Fan Fiction – Revenge of the Master – Chapter 3

Hello Friends! I realize that I have not posted anything in over three weeks, and I apologize whole heartedly. School and university classes have started up once again in full force. I have had little to no time to write anything at all, but thankfully, this Sunday evening I have carved out a little to time to post something for you all. However, since I don’t have a whole lot of time, I have decided to post a chapter of my Fan Fiction for you all to enjoy.

I promise that my post on Attack of the Clones is coming soon, but it will just take me a little more time. Thank you all for understanding!

Any who, without further ado, I present chapter three of Revenge of the Master that I have titled, From Cruiser to Coruscant. Enjoy! 😄

…

The Doctor, Amy, Rory, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and the Chancellor were roughly being marched to General Grievous’s command deck. Amy and Rory fell into stride with the Doctor at the back of group.

“Doctor, why would the Tardis leave us behind?” Amy whispered softly, close to his ear.

“Yeah—she’s never done that before. She always so—you know—reliable,” Rory added also in a muffled whisper.

“I don’t know…but she would only leave if forced too. It doesn’t make any sense,” the Doctor paused and squinted in deep thought. “But…when we landed, I scanned the area and found high levels of time energy. Perhaps there has been a misalignment in time—or worse, a fracture.”

The Doctor suddenly looked at them both and broad smile on his face.

“Who knows?” he chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “We’ll just have to find out.”

They were marched into the command deck where the cyborg General Grievous stood awaiting them.

“Ah…yes…the negotiator. General Kenobi…we’ve been expecting you…” Grievous announced in a scratchy, automated, yet humanistic voice. “That wasn’t much of a rescue.”

“And…” before he could continue, he erupted into a series of wheezing coughs. Rory frantically pulled his shirt up to cover his nose and mouth, apparently afraid to catch some kind of space disease. Amy glanced at him and rolled her eyes. 

Grievous continued walking forward, “Anakin Skywalker. I was expecting someone with your reputation to be a bit…older.”

“Well that’s not very nice, you oversized…puffy…bully,” Amy managed, trying her best to sound threatening, but her Scottish accent was not in the least helping.

“Nice,” Rory mumbled.

The Doctor laughed under his breath.

“We have a job to do, Mrs. Pond. Try not to upset him,” Obi-Wan reprimanded. He was clearly exasperated.

“Your lightsabers will make a fine addition to my collection,” Grievous wheezed, placing Anakin’s and Obi-Wan’s lightsabers into the pockets of his large cloak.

“Not this time. And this time, you won’t escape,” Obi-Wan said.

“R2,” Anakin called out.

At that precise moment R2 let out a blast of electricity, catching Grievous and his protectors off guard. Obi-Wan spun and telekinetically attracted his lightsaber, sending it flying into his hands from the inside of the Cyborg’s cloak. He made quick work of freeing his and Anakin’s bonds. Both Jedi knights were now armed and ready to strike.

“Crush them—make them suffer!” General Grievous snarled, enraged. His guards leapt into action.

Rory grabbed Amy and pulled her down as the fighting commenced while the Doctor joined the Jedis, disabling battle droids left and right with his Sonic Screwdriver. Obi-Wan and Anakin quickly destroyed the higher-ranking droids.

“Rory…look,” Amy murmured in his ear, pointing behind them, where the Chancellor was being dragged away by two battle droids.

In a second she was out of Rory’s grasp, wrenching a blaster out of a disabled battle droid’s hand.  

“Amy…” Rory mouthed after her. He hesitated for only a second before sprinting after her.

He reached her just as she blasted one of the two battle droids into oblivion.

“Hey…whoa!” the other droid screeched as Rory bonked it on the head then kicked it into a corner.

Amy helped the Chancellor to his feet. He nodded his thanks as he turned to watch the engaging battle that lay before them.

Anakin finished off the guard that was becoming alarmingly close to them. He turned to see his Master, preparing to engage Grievous. He sprinted back to where they were battling it out. But it was too late, Grievous had the high ground…

“You lose, General Kenobi,” He proclaimed jamming a spear into the window that surrounded the command deck.

The window shattered and the suction of space grabbed at them. Amy and Rory held onto each other while holding onto the Chancellor, who had quite the firm grip on a chair for such an old man.

“Hold on, Ponds!” The Doctor hollered while holding onto a control panel. He “sonicked” it, and a large shutter closed over the shattered window and the suction of space released it grasp.

Grievous had flown out of the window but had shot his grappling hook onto the side of the ship. Thus, he had managed to escape, or rather survive.

Obi-Wan and Anakin finished off the last straggling battle droids that had survived while the rest of the command deck crew fled for their lives.

“Well done, my friend,” Obi-Wan averred, walking over to the Doctor and patting him on the back.

Alarm bells sounded.

“Master, all the escape pods have been launched,” Anakin conveyed, annoyance plain on his face.

Obi-Wan shook his head.

“Grievous…can you fly a cruiser like this?” He asked Anakin in angst.

“You mean, do I know how to land what’s left of this thing?”

“Well?”

“Well, under the circumstances, I’d say my ability to pilot this thing is irrelevant,” He concluded and glanced at Obi-Wan indecisively. “Strap yourselves in.”  

The Doctor, Amy, Rory, the Chancellor, and Obi-Wan obeyed his order instantly without a moment’s hesitation.

“Open all hatches, extend all flaps, and drag fins,” Anakin directed.

The Doctor once again used his sonic screwdriver, from where he was strapped in, to execute Anakin’s command.

The ship jerked and shook, then suddenly it jolted them so violently that they all would have flown forwards if it had not been for their seatbelts. Amy held tightly to Rory’s hand. R2 beeped out an “uh-oh” as the back end of the ship broke away leaving only the first half of the ship to land, that is, if it still could be called a ship.

“We lost something,” Anakin muttered apprehensively.

“Not to worry…we are still flying half a ship,” Obi-Wan said, apparently trying to lift the mood…to no avail.  

As they entered Coruscant’s atmosphere at an almost deadly speed, the ship began to burn, smoking on all sides and would have surely crashed if it had not been for Anakin’s skillful piloting.

The Doctor had his hands placed on his head in a position of anxiety. Although he was desperately attempting to keep himself calm, his eyes were slightly wide, his heart was beating nearly two hundred miles per hour, and his stomach was in his throat.   

Rory noticed the fire and smoke with terror. Hastily he covered his eyes with one hand and grasped Amy’s hand in the other, believing that this was the end. “It had been a nice life…a beautiful life,” he thought to himself, ready to take his last breaths with Amy. Of course, he was being completely over dramatic as usual.

