#tcw discourse

[the-far-bright-center]

Fandom stop using nonsense from TCW as a gotcha re: Prequels characters for once. Not everybody views that show as canon. It’s perfectly legitimate to have interpretations of the Prequels and Original Trilogy as a standalone story, especially since they were created to function in that exact manner. TCW is superfluous and often completely OOC for all saga characters involved. Nothing compels anyone to view it as legitimate canon, and honestly my intelligence feels insulted whenever I see people using that series as some kind of ‘proof’ for their negative views, particularly of Anakin and Padme’s characters and relationship, but also just in general.

Like, we’re talking about an animated tv series that was made in an entirely different (often totally slapstick and unserious) style and tone than the PT x OT films. It is also overtly moralising in patronising ways and tends to shove characters in contrived situations just to make a condescending and captain-obvious meta commentary on the main saga.

If I wanted supplementary material that is more in line with the PT films, there are a number of novelizations, books, and comics from that era to choose from. And Lucas’ involvement in TCW doesn’t mean it’s obligate canon. In the pre-Disney era, ‘canon’ was tiered and only the PT x OT films were the final word. TCW is a ‘what if’/missing moment fanfic and/or self-aware commentary at best. And no, Disney doesn’t get the last word on what constitutes canon either. No matter how hard they push their ‘new canon’ on everyone.

The Skywalker saga was completed with the release of Revenge of the Sith in 2005.

It would be nice if people stopped acting as though self-contained, fully completed stories don’t exist just because some soulless franchise decided to pretend otherwise in order to make maxim profits.

[the-far-bright-center]

#just some of the reasons i don't take tcw as gospel#its wild how tcw show vacillate between cartoonish and show scenes of torture when its aimed at kids#i wish we could get a grown up show about the clones :(#in this house we ignore the barriss storyline in tcw#she was done dirty (via @coline7373)

While I'm personally not overly invested as to whether the Jedi are portrayed as Force healers or not, as always @cienie-isengardu makes important observations regarding older Prequels-era EU material vs. the later TCW material. And I agree with the added tags that a lot of characters were 'done dirty' in TCW and portrayed in bafflingly OOC ways.

Ultimately, I feel like this is a matter of differences in tone and genre, and to whom these pieces of media were geared towards. Much of the Prequels-era supplementary EU content (such as the tie-in novels and the Dark Horse comics) were intended for an adult audience. Whereas the TCW animated series was largely initially meant for older children. This is why it can be somewhat oversimplified and various characters end up flanderized and/or totally changed to suit whatever crazy plotline of the day. But because the show eventually started covering darker and more 'serious' themes as it progressed, the tone can often be quite uneven. You get these completely ridiculous slapstick moments and rather flippant dialogue interspersed with incredibly dark and twisted content (like the Deception arc and the Zygerrian arc, to name just a few). Likewise, the genre and focus of TCW is different -- it seems made more to fit the 'military sci fi' genre and thus often glosses over the more esoteric and Romantic elements in favour of snappy one-lines and action sequences, etc. There are some exceptions, of course, and TCW contains many nods to the Prequels, but generally it differs from the genre of the Prequels films and that of the original EU Prequels tie-ins.

Imo, I think TCW always needs to be viewed in the context what its purpose was when it was originally made (aka, to be an entertaining show for younger viewers that was supposed to arouse more interest in the Prequels era, but not to act as a replacement for the films) and not what it eventually became today (aka something Disney has now been mining to death as a source for further additions to 'new canon'). To me, TCW has never functioned like an actual 'believable' addition to the overall Prequels storyline. Rather, I've always seen it simply as something that one can view as a 'what if' fanfic or a very self-aware meta-commentary on the PT x OT saga. NOT literal canon. As others have stated above, there's just too much that's often wildly OOC compared to what was previously established either in film canon or in earlier entries to the Prequels-era Expanded Universe.

Cienie's Star Wars sidenotes

While doing research and writing down the last pieces of Funeral Rites of the Clone Troopers, it became even more clear how The Clone Wars animated TV series did a great disservice to Jedi, especially in the context of medical care for clones.

TCW has clone medics, both as part of combat units (e.g. Kix from 501st Legion) and working apparently in the medcentre as sometimes was presented on the screen.

