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Post by Spidyyr on Dec 20, 2018 16:27:48 GMT -5
On to Season 4! The only one that's all in chronological order I might add. I'll be honest, I don't think I've watched this arc since it came out seven years ago. Didn't find much to love. But hey, maybe there's something in here I missed.
December 21st 2018 - January 3rd 2019
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Post by Spidyyr on Dec 20, 2018 16:31:08 GMT -5
Also note that this one will actually last two weeks.
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Post by Newan on Dec 20, 2018 17:33:24 GMT -5
Yeah good time to catch up  only time we have a 2 week span. |
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Post by Star on Dec 20, 2018 17:41:03 GMT -5
I watched this arc earlier this year actually. It's a pretty average plot, but the underwater setting definitely made it stand out.
With the two weeks for this one, I should be able to catch up soon. Season 3 felt like it went by the quickest.
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Post by Star on Dec 20, 2018 17:47:27 GMT -5
I remember thinking S4 was my favorite of all the seasons. It'll be interesting to see if it holds up after going through it, but I think it should. The droid arc was the only weak arc for me, but honestly I didn't mind it as much as some of the earlier droid-centric stories.
Although I'm tracking each season in halves, and it honestly might be tough for anything to top S3P2. The only ones that might come close are the second halves of S4 and S5.
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Post by Spidyyr on Dec 20, 2018 17:55:14 GMT -5
This is when I started paying attention to SW.com. I remember that people were really disappointed with the first six episodes.
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Post by Spidyyr on Dec 20, 2018 17:55:54 GMT -5
I also remember eating fish sticks while watching the Season 4 premiere.  |
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Post by Kenbo on Dec 20, 2018 19:27:04 GMT -5
It's a little forgettable but I rewatched it a few times and I think it's actually really good. This and the slave arc I'd say are kinda underrated
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Post by Star on Dec 20, 2018 21:19:56 GMT -5
It's a little forgettable but I rewatched it a few times and I think it's actually really good. This and the slave arc I'd say are kinda underrated Both are underrated, but I recall enjoying the slave arc much more than this one personally. |
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Post by Spidyyr on Dec 22, 2018 20:03:27 GMT -5
Water War is a lot like “The Citadel” in that it feels just like what it is: the intro to an arc. Unlike “Nightsisters” “The Mandalore Plot” or “Rising Malevolence” it doesn’t really stand on its own that well. There isn’t exactly a climax to the episode but more of a series of things happening. I don’t hold that against the episode. Just makes it a little hard to judge on its own. The story is obviously pretty cliche. Though it’s a good cliche which is why everybody copies it. But I kinda wish it did something more with all that. It’s obvious from the first five minutes how everything will play out. The battles are alright but the stuff that class in the next two episodes is much more interesting. The prince isn’t all that believable. Idk, maybe it would always be hard to take him seriously with that character design but I wish they made him more complex. The episode serves its purpose though and doesn’t really do much wrong. 7/10.
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Post by Spidyyr on Dec 22, 2018 20:15:13 GMT -5
Gungan Attack ups things pretty well. It’s definitely more intense. As a general rule, the more murky the water gets, the better this arc tends to be. There are some scenes I really like here. The whole sequence of ascending to the ship and having to dive back down his one of the highlights. There’s just a lot of cool moments in there. Another scene I really like is the titular gungan attack. The Venator breaking the clouds is awesome. The whole ending battle is pretty stunning as well. The episode just builds on the last one in all the right ways. It’s a good one. 8/10.
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Post by Spidyyr on Dec 22, 2018 20:36:14 GMT -5
Prisoners doesn’t really surprise but it ties up the arc as well as you’d expect. I’m not due if Lee Char ever really becomes convincing but he comes closest in this episode. I do really like his ending fight with Tamson. It’s short but brutal and effective. I guess now’s as good a time as any to bring up the brutally in this arc. And well, it’s there. There is a level of creepiness that Mon Cala bodies are just seen floating in the background throughout the arc. And when Tamson stops talking and goes full shark he is truly frightening. In Season 4, there a lot more non-droid enemies, and it’s always a little more gritty when they’re fighting them. Especially when Anakin is cutting apart Quarren. A lot of this arc does feel a bit cheesy, mainly in the dialogue. It’s just a little too by the numbers for this story. With that said, there’s nothing wrong with it and some great moments make it memorable. It just isn’t that memorable after the last four arcs. And as a season premiere arc, it doesn’t make much of an impression. 8/10 for this one.
