Well? (SPOILERS!)

Said news. I did not see EP3 for a 5th time today. We coulden't get the showing we wanted, and there was no chance of getting another because of a bussy schedual.

Two possibilities regarding Darth Plagueis and Exactly How Much His Apprentice Learned From Him:

1. Palpatine is telling the truth; there's no need to lie in this matter, Anakin has already swallowed the bait. This leaves the possibility that Palpatine ARRANGED for Anakin's birth, but need not have been the father. Shmi doesn't remember anything, anyway. Palpatine finds her, influences the midichlorians to jumpstart a little pregnancy, and viola! Instant Chosen One!

2. Palpatine is lying through his rotting teeth. This whole line of bantha poodoo is to get Anakin interested in alleged Sith powers. This is supported by Sidious later admitting that only one had achieved the power to cheat death (i.e., Plagueis), but if they work together, they'll be able to figure it out. Right. And you stabbed ol' Plagueis in the back what, thirty, forty-plus years ago and STILL haven't figured it out?

However ...

If #1 is true, then we have a nasty little footnote - Palpatine arranged for Shmi to survive the Tusken's tortures, and pulled the plug when Anakin showed up, as Palpatine knew he would. It was there that he took his first big step towards the Dark Side, and it parallels the whole 'watching my friends suffer' bit from TESB.

Nobody said this ability requires line of sight or physical touch. It's possible that one can exercise one's will over the Force and follow it to a nexus.

Or, the ability to control is so extensive that you can prime an enemy to DIE as well as LIVE. Shmi's trigger was Anakin's arrival. I had previously theorized that the showdown between Anakin & Dooku would include the line, "I killed your mother."