Transcript
Speaker: Hey there, everyone. Scott White, the voice of Dryden Valsen, Maul Shadowlord, and you are listening to Casual Nerdity, the nerdiest podcast around.
Speaker: Stay tuned.
Speaker: Casual Nerdity is podcast celebrating and discussing pop culture that we love. Movies, TVs, comics, books, games, you name it. Our aim is to talk about the good, what worked, and yeah, sometimes what didn't.
Speaker: All with an eye towards building up, not tearing down. Thanks for joining us.
Speaker: Welcome back to Casual Nerdity, everybody. i hope you are doing well. I'm Daryl, and as usual for Clone Watch, I have with me...
Speaker: I'm Lauren. Nick, I thought you were going to lock up after the Scott White bumper again. Oh, you you paused for a second there and I thought you were going to lock up again.
Speaker: was going to sue, but, uh, uh, teacher plus, I, I am, I am still, still very, so happy they hear that.
Speaker: ah Well, we are ah what we are back with another Clone Watch episode. And you this is the 50th episode of Casual Nerdity and the 32nd Clone Watch episode.
Speaker: So for those who are jumping into Clone Watch with episode 32. Yes. What we're doing is Lauren joined our gaming group and we are heavy into...
Speaker: both the Star Wars RPG and Star Wars in general. Lots of inside jokes were flying around. But Lauren joined for other games and transitioned over to Star Wars. And now you she can't get rid of us. She's one of us. yeah And so you decided to in increase your familiarity with Star Wars.
Speaker: Yes. And meanwhile, I'm increasing everybody else's familiarity with hamsters and Kirby and such. Yes. and that' true It's true. It's a mutual assured destruction. Yes, yes. We will clearly annihilate each other quite thoroughly.
Speaker: And so what we're doing with Clone Watch is we are going through in the most evil order, chronological order, because for quite a while it meant having to jump around within the airing order. But we are now going in getting into the Lost Missions.
Speaker: Getting into, we're almost done. Yeah, we're quite a way through there. Yeah, we're we're about halfway through. we've we've only After this episode, we'll only have one more installment of The Lost Missions.
Speaker: And that will be our second series res finale of The Clone Wars. Yeah! Yes, the you at a second time. Technically, it would be the third because there's the micro series.
Speaker: Technically, yes. But ah we're we're going through. Nick and I are rewatching. Lauren is watching for the first time and We're getting Lauren's reactions. Nick and I are giving our reactions and everybody's putting insights in and we have been floored with some of Lauren's insights coming at it from an outsider where yeah we've lived, eaten, and breathed Star Wars pretty much our whole lives. And you're like, hey, yeah, yeah how about this thing?
Speaker: Honestly, like I think, honestly, the best answer we'll definitely talk about on our End of series retrospective would definitely be like your opinion of Grievous is probably one of the most intriguing I've ever heard. oh yeah. Yep.
Speaker: Now, this time around, we are taking a look at The Disappeared Season 6, Episode 8, The Disappeared Part 2, Season 6, Episode 9, and The Lost One, Season 6, Episode 10, featuring a mysterious disappearance, an ancient Jedi mystery, and more Jar Jar Binks than anyone probably asked for.
Speaker: Notably, the George Reigns also involve quite a few mysterious disappearances as well. So, you know, everything is disappearing this time. Again, it's like, a so if they rhyme.
Speaker: And if anyone's heard a particular ah explanation of the Clone Wars on TikTok talk or YouTube shorts, you can probably guess what this part is.
Speaker: But leave that for the comments. So, we ready to dive in? Oh, yeah. Oh, you you phrasing. Are we still using phrasing?
Speaker: Phrasing! I mean, you know, there's... Yeah, I get where you're coming from there. Let's get started. First up is The Disappeared Season 6, Episode 8.
Speaker: A Prophecy Threatens the Spiritual Balance of the Mystic World.
Speaker: gas The mystical. ah A prophecy threatens the spiritual... I i read that line already. i I need to look at the line below that in the show notes. Yes, that would be helpful.
Speaker: Are you wearing your glasses? Yes. I'm wearing my new glasses, as a matter of fact. Oh, boy you got new ones? Yes. People do that sometimes.
Speaker: I know that that. I'd like to see them eat. I mean, they look like glasses.
Speaker: Their glasses are always nice to look at. Mystics on the planet Bardada have disappeared, and the Queen requests help from the Republic, but she'll only accept help from one person.
Speaker: Jar Jar Binks. Oh boy What could possibly go wrong there? you The answer is yes.
Speaker: Or the answer Misa? We could all be annihilated by the power of the memes. Yes. And as it turns out, the Bardottans don't trust the Jedi from past encounters because the mystics believed that the Jedi were thieves for inducting Bardottan children into the Order.
Speaker: Uh-oh!
Speaker: The Jedi stole those children for a good reason. I mean... We don't get that reason, but we can only assume they did I mean, it I guess it could be worse, because, you know, we saw how well that went in the Acolyte.
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah. No, the Jedi are always good. They're always the good guys, and they always make the right decision. it's um It's not like it's always been a thing. And again, this is before any sort of pseudo-fans add in, like this is still under George Lucas. So yeah.
Speaker: And Mace Windu, the Jedi convince Jar Jar to let Mace go along. And they get there and immediately Mace faces resistance, but he's allowed in because he's with Jar Jar.
Speaker: Yep, Jar Jar confirms that he has history with the the Bardotten leader. Yep, Mace gets past the rope because of Jar Jar, and and here's kind of how.
Speaker: Representative Binks of the Republic, you were requested to come here alone. Why have you brought this Jedi to Bardotta? Oh, great Queenie Julia, please forgive Misa.
Speaker: This Jedi is Misa Palo. He's a coming here to be helping Misa solve your troubles. He is your servant, then? Um... Yes! Yes!
