main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Full Series Grade the Episode: 103: Shadow of Malevolence

Discussion in 'Star Wars TV- Completed Shows' started by Garth Maul, Apr 20, 2011.

?

Grade the Episode: 103: Shadow of Malevolence

Poll closed Jul 19, 2011.
  1. 10

    21.4%
  2. 9

    21.4%
  3. 8

    32.1%
  4. 7

    14.3%
  5. 6

    3.6%
  6. 5

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  7. 4

    3.6%
  8. 3

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  9. 2

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  10. 1

    3.6%
  1. Garth Maul

    Garth Maul Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 18, 2002
    <img src="http://www.starwars.com/img/theclonewars/guide/epguide03.jpg">


    Watching this episode again, how would you rate it?

    Remember, unlike our Season 3 polls, please feel free to discuss the episode as much as you'd like in this thread. Did the episode seem any different than the first time you saw it?

    Grade average (29 votes): 8.1
     
  2. Garth Maul

    Garth Maul Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 18, 2002
    Kinda surprisingly (again!) gave it a 9/10.

    Likes:

    Y-Wings. Seriously badass.
    I even liked the Shadow Squadron call in, really felt SW to me.
    Balmorra Run - and the awesome Neebray mantas.
    Parsecs used in a pretty intelligent way.

    Really, really liked that Anakin had a plan that he committed to that only he could end up carrying out, and he really had to struggle to change the plan. Lucas delved into this a bit in AOTC and ROTS, how it can be difficult being the most talented, but I wish they brought it up more. It was also to see that sometimes he can be wrong, because it doesn't happen often.

    Grievous was also awesome again, I love how he says "I have a reputation to uphold!" Targeting the medical cruisers and medbase were great too.

    Dislikes:
    Nothing really comes to mind. A little awkward line reading now and then, but overall highly enjoyable. Probably the highlight of the Malevolence Arc for me.
     
  3. GGrievous

    GGrievous Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 6, 2005
    I have to disagree with you, Garth, about the call-in. It felt sort of forced in with the majority of the other ANH dialogue that was in the episode. The call off just didn't pay off or seemed like it shouldn't have been in the episode. It felt like a lousy excuse and just a thrown in piece to tell people "OMGZ IT'S STAR WARS." I just didn't like it or the following, slow-paced scenes after it.

    The battle against the Malevolence felt very slow. Slow paced, and just the idea of attacking the bridge instead of the ion cannon in the first place was strange. No reason for Anakin to target the bridge when the ion cannon was the real threat. Plo was all right, Ahsoka was annoying, I liked the clones that were introduced.

    Y-Wings were a plus, though.

    Overall, I found this episode to be the weakest in the Malevolence arc. The forced-in ANH dialogue was just cringeworthy in both Shadow and in Destroy Malevolence.
     
  4. 07jonesj

    07jonesj Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 2010
    Shadow of Malevolence.

    My favorite of the Malevolence arc (actually it's the only one I liked)

    This is the first episode of the show that was great. This was the potential of the show, not Ambush, with Yoda taking on a billion droids, but true Star Wars. I have always liked space battles so that helps too.

    The casualties of the clones were very well done, they truly felt expendable, like they were in a WAR. Matchstick :(

    The Y-wings, the ion cannon (the Death Star), it all provoked A New Hope feel, which is my favorite film. The chatter in the Y-wings was well done and made sense, that it would go on "electronic battle records", how else do they keep up with casualties in space??

    The Kaminoan medical facility looked just like Attack of the Clones which was great. The ending was well done, with a great feeling of accomplishment for our heroes.

    8/10
     
  5. ShakTeeth

    ShakTeeth Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2011
    This is the first time I've seen the episode since it aired, and I was very pleasantly suprised. The chatter between the Y-Wing's was terrific, and it really made all the clone pilots feel human. Despite knowing all the main characters would survive, the episode still had great suspense that I forgot about my future knowledge. Overall, a outstanding episode.

