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Clone Watch - Episode 18
39 Plays5 months ago
Clone Watch opens a little heavy this time, as Daryl, Nick, & Lauren discuss some real world events and how they might impact the podcast before moving on to the next Clone Wars episodes in the watch list: Shadow Warrior, Mercy Mission, and Nomad Droids
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:55 Current events regarding free speech
- 13:04 Clone Watch discussion begins
- 14:36 Shadow Warrior
- 30:04 Mercy Mission
- 41:10 Nomad Droids
To follow along with your viewing, you can find the Clone Wars chronological viewing list at:
https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-the-clone-wars-chronological-episodeorder
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Casual Nerdity and Clone Watch
00:00:10
Speaker
Casual Nerdity is a podcast celebrating and discussing the 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.
00:00:22
Speaker
All with an eye towards building up, not tearing down. Thanks for joining us.
00:00:32
Speaker
Welcome back to Casual Nerdity and the 18th installment of Casual Nerdity's Clone Watch series. Yeah! I'm Nick. And I'm Lauren.
00:00:44
Speaker
And we're we're the ones that you usually hear talking about
Lauren's Star Wars Journey
00:00:49
Speaker
Clone Wars. And I'm here with you, Daryl. I said I'm Daryl, but you were wooing over my name. Woo, Daryl!
00:00:57
Speaker
Woo! darryl You were that excited for me to introduce myself. Yeah. You're part of the leader of the band.
00:01:09
Speaker
Oh no. well That's an awful sounding band. He's the leader of the bunch. You know him well. But We've been doing Clone Watch because, well, after joining our gaming group, which is very Star Wars heavy, Lauren was unfamiliar with Star Wars Beyond the Original Trilogy and prequel memes.
00:01:31
Speaker
And so we've been watching Clone Wars in chronological order and discussing Nick and I's reactions to re-watching and your reactions to watching. And it's what is my fault for doing it for, uh, do the...
00:01:47
Speaker
to the ah chronological order. Yeah, be because because you're evil and vile.
00:01:55
Speaker
that Trust me, there's people much more evil
Impact of Real-World Events on Disney and Media
00:01:58
Speaker
and vile out there. but i i say so Speaking of evil and vile, oh why we're recording this in mid-September 2025, and there's some heavy real-world topics that can have a potential impact on the podcast.
00:02:18
Speaker
Let's be honest, it's September 18th, 2025 to be exact, and ah mark that on your calendars.
00:02:28
Speaker
yeah um Yesterday, the FCC threatened to remove TV network ABC's broadcast license. if they didn't punish late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel for remarks in his monologue earlier this week that the occupant of the Oval Office didn't like.
00:02:47
Speaker
ah ABC and, by extension, their parent company, Disney, capitulated and have announced that Kimmel's show will be preempted indefinitely. and This is due to the fact that there's a smaller ah company, but greater sort of like ah monopoly.
00:03:06
Speaker
being made in the background. And ah the FCC has also said that this is, quote, not the last shoe to drop, unquote, ah regarding a massive shift that's taking place in the media ecosystem, unquote.
00:03:27
Speaker
um Now, speaking for myself, I will not speak for my co-hosts. They may choose to speak or not speak on the subject as as they wish.
00:03:41
Speaker
But I find this to be a clear case of governmental threats of retribution for unfavorable speech.
FCC, Free Speech, and Disney Plus
00:03:51
Speaker
And that this is the sort of situation for which the First Amendment exists to preclude in the first place.
00:03:59
Speaker
We'll add, as a son of a lawyer, we'll say that that this is not explicitly infringing upon, but is a implied threat.
00:04:13
Speaker
Saying we will remove your license if you don't do anything because we didn't like what he said is not an implied threat. It's a threat. It is a threat.
00:04:24
Speaker
And therefore, though, they have not broken any free speech laws. It is they are acquiescing to potential free speech laws. But this podcast has covered Disney-owned properties in the past.
00:04:41
Speaker
We've done Marvel movies. We've done Marvel comics. And, of course, Star Wars via Clone Watch, with early development underway for other sub-series covering you know Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, and others that all fall under the Disney umbrella at this point.
00:05:03
Speaker
Now, with Disney bowing to this pressure, I find myself, and there are others out there in the world in this same place, considering canceling my Disney Plus subscription.
00:05:17
Speaker
Now, that doesn't mean that Clone Watch will end, because with the exception of Season 7, Nick and I both have... And potentially the Lost Episodes. No, ah those exist on physical media. I have them. Oh, they do?
00:05:31
Speaker
Oh, yeah did that' but that's my big question.
Ethical Media Consumption
00:05:34
Speaker
when when a yeah When Lauren came up, I didn't know if they were included in that. Amazing. Awesome. but But Nick and I, you you and I both have physical media of Clone Wars.
00:05:48
Speaker
And whatever Clone Watch evolves into post-Clone Wars, we might have to re-examine because they're isn't physical media and at all of a lot of the Disney Plus shows to have in the first place.
00:06:06
Speaker
so There are some, but not a lot. Yeah, so perhaps there's a discussion to be had at some point in the near future, a a slightly potentially more serious episode of casual nerdity, um to have a discussion regarding the ethical consumption of media while still making an ideological stand.
00:06:30
Speaker
So i did, you know I've been, this has been running around in my head all day today. And so I reached out earlier today to through social media to Alex and Molly Damon of Star Wars Explained, knowing where they stand on issues like this in general and the good people that they are.
00:06:53
Speaker
And I posed that kind of quandary to them. And Molly replied to me saying, and I quote, times are hard. Do what makes you happy. Forcing yourself to abstain. Isn't going to change the bad stuff going on in the world.
