A More Civilized Q&A - April 2021

this is way late (hi, new patron catching up on the q&as) but what's that sound effect at 47:58

I'm pretty sure that by the original trilogy, most of the stormtroopers aren't clones anymore. They aren't useful as soldiers after about two decades due to how fast they age, and they are probably expensive to produce rather than just recruiting people as kids and indoctrinating them. I'm pretty sure there was an episode of Rebels that showed kids going through the academy to become stormtroopers. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Stormtrooper

Heidi, I love that post. It stuck with me for quite some time. In a very similar way, I really like this description of Palpatine https://prophecyguy.tumblr.com/post/627778878386176000/palpatine-is-the-best-villain-of-all-time-bc-hes

IntrepidVector

https://misskirby.tumblr.com/post/641355811272245248/as-much-as-i-love-vader-getting-to-fuck-palpatine This text post details an excellent AU in which Palpatine just drops dead and Vader's decisions thereafter

Heidi

There is not a lot extra to support the theory in the novelization. In fact, in the novel, after the cyborg-Vader wakes up, he does not say “I felt her, she was alive” like in the movie, which to me is a supporting detail. On the other hand, the novel has Palpatine giving Vader the same explanation as in the movie (in your anger you killed her), followed by a passage that describes Vader internalizing this and accepting it as truth. This makes me think of the podcast when they pointed out Palpatine’s manipulation after Anakin kills Dooku and turns on Mace Windu. It feels like it is the same trick here. The book also does give Palpatine additional motive to kill Padme and actually convinced Anakin that Padme is in danger d/t her petition-signing ways (as a “traitor to democracy”). Other signers are imprisoned or otherwise persecuted in the book. However, I think the theory makes sense even without this motive —it seems unlikely that Palpatine would want his dark apprentice to have love, responsibility, distraction, or another voice of morality in his life. Plus this loss fuels Vader’s hate (and self-hate) that make him stronger in the dark side. Palpatine is also very ruthless at eliminating threats to his power. Then add his multiple assertions that he has the power to save a life by manipulating midiclorians. Finally, there was nothing physically wrong with Padme, but the droids would not be likely to be able to detect if she were being force drained by a Sith Lord. This is all supported by both the movie and novel, and to me the most likely explanation.

Katie Knaebe

Ive heard this theory but is there anything in the novel that hints towards this? Ive always liked this theory.

Release the 8 minute Hyperspace War episode!

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A More Civilized Age

Just finished the ROTS novelization. It does NOT have Separatist Padme with a knife. However, it does include the plot line of the Senators meeting and organizing a Change.org petition—2000 senators (including Padme, but excluding Organa) signed it. The senators even meet with Palpatine, who later uses it as evidence of their “treason” and imprisons several of the signers. Palpatine also uses Padme’s inclusion in this as leverage over Anakin and to stoke suspicion/jealousy over her relationship with Obi-Wan. Padmé was also the one who advises Organa to play along with the Empire publicly while building the rebellion. Not quite as juicy as Separatist Padmé, but certainly less passive than as shown in the movie. This was NOT addressed in the novel, but I also am wondering whether Palpatine killed Padmé, rather than her “dying of sadness.” The “nothing medically wrong” made me think of how there may not be anything “physically” wrong with someone who is being force-choked. There is certainly some internet chatter that believes this to be true—that Palps used her life force to save Anakin. That may better explain/justify the dual “birthing” scenes. It also makes Anakin’s fall that more tragic—he is left with the weight of believing he killed his wife, when in fact she was literally murdered by his master to better ensnare him into his service. She also was not fully resigned like someone dying of sadness would be, I imagine—she is hopeful, stating, lthere is still good in him.” I’m not sure that I buy this theory, but I like it better than “died of sadness.”

Katie Knaebe

Atris is a fantastic mess of a woman and that's some serious girlboss stuff tbh, fantastic to hear her on the pod

Alice H

What's the email to send questions to for next month?

Brian Dorfman

Absolutely no trust in Bail Organa and the delegation of 2000 to step in and take care of the Senate. Also no mention of the deleted scenes from rots with Padme taking center stage with Bail in creating the beginnings of the Rebellion. Loving the pod, but not liking the pessimistic viewpoint that people in power will do what they can to keep their power (specifically Jedi). Are the Jedi perfect? No, but they were at worst looking at going back to the status quo of before Palpatine became more involved with galactic politics. Also iirc, the Jedi had a bunch of evidence that the Sith Lord was behind the clone wars, just not that he and Palpatine were the same person. So if Mace kills Palpatine, the Jedi are probably removed completely from the senate power structure. Also the Russan Reformation and Darth Bane are what the Jedi are referencing in TPM. Should have just waited until the end before commenting, but the negativity towards the Catholic Church very much informs their thoughts on Jedi. But the main difference is that Catholicism (and religion in general) is based on faith. Something that you can’t physically touch. But Jedi can physically touch and use the force. They have tangential proof that the force exists. So while they have the appearance of a church, they are not. They are more like selective warrior monk (in fact weren’t the described as such somewhere?) that are attached to the government until rots.

I’m not sure which episode it was recently but Austin made a reference to “bigger Luke” which sent me down a very... weird... internet rabbit hole

SpillboBaggins