    9/10

     
  6. Alexrd

    Alexrd Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 7, 2009
    8/10

    A great episode. My favourite of the Malevolence.
     
  7. fistofan1

    fistofan1 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 8, 2009
    10/10. Classic SW feel with a great space battle. And the introduction of Y-Wings!
     
  8. Barriss_Coffee

    Barriss_Coffee Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2003
    6/10. Visually, it was great for its time, especially the neebray scene. But the plot was too linear for me to give anything higher than a 6.
     
  9. Gry Sarth

    Gry Sarth Ex 2x Banhammer Wielding Besalisk Mod star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 24, 1999
    10/10 This is where I fell in love with the series.

    First of all, starfighters are my favourite aspect of the whole Star Wars thing, so there was a lot to love in this episode. It boggles my mind that this is the ONLY true "starfighter episode" the series has given us in all this time. And we haven't ever really had a proper dogfighting sequence. If I were to dock a point from this episode's score (which I considered doing) it would be for the lack of proper dogfighting. Nothing very exciting happens when the Vultures engage the Y-Wings.

    Anyway, truly loved the Y-Wings, great variation of the design, that really makes sense with the classic model, while making it something that fits in the prequel era. The pilot banter was all around very good, especially the cocky "I always know where I'm going. I'm going to blow up that starship!". The Balmorra Run was a highlight, beautiful, original and exciting, just like Star Wars is meant to be. The death of the pilots was heartfelt enough, and the final battle pure classic SW, with Anakin needing to give up on his obstinate desire to kill Grievous in order to fullfill the mission and spare his men.

    When, oh when are we going to have another episode like this one?!
     
  10. Garth Maul

    Garth Maul Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 18, 2002
    See GG, I'm with Gry on this one: you know usually I can't stand the forced PT/OT references, but hearing the pilots call-in just brought me back to ANH and ROTJ space battles.

    Oh - it's been 3 days now since I watched the Malevolence arc so my memory is foggy - is this the episode where Anakin is pointing at somebody with his index finger? That was pure Vader, but done in a very subtle way.[face_devil]
     
  11. Darth_Tarkus

    Darth_Tarkus Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 10, 2011
    If they copied the dialogue verbatim or something GG would have a good point, but if we already know from the films that squads of star-fighters do a call-in before starting a mission, it doesn't seem forced that they would do it before starting their mission in this episode, quite the opposite, it seems perfectly natural.

    I'm watching this episode today, if memory serves I'll probably be giving it an 8.
     
  12. rumblewagon

    rumblewagon Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 24, 2004
    9/10.
    A very solid, entertaining episode. The Neebray mantas were a surprise and the Y-wings made for an interesting space battle. The only thing I'd mark down is the occasional clunky dialogue and recycled quotes from ANH. I'd rather that the writers had gotten more creative than rehash Star Wars lines.
     
  13. Swashbucklingjedi

    Swashbucklingjedi Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2010
    What the? Nothing problem with call-in- it's probably standard procedure.....
     
  14. Alexrd

    Alexrd Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 7, 2009
    Exactly.
     
  15. Garth Maul

    Garth Maul Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 18, 2002
    It may be a standard procedure, but the way the scene was "shot"/framed/directed, it was clearly supposed to evoke the scene of the X-Wings leaving Yavin towards the Death Star.

    Hearing "cut the chatter" only solidifies that. ;)

    But again, this is one of those few times the direct homage didn't irritate me.
     
  16. Swashbucklingjedi

    Swashbucklingjedi Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2010
    I have problem only with one homage by far "Don't get cocky" that felt so forced in Padawan Lost others are fine with me it's not that big deal really not to me- if it suits to situation it's just- "LOL that was obvious reference"- and then original episode continues- if entire episode starts to be direct homage then it may be irritating but few lines- no problem.....
     
  17. GGrievous

    GGrievous Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 6, 2005
    Exactly, that's what I saw. It didn't felt right, and since the following scenes didn't quite live up to the call-in as we could expect it would, it felt off and very slow-paced.