The role of doctors treating wounded troopers was given to Kaminoans (Nala Se) and droids and sure, those two groups were part of the whole GAR’s medical system in the Legends too. However Jedi Healers (doctors), as far as I remember, were seen treating mainly other Jedi like Yoda

and even then TCW barely paid attention to force healing as an important skill. 

The research about medical care for clones gives a pretty drastic idea of what was happening during and after battle which is understandable why the show destined for younger viewers didn’t go into full details about triage of wounded but considering how many dark themes were put in the same show, I dare to say not showing medical care provided by Jedi or common Republic doctors and nurses (who btw are a rare example of republic citizens conscripted into army during the war) actually is unfair. The show reduced one very important aspect of Jedi - they weren’t just generals and commanders either sending or leading troops into battle, they also provided medical help, whether they were specifically trained at healing or not. 

In Legends, we could see Jedi Healers assisting the army on various occassions, working in triage area like in Republic comics series:

The triage unit, where Jedi healers labor to save the lives of the wounded, was set up safely behind the line of battle. But as the fortunes of war shift, so do the battlelines.

and worrying first about wounded even in the face of serious danger

Master Saa! We’re cut off! There’s no way to get the wounded out!

and searching for survivors

Master Saa is hurt! She pulled the trees on top of us for protection...

and working in hospitals

Follow me Skywalker. We have much healing to do. The Jedi sickbay, where we treat the most severe injuries. And our own, of course. Master Offee has saved countless lives. She seldom leaves her post to rest. But we all work long hours.

Not to mention the whole Medstar duology dedicated to padawan Bariss Offee, doctors and nurses serving in Republic mobile hospitals close to frontine - and yes, forever I’m gonna be bitter about how TCW/New Canon treated the most iconic Jedi Healer.

(The cover art for Medstar: Jedi Healer by Dave Seeley)

When padawan Skywalker arrived at New Holstice with his troops, he was immedialy called to assist in the nearest sickbay

“Are you injured, master Jedi?”

“Not really, no.”

“Good. You can make yourself useful by heading to the nearest sickbay. We need all the Jedi healers we can get...”

and for context, this is Anakin two days after after Jabiim, one of the worst war campaigns Republic experienced so far, the solely survivor of Jedi Pack traumatized both by the loss of his comrades and what happened on the planet and forced to make a devastating choice is literally told to get at work ASAP because every Jedi in between assignment was working here hard to heal the most wounded..

Though no healer himself, Anakin even force-healed injured trooper on battlefield to stop him going into shock:

Supporting the commando trooper with his left arm, Anakin warded off blaster bolts on the run. The rest of Squad Seven supplied cover, blowing STAPs out the sky with uninterrupted fire. Cody motioned everyone into a shallow irrigation trench just short of the mound. By the time Obi-Wan arrived, the troopers were deployed in a circle, and continuing to pour fire into the sky. Anakin slid into the trench a moment later, lowering the commando gently to the muddy slope. Squad Seven’s medical specialist crawled over, removing the commando’s ravaged utility belt and deeply dented helmet.  [...]

The harvester’s pincers had crushed the armor into the commando’s abdomen. His skin was intact, but the bruising was severe. With only half the original army of 1.2 million in fighting shape, the life of every clone was vital. Blood and replacement organs - - what the regular troopers referred to as “spare parts” - - were readily available - - “easily requisitioned” - - but with the war reaching a crescendo, battlefield casualties were on the rise and treated as high priority.

“Not much I can do for him here,” the medspec told Anakin. “Maybe if we can get an FX-Seven air-dropped - - ”

“We don’t need a droid,” Anakin interrupted. Kneeling, he placed his hands on the injured commando’s abdomen and used a Jedi healing technique to keep the clone from going into deep shock. [Labyrinth Of Evil]

(and included request for evacuation of the wounded trooper when Cody called for artillery support)

In Republic comics series alone we could see Jedi showing concern for the wounded troopers at various moments, putting their well-being as priority:

or helping (healing) wounded enemies:

And I won't lie, it is frustrating how Legends, especially Republic comics series that had around 40 issues put so much pressure on Jedi Force healing and how Jedi care for wounded troopers while The Clone Wars (New Canon) that lasted for decade or so kinda ignored the issue? Which is unfair to Jedi and clones alike. The first are presented as less caring, at times indifferent? the latter deserved to have all the available medical help, not just Kaminoans and droids.