Speaker: That is the truth. Master in Maze is Misa's humble servant. Very well. jedda because jar jar binks vouches for you i will allow you to stay here for now you must wait in the antechamber
Speaker: now here's where i kind of wish that this was live action because the animated mace windu did not look pleased about any of this at all but i would pay cashy money to see Samuel L. Jackson reacting to this situation.
Speaker: um Sam Jackson is like, of I have never thought that he would be a great Jedi master in terms of an actor, but in this moment, like, yes, I want to see Sam Jackson, Windu, just give that classic Sam Jackson stay side That Samuel L. Jackson MF-er Please look.
Speaker: Yeah. It says like 75 curse words. Yes. With just a look. And I'm like, that's what it needed. And unfortunately, as good as the animation, because the animation continues to grow, especially they're in that during the Lost Missions,
Speaker: could not contain the the power of of a Sam Jackson stare. Yes. Now, perhaps it would be a good idea to acknowledge the fact that it is a little bit awkward, perhaps, that one of the major black characters in the series is being ah shown, being sort of forced into the position of a servant to one of the comedy relief characters.
Speaker: That is well not... great, but, you know, it's... At the same time, there is the fact that Jar Jar himself is definitely not white. The Gungans are very much not, like... Oh, that was a whole thing when the Phantom Menace came out. That was also a whole thing, So, so it's... it's it's It's maybe the hat wearing the hat.
Speaker: a It's not great. It's not as bad as it could potentially be. But it is like... There is awkwardness there.
Speaker: There is awkwardness there, but you could argue that the awkwardness is putting a hat on the hat. a We're making fun of the fact that we did that by making fun the way that we're doing that.
Speaker: Yes, ah cs they they do talk about how the Dagoyan masters are disappearing. Apparently they have quite a bit of spiritual power and social power within this society.
Speaker: Yes. and Yet another force, sensitive and very prominent one, obviously, of a planet that and it that is necessarily the Jedi or the Sith.
Speaker: Yeah, which is where that whole, like, we don't like the Jedi comes in. Mm-hmm. And that's when we learn why she requested Jar Jar and why Betsy is specifically not participating in this episode. Uh-oh. Hi, Seneshal Padir.
Speaker: I must speak to Representative Binks alone.
Speaker: It's been a long time, my love.
Speaker: Come.
Speaker: Meditate with me. So our minds may be as one.
Speaker: Captain America! Fuck! Yep. That, uh, yeah. that Now we all have to live with this knowledge.
Speaker: yeah ah We are all now cursed with that doubt. And we are happy to bring that to as many to our tens of listeners.
Speaker: Yes. And appropriately enough, though. After that info gets dropped, the very next line of dialogue is Mace saying, there's a great disturbance in the force here. That much is certain.
Speaker: Yep. That has to be the the writers of the episode being like, yeah. That's the writers of the episode saying, Captain America, fuck!
Speaker: Yes. Mace Windu, he tries to enter the room with Jar Jar. And ah initially, he tries to use the Jedi mind trick on one of the guards, but is simply meant with, that will not work on a Tegoyan.
Speaker: And I'm certain people had plenty of reasonable interpretations of Tegoyans after such a line was stated. I'm sure that's... Well, I mean... poy yeah Nobody ah contextualized that line in and in an unreasonable way.
Speaker: Honestly, at the time, it was considered it' actually pretty reasonable be due to the fact that they were... They had a strong aggressor to the Jedi. And again, the Jedi mind trick is only meant to work on the weak-minded. So it means that you can train your mind to to resist it.
Speaker: Or, you know, it's like the Toydarians. Mind tricks don't work on me, only money. So you just wave money in front of a Toydarian, and that's a mind trick. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: But that's also... Yeah. Yeah. um Episode one. Yeah. So the... New The queen is about to tell Jar Jar about a great secret that she discovered when Mace just you know finally barges in.
Speaker: and And yeah, they... He gets kicked back out and Jar Jar goes out to to tell him to not throw off his groove anymore. Jar Jar tells Mace to trust in him.
Speaker: And Mace hands Jar Jar communicator. So...
Speaker: Jar Jar wants to get his groove on. Also get the information. Mace hands him a communicator. Does this mean that Mace wants to listen? Maybe. Maybe.
Speaker: Is he weird that way? i think i think this is more of a ah sacrifice than than a weirdness. there what the two the The Jedi are not allowed to love to have any attachments.
Speaker: That doesn't mean that the Jedi... there's There's a whole book about this. There's an entire through line in the High Republic books about this, Nick.
Speaker: i know I know about it. I know about that. just just Just because the Jedi can't form attachments doesn't mean the Jedi cannot form the Beast with two backs.
Speaker: Yeah, no, I think i think it's Mace Windu sacrificing his sanity for the sake of ah spy stuff. and Maybe so. Maybe so. Now, while the two of them are out of the room, though, they the Queen disappears.
Speaker: Which appears to be part of a prophecy. Yes, yes. Jar Jar then has to quell anti-Jedi sentiment, as part of the prophecy stated it would occur after Jedi arrived.
Speaker: Now again, the prophecy, despite not being um be specifically about the planet, Does it sound like something's going to happen later on in the series?
Speaker: A great deal of darkness and chains? Foreshadowing is a literary device.
Speaker: It's also pretty vague, though, so... Yeah, most prophecies are. Yeah. Most prophecies are so that that way, when something happens that kind of vaguely resembles the prophecy,
Speaker: whoever created or believes in the prophecy can then look and say, look, see, see, we told you. Prophecy. Prophecy time. No man can kill me. e Now, the the prophecy originates from a dark place under the Bardotin's temple.
Speaker: and And so, they go down to investigate and Jar Jar goes down this dark hallway where he's ambushed and sprayed with a dust that turns him invisible.
