There hasn't been a new episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars since before the Olympics, I don't think–possibly the one in Beijing. And it's been even longer since an episode focused on Padmé Amidala. Both droughts get broken this week, in a new episode devoted–much like the last Padmé-centered episode–on skulduggery and assassinations in the Senate. Rodian senator Onaconda Farr dies mysteriously, and Padmé doesn't trust the Imperial bureaucracy to sort out the cause of death–so she takes matters into her own hands, as you can see in the still above.
Catherine Taber, who voices Naboo's most well-regarded Senator, says that the Padmé episodes are central to one of Star Wars's most consistent themes–diplomacy, negotiation, and the failure of these:
It's probably not surprising that, while Padmé doesn't figure prominently in many episodes, Taber feels that she's key to the series: "In her own way, Padmé brings so much to the larger story. Of course, she’s the reason that Anakin eventually falls to the dark side, and she’s the mother of Luke and Leia – but what I think is really interesting is that she’s such an important foil to many of the characters. It is often through her that we see other central characters illuminated."
Here's a clip from this week's show:
"Senate Murders" premieres on Friday, March 19, at 9pm EDT on The Cartoon Network.
