Original Air Date: September 17, 2010
Production No.: 301 (Season 3, Episode 1)
"Brothers in arms are brothers for life."
Written by Cameron Litvack
Directed by Dave Filoni
Cast:
Dee Bradley Baker as clone troopers
Larry Brandenburg as Bric
Nolan North as El-Les
Tasia Valenza as Shaak Ti
Bob Bergen as Lama Su
Tom Kane as Narrator
Synopsis: Five headstrong clones struggle to complete their training on Kamino. These cadets -- Hevy, Cutup, Droidbait, Fives and Echo -- seem to be a "bad batch" and are unable to work as a team. As Shaak Ti and drill instructors Bric and El-Les debate the cadets' fate, the clones learn to work together and accept their destiny as soldiers.
Returning Characters: Fives, Echo, Hevy, Droidbait, Cutup
New Characters: 99, Shaak Ti, Bric, El-Les, Lama Su, training droids (battle droid, super battle droids, commando droid), Commander Colt, ARC Troopers
Key Locales: Kamino
Newsreel:
Secrets Revealed
- This episode is a prequel to "Rookies," a popular Season One episode that depicts Domino Squad stationed at Rishi Base. It explains the origins of the nicknames used by Hevy, Droidbait, Echo, Cutup and Fives.
- The design of the clone training armor was inspired by old battered leather football gear. For those keeping track, the Domino Squad team numbering is as follows: 1. Hevy (CT-782); 2. Droidbait (CT-00-2010); 3. Echo (CT-21-0408); 4. Cutup (CT-4040) 5. Fives (CT-27-5555).
- The citadel challenge ordered by Commander Colt -- version THX variable 1138 -- is a not-so-subtle entry in the long history of THX 1138 references in Star Wars. See this article for more.
- The designs for the clone barracks dates back to concepts developed for Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, which were explored by the concept design team back in 2000, but never finished.
- The script initially described Bric as human, but his design instead was inspired by the "Brainee" alien spotted in the Mos Eisley Cantina in Episode IV. Likewise, El-Les is based on the "T-Head" alien from that scene. The Expanded Universe describes these species as Siniteen (an anagram of "Einstein") and Arcona.