Speaker: Yep. Which, that kind of thing could come in handy. Nick, I want some of that Bardotten Invisi-dust in the RPG. I think it is in one of the books, actually. Oh, is is it in the Mystic book?
Speaker: No, no, I think it's in One of the Clone Wars books? No, no. here' Here's the thing. You could you could have the Bardotin invisibility dust, or you could have the Nightsister invisibility potion that they used to sneak on in on Nooku and stuff. So there's you know there's there's invisibility.
Speaker: There's probably also ah probably a device that does invisibility too, I imagine. But yeah, but that could be disrupted by regular technology. Yeah, but then you have it and the Force invisibility at the same time. Yeah, what what if he used... Double invisibility!
Speaker: ah was about to say, what if he used the Nightsister invisibility potion and the Bardotten invisibility dust? And the technological invisibility as well.
Speaker: think you just lose yourself... i think you would just lose yourself Nick and that force power that I used that one time to make anyone forget that they've seen you combine all of that Lauren that we're going to just a slight little digression that was a beautiful session one time.
Speaker: I was a force sensitive character. Nick had us going up against force sensitive hut and it was going to be a nightmare. And I had the misdirect force power where I could cast an illusion. I could basically make myself invisible with the force.
Speaker: And I had a force power that could make anyone forget that you exist. then Or it was a talent. It wasn't a force power. It was a talent. it Yeah, it was a talent.
Speaker: And so I turned invisible and used that force power and this hut is ranting and raving and all of his lackeys are like, what's he talking about? He's losing his mind. Meanwhile, I'm igniting my lightsaber and just going up to him and whop, whop, whop.
Speaker: Beautiful.
Speaker: It was lovely. It was lovely. And I continued to use that combination multiple times in that campaign. um Now, they... the The prisoners are being held in some cages over a lava pit.
Speaker: Yes. And I'm looking at those cages. very terriblebble doom shit Yeah, that's exactly what I was about to say. I was, you know, the... i'm I'm looking at those cages and I'm wondering, is anybody else flashing back to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom? and there is our Our new Nice.
Speaker: our new friend miss mr damon it's a big fan of that nice Yeah, then there there is a funny moment here where Jar Jar argues as the communicator, calls into Mace and tells him what the situation is. Mace Windu says, I've got you on a tracker, don't move.
Speaker: And then and in the cages start moving. And Jar Jar's like, I'm moving! And then Mace Windu's like, I told you not to do that. I will agree. like I think that it would be a bit that we would do in one of our games. Yeah, yeah we would. Yeah, we would.
Speaker: So Mace follows the signal from Jar's comm link, but Jar Jar drops it, and then his captors destroy it. Yep, so Mace Windu does not have it on the tracker anymore.
Speaker: And what this cult is doing is they're basically... stealing the force from their captives. Push them down this big slide, and then there's this rock formation that looks kind of like a night like a mouth with a bunch of electricity in the teeth, and it zaps the force out of them, and they put them in this big green force orb. to be confused with the peace orb, or the practice orb.
Speaker: Yeah. Right. But ah it's a major factor, the fact that this is... It doesn't matter if you're force sensitive. Because again, the force is ah within all living beings.
Speaker: It just takes the force from you. Yes. Within is that it's like some people have always like argue like.
Speaker: Well, like if something takes the force out of you, that means that the force is like, well, everyone has the force. The force is in everyone. And yes, they confirmed this whenever they're about to push Jar Jar down the slide. And he's like, I'm not so strong in the force.
Speaker: And the guy's like, it doesn't matter. there There's some force in you, forces in everything. And they push him down. And then we almost get the confirmation of Darth Jar Jar. Whenever you know he gets all of his force sucked out and it's bunch of you know it's a ton of dark side energy. But ah no, no there there's no Darth Jar Jar confirmation here because Mace Windu shows up just in time and saves him and starts fighting a bunch of cultists. That's that that just what Darth Jar Jar wants us to think.
Speaker: Yep. So, Lauren, have have you seen um the Lego Star Wars rebuild the galaxy? I have not seen the Lego thing yet, no. i know that I know that they do Darth Jar Jar in that, though.
Speaker: Yes. And Ahmed Best gets to voice Darth Jar Jar. Nice. The actor who played Jar Jar gets to voice Darth Jar Jar. All right. He he he is very firmly back in Star Wars and happy and good. He he went through a hard time.
Speaker: I know. that they' but he is The Star Wars fandom does not treat the actors particularly well all the time. What?!
Speaker: That's crazy talk. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. But he is. should be. It should be. But he is back. It should be, yes. he is very happy to be back into a franchise. It's very similar to how it describes the original Blue Ranger in in Power Rangers.
Speaker: Individuals who weren't treated perfectly well, but still love their franchises. Yeah. And the cultists, you know, Mace is fighting off the cultists, but the ones who get out, they take off with the queen.
Speaker: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. And as they start to chase after her ah Mace Windu notes that Jar is starting to make sense.
Speaker: Which, surely, these are the end times. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. end of the Clone Wars. Yep. And the end of week of Mace Windu.
Speaker: And that's the end of that episode, which takes us into The Disappeared Part 2, Season 6, Episode 9, Jar Jar Binks and Mace Windu must find a missing queen.
Speaker: So we we jump straight into the action. Jar Jar and Mace chase after the cult. They hop in a shuttle and they're chasing after the cult. Yeah, you plan it now.
Speaker: Is that not the most...
Speaker: absurd sentence to any Star Wars fan. Yes, it is a very absurd sentence. It is literally a word salad. There's like no Star Wars fan this period of time could have concocted.
Speaker: They follow them. After they land, the cultists the cultists land on the planet they're going to. And after they land, they start talking about visions from the great mother and these containment spheres with life energy or the force, whatever you want to call them are glowing green. Now, wait just a minute.
