woah a friend of mine pointed this out, and it does
Spoiler!
If you go to about 19:05 and the start of the duel between Ashoka and Maul. Maul spins his light saber, growls and attack and in the background you hear the Palpatine scream from ROTS when he attacks Mace and the other Jedi.
Basically if that's true then by the time that episode ends, and the timing makes total sense as at the start of the episode Kenobi is on the way to go after Grievous.
Anyways, by the time the episode ends, its likely that Anakin has fallen.
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Jesus Christ, that was one of the best episodes of Clone Wars ever made, not only that but it rivals some of the best moments in the Star Wars galaxy far far away.
From amazing animation, to amazing fight scenes, to unbelievable music and sounds, this episode sucks you in, punches you in the gut, gives you a wedgie and sends you into impatiently waiting for next week.
Now before I go into spoilers, I will also state that this episode, summed up everything in the prequels and gave us all a strong understanding of exactly why the republic and the jedi fell, and it's become clear that it was all at the feet of the Jedi.
I will also state that previously my favorite light sabre fight scene was Skywalker and Vader in ROTH with the duel of the fates sound track. That's been replaced by Ahsoka versus Maul in this episode. It showed two powerful force users at their height fighting a beautiful fast duel.
Anyways onto the spoilers
Spoiler!
We now know that this episode took place after the rescue of the chancellor and the beginning of Anakin's fall to the Dark Side as he has been sent to spy on Palpatine. We are now in the last hours of the republic.
When Ahsoka learns of this, she sees more clearly then the Jedi did that this was a bad idea. But she didn't see far enough, though the pieces were beginning to fall into place.
This was the problem with the Jedi going back to the prequels where the underlying message was that the Jedi had gotten so aroggant in their beliefs that they didn't see what was coming and were stripped of the ability to use the Force to save themselves.
We get to see the future of the galaxy as the Clones become more of an occupying force and the scene of the Clones herding citizens by basically gun point was stunning in its foreshadowing. We also know that the assurance that the occupiers were going to leave is a massive lie.
It was great to see Jessie again as he was one of the named Arc Troopers earlier in the series. We also got to see that Maul had the power of Kylo as he ripped the information that he needed out of his head.
This whole thing came down to Maul basically explaining that everything that was happening was by the design of Darth Sidious, and we got the admission from Kenobi when he announced that the Jedi's one lead Count Dooku was dead.
Maul then in the throne room reached out to Ashoka to try to get her to join him in wrecking Sidious' plan, he also told her that Anakin had been groomed by this Dark Lord as his next apprentice, and that he had seen it in a vision.
This is where Ashoka and the Jedi have failed and couldn't get past their beliefs and training. Basically Maul gave her an opportunity to stop the rise of the Empire, and because she couldn't get past her beliefs that Maul was evil and probably a liar, she slapped it away and doomed the galaxy.
Now I will say that the scene where she stood there contemplating Maul's offer and she came close to taking it except she couldn't get past her belief in Anakin the Jedi was the most beautiful scene in the whole series.
It was also jarring that Maul's plan was to draw Kenobi into this trap so he could kill Skywalker and throw Sidious' plans into chaos.
Like I said this whole episode summed up the entire prequel time line so nicely.
From there we get a two part exceptional light sabre fight between Ashoka and Maul and it was so well done and well choreographed that it took your breath away right up until the girder fight where they had another sequence where they focused on the footwork of the fight.
Anyways, at the end we really got a reveal into Maul as he was captured while falling to his death and he screamed let me die, we're all going to die. You get the sense that Maul hadn't told Ashoka everything, and that he knew that being captured by the Clones meant his and Ashoka's death. There was a hopelessness to Maul when he was captured. He knew right then that all was lost and they couldn't stop the horrors that were going to happen.
So what's happening next. Ashoka has captured Maul and her next obvious move is to head back to Coruscant and the Jedi Council. She also know that she needs to talk to Anakin.
But the clock is now ticking, we are in the final hours of the Republic. She's surrounded by Clones.
I still think that Maul has one more act to this crucial play, we know that he's obsessed with revenge against Sidious for casting him aside and using him as a pawn like he used Dooku.
This does change one thing for me, in Rebel's I always felt that the reveal of Anakin as Vader was a new thing for Ashoka. But now after the Maul reveal, does Ashoka know or does she believe that her master is dead until he touches her mind?
Two episodes left.
Random thoughts
Maul has some amazing powers, bending the blaster shots, ripping Jessie's memories out of them were cool, but almost make him feel over powered.
When Maul started choking Bo I thought we were seeing her death.
I think this is the end of the sieges and the rest of the series will take place as a journey to and arrival on Coruscant.
