Star Wars Megathread

[Habbaku]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP_Krltqpxc&ab_channel=Midnight%27sEdgeLiveArchives

make of it what you want but it's hardly news that the Star Wars brand has taken quite a few punches the last few years

Is it one of those channels were they believe diversity and political correctness has destroyed Star Wars instead of terrible scripts and aimless storytelling?

They use the term "StarGirls" multiple times. You decide. 

[celedhring]

as an aside:
maybe it should be considered that the terrible scrips and aimless storytelling are caused, among other things, by political correctness.

No need to consider it, given there are plenty of counter-examples. Mad Max Fury Road is a pretty woke movie before the term even existed (still remember all the complaining about Furiosa given the spotlight instead of Max) and it's imho the best action flick of the 2010s.

Prey? The best Predator sequel (low bar, admittedly, but it beat it)
Annihilation? My favorite sci-fi horror in many years. All protagonists are women.

And I could go on. It's not the what, it's the how.

[FunkMonk]

I took a quick look at that YouTubers most popular videos and they are indeed cringe worthy.

[celedhring]

Today's Mandalorian was decent, sets up a pretty exciting finale. The first sequence alone will drive youtubers crazy 

Besides Pellaeon and Hux, are the other imperial warlords somebodies? From that scene, besides all the foreshadowing I liked that it seems to imply that Pershing's demise was due to Imperial infighting - removing him from the picture so the Necromancer project is hampered (that's why Snoke will look so shitty I guess ) and Gideon's faction gets the upper hand.

Also, not Paz Vyzsla. I hate heroic deaths of characters I like

I still hate that the Armorer went from "You're Mandalorian no more" to throwing feasts to uncovered mandalorians at the drop of a hat helmet. They rushed the whole "unite the clans" too much, imho. I think it would have made the whole thing more satisfying.

[Syt]

Well, that was a ride.

Loved the Shadow Council. And it's interesting how it sets up possibly two very disparate factions: on one side Thrawn (Cpt. Pellaeon ) and whatever his project is - in Rebels he already ran counter to "mainstream" Imperial plans - where Tarkin championed the Death Star, he suggested creating a fleet of TIE Defenders to secure the regime. On the other we have what will become the First Order, represented by Brendol Hux (the father of Armitage Hux from the sequel movies - amusingly Brendol is played by Brian Gleeson, brother of Domhnall Gleeson who played Hux the Younger in the sequels; I suppose Brendan Gleeson may have been a tad too old for the role?). In the books, Hux was part of the "Contingency", i.e. the Emperor's plan to leave as much scorched earth (space?) as possible, culminating in the Battle of Jakku, with the zealous core of Imperial survivors around Admiral Rae Sloane making off into the Unknown Regions to rebuild (becoming the First Order in the end). Plus, I guess, we have the third faction with Moff Gideon ("What, cloning? ME??? Assuredly not!" Bit of a reprisal of his Braking Bad/Better Call Saul character. "What? No, we're friends, and I'm totally not starting my own meth operation North of the border ... " ). Not sure about the other, minor  warlords - they didn't have names in the credits, but I'd be surprised if they weren't at least partially based on book/comics/legends characters.

Anyways, enjoyed the (predictable) interplay of the tribes. Did NOT expect to see Charles Baker aka Skinny Pete from Breaking Bad.

I do love Grogu's new mode of transportation, though. "YES! YES!" "NO!"

Dramatic finale, but while they give Paz Viszla a nice Boromir moment, I feel it wasn't really necessary? He would have had ample time to make it out. I guess he's just a stubborn bastard.

Still, good cliffhanger, with a bit of a reversal from last season (Din captured by Gideon instead of Grogu).

I'm still championing the idea of Grogu becoming Mandalore - the way he stepped into the infighting today just reinforces my expectation, and we have a big Kaiju that he can "tame" to help in next week's battle.

[celedhring]

When they first showed all the holograms of the imperial warlords, and you see the old-school dude with the 'tache I was like "this has to be Pellaeon" and he of course is. They captured his traditional legends look perfectly 

Also, as cool as the scene was, I think having an Imperial Probe Droid deliver your secret messages in the middle of Coruscant is not particularly inconspicuous.

[crazy canuck]

In a previous episode we had Mando and the women who would be queen in the waters by the forge, and there was nothing there.  Now, they have trouble finding the forge AND there is a secret Imperial base there?

You gotta be a real fan to love this stuff.

[Syt]

Well, actually ...

Previously we were in the ruins of Sundari and went into the mines underneath where the Living Waters are (and the Great Forge was not mentioned at all during Bo-Katan's/Din't visit there).

My impression was that the Great Forge was in a different location, though underground ruins all look a bit alike (and it would make sense to have such a pivotal location be in the capital, but cultural and political capitals/centers don't have to be identical all the time, I suppose).

[celedhring]

Yeah, I didn't understand it as being the same location, at all.

They have had far worse issues than that this season. I.e. If I mention that in this episode there's a big monster that comes out of nowhere and randomly attacks the protagonists, that's not even a spoiler because they have done it so much this season. It's a poor way to generate spectacle and they have abused it an hilarious amount of times.

[celedhring]

But, sometimes, they still get so many little things right. For example, in this episode I loved the little detail of having Pellaeon being the only one wearing a proper Imperial Navy uniform, while all the other warlords are more or less freestilyn'. It fits the picture I have of the character to a T.

[viper37]

Yeah, I didn't understand it as being the same location, at all.

They have had far worse issues than that this season. I.e. If I mention that in this episode there's a big monster that comes out of nowhere and randomly attacks the protagonists, that's not even a spoiler because they have done it so much this season. It's a poor way to generate spectacle and they have abused it an hilarious amount of times.

Yeah, I'm getting tired of that too.

[crazy canuck]

Well, actually ...

Previously we were in the ruins of Sundari and went into the mines underneath where the Living Waters are (and the Great Forge was not mentioned at all during Bo-Katan's/Din't visit there).

My impression was that the Great Forge was in a different location, though underground ruins all look a bit alike (and it would make sense to have such a pivotal location be in the capital, but cultural and political capitals/centers don't have to be identical all the time, I suppose).

Ok, let me rephrase, she knew exactly where the mines where, and the living waters below that. But she had no idea where the great forge was? 

[Syt]

Regardless of what you think of Jack Black's cameo on Star Wars, I do appreciate that if I should ever get talked into a Star Wars cosplay, there's now an option for middle aged portly guys like me (will need a wig, though).

[The Minsky Moment]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP_Krltqpxc&ab_channel=Midnight%27sEdgeLiveArchives

make of it what you want but it's hardly news that the Star Wars brand has taken quite a few punches the last few years

That was hilarious.

"We are going to show how much we don't care about Star Wars by spending a half an hour video talking how much we don't care about Star Wars."

[crazy canuck]

Why all the hate for Kennedy?