We had some fairly long discussions about this backstage; it was quite a lot of fun to work these up. Amusingly, the order went like this:

Alaia's chant -> "Does that thing have a meaning? Hmm, I dunno, I just wrote it, I'll ask the characters..." -> Sorceric glyphs -> Jedi glyphs -> Sith virtues -> Jedi virtues

Which goes to show you who's actually driving around here.

When I came on board and was given the rough design specs for FoF to read through, "No, really, Christopher Lee gets to be a good guy this time" was in fact one of the build notes. :)

But we were rather hoping that when we sent Len and Emmy to Serenno with him last episode, people would think it was A Trap. And I guess technically it was! Just not his trap. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

From my perspective, I'm not sure it was anybody's trap. They head off to do architectural research and end up stumbling upon a plot to alter the balance of the universe? Probably the Force at work.

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

Then I actually thought about the issue of the -timing- of things, and that Dooku missing from the Temple (when he wasn't on Naboo) would likely be remarked upon. That was about the time in the story where everything was starting to converge, and it was all gravy from there :)

-Droken

*sigh* It's a fair cop.

Michael C. Fortner
"Maxim 37: There is no such thing as "overkill".
There is only "open fire" and "I need to reload".

I was Reflecting on The Hobbit movies lately. I'm not getting into any discussion about their general merit. But the scene in The Battle of Five Armies where the White Council shows up in Dol Guldur, Saruman inquires, "My lady, do need assistance?", and the Council proceeds to Lay The Smack Down (TM) made me want to stand up and cheer.

Yes Saruman falls. But Christopher Lee got one last Big Damn Heroes moment.

Yes, one rather hoped that stinger would elicit an OH SHIT SON or two. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

Actually, with me, that elicited a YEAH, COVIE BASTARD, YOU GON' GET CLAPPED UP.

-- Slider Da Feral (NYAR!)
"Just indulging in my fondness for the vernacular."

My personal reaction at that moment was "Fffffuuuuuuuck meeeee...."

Amazing work. 12/10 would take that ride again.
--------------
Lime2K
The One True Evil Overlord

Start a new thread with "SPOILERS!" in the title or something - the rest of us would like to know too. :)

I'm pretty sure they haven't been covered yet. Oh, it's all there in the passage where they're all named. I just didn't notice the italics the first time through.

>
>Going back some more: Anne as shown in early parts of Fulcrum isn't
>as... grown as one from OOTR. She's... grown from little psychic
>runaway, but she's not the girl who can cut a dragon open and dead,
>with a stick.
>

I suspect that part of that is the fact that she's still settling into the business of being truly on her own. When she was fighting the spawn of Nidhoggr, she was drawing from Utena's example of what to do when trouble comes knocking. In Blades, she's still not in a place where she can be like that most of the time.

Then again, I'm not sure if Utena is like that most of the time.

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

(nod) The obvious thing to do there, I suppose, would have been to have Alaia explain them, mirroring Vader's explanation of the Sith Virtues, when she told them to Obi-Wan at the end of that sequence; but that would perhaps have been a little too obvious, and besides, her understanding (as her internal monologue in that scene shows) is more instinctive than articulate.

>Then again, I'm not sure if Utena is like that most of the time.

A lot of people probably think she is, but she's of the opinion (one of the many she tends to share with, e.g., Korra, of whom it is also often expected by strangers) that a person can't live with that kind of intensity all the time. It would be exhausting and alienate other people.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

Also, it would have bogged the scene down. Looking at it again, I can guess at how these virtues turn to flaws on my own, although I can't articulate what I see as the flaw of Truth. I could be wrong about what I see, though.

I find it interesting that my guess about Flexibility suggests that while the Jedi and Sith share a virtue, the application of it is different.

> and
>besides, her understanding (as her internal monologue in that scene
>shows) is more instinctive than articulate.
>

True enough. It makes sense, though. She's only been at this for eight years. A minute to learn, a lifetime to master, right?

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

"... from a certain point of view."

--G.
"I took the liberty of bullshitting you."
"You lied to me."
"It wasn't lies; it was bullshit."
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

Truth as an absolute is a flaw. If you assume there is an absolute Truth, then you lose the shades of grey that make up reality, and also lose a LOT in the way of flexibility. And what if your understanding of the Truth is flawed?

You get Miko Miyazaki (among other unfortunate examples).

We call that "Lawful Stupid" where I come from.

Ebony the Black Dragon

"Life is like an anole. Sometimes it's green. Sometimes it's brown. But it's always a small Caribbean lizard."

"I suggest you try it again, Luke. Only this time, let go your conscious self, and act on instinct." -- Obi-Wan Kenobi.

... Pardon me?

>Alternatively, OWAW would be great.

Well, I don't want to get people's hopes too up, because it's an unpromising time for a bunch of reasons, but I will say that the next two episodes of OWaW are both under construction in adjacent drydocks at the moment, and I have vague hopes of finally managing to continue The Federation Lives Forever before getting too much older, as well. As always, though, prediction is a dangerous game around here.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

TFLF would be great (even if I never saw K-on and the school band I remember most is ENOZ, also known as "Haruhi wanted to be a lead singer in a rock band for a day, succeeded, grew bored, songs were nice"). Story of normal-ish girls, suddenly experiencing side view of the maelstrom that is Trinity, because Trinity remembers that everything began with a band and want to spread good. Will there be a submarine Mental Model on the other side of the lake window, freaking girls out with her freaky anaerobic ways?

Yep! I caught that bit right away.

Only wish I'd realized who was saying 'it's dangerous to go alone'...feel kinda dumb missing that one, even after reading the last lines.

------
Fearless creatures, we all learn to fight the Reaper
Can't defeat Her, so instead I'll have to be Her

Could you expand on this, for those of us who didn't get the memo?

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

They are totally not related to the Cyclone Riders squad "The Fighting Uruk-Hai" that serve on WDF Voronda Elendil as part of Mars Division.

:)

--- Philip

	Philip J. Moyer Contributing Writer, Editor and Artist (and Moderator) -- Eyrie Productions, Unlimited CEO of MTS, High Poobah Of Artwork, and High Priest Of the Church Of Aerianne -- Magnetic Terrapin Studios "Insert Pithy Comment Here" Fandoms -- Fanart -- Fan Meta Discussions

Hehe. =)

Nevertheless, I'll explain for reals. Christopher Lee, the actor who played Count Dooku, also played Saruman the White in the LotR movies. The White Hand was his symbol, worn by his minions the Uruk-hai. The White Hand is a fourth wall meta-nod to the late actor, and it relates to the mention that 'Christopher Lee plays a good guy this time' in the production notes.

------
Fearless creatures, we all learn to fight the Reaper
Can't defeat Her, so instead I'll have to be Her

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.