# Does Padme ruin Star Wars continuity/story? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 20, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571 "2009-07-20T00:12:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/1 "2009-07-20T00:12:35Z")
Now, I certainly not going to attack Lucas for bringing Natalie Portman into Star Wars, she is after all the lady who has single handedly restored the honour of Israeli women after Golda Mier, but the character seems to cause the whole star wars continuity and meshing with the original and prequel trilogy to go haywire. Unlike nearly all the other main characters, her backstory was not set at the time of the Original trilogy, she was irrelevant to the story except for a couple of dialouges. A lot of what she does is contrived IMO, her relationship with Anakin, while central to his fall does not do much to take Vader forward. Perhaps her character’s role could have been culled in the movies, as it was to a large extent in Ep III. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/2 "2009-07-20T00:14:46Z")
Since the whole story line of episodes 1-3 are total horseshit, Padme must, ipso facto, reducto absurdum, rigor mortis be horseshit as well. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/3 "2009-07-20T00:34:34Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Now, I certainly not going to attack Lucas for bringing Natalie Portman into Star Wars, she is after all the lady who has single handedly restored the honour of Israeli women after Golda Mier Uh…huh. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/4 "2009-07-20T00:46:43Z")
Someone had to birth them twins. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/5 "2009-07-20T00:50:15Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Uh…huh. :dubious: Yes, I found that the more interesting part of the OP as well. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/6 "2009-07-20T03:04:22Z")
IIRC, the original idea was to have Padme not die during childbirth, but continue on and lead the rebellion for a short time before kicking it. This would make some sense, and enable Leia’s bit about remembering feelings/emotions about her mother to be actually true. The way they used Padme (elected underaged Queen?), and not her existence, is the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/7 "2009-07-20T03:16:42Z")
It would also have been a much better use of the Padme character to contrast her path with Anakin’s. They both hate the corruption and impotence of the Galactic Senate, but Anakin’s militant idealism becomes corrupted into something far worse. While Padme ends up working under the radar to assemble what’s left of the decent people within the Senate into the nucleus of what becomes the Rebellion. A deleted storyline hinted at this but was left on the cutting room floor. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/8 "2009-07-20T05:09:46Z")
The general consensus is that _George Lucas_ ruined the Star Wars continuity/story. Padme is probably like 117th on the list of things he did to mess things up. ---
**Author:** ![Telcontar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Telcontar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telcontar)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/9 "2009-07-20T05:44:54Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > The general consensus is that _George Lucas_ ruined the Star Wars continuity/story. Padme is probably like 117th on the list of things he did to mess things up. I came into this thread to make this exact point. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/10 "2009-07-20T05:59:30Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > The general consensus is that _George Lucas_ ruined the Star Wars continuity/story. Padme is probably like 117th on the list of things he did to mess things up. And near the top of that list is Jar Jar Binks. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/11 "2009-07-20T09:18:18Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > The general consensus is that _George Lucas_ ruined the Star Wars continuity/story. Padme is probably like 117th on the list of things he did to mess things up. +3 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/12 "2009-07-20T10:00:32Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > And near the top of that list is Jar Jar Binks. Numba two being Ewoks. Cute, furry, living teddy bears…that are cannibals! DAMMIT! Who _does_ things like that?!:smack: ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/13 "2009-07-20T10:28:20Z")
I am reaching a sort of opinion that George Lucas purposefully sabotaged Star Wars to create a perpetual “what if…” and “what could have been” amongst the fans, thusly generating a buzzword _forever_. Meaning more sales. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/14 "2009-07-20T14:31:21Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Yes, I found that the more interesting part of the OP as well. In the OP’s defense, Golda Meir would have been a terrible casting choice for Padme. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/15 "2009-07-20T14:44:54Z")
I’ve always been more amused by the people who can’t imagine the concept of an elected Monarch. Hell, half the kings in history were elected (usually informally). ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/16 "2009-07-20T14:46:02Z")
She doesn’t ruin the continuity, but she does manage to represent just about everything wrong with the prequels: emotional inauthenticity, contrived motivation, unconvincing characterization, bad dialogue, and gaping holes in logic and coherence. The only thing she manages to escape is the juvenile humor that the films resort to sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/17 "2009-07-20T15:19:23Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > In the OP’s defense, Golda Meir would have been a terrible casting choice for Padme. …what with being dead and all… ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/18 "2009-07-20T15:25:39Z")
It’s often remarked that Padme and Anakin’s portrayal in the animated **Clone Wars** cartoons is superior to the actual actors’ performance. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/19 "2009-07-20T15:31:02Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > I am reaching a sort of opinion that George Lucas purposefully sabotaged Star Wars to create a perpetual “what if…” and “what could have been” amongst the fans, thusly generating a buzzword _forever_. Meaning more sales. I’m not sure if that’s really the case. Why would I buy the prequel DVDs or any of the other merchandise because I think “What if Lucas did this instead?” On the other hand, it’s hard to believe he screwed up 3 movies so awfully by accident… ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571/20 "2009-07-20T16:35:31Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > It’s often remarked that Padme and Anakin’s portrayal in the animated **Clone Wars** cartoons is superior to the actual actors’ performance. Again, the fault here is in Lucas’s writing and directing. Both Portman and Christensen are fine actors in other contexts. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-padme-ruin-star-wars-continuity-story/503571.md?page=2)