I often try not to be too critical on this blog, but I thought I ought to mention it.Ā
Star Wars the Clone Wars has some serious problems.Ā
Some things are just not handled delicately or correctly in any way shape or form.Ā Iām not going to talk about the Clovis arcs here, since @englishlady has already done a very good job on that, and will instead elaborate on my opinions about the Zygerria arc.Ā
Trigger warnings for discussion of slavery, non-consensual stuff, and sexual harassment.Ā
Anakinās portrayal was the thing that really frustrated me at first. This is a man who has suffered under slavery, abuse, and violence for the first nine years of his life, and the story writers are telling me that he is almost entirely comfortable bantering with his Padawan whilst surrounded by awful things from his past? After a few years you donāt just get over trauma, but his reactions seem to have.Ā
I have been through nothing even remotely as bad as this, but the bad stuff that has happened in my past isnāt something I can get over, and when itās brought up I feel rather uncomfortable, uneasy, or downright rotten.Ā
The show writers really should have looked at this and said: āwe are putting a character who has experienced childhood trauma into a position where he will be confronted by it and may experience it again, letās try to handle it sensitivelyā but what they actually went for was: āweāre doing episodes on slavery, there should be scantily clad ladies and the overall message that slavery is badā Yes. Slavery is bad. Everyone knows that. In dealing with such a sensitive topic, it should be handled better. Not just āslavery bad, but ooh look girls!ā (I will be getting on to the inappropriate costume design in a moment, btw), but also some delicacy and tact. These are real world problems that people today still suffer from, they should be handled more appropriately.Ā
There was one line that really stood out to me (although all of them were rather poor) and that was where Ahsoka is discussing her roll on the mission.Ā
Hereās the conversation from the Clone Warās TV show:Ā
Hereās the conversation from the comic.Ā
It feels really really tone deaf for the only character that is making light of the situation the only one who has actually experienced it. It felt a little like saying: āoh this sort of thing isnāt that bad, hehe lolā. It felt dismissive and not only unpleasant in terms of the real world as well, but also just incredibly poor writing and story telling.Ā
You donāt even need to realise he has emotional trauma to realise his character would be uncomfortable in that situation, he doesnāt like sand and heās on a desert planet. He doesnāt like putting Ahsoka in danger, and Ahsoka is in danger. I mean maybe Iām just a little judgmental or maybe I misread itā¦ butā¦ IDK, the portrayal of Anakin really cheesed me off.Ā
Hereās the bits that may be a bit triggering, just a warning:
Ahsokaās outfit is in no way shape or form appropriate. She is dressed like a sex slave, and she is a child.Ā
Anakin would have probably chosen the outfits for this mission, because you know, he has the most knowledge on the subject. You can not tell me that the Ex-Slave Anakin Skywalker would gladly dress his underage female Padawan in saucy clothes.Ā
This was a creative decision which made no sense in the story or for the characters, and it has some rather unfortunate implications. Whilst Ahsoka is not in any way harmed sexually there is the implication that something could have happened, had the Queen or Anakin allowed it. That is a rather distressing concept. It is inappropriate, particularly for a young child.Ā
In the comics Ahsoka was dressed like Shmi Skywalker.Ā
It would have made no difference to the story had they kept her dressed as Shmi Skywalker. I donāt really understand why they decided to dress a 15 year old girl as what appears to be a sex slave. It is disgusting and inappropriate.Ā
Although, full disclaimer, I have never read the comics. I have only seen some of these pictures when researching to write this little opinion piece, so they may have handled the subject matter inappropriately too, Iām not sure.
Another monumental wrong doing on the part of the writers was to make the āromanceā between Anakin and Miraj Scintel feel (with the music and staging) like a pining love.Ā
She had his friends captured and seriously harmed, had him electrocuted until he fainted, and is the queen of an entire slave empire.Ā
It was not a romance, or even a pining one-sided love.
At best it was sexual harassment of a powerless prisoner/ slave.Ā
At worst it was sexual assault.Ā
He woke up on her bed (which a few people have pointed out is a little unnerving and suggestive), she was very touchy with him (and he is uncomfortable with it), and she threatened him with hurting Ahsoka and Obi Wan (indirectly but it was clearly still implied) and the people who wrote the show said that they wanted the audience to feel some form of pity at her death because of their āromanceā.
There are some moments where the writers imply that Anakin might not be entirely as into their ārelationshipā as she is, telling her that she had āall the powerā in their dynamic, but he looks so nonchalant at this point that it might go over the head of an audience member. He is telling her that she is forcing a relationship on him, and that he is powerless to stop it, and itās played off as a blasĆ© interaction.Ā
Iām not entirely sure you can put those things in a show and try to play it off as romantic to get the āchild-friendlyā rating. They could have quite easily at least attempted to deal with the serious subject matter that they introduced. There was a suicide and a significant amount of torture and abuse in these three episodes, so there was no excuse when the show glossed over such obvious and unpleasant misconduct.
I donāt know what it is with the writers writing abusive, predatory characters whoās deaths are supposed to inspire pity. Miraj Scintell was handled as poorly as Rush Clovis was, and I donāt really have a solution to that.
Maybe if youāre watching the Zygerria arc of the clone wars, donāt watch it with younger siblings or your children.
Although, this is completely an opinion piece, so if you totally disagree or think Iām a bit of a hater or just being judgemental, thatās fine. I may be being too harsh, IDK.
Iād like to think that this was an honest mistake from the writers rather than them being deliberately obtuse or inappropriate.
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