PeepsMcJuggs Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Actually, my issue with midichlorians was more one of... well, put it this way; Every watch Dragonball? Dragonball Z? No one had a 'power level' in Dragonball. They did in Z. Suddenly someone's ability could be reduced to a number. 'Talent' and 'skill' became a 'stat'. MMO's have 'sats'. People have talent. Or skill. More midichlorians = more Force Power. While we can measure that a pitcher can throw a ball 98mph, we can't measure his 'baseballians' as a child and know that he will some day be a 'world class pitcher.' It turns the Jedi from a quasi-religious/mystical order that would take in people who may have had an affinity for the Force, into a group of really weird hermity scientists who give you a blood test first, to see if you pass the entrance test. Now I would have NO problem if these 'midichlorians' could not be quantified, but were suspected of being a conduit, of sorts, to the Force. In fact, there is a fantastic series of books by Ben Weaver that has these organisms discovered/created by a long-dead, hyper-advanced alien race. These organisms, when implanted into the Human brain, allow the host to manipulate and control quantum mechanics, allowing these super-soldiers to teleport, ignore gravity, alter the trajectory of bullets, and tear through matter as though their bodies were pure destruction. Same idea as midichlorians, different application. However, none of that explains where these midichlorians come from. How do they get into the body? Why do they take up residence in some, but not others? How is it they are able to survive in every type of organism, despite wildly different biologies? HOW IN THE HELL DID THEY GENERATE ANAKIN SKYWALKER INSIDE OF HIS MOTHER, and all without her having any force potential at all? This, I believe, is the primary issue for most; midichlorians call up more questions that, while under the previous 'magic/'mystery' model could be explained with 'cause it just is,' now require an answer because of a quasi-scientific explanation. That's what I meant by "Force ability as a measurable quantity." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikModi Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 But all that a midichlorian count represents is raw potential. It's still up to the individual to shape, hone, and harness that potential. If midichlorians were an absolute "power level," no one would ever have been able to defeat Anakin Skywalker. Yet he gets his butt kicked fairly consistently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmannseelo Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) I love the Prequels. By-and-large I love what Lucas has done with Star Wars. I still think he is by far the best SW storyteller. But I'd be lying if I said I like midichlorians. I think that was a pretty big misstep on Lucas' part. Far worse than Jar Jar. Just being honest. Edited February 5, 2012 by Jmannseelo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yfelsung Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 If an Athasian Halfling and an Athasian Thri-Kreen have a "sentient being cook off", who would win? Considering most Halfling species are known to be excellent cooks, I'd assume that may also apply to Athasian Halflings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeepsMcJuggs Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 But all that a midichlorian count represents is raw potential. It's still up to the individual to shape, hone, and harness that potential. If midichlorians were an absolute "power level," no one would ever have been able to defeat Anakin Skywalker. Yet he gets his butt kicked fairly consistently. The problem is how they quantify that raw potential. They actually state how Anakin has the potential to become more powerful than Yoda. Why? Because he has more midichloreans? And what's more...why the hell is the Jedi Order, who insists that being a great Jedi isn't about strength or power, telling Anakin how he's going to become super strong and super powerful? Realize that you're basically saying that Midichlorean Count is IQ in Space. Instead of supposedly measuring one's ability to learn, it's measuring one's ability to learn to use The Force. "My MC is 700!" "Well mine is 1 million! Why are you even a Jedi?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikModi Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Except that it's demonstrably not how it works in the movies. The midichlorian count simply assesses potential, it's up the individual to live up to that potential, or two squander it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeepsMcJuggs Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Except that it's demonstrably not how it works in the movies. The midichlorian count simply assesses potential, it's up the individual to live up to that potential, or two squander it. You're still missing the point that the problem people have with midichloreans is it quantifies "force potential" in the first place. Making it a measurable quantity, regardless of people needing to "live up to that potential", implies the upper limit for one person's ability in the Force is not the same for another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikModi Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 And I maintain that people who think that are simply missing the point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnijung Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 You freaking try passing millions of volts of electricity through your body and not change eye color and not have any scars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeepsMcJuggs Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 And I maintain that people who think that are simply missing the point. Then what you're saying is, based upon the plethora of comments and movie