Star Wars Megathread

[Grey Fox]

Up to date with Mando. Found the Pershing half hour to be interesting for it's implications (especially since we had just watch last week's Bad Batch episode) but it was such a change of pace that I almost felt asleep. CM (that's my son) did not enjoy it too much, thought it took much time. He said he longed for Grogu.

[crazy canuck]

Up to date with Mando. Found the Pershing half hour to be interesting for it's implications (especially since we had just watch last week's Bad Batch episode) but it was such a change of pace that I almost felt asleep. CM (that's my son) did not enjoy it too much, thought it took much time. He said he longed for Grogu.

At first we wondered if they had spliced in the wrong bits into the episode.

[Syt]

Hello Syt 

Hello

[viper37]

Up to date with Mando. Found the Pershing half hour to be interesting for it's implications (especially since we had just watch last week's Bad Batch episode) but it was such a change of pace that I almost felt asleep. CM (that's my son) did not enjoy it too much, thought it took much time. He said he longed for Grogu.

It's certainly a change of pace, but I liked it.

I think Elia Kane is still working for the Empire and didn't want to take any chances of his scientific knowledge falling into the hands of the Republic.  I can't see any other reason for her to go to that level of entrapment for Pershing.  It goes way beyond some lingering loyalty for the Empire.

I can't wait to see who's pulling the strings though.

[crazy canuck]

Up to date with Mando. Found the Pershing half hour to be interesting for it's implications (especially since we had just watch last week's Bad Batch episode) but it was such a change of pace that I almost felt asleep. CM (that's my son) did not enjoy it too much, thought it took much time. He said he longed for Grogu.

It's certainly a change of pace, but I liked it.

I think Elia Kane is still working for the Empire and didn't want to take any chances of his scientific knowledge falling into the hands of the Republic.  I can't see any other reason for her to go to that level of entrapment for Pershing.  It goes way beyond some lingering loyalty for the Empire.

I can't wait to see who's pulling the strings though.

My guess is she is deconditioning him so he will be ready willing and able to restart his research for the character played by Esposito.

[Grey Fox]

Up to date with Mando. Found the Pershing half hour to be interesting for it's implications (especially since we had just watch last week's Bad Batch episode) but it was such a change of pace that I almost felt asleep. CM (that's my son) did not enjoy it too much, thought it took much time. He said he longed for Grogu.

It's certainly a change of pace, but I liked it.

I think Elia Kane is still working for the Empire and didn't want to take any chances of his scientific knowledge falling into the hands of the Republic.  I can't see any other reason for her to go to that level of entrapment for Pershing.  It goes way beyond some lingering loyalty for the Empire.

I can't wait to see who's pulling the strings though.

I agree. We know what the end game of this is (A Palpatine clone fathering Rey, Clone Snokes and The Clone Emperor of episode 9) so it makes sense that Muff Gideon will continue to push forward with that agenda.

Cloning technology seems to be what the Star Wars caretakers have decided was the lingering motivation behind Darth Sidious acts thru out his life, well lifes.

[viper37]

My guess is she is deconditioning him so he will be ready willing and able to restart his research for the character played by Esposito.

Esposito is in custody.  They need to break him out of his jail.  Not an easy task for an Empire remnant and some warlord.

The way she cranked that button seemed more like she totally erased his memory, which was Pershing's fears when he was strapped on the table.

It's also a very sloppy way to work for the New Republic, all the doctors leave the room during the procedure and there is no one left to supervise the machine's controls.  Plot holes...

[crazy canuck]

Yeah, it is lazy writing for sure.  I guess they didnt want to portray the New Republic guys as corruptible, but instead the writers made them stupid.

[Syt]

I feel the New Republic is quite complacent and bumbling (if well-meaning). And with Elia having gone through the rehab program and being perceived as fully redeemed/loyal (and doing undercover work) she might be afforded more leeway (at least that's my head canon). My question is rather: if the New Republic says that the machine is fine if used at low levels... why does the dial still go to max? To me this all points to the New Republic struggling to keep things together (IIRC this fits well with the books set in this time).

I think it's also quite telling how much the New Republic relies on droids - the prison ship in S1 was crewed by droids, in this episode the "parole officer" and the ticket inspectors ... feels like their resources are stretched thin.

