Author Topic: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread  (Read 149137 times)

Offline Darby

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #255 on: December 6, 2010, 12:42 PM »
I find myself again in the shrinking minority that found this episode actually interesting.  It's criminal that so many horrible, badly written political themed episodes preceded this and Heroes On Both Sides - I think the reaction to them would have been different.

The real issue seems to be who is this show for?  It's not for kids.  Kids don't watch C-SPAN.  And judging from the reaction around the web, it's not us, either.  We want to see things blow up.  So do kids.  Win, win, right?  So what's the issue?  Before and during the prequels, a lot of us clamored for more sophisticated and adult story telling.  That's more or less what we're getting here.  The inside baseball on the Republic's moral failures is remarkably sophisticated for a cartoon, let alone the films they follow.  I appreciate the effort, at least.  In these episodes, and even in the Kamino arc, we are seeing a society that values absolutely nothing, not even the men that die for it.  It's rotten to the core.  It got that way either because of greed or entitlement or both.  We're meant to see this as a reflection on our society.  Kids certainly aren't registering this, and the CW team probably doesn't mean for them to.  So it seems like a cannon shot to us, especially when it's so ham-handed as it was in the Mandalore arc.  It takes a lot of nerve for the creative team to center so much attention on the least active characters - Padme and Satine (Hasbro must be losing thier minds) - and position them in opposition to the war on which the entire series (and marketing) is based. 

Who is this show for?  What is this show about?  It's not about things that blow up, all though they do.  It's about something more, and I am willing to go along for the ride, so long as the driver knows the road.

Offline Scockery

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #256 on: December 6, 2010, 03:46 PM »
hey Galactic Senators - ever heard of bodyguards? WTF? You people just stroll around town with no security? You deserve to be beaten!

Senator Amidala's has been targeted for death a dozen times. And she has probably had more people die protecting her than were on the first Death Star when it blew up.  :D

But she still strolls off without protection...that will be the death of her...wait, it was.




Offline tmanthegreat

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #257 on: December 7, 2010, 01:07 PM »
I find myself again in the shrinking minority that found this episode actually interesting.  It's criminal that so many horrible, badly written political themed episodes preceded this and Heroes On Both Sides - I think the reaction to them would have been different.

The real issue seems to be who is this show for?  It's not for kids.  Kids don't watch C-SPAN.  And judging from the reaction around the web, it's not us, either.  We want to see things blow up.  So do kids.  Win, win, right?  So what's the issue?  Before and during the prequels, a lot of us clamored for more sophisticated and adult story telling.  That's more or less what we're getting here.  The inside baseball on the Republic's moral failures is remarkably sophisticated for a cartoon, let alone the films they follow.  I appreciate the effort, at least.  In these episodes, and even in the Kamino arc, we are seeing a society that values absolutely nothing, not even the men that die for it.  It's rotten to the core.  It got that way either because of greed or entitlement or both.  We're meant to see this as a reflection on our society.  Kids certainly aren't registering this, and the CW team probably doesn't mean for them to.  So it seems like a cannon shot to us, especially when it's so ham-handed as it was in the Mandalore arc.  It takes a lot of nerve for the creative team to center so much attention on the least active characters - Padme and Satine (Hasbro must be losing thier minds) - and position them in opposition to the war on which the entire series (and marketing) is based. 

Who is this show for?  What is this show about?  It's not about things that blow up, all though they do.  It's about something more, and I am willing to go along for the ride, so long as the driver knows the road.

Well said.  When its been done well in this series, I too find the political machinations of the Galactic Republic to be an interesting subject to explore, particularly the interactions between the corrupt and idealistic elements and how namely Palpatine really plays the two sides against each other to achieve his aims.  Its something truly sinister and occurs in a way most of the younger fans - and many of the older ones - may not understand, but which is a fundamental element of the Clone Wars.  Yes, there are all the pitched battles and light-saber fights (those are my favorite parts of the series as well), but how Palpatine uses the Senate, democracy, and claims to morality to effectively destroy themselves is a whole other critical element that deserves mention in the Clone Wars story as well, even if it comes off as a little less exciting than an space battle... 

