Lit The Continuity Snarl Celebration thread

Yeah, I suppose we are assuming it unless something establishes otherwise. Personally, I don't mind the idea that the New Mandalorians ultimately fail, that they tried to save their culture from continual self-destruction and only ended up doing more damage to themselves than they ever could have originally (working with Darth Maul can't exactly help when it comes to attaining peace). Not destroyed by the Jedi or the Sith, but by themselves. If there's a "tragic race" in Star Wars, it's the Mandalorians.

Depending on your perspective, I suppose Spar, Fenn Shysa and Boba Fett reforming the Mandalorians in something more akin to their warlike roots could either be a triumph (take that TCW!) or a tragedy.

 

Yeah, on my end, I'm just assuming Boba and company aren't representatives of the whole Mandalorian race. If nothing else, just so someone can say, "You're scum Boba. Always have been, always will."

Probably before Boba kills him.

I'm a big fan of the similar scene in KOTOR.

I like Mandalorians but it does bother me on occasion the only person in the history of Star Wars who ever called them out on their Proud Warrior Race thing is Carth Onasi.

 

Between TCW and the post-NJO, I am very worried about the future of the universe, and don't know what else to do but completely reject both. Yeah, a new topic would probably be for the best.

 

Well I'm sure we'd all love to hear your opinions on the lengthy EU stuff aside from that.

 

Well, there is a reason why that conversation between Carth and Canderous is one of my favorites in the game, and I like the Mandalorians (especially KOTOR era Mandalorians).

I suppose Revan also gets points there, for learning their customs and utterly exploiting them (the mask). I hope the Mandalorians felt a bit stupid after that.

 

The problem is, all of the continuity snarls I can think of are things I just don't like.

 

Yeah, continuity absolutism isn't really what the thread is about but appreciating the stories for what they are.

 

Appreciate Ruins of Dantooine for what it is. Go on, I dare you.

 

Oh yeah.

I think when you're a fan of someone, you actually want their good and bad points emphasized. I love the Jedi Knights but I think it's good when Muggles show them up. I like the Sith but I also like when people point out what an incredibly DUMB philosophy they follow. In the recent Mercy Kill book (no spoilers), I felt it was a very good book but they elevated one character to an invincible Chessmaster and it hurt him overall. Sort of like how I feel about Thrawn. Thrawn is at his best when he's making mistakes but otherwise a very intelligent guy.

Likewise, Palpatine in TPM is only tolerable because he loses Maul and has to play around the deck to salvage his plan.

 

Now now, there's MANY reasons to hate that book other than bad continuity.

 

I love the idea of the New Mandalorians, and if they had been introduced in any other manner beside TCW, I probably would have accepted them fairly easily, but the show is scaring me, to the point I am now fearful Lucas is just going to create more television shows to radically alter other eras of the EU as he sees fit. On the other hand, Del Rey really dropped the ball when it came to the post-NJO, never have I been so uninterested in and insulted by a new era before.

 

Yeah, but that's part of the nature of Continuity Snarl. At the end of the day, the original stories are still there. Unchanged and unaltered. It's sort of how I feel about Stephanie Brown in DC comics. Because of dumb editorial decisions, she's never existed. That doesn't mean her stories are any less fun. I just have to accept they're not going to make any more.

I like the NJO for example but actually don't like it as the continuation of Luke, Leia, and Han's story for a variety of reasons.

I consider it a separate universe from the Bantamverse.

 

That's a very good point. If anything is presented as infallible and exceptionally holier than thou (with the exception of the object of various religions, I suppose), they inevitably become annoying. It's also worth noting that some things are given the greatest opportunity to shine when they rise from their failures. If a character never fails, their successes look less impressive.

Wouldn't know, haven't had the distinct pleasure of reading it yet (just a sample, and man). I do plan to make myself read it before I move to the NJO, though.

I knew I made a mistake when I saved the bad books for last. I have Red Harvest (though I felt Death Troopers was a decent zombie novel), Jedi Trial, Ruins of Dantooine, The Crystal Star, Planet of Twilight, and much of the Bantam run in my way. Arghh.

 

The Crystal Star is silly more than actively offensive. A large portion of the book is Jacen and Jaina in Hogwarts.

I kid you not.

They even have a Pureblood Sorting Hat.

Jedi Trial isn't bad, it's just that the authors assumed we'd prefer to read about infantry action versus Anakin becoming a Jedi Knight.

Planet of Twilight....is more just plain STRANGE.

 

Having played Outcast (working through Academy) and read the retcon, Crystal Star was a lot less grating second time around.

 

I'm not sure that the retcon was too necessary. In retrospect, it requires everything to be DEADLY SERIOUS in Star Wars. It is a nice bit of arc welding, however, explaining where Desann got so many dang Dark Jedi since I'm pretty sure Force Wells don't work like that.

 

I don't see TCW as a continuity snarl, I see it as an attempt by Lucas to mark his territory, for better or worse (and I of course believe it is for the worst).

 

These kind of things have been showing up more and more in recent years. During Legacy of the Force, I swear, I could hear certain authors fighting with their keyboards.

*double points that they make lightsaber noises as they duel*

 

I was going to say, I am pretty sure that also applied to LotF.

 

What's the retcon with The Crystal Star and Jedi Outcast, again? Isn't the main psycho of TCS actually part of the Reborn, or something?

 

No, the reverse, the Reborn are part of Hethrir's group.

 

This is why I have a fundamental problem with TCW.

I simply can't embrace TCW when it contradicts the films in this manner.

 

Zetta1127

I simply can't embrace TCW when it contradicts the films in this manner.

Yep, we got that.

Anything else to add?

 

The last line was probably superfluous, but I just wanted provide specific examples of why I believe TCW is more than a continuity snarl, so I don't come across as someone who just can't handle change, when I see something much more sever than simple change. The people over on the TV forum act like I am insane for even talking negatively about TCW without having watched it, like this example is meaningless because one supposedly can't judge it without having seen it.

 

Han Solo kind of does several times as well, as he hates Spars guts and of course can't stand Boba Fett. Btw. if you ever play the TOR Bounty Hunter and get to the part where the Mandalore offers you to join the Mandos, you need to reject him outright, the reaction of the other “Great Hunt council members” is rather amusing, as most are also not Mandos.

I would actually not mind them being the ones that get enslaved by the Empire with the help of the extremists, but lets wait and see what actually happens to them in TCW.