Darths & Droids IV: Not in Numerical Order

[Fincher]

Spoiler: Chrome-Trooper

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To be fair, she is kind of forgettable. There's nothing Phasma does that couldn't have filled by nameless extras.
Which is one of the few things I actually hold against the sequels.

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I remembered Phasma fine, but I was thinking memnarch will be surprised when Phasma is unmasked only to remember she never takes the mask off, so she really can just be Grievous 2.0. But when they see The Force Awakens, they'll be surprised.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Hmm, that raises an interesting point for the team. Should keybounce and memnarch avoid watching TFA once the arc finishes, since that affects what they expect for the rest of the trilogy?

[SirKazum]

Hmm, that raises an interesting point for the team. Should keybounce and memnarch avoid watching TFA once the arc finishes, since that affects what they expect for the rest of the trilogy?

Of course that's nobody's business but theirs, but at any rate my understanding was that they were going to hold off on ALL new Star Wars movies until the comics were finished (well, at least up until the Ep. 9 equivalent wraps up), which is why this is a truly monumental undertaking on their part that's got mad respect from me.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Honestly, after the fandom reaction to TFA, I completely skipped TLJ and TROS, and intend to period. So I don't see it as monumental as much as just choosing to spend the limited number of hours you have on the planet doing something else.

[Rockphed]

Honestly, after the fandom reaction to TFA, I completely skipped TLJ and TROS, and intend to period. So I don't see it as monumental as much as just choosing to spend the limited number of hours you have on the planet doing something else.

While there is a good story somewhere in TLJ and TRS, the movies do more to obscure it than they do to tell it.

[Gez]

It's a sand wasteland planet, and here we have a trooper that's all shiny and chrome...

[SirKazum]

Honestly, after the fandom reaction to TFA, I completely skipped TLJ and TROS, and intend to period. So I don't see it as monumental as much as just choosing to spend the limited number of hours you have on the planet doing something else.

It's not so much not watching the movies, but rather avoiding any of the omnipresent nerd-sphere references, merchandise etc. that might spoil them that's monumental. For instance...

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they don't seem to know if Kylo Ren even has a face underneath that helmet and all, but it's hard to not have seen Adam Driver's mug all over the place in connection with the character.

[Morquard]

It's not so much not watching the movies, but rather avoiding any of the omnipresent nerd-sphere references, merchandise etc. that might spoil them that's monumental. For instance...

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they don't seem to know if Kylo Ren even has a face underneath that helmet and all, but it's hard to not have seen Adam Driver's mug all over the place in connection with the character.

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It's quite possible they've seen Kylo Ren's face before and maybe screenshots and scenes and all that. But they might not connect it to Kylo till the first time he actually takes of the helmet and then they go "OMG THAT WAS HIM?!"

[Rogar Demonblud]

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Or they have and they're playing the part of newbs.

[SirKazum]

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Or they have and they're playing the part of newbs.

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The thought did cross my mind. Anyway, I guess that's something we might ask of Keybounce once the mask comes off, like "have you seen this dude in this specific role around the internet somewhere"

[Gez]

I haven't watched the sequel movies, but I did see this (spoiler, obvs) which does reveal Lord Black Helmet's face. I can't wait to see if that finger puppet and action figure scene is really from the movie or just skillful editing; it's so stupid.

[keybounce]

All those spoilers :-0. And yes, I'm commenting (right now, for tomorrow) on Chrome Dome's shining armor, and what would seem to need a forcefield to keep clean.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Have you ever given thought to how all those paladins get their white surcoats to stay so shiny when trampling in the woods and dungeons all the time?

[Douglas]

Have you ever given thought to how all those paladins get their white surcoats to stay so shiny when trampling in the woods and dungeons all the time?

In the Deed of Paksenarrion series, it's a magical side benefit granted by their patron deities. The whole "knight in shining armor" appearance helps with getting people to follow them when they show up out of nowhere on a quest and need to rally people to action.

