thoughts on "Hostage Crisis"
Mar. 21st, 2009 02:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwinnaFor once I got to see an episode of the Clone Wars when it aired! So I thought I would write up my thoughts. And it really is just random thoughts, not a formal review.
~ While I was glad to see more Anakin/Padme interaction, I thought it was rather stilted and not very well done. I was a bit surprised that they had Anakin come right out and say that his love for Padme is more important to him than his duty to the Jedi Order and the galaxy so early on. Also, the set-up for Anakin's losing his lightsaber doesn't really make much sense. I thought that, though their marriage is a secret, Anakin and Padme are friends openly, and as such there's no need for Anakin to hide when Bail comes in. The way RotS makes it look, Anakin hangs out in Palpatine's office all the time; surely it wouldn't be strange for him to visit Padme as well. He could even have pretended he was there on official business. And there was plenty of time for Padme to slip Anakin his lightsaber. Or she could have left it on her desk when she left; Bail had already turned away.
~ Speaking of Bail Organa, I believe this is the first time we've seen him in TCW. He looks a lot more like the actor who plays him in the prequels than do, say, Anakin and Padme. The same is true of Captain Typho in Episodes 17 and 18; I guess they got better at designing the characters as time went by.
~ Hmm. Enhanced Privacy Invasion Bill? What kind of a name for a bill is that? You'd think they'd call it the Enhanced Security Bill or something. I'll just assume it's Bail's nickname for a bill he doesn't like.
~ I was pleased to see Senator Chuchi (from “Trespass”) and Senator Farr (from “Bombad Jedi”) among the group. Though, what do Filoni and Co. have against Senators of that three-eyed, bovine species? That's the second one who's been killed in this series, the first being Senator Kharrus in “The Gungan General.”
~ Initially I was surprised that Anakin would listen to Palpatine and go to the control room instead of charging in to save Padme. But when I thought about it, the idea that Anakin is reckless to the point of lunacy comes more from fandom than from the show itself. While he would do anything for Padme, it does not shut down his thought processes, and he is capable of thinking about the best way to achieve his goal. On the other hand, I was disappointed to see him use a Jedi mind trick on the one bounty hunter. I’ve come across the idea in fanfiction that he wouldn’t use it because of his past as a slave, and I like to think that’s true. Good thing I don’t consider the Clone Wars to be canon.
~ For some reason, before watching this episode, I was under the impression that the Separatists were trying to free Ziro the Hutt, but the episode indicates that Ziro hired the bounty hunters himself. Though, I suppose he couldn't have contacted them from prison without assistance. This raises the question: why do they want Ziro back?
~ I have to wonder what Palpatine is thinking through all this. If the rescue is a Separatist initiative, he must be in on it, and it's awfully convenient that the captive Senators, whom Bane would have ended up killing if Anakin hadn't been there, are Palpatine's political opponents. This would have been a good way to get rid of them without anyone's thinking he had anything to do with it – indeed, he would have received credit for trying to save them. On the other hand, how would he have known that they would be in that particular location at that particular time, when it seemed to be an impromptu meeting? And I would have thought that Palpatine wouldn't want Padme dead, political opponent or no, because he needs her to turn Anakin to the Dark Side.
~ It looks like Cad Bane will become a recurring villain, which I’m pleased to see, because we know that Dooku and Grievous survive to appear in RotS, and all the other villains have been dying after one or two episodes. Bane’s eventual death will have more meaning if he becomes a major antagonist who’s won victories against the Republic.
~ Overall, I liked “Hostage Crisis,” though I wouldn’t call it my favorite episode or anything. It’s exciting, it has Anakin/Padme (and no Ahsoka), the bad guys win. However, I think the Ryloth trilogy would have made a better season finale. It’s just more epic and finale-ish. There’s even a celebration at the end like at the ends of TPM and ANH. And while I’ve been wanting to see more episodes where the Separatists win, it’s an odd way to end the season in which the Republic has won in almost every other episode. It makes me feel like the whole episode is just a trailer for season two.
