Full Series The Clone Wars: Episode 204: Senate Spy Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

^^^
Its funny because one thing i always thought the OT DESPERATELY needed was much more exposition, or ya know...any exposition at all would work to. Same thing with the CW series.

The single biggest problem with this show (to me anyways) has always been the fact that EVERY SINGLE EPISODE consists of jedi fighting droids with lightsabers or maybe clones shooting droids and duel after duel after duel with sith lords or stand ins for sith lords (dark jedi). WE ALMOST NEVER GET ANY GOOD SPACE BATTLES. Its called STAR WARS and yet there is not a spaceship to be found (except for quick transportation) but thats really another complaint. Honestly, aren't you guys sick of it yet???

Im so happy this episode is actually going to be about character development instead of marketing ashoka and lightsaber fighting jedi to little kids for a quick commercial interrupted 20 min. so they can sell toys. I gotta say, i love the sound of this new episode. Im actually going to get to see my characters that i fell in love with on the big screen (padme and anakin) actually standing there talking to each other about interesting star wars issues and having powerful drama driven conflicts instead of simply blowing stuff up.

I wanna see what the hecks been going on with the senate. I wanna see the jedi council. I wanna see palpatine manipulating everything and everyone AND how it affects them. I want a real, dramatic, character and plot driven story line that drives the whole season and actually gos somewhere. Im tired of ridiculously unnecessary little short stories that have absolutely nothing to do with anything that came before or after.

Every episode of season one was basically "look kids! This week we get to see your favorite jedi from the council fight droids on your favorite planet from the movies...and with a nice cheesy little morel to the story to go with it! XD" -Lame!

I know this is kind of a rant but don't get me wrong, i love basically anything star wars and i have always liked this show since it first aired. Its entertaining and fun. But it could be SO MUCH MORE and this new episode sounds like a very small step in the right direction.

 

Hm, I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to this episode or not. On the one hand, Padme is occasionally useful. On the other, as mentioned already... the captured Padme long ago got boring, just during the first season! I don't mind seeing more signs of Anakin's fall, but still, feels like this is going to end disastrously (though that's not really a surprise to anyone who reads enough fiction).

Oh well, we'll see how it goes then. Just hope it'll turn out better than the last Anakin and Padme episode. Come to think of it, wonder how many times Anakin will lose his lightsaber in this episode.

 

So, you want The Clone Wars, an action tv series, to be more like a soap opera, rather than an action series?

 

I'm looking forward to this episode - I'm a big Padme fan - but I really hope it is better than last season's Padme episodes. From the previews - it does look promising!

 

No, they want something with more substance. Action is great, I think Clone Wars has the best action on television - however, it gets stale when that's all there is. We need to step back and readjust our perspective onto just WHAT the fighting is all about, who it is affecting, what people are doing to stop it, etc. In short, a meatier plot. If that translates to "soap opera" to you, then...well...I suggest widening your horizons a bit.

 

I don't think we needed a great deal of political discussion in SW, quite frankly.

One thing I did want in the PT was more scenes with adult Anakin and adult Padme, so here's hoping they get it right tonight.

 

We had some bits of it on the first season. I really didn't understood the complaint.

What for me is soap opera is episodes like he described: "Im actually going to get to see my characters that i fell in love with on the big screen (padme and anakin) actually standing there talking to each other about interesting star wars issues and having powerful drama driven conflicts instead of simply blowing stuff up.".

Tematics like this one is the PT full of, and that's why it wasn't so well received among the public like the OT. Themes (episodes) like these break the pace of the movies (series). The Ryloth trilogy, for example, shares a mix of both issues. It's full of action, and shows how people and families are afected by the war. I would like to see more of this kind of episodes. Not senate conspiracies and the personal life of a bounty hunter that does everything except bounty hunting.

 

Check out the new STARWARS.com article - Catherine Taber Talks Undercover Padme.

 

You don't think we needed a great deal of political discussion in a story about a politician taking over the government? Well, I suppose we'll just have to disagree on that point.

 

I have to say that the shots of the Coruscant cityscape are really good.

EDIT:

The voice of Senator Clovis sounds like the Disciple from KOTOR 2.

 

Another Great Ep! I'm so jazzed with this series; I think it has a perfect balance from week to week. Did I understand we won't get another new ep until Nov 6? I hope that wasn't correct.

