March 19 2011

view: (720p)



"Without humility, courage is a dangerous game."

Episode Guide: Padawan Lost

Episode Air No: 65
Production No:

Director: Dave Filoni
Writer: Bonnie Mark

Synopsis: Ahsoka finds herself trapped on a Trandoshan moon - prey in an elaborate and cruel hunt.

view: (SD HDTV)

I'm looking forward to this one. Oooh, the anticipation is playing havock with my bongos.

Interesting episode. I don't think I like it as much via the SKY presentation, but that's probably just because I'm picky with my voice audio/music.

The themes for the last few arcs have really touched a lot on Anakin's inability with losing Ahsoka, to the point it's almost becoming heavy-handed. I wouldn't have a problem with it so much if these arcs were a little spread out, but this season has been so unbalanced that pretty much all of the episodes would have benefited from a little mix up.

That complaint aside, I think they did well with the Anakin/Ahsoka dynamic in this episode. Yes, they did the obligatory plot point of Anakin's separation anxiety regarding Ahsoka, but they also did well in showing how Ahsoka is really taking on the characteristics of her master. And I like how Plo-Koon tried to handle the situation with Anakin. The more I see him in this show, the more I feel he's the "Old Ben" of the series.

The visuals of this episode were again stunning. The animators and animation directors really seem to step up their effort every week. Things like those owl-like animals in the background seem silly, but that kind of stuff always tells me that the people making this show try to put as much into the environment in order to make it as dynamic and believable as possible. That's usually only seen in the best Pixar films.

[align=center]STILLS • CONCEPT ART • TRIVIA[/align]
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[align=left]Secrets Revealed

• The Jedi "cookie" at the start of the episode references "a dangerous game," which is a nod to the 1924 short story, "The Most Dangerous Game," by Richard Connell. The story is about a Russian hunter who stalks a big game hunter on a Caribbean island. It has been adapted to film and television many times.

• This episode sees the return of Plo Koon's Wolfpack clone troopers, led by Commander Wolffe, and featuring troopers Comet, Sinker and Boost.

• Trandoshans are the same species as Bossk, the bounty hunter seen in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and in The Clone Wars Season Two's three-part finale. The species name Trandoshan was established in a 1989 roleplaying game book, Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, which also revealed that big game hunting was common in their culture.

• The original script had the hunt take place on Dosha, the Trandoshan homeworld. It was later moved to Wasskha, a moon.

• Also in the original script, the Trandoshan hunting lodge was a ground-based camp. During the development of the episode, it was moved into the sky to make the idea that the younglings had never found it before more plausible Among the prisoners delivered to Wasskha with Ahsoka are a Snivvian named Katt Mol (his red-and-black jumpsuit is inspired by the classic cantina character, Snaggletooth), a Terrelian Jango Jumper named Lika (modeled after Cassie Cryar), a Selkath named Morgo (modeled after Chata Hyoki), and a Sakiyan named Vadoo. In the script, Katt Mol, Vadoo and a hunter named Simna banded together for survival. This footage was shot but had to be cut for time.

• Lika gets shot by a burly Trandoshan named Sochek, whose amber-tinted goggles and cargo shorts are inspired by Walter Sobchak, a character played by John Goodman in the 1998 Coen brothers movie, The Big Lebowski.

• The yellow feathered birds are called convorees (singular: convor).

• The Trandoshan hunting pods are inspired by the classic Cobra Trubble Bubble flight pod toy from the G.I.JOE toyline.
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This was a great episode, both visual and animation wise. Noticed how Plo Koon's head is different now.

Nice catch. I thought he looked different.

Here's some screencaps of what Alexrd is talking about:



I find it funny that there is a change with only a few episodes left in the season. But I know Finoli is a big fan so maybe he was thinking that if Obi-wan and Anakin can get an upgrade mid-season, why can't Plo Koon? He's definitely more in line with the Ep. III look, from the mask to the wardrobe.

An absolutely magnificent episode; the visuals were just astounding. The Trandoshan close-ups were brilliant!
Cannot wait for Wookiee Hunt.

Not just Ep. III, since he remained the same during the whole prequel trilogy (head wise). But nice comparison.

Brilliant action episode. Not only the visuals, but also the audio makes it stand out. Also, the Trandoshans were great in every aspect, and the way the padawan's Force abilities had only limited effect against their brute physical strength.

One of the best episodes of the series.

Brutal action, dark storytelling and tremendous voice acting/animation. The Trandoshans were picture perfect to what I had always imagined. I loved the "Predators" storyline and motivation for their species.

Didn't want this episode to end.

