Yeah, in this scheme of things the balcony scene would represent the ‘calm before’ the following day of political allegiance and personal ambition being stressed and beginning to fracture, including between Anakin and Padme. Not quite the same gut-punch as the nightmare.
Also, I totally forgot until after I made my previous post that the scene in Bail’s apartment must come after the Jedi Council scene because it begins with, “Now that he has taken control of the Jedi Council…” So, that’s why it has always been placed where it is. I might just play with some gentle color correction for it.
It seems like there are (at least) two options for scene order. I welcome thoughts on this.
Order A (including the balcony scene) :
• Anakin is told Padme is pregnant, ending with their ‘happy moment’
• Grievous lands on Utapau and speaks with Sidious, ending with ‘a new apprentice…’
• Nighttime balcony scene between Anakin and Padme
• Yoda, Mace, and Obi-Wan discuss their misgivings about Palpatine
• Anakin is late for the briefing
• Palpatine appoints Anakin to the Council
• Council chambers, Anakin is sidelined
• Bail’s apartment scene, first of the seeds of rebellion
• Anakin gripes to Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan asks him to be a spy
• Traffic scene
• Sunset conversation between Anakin and Padme, ending with ‘hold me…’
• Fade into nightmare sequence
• Anakin meets with Palpatine at the opera
Order B (excluding balcony scene) :
• Anakin is told Padme is pregnant, ending with their ‘happy moment’
• Yoda, Mace, and Obi-Wan discuss their misgivings about Palpatine
• Anakin is late for the briefing
• Palpatine appoints Anakin to the Council
• Council chambers, Anakin is sidelined
• Bail’s apartment scene, first of the seeds of rebellion
• Anakin gripes to Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan asks him to be a spy
• Traffic scene
• Sunset conversation between Anakin and Padme, ending with ‘hold me…’
• Grievous lands on Utapau and speaks with Sidious, ending with ‘a new apprentice…’
• Fade into nightmare sequence
• Anakin meets with Palpatine at the opera
Order B is very close to previous versions of LOE. It would be nice to have something to imply that the scenes following the pregnancy reveal take place another day, if not quite a while, later. The balcony scene accomplishes that, setting up a ‘happy evening’ and a ‘tense evening,’ with the nightmare taking place after the kindling of all the political stuff has been laid.
I do like Order A, but the transition between the balcony scene and the following seems anti-dramatic, at least having been familiarized with what follows it in ROTS.