"Senate Spy" represents the fourth installment within Season Two of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated television program. It holds the position of being the twenty-sixth episode when considering the entirety of the series. Notably, it serves as the initial chapter in a narrative arc spanning five episodes. The events of this episode are set after those depicted in "The Zillo Beast Strikes Back," which is the nineteenth episode of Season Two.
Anakin makes a clandestine journey back to Coruscant to visit his wife, Padmé, at her residence. As they are making preparations for a romantic evening, Anakin receives a summons from the Council, requiring his immediate return to the Jedi Temple, thus abruptly ending their time together. Upon his arrival before the Council, he learns of their need for an informant within the Senate to observe Senator Rush Clovis, who is suspected of harboring sympathies for the Separatist cause. Given the sensitive nature of the situation, they cannot involve Jedi directly, so they seek to persuade Padmé to assist, given her close relationship with Clovis. Despite Anakin's reservations about her suitability for the task, the Masters insist on her involvement, citing her trust in him; Yoda had previously approached her but was turned down.
The following day, Anakin finds his wife at the Senate, where she expresses her displeasure at his abrupt departure the previous night. He inquires about Clovis, and she reveals that she had already declined Yoda's request to spy on him, considering him a colleague and long-time friend. However, upon learning of Clovis's potential collaboration with the Separatists, she promptly agrees to assist. Anakin, concerned for her safety, attempts to dissuade her, but she reminds him of her duty.
Together, they present themselves before the Jedi Council, where Padmé discloses that she hasn't seen Clovis in quite some time. They were once close, but she chose to maintain a professional distance, which he found difficult to accept. The Masters encourage her to regain his trust in order to uncover his potential treachery.
She arranges a meeting with Clovis at a restaurant, where he informs her of his plans to travel to Cato Neimoidia to engage in negotiations with the Trade Federation. He extends an invitation for her to accompany him, citing both political and personal reasons. As they prepare for their departure, Anakin, serving as the pilot for Padmé's ship, experiences jealousy when Clovis kisses her on both cheeks. He assists them in getting seated on the ship, ensuring Padmé's comfort while sabotaging the adjacent seat to prevent it from being fastened. During takeoff, he deliberately maneuvers the ship erratically to thwart Clovis's attempts to kiss Padmé again.
Upon their arrival on Cato Neimoidia, they are greeted by the Neimoidian Senator Lott Dod. Padmé is escorted to her accommodations, while Dod and Clovis convene to discuss "business"—specifically, the amount of credits needed to finance the construction of the new droid factory—with Poggle the Lesser. Clovis declines to provide any further credits. Padmé attempts to gather intelligence while taking a "walk," but her efforts are thwarted when they disable the holographic blueprints. As Clovis escorts Padmé away, Dod and Poggle recognize her as Clovis's vulnerability and devise a plan to poison her in order to coerce his cooperation.
While Anakin and R2-D2 await Padmé's signal outside, she dons an elegant gown for dinner with the other Senators. Dod deceives her into sharing his drink after contaminating the rim with poison. Following dinner, Clovis takes Padmé on a tour of the palace, both unaware of the poison's effects, which include thirst and headaches. While Clovis departs to retrieve a drink, Padmé attempts to access the palace's files but is blocked by the computer's request for a passcode. She soon deduces that it is her name and discovers the diagram of Dooku's new droid foundry. She signals Anakin, who discreetly enters her quarters. As soon as she retrieves the hologram disc containing the plans, she conceals it from Clovis, who enters the room. When he asks to hold her hand, she spontaneously embraces him to hide the disc.
She spots Anakin in the shadows, his face contorted with anger and jealousy, but she manages to calm him by displaying the disc. She subtly hands it to him, but as he slips away, Padmé collapses. Clovis informs Dod of the situation but is told that Padmé is a spy. Initially, he refuses to believe it but is convinced when he discovers the disc is missing. He angrily confronts her for betraying him, but Anakin intervenes, demanding that he step away from her. Clovis realizes that he loves Padmé enough to save her, so he offers to retrieve the antidote in exchange for the disc.
As they carry Padmé back to the ship, they encounter Dod and his aides. Clovis attempts to bluff their way out, but Dod refuses to let them leave, so Clovis brandishes a blaster. Dod is compelled to hand over the antidote, and the three flee. However, Anakin intentionally abandons Clovis on the planet, leaving him to "negotiate" with Dod, as he himself administers the antidote to Padmé.
Despite the presence of a speaking line by Captain Typho in the episode, neither the character nor James Mathis III, the actor who typically provides his voice, are listed in the cast credits.
The Jedi Temple Archives feature on The Complete Season Two Blu-ray includes the brief deleted scene titled "Padmé Glances Over Shoulder."
In a post on the Star Wars Blog, Bryan Young, the editor of bigshinyrobot.com, made connections between the episode's narrative and Alfred Hitchcock's 1946 suspense/espionage film Notorious.