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Post by Spidyyr on Jan 31, 2019 15:52:46 GMT -5
End of Season Four! This is an arc we waited almost a year for, one we almost couldn't believe was happening. Tear down the trailers and the hype, and this is what remains.
February 1st - 7th 2019
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Post by Newan on Jan 31, 2019 17:55:18 GMT -5
Man I really need to catch up... maybe tomorrow I can try a bit. I’m off tomorrow minus a dentist appointment at 8:30. But I’ve been working a lot of long shifts since being promoted I often work. 2-11PM now.
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Post by Star on Jan 31, 2019 18:06:55 GMT -5
I can't believe we're already here. I still need to catch up on the past two weeks, but I've been really busy.
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Post by Star on Jan 31, 2019 18:11:28 GMT -5
I remember being somewhat disappointed by Brothers, but other than that, I recall enjoying these episodes. The second half of S4 really focused on the criminal/villain side of Star Wars.
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Post by Newan on Jan 31, 2019 22:58:28 GMT -5
I remember being somewhat disappointed by Brothers, but other than that, I recall enjoying these episodes. The second half of S4 really focused on the criminal/villain side of Star Wars. I always thought the whole arc was somewhat underwhelming and fairly disjointed |
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Post by Spidyyr on Jan 31, 2019 23:25:52 GMT -5
Definitely agree with it feeling disjointed.
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Post by Star on Feb 1, 2019 10:19:10 GMT -5
I don't know about the rest of you, but it seems like this rewatch has flown by. Here we are on the end of S4 at the start of February, but it feels like a handful of weeks ago we were just getting into the Holocron and Geonosis arcs around the beginning of October. I know we have roughly 2 months left, but I feel like those are going to go quickly.
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Post by Newan on Feb 1, 2019 12:05:12 GMT -5
So hard to get a healthy medium of a background that looks good on computer and tablet... but this arc is like the last we see of Hunters in the show besides a small fight in season 5 vs Maul and the Embo cameo in season 6.
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Post by Spidyyr on Feb 7, 2019 12:55:10 GMT -5
Alright I know we're all behind but I'll go ahead and put up the next one.
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Post by Spidyyr on Feb 8, 2019 19:01:33 GMT -5
Ok watched this arc.
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Post by Spidyyr on Feb 9, 2019 0:02:52 GMT -5
Massacre lives up to its name, in that it delivers one of the most shocking and brutal episodes of the entire show. It also might be the most creepy, with the Nightsister zombies looking much more terrifying than those from Geonosis and Dooku’s entire torture ordeal working very well here.
It isn’t one of the best episodes of the show but it goes for a specific mood and achieves it. Some things don’t work. The episode tries to sell us on the relationships of Ventress and her sisters but it doesn’t quite work. Up to this point, they’ve just been a means to an end and the rushed baptism scene can’t change that.
The most anticipated thing here is Grievous vs Ventress and it mostly delivers. It’s a bit brief but it ends in the realistic way of Grievous cheating. The episode itself is magic vs technology and here, technology wins big.
It’s a pretty good episode. It could have benefited from better pacing and some better set up, but ultimately it does an effective job of setting Ventress off in a new direction. 8/10
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Post by Spidyyr on Feb 9, 2019 1:34:02 GMT -5
Bounty is the most lightweight and disjointed of the arc, so much so that it got left out of previews. It’s kinda like “R2 Come Home” and “Destroy Malevolence” that it comes out of nowhere with a starkly different tone in a more mature arc.
Despite all that, I like this episode fine. I don’t mind getting some cool bounty hunter action, especially after the last arc ended up disappointing on that front. I also like that they brought in Boba and Bossk. I like how they make Bossk really respect Boba even though no one else does. Latts and Highsinger are cool additions. Denver kinda disappoints. A big deal was made of Simon Pegg voicing him and he ends up not doing all that much.
A lot of the episode is predictable, but it is still nice to see Ventress’s character lean a little more towards moral considering where she came from. The best part of the episode may be the setting and visuals. A train heist isn’t something you’d expect to see in Star Wars and it all looks pretty good. The ninja like appearance of the attacker’s adds a nice aesthetic too.
Good episode. Not really as daring as the last and certainly a little out of place but it works. 7/10.
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Post by Spidyyr on Feb 9, 2019 12:11:53 GMT -5
Brothers is an episode that I think is disliked somewhat unnecessarily. It had a lot to live up to after more than a year of hype, and people were disappointed at it merely being a pretty good episode.