Speaker: If I'm not mistaken, there's There's a penny hanging in the air somewhere. Whoa. Anti-gravity penny? Cool. Yes.
Speaker: Anti-gravity penny. Wait, if the penny falls, it's gonna fall and crack up its skull. that Oh, really? i don't know think that pennies pennie don't have enough mass to do that.
Speaker: The Mythbusters did a whole episode about that, Nick. Wait, really? Nice. the I thought it was a thing. like That's why they put like the the the case around like the the Empire State Building.
Speaker: The Mythbusters did a whole episode about dropping pennies from height. I'm not joking. Really? I'm not joking either. The Mythbusters did a whole episode on it.
Speaker: they went out to the They went out to the desert and they were like, I don't remember if they were firing pennies in the air or they were dropping them from like a helicopter or what. But also, Nick, nick we we've talked about how squirrels don't take it take fall damage. They don't have enough mass for the fall to hurt them.
Speaker: In the same regard, penny would not deal damage by falling on somebody because it has even less mass than a squirrel. I'm going to have to look this up afterwards. continue Anyway, ah Mace Windu uses the Force to ah detect the Force orb in order to find the Queen, much to the anxiety of Jar Jar, who wants to run out of the shuttle and you know chase after them immediately.
Speaker: Yep. So we we see the cultists, and they're going to sacrifice the queen and transfer her essence into o the great mother.
Speaker: And we have a moment of... I'm missing big quotation marks, but yes. Yes. Yes, we have a moment of discussing the matter of haste versus patience. Mace Windu taking a moment to understand their surroundings and understanding the situation while Jar Jar wants to act in haste.
Speaker: Then finally, whenever Mace Windu detects where the princess is or the queen is, ah he decides that now is the time to act, confusing Jar Jar as he thought that they were doing patience, but he's like, no, no, no, now now it's time to actually chase after them.
Speaker: and yeah yeah Because Jar Jar, as his most Jedi companions, are Obi-Wan and Anakin, and they are very contradictory on their approaches.
Speaker: a Yes, very soon, Jar Jar spots ah Julia, the queen, being taken away into the city. And so then a chase ensues through the city, and there's a fight with Gundarks, which is pretty cool that ensues.
Speaker: Yes, we get a lot of Jar Jar action as Mace Windu keeps being held back while Jar Jar, with all of his agility, keeps ahead and keeps managing to ambush the various Gundarks and...
Speaker: trick them around, and then ultimately, the Gundark set up a big turret, and Jar Jar, in all his bravery, rushes directly into the turret, right as soon as Mace Windu jumps in and takes it out, the second that he was about to, you know, completely tear Jar Jar to shreds.
Speaker: Honestly, that was the most action, until a more more recent comic one-shot had had a really badass Jar Jar moment.
Speaker: But, like, that was the most action that Jar Jar has ever shown on screen until ah ah more recent, like, comic one-shot. And interesting note of that comic one-shot, it was written by Ahmed Best and teamed Jar Jar up with Ahmed Best's Jedi character that he's played.
Speaker: Yeah. Nice. actually I was referencing a previous arc where Jar Jar picked up a lightsaber and was teaming up with Rex, but that was in a one-shot comic.
Speaker: But that also happened, too, so, like, yeah. Jar Jar has been getting some badass moments. Ultimately, despite all the chasing, the Queen is taken away on minecarts.
Speaker: So some more Temple of Doom. and and And finally, Mace trusts Jar Jar to do something. What?
Speaker: i really I really need to pull a Scooby-Doo clip of Scooby-Doo going, oh yeah so that I can add that to the soundboard. What?
Speaker: What? But that's when that penny that's been floating in the air that the Mythbusters talked about that Nick doesn't believe me about drops.
Speaker: i I don't believe it. I didn't do anything. And we learned that the great mother is Mother Talzin.
Speaker: and and The night sister mother. Yes. ah She's here. um Wow.
Speaker: Yeah, she's here. And we learn that Nightsister magic is not a natural connection to the Force, and instead it needs an external Force source, which the Force orb is going to be.
Speaker: And they they strap up the Queen to this big thing where at sunrise, the Sun is going to go through some magical glass and extract all of the Force out of her.
Speaker: But then Jar Jar and Mace Windu show up, and there's a big fight. And at one point, Jar Jar has a giant gun ah from like some guard robot that they fought earlier. And ultimately... Also, maybe, control powered by the Force, there's a lot of questions here going on.
Speaker: don't have time with that. They did not give answers. Yep. Well, there's a lot of there love unique and very interesting, like, oh wow, there's some cool stuff going on here. Like, are we going oh, we don't have time for that.
Speaker: No. Yes, well, Mace Windu fights off the witch and ah Jar Jar tries to save the queen. There's ultimately a big force orb explosion.
Speaker: Yep. Jar Jar frees the queen, Mace fights Talzin, and because the ritual device is just destroyed, Mother Talzin disappears screaming into a cloud of of green. Mm-hmm. Now... Is she dead? Because we thought she was dead the last time, but she wasn't dead, now she's not dead again Yes. Yes.
Speaker: Because, spoiler alert, she's only mostly dead because she shows up next in the still-canonical Maul Son of Dathomir comic that, well, you saying anything more than that, that would be an additional ah that would be an additional spoiler. Spoilers.
Speaker: And I still don't own that. You see, the thing is is that this was actually a Talzin bot. yeah It's made of nanites, that's how she dissolved.
Speaker: now Now, correct me if I am wrong, Nick. This is the final Clone Wars appearance of Jar Jar.
Speaker: Of Jar Jar and Mother Dowson, yes. in In Clone Wars. But I am certain that Jar Jar Binks will return.
Speaker: in Avengers Doomsday.
Speaker: Yeah, we're not finished with the episode, but have more of what else has to do. But will Mother Talzin return in Avengers Doomsday? Mother Talzin may return... in Avengers Doomsday.