“Steady,” Obi-Wan said to Anakin, but he had said this mostly to keep himself calm, for he had never really been fond of space travel.

Amy shut her eyes tight and gripped Rory’s hand tighter. She had always hated when the Tardis landed, but this was even worse.

“Fire ships on the left and right,” Obi-Wan added, pointing to the two ships that had just come alongside them. “Landing strip, straight ahead.”

“Were coming in to hot!” Anakin mumbled, shaking his head.

The ship hit the landing strip with a lurch once again nearly sending them flying out of their seats. Like an irate beast it went, charging down the landing strip, upending asphalt, and destroying a control tower. Nearly falling on its side, it finally skidded to a halt.

It was all over, and they were all sitting in a motionless, smoking, and disfigured command ship or…half of one. The Chancellor sighed deeply. R2-D2 chirped and rocked back and forth on his two rolling legs.

Anakin audibly sighed and looked up at his Master.

“Another happy landing,” Obi-Wan breathed, slight smile on his face as he ran his fingers through his hair.

Amy took a deep breath and for the first time looked out of the command deck window. Before her, the beautiful city of Coruscant was laid out. The sun shone brightly on its high buildings, yet she could not have guessed that in just three days’ time the Empire would rise from this beautiful city and all because of the choice of one man.

They were escorted off the ship and into a transport vehicle that would take them to the senate building. They all sat in stillness for most of the trip, mostly thinking of all that had just taken place. Finally, Obi-Wan broke the silence when they were preparing to land.

“I would like to thank you and your friends, Doctor. You were a great help to me and Anakin. The Chancellor is safe; thus, the mission is completed,” he exulted.

Amy and Rory smiled.

“It was a pleasure to fight alongside you again, my friend. However, we…” the Doctor was cut off as the vehicle landed with a rattle, and they all rose to exit.

Amy and Rory stepped out onto the landing pad behind the Doctor and squinted in the bright sunlight. They had arrived on Coruscant.

Anakin and the Chancellor followed them, but Obi-Wan stayed behind.

“Are you coming, Master?” Anakin asked him, noticing that he was still on the transport.

“Oh no, I’m not brave enough for politics,” Obi-Wan replied with a smile. “I have to report to the Council. Besides, someone needs to be the poster boy.”

“Hold on,” Anakin interjected, “this whole operation was your idea.”

“Let’s not forget, Anakin, that you rescued me from the buzz droids. You killed Count Dooku, and you rescued the Chancellor, carrying me unconscious on your back.”

“All because of your training,” Anakin objected.

“Anakin, let’s be fair. Today you were the hero, and you deserve your glorious day with the politicians.”

“All right…but you owe me one, and not just for saving your skin for the tenth time.  

“Ninth time, that business on Cato Nemioidia, doesn’t count. I’ll see you at the briefing,” Obi-Wan finished, bidding Anakin farewell.

“Farewell, my friend…may our paths cross again, and may the force be with you,” Obi-Wan said, directing this now at the Doctor.

“May the force be with you Master Kenobi. We will be staying in Coruscant for some time,” The Doctor replied, a broad smile on his face.

“Excellent,”

And with a final nod Obi-Wan bade them goodbye and stepped back into the transport.

The group that had gathered to receive the Chancellor was moving back inside a large building, and Anakin turned to follow them. The Doctor caught stride with him as did Senator Organa.

“Doctor, how are you going to get home? Your ship seems to have vanished,” Anakin asked, suddenly reminding the Doctor of the loss of his beautiful box.

“Oh, I’m sure the Tardis will show up. She’s very reliable that one! You needn’t worry about that, Anakin. For now, me, Amy, and Rory will be staying here in Coruscant,” the Doctor said calmly. However, he was nothing but anxiety inside.

“What is this Tardis you speak of? And, you call yourself a Doctor?” Senator Organa inquired with curiosity.

“All in good time, my good man!” the Doctor assured with a smile, patting the Senator on the back. “That’s getting into a long story, but here I am again. In the middle of a war,”

“And, the fighting will continue until General Grievous is spare parts,” Anakin pointed out.

Standing just behind a pillar, Senator Padmé Amidala watched the three men talk. She noticed Anakin spy her out of the corner of his eye, and the slight smile that came over his face.

“Well, I will do everything I can in the senate,” Senator Organa said.

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” Anakin interrupted. He paused a minute before running to Padmé and gathering her up into his arms.

Amy and Rory caught up with the Doctor.

“Doctor, how are we—” Rory didn’t finish. He was interrupted by a familiar voice that came from the shadows a few pillars ahead of where Padmé was standing.

“Doctor…over here,” the voice whispered.

“River?” The Doctor articulated slowly, walking toward the direction of the voice. An elated smile was consuming his face.

  A woman stepped out from behind the pillar and announced, “Hello, sweetie.”

“River, what are you doing here?” Amy queried, surprised.

“Yeah—we’re here completely by accident,” Rory added.

“Hello, mum and dad. I’m a detective now, but hush, you mustn’t tell anyone,” River muttered under her breath.

“You’re here for a reason, River. What’s wrong,” the Doctor asked, his smile suddenly turning to concern. Maybe the Tardis’s disappearance had not been an accident.  

“Oh, I am glad you’re here, Doctor, even if it was only a mistake. Something is terribly wrong on this planet.”

“Wrong? Wrong in time?” The Doctor probed.

River glanced behind herself anxiously. “I can’t talk now. I am Senator Amidala’s handmaid, and she is about done with Master Anakin.” She lowered her voice until it was barely audible. “Meet me tonight in my chambers. However, I believe I should introduce you to the Senator. Wait here a moment.”

River was wearing a long dress that was a red at the top but as it flowed down it turned to a light yellow. It had long sleeves and a built-in red hood that covered the top of her forehead while heeled flats shod her feet, but her hair was as bountiful, bouncy, and blonde as ever. She motioned for the Doctor, Amy, and Rory to stay put while she turned to walk back to her mistress. Silently, she put on her hood and disappeared from the Doctor’s view. 

As River approached, she heard Anakin speaking to Padmé in a soft whisper, “Were not going to worry about anything right now…alright? This is a happy moment. The happiest moment of my life.”

They embraced each other, and River looked away to give her master and mistress privacy. Her heart sighed with relief. She had told him, at last.

When they had finished, she walked slowly until she was just behind them but still in the shadows.

“Milady,” she began, stepping out from her position.