[the-far-bright-center]

Further thoughts on film-Anakin vs. TCW Anakin....

(Anyone who really dislikes TCW, turn away now, this post is probably not for you!)

I've already covered most of this territory in previous posts, so some of this might be a bit of a rehash. But it's been on my mind again lately. I will preface this by saying that I truly understand why some fans aren't into TCW Anakin and I don't mean to suggest that anyone *has* to LIKE him or be totally happy with that version of the character. (While personally I adore the Skyguy persona, even I have major issues with how TCW writes his dialogue, at times.)

However. Sometimes I feel like certain Anakin fans are attached to an idea of the character that is not quite…expansive enough to factor in all his various facets. People forget that Anakin was first portrayed not only by the Original Trilogy actors (James Earl Jones, David Prowse, and Sebastian Shaw), but also by Jake Lloyd in TPM. TCW Anakin has a great deal of TPM’s little Ani in him, and I personally don’t mind that at all. Don't get me wrong, Hayden’s performance in AotC and RotS is iconic. I adore it and I will always staunchly defend his Anakin, who remains my own personal favourite. However, I think some fans mistakenly have this idea that film-Anakin is nothing but a perpetual sad-boi who is openly crying all the time. It’s simply not the case. It may come across that way since we mainly see him at pivotal moments in AotC and RotS -- these are huge turning points in his arc, when all his intense emotions boil over and spill out. But a) he is not like this every moment of the day, and b) he is not supposed to be a static character. Anakin changes greatly between AotC and RotS, that’s kind of the point. He grows in capability and confidence (with regards to his own abilities as well as his interpersonal relationships), and in his Force powers, too. It’s like people forget that Anakin Skywalker is CANONICALLY an extremely powerful Force user as well as a highly competent starpilot and capable and charismatic general in the Clone Wars. The RotS novelisation even portrays him as such. That famous quote about how he is the best there ever was and he knows it. Also that observation Mace makes that Anakin walks and moves and has a 'presence’ like the Holonet hero he is. And indeed, the fact Anakin is known as 'The Hero With No Fear’ shows that he has a very dashing 'persona’ that he is known for publicly but which merely masks the inner turmoil he’s experiencing. We see more of that inner turmoil in the films simply because, as the viewers, we are there to observe his private moments with Padme, who is one of the few people he actually expresses his emotional struggles *to*. Traditionally-masculine heroes are supposed to be stoic (not overly emotional) and self-sufficient (not needing to rely on anyone other than themselves). Ironically, this is what the *Jedi* want him to be. And Anakin’s tragedy is that he’s struggling to fit into the Old Order’s mold and adhere to it….when in reality it’s not what he needs. He needs the space and permission to openly feel and express his intense emotions before they overwhelm him. Likewise, he is repeatedly shown to desperately need the presence of his loved ones around him in order to hold onto the best parts of himself. A male character being portrayed as *needing* others at all in the first place is the very first sign that he’s not just some male power fantasy.

All in all, the idea that TCW Anakin is solely reduced to a macho ideal is not accurate. I still see him very similarly to film-Anakin: as a commentary on how attempting to mold a loving young boy into an obedient slave Jedi weapon of war will ultimately backfire when that young man is eventually consumed and enslaved once more by the very darkness he was fighting. While the literal shedding of his tears may not be shown on-screen during the TCW series, the intensity of his emotion is. The desperation he feels to hold onto his loved ones at all costs absolutely comes across. And, like film-Anakin, I would argue that TCW Anakin is portrayed, not as aspirational, but as a pathetic figure. (‘Pathetic’ as in the word pathos.) The sheer amount of times he is tortured and tormented on screen, shown to have various flaws and vulnerabilities, and the amount of times the audience is repeatedly reminded that he will eventually meet a tragic fate, all attest to that. The point of the Clone Wars series is to illustrate the famous line that Yoda speaks in the Original Trilogy: 'Wars not make one great.’