00:07:07
Speaker
End quote. and then I don't mind. i don't feel like that being here I don't mind reading that on air because she did post it publicly because I asked them publicly.
Availability of Clone Wars on Physical Media
00:07:17
Speaker
And I would agree with that too. It's like,
00:07:21
Speaker
I enjoy a great deal of media from the Disney company and also enjoying a recently, I will say also that I have invested a new amount of money into two to do the, in Hulu to see a recent series called Alien Earth.
00:07:43
Speaker
So it's kind of hard for me to like divorce myself from that. But it's like, I can understand the ethical quandary. Yeah, absolutely.
00:07:54
Speaker
um I can understand it, but it's like, I also am in a unique and place where it's like, I can't afford that.
00:08:06
Speaker
But it's like, if you don't have the ability to afford that, that's probably a more ethical reason to remove yourself from that. Yeah, it's, it's a tough,
00:08:19
Speaker
it's a tough question to ask and answer. It's, and it's not an easy situation. That was my reply. no more I say it's more personal. Yeah. I, that was my reply back to Molly. i you know, thanked her for taking the time to answer. And I was like, you it's, it's, it's tough. It's a tough question to answer and has to be answered individually for everyone.
00:08:43
Speaker
And you you were very happy to hear back from Molly. Yeah. Hey, i I did tell her to that we want them to keep up the great work and that all of us love both of them.
00:09:00
Speaker
So. And then I guess we expect that on a personal level, don't have money at all. i have no money to my name, so none of this actually, you know.
00:09:12
Speaker
i don't pay for things. that will help That will help with our current Clone Watch is that you will still be able to watch Clone Watch with me.
00:09:23
Speaker
Yep. Because I will still continue because I have invested the time and have other investments in like keeping that subscription. It's like I understand the ethical implications
00:09:42
Speaker
but I can considering this is a bigger thing than me, this project. I feel this is a better exp explanation for that than just like personal understanding.
00:09:56
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, none of that is, none of what we've been talking about is the sort of thing that we normally discuss here, but because there is a potential impact on the show, we wanted to be both transparent and make the show's stance on free, free speech, clear and unequivocal.
00:10:19
Speaker
Yes, I do support free speech and I do want to continue this show. It's very much a big part of our... You support free speech except for squirrels.
00:10:34
Speaker
Obviously. But... my if And if it takes a little bit of extra time, I'm glad they have you over...
00:10:46
Speaker
over there Or you come over to your place and use my account to watch. I i haven't made it haven't made a final decision yet because literally just earlier this week I had to get on support with Disney Plus because someone hacked our account and changed the email address that was the login.
00:11:08
Speaker
Oh. That's rough. But I will leave... this subject, we'll leave this subject off with this little bit of audio that is, um it's topical and it is thematically appropriate for the franchise that we are talking about.
00:11:33
Speaker
There will be times when the struggle seems impossible. and know this already. Alone, unsure, dwarfed by the scale of the enemy. Remember this.
00:11:44
Speaker
Freedom is a pure idea. It occurs spontaneously and without instruction. Random acts of insurrection are occurring constantly throughout the galaxy. There are whole armies, battalions that have no idea that they've already enlisted in the cause.
00:12:01
Speaker
Remember that the frontier of the rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.
00:12:10
Speaker
And then remember this. The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it's so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks. It leaks.
00:12:23
Speaker
Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that. And know this. The day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empire's authority, and then there will be one too many.
00:12:41
Speaker
One single thing will break the siege.
00:12:46
Speaker
Remember this. Try.
00:12:53
Speaker
And that's where we're going to leave that subject. I feel that's fair and thank you. Yes. I need to hear that again.
00:13:03
Speaker
But now that all of that's out of the way, let's get into the real show, shall we? Yep! And honestly, even without all of what we were just talking about hanging over us, this would probably be a pretty short episode of ours. It probably will.
00:13:22
Speaker
Yeah. Because the episodes that we're looking at are pretty slight all around. um But again, i as we're getting into the season... the Everything after this is going to be really heavy.
00:13:37
Speaker
Yeah. yeah For sure. Get a bit of silliness first. Yep. yeah So this time out, we're talking about Shadow Warriors Season 4, Episode 4, Mercy Mission Season 4, Episode 5, and Nomad Droids Season 4, Episode 6.
Deep Dive into Clone Wars Characters and Plot
00:13:54
Speaker
Aw, yeah. ah And um I'm going to be honest with you guys and with the listeners. I did not find a single bit worth pulling out as a clip from any of these three episodes. like a They were just, there's just nothing clip worthy. The only pulling out would be is a clip that I would not like to because it disrespects my man.
00:14:26
Speaker
what i don't remember El Anseli's Bagginot being mentioned at all in the these episodes, Nick.
00:14:34
Speaker
but buts Let's get into Shadow Warrior. Let's get into Shadow Warrior Season 4, Episode 4. Jar Jar Binks must pose as his people's leader. Naboo unrest!
00:14:48
Speaker
Yep, so right after the Gungans helped out with Mon Cala in just the last arc that we saw, there's tensions between them and the Naboo.
00:14:59
Speaker
Now, he's a little behind-the-scenes factor. You see, this premiere of this season was what September 2011. What advertiser was proposing, Star Wars Episode I, The Phantom Menace, in 3D, was being promoted for the next year in February 2012 in theaters.
00:15:28
Speaker
Hmm. What types of characters would be very, very... Very like in the ah in the zeitgeist. In the in in the minds of people.
00:15:43
Speaker
Did it make young kids interested in seeing a three d
00:15:50
Speaker
version of them? Hmm. Well, Nick, Elan Sleazebagano was not in episode one. He was in episode two. And Therm Scissor Punch didn't come around until Solo.