The senator jumped a bit.

“Oh, River, you frightened me,” Padmé sighed, smiling softly at her handmaid.

“My apologies, milady,” River said. She turned to Anakin and bowed slightly, “Master Anakin. It is good to see that you have returned safely.”

“Thank you, River. I trust you have been good to my Padmé?” Anakin returned.

“I have tried my very best,”

“Were you able to meet with your husband, River?” Padmé asked.

“Yes, milady, and my parents. They came in with Master Anakin…the Doctor.”

“The Doctor is your husband and the Ponds are your parents?” Anakin inquired with surprise.

“Yes…I was hoping that I may introduce them to you, milady. I believe that they have already met Master Anakin.”

Padmé glanced at Anakin nervously.

“I have met the Doctor, and he is a very respectable man.” Anakin attested. “Have you told them anything about me and Padmé, River?”

“No, but I believe with my whole heart that if you were to tell him your secret, he would keep it.”

“I have searched my feelings, Padmé…I trust the Doctor and his companions and so does Obi-Wan.”

“Alright, Anakin. You may go and get them, River, I would be honored to meet them,” Padmé agreed.

“Thank you, milady.”

River turned and returned to the Doctor.

“Sweetie,” River said. She poked her head out from behind the pillar where the Doctor, Amy, and Rory stood.

They jumped at the sound of her voice after standing for so long in silence. The Doctor smiled.

“Follow me,” River said, gesturing them to follow her.

The Doctor, Amy, and Rory followed River back to where Anakin and Padmé stood, talking in hushed voices.

“Milady, this is the Doctor and my parents: Amelia and Rory Williams,” River announced, bowing slightly.

“Williams?” The Doctor whispered in River’s ear.

“Behave, sweetie,” River whispered back.

“It is a pleasure to meet you all,” Padmé conveyed, returning their bows.

There was a moment of awkward silence.

“So…erm…are you two related?” Rory finally asked, motioning to Anakin and Padmé. The question only made the awkwardness worse.

“Well…if we are being honest…we’re married,” Anakin stated, placing his hand on Padmé’s shoulder

There was an interesting silence that followed. The Doctor’s brow furrowed remembering something that Obi-Wan had told him many years ago. The first time they had met.

“I thought…Jedi could not form attachments—but don’t take it the wrong way…I am very happy for you both,” The Doctor said, smiling softly.

“You’re…right, Doctor. As a Jedi, you are not allowed to get married, but I don’t think that that should stop anyone from being with someone that they love and deeply care about,” Anakin responded, searching the Doctor’s conflicted eyes tensely, afraid that he may have made a mistake in trusting him with this secret.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at Anakin’s response, but the Ponds stayed silent. They felt the nervous tension that hung in the air and glanced uneasily at each other.  

“Please, you all must promise to keep this a secret. Anakin would be expelled from the Jedi Order if anyone were to find out,” Padmé beseeched, keeping her voice low as she broke the silence.  

“Doctor, you, Amy, and Rory must keep this a secret, even from Master Kenobi,” River requested, and the Doctor saw the sincerity in her eyes and heard it in her voice.

At the request to keep their marriage a secret, especially from Obi-Wan, the Doctor stroked his chin in thought then slowly he brightened up and sighed, “Of course we will…won’t we Ponds.”

“Yes—of course!” Amy piped up.

“Absolutely,” Rory added with a nod.  

“Thank you, Doctor,” Anakin related a sincere expression of gratitude on his face. He smiled as relief washed over him.  

The Doctor chuckled and clapped Anakin on the back.

“I understand you and your companions don’t have lodging for the night. You would be more than welcome to stay with me and Anakin,” Padmé offered cordially.

“That, would be very much appreciated, thank you, Senator,” The Doctor inferred.

They all left the senate building and stepped out into the bright midday sun outside. Anakin, Rory, Amy, and River walked ahead while Padmé promptly fell in stride with the Doctor.

“Doctor, I am intrigued. How do you know Master Kenobi?” She inquired.

“Oh…that was many years ago. I met him when he was just a Padawan with his Master Qui-Gon Jinn. It was just before the siege of Naboo during the Mandalorian Civil War. I stayed with them for a couple of months before returning to my world to keep a promise, I had made to a young girl. I was only supposed to be gone five minutes, but the Tardis took me elsewhere—well that’s getting into a completely different story.” The Doctor smiled to himself as he remembered little Amy: the girl who waited.

“I can see that your ways are far from mine, but I hope that we can be allies just like you are with Master Kenobi. You must have many stories to tell.”

“Oh, Senator…you have no idea.”    

They arrived at the landing pad just as a transport arrived. Before boarding Amy took a moment to take in the immense beauty of this gigantic city: the center of the Republic. Birds flew overhead and greeted her ears with their melodious tweets. In the midst of this exquisite city, neither Amy nor Rory could have guessed that not long from now the sun’s radiance would be extinguished and darkness would rise to power to rule with a vengeance…

…

Well, I hope that you enjoyed that, friends! Thank you all for your readership—I appreciate you all so much! Hopefully, as I become more used to my school schedule, I will be able to post more often. My next post should be (hopefully 😁) on Attack of the Clones, but let’s see how the weeks goes! 😉

You all have a great week, and thank you for reading!

Until next time,

Time Lady of Coruscant 😉

The Mandalorian Season 1 – Chapters 2 and 3/The Child and The Sin

Hello, friends! I hope you are all having a lovely day and wonderful week so far! Today we will (finally…sorry for the delay, friends) be looking at the next two chapters of the Mandalorian season one, the Child and the Sin. I am super excited to review these chapters because we finally start some, but not all, of the analysis for this show, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself, which I always tend to do…😁

However, before we begin, as always, I need to give my disclaimer that this post will have spoilers for the Mandalorian season one, chapters two and three. If you don’t want any spoilers and want just the general review information, kid caution, foul language count, and my rating, than just skip down to the end.

Now, without further ado, let us proceed! Allons-y!

Chapter Two: The Child

This chapter picks up a little bit after the first chapter ends. We see Mando and his new son (yes, Baby is his son, and no one will ever convince me otherwise) get ambushed in a canyon path, and of course, Mando saves the day with his expertise in hand-to-hand combat.

This first scene with him and the Child literally frames the show, showing us a tiny peek of where the show will be taking us, but I will get more into this later.

However, disaster strikes Mando’s ship in the form of Jawas! The Jawas in essence trash his ship and leave him unconscious in the sand when he tries desperately to hijack their sand crawler to get his parts back. This leaves him with no choice, but to return to his new found friend, who rides deranged dinosaurs, Kuiil.