reviews out there, the gross majority of moviegoers missed the point. So whose fault is that, the moviegoers, or the moviemakers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elbrop Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Midichloreans were an answer to a question nobody asked. The prequel movies are one of the best examples of not knowing when to leave something alone. Everyone in the creative world (from art to cooking) encounters this at some point, the "just one more thing" that ruins your work. I still laugh thinking about "the prophecy". this is how I see the behind closed doors Jedi council meeting going: "OK lets look at this, we, the Jedi are sitting in our massive tower on the capital world of the largest, longest lasting civilization in the Galaxy. Our words guide the rulers of the Republic and we are respected throughout known space. Our ancient enemies, the Sith, are either extinct or hiding far away in the knowledge that to challenge us is to face destruction. And now a kid is here to balance the force? Somehow I don't think that would be good for us. After all, we're the winners and we sure as hell don't believe in some sort of balanced duality/ying yang type nonsense about the force - we're light side all the way baby. I mean what does that even mean? That for every good there must be an evil? That's some twisted nihilistic crap man. So I propose we take this kid and hide him in a closet till he's 80 **** the balance is what I'm saying." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXIzazelXx Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Honestly, I'm not a fan of the midi-chlorian addition but I do have to defend a part of it. Midi-chlorians would explain the passing of the Force between familial generations. As a conduit. Making it possible to pass the Force "from father to son (and daughter)" since Padme was not Force Sensitive. Midi-chlorians would explain why Luke was capable of becoming just as powerful if not more so than his father. They just made him more susceptable to the Force. It just creates Force Sensitivity in living beings. It doesn't negate the fact that non living things carry resonance of the Force. Because in that sense the Force just is. Like Ki or Chi. Everything has it. Some things more than others. Anyhoo... I might not like the concept but it does hold some merit for existence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarylMusashi Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Ok so...there are people who believe that some all known powerful being made the universe, yet there are scientific explanations that said that such and such made the universe. Ok...so people who believe in the former are not aloud to view it as such not because of some science explanation? Believe it or not but there are some people today that still believe in magic, rather then science. There is no scientific theory which can tell you what, who, or how the universe was made. Both Relativity and Quantum Physics cannot explain even the exact moment of the Big Bang. They nudge up to about 10^-43 seconds after, but we simply have no working theory prior to that. No theory that can be tested that is. Science is as much in the dark as religion when it comes to knowing where the universe truly came from. There are paradoxes in both an infinite and finite universe. We can't even resolve that dilemma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MackumDog Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Honestly, I'm not a fan of the midi-chlorian addition but I do have to defend a part of it. Midi-chlorians would explain the passing of the Force between familial generations. As a conduit. Making it possible to pass the Force "from father to son (and daughter)" since Padme was not Force Sensitive. Midi-chlorians would explain why Luke was capable of becoming just as powerful if not more so than his father. They just made him more susceptable to the Force. It just creates Force Sensitivity in living beings. It doesn't negate the fact that non living things carry resonance of the Force. Because in that sense the Force just is. Like Ki or Chi. Everything has it. Some things more than others. Anyhoo... I might not like the concept but it does hold some merit for existence. A bit like the Ginger Gene then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serrationqt Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 (edited) ....I mean what does that even mean? That for every good there must be an evil? That's some twisted nihilistic crap man.....[/i]" Man, you just made me spend five minutes thinking about one of my Philosophy classes about how for every good, there must be an evil. As much as I love Philosophy, I hate it lol. Thanks for that though, good times. Edited February 5, 2012 by Serrationqt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXIzazelXx Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 A bit like the Ginger Gene then I guess you can look at it this way. The Force Wielders were the original Force users in the galaxy. Their genetics have spread from species to species and generations for milleniums. They were probably the origin of the midi-chlorians. And through their legacy come new Force Sensitives. You can find the origin and explanation of the "Prophesy of the Chosen One" in episode 15, Season 3 of The Clone Wars (just watched it last night and I have to say WOW! lol) It kind of explains all of this stuff. Explains why Anakin is the Chosen One and why the prophesy failed. It was really well written and executed. Seems a lot of questions on here, even a lot of my own, are being answered in that show Godz I sound like I'm now selling the show lmao and in a way I guess I am lol I was so put off by the prequels that I'm really enjoying some closure lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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