Full Series The Clone Wars 7.02- A Distant Echo-Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

I'm looking forward to this more than I expected.
Perhaps it has something to do with a certain preview shot.

 

More than ready for this episode. The preview clip was well chosen. Dropped onto a neat looking planet, it's got some action, draws out a little emotion, and even had some comedic elements as well. Poor Rex, they including a certain Jedi are listening to him like five year olds on Mountain Dew.

 

Kinda glad I never watched the unfinished reels when they were released years ago. Looking forward to this episode!

 

was this arc 2 episodes or 3? I wonder if they could consolidate it to 2 for more stories.

 

Originally Bad Batch was a four-episode arc. I think there were few if any arcs beyond season 6 that were planned for less than four. I could see them incorporating some ideas from the Utapau arc or giving Anakin (Feel like it could vaguely be a spoiler to mention any other names to anyone who has not seen the unfinished version) most of the focus in an episode in this arc. I'm fairly sure it'll stand as a four-parter.

 

Spoiler

Kind of expected them to remove the Padme nose art scene from the reels, but given a great bit between Anakin and Obi Wan/Rex in exchange

 

I loved how creepily alien the Poletacs were, both in their imagery and in their animation. Reminded me somewhat of the creepiness of the aliens in Signs.

That was a very fun scene.

By the way, just so I'm clear, the thread instructions say "(4) Spoilers like character deaths, appearances, and major plot details must* be spoiler tagged in the new episode thread prior to the episode television air date" so why the spoiler tags in your post?

Am I missing something?

 

Across the stars!!!!

 

Spoiler

Man, it's been a long time since those reels but I had no recollection of at least half of this.

- The fortune cookie reminds me a bit of the way Rising Malevolence started all the way back the beginning of the show's run. Both episodes are at core about faith and refusal to give up on hope. Ahsoka refused to believe that Plo Koon was lost - Rex refuses to believe that Echo was lost.

- So even Rex knew about Padme all along. I mean, it's not technically a surprise given that Anakin and Padme were talking pretty openly in front of Rex in Sphere of Influence but still, it was pretty casually dropped here. I guess Anakin isn't too worried about Rex ("I'm no Jedi") being in on this. Rex has already stood up to the senior Jedi a couple of time before so there's a kinship.

- So strange to hear Across the Stars here given that TCW has had its own theme for Anakin/Padme all along. And both motifs appear in this scene! Still, it was nicely done. When TCW does bring in Williams themes, it does a much better job of it than the movies do (where old motif callbacks are often far too verbatim and jarring.)

- Oh, and I guess the virgin birth kid really doesn't know where babies come from...

- I don't remember if Anakin and Rex's talk on the cliff was in the original reels but here, it does justify Anakin's heavy presence in what's supposed to be a Rex arc. It feels like these two have never been closer as they are both clinging to lost friends and know what that means.

- Though I dislike much about the Order 66 arc, the Fives death scene was still one of the most emotional scenes in the series. That along with bringing Rex and Echo back the way they did in this episode's final scene makes the whole Domino Squad arc starting from Rookiees so much more complete. The angle that Rex thinks of Echo and Fives as his sons that he brought into the 501st and watched grow up really sparkles now. And god, it's gonna be something when Order 66 hits and Rex has to fight or kill so many of his fellow clones.

9/10

 

Spoiler

Its obvious Obi Wan and Yoda aren't ignorant of the relationship between Anakin and Padme, but that jab seemed a little too on the nose for me. I would have liked it if Obi Wan dropped the subject after that one back-and-forth in Anakin's room at the Temple, out of respect of their friendship. Obi Wan's "Anakin is the father, isn't he?" seems silly in this new context, as if Obi Wan ever had a doubt.

 

I thought this episode was a fair bit better than last week's. Loved seeing Anakin back in action again after all these years and it's nice to see the relationship between him and Rex strengthening. It was cool to see Wat Tambor again as well. I always thought it was weird how the Separatist leaders just stopped showing up after Seasons 1 and 2. 8/10.

 

"When I'm up real high, I got a problem with gravity.". I feel the same way myself.

I really liked this episode. Gorgeous animation, great action, and fairly dark at the end. Not sure of my rating just yet cuz I'm not sure how they'll explain the Anakin/Padme interaction. Perhaps he's only focused on her face like we see in the POV...

 

Loved this episode. The little scene with Anakin, Rex, Padme and Obi Wan was brilliant.

As for Anakin not noticing that Padme was pregnant..... she wasn’t showing that much and Anakin was viewing her from in front, not the side like we were.


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Great episode. Did anyone else notice a difference in look between with new scenes showing a Rebels influenced and other scenes matching more of a Season 6 / Lost missions look? Still it all looked great. Amazing how much this show evolved.

