The eighth episode of the television show Star Wars: The Clone Wars fourth season is called "The General". It is the second part of a four-episode arc centered around the clones' concerns about a particular general, an arc that began with the preceding episode, "Darkness on Umbara". Its initial broadcast occurred on November 4, 2011.
"Captain Rex and the clone troopers of the 501st Legion are given orders by General Krell to seize control of a heavily defended Umbaran airbase; he demands nothing short of total victory. Unless the clones can apply their resourcefulness to overcome their new adversary, this mission is practically a guaranteed suicide run."
The clone troopers of the 501st Legion struggle to maintain their position amidst the continuous ground and air assaults by the Umbarans, making it impossible for them to advance and provide support to Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan requests that Master Pong Krell launch an attack on a nearby airbase, which serves as a crucial supply hub for the capital's defensive measures. The battalion then reorganizes and heads toward the airbase. Krell, emphasizing the urgency of Obi-Wan's predicament, dismisses Rex's suggestion to scout for a safe path, instead instructing the troops to proceed through a central gorge. Rex objects, pointing out that the confined route will only permit single squads to advance.
This instruction causes division among the clone troopers, with some openly voicing criticism of Krell's flawed strategy, while others push for continuing the mission. Fives is the most outspoken of the dissenters. In an effort to restore order, Rex pulls Fives aside and urges him to help foster unity among the troopers. Despite Fives' insistence that Krell's strategies are excessively costly, Rex maintains that it is their duty as soldiers to obey orders, even if it means sacrificing their lives. Pressured by Fives, Rex abruptly ends the conversation, citing his unwavering loyalty to his code as his sole justification. Rex divides the battalion into separate units, assigning leadership to Fives, Hardcase, and himself, and they begin their descent into the gorge. However, shortly after starting, the lead group is ambushed by several caterpillar tanks, resulting in significant casualties. Through the combined use of rocket launchers and thermal detonators deployed as land mines, the troopers eventually gain the upper hand against these formidable machines.
As the troops continue their advance, they face another threat in the form of Umbaran spider cannons, whose intense firepower forces them to retreat once more. Krell refuses to accept Rex's retreat or provide reinforcements, stubbornly insisting that his men must not yield any ground to the enemy. The battalion suffers heavy losses, and the mobile cannons prove invulnerable to their rocket launchers, making further attacks seem futile. Facing imminent defeat, Rex quickly devises an alternative plan to Krell's, sending Fives and Hardcase on a covert mission to the airbase, with the goal of seizing a pair of Umbaran starfighter to use against the tanks. When Rex explains his plan to Krell, the Jedi Master vehemently rejects the idea and orders Rex to resume a full-scale frontal assault. Despite heavy resistance, Rex and his clones are unable to reach the airbase, but they continue to engage the Umbaran assault tanks. Rex instructs the clones to hold their ground for as long as possible, giving Fives and Hardcase the necessary time to complete their mission.
Meanwhile, Fives and Hardcase arrive at the compound's perimeter, where they encounter a sensor wall. After setting explosives at the base of a tree, the two clones climb it and bypass the fence. Fives detonates the explosives as a diversion, and both men quickly seize control of a pair of Umbaran fighters. The holographic controls prove challenging to master, but after some risky maneuvers, the clones manage to get the fighters airborne and head towards the battlefield. The commandeered fighters arrive just as Rex and his men are on the verge of defeat. The superior firepower of the Umbaran aircraft swiftly neutralizes the tanks, and the enemy vehicles are quickly subdued, allowing the remaining clones to advance and secure the airbase. Krell observes the successful operation with detached acknowledgment and orders Appo and the rest of the battalion to move out. At the base, Rex commends Fives and Hardcase before being confronted by General Krell. After reporting the mission's success, Krell dismisses the clones' losses as the price of victory before departing, leaving Rex indignant but silent. Fives remarks to Rex that the general is unwilling to acknowledge the true cost of his orders...
Similar to "Darkness on Umbara," General Krell addresses Captain Rex as "CT-7567," despite Rex's original designation being CC-7567.
Appo is depicted as a Sergeant, not his established rank of Commander. Additionally, when Appo speaks to General Krell, his voice is not altered to simulate speaking through his helmet.
Krell insists on referring to all clones by their designated numbers rather than their chosen nicknames. However, he deviates from this rule when addressing Appo by his nickname instead of as CC-1119. He also does so with Captain Rex, marking only the second instance of him using it.
Near the episode's conclusion, there is a scene where Krell lacks his beard and his chin appears shaven, only for his beard to reappear moments later. This is likely a production oversight.
When Hardcase is scaling the fence, he remarks, "I prefer a straight fight over all this sneaking around." This line is echoed years later by Han Solo during his infiltration of the Death Star in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.
This marks the first directorial effort by Walter Murch since the 1985 film Return to Oz, which was significantly influenced by Star Wars with assistance from George Lucas. Coincidentally, one of the clone troopers from the previous episode was nicknamed Oz, presumably as a reference to the film.