PT Yoda vs. Palpatine question

When Palpatine is chucking the pods at Yoda and after Yoda stops one of them with the force and is charging it back to throw at the Emperor, Palpatine seems to feel victorious and he seems to think he has already beaten Yoda. He also seems to be scared when he see the pod flying back at him. How is he surprised by this??

 

He's play-acting. He hasn't had the chance to indulge himself and personally fight the Jedi, so he's taking the opportunity to enjoy the fight. Same reason why he's grinning through much of the fight with Mace.

 

Something I love about Palpatine is how he revels in his evil and genuinely enjoys what he's doing. That's why he was cackling. Plus he seemed to be having Yoda on the ropes at the times.

 

I think it's awesome how insane he looks and sounds when he's chucking the pods. He is evil in its purest form. However, when Yoda chucks the pod back at him, he does seem to be legitimately surprised. Yoda was much further down in the Senate floor than Palpatine was at that point and I seriously doubt that he could even read Palpatine's expressions at that point. Most of what Palpatine does come off as play acting, but for some reason he seemed legitimately afraid and surprised at that point.

 

Yodas action shatters his confidence and thus he is afraid. Palpatine is easily frightened.

 

I don't think he was play-acting. I read that moment as Sidious being annoyed at the inconvenience of having to get out of the way. I could be wrong.
It's interesting that in the original version (on the deleted scenes) Yoda doesn't fall at the end, Palpatine just escapes. The old version seems much less symbolic that Yoda has failed, it was a good decision to change it.

 

I don't think Palpatine looked scared when the pod was thrown at him; more irritated.

He only looked scared when Yoda was holding back his lightening.

 

My brother wants Palpatine's cackle as a ring tone... for the evil-in-laws.

For real.

 

Indeed. Palpatine's reaction seems to be one of irritation rather than one of concern. He hasn't gotten a chance to indulge himself, like others have mentioned, so he's just enjoying himself. However, he does seem legitimately concerned when Yoda holds his own against the Force-Lightning. But that's what makes Palpatine so enjoyable to watch during his duel with Windu and Yoda. You know he hasn't gotten a chance like this and you can feel how giddy he is about sticking it to these "do-gooders" he's had to sit with the past twenty odd years.