Kuiil convinces Mando that he can make a trade deal with the Jawas to retrieve the parts needed to fix Mando’s ship and promises that he will take him to them. Then, we get the cutest scene in cinematic history (okay maybe not the cutest, but pretty close). Baby, eats a frog to the great disgust of his new daddy, Mando.

Yay! I finally figured out how to insert gifs on WordPress! 😉

“Squeals with delight”

“Hey! Spit that out.”

“Gulps down entire frog and shows satisfaction with a burp.”

The Child and Din Djarin – The Mandalorian Season 1 Episode 2

Any who, Kuiil takes Mando and the Child to see the Jawas, who turn out to be tough bargainers. In the end, they agree to give Mando back his parts if he retrieves for them the “egg.”

“There must be something else?”

*Speaking in Jawa* “We will require The Egg. Bring us The Egg.”

“The Egg? What Egg?”

Kuiil, the Jawas, and Din Djarin – The Mandalorian Chapter 1 Episode 2

To trade to receive his parts back Mando must steal for the Jawas the Egg of a dangerous creature, the Mudhorn, which is like a giant, shaggy, rhinoceros. Well, let’s just say that it doesn’t go well, and Mando ends up being tossed to and fro in the mud like a rag doll.

Just as he attempts to make his final stand, the Child sees, or maybe senses, the danger his new found daddy and friend is in. He stretches out his hand and stops the creature in mid-charge. He uses all his might and strength to “force” the mudhorn to halt, but he can only hold it for so long, and after a mighty stand, he passes out from the exertion.

The Child sees the kindness in Mando and the way he protects him, in this case, with his life, and responds to that kindness by saving the life of the man he barely knows. He doesn’t know that Mando is a bounty hunter and only found him because he has a bounty on his head, nor does he know that when they arrive back on Nevarro, Mando will hand him over to the Empire. He knows none of this, yet he gives all his power and all his strength to save the man that showed him kindness and looks out for him. But how much more beautiful is it that Jesus showed us that same love and protection, except that he knew our faults, and even when we showed him no kindness, he loved and chose to protect us anyway, just as it says in Romans 5:8.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8 (NIV)

What a lovely symbol of God’s love found in the midst of the tumultuous Star Wars universe!

Alright, sorry, back to the story! I did warn you all that I would get into some analysis in this post! 😄

Mando, with the help of the Child (we actually do know his name now because of the newly released season two, but I will continue to call him Baby or the Child until we get there for the sake of those who do not know yet) kills the mudhorn and retrieves the Egg for the Jawas, who immediately slice it open and enjoy a messy, yolky, and a bit disgusting egg feast. However, on the up side Mando gets the parts for this ship back and with Kuiil’s help successfully puts his ship back together.

Here we say goodbye to Kuiil, for now, and watch as Mando and the now revived Child begin their journey back to Nevarro so Mando can return the Child to the client and collect his bounty, or so everyone believes. The Kid’s daring rescue with the Mudhorn may have had more of an effect on this mysterious, masked Mandalorian than anyone thinks. Luckily, I am covering both Chapters two and three in this post, so let’s get to it!

Chapter Three: The Sin

It is indeed a most interesting title for a most interesting episode, and I cannot begin to say how much I love this episode, which really sealed the deal for me liking this show, but again I do not want to get ahead of myself. Let’s just start at the beginning.

The episode begins with Mando landing back on Nevarro, and immediately he goes to the undercover imperial base and same client that we saw in the first episode.

As necessary he receives his bounty, a large container of imperial, once Mandalorian, beskar. However, then he asks a very interesting question when hears the Child cry for him when he is taken through a door by the imperial scientist. A question that a bounty hunter does not ask when delivering his bounty. A question that is not asked when the bounty is already in the hands of the client.

“What are your plans for it?”

“How uncharacteristic of one of your reputation. You have taken both commission and payment. Is it not the code of the guild that these events are now forgotten?”

Din Djarin and The Client – The Mandalorian Season 1 Episode 3

Satisfied, or maybe not so satisfied, Mando leaves, taking the beskar with him. He returns to the Mandalorian covert underground, and with the help of the Armorer, he forges with the beskar a new set of armor.

When the armorer offers to engrave the mudhorn onto his shoulder plate as his signet after hearing of how he acquired the damage to his armor, Mando refuses, remembering once again how the Kid rescued him. However, even without this signet he still gets some nice armor that indeed draws many eyes once he steps outside and visits Greef Karga again to get his next assignment.

“They all hate you, Mando, because you’re a legend!”

“How many of them had tracking fobs?”

*Scoffs* “All of them. All of them! But not one of them closed the deal. Only you, Mando. Only you, and with it the richest reward this parsec has ever seen. Please sit, my friend.”

Greef Karga and Din Djarin – The Mandalorian Season 1 Episode 3

Naturally, Greef offers him the richest of the bounties to go and hunt, but Mando only chooses those that lead him far from Nevarro. He wants to get away, far away, from something on this planet. Perhaps, it is the little Child he handed over to the treacherous Empire.

He picks his bounties and boards his ship, but he doesn’t leave. By the control panels he sees the little ball that the Child had been playing with on the way back to Nevarro. He remembers the mudhorn and the Child’s rescue, he remembers his little fuzzy head, deep eyes, and pointy ears, and he remembers his cry or plea for help to Mando as he was taken away by the Imperial scientist.

This is the scene that we have been waiting for, friends, for in this moment a little piece of the mysterious, masked Mandalorian is chipped away. We see his compassion and love for a little creature that he barely knows. It is now time for Mando to return the favor and rescue the Child from the evil he has found himself in. Perhaps, those little seeds of pacifism and compassion planted by the Duchess of Mandalore all those years ago have stuck with at least one Mando! 😉

Swiftly and without hesitation he heads back to the Empire’s undercover base, and with the use of a well-placed grenade enters to save the day. He finds Baby asleep, and it looks like something was extracted from him by the scientist, who begs Mando not to kill the Child. However, it is unclear, at the moment, what they needed from him.

In a little bundle, Mando carries Baby and escapes through dozens of Storm Troopers by any means necessary, including the use of his newest weapon, the whistling birds!

I love the picture that we get in the final scenes of this episode. I very masculine male, gently carrying, protecting, and risking his life for a small almost helpless creature. It reminds me of a verse in the Pentateuch.

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.”