Speaker: We've got to see her fight Doctor Strange. Wait, wait, wait. What?
Speaker: ZBrothers fucks in. Captain America fuck! It's canon. It's in the trailer.
Speaker: I know. Well, I mean, you know, Captain America fucking isn't in the trailer. The result of is in the trailer.
Speaker: ah Yeah, I remember thinking about these two episodes. Nick, whenever we were watching the episodes, you mentioned that you didn't think that Mace Windu was a good choice for the Jedi.
Speaker: because, like, Anakin or Obi-Wan would have stronger reactions. But then I brought the fact that this is kind of the only time that we see Mace Windu in this sort of situation where he's on the back foot and he doesn't have all of the social power, where, you know, it's ah it's a new situation to put this character into. I think that did put it into a... Normally, I...
Speaker: That's kind of why I didn't like this arc initially. It's like... There are better like personal connections and drives and like ways to interpersonalize the character. I'm not a big fan of the arc in general.
Speaker: But I do like... How you recontextualize that this is giving Mace Windu, who is usually the... consummate, like, hardcore badass Jedi always in charge. Yeah, he he's the ace. He always knows what he's doing. He's always, you know, we always see him in a position of power. I think the only exception is, like, the one R2-D2 episode where Anakin and Mace get, like, stuck in ship rubble, but that's... yeah And again, that that's the reason. It's like, it's meant to be the two aces down and made for an R2 episode.
Speaker: This one... and this is still different from that because in that he's still was able to show his certainty in the matters but here he is just completely on the back foot where socially he doesn't have any power in this situation the dynamic with his partner in the situation he does not trust jar jarr at all initially And so we also even see him making some mistakes early on when he isn't able to trust Jar Jar to, you know, handle the queen situation. But, you know, um we actually see him make some mistakes for once.
Speaker: ahly And we see Jar Jar actually be kind of effective. and again, like, less than the Jar Jar effective, because we had several...
Speaker: episodes and arcs with that yes it's mostly like i'm going with the with lauren's in it's like yeah for once we saw the one of the top jedi on the back foot we saw the unflappable mace windu flappable and it's like that's Kind of changed my opinion of the episode. It's still not my favorite arc.
Speaker: But your perspective on that. Putting like the fact that like Mace Windu is on the back foot. And eventually it has to come on to the same same level with Jar Jar.
Speaker: Yes. In order to solve the problem. Ozzy has made a much more entertaining episode than thought it was initially. And I've watched it multiple times. So I will say, like again,
Speaker: and the experiment of of the of Clone Watts is proof is proven here. yeah capacity for analysis is unmatched.
Speaker: do A new perspective with and a different perspective because I've always seen Mace Windu as unflappable and him being teamed up with Jarka was a it's comical but from your perspective it's like it actually fits and works.
Speaker: And then that takes us into the final episode we're discussing today, The Lost One, Season 6, Episode 10. The Jedi renew an investigation into a mysterious disappearance.
Speaker: Oh, yeah. so And we are getting into now the meat and potatoes of the Lost episodes. So Plo Koon is sent to investigate a distress signal from a long-lost Jedi.
Speaker: Yes, they find a wrecked ship on a planet with snowy, stormy weather. And a lightsaber. Bum, bum, bum!
Speaker: And the ship belonged to Master Sifo-Dyas. They note that Sifo-Dyas had some extreme ideas about the Jedi needing an army, but was rejected at the time.
Speaker: Yeah, let's let's get us... And we've heard this thing before. Uh... Hmm.
Speaker: Rewind! Yep. Let's get us some exposition here. Then it is the lost ship of Master Sifo-Dyas. I found this at the crash site.
Speaker: The lightsaber of Sifo-Dyas it is. Never found when he died it was. Master Kenobi, remind the Council of what you discovered regarding Master Sifo-Dyas before the start of the Clone War.
Speaker: My investigation of the bounty hunter Jango Fett led to Kamino. The Kaminoans recounted that it was Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas who ordered the production of a Clone Army. Without the consent of the Council or the Senate, he did this.
Speaker: Prior to the blockade of Naboo, Sifo-Dyas sat on this Council until we judged his ideas to be too extreme. Indeed. He said he foresaw great conflict, and that the Republic would need to raise an army.
Speaker: At the time, the Council rejected those ideas. Well, it's not the first time we've been wrong recently, is it? The creation of the Clone Army kept secret from us, Cypher-Dias did.
Speaker: How this was done, we know not. Yet now, a new piece of the puzzle we have. Perhaps clarity it will bring us
Speaker: So we then learn that Sifo-Dyas was killed on Felucia before the blockade of Naboo, but the whereabouts of his body are unknown, and the records were sealed by the office of the Chancellor.
Speaker: that That's not shady at all. Oh yeah, totally not. It's almost like we where like we're finally solving the mystery...
Speaker: that we were told about in episode two, the thing that's, that literally haunted me for years.
Speaker: So Yoda goes to talk to Chancellor Palpatine, who notes that the timeframe puts it during the administration of his predecessor, Chancellor Valorum.
Speaker: Yes. Episode one. it's ah It does seem maybe a little bit odd that the Chancellor had the power to restrict the Jedi's access to their own information. The ah the dynamics between the Jedi and the government are very...
Speaker: Strange. Well, it it seems less like he was sealing Jedi records, but had basically requested Sifo-Dyas' help on a mission for the Republic and sealed the records of that Republic mission.
Speaker: But it also is like the fact that the Jedi and the Republic government are too intertwined yes yeah and sort of a a with again this is the fall of rome this is the fall of the republic it is a we're seeing like how everything is like intertwined and corruption and hidden secrets yes
Speaker: And while we eulogized him at length a couple of episodes ago, let's just take a quick moment to mention the recently departed Tim Curry as Chancellor Palpatine here.