Then again, I am a bit biased as I’ve always been a bit fascinated by the workings of politics - I explored the political history of the US during our Civil War for my MA thesis and I work for a political consulting firm where I get to see the political process on a local and state level in operation on a first-hand basis every day.  Sometimes, what you see happening on the CW show is not all that far from the truth :P

Perhaps in some ways, as Darby indicates, the show is indeed posing a moral question to viewers about our own society…  I would hope that some of the younger viewers would get it (though I doubt it) or at least that some of the parents watching it with their kids would find therein a “teachable moment” ;)
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Offline Jayson

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #258 on: December 7, 2010, 05:23 PM »
I read a spoiler description of the Savage Oppress story arc shown at the advanced screening and if it's accurate, it will more than make up for what we've had to endure these past weeks. It sounds utterly brutal.  :o
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Offline Brian

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #259 on: December 7, 2010, 09:18 PM »
A nice write up at IGN following the screening of the Oppress episodes.  Sounds like they were pretty cool, and a montage for the rest of Season 3 was shown as well with an interesting (spoilery) ending.  He also admitted that Filoni understood the frustrations with all the political stuff, and that there wouldn't be any more scenes in the Senate for the rest of Season 3 (although it is setting stuff up for down the road, which is why so much time was spent on it now).  More at the linky.

Offline Jabba the Slug

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #260 on: December 8, 2010, 01:39 AM »
I couldn't help but frown when I read the Savage story arc will be a trilogy - meaning 3 episodes? Aaw, shoot. I was expecting him to be in the entire remaining half of Season 3...

And dang. It looks like they really did know what they were doing with these crappy political episodes. Now I'm real interested.

And as for the spoiler part? Dang... I wonder how this entire show will wrap up in the end with keeping audiences surprised, especially since we pretty much know everything about the entire saga.
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Offline McMetal

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #261 on: December 8, 2010, 09:35 AM »
A nice write up at IGN following the screening of the Oppress episodes.  Sounds like they were pretty cool, and a montage for the rest of Season 3 was shown as well with an interesting (spoilery) ending.  He also admitted that Filoni understood the frustrations with all the political stuff, and that there wouldn't be any more scenes in the Senate for the rest of Season 3 (although it is setting stuff up for down the road, which is why so much time was spent on it now).  More at the linky.

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2. Clancy "Mr. Krabs/Kurgan/Kelvin Inman" Brown!!! AWESOME!

3. Spoiler - ho-hum. We know THAT's not really going to happen. Not for a long while yet. It's obviously a feint, likely a another dream sequence or some shiite like that.

4. I just don't believe Filoni when he says there will be a pay-off for the interminable Senate scenes. NOTHING could make that garbage worthwhile. You guys got too cute and played yourselves. Hope the second half of the season is back on track, it is entirely possible to ruin a good, successful show with poor, sloppy writing (Heroes, I am looking at you!).
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Offline Brian

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #262 on: December 8, 2010, 10:56 AM »
Yeah, I was pretty psyched to hear that Clancy Brown was voicing Oppress as well.  Always a fan of his work, and his voice work (Lex Luthor, Mr. Krabs, etc.).  I agree about the "spoiler", as I'm guessing that isn't really happening either.

Offline speedermike

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #263 on: December 8, 2010, 11:45 AM »
Maybe the spoiler does happen, but it's the work of someone else...like a Sith Witch or something.

"As I posted many times before I cringe when I see Padme in the preview because I know the episode will suck. Now it crossed the line with their subliminal messaging." Jackoftradz

What subliminal message?  That war is bad? That peace is good? I don't think that's subliminal, I think it's been a huge part of Lucas's work since the beginning.  "Wars not make one great."

Also, I don't think the people in the Republic will pick up arms and fight.  I get the idea that many of them are too comfortable and too uninvolved to fight.
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Offline Brian

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #264 on: December 8, 2010, 11:58 AM »
Another positive review of the Oppress screening, courtesy of Newsarama.  Is CW on hiatus until those episodes in January?  I know they usually take a break around this time of year, and I think it is repeats at least the next two weeks (and likely on Christmas Eve as well I guess).

Offline Jabba the Slug

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #265 on: December 8, 2010, 11:59 PM »
Yeah, it is on hiatus until January 7th. I would have thought that another episode could have been slipped in for next Friday since Christmas isn't for another two weeks, but I guess that the Savage trilogy episodes needs to be shown back-to-back. Man, I cannot wait for January! 
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Offline McMetal

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #266 on: December 9, 2010, 09:45 AM »
Apparently it is moving up to 8:30pm EST when the show returns next year as well.

I don't think I like it...9pm was perfect, IMO. Now I have barely enough time to get the kids in bed beforehand, much less go out on my regular Friday night pre-show toy runs.

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Offline Jayson

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #267 on: December 14, 2010, 01:46 PM »
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Offline iFett

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #268 on: December 14, 2010, 02:22 PM »
Very impressive!  I just hope all of that is not contianed in 3-4 episodes and the rest being filled with more political garbage.  Also, is this the final season?  Ahsoka didn't look very happy...
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: The Clone Wars - Season Three Discussion Thread
« Reply #269 on: December 14, 2010, 04:31 PM »
Yup, pretty cool...  Trandoshans, Carbonite, Clones warring again, saber dueling...  Good stuff.
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