Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Clone Wars -- "Destroy Malevolence" (Ep. 1.4)

 -- A plan is only as good as those who see it through.

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This episode hearkens back to A New Hope and the Death Star rescue. See, the Malevolence is a huge ship. Massive. It's three times bigger than the standard Imperial Star Destroyer (though still dwarfed by the Super Star Destroyer). Grievous, through the machinations of Darth Sidious, is able to take Padme (almost) hostage while trying to escape from Republic forces. Anakin, of course, goes to rescue her. There are also overtones of the droid factory from Attack of the Clones.

This episode also has what I think is the first physical confrontation between Obi-Wan and Grievous. Without looking up and cataloging all of their meetings, this seems to me to be an ongoing theme in Clone Wars which, of course, culminates in their final duel in Revenge of the Sith.

Probably, the most interesting part of the episode has to do with transportation inside these huge ships. Imperial Star Destroyers are pretty close to a mile long. Haven't you ever wondered how people get around inside of them without it taking forever? Especially on something like a Super Star Destroyer, which is close to four miles long. Imagine: You have a meeting with Vader in half an hour, but you're on the wrong end of the ship. How do you get there?

Of course, the Space Balls answer was interior teleporters. But Star Wars doesn't actually use teleportation, so maybe being force choked for being late is your only option.

Or is it? The answer "Destroy Malevolence" provides is a kind of high speed tram system. Considering that the Clone Wars series is canon, I have to assume that this is the official answer as to how people (or droids) get around on these huge ships. We don't get to see much beyond the bridge area of the Star Destroyers in the movies, but I would love to see how these would look. Not that I expect that we'll get any better look at the interiors of Star Destroyers in episode VII.

At any rate, it's a fun episode. It's fun to see Anakin on the rescuing side of the whole rescue-the-princess thing.

14 comments:

  1. Have you ever seen the tram system used by members of Congress at the Capitol Building? It's kind of like a lower tech version of what you see on Malevolence.

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    1. TAS: I have not, but now I want to!

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    2. I do wonder how people get around aircraft carriers. I know there are elevators but what about laterally? Those things are pretty darn long.

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    3. TAS: You made me have to look it up.
      It seems that you could probably walk the whole length in about 5 or 6 minutes, which isn't too bad.

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    4. I suppose no one with military training can complain about a long walk anyway.

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    5. TAS: Maybe they required to do it at a jog?

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  2. This one sounds like a fun episode. I haven't really thought about how people get around in large spaceships. There'd have to be something. Either that or people do a ton of walking in those things.

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    1. Cherie: It is fun.
      You have to notice that shows don't really show people moving around much within ships. Even in Star Trek, it's get on an elevator and end up where you want to go. They must have Wonkavators.

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  3. my kids watch this. and my nephews. I'm so in the dark... I mean, I'm on the dark side? just kidding...

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    1. Tammy: One thing I've learned from my wife, if you're on the Dark Side, just claim it.
      I'm almost the only Jedi in my house.

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  4. Now I'm 3 episodes behind. I'll get to it. Maybe.

    I read this and the one about your son. That one was hilarious. This one made me think: The Death Star would be like a Moon-PLUS. It's as big as the moon but because there's so much interior, it would be like a whole world. You could grow up in the Death Star, and never see the other side of it. Imagine the complexity of that kind of thing.

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    1. Briane: It is huge, and you can see the complexity of it in the RotJ with the incomplete Death Star II; however, a huge portion of the interior is actually just engine and planet-destroying gun.

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  5. I watched this ep less than a year ago but I don't recall anything about it. Even after your recap. Stupid brain. I might rewatch these if I ever get through Star Trek

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    1. Rusty: I'm sure I'm going to have episodes like that. I mean, off the top of my head, I can't actually remember all that many of them. Just pieces of things that happened in the series.

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