[the-far-bright-center]

Re: Obitine and Anidala

I originally wrote this in response to @marvelstars' excellent post on the subject, but I wanted to share it again because it's one of many topics in which I have a differing view from the prevailing fandom perspective.

Above all, it truly drives me nuts how the fandom pits these two relationships against each other. I'm a die-hard Anidala shipper and when I first watched TCW, I was DELIGHTED by the Obitine ship. I saw nothing about it that made me think it was supposed to be viewed as somehow 'better' or more 'ideal' than Anidala. I only ever saw it as a relationship that was more suited to Obi-Wan's character and personality. Not to mention that Padme and Satine are presented as friends who get along well and go on adventures together to right political wrongs, much in the same vein that Anakin and Obi-Wan go on their many military exploits together. The story sets them up as two couples who, in an a more ideal timeline, would be besties who go on double dates together. In my opinion, fandom's insistence on viewing them through the lens of 'which one is a 'morally better couple' is completely missing the point. Personally, I see them as two sides of the same coin.

Since @marvelstars' post was specifically about these two couples as they relate to the idea of commitment to the Jedi Order, I also focused on that angle. Imo, the way Obitine's relationship panned out made sense for their characters and context. Just like Anidala's makes sense for theirs. Obi-Wan and Satine met each other as young adults and had a whole year 'on the run' together before having to say their farewells, whereas Anakin and Padme first meet as children, then re-meet and fall in love over a short span of time, and then suddenly their world is at war and they are facing imminent, possibly indefinite, separation. That's why they marry while still remaining in their respective Jedi and Senator roles, because they feel it might be their only chance to have anything resembling the family they both long for. They understand that they might not survive the war. Whereas Obi-Wan and Satine had first met when Satine's world was already enmeshed in civil war, and then they parted once peace was reestablished and their lives were no longer in immediate danger. And when they meet again during the Clone Wars, it's a wholly different scenario and things have drastically changed (she is the head of a neutral system, he is already established as a general in a war she is opposed to). They are also older, in their 30s, while Anakin and Padme embody the headstrong impetuosity and passion of young love. So it's not as though Obi-Wan and Satine are going to drop everything and enter a committed relationship/marriage in that context in the same way Anakin and Padme do in theirs (when, notably, Anakin is still a padawan and about to be sent to the frontlines to fight in a war for the first time).

As mentioned above, when I was watching TCW I never thought that the purpose of showing both of these relationships in contrasting-parallel to one another was somehow to demonstrate that one was more 'sacrificial' for remaining in the Order and giving up the relationship while the other was more 'selfish' for trying to have both at the same time. Rather, what I feel the story is actually saying is something completely different. It's important to remember that both of these relationships involve a Jedi and the political leader to whom he had originally been assigned as a bodyguard. What is the significance of that? Well, I would argue it's more than just a romantic trope. When I watch Lucas-era Star Wars, I'm always aware that the characters have both an immediate role in-story as well as a symbolic function. Satine, a pacifist, can be seen to represent Peace. Padme, as a Senator, stands for Justice and the rights of the people. And what is it that Obi-Wan says to Luke all those years later? That the Jedi were 'the guardians of Peace and Justice in the old Republic'. This strikes me as hugely significant. Especially if we understand that the Jedi Order had lost its way as of the Prequels-era. While the fandom focuses on which couple is 'better' because of how their relationship affects each Jedi's respective commitment to the Order, I see it from a completely different angle. My understanding is that the Jedi's TRUE purpose (in relation to their role within the Republic) was actually to dedicate their lives to protecting Peace and Justice and those who truly upheld these ideals in the galaxy. Obi-Wan and Anakin's actual callings in life should have been to protect Satine and Padme, whom they loved. Whether this manifested in a more chivalric, courtly love scenario or an outright marriage is immaterial. Rather, what matters is that being a Jedi and dedicating their lives to these women due to their love for them was not incompatible with their role as protectors and defenders of the galaxy, but was in fact the truest expression of it. The so-called 'commitment' to the Order itself was never truly the point, and that's the tragedy of the Prequels-era. Because it was the Order that had by this point forbidden love and family, and which had embroiled Obi-Wan and Anakin and the rest of the Jedi in a war that went against their own principles. A war that, it could be argued, ultimately lead to the deaths of both Satine and Padme, and with them Peace and Justice—the very values that the Jedi were supposed to protect and serve.

