Clone Wars Debriefing: "Voyage of Temptation"

[lazypadawan]

Could you send up more cole slaw?



Okay, I'll have to agree with Club Jade that "Voyage of Temptation" sounds like a naughty reality show set on a cruise ship. There's not really a lot of temptation to go around, except maybe when it comes to Orn Free Taa and what's for dinner. Or all those Cosmos Satine keeps drinking. No wonder she and Obi-Wan were drawn to one another...they were probably hiding in cantinas most of the time they were "on the run from bounty hunters."

The plot is simple...someone is plotting to whack Satine en route to Coruscant. That someone had spider-like assassin droids smuggled aboard. Good thing for Satine and her small retinue of Senators that Obi-Wan, Anakin, and a mess of clonetroopers are there to protect her! Not that she appreciates it or anything. She keeps throwing barbs at Obi-Wan ("I presume you are acquainted with the collection of half-truths and hyperbole known as Obi-Wan Kenobi?") and he snarks right back at her. Orn Free Taa breaks up the tension by suggesting they go eat. On the way to the dining hall, Anakin--who knows UST when he sees it--starts asking Obi-Wan's questions about his past with Satine. Obi-Wan tells Anakin about the year he and Qui-Gon (yay, Quiggy mention!) spent protecting Satine from bounty hunters during a civil war on Mandalore. When Satine could return to Mandalore, she and Obi-Wan went their separate ways.

Meanwhile, two redshirt clonetroopers (Redeye and Mixer) check out the dark, creepy hold with Artoo. After Artoo plays a prank on one of them, a spider-like assassin droid dispatches both of the clones. When Anakin gets word that Artoo is scared and two clones are missing, he goes to investigate with Rex and other clones while Obi-Wan sits through the banquet.

All heck breaks loose when Anakin and Co. battle the assassin droids, that have "baby" assassin droids crawling all over the place. One of the droids gets away and heads up the elevator (sorry, "lift") shaft toward the dining hall. Orn Free Taa hilariously screams like a girl as Obi-Wan battles the droid and its "babies." Satine finally decides to do something by shooting the baby droids with her handy deactivator. More snark ensues.

Once that's all taken care of, Anakin gets all bitchy with the droid in charge of the ship's manifest. He finds out that a Senate stamp was used to get the assassin droids aboard the ship, meaning that a Senator had to have brought them aboard. Obi-Wan comes up with an idea. He brings a baby assassin droid into the dining room to see if it stands down from any of the Senators. The lucky winner is the Tal Merrick, a guy who vaguely reminds me of Lord Farquaad from Shrek, the bad guy voiced by John Lithgow. He takes Satine hostage, whacks the bridge crew, brings the ship out of hyperspace, and contacts Pre Vizsla of the Death Watch. The Mando baddie says reinforcements are on the way and sure enough ships with super battle droids burrow into the larger ship.

Obi-Wan follows Merrick and his hostage from the bridge. Merrick has a detonator that will blow them all to kingdom come. Satine begs Obi-Wan to not risk any more lives on her behalf and I guess the plan is Merrick was going to take Satine with him on an escape pod or something, then deliver her to the Death Watch. Satine figures now was as good time as any to confess her love for Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan surprisingly tells her had she asked, he would have left the Order for her. Merrick makes barfing noises, then Satine steps on his foot. She quickly grabs a blaster and aims it at Merrick. He gloats about the dilemmas she and Obi-Wan face: if Satine shoots him, she is a hypocrite. If Obi-Wan kills him, he's a hero to everyone but to Satine. "Which one of you is going to be a cold blooded murderer?" he scoffs, until he gets his answer when Anakin shish-kebabs him with a lightsaber in the back. I noticed the second time I watched it that you can hear a little bit of the "Imperial March" as it happens. Afterwards, Anakin casually shrugs and says, "What? He was going to blow up the ship."

The crew makes it back to Coruscant where Palpatine congratulates them. Satine tells Obi-Wan his beard hides his hotness. Anakin laughs and will likely text about it to Padmé later.

Despite some of its grim elements, this was a very amusing and entertaining episode. Anakin keeps trying to ask questions about Obi-Wan and Satine, but Obi-Wan's a little reticent. In one scene at the top of the episode, there's a reversal of the elevator scene in AOTC. Instead of Obi-Wan sensing Anakin's anxiety about seeing Padmé again, Anakin senses Obi-Wan's anxiety about seeing Satine. There are some references to "Alien" and even Artoo plays a prank on one of the clones.

Greg Proops, who voiced Fode (one of the two-headed podrace announcers) in TPM, did a great job with the villainous Merrick. It's kind of too bad he got killed off.