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Post by Newan on Dec 25, 2018 2:05:02 GMT -5
Water War is ok but not overly exciting and as far as premieres go it’s on the lower end when compared to the others. I do really like the inclusion of Akbar and Riff Tamson is a competent separatist villain that does seem like a threat, of course the Jedi are weaker here being taken out of their natural environment though.
Mon Calamari is cool but the concept of having a underwater setting for an arc is a lot less interesting then it sounds as a concept... I’m fine with just having Kamino for that role or maybe another water planet that has surface elements like Manaan from KOTOR, the Selkath could have just as easily played the part of the Mon Cala, and Manaan is strategic for its supply of Kolto so...
Anyways I’m going to agree with Spider and say 7/10, it’s a good setup for an arc but doesn’t keep me interested for the full 22 minutes honestly.
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Post by Newan on Dec 25, 2018 2:41:25 GMT -5
Honestly just not liking it as much as I thought I would... There’s a problem sometimes with the show and that is the fact that sometimes there’s very little strategic importance to the battles and episodes. Arc Troopers had a purpose, Geonosis battles have a purpose... Felucia and this don’t really. Tbh there wouldn’t even be a huge battle if the Republic didn’t show up to the peace talks, as Riff wouldn’t have been there either.
Idk I feel like this episode was honestly filler, they basically just go right back to where they started by the end of the episode. I don’t mind the Gungans here and it’s cool that the Jedi enlist a non clone army, I always found that kind of weird. Surely there’s armies other then clones and droids within the Republic and separatists that are willing to fight. That’s why I like the Umbarans and I guess the Geonosians as well. Funny that you see unofficial organic armies more on the Serpartist side of the things then the Republic...
Like in all seriousness given how large the Galaxy is, there’s no way the Republic couldn’t raise a massive army. However the chancellor obviously needs the clones for his plans...
Anyways I’m going to say 7/10 again for Gungan Attack, seems like a filler episode but there’s some cool action sequences and some of the nicest shots of the show visually. Seeing Kit Fisto is also cool especially in his classic look.
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Post by Newan on Dec 25, 2018 3:11:30 GMT -5
Prisoners is a decet enough conclusion to an overall kind of uneventful arc. Tamsons Death was cool and it’s surprising they went that far with it. Overall though the whole arc just seemed very dragged out to me, literally from start to finish not a whole lot changes, it’s just a flip flop between one side getting reinforcements and then the other side getting reinforcements. I think we all knew how the arc would end from the first couple minutes as well...
I don’t think the actual arc matters much in the grand scheme of things, it’s certainly not a conflict that Palpatine would probably take direct interest in. I really didn’t like when I heard there was a planned sequel to this story as well in season 7 or 8, seems very unneeded.
Anyways this is getting another 7/10 to me. Whole arc drags and overall it fluctuates A LOT between being somewhat interesting to extremely boring at times. It’s argusbly a glorified political arc similar to all the political standalone we get earlier in the show.
Final arc score is a 21/30 for a total of 70% of possible points.
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Post by Newan on Dec 25, 2018 3:13:18 GMT -5
Honestly the first like 6 episodes of season 4 were incredibly average... at least it was good for the entire time after that
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Post by Star on Jan 3, 2019 20:16:38 GMT -5
There's not much to complain about with Water War, but it doesn't wind up being as good as it sounds on paper. The cast is pretty diverse, which I like, but Lee Char isn't that compelling of a character. A lot of it might be due to his voice, and his dialogue doesn't make it any better. However, Ackbar's inclusion is cool and Riff Tamson is a great Separatist villain in this one. He's very frightening and brutal, but not over the top.
Animation-wise, this episode is very nice, and the battles look good too. I especially like the shot of Ahsoka and Fisto arriving in the gunships. Having the Quarren as enemies versus droids also adds to the intensity in the fights. Yet despite these good aspects, the plot isn't the most interesting, and parts of it feel forced. Not to mention the concept, while decent, is fairly cliche.
A fair start to the season, but definitely weaker compared to S3P2 and what's to come the rest of S4. I'll go with 7/10.