00:16:05
Speaker
So I don't know. You've lost me. I don't know what you're talking about. Well, everyone's waiting for for scissor puns, a Star Wars story.
00:16:20
Speaker
Oh, yeah, definitely can't wait for that one. In any case, starting off, we have a lying Gungan leader. Yeah, Boss Leone, the Gungan leader, seems to be speaking sort of robotically. Kind of sucks.
00:16:39
Speaker
Anakin clocks it. Anakin says in so many words, he's talking like he's possessed. And so then he force grabs this big necklace that leone's wearing and that breaks the spell which it's an ambulance it's a uh apparently dooku's been doing some like uh the some essie crafting and a little bit a little bit off script here but i'm i'm kind of surprised that we none of us ever mentioned it but so they have a
00:17:12
Speaker
Shaman Gungan. And the Gungans were always pretty racist, let's be honest. Even even in their first appearance in episode one, they're not great.
00:17:24
Speaker
But this antagonist Gungan character, he's got like the bone and nose thing going on, like the magic potion sort of vibe, and it's just like... He's the voodoo doctor. He's the bad... he It's really uncomfortable.
00:17:41
Speaker
Like, wow, they really did that.
00:17:47
Speaker
they They did that years after ah segment of the audience was like, hey. That's not cool. Because they did call out like the Gungans when it came out.
00:18:00
Speaker
o And this is like doubling down is like
00:18:11
Speaker
there's like He's the bad guy now. That doesn't is make it better. Not really. Nope. So... um It... Uncomfy feelings...
Racial Stereotypes and Gungans in Star Wars
00:18:29
Speaker
it It knocks Leone unconscious, which which sets up that ah we're going to have some more Jar Jar posing as someone else hijinks.
00:18:40
Speaker
Yes, Leone gets stabbed, but apparently all Gungans look the same, so Jar Jar impersonates Leone and cancels the ah the attack that the possessed Leone was... That's a different type of racism?
00:18:56
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then Jar Jar decides to go try to capture General Grievous.
00:19:05
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, you know, they... It was... It was probably one my favorite bits in the episode because it was kind of cool.
00:19:17
Speaker
ah But... yeah But... yeah The droid army gets turned off. Yep. Grievous gets shut down with EMPs.
00:19:28
Speaker
But the Gungan general is still killed. Yeah, Grievous just mercs now general tarples. And in response, ah the these are the exact words in my notes, folks.
00:19:43
Speaker
The Gungans rock Grievous shit. Oh, yeah. And right my response is like, no. No. They just stab him from like every direction as all of his electronics are getting messed up and he is screaming about it. it's I am saying like, for kids. This is the most most offensive thing to a Grievous fan and I am a Grievous fan. It's like, it's not that they're gun goods. It's like,
00:20:16
Speaker
He just gets stabbed with like regular spears. is it Well, yeah. he' he was Weren't they like electronic spears or something?
00:20:28
Speaker
didn't Didn't they have something to do with messing up his electronics? Yeah, plus he's with the boomers. and Yeah. But it's like like, he's a Jedi killer.
00:20:43
Speaker
Yeah, but you know, we If I thought about it, I would have pulled ah the Age of Ultron clip of Quicksilver. What, you didn't see that coming? pretty much what happened there. He didn't see them.
00:21:01
Speaker
yeah He didn't anticipate them you know being competent because Gunker is in-universe. o I was just saying this, like...
00:21:14
Speaker
It did help the fact that, like, oh, this series supposed to explain, like, the difference between, like, like ah the Jenny Kartakovsky grievous and the actual canon grievous. It's like...
00:21:33
Speaker
Ah, this made him seem really incredibly weak. But Nick, don't you know that not even the most powerful Jedi could stand up to a series of like six Gungan warriors?
00:21:46
Speaker
Yeah. There was seven. counted. Yeah, and that that means that god Grievous was extra screwed. There was a seventh there. There's no way he could handle it. Wait, wait, Nick?
00:21:59
Speaker
are Are you taking part in... Nick, are you assuming that these are Misa Misa Gungans? No. It sounds like you are. They did not speak at all.
00:22:15
Speaker
Look, Lauren, I think I've mentioned this on one of the other episodes, but have I mentioned that to you? there There's a a Star Wars novel called Last Shot.
00:22:26
Speaker
Yeah, you've talked about it. Really good. It's really good novel. Yeah. And about the the Gungan receptionist that Han Solo encounters. Oh yeah, we talked about this before.
00:22:37
Speaker
i love that scene. It is a great scene, but it has nothing to do with this Sure it does. ne Nick would have walked up to those seven Gungans and said, Hey, Misa, Nico, Yusa, not powerful enough o to be bombing on Grievous this away.
00:23:01
Speaker
No, no. And they would just all look at him with contempt and hatred in their eyes. Daryl, I am going to flex on you and say, like, does that at all mention Bombad?
00:23:21
Speaker
I didn't say Bombad. I said Bomb on.
00:23:28
Speaker
Anyway... Because, of course, Grievous is involved, Anakin is off on a chase after the shaman, Rish Liu, because we've got to get Anakin off the same board as Grievous.
00:23:42
Speaker
Yes. And that leads him... have maybe yeah they Yeah, but you know it's Padme going to Naboo. He's got to go to To the place where he seduced her with his talk of hating sand.
00:24:00
Speaker
who Around all the infinite waterfall dimension. Yes. Don't forget so forget the big the big big cow features. and And that leads him to Dooku.
00:24:15
Speaker
And for his trouble, and as a way of thank you for bringing Anakin to Dooku... Rishelou gets a lightsaber through his gut.
00:24:26
Speaker
Yep. And then we get some Skywalker versus Dooku. And Anakin gets force choked and lightninged. Which, uh, this leads to a prisoner trade.
