Star Wars Clone Wars Season Premiere

[Greylock Crescent]

I completely agree with off-format shows (and wanting to see more of Joe Q. Galaxy). And I've enjoyed the political intrigue episodes we've already seen. But those, at least, held some meaning, something worth thinking about, within their debate. This episode ... the debate was rendered meaningless in its very next scene. And all the exposition of the first five minutes or so was likewise a killer.

I loved the music, though - especially with the arrival on Toydaria.

 

[DarthPipes]

I think this is one of their episodes overlapping earlier ones in the timeline. I recall a 3-parter about the siege of Ryloth, and I think the first aired episode was about Yoda going to Toydaria to negotiate a treaty with the Republic.

I think you're right.

 

[Christopher]

Jar Jar's voice sounded like Elmo in the plate juggling scene.

More like Grover, I thought. Higher-pitched, but the same sort of cadence and emotion I recall from sketches where Grover became particularly frenetic or harried.

I just can't believe Jar Jar successfully made that little stack without knocking it over.

It fits the conceit underlying Jar Jar's antics: that he seems clumsy, but his actions always ultimately seem to achieve some constructive purpose even if it's evidently by accident. I've seen it suggested that he has some kind of unconscious Force ability that lets him literally stumble onto the right solution to things. Or it could be just that he's actually more coordinated than he looks, but he goes about it in a loose, dynamic way that appears clumsy to human eyes.

I'd like to see an episode that is just a news report that the public watches, showing what the popular opinion is about the war and the main characters. We only see the upper echelons, what about Joe Q. Galaxy?

That would be excellent. We have seen episodes looking at various "little people" affected by the war, but a look at how the general public watching at home perceives things would be interesting.


As for the timing, according to the episode guide:

This episode is a prequel to "Ambush," the Season One premiere, as well as the Ryloth Trilogy that ended the first season. It establishes how King Katuunko was convinced enough to meet with Jedi Master Yoda, and the Republic effort that assisted Cham Syndulla. In sequence, "Supply Lines" would be followed by "Ambush," "Storm Over Ryloth," "Innocents of Ryloth" and "Liberty on Ryloth."

It also confirms that Bail Organa's ship here was the Tantive IV, which I grew up knowing as the "Rebel Blockade Runner," the first ship ever seen onscreen in Star Wars.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I just can't believe Jar Jar successfully made that little stack without knocking it over.

I certainly understand the need for stories like this though. They have a hundred episodes to make, but nothing of importance can ever happen because it takes place between the two movies. Basically the only event that can ever happen is Asoka dying/going dark. So that basically leaves you with A) lightsaber duels or B) Jedi and Clones versus robots. Lord knows that gets repetitive fast. They need these off-format episodes, as bad as they are sometimes

I'd like to see an episode that is just a news report that the public watches, showing what the popular opinion is about the war and the main characters. We only see the upper echelons, what about Joe Q. Galaxy?

I liked that episode where Ahsoka and the old Jedi went investigating in the lower depths of the city ending in an exciting footchase.

I think maybe they should have introduced some more characters from the start. Some bounty hunters, or region lords, or subordinates/peers of Greivous and Dooku and so on whose fates haven't been cast.

 

[DarthPipes]

Jar Jar's voice sounded like Elmo in the plate juggling scene.

More like Grover, I thought. Higher-pitched, but the same sort of cadence and emotion I recall from sketches where Grover became particularly frenetic or harried.

I just can't believe Jar Jar successfully made that little stack without knocking it over.

It fits the conceit underlying Jar Jar's antics: that he seems clumsy, but his actions always ultimately seem to achieve some constructive purpose even if it's evidently by accident. I've seen it suggested that he has some kind of unconscious Force ability that lets him literally stumble onto the right solution to things. Or it could be just that he's actually more coordinated than he looks, but he goes about it in a loose, dynamic way that appears clumsy to human eyes.

I'd like to see an episode that is just a news report that the public watches, showing what the popular opinion is about the war and the main characters. We only see the upper echelons, what about Joe Q. Galaxy?

That would be excellent. We have seen episodes looking at various "little people" affected by the war, but a look at how the general public watching at home perceives things would be interesting.