Exodus 14:14 (NIV)

The Child is completely still in this scene. He is not helping Mando escape. He is doing absolutely nothing. He is simply being still. Sometimes the Lord calls us to be still so he can do the work that he knows needs to be done to get us to our next destination. We just let him hold us while we hold on for the ride, completely and utterly trusting in him. Sometimes we need to take a lesson from Baby and just be still.

Alright, once again back to the story! I just love how much you can pull out from these episodes, and yes, there is such a thing a gentle masculinity. It’s one of the things I love about this show. A big, strong Mando caring and loving for a little being five times less his size! He is definitely a dad now! 😃

I digress…once Mando makes it out of the Imperial hideout, remember those tracking fobs that all those bounty hunters had? Yep, those all start to activate, and Mando becomes completely surrounded by bounty hunters.

He tries to no avail to escape, but just when things seem hopeless, the other Mandalorians show up and come to the rescue. Mando and Baby escape to their ship where they are briefly met by Greef Karga, who tires to stop them, but we now know that nothing is going to come between Mando dad and his son. They escape and live happily ever after…until the next episode, of course! 😉

Conclusion:

Well, there it is, the Mandalorian Chapters two and three, during which we get a glimpse into the characters of Mando and the Child, and it is amazing that we can find such compassion, gentleness, and love, the themes of Christ, in a Star Wars show that has its violent moments. All truth is God’s truth, and there is definitely some excellent truths that can be pulled out of these two episodes. His truth can be found anywhere, friends, make sure and look for it, so you don’t miss it!

My Rating: 9.5/10.0

Kid Caution: High – for violence/ages 12+

Foul Language Count: Damn and Hell

I hope that you enjoyed this review, friends! Hopefully I will be able to post on the next few chapters of the Mandalorian in the next few weeks. My next post will possibly be on Star Wars Episode II: The Attack of the Clones, but I did say possibly because I haven’t decided quite yet. There are so many excellent things to review out there! Have a fantastic rest of your week, friends, and happy 2021!

Until next time,

Time Lady of Coruscant 😉

Character Spotlight – Jar Jar Binks

Hello, friends! I apologize for not posting in a week or two. I have been enjoying some much needed time off of School, as well as enjoying some lovely Turkey and family time. I have also been working on a trailer for my fan fiction that I will be posting sometime soon along with the first chapter of my fan fiction as a tease. 😉

Today, I would like to write about one of my favorite characters in the Prequel Trilogy, Jar Jar Binks. I have decided that due to its high theological content, I need to give myself some more time to write my post on C.S. Lewis’s – Till We Have Faces, but don’t worry, friends, I will still be posting on it. It is just going to take longer than I expected.

Now, you might be asking yourself right now, “Why Jar Jar Binks?” In truth, he is labeled the most annoying character in all of Star Wars, yet I find him a very fascinating character that is given an excellent character arc and plenty of development throughout the first three Star Wars films and in the Clone Wars show.

However, I invite you to ask yourself: what makes him annoying? Is it the funny way he talks or walks, or is it his clumsy theatrics that actually got him banished from his home before the Phantom Menace takes place.

In this post I would like to take a deeper look into this Gungan and show that even though he is “different” he is one of the most underrated characters in Star Wars. By the end of this post, I hope that the next time you watch Jar Jar on the screen you will see him in a whole new light!

Before we get started, I need to give my disclaimer. This post will have spoilers for Star Wars Episode I, II, and III, as well as the Clone Wars show and the fate of Jar Jar.

Okie day, with out further ado, let’s get right into it! Allons-y!

Jar Jar’s Timeline:

Jar Jar Binks’s first introduction into the Star Wars Universe was in Episode I: The Phantom Menace, which I wrote a post on a couple of weeks ago. He is saved by the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi, and for the rest of the movie he is along for the ride.

He appears again in Episode II: Attack of the Clones as Representative Binks. It is in this position that he gives his famed (or perhaps more laughed at) senate speech that puts in motion the Clone Wars and in essence saves Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padmé, and the rest of the Jedi from begin killed during the first battle of Geonosis.

During the Clone Wars Jar Jar continues to serve the people of the galaxy in efforts for peace alongside Padmé and eventually Master Mace Windu.

The last appearance of Jar Jar in the films is in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith where we see him in Padmé funeral procession.

Earlier in the films we see him with the Chancellor often, but Padmé’s funeral is where he is shown visually the most.

After the Battle of Endor and the fall of the Empire, he was once again exiled by his people. They believed that he had aided in the Empire’s rise, so he was therefore reviling to his people and the Naboo. He spent the rest of his days on Naboo an outcast once more, performing as a clown in the streets of Theed for children.

“Desa hisen Naboo tink I help the un-oh Empire. My no know.”

Jar Jar Binks to Mapo on Naboo in 5 ABY

Jar Jar’s Character Arc:

The character arc of Jar Jar Binks if looked at closely, is truly remarkable and is a picture of extraordinary character develop. Don’t believe me? Well, let’s take a closer look, and perhaps you will see why I think the Gungan Jar Jar Binks has a better character arc and development than Rey from the sequel trilogy…

First off, let’s look at the Jar Jar from the very beginning of the Phantom Menace: clumsy and barely understandable when he spoke. Seriously, even I had a hard time understanding him and had to strain in order to know what was being said.

Okie day, now let’s look at Jar Jar at the end of the Phantom Menace. The Naboo and the Gungans had a long history of disagreeing and not getting along. While helping the Jedi and Queen Amidala remove the Trade Federation from their planet, Jar Jar’s actions unknowingly unites the Naboo and the Gungans. For this act he is made a general of the Gungan army.

See any character development yet? If not, let’s move on to Attack of the Clones. 😁

Sometime before Episode II takes place, Jar Jar is elected by the Naboo to represent the Gungans on the Galactic Senate, and he is henceforth known as Representative Binks! I love that!

He is deeply trusted by Padmé, so much so that she even trusts Jar Jar to represent Naboo in the Senate while she secretly returns to Naboo with Anakin to escape the assassination attempts on her life. It is while Padmé goes on her adventure with Anakin that the Republic’s Clone Army is discovered and needed to aid the Jedi, who are dangerously outnumbered on Geonosis. It is therefore up to Jar Jar to urge the Senate to grant the Chancellor emergency powers, so that the clone army may be used to fight against the separatist threat on Geonosis. This is when he gives his Senate Speech.

