Clone Wars 2X4 Senate Spy

[Mr Light]

So, a change of pace episode. I actually enjoyed having something different than Jedi and Clones blasting droids, though I certainly wouldn't want to see this week to week. It's nice to see Padme getting a central role and seeing how their secret marriage is working out.

It was also cool to see a little more of Cato Neimoida, though I'm dying to see those bridge cities up close. Such a fascinating alien city concept! I also loved seeing Poggle the Lesser again, he's got a great look and voice. They should use him more often.

For some reason I found the ex-boyfriend corrupt senator particularly annoying and douche-y... halfway through I realized why! He's voiced by Byron from Babylon 5! I'm pretty sure, there aren't online credits.

 

[P0sitr0nic]

I thought it was a solid episode, tho my first thought was "who builds bridge cities when theres so much land available?" Just another star wars insane location image, something to look alien while ignoring laws of physics.

That said, it was nice to see Anakin USE the force this time, unlike the last few eps.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

No Ahsoka?!

I find it odd that a Republic senator is going to a seperatist world...in a state of open warfare between the two entities.

Typho (was that him) didn't do anything or say anything.

Poggle and Padme never got to see each other. "Hey didn't you put me in an arena to be killed by monsters?"

Mixed feelings about this one. The less action there is the more unconvincing the animation feels as character just talk. Or maybe it was just this time.

So, next new one in November?

 

[Mr. Adventure]

So, a change of pace episode. I actually enjoyed having something different than Jedi and Clones blasting droids, though I certainly wouldn't want to see this week to week.

Agreed.

The character design for Padme is interesting, she has a really unique look.

C-3PO must be the most put-upon character in the Star Wars universe.

 

[DarthPipes]

Really enjoyed tonight's episode. The chemistry between Anakin and Padme was very good and the score during their scenes were terrific. Some pretty good humor here with Anakin throwing the ship into manuevers to prevent Clovis from kissing Padme.

-The background animation on Coruscant and Cato Nemoidia was excellent, particularly the level of detail on the former.

-Was Yoda trying to stick it to Anakin? He seemed to be twisting the knife in Anakin's back by bringing up all the "rumors" on Padme's relationship with Clovis.

-Clovis was an interesting villain. He's a slimy, traitor and war profiteer but he does have a shread of decency in him when it comes to Padme.

-Anakin leaving Clovis behind at the end was great and a definite sign of his future dark side. They get a star for that one.

Problems I had...

-The Banking Clan and Cato Nemoidia are neutral? The Trade Federation is neutral? Dave Filoni's commentary makes no sense on this one. Obi-Wan caught the heads of all the major trade guilds conspiring to commit treason against The Republic. The chairman of the Banking Clan even tells Dooku "The Banking Clan will sign your treaty, Count." Lott Dodd represents the driving force of the Seperatist movement. How the hell could any of these groups be neutral? I know Palpatine and Dooku are calling all the shots but you really think a group or company that was supplying both sides would be tolerated? The Confederates weren't allowed to keep their Congressional seats during the Civil War. And how the hell can the Seperatists build another droid foundry on Geonosis? Didn't The Republic occupy that place after AOTC? The episode loses a couple of points for this confusion.

-The episode definitely was way too quick. Padme found out everything in about five minutes.

-Don't really buy Padme being seriously involved with anyone before Anakin. She always struck me as the kind who didn't have time for a romantic relationship. Especially with someone who represented one of the courrpt trade guilds.

 

[Mr Light]

^^ One of the AOTC DVD cut scenes is about Padme's first love, which Anakin got all jealous and miffed about.

 

[DarthPipes]

^^ One of the AOTC DVD cut scenes is about Padme's first love, which Anakin got all jealous and miffed about.

Yeah, that scene was in the movie. It didn't sound that serious, just an adolescant crush.

Interestingly, that guy Padme liked, Palo, was the original choice for Clovis but was written out.

 

[broberfett]

The bridge cities looked neat, but they seem dangerous. I know the technology is advanced, but it seems precarious. I guess if you can hang an entire city in open air, like on Cloud City, this isn't much worse.