    Cut the chatter and other bits of dialogue were directly taken from ANH and shoved into the episode. I saw no other reason, even if it's "battle-like banter." Much of the lines like "loosen up" or "watch those towers" were from ANH. There's other lines as well.
     
  18. Swashbucklingjedi

    Swashbucklingjedi Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2010
    "watch those towers" is not too similar alone at least but there were plenty of references maybe bit too much i have to rewatch it and then say again- at least no one said "Look at the size of that thing!"

    this reminds me how funny it was when in Medal of Honor Pacific Assault made sudden random SW-references in Henderson airfield level[face_laugh] "You worry about those fighters! I'll worry about the tower!" and "This is red five, I'm going in!"
    i find that just funny.....

    but maybe there was bit too much ANH in this episode considering they already had Y-wings, superweapon, protontorpedos destroying it, Yularen and call-in and then all these quotes[face_thinking] maybe there were too much ANH-references hey at least there were no Dodonna leading the assault, R2 blowing up or droid telling to Grievous they've analyzed the attack and there is a danger.....
     
  19. Alexrd

    Alexrd Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 7, 2009
    I don't see it that way. I'm not for searching nits to pick.
     
  20. Darth_Zandalor

    Darth_Zandalor Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 2, 2009
    9/10 best part of the Trilogy.

    Despite my misgivings about the animation stutters in the first season, watching the Neebray Manta's again still looks pretty damn cool.
    I enjoyed the pilot banter, and the Y-Wing design was excellent, showing off the qualities of both the OT design with PT aesthetics.

    Couple of things I didn't like was that once again we were treated to Venators "sinking" in outer space,complete with billowing smoke rising somehow. Just seems wrong.

    And as a huge fan of the X-Wing TIE Fighter games, I was a little annoyed at the Y-Wing bombing run. The squadron had pretty much no fighter support, bugging me after I'd gone through great pains covering bombing runs in those games.

    Still, great episode, and Ahsoka was thrown in a bubble so I didn't care if she was there or not.
     
  21. Garth Maul

    Garth Maul Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 18, 2002
    I rarely if ever get into conversations about SW physics, but I guess you could argue that if an explosion from within the ship bled out into space, there could be thrust from the explosion that could be moving the Venators "downward".
     
  22. Darth_Zandalor

    Darth_Zandalor Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 2, 2009
    That still doesn't explain the smoke rising. Or why we should even be seeing that much smoke. Anyways, the ships weren't moving on their own. As strong as turbolaser strikes are, they don't have sufficient force to push objects. They impact on the surface or lance through the ships. So unless the Malevolence ran the Venator over and managed to push its nose downwards and then bump the engine section, it should be drifting in the last direction its engines were pointed.
     
  23. AkashKedavra_93

    AkashKedavra_93 Moderator Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2011
    8/10. Definitely better than the previous episode. I liked the third episode more though, with C-3PO and all.
     
  24. JediMaster1511

    JediMaster1511 Jedi Grand Master star 10

    Registered:
    Jul 15, 2010
    Gave it an 8. Liked the Y-Wings, and it was cool to see a space battle. Too bad we haven't really any space battle exclusive episodes since.(Yeah I know, there have been some, but not enough really)
     
  25. Humble_Jedi

    Humble_Jedi Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 14, 2004
    Gave it an 8. (Previously a 7, so +1 again)

    Maybe I should have given it a 7. Then again, I can't think of any good reason. This was a pretty solid episode... not the most thrilling episode ever, but still quite good. Not as 'meh' as I remembered it. That was probably just because 'Ambush' and 'Rising' were so good.

    The only thing that slightly bugged me was the excessive use of OT quotes. It would have been funny if they'd left them all out except for the battle droid saying he had a bad feeling about this.

    I like these 'old' themes of Anakin's overconfidence... he just couldn't let go of his plan... he had to kill Grievous no matter the cost.

    I was a bit disappointed Plo didn't give Ahsoka more credit.