The Great Star Wars Watchthrough

[Tvtyrant]

I have two explanations that I like better:
1) Padme is a creep, she grooms the young former slave from the moment she meets him into being her pet - with predictable bad for these kindof things.
- This is why she is ok with him killing a whole load of sand people - she enjoys the power she has over him and him being powerful is part of that.
- Why she doesn't balk at the dialogue - she wants to ensure that no other woman would have him and that everyone who meets him thinks he is a wierdo - so she trained him to talk like that.
- etc

alternative,
2) Palpatine has messed with Padme's mind to force her to groom Anakin (per the above) knowing that it will lead Anakin down a dark path which will forever dominate his destiny.

Grooming the adult she met one time when she was a teen and he was a kid? That's not grooming. It's not even unethical, I've been the guy in that relationship (friend's older sister who came back from college.)

He had a crush, remet his crush and since he didn't know her long enough for the crush to fade naturally it rekindled. She likes him because as a Jedi he is equal to her and doesn't care about court politics, he likes her as a woman.

It wasn't well done at all, but the elements were there.

[dancrilis]

Grooming the adult she met one time when she was a teen and he was a kid? That's not grooming. It's not even unethical, I've been the guy in that relationship (friend's older sister who came back from college.)

He had a crush, remet his crush and since he didn't know her long enough for the crush to fade naturally it rekindled. She likes him because as a Jedi he is equal to her and doesn't care about court politics, he likes her as a woman.

It wasn't well done at all, but the elements were there.

Here is the scene where they meet:


On the face if it you are right about them not meeting, the crush also didn't rekindle he was thinking about her a lot - again if you take everything at face value.
However if his 'it's been ten years since I've seen her' is in fact a lie to deflect, and if the related dialogue (from Padme) was also merely to throw people off - well then the theory still holds.

[Tvtyrant]

Here is the scene where they meet:


On the face if it you are right about them not meeting, the crush also didn't rekindle he was thinking about her a lot - again if you take everything at face value.
However if his 'it's been ten years since I've seen her' is in fact a lie to deflect, and if the related dialogue (from Padme) was also merely to throw people off - well then the theory still holds.

She lives on another planet and he was a child slave-soldier being brainwashed in a guarded temple. It would take a massive plot for them to meet while he was in training with out other's knowing, not to mention she discourages him at first.

Also what does making her a predatory manipulator add to the story?

[Peelee]

She lives on another planet and he was a child slave-soldier being brainwashed in a guarded temple. It would take a massive plot for them to meet while he was in training with out other's knowing, not to mention she discourages him at first.

Also what does making her a predatory manipulator add to the story?

While I agree with you wholeheartedly, I don't think "what does X add to the story" was really something Lucas concerned himself with.

[Sapphire Guard]

But for what itÂ’s worth. I donÂ’t think movies get romance, or understand it all that well. They keep portraying it as big sappy speeches and forced laughter. One pursuer and one pursues. When as far as I have seen that is only true for teenagers. Which, fine Anakin is supposed to be. But we donÂ’t ever confuse that nonsense for actual romance. ThatÂ’s lust and hormones.

I don't think that's what we have here.

What we see is Anakin struggling to focus and be impressive at first, Padme not buying it, not responding because it would be a catastrophe for them both. Then they get to spend time together, and actually get to know each other, they talk about their beliefs and histories. It goes a fair bit deeper than your average action movie romance, and they're smart enough to realise that a relationship wouldn't work.

Then they get scheduled to be executed, and decide 'screw it, why not?'

[dancrilis]

She lives on another planet and he was a child slave-soldier being brainwashed in a guarded temple. It would take a massive plot for them to meet while he was in training with out other's knowing, not to mention she discourages him at first.

Also what does making her a predatory manipulator add to the story?

As a child he built C-3PO (and she makes use of body doubles) I am sure they can figure out how to make a clandestine telephone call.

What it adds to the story is that it makes her slightly more interesting - and makes the romance make slightly more sense.

Frankly if they redo the prequels I think they could do worse then retconning her as Palpatine's true Sith Apprentice (with Maul and Tyranus being a weapon and a tool respectively) - but that is getting into more imagination land territory.

[Dire_Flumph]

As a child he built C-3PO (and she makes use of body doubles) I am sure they can figure out how to make a clandestine telephone call.

Funny, episode 2 of the latest clone wars series showed him doing exactly that, routing the call through the helmet of the captain of his clone squad and through a holoprojector one assumes he had rigged up as well. Honestly the best scene of the episode and the best use of their relationship in either the show or prequels.

[Peelee]

I thought that scene was poorly written. Here's how I saw it:

Anakin: I've gotten the signal the Obi-Wan is about to be here.
Padmé: OK. Let's needlessly risk everything by not ending the call and instead continuing to talk.
Anakin: Oh, let's do!

[dancrilis]

I thought that scene was poorly written. Here's how I saw it:

Anakin: I've gotten the signal the Obi-Wan is about to be here.
Padmé: OK. Let's needlessly risk everything by not ending the call and instead continuing to talk.
Anakin: Oh, let's do!

It isn't as if she knew that Obi-Wan was going to chop Anakin in half and steal (and hide) his kids if he found out they were together.

But I agree - I liked the scene but they should have wrapped it up quicker when they thought they needed to wrap it up.

[Dire_Flumph]

Anakin lingering on the call seemed foolish, but hardly out of character, I wouldn't put it on poor writing. Given that his marriage to Padme is normally used in the series to justify him flying into a jealous rage at Clovis or anyone who looks at her funny, this was in contrast a genuinely sweet character moment.

[Peelee]

Anakin lingering on the call seemed foolish, but hardly out of character, I wouldn't put it on poor writing. Given that his marriage to Padme is normally used in the series to justify him flying into a jealous rage at Clovis or anyone who looks at her funny, this was in contrast a genuinely sweet character moment.

You're assuming I don't also chuck those moments up to poor writing.

[Dire_Flumph]

You're assuming I don't also chuck those moments up to poor writing.

I would assume you do since they are bad writing. I occasionally like running through some Clone Wars episodes, but Padme ones tend to be instant skips for that reason. "I trusted you (fill in the blank) and you betrayed me!"

[Peelee]

I would assume you do since they are bad writing. I occasionally like running through some Clone Wars episodes, but Padme ones tend to be instant skips for that reason. "I trusted you (fill in the blank) and you betrayed me!"

Ha! OK, you got me. I'll totally cop to this being a much sweeter moment (though badly written) as than their normal interactions (which are badly written).