“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” Season 7, Episode 5: “Gone with a Trace” Review

Story posted March 23, 2020 in CommRadio, Arts & Entertainment by Andrew Field

A new story arc graces the screens of viewers this week in episode five, “Gone With a Trace”. After weeks of seeing the “Bad Batch” and Anakin take on Admiral Trench and the Separatists, it’s time for a new chapter in season seven of the “Clone Wars.”

Ahsoka Tano is finally back as she finds herself in trouble yet again, but with the help of a mechanic named Trace, the two form a bond as they both want to escape the underworld of Coruscant.

It has been years since Ahsoka was seen leaving the Jedi Order and in search of finding a new path. Ashley Eckstein returns to voice the character that she voiced for over six years, and it’s like she never left.

The voice acting done by Eckstein is as good as it’s been. Even newcomers Brigitte Kali Canales (Trace) and Elizabeth Rodriguez (Rafa) excel with their dialogue as they sell the struggles that sisters Rafa and Trace have gone through over the years.

Something to look out for in future installments is the relationship between Ahsoka and Trace and how that will be impacted by the actions of Rafa. Since Rafa was involved with crime lords, she seemed determined for her and Trace to be leaders of the crime ring one day. This may cause Trace to choose sides between her sister or her new friend.

Seeing what transpires below the Coruscant adds more to building the world of the “Clone Wars” as this territory has been explored before in past seasons, but to see it in a different angle from characters who live there like Trace and Rafa was a breath of fresh air.

The main appeal for this epiosde was to show that Ahsoka was back and introducing Rafa and Trace, so for an overall episode, there was not too much going on. There is hope for this arc to have more interesting installments to follow as Ahsoka has to deal with the problems of her past, and how the repercussions will shape her future.

Because fans already know where Ahsoka’s story goes after the “Clone Wars,” it will be intriguing to see how the missing pieces of her arc is filled in. Certainly there is going to be heartbreak and misfortune, but in the end Ahsoka’s character is the spirit of the show. Without her, a huge piece of the puzzle would be missing.

Her story is forever intertwined with the fate of her former master Anakin, and the more that is touched on in the final few episodes, the better the response it will get from the fans. This show thrives on a few things: The nostalgia from previous seasons, more lore and world building, and creating likeable characters.

Anakin and Ahsoka’s relationship, although not as key as Obi-Wan and Anakin’s, is still vital to the story as a whole. Ahsoka knows that Anakin is going down a dark path, and there’s not much she can do to stop it. She also realizes that life as a Jedi is not worth the pain and suffering she’s endured.

Will she confront her former master again? What does Darth Maul have to do with all of this? Could he try to make Ahsoka to be his new apprentice? All of these thoughts and questions may be explored in the next few weeks, whether the answers are favorable, fans will have to wait and find out.

“Gone With a Trace” gives more lore into the world as it slowly transitions into a new thread of stories that are sure to contain fun and exciting moments along the way.

 


Andrew Field is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email aaf5329@psu.edu.