Topic: The Clone Wars, "The Mandalore Plot" Episode

Topic to discuss this particular episode, which aired tonight.

SPOILERS

* The holocron scene we saw in the teaser video
* Two Mandalorians kicking around Obi-Wan in an industrial building
* Obi-Wan upside-down in a yellow container; rescue attempt by the Dutchess; two Mandalorians holding her arms; Obi-Wan breaking out and, again, kicking the Mandalorians...
* Group of Mandalorians firing guns at Obi-Wan and company; three ordered to "stop him" use their jetpacks; one gets knocked off by a blaster
* Governor Pre Vizsla walking up, says "failure," and shoots the injured Mandalorian; takes his helmet off, recognized as the governor: "For generations, my ancestors fought proudly as warriors against you Jedi. And now that woman tarnishes the very name Mandalorian. Defend her if you will. (Throws lightsaber.) This lightsaber [referencing a black lightsaber] was stolen from your Jedi Temple by my ancestors during the fall of the Old Republic. Since then, many Jedi have died upon its blade. Prepare yourself to join them."
* Fight, including a moment where Pre uses his jetpack. "Warriors, finish him." They fire three jetpack rockets, which all miss, but have some kind of tracking which corners Obi-Wan in the industrial building's basement.
* "Should we go after him, sir?" said by a Mandalorian with a Jango-esque accent. "No. There's no time. Don't worry. We'll catch up with the Dutchess."

I like that they actually had Mandalorian font in the background screen when Viszla was talking with Dooku. 

Also, when the one Death Watch, who jumped from the balcony, was dying, they actually had him speaking in Mando'a.  He even uses the phrase "Darasuum Kote," which is Mando'a for "Eternal Glory," made popular in the song from the Republic Commando games.

Also, a "Duchess of Mandalore?"  Really?  Are you serious? 
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Satine_Kryze

I know they're saying the planet isn't Mandalore and that it's actually a planet in the Mandalore system called Kalevala, but that is never referenced in the episode at all.  But, Concordia actually is supposed to be a moon of the planet Mandalore, so which is it, Mandalore or Kalevala?
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Kalevala

So, was the moon's name that the Death Watch was based on, "Concordia," supposed to be an homage to Concord Dawn?  Jango Fett's homeworld and also located in the Mandalore system
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Concord_Dawn
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Concordian

And where were the rangefinders on the Mandalorian helmets?  It's not like they couldn't draw them on there.  Captain Rex's rangefinder is based off of Mandalorian helmet designs.  Oh well.

Cool that they referenced the Old Republic. So there's a nice tie-in.

This fascinating I'm glad they're tying in the Mandalorians.

I found the whole episode upsetting. None of it is like I imagine it should be. If that was Mandalore, it's not the Mandalore I envision. I don't remember there being a Duchess of Mandalore during the Clone Wars. I also don't like the idea of Mandalore being peaceful.

I'm going to watch the rest of the Mandalorian episodes, in hope of them explaining things better.

No wonder Karen Traviss quit.

I was a little taken aback by Clone Wars interpretation of Mandalore.  I am amost done with reading Karen Traviss's 501st.  After getting little glimpses of life and culture and well done descriptive writing of urban and rural life on Mandalore, I envisioned our beloved planet Mandalore being more green and rustic even in the more built up capital city of Keldabe.  What I saw as Kenobi flew in was a waste bare planet with a bubble city.

Was that Keldabe he flew into to meet the duchess or a different city?
Shouldn't there be more green and forest, plains, rivers over the planet's surface than a featureless bluish haze?
The bubble city they flew into looked like a miniature Coruscant with heavy traffic in the speeder lanes and all those tall buildings in a built up disctrict that streched forever.  Wha?
All those Mando'ade walking around and not one wearing the traditional beskar'gam except for the Death Watch on Condcordia? Huh?

I wish I had the capabilities to create a video that would show that episode again but with info bubbles popping up throughout the show pointing out inconsistentsies or observations that agree or disagree with the Mandalore and Mando'ade we know.  Does anybody have the ability and desire to create a video of that whole episode with observational info bubbles edited in as the show plays and then put it on YouTube or something?  That would be great for this community to create a video analyzing everything we saw in that episode.

I watched the first half, don't ask why, the seond half cut out.

To be honest I enjoyed what I saw. I will have a better review once I have seen it.

A quick little episode commentary about the episode with some background easter eggs.

http://www.starwars.com/video/view/000946.html

Looks like maybe it's supposed to be Mandalore from the Knights of the Old Republic comic book series.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mandalore_the_Ultimate

Enjoy.

Finally, a dream come true. Mandalorians in TCW series! Ever since I watched the Season Two trailer (fall 2009) I was so excited how this would turn out. So last Saturday I watched it on the Internet. Here's my review:
-Positive stuff:
Return of the Death Watch! Yeah!

This episode introduces a number of new characters and vehicles to the SW universe, like: Satine Kryze, Pre Vizsla, Mandalorian fighters / shuttles / speeders. This is good, since I would have hated it if they would not have put anything new in it. This also expands the things we know about the Mando's so far.

Connection to the Old Republic Era.

The Darksaber. In the beginning I though this was rather cool looking, a Death Watch dude with a fricken' "black" lightsaber. Now I still think the saber is awsome, but a Mando with a lightsaber? No, that's not "Mando-ish".

Pre Vizsla. Awsome looking guy with his cape and all. His quotes were great in the episode, especially the one about the Death Watch and his ancestors. I also liked the part when Vizsla shot a fellow Mando, after he failed to kill Kenobi. Not that I like it when Mando's get shot :-P, but this demonstrated Vizsla ruthlesness. Btw, I hate his face and only like him in full beskar'gam.

Death Watch armor. Amazing design. It's a bit of a shame that they did not add rangefinders, but still they look pretty cool to me. And I think not all Mando's should have to have them, a bit diversity never harms.

New weapons. The blasters look great and fit nice with the armor. They also make the same sound as Jango's pistols.

The Death Watch bomber. It's a nice detail to make him speak Mando'a. (Well actually it isn't even really Mando'a. It was a Concordian dialect of Mando'a.)

-Negative stuff:
The New Mandalorians. You can not be called a "Mandalorian" if you are some pacifist group that hates fighting or any type of aggression.

Duchess Satine. The character wasn't that bad actually. They only screwed it up by making her the "Duchess of Mandalore". If you lead Mando's, you are the "Mandalore" not some stupid "Duchess".

All the people on Sundari (the city on Mandalore you see) look alike. They looked like clones, come on!

Unfortunantly, this episode contained little about the stuff we already knew about Mandalorians. It was all new. This does not have to be a bad thing, but the new elements were just crappy.

The verdict:
Good episode, but the New Mandalorians screwed it up.

Continue the discussion on Fettipedia: http://www.bobafettfanclub.com/fettipedia/The_Clone_Wars