Home Contact About The ForceCast Jedi Journals The IndyCast
Home Contact About The ForceCast Jedi Journals The IndyCast
ForceCast.net
ForceCast.net
Entertainment Earth

Listener Mailbag: December 8, 2011

Posted by Eric on December 8, 2011 at 01:06 PM CST

In this week's listener mailbag, we've got feedback on our discussion of Order 66 and The Clone Wars, a Star Wars holiday music story, a cool tale about Shaak Ti, and more!


*******



I was just at Universal Studios in Los Angeles tonight with my wife. Everything and everywhere was decked to the halls. Music was pumping (very loudly) over the loud speakers. Suddenly my wife and I stopped in our tracks when we heard a very familiar protocol droid singing, "Christmas In The Stars."

They were playing tracks from the Star Wars Christmas album, "Christmas In The Stars." We couldn't believe our ears. This was mixed in with other holiday tracks such as "Jingle Bell Rock," "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree," and some Justin Bieber noise. A vendor at a kiosk was even whistling along with R2-D2's solo. It just goes to show you, Star Wars in one medium or another really is everywhere!

Happy Holidays,

-Richard Woloski
Long Beach, CA



*******



Hi guys,

I was talking to my fiance (who's not super into Star Wars, but she humors me anyways and I love her for that) a few days ago, and I said one of my favorite characters is Shaak Ti. She said, "Wait, what was her name?" I repeated it for her and she said, "Oh that's weird, I wonder if they meant to do that...that's a Hindi word (though spelled differently)." My fiance is Indian and she said the best translation was something between power and strength, which seems very fitting for Shaak Ti.

I know GL likes to write down words that sound cool and use them later, but I just thought it was a cool little tidbit that I never would've known if my fiance didn't speak Hindi.

Just thought I'd share!
MTFBWYA,
Evan



*******



Hey Guys! I've been listening for a few years now and I really enjoy it. It is nice to hear the opinions and thoughts of a fellow Star Wars fan.

I particularly enjoy The Clone Wars Roundtables. They have great insight to consider when viewing the show. I was listening to the episode you did on the final two episodes in the Krell story arc, and was enthusiastic when I heard the discussion about the origin of Order 66. I was reminded of a blog post on StarWars.com that I read a few years back that deals with this issue. I completely agree with what is said.

The author suggests that because the clones must obey the Jedi without hesitation, the order should be regarded by the clones with skepticism and hesitation to kill their masters. We know that this is not the case for most, so why would they comply so easily? The theory that is proposed is that some of the most high ranking Jedi created this order as a way to get rid of any Jedi that sought to misuse the clones and go rogue as we see with Krell. They shared it with Palpatine in case they were killed in order to preserve it (this is before they even suspected he was Sith). He then used it to his own ends.
I just thought it was worth a thought.

Grant Mcdonald




*******



Hi Jason & Jimmy

I'm a long-time listener to the Clone Wars Roundtables. Alas I rarely have time to listen to the regular ForceCast shows, but I always make time for the Clone Wars Roundtables, not least because in the absence of a Cartoon Network subscription I'm about a season and a half behind in terms of what I've actually seen but I like to keep up to speed with what's going on, and I just like the show. I know that there are other quasi-nefarious ways to watch the show online in the UK but as a practicing Intellectual Property lawyer who spends his working day advising clients on how to protect their commercial IP I can't really justify it (although tell Mr Bateman not to worry as I don't act for Lucasfilm ;o) ) . I don't mind exposing myself to spoilers and to be honest by the time I clap my eyes on that Season Three box set this Christmas I'll have forgotten much of the specifics of your discussions about the episodes in question. Anyway, I digress.

I had two reasons for finally getting in touch with you guys: firstly to say a huge thank you for all the hard work that you and the regular contributors put into the show. Even when you're talking about an episode that hasn't set your world on fire, your passion for Star Wars shines through. As a child of '77 and a lifelong Star Wars fan - thank you.

Secondly I just wanted to share something from history that I discovered in the last couple of years and which I think sheds a degree of light on GL's choice of name for Ahsoka, and perhaps gives some clue as to her fate. Apologies if this has been raised before, but I've listened to all of the Roundtables since Season 1's "Ambush" and I don't think it has come up.

Ashoka the Great (note the slightly different spelling) was an Indian Emperor from around 269 BC to 232 BC. He became a pacifist and embraced Buddhism after a particularly brutal war which he had waged out of a desire for conquest. According to Wikipedia:

"He was later dedicated to the propagation of Buddhism across Asia and established monuments marking several significant sites in the life of Gautama Buddha. Ashoka was a devotee of nonviolence, love, truth, tolerance and vegetarianism. Ashoka is remembered in history as a philanthropic administrator...

As the legend goes, one day after the war was over, Ashoka ventured out to roam the city and all he could see were burnt houses and scattered corpses. This sight made him sick and he cried the famous monologue:

What have I done? If this is a victory, what's a defeat then? Is this a victory or a defeat? Is this justice or injustice? Is it gallantry or a rout? Is it valor to kill innocent children and women? Do I do it to widen the empire and for prosperity or to destroy the other's kingdom and splendor? One has lost her husband, someone else a father, someone a child, someone an unborn infant.... What's this debris of the corpses? Are these marks of victory or defeat? Are these vultures, crows, eagles the messengers of death or evil?

The brutality of the conquest led him to adopt Buddhism, and he used his position to propagate the relatively new religion to new heights, as far as ancient Rome and Egypt. He made Buddhism his state religion around 260 BC, and propagated it and preached it within his domain and worldwide from about 250 BC. Emperor Ashoka undoubtedly has to be credited with the first serious attempt to develop a Buddhist policy."

Is this the journey that Ahsoka Tano is on? Warrior to complete pacifist? Will Ahsoka be witness to (or worse, party to) some great massacre or other tragedy that leads her to leave the Jedi Order for the sake of her own conscience? Will she begin to see the dark ends to which the Republic Army is being directed? Will this bring her into conflict with her Master and force her to make the decision to leave the Order and the war behind rather than remain on a collision course with some dark fate, be that her own turn to the dark side or a confrontation with Anakin as he slips further into Palpatine's pocket?

Personally I love the idea that Ahsoka having survived Order 66, gets out there in the universe and does some good after the war. I can imagine her featuring in the live action TV series, trying to make good the wrongs done in war by both sides but being inexorably drawn into a new conflict as the nascent Rebel Alliance finds it feet. Would that not be (a) very very cool, and (b) good cross-pollination of different strands of the franchise?

Who knows, but I thought it was good food for thought. Chomp away chaps.

Jonny M



*******


Thanks to all of this week's mailbag contributors! Keep your emails coming to forcecast@forcecast.net.

Related Stories:

Listener Mailbag: January 27, 2012
Listener Mailbag: January 20, 2012
Listener Mailbag: December 23, 2011
Listener Mailbag: December 1, 2011
Listener Mailbag: November 25, 2011
Listener Mailbag: November 14, 2011
Listener Mailbag: November 7, 2011


Subscribe

ForceCast on Patreon

Subscribe

Entertainment Earth

Follow Us!

TheForcenet

Order A ForceCast Shirt Today!

Entertainment Earth

Home | Contact | About
STAR WARS IS FOREVER!
Disclaimer | 2024 TFN, LLC.