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Recap / Star Wars: The Clone Wars S2E13 "Voyage of Temptation"

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Fear not for the future, weep not for the past.

Obi-Wan and Anakin accompany Duchess Satine and a group of senators to Coruscant. However, SD-K4 assassin droids (along with their probe killers) have been planted on the ship, meaning that one of the senators is a traitor to the Republic...


Tropes:

  • Agony of the Feet: Satine stomps on Merrik's foot while he's momentarily distracted to get free of him and swipe his blaster.
  • Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The captain of the Coronet begs Merrick for mercy, only to be gunned down anyway.
  • Anguished Declaration of Love: Faced with either death or permanent separation, Obi-Wan and Satine confess their love to one another.
  • Asshole Victim: Tal Merrik is a scumbag so you don't need to feel bad at him when Anakin kills him.
  • Back-to-Back Badasses: Obi-Wan and Satine (armed with a disruptor pistol) against the miniature assassin droids.
  • Badass Pacifist: Satine may be a devoted pacifist, but she won't hesitate to defend herself, whipping out a disruptor pistol (presumably harmless to organics) to fight off the spider droids.
  • Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: While Anakin isn't technically a "bad guy" at this point, he's certainly the one person aboard with the least qualms about killing someone and doesn't hesitate to kill Merrik given the chance.
  • Batman Grabs a Gun: Satine grabs Merrik's gun and aims it at his head to stop him from destroying the Coronet, but the tension over whether or not she would have shot him is left unresolved, as Anakin kills Merrik instead. After Merrik is dead, Satine drops the weapon in disgust.
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: Obi-Wan and Satine become uncharacteristically loud and aggressive in their debate about the merits of pacifism, a sign of the romantic passion that still exists between the two of them.
  • Bigger on the Inside: Compare the luxury yacht's shots and size on the outside to the shots on the inside.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Anakin appears from nowhere at the last minute to dispatch the traitorous Tal Merrik. However...
  • Boarding Pod: Three Separatist pods containing super battle droids are launched at the Coronet.
  • Call-Forward: Merrik, mocking Obi-Wan and Satine for not killing him, asks, "Come on, then! Who will strike first and brand themselves a cold-blooded killer?" Cue Anakin's lightsaber emerging from his chest, complete with a snippet of the Imperial March playing in the background.
  • Card-Carrying Villain: Merrik's response to Satine calling him a "horrid monster" is a sardonic "get used to it".
  • Complaining About Rescues They Don't Like: Due to the Sadistic Choice Merrik set up, Obi-Wan and Satine look at Anakin rather reproachfully.
    Anakin: What? He was gonna blow up the ship!
  • Dead Guy Puppet: One of the SD-K4 assassin droids uses the body of clone trooper Redeye like this.
  • Defensive "What?": Anakin's reasonable response to a reproachful Obi-Wan following Tal Merrik's death:
    Obi-Wan: Anakin...
    Anakin: What? He was gonna blow up the ship!
  • Drone Deployer: The SD-K4 assassin droids are covered in little cylindrical holes that contain mini versions of themselves that can be deployed when they're taken down or before. When the final "mother" droid is taken down, Rex shoots the droid's body several times to prevent any more of the mini droids from being deployed.
  • Everyone Can See It: While "everyone" may be an overstatement, Anakin quickly zeroes in on the main reason behind Obi-Wan and Satine's bickering.
  • Futureshadowing: When Merrick asks "who will strike first and brand themselves a cold-blooded killer", Anakin suddenly skewers him from behind, effectively branding himself the cold-blooded killer that he will become as Darth Vader. A small bit of the Imperial March even slips in during this scene.
  • Giant Spider: The SD-K4 assassin droids are mechanical versions of this.
  • Horrible Judge of Character: In both the first two episodes the Duchess is featured in, it's revealed that members of her government that she had implicitly trusted are corrupt and working with Death Watch. It won't be the last time either, casting Satine's judgment on who she filled her cabinet with into a harsh light.
  • Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Anakin's Big Damn Heroes moment begins with his lightsaber emerging through Merrik's torso.
  • In the Back: Anakin kills Merrik by stabbing him from behind.
  • Jerkass Has a Point: Anakin stabs Merrik in the back, but when Obi-Wan is disappointed, he indignantly points out that Merrik was threatening to blow up the ship.
  • Love Confession: Satine reveals her love to Obi-Wan when she thinks they'll never see each other again. Obi-Wan reluctantly reciprocates, though while he says he would have left the Jedi Order if she'd asked it of him, it's clear he no longer feels he can walk away for love.
  • Noodle Incident:
    • Obi-Wan and Satine make reference to one of these from their youth.