[peregrine-ing]

People are always up in a fuss about the Jedi's strict rules, as if they weren't and order of essentially monks? Their rules aren't even that difficult to follow, even the attachment rule boils down to "remember your vows to the overall good of the galaxy. Duty comes first. Don't be a possessive jerk to people". to me this is just having a healthy relationship.

I've also heard alot of people saying that the jedi want you to bottle up your emotions. No? have a healthy emotional control and response. Don't let them control your actions. Understand your emotions, examine them and where they come from and let them go. All pretty standard mediation stuff tbh

[the-far-bright-center]

#seriously... this episode bridged the clone wars gap for me in a way that i didn't think would ever happen! #looks JUST like tcw!anakin... and i have always thought that tcw!anakin looks absolutely nothing like actual anakin! #so to see hayden dress in this clone wars outfit - and looking AMAZING in that outfit - just really strengthens the oneness of the story #they ARE the same character and hayden is standing next to ahsoka with his hair short and his early-clone wars armor on #iconic (via @secondearthling)

Maybe everyone will finally understand what I've been trying to say all this time, that Prequels-Anakin and TCW-Anakin aren't totally irreconcilable, they're just different facets of the same character seen from different angles and at different stages of his life. (And obviously portrayed via different mediums/genres.) TCW Anakin is 'General Skywalker', the Hero With No Fear, in his prime. He's poised between youthfully awkward padawan Anakin in AotC and 'pushed-to-the-brink-of-falling-to-the-Dark Side' Anakin in RotS. The difference may have confounded some viewers, but Clone Wars-era Anakin is SUPPOSED to have more swagger and confidence than he did in AotC. Also, while TCW Anakin's animated appearance doesn’t really resemble Hayden, he was nonetheless very obviously designed to look like TPM's 'little Ani'. So I never thought of TCW Anakin as 'not' Anakin, just as an AU version that grew up to look more like Jake Lloyd Ani than Hayden Ani. But of course, it IS neat to see Hayden embody that version of Anakin as well. I've done my own artistic interpretations of 'realistic' TCW Anakin over the years, so it's nice that others are seeing the potential I've always seen at long last.

GENERAL ANAKIN SKYWALKER in his The Clone Wars glory

[marveltaughtmetoread]

I've spoken about it before but I'm gonna speak about it again, the Jedi being taken as babies and being raised inside the Jedi temple with little connection to the outside world (as in having a relationship with non-Jedi folk) where the only way to leave is to cast aside the Jedi is wild

The only real world comparison you can make is monks, because holy temple full of people specifically dedicated to that religion, trying to live separately from the outside world, but

Monks aren't chosen because of their abilities, they choose to pursue a life of priesthood because of their faith

And sure, the monasteries and convents were a dumping ground for noble family's (extra) children, meaning the child had somewhat of a mixed consent to the process but in this day and age they are just a place where you pursue your faith

But even then the recruitment process was flipped, monks weren't actively recruited by the temple, it was still a life you had to seek out or your parents had to push onto you, it wasn't something you were forced to join from infancy

The places that don't let you choose to leave that give you no other option, that you can be born into and not escape from, without losing everything you have ever known, are what we call cults

[mearchy]

I actually think I put my finger on the thing that most bothers me about the perpetual pro vs anti Jedi discourse, which is that everybody argues for their interpretation of the Jedi as though the Jedi were a monolith. As though there were not 10,000+ of them spread across multiple temples, from many different homeworlds, with unique paths and individual connections to the Force. It doesn’t seem right to me to assert absolutes about what the Jedi code Actually Meant and whether it was too dogmatic or applied correctly by the Order or whatever when I think we can see in canon that you would get different answers about its meaning and application from the Jedi themselves, even the ones that inhabited and learned in the same temple. I feel like that’s the point of a lot of what we get shown in the prequels and TCW.

[azurecanary]

Hey remember that one time Ahsoka Tano was ready to kill her former master out of revenge for Order 66 but stopped at the last minute so she could ensure the last of the Jedi could escape, thereby sacrificing herself?