Emergency powers are granted to the Chancellor, and the Clone Wars begin. Unfortunately, these powers furthered Palpatine’s power over the Republic and contributed to the smooth transfer from the Republic into the Empire when the time came, yet I don’t blame Jar Jar. His actions were true-hearted and were not meant for evil. In fact if Jar Jar had not done this than Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padmé, and the rest of the Jedi on Geonosis that day may have died.

It is also interesting to note that during his speech it is a lot easier to understand him than it was when we had first met him. Character development indeed…

During the Clone Wars he does not do anything “monumental,” but he does have a great influence on all who he touches, literally. One of my favorite episodes with him is actually a two-parter in season six. He is paired up with Mace Windu in these episodes, in which he has to save the Queen of Bardotta, Julia, who is actually in love with Jar Jar! It is super adorable, and it makes my heart smile so hard! 😄

Once again in these episodes, Jar Jar’s kind actions unknowingly unite two people groups that had been at odds with each other, in this case, the Bardotta and the Jedi.

This concludes Jar Jar’s character arc. I said earlier that I believe that Jar Jar Binks has a better character arc than Rey in the sequel trilogy, and no, this is not being harsh. It simply is true.

Let’s look at Rey for a moment, and ask yourself: what do we know about Rey from the beginning of The Force Awakens to the end of The Rise of Skywalker? Nearly nothing with the exception of her parentage, she is the daughter of Emperor Palpatine (I have serious objections to this by the way *tries to contain anger*). I really do hate to say it, but Rey is a very flat character, and by flat I mean that she has close to no character arc or development. Yes, she has a lot of emotions (What is with the screaming while she fights that never seems to go away? You would think that the more she trained the more composed she would become, but we don’t see that. In fact it seems she just becomes more and more angrier and uncontrolled as the trilogy goes on), but that does not make a character who he or she is. Do you follow me?

Alright, now let’s go back to Jar Jar Binks. In the beginning of the Phantom Menace he is a clumsy outcast with no sense of direction. At the end of the Phantom Menace he is a General, leading an army to victory, and unites two stubborn people groups through his humble actions. In Attack of the Clones, he is a representative that is trusted by one of the most well-regarded senators in the Republic, Padmé Amidala, and he gives his senate speech in front of the entirety of the Galactic Senate, and through his seemingly “annoying” actions he begins one of the most monumental wars in the galaxy’s history all while saving Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padmé on Geonosis. At the end of Revenge of the Sith we see him, a respected Senator, in the front rows of people, solemnly walking in the funeral procession of Padmé Amidala. This swamp-rat, outcast, annoying Gungan certainly has come far, hasn’t he?

But, he is still Jar Jar Binks, and no one can ever change that. He still walks like a dude bro, talks in his slang, and drops plates every now and then, but his heart is humble, kind, and loyal, always loyal, to Padmé, Anakin, and Obi-Wan to the very end.

This is what makes his fate the final grace note to his character arc. Him performing in the streets of Theed as a clown for the littlest of children is Jar Jar, humble, good-natured, always happy to see you, Jar Jar, but he is also always ready to do his job, and do it to the best of his abilities.

He really is quite the character…literally…😉

Conclusion:

This concludes my defense…I mean character spotlight post on Jar Jar Binks, who in my opinion has one of the best character arcs in Star Wars. I hope that after reading my post you will not just see him as a bumbling Gungan, which he is and always will be, this is apart of his character too, but a Gungan that is always ready to complete his task, bring people together, and best of all, bring a smile to the faces of those around him with his good-natured attitude.

Oh, and I could literally listen to him say “Obi!” all day! Seriously, if you haven’t seen Attack of the Clones go and watch it right now. I always enjoy it!

Well, that is all for now, friends! I hope that you enjoyed this post, and I apologize once again for not posting in some time. I promise that I will not keep you waiting too long for my next post! 😁

Until next time,

Time Lady of Coruscant 😉

Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Hello Friends! This will be my first post on the Star Wars saga, and I am super excited, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Queen Amidala, Little Anakin and una of mesa favorite character Jar Jar Binks; me will explainen myself more late (yes that was in Gungan 😉). Things couldn’t be better!

However, the amazing storylines and rich character arcs in the prequel era can sometimes can be shrouded by politics, politics, and more politics, and an occasional segment of unrealistic dialogue (I’m looking at you Anakin), but what can I say? I love them all the same! My aim is to unveil the treasure that is the prequel trilogy before jumping to the historic landmark that is the original trilogy.

However, before we jump right in, I must give my disclaimer that this post will contain spoilers for Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, so if you want general review information, kid caution, foul language count, and my rating, just skip down to the end.

Therefore, without further ado, let’s get right into it! Allons-y!

Long ago, in a galaxy far far away, there were, politics, tax regulations, and senators. The Phantom Menace begins in the era long before the First Order and the Empire but in the days of the Galactic Republic.

The movie centers around the small planet of Naboo where the evil Trade Federation has cut off all supplies to the planet with a blockade. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi are sent there by the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic to negotiate terms. Nevertheless, things do not go as planned, and they both end up on the planet in the middle of the Federation’s invasion.

This is when they meet Jar Jar Binks: a young Gungan, who helps them both sneak into Naboo’s capital city, Theed, where Queen Amidala is now being held captive by Viceroy Gunray, head of the Trade Federation.

Jar Jar was actually banished from his home, Otoh Gunga, for being…well…clumsy. In actuality he is considered one of the most annoying characters in Star Wars, and yet Jar Jar is one of my favorite characters in the prequel era, but I will have to save the explanation for a later post, perhaps a character spotlight… 😁

Ahem…as I was saying. The Jedi sneak into the Theed Royal Palace, rescue the Queen, and attempt to safely transport her to the Republic’s headquarters, the planet city of Coruscant. However, when trying to pass the federation’s blockade, their ship is damaged, and they are forced to land on a planet in the outer rim, the planet of Tatooine.

It is on this planet that about half of the movie takes place, and it is where we meet the main protagonist and future antagonist of the prequel and original Star Wars trilogy, Anakin Skywalker. Surprisingly, both Anakin and his mother, Shmi Skywalker, are slaves to the junk dealer Watto. It is to this very trader that Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, and Queen Amidala’s handmaid, Padmé, go to find the part they need to fix their ship.

Anakin (he is a little boy right now) works in Watto’s shop and meets Qui-Gon; thus, Anakin’s path with the Jedi begins…

At Watto’s shop is also where Anakin first meets Padmé, to whom he asks if she is an angel, like the ones he’s has heard about in stories. This sets up some things for their relationship in Attack of the Clones, but that is getting ahead…

Immediately following this, Jar Jar gets into a scuffle with a creature called, Sebulba. It is now that we learn of Anakin’s pod racing skills.

