Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Angels Unbound: Dumah (a-to-z) and Clone Wars -- "Clone Cadets" (Ep. 3.1)

Dumah
Having a body covered with eyes is not an uncommon thing among Angels. I don't know how often it occurs, but I've already included another of them, Uri'el, in the Shadow Spinner world. It's kind of freaky, if you ask me. Dumah is an Angel of Death, another recurring theme, and carries a fiery rod. He is the Angel of silence and the stillness of death. I like that. As quiet as the grave...


Clone Wars
-- Brothers in arms are brothers for life.

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Remember when I said these episodes were not all in order? Well, this is an example of that. "Clone Cadets" is the prequel to the season one episode "Rookies." It's an interesting story to tell considering that we already know what comes next. Bittersweet.

The five members of Domino squad do not get along and are considered jokes, at best, by everyone else. They are so bad that Shaak Ti, the Jedi onsite, is having to consider whether they will wash out of training, something, evidently, that just doesn't happen.

Shaak Ti is distressed enough by the evident failure of the squad that she talks to the Kaminoans about it, and they, in a round about way, blame the Jedi. The Jedi killed Jango Fett, their genetic source of clone material, so it's the Jedi's fault that the newer clones aren't holding up. They suggest finding a new source of genetic material or, the implication is, shut up about it.

There's an interesting character, a failed clone, called 99. He's in charge of maintenance, maintenance being where the failed clones go, apparently. 99, as is so often the case with service personnel, is able to see and hear things that probably he shouldn't be aware of. Mostly, though, he is just an outsider, an interesting perspective from one of the clones. Because of his position, though, he's able to offer valuable advice at a key moment and teach one of the clones a valuable lesson just because of the source. The whole relationship that happens there is rather touching. And, again, bittersweet, since we know what's going to happen to that trooper.

It's a good, very good, episode. It's another that explores the individuality of beings who should all be essentially the same and what can happen when the individuality is allowed to remain rather than trying to force them all into conformity.

11 comments:

  1. Fancy being covered in eyes. Sounds a tad creepy. Don't know much about the Clone wars.

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    1. Jo: It is creepy. That's what I was going for when I introduced Uri'el in Spinner.

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  2. I have strong affection for this storyline. I'm always glad to see development for the clones and these five, in particular, are ripe for it.

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    1. TAS: I wish it was still five. I really liked Hevy.

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  3. As a teacher, I have more eyes than most of the general population. Pair that with being a mother, and hey, I'm almost an angel.

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    1. Donna: I think my kids used to believe that I really did have eyes in the back of my head.

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  4. As I said on Squids post, When we first see the clones when Obi Wan discovered them the clone they all act as one. So for me seeing the difference with each clone is really amazing.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. parsnip: Do mean in Attack of the Clones?

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    2. parsnip: Think more Revenge of the Sith and Captain Rex, who is a big character in Clone Wars.

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  5. hahahahahahaha, I should just stick with "oooooooooo pretty"
    But I did catch up.

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