I've seen some complaints about Obi-Wan telling Satine he would have left the Jedi Order for her. They thought it was out-of-character. It would have been OOC if Obi-Wan wanted to leave the Order now. I figure that had Obi-Wan met Satine when he was about the same age as Anakin in AOTC or maybe a little younger, it might have been something that crossed his mind. It is telling that even though Satine loved him, she apparently never did ask him to abandon the Jedi for her. Was it out of her own strict sense of duty or did she expect him to volunteer? In any case, by the time we "meet" Obi-Wan in TPM, he was clearly devoted to the Jedi and nothing else. The Satine thing might have happened almost a decade beforehand. It must have been quite an interesting time for Qui-Gon, heh heh.

Satine and Mandalorian assassins return next week as the Mandalorian Trilogy wraps up.

Comments

[knight-ander.livejournal.com]

"Which one of you is going to be a cold blooded murderer?" he scoffs, until he gets his answer when Anakin shish-kebabs him with a lightsaber in the back. I noticed the second time I watched it that you can hear a little bit of the "Imperial March" as it happens.

I'm not one for a lot of foreshadowing, but that part was pretty awesome, imo, especially with the "Imperial March" snippet.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

I dug it too! I saw nothing wrong with what Anakin did in this instance, but his get-it-done attitude is what Palpatine manipulates into serving him.

So hilarious

[attanagra.livejournal.com]

But am I the only one who doesn't have a problem with the way Anakin killed Merrick? As Anakin said, "He was going to blow up the ship!"

As for Obi-Wan leaving the Order. . .at first I thought I didn't buy it, because Obi-Wan already went through that with Cerasi on Melida-Daan and paid for it. But then he did fall in love with Siri after that and consider the consequences, even though Qui-Gon and Yoda nipped that in the bud. So maybe I can believe that a few years after that he met Satine and fell hard again. But that implies this is a serious pattern with Obi-Wan. A serious "flaw" in him as a Jedi. The irony, considering his padawan's issues, is obvious.

Anakin was perfect this episode though.

Re: So hilarious

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

No, I didn't have a problem with what Anakin did either. The only choices were to send Satine to certain death or letting Merrick blow up the ship. Despite what Satine said earlier, that you can even reason with extremists, there are some people you can't reason with and this was one of them.

If you were to take the EU into consideration, it does show a pattern with Obi-Wan. If you haven't read those books or don't count them as canon, it still shows that Obi-Wan is just as fallible as Anakin when it comes to love. The difference is Anakin and Padmé worked out a way where they wouldn't have to choose between duty and love. Maybe this show reveals a reason why Obi-Wan might have known all along that Anakin and Padmé were knocking boots yet chose not to confront him about it or rat him out to the Council.

Anakin was great. Paul Dini did a fantastic job with the script and Matt Lanter's performance was right on the money.

[darth-pipes.livejournal.com]

LOL at the thought of Anakin texting Padme about Obi-Wan's girlfriend. You know that was the first thing out of his mouth when he saw her after this.

Are Obi-Wan and Satine Obitine? It's that the name of a healthy drink for your teeth or something?

"("I presume you are acquainted with the collection of half-truths and hyperbole known as Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

Man, she really does know Obi-Wan. But how can an Obi-Wan fan diss the beard?

This episode was a lot of fun. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon protecting Satine for a year would make an interesting story...so long as Jude Watson and Karen Traviss don't write it. ;)

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

This episode was a lot of fun. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon protecting Satine for a year would make an interesting story...so long as Jude Watson and Karen Traviss don't write it. ;)

ROTFLMAO. Satine would spend the entire book putting down the Jedi as evil baby-snatching warmongering a-holes while Qui-Gon would just be rude to Obi-Wan.

"I presume you are acquainted with the collection of half-truths and hyperbole known as Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

I'm sure Anakin was LOL on the inside when he heard that one.

Satine likes the beardless Ewan Obi-Wan. See Moulin Rouge.

[krpalmer.livejournal.com]

There were lots of impressive small moments to this episode for me, from Artoo seeming somehow very much "on-character" in a brief appearance, to the mention of Qui-Gon, to an episode in the middle of a "Mandalorian arc" that didn't need to throw lots of people in "Mandalorian armour" at our heroes, to Anakin solving the "evil senator" dilemma for Obi-Wan and Satine in a way that seemed "ominous" without hitting us over the head with it. For some reason, though, the little exchange of glances between Satine and Obi-Wan right after she'd made her "confession" left me unsure if it wasn't all just a ploy to get Tal Merrick distracted. Also, for some odd reason, I took notice of Satine just saying "Obi" once.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

I've seen some debate as to whether the "I love you" exchange was meant as a distraction, but if it was all just acting, why would Obi-Wan go as far to say he would have left the Order for her? I think she was kind of saying, "Come on, I put my feelings out there, you do the same."

