Attachment is not compassion.
The Republic is still clearing up Geonosis, although the planet has been mostly subdued. Master Ki-Adi-Mundi informs Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luminara Unduli, and Anakin Skywalker that Master Mace Windu's forces on Dantooine urgently need medical supplies. However, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Luminara have to transport the captured Geonosian leader Poggle the Lesser to Coruscant. Therefore, Padawans Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee are sent to collect the supplies from the medical station near Ord Cestus, with the older Jedi joining them after they've delivered Poggle. They leave with a full detachment of clone troopers — but there's a problem. One of the clones was infested with a Geonosian brain worm while sleeping, and now he's got a backpack full of them...
Tropes:
- Air-Vent Passageway: Ahsoka and Barriss escape from mind-controlled clone troopers via jumping into the air vents. Later in the episode, Ahsoka uses the same vents to travel to the coolant control room and the bridge while she's running from Barriss.
- Bald of Evil: Scythe, the first clone trooper to be infected and the one who brings the brain worm eggs onboard the frigate, has a shaved head. Although, he presumably doesn't normally qualify.
- Beautiful Dreamer: When Ahsoka finally manages to subdue Barriss, she cradles her in her arms and holds her unconscious body until Ahsoka passes out as well and lies with her.
- Big "NO!": Barriss' reaction when she's captured and about to be infected, although it's cut off by the raising of a security screen.
- Call-Back: After two possessed clone troopers attack Ahsoka and Barriss in the mess hall, Ahsoka mentions that her master had a clone trooper betray him once.
- Call-Forward:
- Mind-controlled clone troopers attacking Jedi? It sounds exactly like something that will eventually happen towards the end of the war. It's something that Ahsoka will become painfully familiar with in the final arc of the series. When Barriss is captured, one clone trooper even says this:"If there's one thing we clones know, it's how to stop a Jedi."
- During Ahsoka and Barriss' conversation over food, Ahsoka mentions that her fellow apprentice would likely find Anakin's views on the future "a bit radical", and that she has no idea how peacetime will agree with him. As she says that last part, a bar of the Imperial March is heard.
- When Anakin goes to interrogate Poggle by himself, the Imperial March is part of the score both when he goes to the Archduke's cell and when he starts Force-choking him.
- Mind-controlled clone troopers attacking Jedi? It sounds exactly like something that will eventually happen towards the end of the war. It's something that Ahsoka will become painfully familiar with in the final arc of the series. When Barriss is captured, one clone trooper even says this:
- Continuity Nod: Mace Windu's battle on Dantooine from Star Wars: Clone Wars is referenced.
- Dying as Yourself: On the freezing ship, when Barriss manages to get a moment of clarity, she asks Ahsoka to kill her. Ahsoka declines.
- Force-Choke: Anakin does this to Poggle while interrogating him on a way to stop the parasites, after learning that mind tricks won't work.
- Foreshadowing:
- The clone troopers are mind-controlled by parasites in their brains and attack the Jedi. It's later revealed this is similar to how Order 66 functions; since the clones' actions aren't caused by malice, their intent can't be sensed.
- There are several elements of Barriss' actions, both before and after she's infected with a parasite, that hint at what she will do in Season 5. Ahsoka also tells her that she might find Anakin's views on the future "a bit radical".
- Funny Background Event: When Obi-Wan quips "Like you always do?" after Anakin expresses concern that Ahsoka and Barriss haven't checked in, Rex makes a rather amused smile.
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Ahsoka attempts this with the possessed Barriss, but it doesn't work until after Ahsoka ruptures the coolant system, dropping the temperature.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Barriss kills Lieutenant Trap in self-defence by igniting her lightsaber through his torso.
- Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: What Anakin does to Poggle to get him to spill about how to defeat the brain worms. It begins with Anakin backhanding him (with his cybernetic arm, no less), then quickly transitions to Force choking him before the scene ends.
- Kill It with Ice: Ahsoka lowers the temperature by rupturing the coolant system, disabling the possessed clone troopers. It takes longer for Barriss to succumb, as Mirialans are more resistant to the cold due to hailing from a cold planet.
- Let's Split Up, Gang!: Barriss suggests that she go disable the thrusters, while Ahsoka tries to warn the fleet. Ahsoka has reservations, but goes along with it — and because they split up, Barriss is caught and infected.
- Logical Weakness: The brain worms are from Geonosis, a hot desert planet. They're vulnerable to the cold.
- Murder Is the Best Solution: Barriss definitely kills one possessed clone trooper and might have killed another — whereas Ahsoka is clearly taking much greater care to avoid killing any of them.
- No-Sell: As Poggle informs Anakin via a translator droid, Geonosians have a natural immunity to Jedi mind tricks. Unfortunately for Poggle, Anakin doesn't need mind tricks to get him to talk...
- Orifice Invasion: The Geonosian brain worms attack their unwilling hosts by climbing through their nostrils or mouth.
- Post-Victory Collapse: The cold and having to fight her friends has Ahsoka collapse after dealing with the brain worms.
- Puppeteer Parasite: The Geonosian brain worms are confirmed to be able to control other species and even Jedi (well, a Padawan, at least).
- Scream Discretion Shot: When Barriss is captured and infected with a brain worm, her scream is cut off by a force field going up.
- Sleep Cute: Ahsoka and Barriss do this in the cockpit while freezing after Barriss has been freed of her brain worm.
- Tractor Beam: Two tugboats using these slow the frigate down after it drops out of hyperspace.