There is something sadly heroic about Maul. While its based in revenge even he knows that the rise of a master who plays everyone like pawns is a bad idea. In his later years he becomes consumed with his need for vengeance against Sidious and Kenobi.
Is this the end of Gar Saxon til Rebels?
“Justice is merely the construct of the current power base...” What an incredible point and it goes back to the Jedi and Sith philosophies. Both the Jedi and the Sith have the same core beliefs in that they want justice in the galaxy, but the Jedi want peace and Justice, the Sith want Justice and order, and the power to rule, to put aside petty concepts like morality in pursuit of a higher goal. I firmly believe that Sidious and his whole lying with the truth goes to the core argument that what he's doing is best for the galaxy.
That scene again with the exploding glass and Ashoka silently contemplating Maul's offer with the wind moving past her was so stunning. Its too bad that her faith in the infallibility of the Jedi and Anakin has doomed the galaxy.
Agree, this episode was some of the best Star Wars content ever. Maybe the best outside of the original trilogy. Maybe even including the original trilogy.
Well it was amazing, we know ashoka doesnt see Darth Vader until their meeting in collapsing sith shrine, we know Mauls end so I wonder if ashoka frees maul amidst the chaos of order 66. Or do the clones try to 66 her as well and she escapes?
Yeah, these last two episodes have been a really meaty addition to the lore, carefully crafted and great care was taken painting this picture of the in between times.
I think that there are questions that you bought up that are great
Spoiler!
Does Maul save Ashoka? How does he leave the group.
The effect of the chip in Rex's head, does Rex actually try to execute order 66?
Has Anakin already turned, if not when is it going to happen?
Does Ashoka at this point believe that Obi and Anakin are killed.
I expect that things are going to happen very quickly in the next episode, and the final episode will be the aftermath after Rex, Maul and Ashoka escape.
When does order 66 happen - I'm betting in the first 5 minutes of the next episode.
When does Ahsoka receive the beacon call that Obi-Wan sent out.
Does she see Darth Vader? I doubt it will be in person because she would sense her old master.
Do we see Wolfe and Gregor, they're key along with Rex
Do we get a final appearance by Cody? Padme? Jar Jar?
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I’ll say again this is how episode 2 and 3 should have been. Just outstanding work all the way around.
As noted I was kinda down on the season early, what a phenomenal turned around. This is the best Star Wars since the OT. By far.
To CC re: Ashoka and Anakin
Spoiler!
during the Rebels fight, she does say “I was beginning to think I knew who you were”. So perhaps they have had encounters before, just more passive. Or it could be because of what Maul told her.
I’ll say again this is how episode 2 and 3 should have been. Just outstanding work all the way around.
As noted I was kinda down on the season early, what a phenomenal turned around. This is the best Star Wars since the OT. By far.
To CC re: Ashoka and Anakin
Spoiler!
during the Rebels fight, she does say “I was beginning to think I knew who you were”. So perhaps they have had encounters before, just more passive. Or it could be because of what Maul told her.
I thought about that
Spoiler!
Remember that Vader said "The Apprentice Lives" Even Vader had thought she was dead. That can be one of two things.
Vader believed she'd been killed during Order 66. They could just have him believe that or what if Rex sends out a fake message to Stormtrooper Command?.
Or Vader had encountered her during the years and thought he'd killed her.
But her reaction during that dogfight makes me think that it was the first time she realized it was Anakin under the mask. I almost have to believe that Ashoka was so familiar with him that if she reached out to Vader through the force she'd know who he is.
Its funny, in the book Dark Lord the Rise of Vader, nobody knew who Vader was except for Palpatine and Bail Organa, and he only knew it because of Obi-Wan telling him that Anakin had become Vader. Obi-Wan didn't even know that Anakin had survived Mustafar until long after he'd banished himself to Tatooine when he saw a news broadcast talking about Vader putting down a Jedi rebellion on the Wookie home world.
I think in the new EU, there were two non jedi who knew who Vader was. Palpatine, and Tarkin had guessed it. Thrawn suspected it but didn't pursue it
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Agreed. It’s really too bad that Ashokas character didn’t have presence in the prequel movies. She could have been such a great thing trying to hold him to the light. I guess they tried that with Padme and it was just so so bad that it never held much weight.
I actually liked how the Clone wars timing worked out with Ashoka not being a prescience. I mean the Anakin in ATOC was immature and impulsive, then he gets Ashoka as a learner, matures, but then crap goes wrong, the Council basically does a terrible job with her, and that and other factors made Skywalker not only more disgruntled, but he had no one there to balance him, as Obi-Wan didn't do a great job of it when he told Skywalker to spy on a friend and a mentor and a father figure.
