Tuesday, August 9, 2016

The Clone Wars: Counterattack

My friends and I are watching 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: "Counterattack"
Series: Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Season 3, Episode 19
Original Air Date: March 4, 2011
via Wookieepedia
The Citadel prison break story continues. When last we left our friends, Jedi Master Even Piell's rescue party had split into two groups: one led by Obi-Wan, the other by Anakin.  Anakin's half had just entered an old, hidden cavern passage running underneath the Citadel.  While there's a lot of good development for the Anakin-Ahsoka relationship, the main attraction for this story arc to this point is the emergence of Wilhuff Tarkin.
via Wookieepedia
As he enters The Clone Wars saga, Tarkin is captain of Piell's ship.  But of course, Tarkin will eventually become Grand Moff of the Galactic Empire (such an awesome title; Grand Moff Tarkin could just as easily have been the name of an early '70s glam rock band).  The banter between Tarkin and Anakin in this story foreshadows their future professional relationship in service to Emperor Palpatine.
via Wookieepedia
Wookieepedia's character bio pointed out something I've always known, yet somehow never articulated: back in the '70s, there was no Kenner action figure for Grand Moff Tarkin, a shocking oversight for one of the original movie's most important characters.  Thinking back, there were several miscellaneous Imperial figures but no Tarkin.  Veteran actor Peter Cushing must have been moffed... er, excuse me... miffed.  Kenner did make amends in the mid-'80s, finally producing a figure as part of an effort to keep the brand alive after Return of the Jedi.  In The Clone Wars, Tarkin is voiced by Stephen Stanton.
A later, Hasbro figure via YouTube
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: "Citadel Rescue."

 

6 comments:

  1. The missed a lot of important figures back in those early days of action figures. Even as a kid, I was upset about certain characters not getting figures when random aliens did.

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    1. Do you remember others in particular? Oh wait, I do. Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru! Wedge!

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    2. Yes, those, and I really wanted a Biggs action figure. The first time I saw Star Wars, I saw the version with him and Luke meeting before the attack on the Death Star, and the picture book I had of the movie had a two-page spread of him on Tatooine from the beginning of the movie trying to convince Luke to go with him.
      So I really wanted a Biggs figure.

      And I wanted that black protocol droid from the Death Star, mostly because the figure they released was actually from the sandcrawler, and it annoyed me that it was called "Death Star Droid."

      The band members from the cantina. I was very glad when they got figures. And Dr. Evanzan.

      I'm sure there were more.

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    3. Yeah, the band members would have been good. They were on the backdrop for the Cantina playset as I recall but that was it.

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