Haven't updated this in a bit: I finished the Clone Wars. It's not perfect, but it introduces some of the best characters in all of Star Wars (Ahsoka & Ventress), it really highlights the arrogance & blindness of the Jedi, and it gives actual depth to Anakin as a character. https://twitter.com/MattDoyle76/status/1353530027141439488
Biggest complaints:
- The Jedi aren't just arrogant & blind, they are actively stupid. It drained a lot of the tension out of otherwise great storylines (Fives in particular)
- Savage was kind of a wasted character. Could & should have been much more than he was.
- The Jedi aren't just arrogant & blind, they are actively stupid. It drained a lot of the tension out of otherwise great storylines (Fives in particular)
- Savage was kind of a wasted character. Could & should have been much more than he was.
- Palpatine's plans are only ever in danger once (Fives!), which is frustrating and made everything seem rote.
- A constant problem w/ Star Wars since the OT is that force powers are whatever the plot needs them to be. I would've liked more consistency on that.
- A constant problem w/ Star Wars since the OT is that force powers are whatever the plot needs them to be. I would've liked more consistency on that.
But the positives massively outweigh the negatives, and at its best -- the Mortis Gods, the Battle of Umbara, Tup & Fives, and ESPECIALLY the Siege of Mandalore -- this is as good as any non-Empire Strikes Back Star Wars ever made.
Last thought: I'd already watched Rebels, and am now rewatching. The Fulcrum reveal and the Lost Commanders episodes hit different after having seen TCW.
Ok a couple more thoughts: A thing TCW did really well was show what monsters the Jedi were for actually using the clone army. Almost all of the best episodes had that theme running through it, and by the end I truly believed the Jedi Order needed to be wiped out.
As for Anakin, as I said at the top it fleshed out a lot of his character and gave him more depth & resonance than the prequels managed. Revealing him as emotionally and borderline physically abusive before the turn to the dark side, though... idk.
Toward Padme I mean ^^
It's certainly much more realistic & true-to-life, but on a narrative level it takes away from the "he fell to the power & ease of the dark side" message. I mean, it turns out he was just kind of an abusive, controlling asshole.
It's certainly much more realistic & true-to-life, but on a narrative level it takes away from the "he fell to the power & ease of the dark side" message. I mean, it turns out he was just kind of an abusive, controlling asshole.