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btw Isn't this the first time we see a human good character killed in the series (besides the clones of course)? I'm quite convinced it is at least the first child character. I have mixed feelings about the raised level of brutality to be honest.[/align]
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any chance of a m4v or avi format? I watch these on my iPad and these formats transport well. thanks

I believe the "SD HDTV" link is on .avi.

Great episode IMO and looking forward to the conclusion (in a good way)

We did have that padawan character (Knox?) killed off by Savage on Devaron. But he looked older (and wasn't human, of course). This is the first time I remember anyone who referred to themselves as younglings become seriously hurt or killed. And no, I'm not including that ridiculous Moogan tea story in this.

But I did not have a problem watching Kalifa die. I felt Dave Filoni did the scene very well. It felt much more poignant and graceful than either 99's or Even Piell's death scenes. This show should get darker (and more brutal) as it goes on, knowing what is to come in ROTS.

As with the beginning of this series I may have let my 5 year old watch, now in season three the youngest I would show this to is an 8 year old. But by now that 5 year old has grown with the show, much like George always intended to do with the OT and PT. So the death and brutality has grown with it, gradually introducing these themes to younglings without taking it too far. Personally, I feel that the rage and vengeful yelling of "I'll kill you!" by Dar's father was more jarring. That's the thing nightmares are made of (super-intelligent and armed Velociraptors, anyone?).

Yes, those growls did resemble that.

Wow... this episode was surprisingly good.

The island reminded me of the movie Avatar in a way because of the giant trees, branches, etc. Love to see Plo Koon's clones in action and see the return of Commander Wolffe, Comet, Sinker, and Boost. I love episodes where Anakin gets the anxiety of losing Ahsoka. Although, it is the same each time, it it cool to watch nonetheless.

Seeing the new padawans was a nice addition and I actually felt sad when Kalifa (sp?) died, which is good since the writers are doing a good job. I also want to add that this episode was pretty violent like when the son was impaled by the ground spike or seeing the runners getting shot in or near the heart.

My prediction is that Chewie will end the fight by ripping off Dar's father's arms and send him flying from the floating fortress. We know he fights Trandoshans on that transport, so I assume the endgame will involve someone getting tossed off of it, at least.

Btw, a nice detail at the end with the galaxy in holo-form. Wonder if they based it on the depiction in the Atlas?

Yes, I do hope we finally get to see a Wookie pull an arm out of a socket.

Clone Wars producer Dave Filoni Q&A with some explanations from Season Three and minor news about Season Four.
(I recommend reading the condensed ANSWERS ONLY portion)

[align=center]DAVE FILONI Q&A[/align]
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QUESTION 1. as I was watching episode 64: "Citadel Rescue" seeing close up shots of Saesee Tiin speaking in the cockpit of his Jedi starfighter, I am just amazed at the difference in difference between animation models of more recently created characters from those that have been with us since the shows the clone wars theatrical debut. The plus is I am literally blown away, the downside of the bar being raised so high, is I find myself left wanting when it comes to the classic characters such as Kenobi and Skywalker whose faces (to me) still have a very wooden look or resemblance of a "Team America: World Police" (2004) type of feel to them. Since development is so far ahead o the release schedule, any chance of a makeover for the core heroes coming down the pipe (for faces more than wardrobe)?


FILONI: Thanks for noticing the upgrades and development of the character models. It has taken a great deal of work. Actually, Anakin and Obi-Wan have been upgraded; the changes are just very subtle. But both have slightly more rounded faces and Obi-Wan’s hair got a total overhaul.


QUESTION 2. What was the third possible ending for Citadel Rescue that we weren't told about in the episode commentary?

FILONI: The third ending was that Osi-Sobeck was to report in to Count Dooku that the Jedi had escaped. Dooku would then order the crab droids to execute Sobeck.


QUESTION 3. Can you ask Dave who he likes better, Malkin or Crosby?

FILONI: My favorite Penguin is Michel Dion, goalie from 1981-1984. My favorite current Penguin is Marc Andre Fleury, also a goalie. And both Fleury and Dion wore #29, ironically. I like both Makin and Crosby, but since I played goal I tend to like the goalies.


QUESTION 4. Any news on a possible cameo for Ben Quadinaros?


FILONI: If the NFL lockout is resolved before next season I’ll consider it.


QUESTION 5. Will we see Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka talk to each other about Mortis?

FILONI: No, not to each other.


QUESTION 6. Will we be seeing Aayla Secura return?

FILONI: For now, Aayla has been mainly cast as a background Jedi. I would love to see her get a starring role if the story calls for it, but that hasn’t happened yet.