Hey remember when Ahsoka experienced constant survivor's guilt for being the last survivor the Order, and even felt like she didn't deserve it because she walked away?

Hey remember in Siege of Mandalore where she said she eventually would want to return to the Order?

Ahsoka hates the Jedi, my ass

[bereft-of-frogs]

I'm wondering if my longstanding refusal to watch the 2008 Clone Wars is contributing to my utter inability to comprehend all the 'star wars is RUINED' complaints.

if I can contentedly exist refusing to acknowledge the thing that 99% of the fandom considers to be essential canon, that makes up the majority of the fanworks, art, and posts, I think you can handle disregarding one self-contained, 8 episode series that takes place a hundred years before anything else if you really want to. I really think you're going to live.

[the-far-bright-center]

It's baffling to me that a certain subset of the SW fandom is willing to accept some of TCW’s most ridiculous story arcs and blatantly OOC characterisations as literal canon, but then pretend that they 'can't believe' that Padme could possibly fall for Anakin in the actual Prequels films.

Really? You can believe that space-godzilla goes on a rampage and destroys a sector of Coruscant, that several of the main characters are kept as slaves by an evil cat-queen, that Obi-Wan fakes his own death (complete with a pretend funeral) and callously traumatises everyone who cares about him in the process, and that Maul somehow survives TPM and is at one point a ROBOTIC SPIDER ...

... but you can't believe that two child prodigies who formed a bond while mutually aiding one another can meet again years later under intensely emotional circumstances during the outbreak of a galactic war and legitimately fall in love with each other and get married?

Really???

[sinisterexaggerator]

I reewatched Hondo's Clone Wars episodes last night and was having thoughts as to the dynamic of Aurra Sing and Hondo's relationship.

He calls her a "dangerous woman," which offhand you think, yes, she very much is. She is a skilled bounty hunter that can hold her own. But, if we really sit there and analyze the conversation we can learn a lot about Mr. Ohnaka and Ms. Sing.

"Oh, my dear. You never were good at asking for permission to land."

Hondo is a man who has hundreds of subordinates beneath him. He is used to being in charge of himself, and of his own enterprise. This line right here tells you, though he is amicable enough, that most likely half of the reason they parted aways was because Aurra Sing very much had a mind of her own, one that behaved in such a way that it clashed with Hondo's expectations when it came to things like jobs or working together at the business level. It was something he could not tolerate most likely for personal reasons as well. He has a reputation to upkeep. Some of his men, from Hondo's very first appearance, already think he's a pushover or "can't do anything without them," and try to fuck up his plans for their own personal gain.

The aforementioned line was the nice way of saying "I did not invite you here. What do you want?" There is no doubt that this power imbalance translated to other areas of their lives, as we see from the very next line.

"I never ask for permission to do anything." Aurra proceeds to kiss Hondo on the mouth in front of little Boba Fett and all his men.

It makes me wonder if there has actually been times Hondo denied her landing and she paid him no mind, thus her calling on him when her company was unwanted and leading to further "issues" that complicated their partnership, both in or out of the bedroom.

Hondo is a busy man, he has many things going on at once, and is a captain of an infamous gang of pirates. Also, I imagine there are times he says fuck everything and needs a moment to himself as he's mostly surrounded by idiots or deviants who want to stab him in the back. If Hondo is not in the mood for a controlling, dominating presence like Aurra sing, for her to show up anyway against his wishes is probably maddening on some level. I see Hondo as getting frustrated easily with people who don't listen the first time, as we see when he interacts with his crew.

Continued "insubordination" would most likely slowly chip away at not only his patience, but his happiness. Hondo's happiness is important. When Hondo is not happy, nobody is happy. Nobody who is a member of his gang, at least.

In addition, he is also a "go with the flow" kind of guy and makes the best of an otherwise bad situation where possible. I am sure he wore his mask of "I am so happy to see you, my dear," on more than one occasion, when in reality he was screaming inside. But, with someone like Sing, or anyone else in a position of power, it is in his best interest to keep up friendly appearances or to at least be civil. Making unnecessary enemies only complicates things. The more people like you, the easier it is to navigate the galaxy.

"Yes, I remember," Hondo says as he wipes his mouth off, forcing a laugh.