[darth-pipes.livejournal.com]

Is this the first mention of Qui-Gon in this Clone Wars series?

I know he's mentioned in the original microseries and even appears in Yoda's vision. They really should do a Qui-Gon flashback.

Obi-Wan's plan to uncover the traitor is similiar to what Captain Kirk did to discover the Klingon spy in The Trouble with Tribbles.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

Aha! So now we know Obi-Wan watches Star Trek!

As far as I know, it's the first time Quiggy is mentioned.

[sreya.livejournal.com]

Funny, Obi-Wan's plan reminded me very much of a Thin Man movie. "Let's put all the suspects at a dinner table and yammer on until we solve the case!"

[miana-dude.livejournal.com]

I wasn't too sold on Satine, but the Obi-Wan shipper in my totally squeeed when she called him Obi.

And I died laughing at Anakin killing the guy then going "whut?"

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

The "Obi" thing was cute.

[ansketil-rose.livejournal.com]

Is it wrong that I was turned on by the way Anakin said "Excellency" at the end?

I'm so weird.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

Of course, you're a Palpie fan :).

[sandspirit.livejournal.com]

I also got an impression that Obi-Wan and Satine "confess" to each other just to keep Merrick distracted, and I don't see anything amiss with his choice of words in that case.

The part where Anakin kills Merrick after the words "Which one of you is going to be a cold blooded murderer?" was the most impressive.

Yay for the mention of Qui-Gon!! I do hope we'll see a flashback with him in this series.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

That would be awesome.

[quidawn.livejournal.com]

Aaaahhhh, I was just thinking the very same thing meself, right this very moment, and hey....it seems, too, like that could very well happen - or at the very least, we shouldn't be givin' up hope for it by any means, especially going by what I think Dave Filoni has said about our dear ol' Quiggy and the fact he did want to work him in there, to hearken back to him in at least some form or fashion, anyway....in fact, hrmmmm, unless memory doth indeed deceive me, and of course having said that you know as I'm gonna be cue'ing up the CW movie to check up on this one right straightaways, but yeah....there is that moment when Anakin tells Ahsoka literally what Qui-Gon told him, all those years ago...."A very wise Jedi once told me, 'Nothing happens by accident,'" and of course that in itself was just *awwwwwwww* and warm fuzzies all over the place because, of course, we *knew* he was talking about Qui-Gon and it only further proved just how fondly and dearly Anakin remembered Qui-Gon, and was affected by him....

....and so-o then, yeah, all that being said, well - even at the time I guess that was kind of an "indirect" mention, right, because even though Anakin didn't specify Qui-Gon by name at the time he didn't at all *have* to, because of course we already knew full well and were thus left squeein' and delightin' over it as a result....but the thing of it is, too, that - doesn't Dave Filoni mention something about it in the CW movie commentary, that he wanted to hearken back to Qui-Gon one way or another and to just have that sense that the memory and impact of Qui-Gon's presence in Anakin's life had really affected the latter, and was still continuing to shape him in a great many ways....that even though their time together was so tragically and brutally, unforgiveably short, still Qui-Gon managed to have that profound and lifelong-lasting effect on Anakin's life, to the point where he really *would* end up hearkening back to him, referring to him one way or 'tother, I figure....

....it's just that unless mine memories are greatly deceiving me here, and as I said, yeah - likely as not I'll be dartin' right off to check as much since I don't know as I'd be able to sleep soundly until I did :) - but, yeah, the thing of it is then that if Dave Filoni, let's say....if they'd all obviously taken such care to include even that little and most marvellously-subtle of understated mentions of Qui-Gon, something only we might be able to pick up on at the time and yet we'd only end up loving 'im even more for it, for the inclusion of such a thing which they obviously knew was meaningful and hugely important and of course it only leads me to think, too, that if they clearly did care enough about the inclusion of Qui-Gon before....and then this time 'round too, making mention of him like that, if they've cared enough to slip him in the show already....then I just can't imagine why they wouldn't be so inclined to do it again - and even go so far as to make it like a flashback where we see him....