      Obi-Wan: Just like that swarm of venom mites on Draboun, remember?
      Satine: How could I forget? I still have the scar.
      Obi-Wan: [confused] Begging your pardon, Duchess, I distinctly recall carrying you to safety.
      Satine: I meant the scar I got after you fell and dropped me.
    • Obi-Wan also relates the story of how he and Satine met; Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were stationed on Mandalore for a year, protecting Satine after an insurgent group put a price on her head.
  • Not Afraid to Die: Merrik says he'll blow up the ship along with himself if anyone tries to stop him, and he seems completely serious.
  • Pass the Popcorn: While Obi-Wan and Satine are arguing, Anakin is seen enjoying the show while holding a drink.
  • Sadistic Choice: Merrik gives this to Satine at the end of this episode: either violate her pacifist beliefs and shoot him or let him escape and destroy the whole ship. Even Obi-Wan, who would probably consider this justifiable homicide, seems reluctant to do it in front of Satine. Anakin, on the other hand...
  • She Is Not My Girlfriend:
    Anakin: I'll take care of this, Obi-Wan. You, go find your girlfriend. [runs off]
    Obi-Wan: Right...ah no, Anakin! She's not my...
  • Shipper on Deck: Anakin seems outright gleeful when he realizes Obi-Wan has romantic feelings and a history with Satine and isn't even really subtle about wanting them to work things out. Considering his relationship with him and Padme, he must feel some satisfaction of the shoe being on the other foot.
  • Shout-Out:
    • Obi-Wan finds out the identity of The Mole by capturing one of the probe killers (which look like grey spiders with one red eye) and showing it to each of the guests in turn. Where have we seen this before?
    • It also resembles the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Trouble with Tribbles", in which Kirk determines the true identity of a human-looking Klingon agent by a Tribble's violent reaction to being near him (they were shown earlier in the episode to only react that way when near a Klingon). In contrast, the probe droid Obi-Wan has contained calms down only when near Merrik.
  • Star-Crossed Lovers: Obi-Wan and Satine fell in love in their youth, but their mutual commitments (he to the Jedi Order, she to Mandalore) kept them from admitting to it at the time. In the present, it's clear that their feelings still linger, but, still steadfast in their duties, they can't be together.
  • Starship Luxurious: The Coronet, Satine's personal ship, is made with entertaining VIPs in mind and features ample decorations and a large number of droid servants that makes it stand out from the series' otherwise mostly utilitarian ships.
  • Sting: The Imperial March is briefly played as Anakin kills Merrik, implying that his attitude towards killing has become a bit too casual.
  • Summation Gathering: Obi-Wan arranges one of these when he figures out that one of the senators must be a traitor. He identifies the culprit by seeing who one of the probe killers won't attack.
  • The Swarm: The backup method of attack for the Giant Spider assassins: if one is deactivated, a whole bunch of little ones emerge from its "corpse".
  • Rule of Scary: There isn't much logical reason for an assassin droid to use a corpse as a Dead Guy Puppet, but it's certainly creepy.
  • Take a Third Option: How does Anakin solve Merrik's Sadistic Choice of having Obi-Wan or Satine kill him? Why, simply do the job himself, of course!
  • Tempting Fate:
    • Anakin asks Cody and Rex if they've seen the third "mother" assassin droid. Rex says he hasn't... and is immediately jumped by said droid.
    • Merrik has this during the Sadistic Choice:
      "Come on then! Who'll strike first and brand themselves a cold-blooded killer?" [Cue Anakin]
  • Throwing Your Sword Always Works: Anakin flings his lightsaber at the last assassin droid, severing its legs before it can climb out of the hold to escape.
  • What You Are in the Dark: Satine has the chance to shoot Merrik dead and save everyone aboard the ship, but as he rightfully points out, she'd be a hypocrite by turning her back on every principle she's ever had as an Actual Pacifist. Obi-Wan also has the chance to kill him, and probably would, but Merrik knows that would change how he's viewed in Satine's eyes forevermore. Ultimately, neither one of them can bring themselves to do it, and they are saved from making the hard choice by Anakin's timely arrival.
  • You Didn't Ask: A tragic example; Obi-Wan admits that, if Satine had asked it of him when they knew each other years ago, he would have left the Jedi Order to be with her. Satine never asked, so they remained on their separate paths.
  • You Monster!:
    Satine: Monster! You're a horrid monster!
    Merrik: Get used to it.

 
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Anakin kills Tal Merrik

Merrik, knowing that neither Obi-Wan or Satine have what it takes to kill him, mocks them by asking who will brand themselves a cold-blooded killer? Cue Anakin's lightsaber emerging from his chest, complete with a snippet of the Imperial March playing in the background, hinting at his fall.

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