Palpatine: *literally using a DEADLY force move against Mace Windu*
Mace Windu: *defending himself, because if he stops for even a MOMENT he will be killed by the lightening he’s redirecting*
Mace: Anakin this man, who is literally actively trying to kill me in such a way if I stop this defensive stance I will die, is too dangerous to live. He is currently ACTIVELY trying to kill me, right now.
Anakin: This isn’t the Jedi way.
Anakin stans and people who hate Mace for no reason: SEE Mace is BAD and WRONG, him insisting that a man who just murdered three of his fellows and is STILL actively attempting to murder him as the scene takes place means it’s just like Anakin beheading a disarmed and non-resisting Dooku. MACE IS BAD!!!1!
I wouldn’t change Padmé’s story but I would add her deleted scenes back in. Padmé has a political arc that is mostly invisible to the mainstream audience, and the scenes with her family build both her character and her relationship to Anakin.
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
The opening Senate scene:
emphasizes the threat against her and directly ties it to both the Trade Federation/Separatists and her position in the Senate
emphasizes her refusal to be cowed or back down, and her preference not to hide from danger
positions her as a strong voice in the Senate
makes it clear she is opposed to an Army of the Republic, which makes Jar Jar’s later intervention on her behalf that much more misguided
The extended conversation on the way to the palace:
reveals Padmé’s desire for children (let’s all cry forever)
look at those smiles
look at them!
Visiting the Naberrie home:
introduces her family (!)
emphasizes their concern for her life and her happiness
parallels the dinner scene in The Phantom Menace
builds up Padmé’s attraction to Anakin
reveals details about Padmé’s political training and history of compassion
ANAKIN INTERACTS WITH AN INTACT HAPPY HEALTHY FAMILY
The interrogation:
shows Padmé attempting a diplomatic solution
emphasizes that the Separatists are working within the law, at least for show
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The confrontation of Palpatine:
proves at least a faction of the Senate was not only working to remove Palpatine, they put their plan into action
again shows Padmé attempting a diplomatic solution
makes it clear Padmé is not on Palpatine’s side
pits Padmé against Anakin, making it visually clear that Palpatine has deliberately and specifically placed himself between them
and Padmé uses the interaction to try and make Anakin see that Palpatine is part of the problem
and Anakin is visibly conflicted
The scenes amongst the senators:
where do I even begin
include a crowd of interesting characters from different planets
who are as diverse in gender, race, species, culture, even body shape as the Empire is not
and they are the founders and leaders of the Rebellion
and their group meetings are shown to be just as messy as the Jedi Council meetings
they are equally secretive, paranoid, and all around Terrible At Communication(™)
and Padmé is just as frustrated as Anakin
because no one listens to her
and all that emphasizes how everything that matters to Padmé is crumbling under the stress of it all
and how isolated she is due to no one knowing the whole story
this arc is HUGELY important to Padmé’s story, to the Republic’s and the Rebellion’s story, and to the overarching story of Star Wars
So yes, that’s what I would change. I would make it so everyone knows ALL of Padmé’s story.
L.J.'s Obsessions 