One, this woman doesn't ask for consent. That kiss was not something Hondo desired or wanted, but was thrusted upon him and the most logical thing was to allow it to run its course. To push her off would have created unwanted hostility between them, mainly on Aurra's end, and I am sure Hondo is well aware of what can happen when Aurra gets pissed off.

Two, he felt the need to laugh to lessen the blow of the truth for her sake. His tone of voice said it all. Had he come back with something a bit ruder, a bit more "in your face," Aurra would have most likely raised her blaster or made some other kind of threat. She has a short temper and doesn't really like taking "no" for an answer, it seems. Something Hondo is well aware of.

Of course, we get the famous line, "not mine, I take it?"

Whatever happened, they've been fucking nasty. We can guess who wore the pants in this relationship. Especially once Hondo makes his next comment to Castas, the guy who "didn't sign up" for all of this and wants to get away from Aurra and her shenanigans ASAP. Of course, she is irritated by this and calls Castas things like "worthless."

I bet Aurra 100% has tried that shit on Ohnaka, if only when he called it quits. It's true that Hondo does not like to share, but I am sure he was a great host to the many people he invited into his lair, including Aurra Sing to the point of spoiling her. @allsystemsblue and I are both of the firm belief that Hondo would have gone out of his way to make her happy, but I see Aurra as being a person who is rarely satisfied.

To reiterate, it is not implausible that Aurra many times tried to or did degrade Hondo, and in a public setting. I see him as laughing it off in most cases, but that overall he may have been affected by it, if only because others saw him being put down and that he allowed it to happen. Had it been anyone else under his command, for instance, then he would most likely resort to punishment or death for said individual. Not only could Aurra possibly kill Hondo, he did not want to be on her bad side.

To remain cordial, he tolerated it until he could not anymore. Of course, in the bedroom, perhaps he enjoyed it, or is into degradation. And even though Hondo says "business is pleasure," I do not think he means that when it comes to shaming him in front of his horde. To disrespect a leader in front of his legions may cause them to question his authority and cause a mutiny in a worse case scenario. Which, ultimately, happens later on down the line after the Clone Wars when Hondo loses everything and is called "soft."

In the end, I see him as being so fed-up he was probably dismissive of her bullshit. Even if he loved her in some capacity, I am sure Hondo would not tolerate a one-sided relationship forever. He is all about profit, after all, in some way, shape, or form. Whether that be money, or gaining headway in a romantic or platonic relationship.

"You have bled me dry of all my fucks, my dear. I give dem no more. Now, out of my sight. Do not call me, as dey say, I will call you... Eh, maybe. Probably not, but. Et was fun while it lasted, no? No."

To Castas, Hondo says "Couldn't handle her, could you. Well, don't be ashamed. You are not the first man to bail out from under her command."

Whether speaking about himself or not, Aurra seems to think so as she says:

"He's speaking from experience."

Aurra does seem bitter when saying this line, though she is also capable of being civil when she wants to and needs something from someone else, in this case Hondo. Perhaps in this scene, enough time has passed to where she has moved on and can mostly forget about what transpired between them. Maybe she knows it was mostly her fault. Maybe that kiss was a way to say she missed him or simply to exert power over him once again, but Hondo is NOT buying it and it was definitely handled in such a way that it reminded him of all the reasons he got rid of her in the first place, thus him saying, "I remember."

Finally, we hear him say: "Ohohoh, you're a dangerous woman. Yes, very dangerous."

Again, while this seems obvious, I don't think he meant it in the way of "she can kill me," even though he knows she would be a formidable enemy, but in a way that means dangerous for him, as she is unpredictable. I am sure Hondo enjoys a little bit of spice in his life, literally and figuratively, but Aurra herself was even too much for him to handle, and that's because she was only in it for herself. There is no "I" in team. He has enough to worry about, as is.

Although, it is a dog eat dog galaxy out there, and I am sure he understands to some extent. Hondo has to watch his back on all fronts, after all. But, suppose he finds someone he wants to be intimate with, and for them to treat him as such would be a little disappointing to say the very least. Not worth his time or effort in the end. The payout would be zilch, and again, he's about profit.

