About The Clone Wars: Senate Murders (season 2 episode 15)
And now for something slightly irrational and probably hilariously predictable:
OMG, FAVORITE CLONE WARS EPISODE EVER!
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- "I don't care about rules!" Padmé shows this in one way or another in every movie and episode she's in. But it's something else to hear her say it. Funny but a bit immature for her character. She's more formal and reserved, imo.
- If you thought Jar Jar Binks was annoying... He is a sweet and funny guy compared to Halle Burtoni (lol) and Tan Divo. These are characters that make you want to punch them through the screen.
- Speaking of punching people... It looks like the whole Internet thought that fist in the face was the most awesome thing in this episode. Normally I would say it was uncivilized and not in character for Padmé, but it made sense in the situation. She was just freeing herself from a murderer who was holding her hostage. So what if she used more force than was necessary to free herself? ;)
- The character of Halle Burtoni is problematic within the context of Star Wars canon. Dex tells Obi-Wan in AOTC that to get along with Kaminoans, you need money and good manners. It's hard to believe they would choose as their ambassador someone who has never heard of manners.
- I said it about "Senate Spy" and I'll say it again: poison is such an overused plot device. But I liked the irony of a toast to victory followed by a quick death.
- I think Mon Mothma has a crush on Padmé. But the mothering is weird because she is younger than Padmé and is supposed to be new to the Senate.
- I really liked Padmé and Bail's chase on the docks. The police scenes in "Duchess of Mandalore" were pretty cool, but lacked the gripping tension that makes the best action scenes. Maybe it's because Padmé and Bail had guns and were fighting back, while poor Satine was just running away and trying to hide. To make an exciting fight scene, there's got to be fighting.
- I'm not sure I didn't hallucinate the last minute. No, really, what - was - that? He never touches her in the movies. Some things are not supposed to happen outside my fanfiction.
*
I've said it before: Padmé's characterization is what I like the most about The Clone Wars. I'm skeptical about Anakin having a padawan, Obi-Wan acts too much like Anakin, Anakin is often annoying even when Padmé isn't around, and the Satine/"Obi" thing makes me LOLWHAT. But I love what they're doing with Padmé: she isn't defined by her relationship with Anakin. Because that would make her just like thousands of fictional heroines who, when they are "in love", put their boyfriends/husbands above everything else. It would make her ordinary and... boring.
Although, if I were an Anakin/Padmé shipper, I would be complaining. Some episodes - I'm thinking about "Senate Spy" - seem to be saying that she doesn't love him as much as she 'should' or as much as he loves her, and there is an implication that this is what leads him to the dark side (as Catherine Taber said in an interview).
I also like that CW!Padmé doesn't fall into the other stereotype, that of the perfectly "strong" female character who never makes mistakes. I do like Leia, but I'm not watching this show looking for a character I'd want to relate to. I want to see an interesting, i.e. different character. Padmé, with her naiveté and her passion for duty instead of love, fits the definition of a fascinating character that's fun to analyze and write about.
OMG, FAVORITE CLONE WARS EPISODE EVER!
*
- "I don't care about rules!" Padmé shows this in one way or another in every movie and episode she's in. But it's something else to hear her say it. Funny but a bit immature for her character. She's more formal and reserved, imo.
- If you thought Jar Jar Binks was annoying... He is a sweet and funny guy compared to Halle Burtoni (lol) and Tan Divo. These are characters that make you want to punch them through the screen.
- Speaking of punching people... It looks like the whole Internet thought that fist in the face was the most awesome thing in this episode. Normally I would say it was uncivilized and not in character for Padmé, but it made sense in the situation. She was just freeing herself from a murderer who was holding her hostage. So what if she used more force than was necessary to free herself? ;)
- The character of Halle Burtoni is problematic within the context of Star Wars canon. Dex tells Obi-Wan in AOTC that to get along with Kaminoans, you need money and good manners. It's hard to believe they would choose as their ambassador someone who has never heard of manners.
- I said it about "Senate Spy" and I'll say it again: poison is such an overused plot device. But I liked the irony of a toast to victory followed by a quick death.
- I think Mon Mothma has a crush on Padmé. But the mothering is weird because she is younger than Padmé and is supposed to be new to the Senate.
- I really liked Padmé and Bail's chase on the docks. The police scenes in "Duchess of Mandalore" were pretty cool, but lacked the gripping tension that makes the best action scenes. Maybe it's because Padmé and Bail had guns and were fighting back, while poor Satine was just running away and trying to hide. To make an exciting fight scene, there's got to be fighting.
- I'm not sure I didn't hallucinate the last minute. No, really, what - was - that? He never touches her in the movies. Some things are not supposed to happen outside my fanfiction.
*
I've said it before: Padmé's characterization is what I like the most about The Clone Wars. I'm skeptical about Anakin having a padawan, Obi-Wan acts too much like Anakin, Anakin is often annoying even when Padmé isn't around, and the Satine/"Obi" thing makes me LOLWHAT. But I love what they're doing with Padmé: she isn't defined by her relationship with Anakin. Because that would make her just like thousands of fictional heroines who, when they are "in love", put their boyfriends/husbands above everything else. It would make her ordinary and... boring.
Although, if I were an Anakin/Padmé shipper, I would be complaining. Some episodes - I'm thinking about "Senate Spy" - seem to be saying that she doesn't love him as much as she 'should' or as much as he loves her, and there is an implication that this is what leads him to the dark side (as Catherine Taber said in an interview).
I also like that CW!Padmé doesn't fall into the other stereotype, that of the perfectly "strong" female character who never makes mistakes. I do like Leia, but I'm not watching this show looking for a character I'd want to relate to. I want to see an interesting, i.e. different character. Padmé, with her naiveté and her passion for duty instead of love, fits the definition of a fascinating character that's fun to analyze and write about.