re: Watched the phantom menace for the first time in years

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The trade federation characters are such a caricature it's painful to watch.

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The Trade Federation makes no sense. Why the hell are they working for Sidious? What could Sidious have promised them? I doubt Palpatine in Episode I was rich enough to bribe an operation of their size to risk everything for him.

And it gets even dumber in Episode II when they join Dooku in exchange for Padme's head, when she's not responsible for what happened in Episode I at all. Shouldn't a system with the Trade Federation's power be able to afford a simple assassin, and not get back on the Sith train?