[VoxRationis]

I mean, it would take a lot of polishing, but it's not as though that hasn't been the case with lots of metal objects exposed to air and dust and whatnot. Either the wearer dedicates time to polishing it, or has someone do it for them. In Star Wars, it's even easier, because you could just have a droid do it. A small and mobile enough droid, like those little floating training orbs, could even follow the wearer around and polish scuffs in the field as they occurred. Practical for the everyday soldier? No. Within the realm of possibility for a commander? Yes.

What bugs me is the fact that the First Order has so many pieces of all-new equipment that imitate old Imperial designs, rather than just uses Imperial surplus gear. In none of the sequel movies do their logistics make any sense. How does a small and out-of-the-way remnant get all this new hardware? It's especially egregious for infantry equipment because the old equipment should be plentiful (unlike Star Destroyers, where one could imagine that the New Republic made a point of tracking down and decommissioning each one, or at least so many that one couldn't make a useful fleet from the ones that slipped through the cracks, there would be so many old stormtrooper suits and E-11s that they should be something like AK-47s) and seems to be mostly on par with newer equipment (again, unlike with capital ships, where we see that the new designs have advantages).

[Elkins]

You know, I saw this movie in the theater when it first came out, but I remember so little of it that half of this scene is material I would have sworn I'd never seen before. It's making reading the strip a rather strange experience, as while I do remember the overall contours of the plot, in many other ways I feel like I'm in our commentators' shoes.

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That time stop thing really did happen in the film, huh? Weird. I have no memory of that bit whatsoever.

[Keltest]

You know, I saw this movie in the theater when it first came out, but I remember so little of it that half of this scene is material I would have sworn I'd never seen before. It's making reading the strip a rather strange experience, as while I do remember the overall contours of the plot, in many other ways I feel like I'm in our commentators' shoes.

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That time stop thing really did happen in the film, huh? Weird. I have no memory of that bit whatsoever.

Spoiler: Dont read Keybounce

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It wasn't time stop, it was telekinesis applied to the blaster shot and Poe, holding them immobile.

[Rockphed]

Spoiler: Dont read Keybounce

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It wasn't time stop, it was telekinesis applied to the blaster shot and Poe, holding them immobile.

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I remember almost expecting Poe to end up getting placed in the path of his blaster bolt for the interrogation.

[Elkins]

Thanks, Keltest! Still not remembering it, but it's good to know how it actually played out.

Now I'm wondering how much of my failure to remember the details of this scene might just be because it's the first scene of a movie I only saw once (and unlike a lot of folks here, I'm not a huge Star Wars fan, so I didn't have the kind of anticipation built up for it that a more die-hard SW person might have). It wouldn't surprise me if first scenes seen in a theater simply don't lodge as well in the memory, simply because as a viewer, you're still settling into your seat, you're still easing your brain into viewing mode, you don't yet have much context for the new characters, and so forth. I know I didn't actually miss the beginning, and there are quite a few scenes from later on in the film that I remember vividly.

Hmmm. Now I'm trying to decide whether I want to hunt down a copy of the movie to rewatch in order to enhance my Darths & Droids experience, or whether it would be more fun to remain clueless. Decisions, decisions...

[Rogar Demonblud]

I'd say avoid the rewatch, and see how much you do remember. For SCIENCE!

[Rodin]

I'd say avoid the rewatch, and see how much you do remember. For SCIENCE!

I did that with the prequels, and can recommend it. There's so much goofy stuff that I had no memory of. Summon Bigger Fish comes to mind.

[Elkins]

Continue flying blind it is then!

I still have never seen most of the prequel trilogy. My association with those visuals is nearly entirely D&D based. Every once in a while I learn something about the actual plot of those movies and burst out laughing.

(Most recently it was the "there are always only two" thing. There were only ever two Sith at a time?! My housemates found it amazing that I'd somehow never learned this before. I was too busy laughing over the idea of the legendary bane of the Jedi being...you know, just these two guys. Always these two guys. One of whom is always a student. Man, that was really not how I imagined it when all the original trilogy lore first started dripping out in the late '70s and early '80s.)