QUESTION 7. Will we see an official timeline of the episodes at any point soon? It's been mentioned before, but now that Season Three is drawing to a close, it seems like now would be the time. In most cases, it's easy to out, but there are a few questions: is "Ambush" before or after the Ryloth battle trilogy? How far after "Rookies" is "ARC Troopers" in relation to the other episodes?

How did Aurra Sing escape custody after "Assassin" in order to help Cad Bane in "Hostage Crisis"?

A Season Two question: How is it that Ahsoka meets Jocasta Nu for the first time in "Holocron Heist?” It seems that Ahsoka is fairly well-read, and I'm assuming she grew up at the Temple, so why haven't the two met before?


FILONI: We will try to get the timeline out really soon. It answers all your questions.

A story of bribery and blackmail. Cad Bane identifies Aurra Sing as critical to his prison break of Ziro the Hutt. Thus, it is Cad who breaks Aurra out of jail with the help and financing of the Hutts.

There are many librarians to service the temple needs. Jocasta works with high level Jedi and Padawans during the Clone Wars. Up until then, their paths had not crossed officially. Think of it like a freshman student at a school who knows of certain teachers, but has never met them.


QUESTION 8. Can't wait to see Chewie in the Clone Wars; will we see a little Han Solo in those episodes or later on? The Mortis trilogy was my favorite episodes from season 3 - will we see more episodes like that?


FILONI: [i]We will NOT be seeing young Han Solo. I’m not into that. I like meeting Han in the Cantina in Episode IV. As for the Mortis Trilogy – it is a beginning, not an ending.


QUESTION 9. What happened to the "Twilight?”

FILONI: The Twilight is down for repairs. I almost had the Zillo Beast eat it as an homage to Godzilla – when he eats the train in the 1954 classic. I recently discussed a Twilight appearance, though…



QUESTION 10. Might we see in a future episode the origin of Obi-Wan's nickname "Ben?” According to Ep 4 he was using it before Luke was born. (It could have been a random alias he adopted though).

FILONI: Satine used to call Obi-Wan “Ben” in an episode, but it was later revised to “Obi.” We reasoned that Obi-Wan would only use “Ben” during the period that he was in hiding, thus it would be a better secret name.



QUESTION 11. These episodes are awesome! I dig the clone action, so this arc was killer. I have a question though: What's on Five's helmet? Just to humor me When do we get to meet Clone Commander Bacarra and his lads?


FILONI: Fives’ helmet has a stylized Rishi Eel on it, the creature that ate Cut-Up in “Rookies.” I’m hoping to get Bacarra in at some point, and the marines, but I don’t know when yet.


QUESTION 12. Please would you consider a Grievous personal arc in Season 4 with a visit to his home planet and his people? Like you all did with Asajj in S3...Grievous needs to be visited and expanded upon! He is more than just a brute or a pawn. The general is great strategiest and fighter, he is not a loser as portrayed so far! I know that if you give the character an opportunity, he could do amazing stories and excite fans! Grievous for the win!


FILONI: I agree that Grievous has a lot to offer, and I know he has had some hard losses. Eventually, he will get a big win and maybe we can do more on him as we get closer to Revenge of the Sith. We’ll just have to wait and see.



QUESTION 13. Any chance we'll see the Millennium Falcon [i]in a future episode? (Or hidden in a past episode?)

FILONI: Possibly we’ll see the same class of ship in a background, but not the Falcon.


QUESTION 14. How did you get George to agree to 1) letting Ahsoka carry a 'shoto' and 2) getting the 'shoto' blade to be yellow? He has been steadfast on the Jedi blue/green/sometimes purple and Sith red thing forever. Are we going to see more saber colors in the future?

FILONI: I gave Ahsoka a shoto and George didn’t seem to mind. Her blade is green, though – a very yellow green. Some say it looks more yellow than green, but it’s green. Trust me. As for the rest, we’ll see reds, greens, blues and purple. That’s it. Tera Sinube’s saber was very light blue and Viszla has the only Dark Saber.


QUESTION 15. how did Cody get his scar?


FILONI: To be honest, I don’t know. If George knows, he hasn’t told me yet.


16. I saw in the latest issue of the INSIDER that you met with Peter Mayhew recently, before bringing Chewbacca into THE CLONE WARS. Just curious what such a meeting adds to your creative process? Or, do you just do it because you’re a fan who just wants the chance to hang out with Peter Mayhew? (Heck, I know that if I was in your position, I'd try and meet every cast and crew member from all 6 films at least once!)