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My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
I actually liked how the Clone wars timing worked out with Ashoka not being a prescience. I mean the Anakin in ATOC was immature and impulsive, then he gets Ashoka as a learner, matures, but then crap goes wrong, the Council basically does a terrible job with her, and that and other factors made Skywalker not only more disgruntled, but he had no one there to balance him, as Obi-Wan didn't do a great job of it when he told Skywalker to spy on a friend and a mentor and a father figure.
Yeah I agree. I guess the real gripe as I mentioned is the poorly developed love story in the movies.
Either way I’m glad we’re getting this now after the IMO downer that was the new movie series. I never clued into the garbage of the prequels when I first saw them because i was a kid. Then it was awesome to have Star Wars, and the space battles/lightsaber fights were awesome. But even as an adult i feel the overall story is more interesting that what we’ve seen more recently. Nice to finally see the good story blending with the updated effects to add to the story pace.
That Maul/Ashoka duel might rival the best of the series.
I'm still of the mindset that the prequels had some great story elements to it and strong moments. I still enjoyed Revenge of the Sith, though it should have been split into two movies because there was so much Anakin Palpatine stuff that was missing.
I loved Palpatine in the prequels and the thought of one man playing a war on two sides and leading a centuries old order of Force sensitives to put their heads on the chopping block. I thought Ewan was outstanding through the whole prequel as well.
I still loved the space battle at the start of ROTS.
Yeah there were some really bad choices in the prequels. But I don't know right now the OT was king, the prequel trilogy on the whole was better then the prequels who will be looked upon as a massive disappointment and just a really poor story with poor execution.
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The story is epic no doubt. It suffers from poor dialogue and character development, I think as a result of a lack of critique before release (IMO).
The OT is really enhanced by the performances and everyone editing Lucas along and the three leads developed great chemistry together. In the prequels everyone is fine to great in their performance, but it’s missing all this character chemistry that is just spoken about. O i Wan is stifling Anakin? Where? I think this is lacking in Clone Wars too. They don’t build enough animosity between them. The Chancellor and Anakin are great friends? Where? When? They just say it and it’s a thing. Anakin and Padme are in love? If you say so, certainly doesn’t look or feel like it.
You feel the tension between Ford and Fischer (because it was really there). Although their first kiss is sort of icky now IMO. You feel everyone’s sort of annoyance with Luke as this bright eyed optimist, because Hamill was that. The character strength has just never returned. McGregor is fantastic no question. Can’t wait for the Obi Wan series. I’d really like to see Windu return too. Sam Jackson obviously loves it and wants to come back, why the hell not? If Maul can get cut in half surely Windu can survive a lost hand and long fall.
I'd like to see a comedy series where Sidious has this jar of strawberry jam like goop on a shelf in his office and it talks with Mace's voice and only Sidious can hear it.
You know just for fun, because I love the portrayal of Palpatine in Lego and Robot Chicken who just doesn't care about being kindly like he was before he became emperor.
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I think that I'm going to have to go back and watch the Fives arc with the biochips.
If I remember right, fives, at the end of it got a meeting with Palpatine, Fives was already mentally degraded due to drugs injected into him secretly by the Kaminoan doctor on the trip to Corsucant. When he got there, he got a meeting with the Chanceller, and Palpatine told him about the chips and their uses.
Fives then escaped and met up with Skywalker and Rex, and tried to explain it but it came off with Ramblings and craziness and incoherent. Skywalker accused fives of trying to assassinate the Chanceller, then fives was killed. Rex and Skywalker didn't believe him.
Now Maul explained the plan to Jessie, so I'm assuming that to bring things together Jessie's going to tell Rex and the pieces are going to fall into place about the chips in the Clone's heads.
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So one of the sound guys on Twitter did confirm the Sidious scream at the start of the Maul Ashoka fight.
So the timing was really right for the end game. Kenobi had engaged Grievous, Palpatine had engaged Mace and the other Jedi.
I know I'm making large leaps here, but the timing works, and I just have a feeling that at the end of the episode Anakin had fallen and that's why Maul was screaming that they were all going to die. He knew, his plans to stop Sidious had failed.
I think its almost too late for Rex to put the pieces together on the chip before Order 66 is transmitted, whether he can resist it, or if he does turn on Ashoka and Maul saves her is a question that I have.
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Just a question, there was a really good other video on the backstage of the duel, but once again the swear filter on Calgarypuck replaces text with the pound signs. Is there anyway to get around that, because its kind of pesky.
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My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
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Last edited by CaptainCrunch; 04-28-2020 at 10:56 AM.
Kinda feels weird, the bridge of the Venator looks like a Star Destroyer bridge, and we know that Order 66 is coming and Ashoka is stuck in the worst place possible. I ship full of clones.
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