[celedhring]

Loved this episode of Mando. Much more reminiscent of the first two seasons, with a self-contained quest, some nice scenes with Bo-Katan coming into her own inside the Children of the Watch community, homage to the Ray Harryhausen Sinbad movies, and a very nice parallel between the episode's quest and Grogu's past.

I'm gonna page Syt on this. Is the Jedi on Grogu's Order 66 flashbacks "somebody", or did they make him up for this?

Anyway, easily my favorite episode of the season. Also, during the episode I thought that the action scenes were all nicely handled... and to my surprise the director credit comes up and it's Carl Weathers! Checking IMDB, I've discovered that he has a sizeable resumé as TV director (Sheena )

[Syt]

The Jedi is played by Ahmed Best (aka Jar Jar) and is Kelleran Beq who hosted the 10 episode kids gameshow "Jedi Temple Challenge" in 2020. In a series full of unexpected cameos it's one of the most unexpected IMO

[Syt]

I thought the new episode was ok. It was a bit by the numbers (the new arrival/the redeemed outcast bonding with the group), but I'm actually surprised by how by the book the covert (or at least the Armorer) is. Grogu is a foundling and Din wants him to be trained as a Mandalorian? Cool, let me make you some armor and tell you about our ways. Oh, you saw a Mythosaur? Neat, that's really cool. She seems very literalist in her views. If you follow the code, things are cool.

Oh, and we finally got an answer to, "How do you guys eat?" Though it seems quite impractical. Reminds me of an absurdist French comedy (forget the name) food/bathroom taboos are switched and a family sits on toilets around a dinner table and discuss sewage, waste treatment while doing their business, etc., and go to the bathroom to eat in private because of the associated stigma.

And really, Paz Vizsla's son is called "Ragnar"??

Bad Batch was quite good. Though with Dr. Hemlock supposed to present a plan to deal with the Clones at "The Summit" (also the title of next week's penultimate episode of the season), in combination with his gas ... are we getting a Star Wars version of the Wannsee Conference in an animated show?

[Syt]

Speaking of "for kids!"

I finished re-watching Season 1 of Clone Wars. Man, the animation was great in 2008, but compared to the one we get in Bad Batch these days ...

There's good and bad episodes in this. I remember that "Innocents of Ryloth" (in which Waxer and Boil meet the little Twi'lek girl; she's Numa, we meet her again in Rebels) was the one during my first watch that caught me off guard a bit in how it humanized (and Twi'lek-ized ) the conflict. Also, Clones calling the Twi'lek "tailheads" as derogatory term, yikes. (Of course, if you know how Waxer dies ... )

What I had forgotten, though, was how in the episode "Liberty on Ryloth" the Separatists just casually bomb a civilian village moments after clones discuss how the folks will be happy to see them bringing food and supplies.

Actually, it calls to mind the bombing of Eindhoven as seen in Band of Brothers:





See: https://youtu.be/Yc3N6CsAsaw?t=161

And this is followed by the season finale that introduced Cad Bane who racks up a quite notable bodycount (killing a bunch of senate guards, including snapping one guy's neck and shooting an unarmed senator in the back).





And don't get me started on Anaking obnoxiously trying to get Padme's attention and saying, "I would like to do something else with you right now," while pulling her into an embrace/kiss before being interrupted.

[celedhring]

I thought the new episode was ok. It was a bit by the numbers (the new arrival/the redeemed outcast bonding with the group), but I'm actually surprised by how by the book the covert (or at least the Armorer) is.

You say "by the numbers", I say "classically executed" 

The way they nonchalantly accept Grogu as a fully functional Mandalorian foundling is indeed a bit weird. He can't speak yet he's ready to practice fighting? The issue here, however, is Grogu's extremely vague mental age. The show often treats him more as an overly intelligent pet than as an actual child. 

Regarding the conversation with Bo-Katan, the impression I got is that the Armorer doesn't literally believe her, just that what she saw is a product of her longing.

[viper37]

Steve Knight to write new Star Wars movie

So, since The Rise of Skywalker he would be the... 7th? 8th? director attached to a SW movie project?

He seems to have good credentials.  Just can't wait until his departure his announced due to creative differences...