy gave his medal to maintenance man 99, saying he'd be back to reclaim it one day, since that wasn't to be. I need to mention that this episode was quite a stand out for Dee Bradley Baker, who voices all the Clone Troopers, and did a wonderful job playing so many different roles here.
The introduction of 99 also added some interesting new beats to the Clone Trooper mythology as we learned he was some sort of "reject" – an early clone who had washed out, failed to make it as a trooper and was now living a lowly existence among the young, eager cadets who looked just like he once did. We didn't get any details on 99's background or what exactly happened with him (including why the sped up aging process apparently was never stopped), but he certainly gives us plenty to ponder.
I also liked the use of bounty hunters in this episode, as we learned they were used to help train the Clone Troopers. A job is a job for most of these guys, so to have them in the employee of the "good guys" for once was a nice change of pace. And with Bric, we had a nicely ambiguous portrayal of a guy who was either just a cold hearted bastard or a tough as nails drill instructor who was more than willing to use some very tough love towards his students in order to get them to perform at their best.
Plus, it was cool to get The Clone Wars introduction of Shaak Ti, the prequel trilogy Jedi who also had a notable role in the in-canonThe Force Unleashed. And yes, I geeked out seeing the ARC Troopers for the first time on this series and hope the expanded universe character Alpha eventually shows up. It's also a cool touch how the ARC Troopers here already have the much more Stormtrooper looking armor that all the clones are wearing byRevenge of the Sith.
I also have to commend the animation in this episode, which included some stunning shots of a rain-soaked Kamino that looked pretty much photo-realistic. The animators are doing some truly commendable work on this show at this point.
Not featuring any of the main characters and no true villains, "Clone Cadets" was a nice departure for the series, telling a smaller story but one that felt important, both for the look it gave at the Clone Troopers in general (and how they are trained), but also its specific connection to "Rookies," as it fleshed out the lives of these men. As a season premiere it did lack a certain oomph one might expect, but that was countered by the wise decision to air the much more action-packed "ARC Troopers" immediately after it.
I also liked the use of bounty hunters in this episode, as we learned they were used to help train the Clone Troopers. A job is a job for most of these guys, so to have them in the employee of the "good guys" for once was a nice change of pace. And with Bric, we had a nicely ambiguous portrayal of a guy who was either just a cold hearted bastard or a tough as nails drill instructor who was more than willing to use some very tough love towards his students in order to get them to perform at their best.
Plus, it was cool to get The Clone Wars introduction of Shaak Ti, the prequel trilogy Jedi who also had a notable role in the in-canonThe Force Unleashed. And yes, I geeked out seeing the ARC Troopers for the first time on this series and hope the expanded universe character Alpha eventually shows up. It's also a cool touch how the ARC Troopers here already have the much more Stormtrooper looking armor that all the clones are wearing byRevenge of the Sith.
I also have to commend the animation in this episode, which included some stunning shots of a rain-soaked Kamino that looked pretty much photo-realistic. The animators are doing some truly commendable work on this show at this point.
Not featuring any of the main characters and no true villains, "Clone Cadets" was a nice departure for the series, telling a smaller story but one that felt important, both for the look it gave at the Clone Troopers in general (and how they are trained), but also its specific connection to "Rookies," as it fleshed out the lives of these men. As a season premiere it did lack a certain oomph one might expect, but that was countered by the wise decision to air the much more action-packed "ARC Troopers" immediately after it.