“Careful, Sebulba…he’s [Jar Jar] a big time outlander. I’d hate to see you diced before we race again.”

“Next time we race, boy, it will be the end of you.”

Anakin Skywalker and Sebulba – Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Pod racing is a dangerous sport that no human can participate because of its lethality, yet somehow Anakin is able to race a pod and is an excellent racer…

*strokes chin suspiciously*

As a sandstorm rolls into Mos Eisley, Qui-Gon and the others begin to head for the ship, but Anakin claims that they will never make it there before the storm; thus, he offers them shelter for the night. This is when we meet Anakin’s mother, Shmi, whom welcomes them into her home graciously.

Over dinner, the five of them devise a plan to win the money needed to buy the parts needed to fix their ship. This is when Qui-Gon first learns of Anakin’s pod racing skills, which piques his interest tremendously.

They all agree to the plan to enter Anakin into the pod race and use the prize money to buy the parts they need to fix their ship. By the end of this scene, we can sense that Qui-Gon senses something about Anakin.

The next day Qui-Gon proposes his plan to Watto in the form of a risky deal, but Watto agrees and the deal is made: Anakin will race.

Anakin begins to prepare his pod racer, and this is when we get one of the most important scenes in the movie. I can’t even begin to summarize it so here is the dialogue between Shmi and Qui-Gon below, but let me just say how much they look good together…😄

Anyway, sorry, friends…back to the task at hand:

“You should very proud of your son. He gives without any thought of reward.”

“Well, he knows nothing of greed. He has a…”

“He has special powers.”

“Yes”

“He can see things before they happen. That’s why he appears to have such quick reflexes…It’s a Jedi trait.”

“He deserves better than a slave’s life.”

“Why, certainly…Had he been born in the Republic, we would have identified him early. The Force is strong with him that much is clear. Who was his father?”

“There was no father…I carried him. I gave birth. I raised him. I can’t explain what happened…Can you help him?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t actually come here to free slaves…”

Qui-Gon Jinn and Shmi Skywalker – Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Ahem…I’m sorry…what? 😳

Now, those of you who are hearing Christmas bells ringing in their ears please silence them, for as far as I can tell, this is not an allegory for Jesus.

Yes, I know that this is a virgin (Force) birth, but Anakin is in no way Jesus or ever comes close to being Jesus. Yes, he brings balance to the Force as the Chosen One, but that does not make him anymore than a regular human being, and because of his humanity and his calling of “The Chosen One”, it makes his fall (spoilers…) all the more tragic, which I think is something that the Prequel trilogy portrays masterfully.

However, that is just a touch on a much larger subject that I can not fully discuss until The Revenge of the Sith, which is personally my second-favorite (Empire Strikes Back is still number 1) Star Wars movie and is, in fact, the only Star Wars film that I have cried for. Why? Well, that is getting way too far ahead, back to Episode 1.

That night Qui-Gon takes a blood sample from Anakin and sends it to Obi-Wan for analysis and finds his “midi-chlorian” count to be extremely high.

“I need a midi-chlorian count.”

“The reading is off the chart…over 20,000.”

“Even Master Yoda doesn’t have a midi-chlorian count that high. No Jedi has”

“What does that mean?”

“I not sure…”

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn – Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

A midi-chlorian count higher than Master Yoda the Jedi Grandmaster…Yikes! What are midi-chlorians you ask? Well, don’t worry that will be explained later.

Of course, we now get another glance of the phantom or Sith apprentice, Darth Maul, who did appear earlier in the movie, but this is when he first arrives on Tatooine in pursuit of the Jedi. What we don’t know at this time that he is the apprentice to the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, who stays hidden to the Jedi until the end of The Attack of the Clones.

After hearing of Anakin’s parentage and seeing his midi-chlorian count, right before the pod race starts the following day Qui-Gon proposes to Watto that if Anakin wins the race then both him and his mother can be set free. They play a quick game of chance, and it is decided that Anakin will be released if he wins but not Shmi (poor Qui-Gon 😉).

Anakin prepares his pod, and I can not begin to say how much I love his bravery. It is clear that he can see into the future, but he is nine years old, and yet his bravery is phenomenal. I love this kid!

Any who…to make a long scene short, Anakin wins the pod race, and Watto reluctantly gives them their parts and Anakin his freedom.

Qui-Gon tells Shmi of her son’s freedom to Anakin’s great delight. He comforts her that Anakin will be very well taken care of with the Jedi.

Nonetheless, when the realization hits Anakin that he will be separated from Shmi for who knows how long, they share in a sorrowful goodbye. However, when his bags are packed and he turns for one last tearful farewell, she almost commands him not to come back to Tatooine.

“Will I ever see you again?”

“What does your heart tell you?”

“I hope so…yes…I guess.”

“Then we will see each other again.”

“I will come back and free you, Mom. I promise.”

“Now be brave…and don’t look back. Don’t look back…

Anakin and Shmi Skywalker – Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Once again we are shown the humanity and emotion in Anakin. One of the key components that intrigues me about him, is his struggle between the Force, himself as the Chosen one, and himself, his humanity and emotions, which defines him as a human being. However, once again, I cannot fully divulge this topic until Episode III.

As Qui-Gon and Anakin head back to the, now repaired, ship, Darth Maul attacks and a short epic lightsaber battle between him and Qui-Gon ensues. Even so, they managed to escape off world, and after a sweet scene between Padmé and Anakin, they safely arrive on Coruscant.

Waiting for them, is Senator Palpatine…hmm…most interesting and strangely familiar name…sounds like Emperor Palpatine from the original trilogy (hint hint 😊).

*Suspiciously glances at George Lucas*

Well, this is when matters become very political, and to be honest, even coming from a die hard prequel fan, it is a bit much. Basically, to sum it up, Senator Palps (yes, that is my nickname for him) doesn’t think that the senate will do anything about the invasion, but instead he proposes that they elect a new Supreme Chancellor.

Meanwhile, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan inform the Jedi High Council about their encounter with Darth Maul and with Anakin. After a bit of negotiation, Qui-Gon is requested to bring Anakin to the council to be tested. Here we are also shown Qui-Gon’s faith in the Force.

Then we get more politics, which are simply to show us that a new Chancellor is to be elected, and conveniently Palps is nominated to succeed as Chancellor.

In the meantime, Anakin is taken to the Jedi Council to be tested and is seen to be strong in the Force; however, his emotions for his mother show through to the haughty suspicion of the council.