....or to at least have him present there in *some* form or fashion, at any rate, if they've made mention of him - well, twice now, so far - then I can only naturally presume and also hope like all heck as they'll just keep slippign Qui-Gon in there, every now and again, as the opportunity does present itself....obviously they love 'im as much as we do and they know he's plenty important enough just as much as we do, right, ergo them taking the time to hearken back to him like this....if they've cared enough to include him before, really I can only see every reason in the world why they'll just keep doin' precisely that. :) Aaaahhhh, but then, I suppose it couldn't e-zactly hurt for us to somehow get the word out to Dave Filoni, et al....more Qui-Gon, some way, somehow, *please* make it happen....on bended knee we shall hereby beg for that to happen, scratchy carpet and all, I'm sure. :)

[sreya.livejournal.com]

This may very well be my favorite CW episode. There was a lot that had the feeling of the original trilogy - the music while the first two clones and Artoo searched the hold reminded me of the Mos Eisley theme, and when Anakin was talking to Artoo he sounded JUST like Luke.

I was a bit thrown by the hostility between Satine and Obi-Wan. Last episode, it seemed pretty light hearted, much more like flirting. Am I not remembering a shift at the end of the last episode that would make them more combative with each other?

YAY for Artoo zapping the "baby" droids (which was very creepy when they first appeared), and I laughed pretty hard when Anakin was asking about the "momma" droid. As I said in another comment, the discovery of which Senator was the traitor reminded me very much of The Thin Man. It's fun that they work in some "detective" type elements to the show.

I didn't notice the Imperial March when Anakin killed Merrick! I'll have to look for that. I was so unsurprised by that - as soon as the baddie was obviously setting up a "dilemma" and taunting Obi-Wan and Satine about which one would kill him, I knew Anakin was going to show up.

So, I wonder who is going to write the fanfic about Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Satine on the run together? *grin* For some reason, I picture Obi-Wan and Satine both at about 14 or 15 years old, much like Padme in TPM.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

I also thought Anakin's interaction with Artoo was similar to Luke's interaction with Artoo ("what's the matter, buddy?").

Satine and Obi-Wan's bickering seems more pointed. I've read that this was originally conceived as a single-shot episode but was retrofitted to mesh in with the other two Mandalorian episodes. Maybe that has something to do with it.

I figured it had to have been a teenage Obi-Wan, but in my mind he's a wee bit older, 16-17, somewhere in that neighborhood.

Have to see who's been writing fic already...

Her palace ought to be on the Cribs program --- it was beautiful. And with a throne!

[pronker]

Excellent point about Obi-Wan suspecting the Anakin/Padme connection and choosing to let things play out as they would instead of confronting them, out of empathy due to his own situation(s). And Obi-Wan and Satine have had decades of thinking about their year together, with sentiment creeping in (remember those venom-mites that I saved you from?) as well as remorseful hostility (giving each other the stink-eye) when they finally reunited.

Re: Her palace ought to be on the Cribs program --- it was beautiful. And with a throne!

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

I don't think Obi-Wan wanted to force Anakin to choose between the Order that needs him and a lifetime of resentment and regret if he had to leave Padmé. Don't fix what ain't broke.

Re: Her palace ought to be on the Cribs program --- it was beautiful. And with a throne!

[quidawn.livejournal.com]

*sporfling* And, oh, remember when Satine just had to remark, to that effect, about the scar she still had from when they were on the run all those years back....and of course, her even mentioning that scar, and I don't know if it was her tone of voice or the way she was looking at him or just the sheer crackling chemistry goin' on between those two, but did anyone else's eyebrows go up in earnest when Satine was talking about that certain scar?....because I know where my mind or presumptions, and quite possibly even Obi-Wan's own reluctant thoughts and memories as well, must've been delving with *that* one. ;) But, oooohhhh, yeah, so when they're busy reminiscing like that, and at first Obi-Wan's remembering it as how he saved her at the time....to which Satine just gives him a look and remarks that she actually got the scar when he lost his balance and *dropped* her. *shakes head, droll* Aaaahhhh, Obi-Wan, ever the smooth-move Casanova I'm sure.... :D *laughs at the ensuing mental image*

Re: Her palace ought to be on the Cribs program --- it was beautiful. And with a throne!

[pronker]

Oh, I'm thinking that if he carried her like he did at the explosive end of Mandalorian Plot and then dropped her, the scar would be on her bottom. Food for thought?

Yes, by the end of the arc I was happy with the backstory. Now if there's a flashback somewhere down the line, with Qui-Gon and the two of them ... *sigh* or dream sequence, or fever dream or something, I don't care ...

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

I guess nobody's good enough for ol' Obi-Wan, heh heh.

[darth-pipes.livejournal.com]

There was also Astri Oddo from the JA/JQ series. They never had a relationship but they did have some chemistry together and Obi-Wan seemed to like her on some level.

Obi wan channels kirk

[lownewolfe]

Glad I wasn't the only one who noticed a near word for word use of Kirk's line from trouble with trinkets,"but it does/n't like you", lol