TL;DR version: good episode, but not so much of a finale.
Of course the worst thing is: no new episodes until the fall! How will I survive??
~ While I was glad to see more Anakin/Padme interaction, I thought it was rather stilted and not very well done. I was a bit surprised that they had Anakin come right out and say that his love for Padme is more important to him than his duty to the Jedi Order and the galaxy so early on. Also, the set-up for Anakin's losing his lightsaber doesn't really make much sense. I thought that, though their marriage is a secret, Anakin and Padme are friends openly, and as such there's no need for Anakin to hide when Bail comes in. The way RotS makes it look, Anakin hangs out in Palpatine's office all the time; surely it wouldn't be strange for him to visit Padme as well. He could even have pretended he was there on official business. And there was plenty of time for Padme to slip Anakin his lightsaber. Or she could have left it on her desk when she left; Bail had already turned away.
~ Speaking of Bail Organa, I believe this is the first time we've seen him in TCW. He looks a lot more like the actor who plays him in the prequels than do, say, Anakin and Padme. The same is true of Captain Typho in Episodes 17 and 18; I guess they got better at designing the characters as time went by.
~ Hmm. Enhanced Privacy Invasion Bill? What kind of a name for a bill is that? You'd think they'd call it the Enhanced Security Bill or something. I'll just assume it's Bail's nickname for a bill he doesn't like.
~ I was pleased to see Senator Chuchi (from “Trespass”) and Senator Farr (from “Bombad Jedi”) among the group. Though, what do Filoni and Co. have against Senators of that three-eyed, bovine species? That's the second one who's been killed in this series, the first being Senator Kharrus in “The Gungan General.”
~ Initially I was surprised that Anakin would listen to Palpatine and go to the control room instead of charging in to save Padme. But when I thought about it, the idea that Anakin is reckless to the point of lunacy comes more from fandom than from the show itself. While he would do anything for Padme, it does not shut down his thought processes, and he is capable of thinking about the best way to achieve his goal. On the other hand, I was disappointed to see him use a Jedi mind trick on the one bounty hunter. I’ve come across the idea in fanfiction that he wouldn’t use it because of his past as a slave, and I like to think that’s true. Good thing I don’t consider the Clone Wars to be canon.
~ For some reason, before watching this episode, I was under the impression that the Separatists were trying to free Ziro the Hutt, but the episode indicates that Ziro hired the bounty hunters himself. Though, I suppose he couldn't have contacted them from prison without assistance. This raises the question: why do they want Ziro back?
~ I have to wonder what Palpatine is thinking through all this. If the rescue is a Separatist initiative, he must be in on it, and it's awfully convenient that the captive Senators, whom Bane would have ended up killing if Anakin hadn't been there, are Palpatine's political opponents. This would have been a good way to get rid of them without anyone's thinking he had anything to do with it – indeed, he would have received credit for trying to save them. On the other hand, how would he have known that they would be in that particular location at that particular time, when it seemed to be an impromptu meeting? And I would have thought that Palpatine wouldn't want Padme dead, political opponent or no, because he needs her to turn Anakin to the Dark Side.
~ It looks like Cad Bane will become a recurring villain, which I’m pleased to see, because we know that Dooku and Grievous survive to appear in RotS, and all the other villains have been dying after one or two episodes. Bane’s eventual death will have more meaning if he becomes a major antagonist who’s won victories against the Republic.
~ Overall, I liked “Hostage Crisis,” though I wouldn’t call it my favorite episode or anything. It’s exciting, it has Anakin/Padme (and no Ahsoka), the bad guys win. However, I think the Ryloth trilogy would have made a better season finale. It’s just more epic and finale-ish. There’s even a celebration at the end like at the ends of TPM and ANH. And while I’ve been wanting to see more episodes where the Separatists win, it’s an odd way to end the season in which the Republic has won in almost every other episode. It makes me feel like the whole episode is just a trailer for season two.
TL;DR version: good episode, but not so much of a finale.
Of course the worst thing is: no new episodes until the fall! How will I survive??