[keybounce]

I'm pretty sure the "only 2 sith" was a retcon for the prequel trilogy. And yes, it doesn't make sense either.

My favorite take on this was a fan-made video (YouTube somewhere) where the sith lord tells his student that his final exam is to defeat this second student. The two would-be next darths are fighting, and it ends with

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they kill each other, leaving the master with no students.
Seriously, why did they not team up, defeat the old master, and rule the galaxy as student and student? :-)

[Kantaki]

Continue flying blind it is then!

I still have never seen most of the prequel trilogy. My association with those visuals is nearly entirely D&D based. Every once in a while I learn something about the actual plot of those movies and burst out laughing.

(Most recently it was the "there are always only two" thing. There were only ever two Sith at a time?! My housemates found it amazing that I'd somehow never learned this before. I was too busy laughing over the idea of the legendary bane of the Jedi being...you know, just these two guys. Always these two guys. One of whom is always a student. Man, that was really not how I imagined it when all the original trilogy lore first started dripping out in the late '70s and early '80s.)

To be fair, the whole "strength in numbers" thing didn't really work out for them, if we go by (old) EU-lore.

Usually it ends with various splinter groups backstabbing each other and the Jedi mopping up the sad remainders. Until the next jerk stumbles over some evil textbook.

Kaan's Sith-Order probably did best, managing to stalemate the Jedi on Ruusan, but he still wasn't winning.

Especially not once Bane backstabbed them epically- no really, getting the whole group to nuke themselves was genius -so he could rebuild the Sith.

Not that you can argue with his success- under the Rule of Two the Sith probably were more successful than ever before.

Not that the whole only two there are thing's entirely accurate.
There's always some dark-side assassins or fallen Jedi among the pawns and a clever apprentice has their own potential student* already up their sleeve.
Those just aren't Sith, just like not everyone in the Order is a Jedi.

*Or at least some deluded moron they manipulate.

[memnarch]

I was going to say I didn't remember a chrome trooper at all. I was wondering if they'd made up an NPC out of whole cloth and Kylo in different lighting (they're not in the same frame, see?) Then I looked up the internet and realised I actually did know the character. Too long since I saw the movies.

(Don't google Chrome Trooper, keybounce and memnarch.)

I'd actually dropped out of the thread awhile back; probably around when the first movie came out. Then I saw the Keybounce mention that someone in forums somewhere brought up the scratched chrome part (which wasn't talked about in the irregular's forums from what I saw) and thought I'd tentatively poke my head back in for a bit, figuring that if it's easy enough for them to avoid spoilers in the general thread here, then I can take a look too.

Hmm, that raises an interesting point for the team. Should keybounce and memnarch avoid watching TFA once the arc finishes, since that affects what they expect for the rest of the trilogy?

Good news then! I already wasn't planning on watching any of them until the comic's done with IX. (haven't seen Rogue One yet either)

[Rodin]

I think the Storm Troopers have been watching Mitchell and Webb.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Trooper 1: {shooting unarmed civilians} Have you ever wondered if, maybe, we’re the bad guys?
Trooper 2: Don’t be ridiculous, we’re in white costumes!

And that right there is the second best argument against color-coded morality, the first being Lee Van Cleef in Have Gun, Will Travel.

[Kantaki]

I love the reasoning here.
"Nah, slaughtering unarmed prisoners is totally cool, I just want to murderize the guy who ganked my buddy first"

Ought to be good when Finn works out who Kylo's guest is.

[Gez]

I love the reasoning here.
"Nah, slaughtering unarmed prisoners is totally cool, I just want to murderize the guy who ganked my buddy first"

If you were expecting something different from Sir Die-You-Filthy-Villagers... It's quite clear Flynn was an enthusiastic mass-slaughterer from the start. He's just upset his fellow genocidal maniac has gotten a taste of his own medicine.

[Kantaki]

And I just realized.
Kylo's entirely truthful here.
There is no point searching the killer (at night) and they wouldn't find anyone who fled into the desert.

Because Poe didn't flee and he's about to leave the planet aboard Kylo's ship.