Recently started a chronological @TheCloneWars rewatch, and I have to say, for all the complaints re: cringe-worthy early Ahsoka scenes, the movie set the tone for her & Anakin's relationship perfectly w/ this beautiful moment.

Kevin Kiner's genius work on Ahsoka's Theme...man.

Recently finished my @TheCloneWars rewatch. What an incredible show. Some of the best SW storytelling ever, across a wide range of themes, conflicts, and narratives. Wanted to share a few of the things that stood out to me, in no particular order.

Pardon the long, nerdy thread.

There was some really dark stuff in this show — and early on, too. During the Geonosian brain worms episode (S2E8), there's a moment when Barriss, who's been infected, whispers to Ahsoka, "Kill me...please."

These are teenagers!

Side note: There REALLY should have been more Ahsoka and Barriss stories. One of the biggest missed opportunities. I loved how different they were because of their starkly different teachers.

It's wild to remember that this show aired on Cartoon Network.

The D+ version of S03E02 includes the shot of Asajj Force-pulling a clone commando onto her lightsaber and then kissing his cheek as he dies.

CN demanded it be cut. Dave Filoni said it was their first censorship.

Cartoon Network's censorship was inconsistent. They blocked the S05E14 shot of Savage decapitating the Black Sun leaders but not the (incredible) S04E14 shot of Ahsoka decapitating four Death Watch soldiers in one spinning slice.

I really liked S03E10, where Padme brings Ahsoka on a secret mission to meet her Separatist senator friend. TCW needed more eps about the Sep perspective.

It was great to see Ahsoka wrestling with her own biases. And I wanted more of the Romeo/Juliet thing with Lux!

Droid humor! I know some people didn't like the droids as comic relief, but I loved it. Some of my favorite lines:

[droid being destroyed] "But I just got promoted!"

Droid 1: "This is a lot more fun when they're not shooting back."
Droid 2: "I still can't seem to hit anything!"

Droid: "We're defending the bridge alone? Against the Jedi? I hate this job."

Commander droid, after clones arrive: "Don't shoot. I'm not the commander. He's the commander!"

[other droid puts its hands up, is shot]

Commander droid: "Guess I'm the commander now."

[pew pew]

(Should have specified: I meant the battle droid humor — although there were *also* great episodes about the Republic droids, especially my main man R2-D2.)

My favorite battle droid moment, from S01E21:

Droid 1: "No wonder he got blasted. He's one of those older models programmed by a central computer. Not us. We're independent thinkers."

Other droids: "Roger roger." "Roger roger."

Misc funny moments:
* S02E11: Elderly Jedi Master Tera Sinube driving slowly in speeder traffic

* S02E13: [Cornered bad guy during standoff] "Who will strike first and brand themselves a cold-blooded killer?" *Anakin stabs him in the back as the Imperial March plays*

Misc funny moments, cont'd:

* S02E21: Anakin, after Mace Windu praises R2: "That's definitely more praise than I ever get." ()

* S03E04: Padme, after Anakin dispatches Ahsoka on a mission without the Council's approval: "I still can't believe they let you teach."

Misc:

* S02E22: Young Boba, during a standoff w/ the Jedi: "I want justice." Plo Koon: "We are justice." Great line.

* S05E02: The capital city of the planet w/ the insurgency is called Iziz & pronounced "Isis."

* S05E10: I forgot that the D-Squad arc was about encryption!

Gotta praise a few story arcs in particular.

The Ahsoka-framed-for-bombing-the-Jedi-Temple storyline might be the best arc in the entire series. I loved the exploration of the tensions between the Jedi, the Senate, and the public — another dynamic of which we saw far too little.

I don't think Ahsoka was ever as relatable, well-written, or well-acted as she was in that final S5 arc, when she was on the run, desperately fending for herself, stunned by her adopted family's betrayal.

Even w/ the fantastical particulars, you could really empathize with her.

The Fives-discovers-Order-66 arc was also incredible for a similar reason: you actually saw Fives as an individual, felt his pain and confusion, rooted for him as he stumbled through a massive conspiracy, and irrationally hoped that he'd make it out alive.

It's hard to sustain that kind of hope and suspense in fans who already know how everything is going to end, but the Fives arc did it.

RIP Fives. You didn't live to see it, but your discovery ended up making a huge difference.

Which brings me to...

The series' final arc.

How to describe it other than "cinematic"? The writing, the animation, the music, the fight choreography — everything was light-years better than any other animated series.

I'd put it up there with plenty of prestige live-action shows.

The interweaving with ROTS — a tricky task — was unbelievable. It enhanced, rather than overpowering, Ahsoka's story.

Got goosebumps when Obi-Wan said Shaak Ti had been sent to protect the Chancellor. Spooky to see Mace, Yoda, etc. in the final moments before everything changes.

Dave Filoni knows how to rip out our hearts. It was so brutal to see the 501st celebrate Ahsoka, given what we know the clones are about to do.

Really drove home the evil of Sidious' plan, exploiting these innocent people after everything they've been through with the Jedi.

Even though I'd already seen the penultimate episode, which overlaps with the moment of Order 66, I still found it chilling.

I was watching Ahsoka and Rex chat amiably on the bridge of the cruiser and thinking, "Anakin is cutting off Mace Windu's arm right now."

The Order 66 sequence on the cruiser was a testament to the power of John Williams' music. Really drove home the horror of Ahsoka experiencing this wrenching betrayal.

I loved that the ship's droids helped save Ahsoka and Rex. More proof that they're the unsung heroes of SW.

The final ep really drives home how much Ahsoka has matured in the fire of war.

Beautiful moment after O66 when she takes off Rex's helmet, sees him crying, and tells him he's a good soldier.

Her dignity, compassion, and strength are almost unbelievable — and, in a way, tragic.

In conclusion, @TheCloneWars was extremely good, I miss it a lot, and I'll always be grateful for it.

If for some reason you want to read my extensive, some-might-say-overly-detailed thoughts about individual episodes, I reviewed seasons 2-6 here: http://theforce.net/television/tcwreviews/