00:24:40
Speaker
Honestly, this is kind the worst, uh, worst experience between Dooku and Anakin. Yeah, Anakin gets kind of rocked.
00:24:52
Speaker
I mean, Anakin got rocked by him in ah in Attack of the Clones, too. But this is a couple years later now. This is pretty... he like That at least had like a duel. This happened in five seconds.
00:25:06
Speaker
This is pretty embarrassing. Yeah, so they have a prisoner trade. They trade in Grievous for Anakin, but Anakin is too unconscious to see Grievous, so they don't get Even when they're directly being traded for each other, they still don't actually get to like see each other substantially. Because that's the rules!
00:25:31
Speaker
that That reminds me that in the 90s, there was an anthology comic that um one of one of the stories in one issue was kind of an X-Files parody.
00:25:44
Speaker
And all of this supernatural and alien related stuff is happening around the Mulder and Scully stand-ins. stand in so But every time it happens, the Scully character is on panel like, oh, God, my contact fell out. Can I find it?
00:25:59
Speaker
Or she's the Mulder character is like, look, right over here. There's an alien right here. He's standing right next to me. But she's like, hey, I have to take this phone call. And it's over.
00:26:11
Speaker
I honestly think that this has to be them like literally acknowledging the meme. Because otherwise, this whole thing makes no sense.
00:26:23
Speaker
yeah I mean... They're in the same they're in the same scene, but they just don't see each other. Yeah. back Backing up just a little bit, speaking of things that make no sense... Oh boy.
00:26:37
Speaker
That ship that they arrive on Naboo in... Mm-hmm....is the great big single tower with a bubble on top that is the cockpit where Anakin's flying, and right at the bottom of that...
00:26:55
Speaker
tube is the hatch to get out. It's like, how does the pilot get up and down from there? Because when we see Anakin in it, it's like ah the size of his flight chair.
00:27:10
Speaker
it's it's It's very much an inconsistent model. And I think I'm probably that maybe to myself, but like, there are a lot of issues that I had in this episode. Like,
00:27:22
Speaker
i I mean, i Lauren, you can explain like by reason my reason. You exposed more issues about the episode to me, Lauren. Yes.
00:27:34
Speaker
Yeah, so Nick completely forgot that the episode was extremely racist. He was just angry about Grievous you know getting rocked. But then whenever we watched it together, i was like, wow, this is terrible. whenever Whenever the Gungan Shaman guy showed up. and it's like And I was like, yeah, because Griever's getting wrecked.
00:27:57
Speaker
And then you were like, no. they yeah It's like, It's the racism. That's the problem with the episode. I was angry with the episode for a whole different reason. Mm-hmm.
00:28:11
Speaker
I mean, you know, and with my gripe about the ship, if we want to be fair, they're just carrying on the tradition of Naboo ship designs not being very logical because Padme's ship in Attack of the Clones, the cockpit is like literally right above the boarding ramp, which is in the rear. The cockpit is at the very back at the top with the, the,
00:28:42
Speaker
boarding ramp right below it we see what it looks like to get in and out through the boarding ramp and there's a big spacious cabin in there and we see them leave the cockpit to go down and get out of the ship by going to further back they had to make a whole deck there's these things called the uh uh the uh full deck plans
C-3PO and R2-D2's Adventures
00:29:08
Speaker
of ships. Incredible cross-sections.
00:29:09
Speaker
Yeah, and they have to like they did a good job of putting things into perspective but even then it's like you gotta admit like okay, there's a great deal of like matter that's not here.
00:29:24
Speaker
a But that that's the end of that episode. Yes, that is the end of that episode. And that takes us on to the next one. yeah Just like, okay, Anakin fought Dooku, Grievous lost. Grievous got his ass beat down.
00:29:48
Speaker
But also, watch episode one in 3D next year.
00:29:59
Speaker
So that takes us to the next episode, Mercy Mission, Season 4, Episode 5. C-3PO and R2-D2 explore a strange underground world.
00:30:13
Speaker
Oh yeah. So two and 3PO are sent along with clones on a relief mission to the planet Aline that's been hit by ground quakes.
00:30:25
Speaker
And it's really, really odd to me that Anakin's droid and Padme's droid are sent on this mission without either of them there for no real good reason.
00:30:38
Speaker
um We won an R2 and R3 episode. have an option. It finally proves that they're gay. Oh yeah, obviously. Where have you been 1977?
00:30:52
Speaker
Oh.
00:30:58
Speaker
But yeah, so they're sent to help people, but the clones, the clones seem really angry this episode. Like, they're not happy. If you had just spent a cross-galactic flight with C-3PO, wouldn't you be angry too?
00:31:12
Speaker
I think this is more than just that. Like, there's there's something going on with these clones. They don't want to help anyone. They're calling out the fourth wall. It's like, oh, it's one of these planets.
00:31:26
Speaker
So yeah it's one of these episodes. But yeah, then you see ah you see just why the two were brought along as C-3PO does translation with the locals who don't speak the language that everybody else does.
00:31:41
Speaker
And you see R2 helping to fix tech because they've been ah dealing with ah some disasters around there and a lot of stuff is broken. yeah I mean, that's the rationalization for 3PO and R2 being there, but they're not the only protocol and astromech droids in the Republic.
00:32:00
Speaker
They're the only ones that matter. They're the only ones who are nominally main characters that they wanted to do a couple episodes about. Yeah, we see that. Honestly, I do like to think that like there's a separate...
00:32:17
Speaker
episodes where Anakin and Padme were like, where is R2 and where is C-3PO doing regular stuff? and Wait a second.
00:32:29
Speaker
So, neither of them were in Shadow Warrior, were they? I don't think so. So, Anakin and Padme are taking this excuse to go to Naboo so that they can have Padme and Anakin alone special time by sending the droids off on this mission.