As for the timing, according to the episode guide:

This episode is a prequel to "Ambush," the Season One premiere, as well as the Ryloth Trilogy that ended the first season. It establishes how King Katuunko was convinced enough to meet with Jedi Master Yoda, and the Republic effort that assisted Cham Syndulla. In sequence, "Supply Lines" would be followed by "Ambush," "Storm Over Ryloth," "Innocents of Ryloth" and "Liberty on Ryloth."

It also confirms that Bail Organa's ship here was the Tantive IV, which I grew up knowing as the "Rebel Blockade Runner," the first ship ever seen onscreen in Star Wars.

Agreed. It would be great to get the public's perspective of what is going on. Filoni did say we would explore the "there are heroes on both sides" line from the ROTS opening crawl. The official guide does state we'll see the civilian political arm of the Confederacy.

Another nice touch...the doomed Admiral's sideburns. They were like the ones we saw from various actors in the original SW. They even acknowledge it in the official guide.

 

[DarKush]

I still can't stand Jar Jar and was planning on skipping this episode, but I changed my mind and I actually wound up liking it. There wasn't as much JJ in there as I thought it was going to be. I liked the political intrigue and I actually thought the Nemoidian senator made the better argument. I always like the introduction of new Jedi and Ima Gun Di was pretty cool. I thought this was a good episode and I agree with others about having more off-format episodes. I want to see more of the galaxy, and not just have the regular Jedi-Separatist characters featured.

Granted, we all know what is ultimately going to happen in the war, so Clone Wars has a great opportunity to really show us a lot of different worlds and characters in the SW universe, the side stuff that makes it such a fascinating place.

 

[broberfett]

Maybe they can have a running gag about Jar Jar getting wasted. He gets killed, but they clone him for some reason. He can get killed dozens of times in all sorts of hilarious ways and there will still be a clone for whatever followed for the movies. Jar Jar meets lightsaber, Jar Jar meets flame thrower, Jar Jar gets spaced, etc.

 

[Christopher]

Cute, but I don't think Jar Jar as Kenny would quite work. The one thing that isn't nonsensical about cloning as established in Star Wars is that it avoids the usual conceit about the mind and memory being cloned along with the body. As we've been frequently shown, each clone has a different personality and identity. So a clone of Jar Jar wouldn't be Jar Jar. Which would probably be an improvement, but it means the clone wouldn't hold Jar Jar's position as the representative from Naboo, would be a stranger to the other characters, wouldn't be able to replace him in any way. He'd be a totally different person who just had the same appearance and voice.

 

[Anthony Sabre]

I've been waiting/hoping that Jar Jar would eventually be killed or somehow dismissed from Star Wars canon. Obviously not going to happen. I wouldn't mind seeing a more interesting Gungan like Kleef from The Force Unleashed (PSP).

Overall the episode wasn't terrible but I was hoping for more. I thought they would open this season with a 3 part arc to grab everyone's attention. With one of the final scenes from last week's premier showing Ventress thoroughly frustrated with her failure, I figured there would be some fallout in this episode. Guess that's coming later. I've read a few spoilers for this season and can't help but wonder how much longer Ventress is going to be around.

 

[Jack Bauer]

My one word review of this week's episode...


Yawn!

 

[Admiral_Young]

I missed the episode...was out Friday night.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

You didn't miss much. The climactic scene on Ryloth was good. Of course the animation and music were top-notch. But everything else was forgettable.

 

[exodus]

It fits the conceit underlying Jar Jar's antics: that he seems clumsy, but his actions always ultimately seem to achieve some constructive purpose even if it's evidently by accident. I've seen it suggested that he has some kind of unconscious Force ability that lets him literally stumble onto the right solution to things. Or it could be just that he's actually more coordinated than he looks, but he goes about it in a loose, dynamic way that appears clumsy to human eyes.

No, his own people bannished him and warned him about returning home or he'd face worse punishment for being clumsy. Jar Jar is a look into society on how we view those with a disability.(or at least how we used too) "Clumsy" is just another word for them to use instead of possibly mentally handicapped. They're trying to show us, just because someone is disabled doesn't mean they can't be a use to society. So they've learned to use his disabilty as a benefit when required.


