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Tuesday, June 30, 2015

The Clone Wars: Rookies

My friends and I are embarking on an exploration of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.  Every Tuesday, we will be featuring an episode from the series which began in 2008 (as opposed to the one that started in 2003).  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of the fun.

Episode: "Rookies"
Series: Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Season 1, Episode 5
Original Air Date: October 24, 2008
via Wookieepedia
A small unit of inexperienced clones are stationed at a listening post on a remote moon in the Outer Rim.   Droid commandos attack, preparing a broader invasion by General Grievous, threatening Kamino, the clones' home world.  Quickly finding themselves at a severe disadvantage, the rookie clones must find a way to undermine the Separatists' devious plan.

"Rookies" provides something you don't get much in the Star Wars movies: the experience of the common soldier.  Just as in the real world, hours of tedium are peppered with moments of sheer terror, death and disaster a constant threat.  Take away the space opera trappings and "Rookies" could fit in nicely with the military adventure movies of the 1950s and '60s. 

*****
via Twitter
"Rookies" features eight individual clone characters: Hevy, Echo, Fives, Cutup, Droidbait, O'Niner, Cody and Rex.  All are voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.  Baker was born August 31, 1962 in Bloomington, Indiana, though he grew up in Greeley, Colorado.  He majored in philosophy at Colorado College.  He got his first big break as the announcer and the voice of Olmec on the Nickelodeon game show, Legends of the Hidden Temple.

Apart from Star Wars, Baker's extensive television work includes American Dad! and Phineas and Ferb.  His most significant big screen performance came in 2014's The Boxtrolls, for which he was nominated for an Annie Award.  In video games, he has contributed to the Halo franchise and numerous television tie-in games.  He met his wife while both were working in children's theater.  The couple have two daughters.

If you would care to join us for all or part of our travels, sign on to the list below.  Please visit the other participants today.  Next week: "Downfall of a Droid."


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8 comments:

  1. Andrew LeonJune 30, 2015 at 3:50 AM

    It's pretty amazing what he does as ALL of the clones.

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  2. sageJune 30, 2015 at 7:05 AM

    Droidbait, that sounds like a name given to the soldier most picked on by the platoon.

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    1. The Armchair SquidJune 30, 2015 at 7:22 AM

      Yes, and there's a bit of foreshadowing embedded in the name, too.

      Delete
  3. Maurice MitchellJune 30, 2015 at 11:24 AM

    I love how gritty the Clone Wars series is. At it's hard it's a throwback war show and it succeeds on many levels. The movie made warfare seem like a glorious spectacle, but the show was very "boots on the ground" and shows how grinding war can really be.

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    Replies
    1. The Armchair SquidJune 30, 2015 at 12:33 PM

      I love the gritty of the original trilogy, especially the first movie. It's a big part of the long-term appeal, I think. It helps make Luke's adventures all the more extraordinary - both for him and for us.

      Delete
  4. AnonymousJuly 4, 2015 at 2:51 AM

    This sounds intense with the warfare. Baker looks familiar.

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