"THE CLONE WARS" SEASON TWO. SWA's TOP FIVE EPISODES. NO 2: "CARGO OF DOOM"

Jedi Trap! Ahsoka Tano: prisoner of Cad Bane in CARGO OF DOOM.

"Almost there!"

Yes, Red Leader's words are in our heads as we're about to reach Pole Position as to the Top Five episodes of Season Two of THE CLONE WARS (out on UK DVD and Blu-ray from 15th November, from WARNER BROTHERS), and it was a toughie to make the final selection, but CARGO OF DOOM, despite much worthy consideration, is ultimately Number Two.

1. Cad Bane. At his most intimidating, dangerous and cunning, this Bounty Hunter without remorse is ruthlessly and efficiently determined to fulfill his current mission for the Separatists, and he proves one slippery customer for our brave Anakin and Ahsoka in trying to corner and battle. Its a shocking moment later in the episode when he captures and electrifies Ahsoka, then threatens to blast her into space if Anakin refuses to co-operate. Voice actor veteran Corey Burton truly brings this unique character - who would have been marvellous in a live action STAR WARS film - to animated reality, whilst the Durosian Bounty Hunter's overall design, with that amazing DEADWOOD-style hat, is superb.

2. Death of a Jedi. The grim, tortured demise of Rodian Jedi, Bolla Ropal, is quite a shocking and sad moment in the series, subtly underplayed and sensitively handled for the series younger audience by the production team. Despite Bane's lack of concern, even the Battle Droids in the episode join us in our sorrow at his loss.

3. Zero G battle. Kudos for the inspired opening space conflict with the Republic Walkers on the Separatists cruisers hull, but its the superb Zero Gravity battle interior sequence that is the highlight for me, which apparently proved quite a challenge to choreograph and edit to the right length during the production process. Love the moment when Skywalker almost has Bane and the stolen Holocron before Artoo restores the hangar to normality, the ceiling walking Clone soldier with the heavy weaponry and the balletic but deadly movements of Ahsoka.

4. Amping up the tension. George Krstic's script is a winner: full of incident and building up the menace and the threat of the damaged and destructing Separatist cruiser as the episode progresses. Its an action/ adventure set within a race against time disaster movie, as Anakin and co. have to rescue Bolla, get the captured Holcron and Kiber crystal, capture or take out Cad Bane if they can and get off the exploding enemy vessel. And there's that great ending where everybody presumes Bane is dead. Think again. CARGO OF DOOM is pure STAR WARS, executed with style and visual flair by the much missed Rob Coleman. And on the humour front, how can we not make special mention of the fun little moment where Captain Rex bangs his head ala the Stormtrooper in EPISODE IV. Nice touch!

5. The Jedi Holocron/Kybur Crystal. They've been the stuff of legend in the Expanded Universe (with the Kybur Crystal having been at the very dawn of the printed STAR WARS world with 1978's Alan Dean Foster fun tale, SPLINTER OF THE MIND'S EYE), and here we get a brief but intriguing look at how they operate, demonstrated in a mysterious and fascinating scene (with nice accompanying sound design) involving Anakin's forced opening of them. I imagine we'll see more of these devices, and what else they store, at further points in the continuing series.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS Season Two, available in the UK on DVD and Blu-ray from November 15th.