'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' S7E7 Recap/Review: 'Dangerous Debt'

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is officially midway through its final season on Disney+, and things are going to heat up pretty soon. This week’s episode, Dangerous Debt, follows Ahsoka Tano with Trace and Rafa Martez as they attempt to escape from imprisonment at the hand of the Pykes crime syndicate. Without further ado, let’s dig into it.

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS AHEAD!

Recap

The episode picks up right where last week’s left off, with Ahsoka, Trace and Rafa imprisoned by the Pykes on Oba Dia. While imprisoned, Ahsoka learns that Trace and Rafa were left orphaned after a Jedi accidentally killed their parents in an accident years prior. It’s unknown which Jedi, but based on their description, it’s possible it was Luminara Unduli.

They escape the prison and a chase through the city ensues. Trace sees her ship and is eager to get back to it, while Rafa and Ahsoka discuss whether or not Trace is built for this sort of life. Rafa doesn’t see a problem, but Ahsoka notes that Trace would do anything Rafa asked her to.

We see three hooded figures wearing Mandalorian helmets watching them from a rooftop. One of them recognizes Ahsoka, but it’s not revealed who the three are. Based on the voice actors, we can identify two of them as Bo Katan and Ursa Wren. Katan has been featured in previous seasons, but this is Wren’s first appearance in The Clone Wars, after featuring in multiple episodes of Star Wars: Rebels. Shortly after this, Ahsoka, Trace and Rafa are all re-captured by the Pykes and the episode ends in the same prison cell it began in.

Review

This episode of The Clone Wars is classic Star Wars fun. We’re halfway through the final season, and it’s only a matter of time before the events of Revenge of the Sith start to unfold in future episodes, so it’s nice to see a more fun episode, knowing it may be one of the last. Directed by Saul Ruiz and Bosco Ng and written by Dave Filoni and Charles Murray, Dangerous Debts plants seeds for the future of the season all while fleshing out Trace’s and Rafa’s characters.

Ahsoka has begun her path away from the Jedi Order, and hearing Trace and Rafa’s story is certain to have huge implications on her arc in the final half of the season. She’s beginning to learn that the Jedi are not faultless in this conflict, and what used to be black and white for her is becoming more gray. The line between good and bad is blurred, and she’s begun to forge her own path.

Katan and Wren’s appearance certainly raises eyebrows. We won’t know until next week what their “plan” entails. Whether they will help Ahsoka and the Martez sisters break out of prison or not has yet to be seen, but it’s fun to see Wren cross over from Rebels.

The pacing of the episode is perfect, as every solemn moment is allowed just enough time to breathe before being interrupted by action. Hearing the heart-wrenching story of the Martezes’ mother is definitely a game-changer for Ahsoka and for the audience, but the fun that follows ensures the episode keeps a light tone.

Overall, this episode of The Clone Wars may have not had major differences from the beginning and the end, but it didn’t waste its time in the middle either. Although the three heroines ended in the same prison cell they started in, they all changed in some way, especially Ahsoka. The seeds planted in this episode promise to deliver plenty of interesting developments as the season continues.

You can catch new episodes of The Clone Wars every Friday on Disney+, and make sure you check back here for all your Disney and Star Wars necessities.

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