With the arrival of the trailer, the official countdown begins to the Feb. 21 premiere of the seventh and final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which promises to resolve plot threads left dangling since 2013, and to fill in more gaps in the sequel trilogy. However, the new footage also suggests the final episodes may create a plot hole, or at least a contradiction, in Revenge of the Sith. Specifically it relates to the revelation of Padme's pregnancy.
At the trailer's 1:28 mark, Anakin Skywalker speaks to a hologram of Padme, who exhibits a fairly obvious baby bump. The way she rests her hand on her stomach certainly appears to confirm her condition.
The problem, as Jeremy Conrad was swift to point out on Twitter, Anakin doesn't learn Padme is pregnant until Revenge of the Sith, when he and Obi-Wan Kenobi return to Coruscant after killing Count Dooku. They meet with the politicians, and Obi-Wan heads off to the Jedi Council, leaving Anakin to receive the glory. However, as the diplomats leave, Anakin meets his wife in the shadows, where she tells him hiding their marriage is as important now as ever, as she's with child. It's one of the Skywalker Saga's more emotional moments, as fans knew Padme was carrying Luke and Leia.
That leaves us to wonder how could such a scene occur in The Clone Wars, which is set before the events of Revenge of the Sith. It's difficult to believe Anakin doesn't notice Padme's state, unless he's conveniently blind. Perhaps he's too wrapped up in the war, but he certainly can't be that blind.
Some fans have already suggested the Clone Wars scene could take place after the revelation in Revenge of the Sith, but there's a potential problem, as Anakin never returned to the Clone Wars after that. He became entangled in Palpatine's dark web, obsessing over the Force, struggling with the possibility of Sith power to keep his family immortal, and, last but not least, his conflict with the Jedi Order.
That's a huge gap to plug, and it doesn't seem feasible given what went down on the big screen. That said, The Clone Wars may have include this seeming oversight may be a reimagining of a key scene, included to add to the drama, and make us sympathize more with the plight of these star-crossed lovers.
Premiering Friday, Feb. 21, on Disney+, Star Wars: The Clone Wars stars Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker, Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano, Dee Bradley Baker as Captain Rex and the clone troopers, James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan, and Sam Witwer as Maul.