“Afraid to lose her [Shmi], I think, hmm?”

“What does that got to do with anything?”

“Everything…fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering…I sense much fear in you.”

Jedi Grandmaster Yoda and Anakin Skywalker – Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Wise words, Master Yoda…I will visit this again in Episode III when these words come into fruition.

It is now that the Queen Amidala decides, to the great protestation of Palps, to return to her people where she feels her place is.

However, the movie once again cuts back to the Jedi council where they have decided not to train Anakin, to now the great protestation of Qui-Gon.

However, when Qui-Gon claims that Obi-Wan is ready to become a Knight and that he will take on Anakin as his new apprentice, Master Windu, the most annoying Jedi in history, states that this is not the time, for they are once again needed by Queen Amidala as she returns to Naboo. The Jedi hope that Darth Maul will show his horns once again, and the mystery of the Sith will be revealed.

I have much to say on the Jedi Council, but we only get a glimpse into it in Episode I, so I will have to save my attacks for a different post.

As they prepare to leave, we see Obi-Wan side with the council and disagree heartily with his Master about the training of Anakin. I love Obi-Wan to pieces, but sometime he seriously needs to consider ditching the council. Qui-Gon reprimands him, but then turns to Anakin, who insists to “Qui-Gon, sir” that he does not want to be a problem. Qui-Gon assures him that he is no problem, and then proceeds to answer Anakin’s question about the midi-chlorians.

“Midi-chlorians are microscopic life form that resides within all living cells.”

“They live inside me?”

“Inside your cells, yes…without the midi-chlorians, life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force. They continually speak to us, telling us the will of the Force.”

Qui-Gon Jinn and Anakin Skywalker – Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Oh, and let me say how much I love when Qui-Gon is in “dad mode” with Anakin. Excellent, such a soft boy! 😉

I digress, back to episode one. They all set off back to Naboo while on the planet Gunray assures Darth Sidious that the planet is completely under their control. Sidious is pleased, and states that as he controls the senate, his apprentice Darth Maul will join them on Naboo.

Now on Naboo, Queen Amidala decides to try and employ the help of the Gungans and sends Jar Jar to go and find them. Obi-Wan reports this to Qui-Gon and apologizes for his behavior (such a good boy! 😁). Qui-Gon assures him that all is forgiven, and that he foresees that Obi-Wan will become a great Jedi Knight.

It is now that we get some more Jar Jar Binks character development. He leads them all to where the Gungans are hiding in the “sacred place.” Here they find Boss Nass, and with a little negotiation from Queen Padmé Amidala (Yes, Padmé the handmaid was the queen all along…surprise!), they agree, and an alliance is formed between the Naboo and the Gungans.

Because he helped unite the Gungans and the Naboo, Jar Jar is made a general to led the Gungan army to victory against the Trade Federation.

Padmé, Captain Panaka, and the Jedi lead an assault on the palace and successful infiltrate while Jar Jar and the Gungans make a distraction in the Naboo plains to lead the droid army out of the main city.

After freeing the pilots, whose goal is to destroy the main droid control ship in the blockade, they are met by Darth Maul, and Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon jump into action into what I think is one of the best lightsaber battles in Star Wars.

As Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon engage with Maul, Anakin and R2-D2 decided to activate a star fighter and help with the destruction of the droid control ship while Padmé and her forces successful capture the Viceroy with a cunning plan.

The Gungans are still holding off the droids, and I am purposefully not talking too much about Jar Jar because I will be writing a character spotlight on him very soon, thus, I want to save all content on him till that post.

In space, Anakin manages to learn how to pilot a starfighter with great accuracy with help from R2 and blows up the droid ship, deactivating all the battle droids on Naboo.

Here we cut back to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon’s duel, and I am sorry to say it, but Qui-Gon does not survive this fight. Maul cleverly parries an attack and runs him through with his lightsaber, much to the horror of poor Obi-Wan, who avenges his master with a vengeance.

In the end, Obi-Wan prevails and slices Maul in half, who then proceeds to fall down a trash shaft, and should have stayed dead! How?! In any case, please watch this scene if you haven’t already because it will keep you on the edge of your seat.

As Qui-Gon dies in Obi-Wan’s arms, he makes him promise that he will train Anakin “the chosen one.” Obi-Wan is grief stricken, and he takes Anakin as his padawan despite the skepticism of the council, mainly Yoda and Master Windu.

As the film closes, we see the new Chancellor Palps return to Naboo and take interest in young Anakin, the council strokes their chins at the prospect that the Sith may have returned, and the whole city of Theed is in celebration at their liberation from the Trade Federation. Happy ever after…for now…😉

*Star Wars credits music playing*

Phew…that was a long movie!

Conclusion:

The Phantom Menace is really a set up for the next two films. We are introduced to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala, and Yoda, who are all the main characters of the next two films. We are also introduced to some new planets, such as Coruscant and Naboo, as well as, new enemies, such as Darth Maul and the Trade Federation.

However, we also are shown a glimpse of Anakin’s humanity and emotion for those who he cares about, which greatly progresses as the films continue. As Darth Vader in the original trilogy, we really do not see Anakin at all but simply a sinister, evil overlord, who just happens to be related to the main character (Luke Skywalker).

An another aspect about this movie that I love is how both Anakin and Padmé in this film are children, and yet, the things they accomplish are extraordinary. At this point, Anakin is nine years old and Padmé is fourteen years old and is the Queen of Naboo. Never underestimate the youth, friends!

One last point, I love how Qui-Gon is such a father figure in this movie and his immense faith in the Force. Throughout the duration of the film, he never wavers in his dedication to the task at hand and always trusts that the Force will guide even when people oppose him on all sides, even his own Padawan. It is because of him that Anakin was found on Tatooine and that he was trained. I think a lot can be learned from Qui-Gon and his dedication against all odds.

Thus, friends, after reading this post, I hope that the next time you watch the Phantom Menace you will view it in a new light. Not as a movie that is overly political or slow-paced and boring, but as the perfect setup and opening to a whole new era of Star Wars: the prequel era. Here’s my rating of this movie:

6.5 out of 10.0

Kid Caution: Medium/10+ Parental Guidance for Darth Maul’s face

Foul Language: None

Well, that is all of now, friends. I hope that you enjoyed reading this post and will now go and watch Episode 1 with new eyes. Please stay tuned, for I will be posting on Episode 2, the Attack of the Clones sometime in the near future.

Until next time,

Time Lady of Coruscant 😉