Spoiler

For me this makes all of it more plausible. The relationship is hidden in plain sight. Obi-Wan and Yoda can dismiss it. Obi-Wan sees it as similar to his relationship with Satine. And having recently lost Satine, it makes it even easier for Obi-Wan to look the other way and draw incorrect conclusions. Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order is another excuse for why Anakin is closer to Padme and why the Jedi are again looking the other way.

This even makes Padme meeting Anakin in RotS under the very public senate offices more plausible.

Obi Wan's "Anakin is the father, isn't he?" line never sounded like a real questions to me. Obi-Wan is coming to terms with how oblivious he was to Anakin's fall from the Jedi path.

 

It's been a long while since I watched the reels and while I should have expected it I do feel kind of stupid that I didn't know there were going to be new scenes or changes until someone had to point out in the first episode they added scenes and changed the flow of the story slightly in the writing. That does help justify seeing this again as besides seeing the finished animation which does make the world of difference I was kind of struggling at first to see the purpose in fitting in episodes most of the hardcore audience has seen rather then just make it a season of completely brand new episodes to go along with the ones following these ones. I guess there wasn't a budget for a complete new season so they cut back by repurposing episodes that technically were already done.

But they do a good job justifying why these episodes were chosen. Again I admittedly can't analyse the differences between the original and the finished compared to other people but people here have said the finished version does flow better as a Rex story and feels more like a lead in towards his final decision he'll make in the Mandalore episodes which leads to Rebels. I wouldn't be surprised if they add a scene where Rex asks Echo to be the one to remove his inhibitor chip. Not sure how you'd fit Wolffe and Gregor but that would be filled in later probably. This has done a good job making you feel for Rex and the struggle he's had to deal with that war is all he knows and all he's been made for and wonder is there more to life then just fighting? I think his episode with Cut and Umbara would make for good companion episodes to see how much he's grown. Dee Bradley Baker gives his best performance as the character to date I think and he's obviously good playing Clone Force 99 giving them distinct personalities which he's always been good at doing despite the fact they are all Clones they are more unique then any individual. Got a lot of Drax vibes from Wrecker in this episode.

The added scenes now that I know they are there I am kind of more distracted then I was because I'm trying to see if something was added and what wasn't but once I think back it is easy to see what wasn't there before. The scene with Cody in the first episode someone said was added and that makes sense and the scene with Padme was added and that also makes sense since it replaces an existing scene. Some people are complaining thinking Disney and Kennedy made them take out the Nose Art scene because of the Clones behaviour and Anakin is bothered by the fact they have his wife as art on their ship but I don't think that's the reason. Partially it could be but I think it's again part of Dave's attempt to make this flow better as a final story and also so Catherine Taber can appear again as this character. It helps add to Anakin and Padme while also showing Anakin's worry for Rex as does that scene with them on the cliff. But it also works as a funny scene showing Rex did know but as someone pointed out it does make you wonder how much Obi-Wan knew at this point? And yeah him not noticing the pregnancy thing is odd but maybe he only was focused on her face and not the rest of her body and she wasn't so far along that anyone could see it except us the audience I suppose and also maybe the hologram might not show it to him clearly. I've said before while Clone Wars helps Revenge of the Sith it also adds some inconsistencies that are hard to ignore. Also people have found it curious why Kennedy's name isn't in the credits thinking it's a sign she might not have much more involvement going forward but I think it could be because she had no involvement in the creation of the show.

The animation looks great and again shows the difference it can make to the unfinished animatics. Seeing Bad Batch in action and letting them show off their distinct abilities works better this way because you do get to see what they are made of. Also Kiner's music is still effective. He should get a chance to score a Star Wars movie someday.

While I do kind of just want to get to the new episodes already I'm better with watching these ones now then I was when I first heard these were going to be part of the season because there is more then just seeing these episodes completed again. It feels like a culmination for Rex and a good lead into the finale rather then just another arc which is what it was before now it feels like an ending for Rex. Will be curious to see what they do with the next two episodes

 

Does that really bother you? If you’d rather me just go around blatantly spoiling everything five minutes after the episode goes up, fine, I’ll just do that from now on.

 

She really wasn't showing that much, and he was pretty close to her face, he may not have even noticed.

 

Please keep the spoiler tags!!!

 

yes

 

I see where you're coming from and I agree. I was just thinking about this last night, myself. While I liked the scene and find the banter between them fun, Obi-wan's "I hope you told Padme I said hello" almost seemed childish and out of character. Especially going into RotS

 

Very dark episode, but once again, the clones humanity makes us feel the tragedy of abused life. Love it.

 

The three of them have been through a lot together. From the Phantom Menace to Geonosis. They're all three of them friends. Obi-Wan on his own even visits Padme at her apartment during RotS.

Obi-Wan's comment is almost childish. That gives insight into how Obi-Wan regards Anakin and Padme's relationship.