00:32:53
Speaker
Yeah, Padme wants to hold onto to his lightsaber again. not use it. yeah She's not gonna use it! She's just gonna hold it. Because this is a kid's show.
00:33:05
Speaker
yeah Because Padme never uses his lightsaber. Very, very tenderly. Very very intimately. It is heavier than she expected.
00:33:22
Speaker
want to be upsset then we we is who it is now Anyway, ah and we see that the clones are not suited to helping people, which I think is very interesting. You know, they're very explicitly made for war.
00:33:38
Speaker
And so in that regard, it's like they're not designed to actually help people. They're not designed to fix problems. They're designed to break stuff, if that makes sense. So you're saying that ah as Admiral William Adama Again, like poetry, so that they rhyme. But it does. don't know why that's repeating.
00:34:03
Speaker
when the military tries to be something that it's not designed to be it's not a good idea again it's like poetry if they rhyme again it's like poetry sort if they rhyme again but it does why why that's repeating Honestly, I appreciate that because that is a big point of the entirety Clone Wars.
00:34:28
Speaker
It's like, yes, R2 and N's preview the heroes of the story. The clones are completely incompetent because that's not their task. This is a more of like a humanitarian mission. an A...
00:34:48
Speaker
So yeah, that's why they struggle. And that's why art the droids are the ones that are succeeding. And so as a part of that, the species on this planet, they're little guys.
00:35:01
Speaker
And C-3PO explains their actions as they're trying to make peace with the ground. And notably, that the the planet has been attacked by a series of earthquakes, and the clones don't don't seem to really be taking these people's complaints or worries or concerns seriously at all.
00:35:23
Speaker
But C-3PO and AR2... Their trade is soldiers. Yes. you know Our droids here, our droid buddies here, they yeah they they do listen to the people, and they go to a temple that apparently is supposed to help them make peace with the ground.
00:35:41
Speaker
And C-3PO falls into a hole! And R2 follows.
00:35:48
Speaker
Shenanigans ensue. Yes, because that is what these episodes this particular episode is all about.
00:35:59
Speaker
So i get the droids get roped into an underground adventure. would say this, like, a lot of people, like, don't like this. is like It's kind of like the problem with, like, Clone Wars as a whole.
00:36:15
Speaker
It's like, it's inconsistent. You don't know you're going to get in when you get into a regular episode. But honestly, this was probably a more interesting like type of episode. It's like, yeah.
00:36:31
Speaker
R2 and C3 are getting into a fun little alien world exploration. Yeah.
00:36:42
Speaker
Yep, and I will say... i retain I'll go into this a little more in a few minutes, but I retained virtually nothing about this episode, but the guys underground looked really cool.
00:36:57
Speaker
Oh, yeah, that was really cool. I had the same feeling. is like I forgot how cool it looked on the ground. Oh yeah, it's it's such a cool area.
00:37:08
Speaker
and they've got truck And they've got talking trees down there. They very angry. I'm rude! Oh, sorry. yeah
00:37:21
Speaker
yeah they Yeah, they end up leading our droid buddies here to an entity known as, I think I wrote down an Orpal? Or was it Orful? I couldn't quite read my handwriting in that regard. and I think it's Orful.
00:37:33
Speaker
Orful, okay. That's what I wrote down as. a Initially, they try to eat C-3BO, but that doesn't work on account of being a droid. And then they give droids a riddle, which C-3PO, initially, he's, like, trying to figure it out conventionally, and then R2 just, he just does it.
00:37:57
Speaker
Or, well, no, actually, i think C-3PO stumbles onto the solution completely on accident. That was a fun joke, because, like, usually supposed to, like, DB, like, oh,
00:38:13
Speaker
figures out things through prude logic. Mm-hmm. Instead, like, he tries to figure it out, but, like, see if we were, like, uh, something on it. It's, like, a fun, fun suppersion.
00:38:28
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. In any case, after solving the riddle, they get launched back up to topside, and they seal the hole that had opened up, the the hole that they fell down initially.
00:38:43
Speaker
And this was the source of the problem. The oxygen on the surface was dangerous to the tree people beneath the surface, and that hole was resulting in the oxygen getting down there. So by sealing it, they save the day, and R2 gets hugged.
00:39:00
Speaker
ah But ultimately it was actually C3 field, but he doesn't know he did. R2 is just being a petty bitch. I figured it out.
00:39:14
Speaker
Yep. So um I'm going to give some honest talk here. So while I was watching this episode... Disney Plus just randomly restarted the episode on me about halfway through it.
00:39:27
Speaker
So i watched it one and a half times within the space of, you know, 40-ish minutes. And I still didn't really care about it and don't really remember much about it.
00:39:41
Speaker
I don't even remember seeing it before, but I'm sure I had. So I really got nothing for this episode. Late... It's not a... I wouldn't say like and And again, I'm not saying it's a bad episode. I'm saying it's an episode that did not engage me. I'll say that for everyone.
00:40:06
Speaker
Well, Daryl, I'm kind of in the opposite camp. I'll have more to say about this in my final thoughts, but suffice to say, we we watched this episode months ago now, and I've been able to fill in information that I remembered, even though I didn't actually write it down explicitly in the notes.
00:40:23
Speaker
So, like, you know, I vibe with this episode. I'm going to have more to say about it at the end of this, you know. That is totally cool. That's part of why we're doing this. The more that I've learned about Lauren, the more I've actually appreciated this episode.
00:40:43
Speaker
It's, again, it initially wasn't ever in my favorite episodes. It still isn't, but it's like, at least I have like something to say about it.