FILONI: I wanted Peter to spend time with the crew so they would better understand the actor who played Chewie and his mannerisms. That made it even more important to get the details just right and respect the character. Peter shared a wealth of knowledge with us. He shared details about his performance, the mechanics of Chewie’s costume and discussed his personality and physical movements. Besides all of that, Peter is a great guy. He loves Star Wars and his passion for it after so many years is infectious. I wanted my crew to see that love of Star Wars, and understand that they are part of something very special. And yes, as a fan it’s great!
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FILONI: Thanks for noticing the upgrades and development of the character models. It has taken a great deal of work. Actually, Anakin and Obi-Wan have been upgraded; the changes are just very subtle. But both have slightly more rounded faces and Obi-Wan’s hair got a total overhaul.


FILONI: The third ending was that Osi-Sobeck was to report in to Count Dooku that the Jedi had escaped. Dooku would then order the crab droids to execute Sobeck.


FILONI: For now, Aayla has been mainly cast as a background Jedi. I would love to see her get a starring role if the story calls for it, but that hasn’t happened yet.


FILONI: We will try to get the timeline out really soon. It answers all your questions.

A story of bribery and blackmail. Cad Bane identifies Aurra Sing as critical to his prison break of Ziro the Hutt. Thus, it is Cad who breaks Aurra out of jail with the help and financing of the Hutts.

There are many librarians to service the temple needs. Jocasta works with high level Jedi and Padawans during the Clone Wars. Up until then, their paths had not crossed officially. Think of it like a freshman student at a school who knows of certain teachers, but has never met them.


FILONI: We will NOT be seeing young Han Solo. I’m not into that. I like meeting Han in the Cantina in Episode IV. As for the Mortis Trilogy – it is a beginning, not an ending.


FILONI: The Twilight is down for repairs. I almost had the Zillo Beast eat it as an homage to Godzilla – when he eats the train in the 1954 classic. I recently discussed a Twilight appearance, though…


FILONI: Satine used to call Obi-Wan “Ben” in an episode, but it was later revised to “Obi.” We reasoned that Obi-Wan would only use “Ben” during the period that he was in hiding, thus it would be a better secret name.


FILONI: Fives’ helmet has a stylized Rishi Eel on it, the creature that ate Cut-Up in “Rookies.” I’m hoping to get Bacarra in at some point, and the marines, but I don’t know when yet.


FILONI: I agree that Grievous has a lot to offer, and I know he has had some hard losses. Eventually, he will get a big win and maybe we can do more on him as we get closer to Revenge of the Sith. We’ll just have to wait and see.


FILONI: Possibly we’ll see the same class of ship in a background, but not the Falcon.


FILONI: I gave Ahsoka a shoto and George didn’t seem to mind. Her blade is green, though – a very yellow green. Some say it looks more yellow than green, but it’s green. Trust me. As for the rest, we’ll see reds, greens, blues and purple. That’s it. Tera Sinube’s saber was very light blue and Viszla has the only Dark Saber.


FILONI: I wanted Peter to spend time with the crew so they would better understand the actor who played Chewie and his mannerisms. That made it even more important to get the details just right and respect the character. Peter shared a wealth of knowledge with us. He shared details about his performance, the mechanics of Chewie’s costume and discussed his personality and physical movements. Besides all of that, Peter is a great guy. He loves Star Wars and his passion for it after so many years is infectious. I wanted my crew to see that love of Star Wars, and understand that they are part of something very special. And yes, as a fan it’s great![/align]
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[align=center]ANSWERS ONLY[/align]
There was no Savage Opress or Pre Vizla news.
New, rounded Anakin and Kenobi models on the horizon, with the question making an amusing comment about the main characters looking like Team America.

He was referring to the recent updates from "Heroes on Both Sides" onwards.

The models will look less like characters from Team America? Well, there goes my dream of watching Nute Gunray sing "I'm So Ronery".

And I agree with Alexrd, I think he was referring to the most up-to-date models.

Thats what I get for lunch. Yes the new Episode III-style model(s) introduced this season.

As most may know, Clone Wars were influenced by the Thunderbirds marionette show of which Team America satired. In the case of Clone Wars, there maybe a budget issue where the marion-animation look is turned from excuse to homage. Although for me, the intentional wooden character style also comes across as Hanna Barbara 3D - which is not a bad thing.


This Saturday is the SKY premiere of Wookiee Hunt. During previous seasons at the end of the finale, there was a preview for the upcoming one. I want to see Savage and maybe more film characters again.

Although they've always said that the series design is inspired by Thunderbirds, I've always thought it was also/mainly based on Paul Rudish's Clone Wars design.

Wow there's a whole lot of inspired stuff going on here The cargo ship looks like a Y-class from Star Trek Enterprise, the branch looks like it was taken from Avatar and the small landing crafts seem to be smaller version of the Killzone landers. Great episode overall.