Tuesday, December 26, 2023

The Clone Wars - S2E15 - "Senate Murders"

The climactic scene of "Senate Murders" features some significant lighting.

Lieutenant Divo suspects Senator Burtoni for the murders of Senator Farr and Senator Deechi, partially because the poison that killed Farr was developed by Kaminoans and Burtoni is a Kaminoan.  When Divo mentions that the poison affects only Rodians, however, Senator Amidala notes an inconsistency:  if the poison affects Rodians and the senatorial party all drank the poisoned drinks, Lolo would have been poisoned too.  As Amidala is considering this, Lolo is standing behind her, covered by her shadow:



As Amidala remembers that Lolo didn't drink, Lolo steps out from behind her, pulls a blaster on Amidala, and admits to the murders:


Lolo's standing in the shadow here represents two things.  On a simple level, it shows that she's trying to avoid the scrutiny of the investigation, but, more metaphorically, it also illustrates that her involvement has been obscured while Divo has been conducting his investigation and Amidala and Senator Organa have been doing their own.  None of them considered Lolo as a suspect until this moment, and when she steps out into the light, she reveals everything.  The shadow she's hiding in represents the characters' ignorance.

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

The Clone Wars - S2E14 - "Duchess of Mandalore"

In "Duchess of Mandalore," Duchess Satine doesn't accept the helping hand that one of her guards extends to her as she gets into her speeder, and this is a significant detail.


Satine's not accepting her guard's help visually illustrates how extreme her independence has become.  Later, Obi-Wan confronts her about this:  "You need your friends with you, not held at arm's length.  In your quest to be self-reliant have you decided to cut your friends out of your life?"

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

The Clone Wars - S2E13 - "Voyage of Temptation"

For most of "Voyage of Temptation," Duchess Satine is wearing an elaborate headdress:


When Tal Merrick* takes her hostage, however, he knocks her headdress off:


When it appears as if Merrick is going to escape with her as his prisoner, Satine confesses her love for Obi-Wan:  "Obi-Wan, it looks like I may never see you again.  I don't know quite how to say this, but I've loved you from the moment you came to my aid all those years ago."

Satine's headdress represents the hidden nature of her feelings.  Only after it's been dislodged are they exposed.

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*There's some discrepancy in how Merrick's name is spelt.  In the credits, it's Merrick, but on the Star Wars website, it's Merrik.

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

The Clone Wars - S1E22 - Hostage Crisis

When Anakin gives Padmé his lightsaber in "Hostage Crisis" to prove his love for her, he does so in such a way that, if it were activated, the blade would impale her:


To some degree, this foreshadows the events of Revenge of the Sith where Anakin's turn to the dark side causes Padmé to lose her will to live.  Here, he comes very close to injuring her fatally.