Lit A/V Clone Wars Continuity Discussion (Spoilers Allowed)

I really enjoyed today's episode. Really had that Star Wars feel - that the galaxy had a history, that touch of mystiscism, without being too overtly magical, in the beginning, and a very nice sense of adventure. Very cool.

One thing I thought was a very nice touch was the variety of weapons the pirates were using - droid blasters, Zagarian blasters, republic commando blasters, and a whole lot of melee weapons - looked to be the same kind of weapons the nightbrothers used.

Apparently, they just don't make droids like they used to.

I liked seeing the flying saucer ship in action, and having space suit pirates guide the docking procedure was a nice touch.

Though I have two small problems-
1. Complaining about almost killing someone when you are planning to launch them into the vacuum of space seem hypocritical.
2. If lightsaber crystals are worth so much, why can't he take them from the lightsabers of the jedi and sith he has captured before. Or sell the lightsabers themselves - unless the crystals can be used for other purposes, then surely the whole lgihtsaber is worth more than crystal alone.

 

Is it just me, or did they try a little too hard to make the whole lightsaber aspect of the episode a bit too much like Harry Potter? The whole initial scene with the Professor was just like the wand shop part of the first Harry Potter movie.

I did like the usage of the TOR era Jedi/Republic symbol. Added to the ancient vibe of the vessel.

--Adm. Nick

 

On continuity: I have been waiting for fifteen years to see an improperly-assembled lightsaber explode. Thank you, TCW.

 

Mfw I don't follow Dr. Who nor HP and could care less.

All I want is to know the astrographical locations of Rash-fond and Parlioc.

 

Hasn't that only been brought up in Shadows of the Empire? If so, very cool continuity nod, even if it was likely not a continuity nod at all and merely a coincidence

Then again, Filoni does read the EU, and while the last time I can remember him actually referencing something was in season one (with Mace's shatterpoint and Ahsoka pulling a Thrawn maneuver), you never know...

 

so I was not alone there

the YJK references were what I really enjoyed... the Younglings mirror even the YJK makeup... a wookiee, a techfreak, a showoff lightsaberjunkie, a fearful jerk, etc.

great episode and Tennant rules.. his droid is brilliant. I hope he stays for more episodes.. and gets a cameo in the Sequels.

 

Precisely. It's like leaving Chekhov's gun on the mantle for a decade and a half.

 

Good episode, even continuitywise. We finally see lightsabers assembled with the force on the show, quelling an earlier fear that the robot simply builds the sabers for the younglings. I also enjoyed Tennantbot, and I'm sure David really loved finally participating in something SW related, given that he is supposedly a huge fan.

Most amusingly, Wookie Jedi are noted as being "quite rare".

 

I've been waiting 35 years for someone to bounce too close to a supernova.

 

I think I even saw one of the pirates carrying a DL-44 (or a knockoff thereof) during the boarding scene. Is that a first for the show?

 

Well, that would end your plot real quick, wouldn't it?

 

Well, no one in the GFFA can read.

 

Been really enjoying this episode and the last one for the whole mysticism of the Jedi approach. Tenant droid was awesome and glad how they had him teach the younglings on how to build a lightsaber. Was very nice, especially since I was worried he would build it for them. Instead, he just served as a walking talking guide manual on lightsaber construction. Sure, there is reading a book but there is something to be said with an actual presence helping you in a task. Might have seemed a bit Harry Potter-ish with the hilt selection but we already know that Jedi can build their hilts from a wide variety of sources. When Tenant Droid (forgot the characters name ) mentioned using the tooth of some animal, I immediately thought about Tenel Ka's Rancor tooth lightsaber hilt. So, all in all, was quite nice to see an exploration of the Jedi way.

Though the ending makes me think the whole training aspect will be cut short and I really wanted to see more

 

It's not 10-ENT?

 

They aren't all made of phrik?

Don't the other ones melt?

 

Random thought: I'm a bit disappointed that Maul didn't make any of the obvious parallels to Qui-Gon when Obi-Wan had to fight Maul and Savage. I even believe he said something like, "do you really think you can beat us both?". Probably would have been a good idea to push Obi-Wan's rage buttons a bit by bringing up the time where he fought both him and his dead master.

 

More than suggestion: it's outright stated in the trivia slideshow.

Also, the commentary is definitely worth watching this week. Nice to hear that all the creators, including Lucas, are fond of Hondo.

 

He's the character you hate to love.

I love the fact that a machine is the one to teach Jedi how to build their lightsabers. It highlights the ever-present tension between technology and self-reliance that has been a part of Star Wars since the beginning. The movies make it a point to constantly portray the triumph of the human spirit over soulless machinery, but they never say that technology is totally worthless--after all, the weapon of a Jedi Knight is in fact an incredibly advanced piece of technology. However, there is a living crystal at the heart of the lightsaber. As long as it is not allowed to completely overtake the spark of life in the one who makes use of it (Darth Vader, General Grievous, etc.) , technology can be a perfectly good and even benevolent thing. Even when Luke loses Artoo and turns off his targeting computer, he's still making use of technology to fly through the trench and fire those proton torpedoes. It's okay to rely on technology for some things, you just shouldn't always rely on it for things which you can, with some effort, accomplish without it.

The same principles apply to droids. R2-D2 and C-3PO are both machines, but they are far from soulless, and that is what makes them heroes. Outwardly, Professor Huyang is also just a machine--but because of what is inside of him, he is actually something much more special. He's basically a walking, talking metaphor for the way in which Jedi relate to their lightsabers.

 

Don't be a tiny minded Imperial twit

Not much point in being a proud enforcer of the Empire without some worthy enemies.

Still...still makes the jedi seem like jerks for not recognizing droids, at least some of them, as sentient beings. I am surprised R2 wasn't plotting some kind of revenge on Obi-Wan after being called a dime a dozen. I mean, we all know R2 is a stone cold mass murder who once electrocuted an Ewok just to watch him die, how could R2 let that go?