"I wonder if any meaningful change will come of this."
Dooku and his apprentice Qui-Gon are sent to rescue a senator's son.
Tropes:
- Ambiguous Ending: Dagonet's son vows to undo the damage his father's caused to the villagers, but Dooku doesn't believe it will change anything. We never see if he's right or not.
- Bullying a Dragon: Senator Dagonet threatens and opens fire on two Jedi; if it hadn't been for Qui-Gon, this foolishness would have cost him his life.Dooku: Corruption like yours must be eradicated!
- Call-Forward:
- Dooku calls Qui-Gon "a much wiser man than I" for his quick thinking. Qui-Gon gives Obi-Wan the same compliment almost verbatim in The Phantom Menace.
- Dooku's violent actions when fighting Dagonet. As Obi-Wan claimed Qui-Gon would never join Dooku in Attack of the Jedi, this episode shows that while Qui-Gon agreed with Dooku's views, he would have not joined Dooku if he knew he went down a dark path.
- Corrupt Politician: Senator Dagonet has let the people of his planet suffer while he fulfills his own political ambitions.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Dagonet, for all his corruption and apathy, does care greatly for his son and personally sets out to find him once he tracks down where the kidnappers had hidden him. Unfortunately this also means he's willing to kill all the kidnappers in the process.
- Everybody Did It: Dooku and Qui-Gon enter a bar, asking if anyone knows the location of the kidnapped son. When the village elder offers to take them to him:Qui-Gon: You're one of the kidnappers?
[everyone else in the bar stands up]
Dooku: They all are. - Futureshadowing: The village elder says that Dagonet might have been a good person once, but that time is long gone; the same will later be true of Dooku, the very man she's speaking to.
- Hat of Authority: Senator Dagonet has a fancy looking hat, but rather than making him look impressive helps demonstrate what a pompous, self-important jerk he is.
- Irony: Season 2 of Star Wars: The Bad Batch reveals that Dooku, after falling to the Dark Side, would go on to do almost the exact same thing he nearly killed Dagonet for: namely, pillaging his home planet for his own personal gain.
- Kick the Dog: The minute Dooku starts strangling Dagonet, Qui-Gon tries to stop him, only for Dooku to Force push him into the barn wall.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: Dagonet and his soldiers are only a threat because the Jedi are trying to protect the civilians while also defending themselves. When Dagonet pushes Dooku too far, Dooku proceeds to Force Choke him while deflecting blaster fire one-handed and using the Force to toss the soldiers aside as he closes in.
- Make an Example of Them: Dagonet threatens to destroy the town and many others to quell any rebellion against him.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Downplayed. Dooku is clearly ashamed of himself for nearly killing Senator Dagonet with a Force Choke, and commends Qui-Gon for his actions in saving his life, and by extension, the rest of the people on the planet they're on.
- Not So Stoic: Dooku keeps himself composed throughout much of the episode, but later becomes so disgusted with Senator Dagonet's apathy and corruption that he begins Force-choking the man with a clear intent to Pay Evil unto Evil. He's only stopped by Qui-Gon releasing the senator's son to prevent him from killing him outright.
- Papa Wolf: Dagonet manages to find out where the villagers are keeping his son and personally leads a small army to get him back. His love for his son is his only noble trait, as he's revealed to be a corrupt, callous, and ruthless man otherwise.
- Psychic Strangle: Dagonet's threat to Make an Example of Them is met with Dooku using a Force Choke. Qui-Gon narrowly keeps it from escalating to a beheading by releasing Dagonet's son to cool things down.
- Punch-Clock Villain: Dagonet's security detail fire on the villagers, but once everything's over can be seen helping them, either by providing medical assistance or fixing their broken machinery.
- The Quisling: Portrayed sympathetically. One of the villagers sells out the kidnappers, just for money to buy food to eat. No-one seems to hold it against her.
- Ruritania: The look of the planet, or at least the bit with the simple, impoverished farming village Dooku and Qui-Gon visit.
- So Proud of You: Dooku admits that Qui-Gon is wiser than himself for finding a non-violent resolution.
- Spoiled Sweet: Senator Dagonet's son grew up with wealth and privilege, and spends most of his time either in the palace, or on Coruscant. However, he's nothing short of horrified to see the condition the poorer people on his planet are in, and is subsequently disgusted with his father for allowing them to live in such misery. Before he goes back home, the son promises one of the town's citizens that he will improve their way of life.
- Stand Your Ground: Dooku vows to stand and defend the villagers against the Senator and his soldiers.Dagonet: Step aside, Jedi.
Dooku: We cannot.
Dagonet: You serve the Senate!
Dooku: No, we serve the people of this Republic. - Tempting Fate: Senator Dagonet learns not to mock and threaten a pissed off Jedi Master;Dagonet: I will destroy this town, and make an example of it and many others. None shall defy me, not even you Master Jed- [cue Psychic Strangle]
- Tranquil Fury: Dooku slides into this when he sees many of the villagers get injured by Dagonet's men, casually taking out Dagonet's security and Force Choking the corrupt senator while visibly barely keeping his anger under a lid.
- Used Future: Mixed with the "rural Mid-European village" look the planet's got going, what futuristic elements are on display look beaten to crap, and are covered in grime and dirt.