Whimsy in the 'Nomad Droids' Episode
00:40:56
Speaker
I like it when R2 and C3PO go on adventures. And speaking of... Let's get into the next episode. The next episode, Nomad Droids, Season 4, Episode 6.
00:41:09
Speaker
R2-D2 and C-3PO have a series of bizarre misadventures. Yes, we start off with a C-3PO debriefing. But I will say this.
00:41:20
Speaker
This is when I really got what you like about Star Wars. Mm-hmm. you really vied with it. And that's what I was getting. like Oh yeah.
00:41:30
Speaker
That's what you Lauren like a lot about Star Wars. And it's like, help me understand some stuff. um I'm definitely going to have some more to say about this ah with with our final thoughts later on. dumb Yeah.
00:41:44
Speaker
Well, on the way home from last episode, the venator that the droids are on is attacked by Grievous because the guy just, you know, he must've just come from getting his ass kicked on Naboo.
00:41:55
Speaker
Yeah. And had he was pissed about it. a And as all of this is going on, you know, 3PO insists on finding an escape pod, ah but R2 gets them into a Y-Wing because, yeah, that's Anakin's droid, all right.
00:42:11
Speaker
Yep, R2 hijacks his ship, and he goes on the offensive. Unfortunately, the duo, they are shot down. Yep, and after crashing, they're attacked by six-inch tall natives and get the Gulliver treatment all tied down to the ground and and all of that.
00:42:29
Speaker
Yes, as these tiny aliens are, ah before they really show themselves, CRPO says that R2 is skilled in 47 schools of self-defense.
00:42:43
Speaker
But then they it is revealed that they are tiny aliens, but they've got electric shocks, so they're still able to bring down the droids. I would imagine that R2-D2 is like holding back. is like, well, they're small.
00:42:59
Speaker
I could destroy their entire planet if I wanted to because I'm Anakin Skywalker's droid. Yes. And then we have the quote, big talk for a small droid coming from the extremely tiny aliens.
00:43:19
Speaker
Yes, and you and I both have a note about this. And R2-D2 is like suppressing a middle finger. yeah You and I both have a note about this, that 3PO kills the little tyrant ruling those little guys, and then they they celebrate his death and help them repair the Y-Wing.
00:43:41
Speaker
Yep. And they want Threepio to stay and be their leader. And he has them elect a leader out of three. And once they do, he declares that they're now a democracy.
00:43:56
Speaker
And it immediately descends into chaos. And Star Wars is certainly not relevant to the real world today. Again, it's like poetry, so that they rhyme. again it's like Star Wars doesn't have politics, is it, Daryl?
00:44:10
Speaker
ah Never. Star Wars? Political? What are you talking about? but yes, so... I'm having a whole mental breakdown right now about that.
00:44:23
Speaker
Yep. So, as they they leave to as the tiny aliens partake in violence, ah but the ship, it still isn't really fixed.
00:44:35
Speaker
they They're still not really able to get home with the repairs that were done with it. Yep, it's low on power. So they land on another planet to look for a way to power the ship up.
00:44:47
Speaker
Leading C-3PO saying, completely devoid of intelligence. He is so judgmental. in ra means is this is three tearsers I was going to say, this isn't your first time seeing 3PO.
00:45:00
Speaker
so This is obviously the most aggressive 3PO, but it's like... yeah But it's like, he he's never been like a bit very appreciative of anyone.
00:45:14
Speaker
and And they're they're captured by some locals whose leader is only seen by hologram and ah turns out to be some pit droids that are working a pretty sweet gig.
00:45:30
Speaker
Mm-hmm. R2 pulls back the curtain and instantly overthrows the deceptive droids. And I'd like to just say, i love the design of the O2 droids. <unk> They're some of my favorite droids in Star Wars. Oh yeah, pit droids are awesome.
00:45:44
Speaker
Pit droids are both cute, but also very interesting. But yeah, you know, naturally, we're doing some Wizard of Oz here. that this is thats And I mean, it even kind of exists in the droid name. They're O2 Oz.
00:45:59
Speaker
it's Yeah. and In any case. You bring them up on that completely. Yes. So they have to leave. You have to leave on the back, actually. Yeah, you got it.
00:46:13
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Well, and I mean, you could even say that, you know, when they run out of power as they get out, that's kind of like the poppy field in Wizard of Oz.
00:46:27
Speaker
Yeah, kind of. Yeah. Also, this is now two societies that they've completely destroyed on in one afternoon. Oh, yeah. That's what I meant to be like. Basically... C-3PO and R-2PO just destroyed entire small societies just by casually running through them.
00:46:50
Speaker
But yes, so they get captured by pirates. Which I totally expect, since we saw them and they were Weequays, I was totally expecting this to be Hondo's crew.
00:47:04
Speaker
yeah i think I think he even said that. respect It's Hondo's crew. a
00:47:15
Speaker
It's going to be Hondo's crew, and that's the how they're going to get back home. Because Hondo's going to recognize them be like, oh, Skywalker and Kenobi owe me one another one now. it It's the droids.
00:47:29
Speaker
But no, it's not Hondo's crew. they They get stolen and they get recharged and then they get thrown into Robot Wars! Robot Wars!
00:47:42
Speaker
And now R2's really going to have to put those 47 combat schools into use. Yep, and you know the there the pirate ship then gets captured by Grievous. Grievous.
00:47:59
Speaker
and Honestly, it it does sound like, at this point, it's just because of Mad Libs. yes Yes. Grievous comes in, he takes them, and he threatens to melt them down.
00:48:11
Speaker
Even though it's like, wait, he should know that R2D2 has a whole lot of data on him. Yeah, I mean, Grievous should really be taking R2D2's balls again, but apparently not this time.