Speaker: It was just wonderful. Wonderful performance. it's
Speaker: I love the performance. I do feel i have my own opinion about the performance, but I do love He did have the sinister element.
Speaker: Yeah. Obi-Wan and Anakin contact Yoda, and the Felutions, in an obscure dialect, making communication difficult, have told them that another Jedi, who they couldn't or wouldn't identify, was there when Sifo-Dyas died, and Sifo-Dyas' body was cremated.
Speaker: Mm-hmm. So they go talk to Valorum. Yoda goes to talk to Valorum. And they do bring back the voice. that the I do believe it was the actual actor for Valorum.
Speaker: ah That did not sound like Terrence Stamp to me. might be incorrect then. But like he did he did sound pretty good to me. And Valorum says that he sent Sifo-Dyas to deal with a problem with the Pike Syndicate.
Speaker: And dealings with the Pykes would be seen as scandalous. You know, the Republic dealing with drug dealers and was going to be seen as scandalous. And that's why the records were sealed.
Speaker: But there was no other Jedi sent on the mission. Only Valorum's personal aide, who was also killed. So that this whole thing is just... Everybody's story is different.
Speaker: Yeah. A massive conspiracy between, like, everything. And then meanwhile, while all of this is going Sidious contacts Dooku wanting to know why the Jedi are looking into Sifo-Dyas and he isn't happy about it.
Speaker: Mm-hmm. And so, yeah, Anakin and Obi-Wan go to the planet of the Pykes, Obadiah, which is very green.
Speaker: It is such a green planet. not Not in a plant sort of way, but it's green.
Speaker: And they're there to question the Pykes, and the head of the Syndicate is wearing the necklace of Valorum's advisor.
Speaker: Which, considering how long ago they got Valorum's advisor, it's little bit odd that he's still wearing that thing. like He must have been like wearing that thing for years now at this point.
Speaker: Oh, I mean, it's a trophy. Yeah. But, like, he doesn't have anything to replace it over the entirety of the Clone Wars? um Maybe they were just lucky that he happened to be wearing it that day.
Speaker: Maybe. Or just, like, proofs of the fact that, like, the Republic has not been dealing with the Pykes at all.
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah, like, There's a whole criminal syndicate out in Indiana Rim. And so the... Heropsin is part of part of the Republic.
Speaker: The Pikes say that they were paid by somebody named Tyrannus to kill Sifo-Dyas. And after the crash, they gave his body to Tyrannus, but kept the advisor.
Speaker: And who... By the way, the advisor has gone a little nutty buckets. Yeah, you know, just do so. And wait. Let's pick up a pin that I put back when we talked about episode two, Attack of the Clones.
Speaker: A man named Tyrannus
Speaker: contacted Jango Fett to make the clones. Yeah. and Well, and and episode two also told us who Tyrannus was. But, yes. For people who who don't know. As being Obi-Wan, who can't put five, put two one and two together.
Speaker: ah even Even when someone is showing holding him a sign that says one plus one equals. But we we get the AIDS story.
Speaker: yeah
Speaker: Hello? Who... who's there? We are Jedi, sent to find you. Jedi?
Speaker: To find me? Why me? I was betrayed. Forgotten. Long ago. No one knew you were alive. Quick!
Speaker: Maybe you have some food. Have you... have you any food? Of course.
Speaker: Oh, thank you, my friend. a supply bar. Delicious. You see, I was so frightened, I would have nothing to serve.
Speaker: Serve? My babies, they get so angry when I have nothing to serve. We might have a problem here. I think you've been cooped up in here too long, old man.
Speaker: We've come to take you home. Home? No, this is my home. I can't leave my friends. You were traveling with Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas.
Speaker: Tell us what happened to him.
Speaker: Sifo-Dyas, he died. Died, died, died, tricked we were. The bikes are not to be trusted. Oh, no, no, no, no.
Speaker: But bikes were not the ones. No, no, the bikes were not the reason.
Speaker: Who was responsible?
Speaker: Someone powerful.
Speaker: Why? All is deception.
Speaker: Can't you see? Because... because...
Speaker: Dooku, for once you actually came to do your own dirty work. Sometimes things are just that important. There's long clip there, but it was a lot of a lot of good information there.
Speaker: Can I say that it's the best and most disturbing horse choke in the entire franchise? Yes, because he does it from the other side of the closed door. if while While they're talking to him.
Speaker: It is so disturbing. And it's very much like, again, like, he's given much information, but not enough.
Speaker: And even then, like, Yeah, it's it it's it's like closing up the the leak. Yep, tying up that loose end that never should have been left dangling in the first place.
Speaker: But so disturbing how guttural and like like... It's very different from like when Vader chokes. It's more like a choke and crack.
Speaker: This is like, no, choking to every last breath with've with Dooku. It's like, that's so horrifying. Because find myself fascinating. that As a villain.
Speaker: So that naturally a fight ensues. And while the Jedi are fighting Dooku, the Pykes show up and call him Tyrannus. Yep.
Speaker: It's the reveal. Yep. did you Finally, you ah again, someone's holding up a sign in front Obi-Wan that says 1 plus 1 equals A2, B2, C2, D27.
Speaker: twenty seven And did he when and Anakin are shocked by... my biggest trial on what my big My biggest problem with ever episode 2 is the fact that it's a bad mystery. It's like,
Speaker: Obi-Wan, you have all the clues. put Put them together in a line. Clues! And you see... Clues!
Speaker: Nick, they're not even clues. So, Obi-Wan and Anakin are shocked by the revelation, and Dooku comes back saying that he told Obi-Wan the truth on Geonosis, and he absolutely did.
Speaker: And then he says that Sifo-Dyas saw the truth of the future, and that's why he helped Dooku make the co Clone Army, which Obi-Wan and Anakin don't believe.