Ok, so really all that I don’t like is some of the random cuts to other characters. Some are fine, like Obi-Wan and Dooku’s scenes. Anakin and Ahsoka’s scene is a bit weird. And Ventress’s scene is rushed and honestly kind of bad. These scenes aren’t really necessary and. They make the episode more chaotic than it has to be.
I do like the actual main plot of Savage a lot. Savage is much more interesting without Maul and he’s a different sort of main character from anyone else on the show. I don’t even mind Morley. Sure he’s irritating but he annoys Savage too and I don’t think his presence feels too out of place. The obstacles on Lotho Minor aren’t much of a threat to Savage but they’re unique enough and are cool to see.
I really like when he gets to Maul. I don’t think anyone saw the Spider shit coming and it was really effective in how creepy it was. I like just how insane he was an even that he quoted the Son. I don’t know, I think Maul’s return was actually well done.
It handles the situation pretty well in my view. The only place it loses points is those unnecessary cameos from every character. Solid 7.5/10.
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Post by Spidyyr on Feb 9, 2019 12:20:03 GMT -5
Revenge is a tricky one for me. The coolest part is seeing Maul restored and recognize what he’s missed. Everything on Sathomkr is really cool. Sam Witwer does a great job with him and my only complaint is that this is where Savage turns into a dumber version of Maul.
Then we get to the main feature, Obi-Wan vs Maul. I really do like their initial confrontation on Raydonia. It feels appropriately epic. As for their battle onboard the ship? Yeah, it’s pretty cool. I like that we get the rare instance of Obi-Wan channeling his anger. It’s only too brief though.
I’m not exactly sure why Ventress wants to help Obi-Wan. Isn’t she just there to get money for Savage? I don’t know why she would be so noble all of a sudden. It’s kinda weird how the episode plays it.
But despite any small complaints, the episode does a hell of a job bringing Maul back into the game. This could have been an epic fail that ruined the show but they completely pulled it off. I’m gonna give it an 8.5/10. There are some much better episodes but this one takes huge risks and pays them off.
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Post by Star on Feb 19, 2019 10:04:09 GMT -5
At its core, Massacre is fun to watch as we see the droids lay waste to the Nightsisters and the zombies accompanying them. Ventress vs Grievous is probably what everyone was most excited to see, but I'm sort of glad they didn't overdo the fight and make it take away from the rest of the assault. Grievous calling upon his droids to aid him once he lost the advantage fits his character.
Mother Talzin is once again shown to be a very intriguing character, whether she is fighting on the front lines with her magick or controlling Dooku from the cave with a voodoo doll. Speaking of which, the moments we flashed over to Dooku were very intense. The scene where Talzin erupts from his chest as a spirit-like entity was visually stunning and appropriately creepy. I already through Talzin was a cool character when first watching the S3 arc years ago, but I remember this episode cementing that status.
As exciting as these aspects of the episode are, the first third feels a little out of place and rushed. Out of nowhere, Dooku desires a full-out assault on Dathomir. Ventress also has some scenes with her sisters that try to flesh them out, but it all happens too quickly for it to work. Although the main conflict is fun, it honestly feels too one-sided for both sides at certain points (i.e. droids are decimating them until zombies, then it reverses, then it swings back to droids with Daka's death) to make the stakes feel real. The deaths of two sisters that spoke to Ventress were also a little cliche and silly for the episode's tone.
This is still a great episode, but portions of it are underdeveloped or don't quite work too well. 8/10.
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Post by Star on Feb 19, 2019 10:33:26 GMT -5
Bounty is definitely the odd episode in the arc, but I actually enjoy it a lot. It jumps to a new setting immediately, but despite this jarring start, no time is wasted before the plot gets going. The parallel to Mos Eisley from ANH was a little much, but it's over fairly quick so it doesn't detract from how I view this episode. It's neat to see Boba and Bossk still partnered, and Latts Razzi, Denger, and C-21 Highsinger are all really cool additions, too.
I like how Boba and Ventress interact throughout the episode. Something about it feels natural. The subterranean train heist setting is very cool, making the plot relatively simple but very fun to watch given the mystery of the attackers. Every hunter has a moment to shine, and the combat is really well done in this episode. Despite some of the banter, Bounty is still quite ruthless at times. My favorite shot of the entire episode is when Boba is fighting in one part of the train and then runs into the main room where Latts tells him to get down before we see Highsinger spin around and shoot all the attackers. We watch this unfold in one continuous camera shot, making it feel cinematic and intense.