00:48:28
Speaker
And also, also, Steve Figgio is also the a the envoy of a major Republican senator. It's like... But fortunately, Plo comes in and saves the day, the writer's favorite. is yes That's what I'm saying. is like It's it's just like, oh!
00:48:51
Speaker
Plo Kukum saves the day. It's like... that This is very much a mash the action figures together episode. Oh, yeah. What do you think about it? Like, yeah. it it may It made it for being a much more fun episode than the last one is.
00:49:11
Speaker
But beyond that, I got no real insights or anything to it. yeah it was just no it's just a but yeah It was just a bunch of fun nonsense
00:49:24
Speaker
No characters have developed. Nothing happened.
00:49:30
Speaker
Just, you know, r two and C3PO are, ah you know, ruining the entire galaxy on accident, and it's beautiful.
Diverse Preferences in the Star Wars Universe
00:49:37
Speaker
I mean, they they are carrying on what Betsy calls the disaster lineage. They did ruin, like, small individual planets that, like, they will never be seen again, but they're also probably destroyed now. Probably.
00:49:51
Speaker
Probably. But it's like... but In the longs, it's like... Honestly, the worst fact is like... Blow Kool Kays is like... Hey, you two, come back into it so we can destroy the galaxy more.
00:50:08
Speaker
yeah
00:50:10
Speaker
But it it did kind of demonstrate a pattern that the show has clearly established in itself by now. Episodes that, you know I don't want to use the word filler.
00:50:24
Speaker
There aren't filler. But there's there's not really a better word that I can think of. Yeah. Lighter standalone episodes, things like that.
00:50:37
Speaker
Right. It's kind of a palate cleanser. Mm-hmm. Kind of a palate cleanser. Right before you go into a really heavy meaty arc.
00:50:49
Speaker
And that's what's coming up next with Umbara. There is an arc next season that i've I have very big problems with. like
00:51:01
Speaker
Umbara, we gotta to get Betsy on that. and yep ah I still think like that might be two episodes.
00:51:13
Speaker
wo We will have to see. will have to see. There's a lot to talk about. ah Especially with Venti. We'll have to see what our notes documents look like and how big the fields of green are.
00:51:26
Speaker
Yes.
00:51:29
Speaker
But that's these episodes, so clearly you were vibing on on these, Lauren. Yeah, so you know learninging isnt that the thing is is that a number of episodes ago, whenever we were talking about the Mandalorians, I had my whole thing talking about how you know every Star Wars fan... so Star Wars, it has a lot to it.
00:51:52
Speaker
There is a lot in this franchise, and in turn, a lot that people can potentially enjoy about the franchise. The massive and universe. The menu theory. And what I talked about, I mentioned that I like it when there's weird aliens, and when there's robots, and when you're doing, like, space stuff.
00:52:12
Speaker
And I mentioned that in that episode where the Mandalorians don't interact with most of that stuff. They've got more of the war focus going on. Well, ah the day after I said that, Nick and I watched these episodes.
00:52:29
Speaker
And it's like, this is it! This is the thing that I like! So, Nick, what we're hearing here is that our episodes on Andor...
00:52:40
Speaker
are going to be a really tough go for Loren. if If we go into two and or, especially now, the certain circumstances. It's like, you know what? just Just remove all of the human characters.
00:52:55
Speaker
We just need the droids. Just have them do weird stuff on a bunch of planets. That's what I want. So what what's kind of interesting about your description about the the larger...
00:53:09
Speaker
tapestry of Star Wars, it's rather interesting because since you are relatively speaking a a newcomer to Star Wars, you forgive me for sounding like that guy yeah for a moment. You're not but're not that guy.
00:53:28
Speaker
But there's there's a description out there that I've started calling the menu theory. And I want to say that the first place I heard it was from mentioned them up at the top alex damon from star wars explained that star wars is like a restaurant menu there's lots of dishes on it and some of them you're gonna like some of them you're not gonna like and you have to you be cool with that you have to be cool with you know
00:54:01
Speaker
You might not like this particular dish on the menu, but it's somebody else's favorite dish on the menu. But it's a wide variety of items on the menu.
00:54:11
Speaker
So just enjoy what you enjoy and let people enjoy what they enjoy. but Yeah, you know, i give me Ahsoka, give C-3PO.
00:54:25
Speaker
Put the three of them on a weird planet with some weird aliens and have them go on an adventure. That's that's the ideal episode. You know what? Okay. Let's hear our weird, now new... I've been thinking about the future, just like you.
00:54:44
Speaker
Maybe we don't do a actual one-to-one... future program maybe we cater to what what people are fun for you to look at i mean maybe i don't know like i'm i'm willing to roll through stuff that maybe doesn't involve that but like you know get given the given the order that you just placed off of the menu how about So we're we're currently out of Threepio and R2. But what if we give you Ahsoka with a psychotic war criminal murder astromech
00:55:28
Speaker
um and a hey grumpy ah hey grumpy snarky Mandalorian woman?
00:55:38
Speaker
Within animation.
00:55:42
Speaker
And
00:55:45
Speaker
and and when we're talking animation, Space Aladdin. Okay, okay. Space Aladdin. um Space Mom. Okay.
00:55:57
Speaker
um um We haven't got the any spoilers, my friend. I'm not giving spoilers. ah you know I said Space Aladdin, Space Mom, ah because that's how Vanessa Marshall refers to Hera.
00:56:10
Speaker
oh um And how would you describe Zeb? A wacky uncle. a and And grumpy dad who just wants to be left alone, all flying through space in a space camper.
00:56:25
Speaker
Nice. But is there Yuri? I don't know what that means. Nick, is there Yuri? Theoretically. Theoretical Yuri. It's better than no Yuri at all, I suppose. but This is also on another kid's show.