Speaker: that My dudes, he just reminded you that he spelled out the whole damn thing before the Clone Wars even started, was completely honest and correct, and you still don't believe him now.
Speaker: and said, I mean, Obi-Wan was not given clues, Nick. Obi-Wan was given, like, the script of the plan. The whole plot.
Speaker: He wasn't given clues, he was given all of the details, and he still didn't believe it. And it's supposed to be like, oh, this is the mystery story.
Speaker: i wonder if Nick died. Can hear me? I think Nick died. Oh, no. you hear me? can't have Nick dying right at the very end. Hang on. I'll pause.
Speaker: All right. we We are back. Nick was having some audio difficulties, but yeah. they Nick... Obi-Wan didn't just have clues. He had everything spelled out for him.
Speaker: And this entire... yeah That's one of my biggest problems with the entirety of the prequel trilogy. Especially episode 2. It's where I was like, I like episode 1 better than episode 2.
Speaker: It's bare minimum in the fact that episode 2 is a bad mystery. Because... Obi-Wan, you should tell the entirety of the council what the fuck is going on
Speaker: I mean, you're not wrong. and so And this entire episode is the entire explanation of like, oh, Tyrannus?
Speaker: The guy that Jango Fett said he was hired by. Yeah. And at this point in time, well, at this point in time, the Republic is too locked into the war.
Speaker: i was about to say it. At this point in time, the Republic should stop using the clone troopers because what just happened a couple of arcs ago? Yeah.
Speaker: It's already too late. I can understand that. But it's only because Obi-Wan was a bad... bad detective. I mean, he never claimed to be a detective. He's a negotiator.
Speaker: He ain't but a good at that either. I mean, you're not wrong there either. Always going straight into aggressive negotiations.
Speaker: No, that's Anakin. Oh, yeah. well he we And so he trained I learned it by watching you.
Speaker: honestly like Honestly, the result of this episode is the fact. There's a lot of shady stuff going on, but we can't tell anyone about how shady this stuff is going on.
Speaker: And so then we we get back to the Jedi Temple and... No, now we do. That guides the creation of the clones from the beginning. Dooku did.
Speaker: m Our enemy created an army for us. If this was known, public confidence in the war effort, the Jedi and the Republic would vanish.
Speaker: There would be mass chaos. Cover up this discovery. We must. No one, not even the Chancellor, may know.
Speaker: Valiant men the clones have proven to be. Save my life and yours, they have many times. Believe in them, we must. Win the war swiftly, we must.
Speaker: Before our enemies' designs reach completion. Whatever they may be. Are you sure we are taking the right path? The right path?
Speaker: No. The only path. Yes. Designed by the Dark Lord of the Sith, this web is...
Speaker: For now, play his game. We must.
Speaker: Yeah, so the Jedi are covering up another manipulation and lapse in judgment judgment because that always ends well. Whoa, the Jedi being manipulated and having lapses in judgment? That's impossible!
Speaker: Based on the fact that they are so dogmatic and have... And they're falling into a trap. But they can't admit that they fall in a trap. Because obviously... So that see what you're saying is... in the words of Elvis Presley... They're caught in a trap.
Speaker: They can't go back. Because they love you too much, baby. Yeah. Okay. So... The Jedi realize that they have... Been deceived.
Speaker: The Clone Army is compromised, but it is the Grand Army of the Republic in the middle of a conflict across the galaxy.
Speaker: And this entire episode's story and the backstory and everything stems from the fact that Originally, Sifo-Dyas was just meant to be an alias that Sidious used when setting up the clone army.
Speaker: That's why it sounds similar. But very quickly, in the writing of Episode 2, you can't have them say, Master Sifo-Dyas is still part of the council, right? And have Obi-Wan say...
Speaker: Who? And still have the Republic use the army. Yeah. Master Saoideus is now a character. He is deceased.
Speaker: Well, and yeah even before it went in front of cameras, that lapse in logic was realized because you have that whole scene in Attack of the Clones where he's like, oh, yeah, I was under the impression that he died like, you know, 10 years ago.
Speaker: so like the the The Clone Wars implications of making the Clone Wars and prequel trilogy make sense has been a massive gaslighting.
Speaker: what What are you talking about, Nick? Lucas had everything planned out from day one. From the day that that day in the 70s that he sat down with that legal pad, he had everything all planned out.
Speaker: Eyes of the substance. Every single bit of it has been planned out. Eyes of the substance, my friend. It's all a grand plan, just like the MCU. They had everything from Iron Man to Endgame all planned out before Favreau started filming.
Speaker: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Totally. ah I have a bridge to sell you. So i I know that that's MCU, not Star Wars, and we're talking about Star Wars right now, but I i give Kevin Feige tremendous credit because, yes, he's a great producer, but he is an even greater salesman for selling everyone the lie that there has been a grand plan.
Speaker: Oh, yeah, you know, whateverever whenever George Lucas was writing up ah Luke taking out the Death Star, he totally had the Mortis gods entirely ah conceptualized and all written out and planned and everything.
Speaker: mean, like, it's almost like we have to, like, acknowledge the fact that there is no such thing as, like, like a grand plan, and just, like, um people are in control of, like,
Speaker: thoughts that it is and they can change? Well, it's like when whenever one of the one of the oh not as bad faith arguments, but it's still as others, but it's still a bad faith argument about the sequel trilogy is well, they should have had everything all three of them planned out before they started filming any of them.
Speaker: I'll agree with that oh with that. What makes it a bad faith argument, Nick, is that these same people claim that Lucas had everything planned out.
Speaker: That's... I would have referred that he didn't. He did not have a And then, honestly, his sketchy idea sounds like eight a fever dream.