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Post by Star on Jan 4, 2019 9:18:29 GMT -5
Gungan Attack is a little more interesting, and it feels like the most intense in the arc. Receiving aid from other armies besides clones would make sense for the Republic, and even with the Gungans, I think it works pretty well. Their arrival sequence is one of the better moments of the episode, as well as when the Republic makes their way to the surface, only to see their ship blow up.
Tamson continues to be a competent and fear-evoking opponent here, adding to the sense of urgency. Lee Char isn't much better, but I think the characters around him prevent him from being unbearable to watch. The ending battle might be the best of the arc, since it gets so murky and feels so very gritty. By the end of the episode, everyone pretty much ends up in the same place, except for Ahsoka and Lee Char. Because of that, this episode does feel like a little bit of filler just to make the arc reach 3 episodes.
Still an improvement over the previous one, so I'll go with 7.5/10.
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Post by Star on Jan 4, 2019 9:31:27 GMT -5
It isn't a bad conclusion by any means, but Prisoners doesn't seem to raise the bar any higher, even though the situation is at its worst here. This episode definitely handles Lee Char the best, but his character never became completely believable for me. Tamson continues to be formidable throughout his holding of Anakin, Fisto, Padme, and Jar-Jar, which I appreciated. Even though I knew they'd be saved, it still kept me interested.
I actually liked Nossor Ri in the arc, especially this final installment. I didn't notice this when I was younger, but his character is a little like Lando. He's a good friend of the previous King, but is persuaded by the enemy to betray the heroes in exchange for power and protection. Yet as things move along, he realizes he made a bad choice and has to help stage an attack to fix things. Obviously Nossor Ri is more spineless and less interesting than Lando, but those few connections are pretty cool.
Anyways, the conclusion feels a bit brief and too easy. Seeing Lee Char take out Tamson was nice, even if it was quick. This arc had some surprisingly dark undertones even though at face value it doesn't seem that way. I would agree with Newan though that this arc more so political than anything else. That's not necessarily a bad thing; for me the whole arc just wasn't too ambitious with the storytelling and therefore didn't interest me as much. 7/10.
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Post by Maverick-Jedi-Valen on Mar 4, 2019 6:31:24 GMT -5
God, does this arc bring back memories of my first time at SW.com... Anyway, as much as I find Lee-Char's tropey arc lacking in engagement, I do like Water War, but it's more on the surface, since the substance within is a bit weak. The battles are great, Mon Calamari (or Dac as it's otherwise known as in the EU) looks beautiful and the whole episode feels surprisingly long. I just wish the weaponry used was a bit more varied than just speeders and jelly droids (remember that incredible cannon tank from the CW miniseries?). The good news is that Gungan Attack does outclass the last one. Action scenes here show more ambition and variety. The twister skirmish this arc at its most intense. Again however I'm not too invested with Lee-Char's issues. Also I find it hilarious how the Calamari seem to have such a flimsy military they have to throw in clones and Gungans just to help their mess However I'm sort of left questioning Dooku ordering everyone processed. There's a lot of Seperatists who'd probably object to these abuses and yet there's a whole load of them following. I know it could just be thrown under the rug, but rumours are bound to happen, so I struggle to see how some systems think the Republic sucks, yet Dooku and his Totally not evil Club seem so inviting. Is this why there's hardly anyone left by ROTS? Bad news is that Prisoners brings the momentum to an abrupt halt. It's only in the final few minutes where the plot gets jogging again. Before that it's just one group that's captured and another moping about what to do. That said its resolution does feel earned. Amongst all the eerie violence and death, Tamson stands out as one of the biggest threats the show's had. He's merciless, almost beastial and acts as an excellent tool to make you cheer on the other side. No wonder his death feels like such a victory, despite it feeling a bit too on the nose with its Jaws homage. Heh, remember that time Namialus got his question answered by Dave about his species? Good times... Underrated and overlooked story I'd say, but a bit weak when you go beyond the flashy underwater scenery and its events. |
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Post by Newan on Nov 23, 2019 14:40:27 GMT -5
Spidyyr just so you know but I think you put the wrong score for gungsn attack for me in the spread sheet. Supposed to be 7 instead of 7.5 I just noticed that cause I don’t really do .5s ever
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only time we have a 2 week span.
it’s been quite a while. I’ve been pretty good, how about yourself? 