00:56:41
Speaker
Oh, okay.
00:56:44
Speaker
The sequel is there's plenty of ah fancy than yey i see i see well um be work If I'm picking up correctly from context, there's not just fan-yuri, there is um implied behind, heavily implied behind the scenes.
00:57:08
Speaker
o
00:57:11
Speaker
But it is a kids show. Yes. We'd have to skip some... It'd be high quality, but we can make it work.
00:57:24
Speaker
Cool. But yeah, so suffice to say, i and I enjoyed the... Well, I enjoyed two of the three episodes. The first episode was ah the worst. It was the worst. It was the worst episode. It was bad. Even with the lightsaber fight, it's like... It was like the worst lightsaber fight.
00:57:45
Speaker
It's like... Clack, clack, clack. And it's like...
00:57:51
Speaker
Oh, no. Wasn't there for that. the I just need to remember to constantly remind Nick that, yeah, create Grievous got his shit rocked by Gungans.
00:58:04
Speaker
And I hate that. I hate that all the time. That's I keep reminding you. You see, the thing is is that Nick, at some point, ah in in in the band game, we're going to go to Naboo, and Daryl's going to throw some Gungans at us, but he's going to buff the Gungans to like absurd stats to the point that only a couple of them could take out the, you know, statted up Grievous that they've got in there. No, that could be Grievous.
00:58:32
Speaker
Well, yeah, that's why Daryl's going to buff their stats to the point that they could. Nick. Nick, we literally saw an episode where the Gungans beat greek get creep beat Grievous.
00:58:46
Speaker
I'm so really upset about that. It's canon, Nick.
00:58:55
Speaker
It's even George canon. I mean, really, who is and wins? like Unlike an average fan, I can still be like, I'll accept that.
00:59:06
Speaker
I'm so upset about that. But I will not do anything to... I'm not going to be like a weirdo about it. so So what you're saying is, and this line will mean nothing to Lauren yet, a you don't like it, you don't agree with it, but you accept it.
00:59:23
Speaker
Yes. But also, now we have to consider who would win, an entire army of Gungans or Obi-Wan on the top of Mount Everest?
00:59:37
Speaker
Well, he's on it.
00:59:40
Speaker
That doesn't have to be said out. yes is just Because Gungan's getting lot of power from Nathan.
00:59:50
Speaker
But Obi-Wan has the ultimate high ground. That's true. like know i know around It's over. He has the high ground. I'm actually thinking of the whole thing.
01:00:04
Speaker
and and And now that we've broken Nick, I think it's time to go so that Nick can go plug into his recharging slot. and He needs to calculate some things.
01:00:14
Speaker
Yes. Nick, would you like to borrow some calculators? I have calculators here. ah No, I'll just dig out my old... oh calculator that will calculate this stuff.
01:00:29
Speaker
Nick's gonna math. Oh man, it's ti it's math time. Well yeah, it it costs like seven years off my ah of my life when for every calculator.
01:00:43
Speaker
who
01:00:46
Speaker
So what what would what do you think would happen, Lauren, if you know at At our Christmas gathering this year, ah gave Nick like two or three calculators. Oh man, I think he would explode.
01:00:59
Speaker
Two or three graphing calculators. Ooh, yeah. okay but yeah yeah Nick is going to explode so hard, he's not going to have a house anymore. You're going to destroy the house, Steril. Oh wait, we don't want to do that. Nick, have you changed the will?
01:01:13
Speaker
No, obviously.
01:01:19
Speaker
You know, he actually referenced that joke in one of our last episodes of How We Roll. Oh, cool. He said, I haven't changed the will yet. two
01:01:33
Speaker
Whoa, wait, wait, wait, wait. we're We're supposed to be bullying Nick at the end of How We Roll, not at the end of Casual Nerdity. so I didn't bully him, I just broke him. That's completely different.
01:01:44
Speaker
Oh, I was bullying him, though. Oh, yeah. But yes, this was a fun session. Yeah. yeahp And there are some things we have to look for, four like, both completing this series and as well ethically working through this.
01:02:07
Speaker
Yes. it And we want we want to thank everyone for and for indulging our soapbox at top of the show.
Future of Clone Watch and Audience Engagement
01:02:15
Speaker
Sure. Sure.
01:02:18
Speaker
My one soapbox. All right. You have... If you are Using like Disney Plus or other... Streaming series.
01:02:30
Speaker
We do not judge you at all. That is part of your... Individual ideas. We have our own opinions. And... That's fine.
01:02:46
Speaker
If you feel the... Go away from that, that's fine. But we all want you to be part of our journey together.
01:02:58
Speaker
So we have no judgment of how you enjoy it and otherwise.
01:03:05
Speaker
And we want you to be part of our family going forward. Because
01:03:15
Speaker
Clone Watch is not going anywhere. And we wanted to be there with us.
01:03:23
Speaker
That is correct. Yes.
01:03:27
Speaker
And with that, I'm Daryl. And I'm Lauren. And thank you for joining us. And
Farewell and Tease for Next Episode
01:03:35
Speaker
join us again next time for next time should be another Clone Watch where we at least start diving into the Umbara arc, which is so boy good stuff.
01:03:48
Speaker
And we're going have a very interested and very popular individual of the group. who has a yeah v will be but because Betsy will be back because Betsy has threatened us if we record about Umbara without her.
01:04:09
Speaker
Indeed. has her demands known. ah like... Are you feeling there's a knife at your neck yet? Yeah, something like that.
01:04:22
Speaker
But thank you, everyone. Thanks for joining us. We hope to have you back, and we will see you soon. Bye-bye. Bye. This has been Casual Nerdity.
01:04:33
Speaker
We hope you've enjoyed your time with us and look forward to having you back.