The episode itself was interersting due to the irony.
I liked that Watto isn't uin anyway a representation of his people & that he comes from a very noble society, almost Federation like in their values. It was also very unique to see the Republic arrive in time to offer relief aid to Rynoth but not in time to save the Jedi Knight.
I like that the CGI has improved to the point they can to hair etching designs in the Clone Troopers hair.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

No, his own people bannished him and warned him about returning home or he'd face worse punishment for being clumsy. Jar Jar is a look into society on how we view those with a disability.(or at least how we used too) "Clumsy" is just another word for them to use instead of possibly mentally handicapped. They're trying to show us, just because someone is disabled doesn't mean they can't be a use to society. So they've learned to use his disabilty as a benefit when required.

I always saw Jar Jar as representing adolescence. He's physically and socially awkward and clumsy. He's juvenile. He's naive. But there is potential. He's curious and intelligent. Given enough time, he will probably grow beyond his awkwardness and take his rightful place with the rest of the Gungan (adult) society.

In the meantime, as is often the case with adolescents, it can be excruciating watching him bumble in even the most simple of circumstances, even when he does succeed. It's uncomfortable because he reminds so many of us of a period in our lives we'd rather not spend a lot of time dwelling on.

 

[exodus]

No, his own people bannished him and warned him about returning home or he'd face worse punishment for being clumsy. Jar Jar is a look into society on how we view those with a disability.(or at least how we used too) "Clumsy" is just another word for them to use instead of possibly mentally handicapped. They're trying to show us, just because someone is disabled doesn't mean they can't be a use to society. So they've learned to use his disabilty as a benefit when required.

I always saw Jar Jar as representing adolescence. He's physically and socially awkward and clumsy. He's juvenile. He's naive. But there is potential. He's curious and intelligent. Given enough time, he will probably grow beyond his awkwardness and take his rightful place with the rest of the Gungan (adult) society.

In the meantime, as is often the case with adolescents, it can be excruciating watching him bumble in even the most simple of circumstances, even when he does succeed. It's uncomfortable because he reminds so many of us of a period in our lives we'd rather not spend a lot of time dwelling on.

I like your POV.
However, I don't see him as adolescents based on how many treat him. We don't cast out adolescents in society because they're clumsy. He was like Adian Brody in "The Village" where their choices for dealing with him was either cast him out or lock him up.

 

[DarthPipes]

Based on his own TPM dialogue, he crashed Boss Nass's vehicle and that's what got him banished. So I would guess Jar Jar had some connection to the Gungan elite to be hanging around the boss.

 

[Mr Light]

He was his secret bastard son!!! This explains so much. How hell did he become a Representative?

 

[Greylock Crescent]

I like your POV.
However, I don't see him as adolescents based on how many treat him. We don't cast out adolescents in society because they're clumsy. He was like Adian Brody in "The Village" where their choices for dealing with him was either cast him out or lock him up.

Well, if you think about it, how often are adolescents actually accepted by society? Jar Jar's banishment is at least symbolic of the way the awkwardness of adolescence can alienate adolescents from "society". And once Jar Jar accomplished something, once he demonstrated a measure of maturity, he was given a place in Gungan society.

 

[exodus]

I like your POV.
However, I don't see him as adolescents based on how many treat him. We don't cast out adolescents in society because they're clumsy. He was like Adian Brody in "The Village" where their choices for dealing with him was either cast him out or lock him up.

Well, if you think about it, how often are adolescents actually accepted by society?

You'll have to explain this because I don't see how they aren't.
I see the elderly as less accepted by society then adolescents.
We throw the elderly in nursing homes when we don't wanna deal with them. I see more stuff geared toward the young in society, not out casting them.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

You'll have to explain this because I don't see how they aren't.
I see the elderly as less accepted by society then adolescents.
We throw the elderly in nursing homes when we don't wanna deal with them. I see more stuff geared toward the young in society, not out casting them.

Well, I'm not talking about physically separating adolescents from society -- as I said, I see Jar Jar's separation as symbolic -- so your comment regarding the elderly is irrelevant. Social acceptance is a huge part of adolescence. Learning how to integrate one's desires into the possibilities and expectations of society. How to do it while not pissing off everyone else isn't easy to learn. It's part of why peer pressure is such a force, and historically, why older generations tend to either belittle or minimize the significance of what adolescents find important.

More specifically, at least in the U.S., adolescents have to wait until they are 16 to drive; 18 to vote; 21 to drink. Society won't accept adolescents until they've cleared certain benchmarks. Why? Because society doesn't think they are mature enough.