#72 Season 4 Episode 6

“Who’s the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?”

C-3PO and R2-D2’s bizarre caper continues. Forced to escape a Separatist attack in a Y-wing fighter, the droids visit the world of the Patitites, the odd planet Balnab, and the inside of a pirate warship where they are forced to fight in a gladiatorial arena.

Nomad Droids Preview and starwars.com Episode Guide.

Original Airdate: 14 October 2011
Writers: Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle
Director: Steward Lee

Concept Art and Trivia

K0-5D’s design is based on the worker droids wandering Mos Eisley seen in the Special Edition release of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. The droid’s chatter may sound familiar: it’s the same dialogue spouted by the Gold Insect Droid seen inside the Jawa sandcrawler in that movie.

Though the Patitites aren’t named in the episode, the principal green female is Jimba, while the male blue Patitite is Tagoo.

The astromech droid that R2-D2 bumps out of the way to get to the Y-wing fighter is named R5-L26. The morose servant droid who laments, “Soon it will be us” above the gladiator pit is CS-321. He’s also the first droid incinerated.

C-3PO and R2-D2 being tied up by the tiny Patitites should seem familiar to those who have read Gulliver’s Travels or seen any of the many cinematic incarnations thereof. Lucasfilm has previously depicted similar scenes, such as Willow Ufgood being tied up by brownies in Willow, or more obscurely, Wicket W. Warrick tied up by Mimphs in The All New Ewoks animated series.

The primates seen on Balnab, which are very similar to the momongs of Wasskah, are called hesten. Given that beast-riding hunters try to snatch them up with nets in manner not too unlike that seen in Planet of the Apes, that name seems very appropriate.

When the camera pulls away from the exploding Balnab camp, we get some ideas of their origins. They are castaways, and their Gozanti cruiser has crashed into the canyons. Concept painting (inset) by Pat Presley.

The pirate ship Marauder has the same type of engines as the Tantive IV blockade runner seen in the episode “Sphere of Influence.” The Marauder’s wings can split apart, like S-foils, offering its laser cannons a greater field of fire.