The Disappeared, Part I (The Clone Wars - S06E08) - Animated Series

Series: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Title: The Disappeared, Part I

Season: Six

Episode: 8

Original Air Date: March 7, 2014 (Netflix)

Runtime: 23 minutes

Credits: Review & Text: Mike Taber; Page layout & Design: Chuck Paskovics

Without darkness there cannot be light.

Oh boy. It’s time for the Jar Jar Binks, Mace Windu, and Temple of Doom mash up we were all dying to see. Let me start off by saying this could’ve been a lot worse than it actually was. “The Disappeared” was one of Jar Jar’s more likeable outings and Mace finally got to do something besides sit in a chair and look concerned about various issues. Jar Jar and Mace also made for an interesting team. With that being said, this felt like another wasted opportunity and a few things just felt out of place. Queen Julia of Bardotta contacted the Republic Senate for aid after the spiritual leaders of her planet had begun to disappear (Hey, like the title). She had a strange request though. She would only work with Jar Jar Binks. The Chancellor contacted the Jedi Council in hopes they would assist Representative Binks. Master Yoda explained that the Dagoyan Masters, who had been disappearing, have an unusually strong connection to the Force but connect to it passively. It was also brought up that the Bardottan people resent the Jedi and view them as kidnappers because many Bardottan children had been chosen as Jedi in the past. I was glad to see this brought up. I always wondered what the average citizen thought about the Jedi taking infants that they found strong in the force. It can’t be good for public relations. Mace agreed to assist Jar Jar, and they are off to Bardotta!

As they arrived on Bardotta, Jar Jar explained to Mace that he has known Queen Julia for a long time. The Queen was immediately distrustful of Master Windu, but Jar Jar passed him off as his servant. The Queen accepted this but asked Mace and her guards to leave the room. When everyone one else was gone, she expressed her love for Jar Jar and kissed him. As they kissed, Jar Jar kicked up his heel. I’m not joking. That actually happened. Moving on from whatever that was, Mace was getting tired of waiting and tried to use a Jedi mind trick on the guards. Apparently mind tricks don’t work on Bardottans, so add them the ever growing list of species that are resistant to mind tricks. Mace was able to fool them by running around a corner and doubling back. Real top notch security. Queen Julia told Jar Jar she had discovered a terrible secret but before she could tell him what it was Mace burst through the doors. The Queen was outraged but Jar Jar said he would handle it. As Mace and Jar Jar argued over whether his feelings for Julia were distracting him, Queen Julia vanished. The Bardottan council gathered and claimed that if Queen Julia and the Dagoyan Masters don’t return in three days, they will be lost forever and a new era of darkness will begin. Jar Jar got the council to trust Mace and asked about the origin of the prophecy. The council said it originated from the Frangawl cult. The Frangawls have a shrine beneath the temple, but apparently no one bothered to look there.

As Mace and Jar Jar explored the tunnels beneath the temple, Jar Jar was kidnapped by a Frangawl. The Frangawls wore huge masks that looked more ridiculous than threatening. Their design just didn’t feel like Star Wars. The Frangawls took Jar Jar to their main shrine which looked like it was directly lifted from Temple of Doom, it was almost identical. Jar Jar found the Queen and she warned him that the Frangawls were stealing the force from them. The cult leader had a green orb that tore the force form the Dagoyan Masters. This might just be me, but this simply didn’t fit with what we know about the Force. It just seemed completely out of place to me. When you were listening to Yoda talk about the Force in Empire Strikes Back did you ever think some guy with an orb could just steal the Force? I didn’t. Yes, we’ve learned a lot about the Force since The Empire Strikes Back but someone being able to steal the Force just seems out of place in the Star Wars galaxy to me. Mace arrived and started fighting the Frangawls and Jar Jar accidently took out a few too. It was great to see Mace in action and his fight scenes provided a lot of the episode’s best moments. Unfortunately, the cult leader escaped with Queen Julia but Jar Jar vowed that he and Mace would track them down. Jar Jar and Mace actually made an interesting team, but their dynamic couldn’t overcome the shortcomings of this episode which felt like a missed opportunity.

What Worked

• Mace Windu and Jar Jar Binks made a surprisingly fun team
• Sense of fun and the Indiana Jones references

What Didn’t Work

• Wait, people can just steal the Force?
• Plenty of eye roll worthy moments
• The Frangawl cult looked silly, not intimidating

External Links:

• StarWars.com Episode Guide
• Wookieepedia Episode Summary