 

[JediKnightButler]

Pretty good episode, although I'd echo some of the previous criticisms about Padme traveling to Cato Neimodia as though she has completely forgotten that Neimodia is currently engaged in hostilities against the Republic and Nute Gunray, presumably, still has a price on her head. After all, Gunray not only tried to kill her all throughout Episode II but during the last season of Clone Wars, he captured and nearly executed her on Rodia, so it would seem foolhardy IMHO for her to be going there under those circumstances. Lott Dodd does, of course, poison her, however it's not because of the Trade Federation's vendetta against her but rather their attempts to control Clovis.
There are some interesting interactions between Anakin/Padme/Clovis that illustrate Anakin's jealously and foreshadow what happens in Episode III between them such as his attempts to discourage Padme's involvement in spying for the Jedi Council, concern over Padme's past affections for Clovis, and finally, most notably, his decision to leave Clovis, presumably, to be killed by the Neimodians due to his failure to recover the data Padme stole.

 

[Christopher]

^Could it be that Cato Neimoidia is, unlike most SW-universe planets, not a single unified political body? That maybe there are different nation-states on the planet, one which belongs to the Trade Federation and is at war with the Republic and one which is neutral?

Or maybe there was a political shift between AOTC and this episode. Maybe the Neimoidians became temporarily neutral again.

 

[Tomato]

It was a bit of a slow episode. I enjoy more of the clones side of the story but still a good episode. The scenario in the show is amazing. And does anybody else felt the dress Padme was wearing was smoking hot?

 

[Christopher]

The scenario in the show is amazing.

I'm puzzled... in what sense are you using "scenario?" Technically, that word means the story outline or premise, or in some contexts, the script. But you sounded lukewarm about the story. Do you mean "scenery," perhaps?

And does anybody else felt the dress Padme was wearing was smoking hot?

It was certainly quite revealing for a kids' show. Although at first I thought maybe the character design was downplaying Padme's chest to avoid age-inappropriate cleavage shots. However, it turns out that it conforms pretty closely to Natalie Portman's actual physique: http://us.imdb.com/media/rm46238464/nm0000204

 

[Kegg]

Forgive the thread necromancy, but this episode aired in the UK and Ireland just this morning, and I'd rather not post a new thread.

It crossed my mind to tickle my self-amusing fancy that the plot was 'sorta like Notorious', while watching the episode, and so I loved that the final few scenes in this episode were very directly cribbed from Notorious's breathless conclusion, though with Clovis pointing a gun at the Nemoidians it isn't quite as subtle.

I then geeked out in comical rage when the first review of the episode I googled did not mention Notorious at all. Come on, people! Go rent that movie now or something it's absolutely amazing, it's got Ingrid Bergman, and also it's one of Hitchcock's best. I'll be waiting.

Also, yeah, Filoni's description of the financial backers of the Separatists not really officially being seperatists sort of hopelessly confuses the issue especially since in this very series just last season Nute Gunray and the George Takei Nemoidian were being treated as de facto members of the Separatist cause.

While it's possible as Christopher said there would be more than one Nemodian faction, the neutral Nemodians here are referred to as representing the Trade Federation - as we know Nute Gunray did. While one could probably explain this all in a way that sort of makes sense, it's going to require a few hop scotches and hula hoops along the way... not that I greatly mind.

Oh well. I guess one can write this off like last season's 'they didn't get drugged NO WAIT THEY DID' as a regrettable example of sloppy writing. I'm not expecting high literature here or complicated galactic politicking, just a degree of internal consistency. Otherwise, though, another fairly okay episode from a so far fairly consistent season. Kudos for even trying to do Notorious on a kid's show about lasers and spatial explosions.

^^ One of the AOTC DVD cut scenes is about Padme's first love, which Anakin got all jealous and miffed about.

Yeah, that scene was in the movie. It didn't sound that serious, just an adolescant crush.

It was also her first love. The implication being she'd had a couple of others after that, but Anakin wouldn't let her get past number one.

 

[CaptainWacky]

Wat Tambor's the leader of the Techno Union. San Hill's the leader of the Banking Clan.[/nerd]

 

[Kegg]

Wat Tambor's the leader of the Techno Union. San Hill's the leader of the Banking Clan.[/nerd]

Ah, to heck with all these vaguely defined evil capitalist bodies.

However you're absolutely right and I've removed my in retrospect moronic references to Wat Tambor, leader of the Banking Clan.