 

I did not enjoy it. I liked Rush a little, but overall the pacing of the episode was too quick. That ending was all right; however, it could have been better.

 

Back in Hostage Crisis, Anakin wanted to spend some alone-time with Padmé, but she cited her duty to the Senate needed to come first, and Anakin wasn't happy. We start off with the two having alone-time, but this time Anakin said he needed to attend to Jedi duty, and she wasn't happy. Does that make them both hypocritical, or is it me?

Padmé going to Cato Neimoidia - there's bravery and there's stupidity. This is the latter. Cato Neimoidia is one of the main worlds of the Trade Federation. I wonder if Lott Dod told Nute Gunray she was on the planet. Gunray's so obsessed with getting her head on a platter, he'd probably bankrupt the entire Trade Federation to get it. Her decision to go into the nexu's den sounds as stupid as the decision to the Solo kids and their friends to Myrkr.

I was so certain Anakin would grip the Senator and Lott Dod with the Force to make them give him the antidote and to express his displeasure. But I think he got a smug sense of satisfaction at the end - Padmé's now safe, and the Senator getting what's coming to him.

As for no new episodes for two weeks, 10/30 I can understand, since they might decide to dedicate the night to Halloween clips. But next week?

 

Ah ya, I forgot about Halloween. They are probably making a two week deal out of it. I liked the way they ended it - but I think R2D2 was up to disobeying again because that seemed a bit longer than 5 minutes...

 

Just a few quick thoughts, might expand on them later:

-- Episode felt clipped. To much story for such a short time.

-- Anakin showing his [over] protective nature that would lead to his fall in Episode III. Still like "Clone Wars" Anakin more than I do Episode II/III Anakin.

-- Padme, really didn't like her in this episode. She came off as a bit of a...well, I won't use the word, but we're say a "not such a nice woman". And she ended up proving Anakin's point; seeing as she would have likely died and scrubbed the whole mission had he not been to back her up.

 

Great episode. A nice change of pace from all the action. I personally enjoy the action, but I also enjoy the mystery stuff, the character driven stuff, and the political stuff. This had all but the action.

Animation was great. Music was great, although I wish Kiner would use established themes every once in a while. (I wonder if this is something he's been told not to do, or what?) The beginning of this ep would have been a great place for Anakin and Padme's love theme.

But speaking of audio, somebody (my guess is at Cartoon Network) is dropping the ball big time. Again the audio was messed up. Everything sounded a bit muffled. The music and ambient sound effects--basically everything that should be on the left, right, and surround channels--were way too loud compared to the dialogue. And, in the first scene with Clovis, the audio kept cutting out completely. It was so significant that it rendered their conversation unintelligible.

Anyway...I wonder how this incident effects how Anakin feels about spying...if it does at all. I mean, he was pretty squarely against it in Ep 3. Saying that's something a Jedi shouldn't be doing.

Regarding Anakin and Padme being hypocritical, I think they are. But I wouldn't say it's a fault in the writing. People in real life who love each other are often that way when it comes to things such as that.

 

I thought the pace was brisk, but good. The only time where I felt anything like the "hey, this just happened because the show can only be 22 minutes long" feeling is when Clovis is "give me the disc, I give you the antidote" one minute, and "I'll help you save her" the next. Had they had more time in the ep, I think that change could have been extended a bit. Maybe just a line or two. BUT, as it was in the episode still worked.

My wife pointed out, though, that Anakin and Clovis seemed to just be assuming Dodd was giving them an actual antidote.

 

I'm actually glad he didn't use "Across the Stars".

 

I liked it. Not the best, but it was a good change of pace. I think they handle the Anakin/Padme relationship pretty well in this show.

All of the "good friend" talk had me laughing. What was Yoda's line? "Of course. Know about a senator's personal life, you would not." (My baby daughter was acting up during this episode, so I didn't get to pay full attention like I wanted to. But I liked the humor angle of Anakin being jealous of Clovis.)

I missed the part where they said they wouldn't be back for three weeks. That bites! I really want to see the rest of this arc. The preview looked amazing.

 

Well, I haven't been here in a while, but the TV series
has brought me back as a lurker and since that it is only
so much fun I'd thought I'd give my two cents.