In fact, by the middle of the episode he denies her this favor she wants. She asks if "he's in?" as far as the job of wanting to kill Mace Windu and get revenge for Boba. He refuses to get caught up in any of her insane stunts. Plo winds up showing up and ruining their plans, but even then Hondo wants the Jedi off his property as soon as possible and even rats her out, to a degree, saying he has "no idea what she has in store for you," but makes it clear he wants no part.

This is a man who is over it. Even if he might tell stories about her or speak of her fondly in the distance "future," I am sure he knows he made the right choice in cutting ties.

Now, knowing all this, it is interesting to think about what man could handle Aurra Sing? Or maybe not a man, but a woman? >D

Anyway, there are my two cents. Shoutout to Teeth for feeding my Hondo obsession, but I'm pretty sure we feed off each other, too. ;D

[margindoodles2407]

What I find so funny about the Zygerria Arc in TCW is that the people who go to Zygerria to free the slaves are Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka... and Rex. And then they're found out, and of course they're punished in horrible ways. Except that... the Zygerrians just kinda... leave Rex alone?

Like Anakin is literally the queen's, uh, eye candy (for lack of a better word). Obi-Wan is having his soul crushed in the mines. Ahsoka is dangling in a freaking birdcage above the city walls. But we don't really see anything like that happening to Rex, to which the only explanation I can offer is that I guess the Zygerrians took a look at him and were like, "Nah, he's cool".

Which of course then leads one of them to getting a blunt spear run through his chest, but that's none of my business.

[the-far-bright-center]

#it's his proudest moment!!! #he made his mom proud! #he helped Qui-Gon! #he helped Padme! #he also gave some of his winnings to his slave friends to help them out #it's the day he won his freedom #but it's also so bittersweet in the context #(he left his mother behind... and then later lost her) #and now he's this big time war hero #but his proudest moment is still from when he was a child #before he even joined the Order (via @the-far-bright-center)

Anakin keeps a poster of the Boonta Eve Classic he won in his bedroom in the Jedi Temple.

[marveltaughtmetoread]

Masterlist of all my rants

Star Wars

The Meta:

The divide between Prequels era fans Here

The way you take the story depends on how you look at it Here

The Jedi's downfall is a tragedy and this inevitable and that doesn't mean I support genocide wtf??? Here

The Clone Wars both wants the Jedi to be unquestionably good and be three dimensional and these things conflict Here

The Republic and the Jedi are shown to have fallen in the canon but the audience overlooks it cause the Separatists are the bad guys Here

Why are we treating the massacre of the Tusken Raiders so lightly???? Here

The Jedi being the issue:

The Jedi Order is itself flawed Here

The Jedi's actions are the issue, it doesn't actually matter how they internally handle their emotions in the face of those actions Here

The Jedi encourage emotional repression, thanks Here

My issue with the Jedi's attitude towards attachment Here

The Jedi aren't impartial they just don't care Here

The Jedi having all the force sensitive kids is weird actually Here let's compare that to being a monk Here

The Clone issue:

The clones are slaves and we need to acknowledge that Here

On a similar note, there is no AU where the clones have free will that is consistent with the canon Here

Anakin:

Anakin's fears are valid actually Here

How can Anakin be too old to become a Jedi, how is this not alarming to you Here

MCU

The part that made me lose faith in Marvel here

I can't forgive them for Black Widow here

Civil War Discourse

Inciting conflict's which led to the Accords here

Tony Stark being a symbol of terror to entire countries here

Steve being rewarded for his faith in people here

Civil War and Ultron being the consequences of Tony's actions biting him in the ass here

Civil War is more than Steve choosing Bucky here

You can't convince me Steve and Tony where ever truly friends here

Tony and Steve character arcs, over the last few movies, led to them being diametrically opposed over the Accords here

The actual problem with the Accords, as seen through the themes of the MCU here

The treatment of Steve's character writing here

The Untamed

My issue with the first episode of The Untamed here

[bbgoffic]

Me, talking to hubs about Starwars: Obi wan was actually my favorite character from the original series and he died like WAY early so I was excited to see him in phantom menace.

Mr "it's okay if it's Crosshair" (apparently):

~~~

Later, Watching Clone Wars with dinner...

Hubs: Obi wan just likes the sound of his own voice doesn't he?

Me: