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Post #1408489

Author
EddieDean
Parent topic
The Clone Wars: Refocused [COMPLETE]
Link to post in topic
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/1408489/action/topic#1408489
Date created
6-Feb-2021, 1:16 PM

OK, yeah, I don’t think it’s worth extending the episode beyond what I’ve described above.

In terms of Innocents of Ryloth-

  • YES there are innocents saved by Obi-Wan, BUT this doesn’t add a thing to his arc, and we don’t know these characters so they’re just numbers, we don’t have a connection to them.
  • YES the twi’lek child is cute and tugs at the emotions, BUT her arc is entirely related to Waxer and Boil who are far from main characters and if anything muddy the water of recognisable known clones.
  • Both storylines are really slow, and because the Waxer/Boil/Numa plot has the same ending as the innocents saved plot, this can’t be used within the previous Ahsoka frame to pace it better.
  • I think it’s not additive, and it would throw off the pacing by extending the episode out after the emotional peak.

In terms of Liberty on Ryloth-

  • YES Cham Syndulla is interesting, especially his political conflict with Orn Free Taa and his distrust of the Republic, BUT his main beats are covered by the existing content, and we don’t need anything of this in order that his appearance in Rebels ends up having more relevance.
  • The actual combat in this episode is bland-looking, geographically boring, and extremely slow and anticlimactic, and nowhere near on the scale that was implied by Storm Over Ryloth making a big thing about how important it was to get the ability to land the army. It’s better in our heads.
  • Similarly, the actual twi’lek resistance is anticlimactic, since the battle is essentially won by Mace Windu, rendering Cham’s efforts ultimately unnecessary. It’s also better in our heads.
  • The episode also has far too much Wat Tambor, that you really couldn’t work around. God, that guy looks like ass.

So yeah, sorry Numa and Cham fans, I think we have to keep the focus on Supply Lines / Storm over Ryloth.

The good news is that, like Lair of Grievous following my version of Cloak of Darkness, you can simply follow my Ryloth episode with Innocents/Liberty if you prefer.

I think I’ve learned a lesson about storytelling from this and a couple of prior episodes. And that’s that, in something we know is fictional, we don’t build an emotional connection to “the nameless masses”. Because we know they’re made up. BUT, when they’re used to demonstrate the personality of the characters we have invested in, then they have value. Seeing Obi-Wan liberate some nameless masses doesn’t add to his character because we already know he’s that kind of hero. But seeing the nameless masses’ happiness over supplies delivered (even indirectly) through Ahsoka’s actions adds value to her struggles as we’re seeing her grow.