All right, so I'm a fan of Bail in THE worst way and, unfortunately, it's mostly due to my own writing. When I saw him in AOTC, I was hoping for a very major part in ROTS, an explanation of how they got the Rebellion started, and at least a reason for why he adopted Leia. I wanted to do the proverbial *headdesk* when it got through the entire movie and consisted of him being sexy and defiant at the Temple, asking what's going on in the Senate, and then saying "Hey, I like baby girls! Can I keep her?"

"No fair!" I cried.

"Galletas duros," my imaginary Georgevoice said. "Tough cookies."

So, when I got to the deleted scenes on my copy of ROTS (Which arrived quite unexpectedly with an Alicia Keys CD as an early birthday present with perfect timing on a horrible day) and saw two major scenes with Bail stalking around and looking very political, I had to stop myself from using my new favorite word--"Wheeeeee!"

But let me mention that it's not all about Bail. Mon Mothma looks good around Bail, too.

Just kidding.

Let me say that I sincerely wish that every single one of the deleted scenes had been in the movie, surprisingly with the exception of the Yoda arriving on Dagobah one. That one had too much of a Close Encounters of the Third Kindish unnecessary element to it. Nice music, but good call to keep it out.

I also wish that they hadn't cast Shaak Ti with someone who learned her acting skills from Hayden Christensen during the "I hate sand" days. I think her death is supposed to make an emotional impact. It made one for me, but it was me going "Dingdong the monotone's dead!" I liked her a lot more in Clone Wars and she was pen and ink at that point.

Anakin and Obi-Wan in the first scene cracked me up. One of my favorite scenes in a movie is in A League of Their Own, when Geena Davis is managing the baseball team and Tom Hanks, the manager, resents it, so he's giving the batter different signals. The poor batter is so confused that she doesn't know who to follow and finally, Geena Davis gives up and Tom Hanks tells the batter to do exactly what Geena Davis suggested. Having Anakin and Obi-Wan standing there, looking like they were trying to get Johnny Damon to steal third about their manner of escape would NOT let me stop laughing!

Another nice touch was when Anakin predicted a maneuver and Obi-Wan smirked and said, "You still have much to learn." One second later, it happens and Obi-Wan looks chagrined and says, "All right, I still have much to learn." I love Obi-Wan's very odd sense of humility.

Now, let me get on to the Rebellion-forming scenes. I love the explanation of the petition of the 2000. I love the take that they can't even tell their loved ones because that makes so much sense.

The crowning glory of the deleted scenes for me, though, was when they went to challenge Palpatine and Anakin was standing behind him, supporting what he was doing. Natalie Portman looks at Hayden as she walks out as if she's never seen that man before in her life and, probably, she hasn't. It's a powerful dichotomy, a conflict that made my hair stand on end for a bit.

Anyway, that's my Bail appreciation for the evening. Tonight, I'll be watching ROTS with a a friend, who told me to bring it over because "After Schindler's List, I'll need a feel-good movie."