The twist at the end isn't totally shocking, but works fine. The siblings aren't developed super well, but their purpose is mainly to develop Ventress. Boba also tests his luck with Ventress and it backfires, which is a good lesson for him on his path to becoming one of the top bounty hunters in the galaxy. The final shot of this episode is a little weird though, since Ventress acts like she doesn't want to be around that group any more, even though she's still with Latts in Brothers.
Bounty changes up the pace in a mostly successful way. It seems strange to have this episode be a part of Darth Maul's return arc, but I don't fault the episode itself for that. I still find it entertaining and unique. Part of me thinks I should rate it lower, but for now I'll give it 8/10.
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Post by Star on Feb 20, 2019 11:46:50 GMT -5
Although it's not as "disappointing" as I recall, Brothers is still my least favorite of this arc. It doesn't have the same focus as the others, and a large part of that is due to the multiple brief scenes with other characters. The ones with Dooku and Ventress are mostly fine, but the cuts to Anakin and Ahsoka feel very pointless. There's no need to have them when they aren't even a part of the next episode. Also, having them hold that conversation in the same diner Savage was just in doesn't serve a greater purpose. In consequence, the first half of the episode make it feel very choppy due to the inclusion of so many characters in different locations.
The second half is much better, since we finally get to focus on Savage. The world of Lotho Minor is really cool and one of the more unique settings we've seen in the series, especially with the Junkers and fire-breathers. Morley is a little annoying, but it fits who he was meant to be. His betrayal at the end was nicely done as well.
Maul's introduction is a very small portion of the episode, but it's done about as well as possible I think. Everything about it works and regardless of how believable it is that he's survived, the underground scenes are very creepy but fascinating. I could've done without the scene to Kenobi and Yoda, but it still works as a formal way to confirm Maul is indeed alive (assuming anyone watching had no clue).
The premise of this episode is unfortunately a little weak to begin, hence why there were so many other character cameos. The writers knew 22 minutes of Savage and Morley probably wouldn't be interesting, so they chopped it down to about 11 and included everything else we saw at the beginning. It's still a good episode, but without Maul's return, it'd be much worse. I'll rate it 7/10.
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Post by Star on Feb 20, 2019 14:00:33 GMT -5
I think a lot of people bestow abundant praise upon Revenge. Much of it is justified, but I don't personally see it as one of the best offerings of TCW. Yes, it does fully bring Maul back into the show and gives us a rematch of Kenobi and Maul immediately, but there is more sizzle and substance overall with this one.
I love seeing Talzin restore Maul at the beginning. It's really cool to watch and gives reason for how Maul can suddenly become so powerful again. His plan to lure in Kenobi by killing innocents is also very dark but fitting of Maul's character. Watching him do so much to get his revenge on Kenobi feels very natural and is great to view.
The initial encounter with Kenobi and Maul is great, despite being brief. I also really like the fight aboard the ship, and including Ventress was a lot of fun. However, seeing Ventress suddenly become so willing to help Kenobi seems like a quick turn around. I know she probably hates Savage more than Kenobi at this point, but I'm not sure that warrants them teaming up so easily. Perhaps Ventress would've taken out Savage first and then betrayed Kenobi? IDK, it could've had slightly more in-universe explanation. If I don't overthink this situation though, it's an awesome moment in the series by getting this 2v2 scenario.
I wish more time could have been spent with this encounter. It ends too quickly despite its brutality. Obi-Wan's emotions entering the fight were a nice addition to the brawl as well. I remember how much of a cliffhanger this episode gave us until next season. While a great conclusion, there are too many episodes I like more. I'm going with 8.5/10.
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Post by Star on Feb 20, 2019 14:04:53 GMT -5
"Who we are never changes, who we think we are does."
-Bounty's moral
This one is interesting, since it suggests that despite Ventress aiding the siblings, she is still not a good person. At the end she declares she has changed, so perhaps this was not totally true? Or maybe she was always a good person, but never actually believed she was until now and decided to act more like it.
It's easy to forget about the morals once the episode starts, but this one stuck out to me.
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Post by Newan on Nov 23, 2019 12:31:51 GMT -5
Time to start this “arc”... I have good memories about this one. Sw.com was super active back then. Although Massacre was very controversial
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Post by Newan on Nov 23, 2019 13:06:24 GMT -5
Massacre is... well I don’t know I have pretty mixed feelings honestly. The action in this episode really isn’t that good, I’m not that interested in the sisters at all and I was basically always rooting for Grievous and the droids to win. I also have never cared about Ventress that much, she was always a backseat villain who hasn’t been seen for 1.5 seasons and before the s3 Nightsisters arc she was only in like 5 episodes as well. I never understood what Namialus liked about her so much.