Speaker: Because Lucas himself has practiced the same kind of revisionist history with telling the story of the movie's creation That he did when he actually went in and made the special editions.
Speaker: yeah He can't even decide. He can't even decide what. He keeps on trying to rewrite like Han Solo. Not. Not soon. not sitting first when he should nice Not even that.
Speaker: how many times since nineteen eighty three nineteen eighty nineteen eighty three As he said in interviews, the Star Wars saga has always been the rise and fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker.
Speaker: I would love to get a case of what have for this episode. Just make sure that it's complete. Yeah, I mean, I'm just i'm just saying, yeah we and we can go deeper into all of that in another episode. but now We did get off on a little tangent there. But, Lauren, yeah you gave your thoughts on the the Jar Jar portion of this already. That was kind of its own section of the episode. so Yeah, so what are your thoughts on the Sifo-Dyas of it all?
Speaker: It was fine. I didn't really have any particularly strong reactions to it because, like, the the reveal, ah the the big reveal of the episode is the same reveal that happened in episode two. So we kind of already knew that Tyrannus was Dooku.
Speaker: And the the other reveals about, you know, Sifo-Dyas himself are really more just minutiae. more explaining how that happened, which is neat to know, but not really necessary. And the action was good. There was a cool Dooku fight.
Speaker: But... yeah it is It was a good duel. Yeah, but overall, you know, it was it was a fine episode, generally speaking. Yep. So...
Speaker: Next up, we will... Well, before we get to the the last part of this season, Nick and I have planned that next week after... Or next week, next episode, after Lanterns has finished up, we're going to be talking Lanterns. Oh, boy.
Speaker: But then we'll be... in the final arc of of the Lost Missions, which will then put us in the home stretch to being done with Clone Wars. We're nearly there. yeah Ed, we're coming up... Go ahead, Nick. yeah and there to be a but We'll we we have Betsy, probably, for the last for this next part.
Speaker: And she might be in the Pentagon once she wants, into the next seven... Season 7 arc. There's a lot going on.
Speaker: Yep. and you know the The end of the year is is coming up fast on us and we've got some stuff penciled in too. So we it'll be right after the first of the year that we finish up Clone Wars.
Speaker: Yep. And we do. It's going to be like an all-star stuff. It's different than a lot of us. ah Etsy.
Speaker: and maybe we we We've not confirmed yet, so we we don't want to say anything. But we can have some other people who want to say some things. like Maybe even your son, because he's ah he's a big fan of of Star Wars as well. like We would want to have like a lot of voices as we And the Clone Wars.
Speaker: Because it is a huge part of, like, Star Wars culture, popular culture in general. Yep. and Any other final thoughts on these episodes from either of you before I before i go into my normal scripted spiel at the end?
Speaker: When do we get to see Ahsoka again? Oh! Um... yeah um do do you Do you want to know that answer for real or not?
Speaker: Yeah, sure. Season seven. Okay. i want I'm not going to get to see what I want to see until season seven. Got it. Right. You're going to see a lot. You are going to see... I know that you like the weird shit, and it gets weird in the final arc all right of this season.
Speaker: gets weird in the final arc of this season. That's appreciated. Like, so like like really weird. I will tease it this way.
Speaker: It's some of my favorite shit. I will tease it this way. It culminates in Yoda and R2 on a psychedelic walkabout. I see. i see. Very promising.
Speaker: Very promising. So, ah that's what you've got to look forward to in the next arc.
Speaker: And get ready knowing knowing your tastes in Clone Wars, ah what what has vibed with you so far, you're going to hate the first arc of Season 7. Oh no!
Speaker: oh Well, we'll get there when we get there. Yep. But I would say, like ending and then Lost Miss in Season 6, Honestly, it's probably my favorite set.
Speaker: it but It's so good, and I think you'll love it because it it is esoteric and the Force and stuff.
Speaker: Yep, but we will get to that on our next Clone Watch. Not our next episode, but our next Clone Watch. Next up, like I said, Nick and i are going to be nerding out over lanterns.
Speaker: um Lauren, if you it's live action. If you are interested in in ah you consuming eight hours of a live action kind of grounded, gritty Green Lantern show and joining us, you are more than welcome.
Speaker: and I prefer a weirder Green Lantern sort of show. hear you. I figured, but I... Bring me in whenever we talk about the Green Lantern's animated series from the Oh, that shit was good. That was good stuff. That was a good show.
Speaker: but By the way, the small little tangent before I go into my script. i yeah Knowing what you probably watch, you you know that they they tied up a couple of those stories on the the most recent, still a couple years ago, season of Young Justice.
Speaker: Oh, nice. yeah I need to watch you through the other seasons of Young Justice still. i only so I stopped at season two.
Speaker: My problem is because like I love the... the great designer and he's a great great director it's like but he keeps like edging everyone it's like none of the stories headed except for one good really good arc i really well anyway that's fun later for now yeah i mean ah you know just to to kind of tease it In um the final final, so far, maybe, i don't know, season of Young Justice, they brought in Razor.
Speaker: Oh, okay, cool. They brought in Razor for an episode or two. Nice. theyve They brought him in with, as a blue lantern.
Speaker: and brought it and I'm gonna spoil don't spoil it don't spoil it it was really fucking good but it's like shush shush spoiling what's in the episode now y'all yes So thanks for joining us for Casual Nerdity. If you're enjoying the show, there's a few easy ways to support us. Leaving a hopefully good review on your podcast platform of choice helps more listeners find us. And if you're watching on YouTube or listening on YouTube, don't forget to like and subscribe because we need to fuel those algorithms. Oh boy. Yes.
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Speaker: So until next time, remember, some mysteries are best left unsolved, like the horrifying knowledge that Jar Jar has a love life.
Speaker: See you next time!
Speaker: This has been Casual Nerdity. We hope you've enjoyed your time with us and look forward to having you back.