Overall, I've been extremely impressed with the animation
and with the story lines, which have been creative and
a nice change from some of the heavier ones in the novels
(I love the Republic Commando novels, but I can only take
so much "the clones are all slaves" whining for so long).
Sure I too think the idea of Padme going to Cato Neimodia seems
a bit crazy (they didn't explain that well at all) but
I liked how the revelation of the past relationship with
Clovis tested Padme and Anakin's relationship. I know it
was cheesy, but when Anakin banked the ship to the left
to prevent them from kissing I laughed out loud. There
were some genuinely funny moments, though I think leaving
Clovis behind to die at the hands of Senator Dodd was a bit
too heartless for a Jedi, even Anakin. Does anyone get
frustrated with the fact that the Jedi in the OT and the EU
show much more mercy to their foes than those in the PT and
CW do most of the time?

I think the Padme/Anakin interaction was the best we've seen
in either Season 1 or 2 or the original CW cartoon for that matter.
In fact, despite the discrepancy noted by a previous poster
about them getting mad at each other over "duty" coming first,
I thought these scenes really worked well and believably portrayed
a range of emotions within the Padme/Anakin relationship. In fact,
I thought it was better than the treatment found in the movies for
the most part.


EDIT: I also think this could have been a two-parter. It might
have slowed down the pace a bit and allowed for an even greater
look at the characters of Anakin and Padme. Like someone else
said, the action and fighting is great but its the characters
that keep me coming back for more.

 

Quite a snore fest of an episode but I enjoyed it for what it was. We got absolutely no action in this though, not even a lightsaber ignited.

Though, waiting two weeks for the next episode and probably the beginning of the Geonosis arc is going to be real tough.

 

Were it not for Anakin in this episode, I wouldn't have bothered at all.

Nice to know someone else had audio problems too. Dad and I thought it was a glitch with our recording.

Interesting to see how the Geonosis arc is going to play out too...

 

Interestingly, there apparently wasn't time to take Padme to Coruscant. That could be interpreted as indication of a nontrivial minimal hyperspace travel duration.

 

Like many others here, I found the episode rushed in its goal and slow in its execution. Not the best episode...let's see....

In no particular order:
Padme and Anakin came off as really immature. Which is entirely fitting with episode three, so it works. I did enjoy their conversation in the beginning though.
Lott Dod sounded a lot like that Nemodian from Jedi:Starfighter. Same voice actor probably.
Nice to see Cato Nemodia.
I am not sure how the factory is going to turn much of a profit.
Nice to see inter-CIS bickering.
It was pretty stupid of Yoda to not mention Clovis' CIS connections when asking a friend of his to spy on him.

Ah, I forgot the most important thing: Senator Clovis was awfully open about his Banking Clan connection, and Padme sure went to am important CIS world easily enough. I was rather surprised...while trade and diplomatic contact do happen even during war time, I would expect a lot more security involved....
Then I remembered that while the major trade corporations sold a lot of war machines to the CIS (at generous prices) and while many CIS officials also hold important positions in those corporations, the groups themselves are technically neutral and conducted business as usual.

 

This episode was rather dumb for anyone old enough to remember the prequels, (as this show goes on the assumption that most kids haven't seen it).

First off, why were the Jedi so concerned about the Banking Clan joining with the Separatists? Wasn't that made abundantly clear when San Hill said "The Banking Clan will sign your treaty."?

Traveling to the homeworld of a guy who wants you decapitated doesn't strike me as very intelligent, especially when said senator has gained a reputation for destroying CIS assets.

Anakin and Padme came off as very childish in this episode. Any time they spoke, they would bicker. If I wanted to hear bickering in Star Wars, I would watch C-3PO discuss droid mentality with R2-D2.

And this was the absolute dumbest thing I saw. Anakin comes to recruit Padme to spy on Clovis, in the senate hall. What the hell is that about? You're having a private conversation about uncovering a traitor, in the middle of a packed chamber and yelling. That place must have the best sound dampening system I've ever seen.


What really bugs me is that this is the last we will see of the Clone Wars for a couple weeks. And how that translates into Canadian is that Teletoon won't show this episode until the Halloween one comes out on CN, and then Canada still remains a week behind schedule. The most I can get nowadays is the spyware advertised episodes off Youtube, until the Nice people who record the Cartoon Network episodes come and put up the whole thing.