But do we really need zombies and voodoo in Star Wars? Especially an animated show that’s technically designed for all audiences... no. Save that stuff for the books and comics if you have too but it just feels so out of place imo. The best part of this episode is seeing Grievous in action and the fact that he’s actually quite formidable this time.
Anyways this is a 7/10, it’s decent but honestly it was over hyped back in the day and somewhat disappointing.
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Post by Newan on Nov 23, 2019 13:36:20 GMT -5
Bounty is an improvement even if it’s sort of the odd one out. First off I loved seeing Tatooine and the cantina, we rarely get to see Tatooine in the show but it is always welcome. Second the ensemble of bounty hunters is great Bossk, Boba and the addition of Dengar make for a pretty good young OT cast. Latts and Highsinger are also cool and I was looking forward to seeing more of them in the future. Also I didn’t know that Bossk already had the Hounds Tooth in TCW (same ship I mentioned in Friends and Enemies). Seriously Bossk and Dengar are basically the same people 20 years later, same weapons and ships. It’s cool we get to see the early meetings of them, even though they are all rivals later on they still share a mutual respect and I’m sure they team up later. Bounty hunters guild members ain’t allowed to kill other members anyways. Oh and Simon Pegg does a great voice job. We also got to see Embo and his dog for the first time.
This episode has the classic bad guy setup, bunch of minions and then the badass final boss. This arc is so weird though, go from zombies and voodoo to Ninjas. Almost seems like some fanfic but at least the Ninjas are kind of cool and I liked their fighting style.
Overall though the story is just character development for Ventress more than it is about the hunters, like I said I find Ventress pretty meh but this episode is overall enjoyable so I’m gonna say 8/10.
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Post by Newan on Nov 23, 2019 14:02:22 GMT -5
Brothers is extremely simple although I do like how everyone in the galaxy can sense Darth Mauls impending return, the force must have shifted more to the dark side when that happened.
However there’s not much to say, some cool visuals and the Diner is pretty cool we don’t get to see civilian stuff like that too often. I do like watching Savage, he’s pretty damn brutal. Talzin makes a cameo to keep things connected I guess.
But yeah it’s a simple episode that takes us on a simple journey to get the ball rolling on the Maul storyline. I’m going to say 7/10. There’s nothing extraordinary here but nothing particularly bad either and it’s not what I’d call boring.
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Post by Newan on Nov 23, 2019 14:32:56 GMT -5
I don’t think Revenge is as good as when we all first watched it. I think we were just a little overhyped back then. There’s not much story here tbh, it just feels like a fan service episode to bring Maul back and have a lightsaber fight. Now we know there’s some pretty good story with Maul later but the point I always go back to is the fact that if Maul was never revived would anything change much? Not really, I mean it’s not terrible he was brought back, but at the end of the day he’s around to have some cool fights and some brutal action with Savage.
The first half of the episode is fairly slow but it’s cool that Talzin uses all the destroyed battle droids to build his new legs. I also like the brutal strategy Maul inflicts, worth noting this is Mauls first time ever where he doesn’t have to operate from the shadows like he does in all the pre TPM content. He was pretty held back by Sidious in his earlier life.
The fight is cool and I guess Ventress’ inclusion is acceptable. Also I know everyone complains about the the tracking things in the Mandalorian but doesn’t Ventress basicslly have the same thing? How in the world could she have found Savage otherwise... Maul purposely kept him out of the hologram to ambush Kenobi as well.
Anyways I’m going to say 8/10... there was a time this was an easy 9 or even 10 but it’s just a bit too fan service for me.
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Post by Newan on Nov 23, 2019 14:33:53 GMT -5
Final arc score is 30/40 or 75%, honestly thought it would have cracked 80.
Ah well, but to be fair the arc is filled with a lot of weird ideas and fan service.
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Post by Star on Feb 2, 2021 13:07:26 GMT -5
Decided to rewatch Bounty, I guess I wanted to see Boba in action from TCW vs the New Republic era. Still agree with my thoughts from here, but it's hard to believe we were on this arc in the rewatch 2 years ago.
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it’s been quite a while. I’ve been pretty good, how about yourself? 