Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 1 Reviews/Discussions

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Durp004

MemberInitiateMay-29-2016 9:13 AM

Just going to say this right off the bat. I am a big fan of the old EU in Star Wars, however it was not this show that brought that interest for me. I didn't really pursue any EU(now Legends) material till 2011 when Star Wars The Old Republic started getting advertised. This show was released in 2008 and while I was always a big fan of the movies I was a little over the target demographic when it was released; had this show been released a year or two earlier this review and my perception of the show would probably be very different flooded by nostalgia and the fact this was my gateway into anything EU. When I started getting into the EU I was 18-19 so I had a pretty elitist attitude toward this show, it being a cartoon and below the levels of the Novels I'd read in my perception. I had a friend that also got into the EU at about the same time and since the Legends cannon was so big we basically divided the material with him watching the show and reading the comic and me with the novels. If we found something we liked we recommended it to eachother and always shared the basic plots. So with this info I knew what the show did, I'd watched some specific arcs he'd recommended and knew the story. However this topic centers around Season 1 because it's the only season I've watched fully and can really comment as a whole about, though I'm sure there will be elements of future series(from my info it seems the show really kicks up about season 3) talked about in this thread if it sparks discussion. The reason I started the show so late, is because will the new EU a lot of it seems to center around this show, it being the biggest part in terms of material unless Rebels passes it in the future. 

 

Now for my review of this season overall and the characters we see in it. 

 

I'll make a list of main characters and and list individual opinions on them.

 

Anakin- Too mature and masterlike, more on this when I get to Ahsoka, but an ok character it's only season one so I didn't expect him to get too dark although Ironically I'd say Anakin acted more sithlike in Attack of the Clones than he did at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith.

 

Obi Wan- Great loved him, as it seems like I always do this character

 

Padme- Seemed like a plot device completely. Only really started standing out in her 3rd appearance or so, the rest were just filler or questionable moments that seemed they needed to bring her in to remind the audience she was a thing.

 

Ahsoka- Nothing wrong with the character herself I think she's a good example of a Padawan. She however destroys Anakin's character in my opinion by just being in her role. If she wasn't Anakin's apprentice I'd love her, but the fact she's Anakin's just doesn't and never will make sense to me by how he's displayed in Revenge of the Sith which takes place after this. Good character, horrible position and reasoning behind her.

 

Clones- there are a lot so just going to classify them all together, and loved them. Sometimes the most compelling characters which caught me off guard.

 

Dooku- He's good, nothing else to really say yet he hasn't directly been in the show much mostly just the commander 

 

General Grievous- I know he becomes a total laughing stock later, but first season wise he isn't super incompetent through his own means, it's mostly the droids at this point, nothing to complain about yet but I know it will come eventually

 

Other Jedi- Just going to throw all of them in one category since they only showed up for one episode or arc for the most part. None really ventured from their old Eu counterparts that were no doubt the inspiration from their actions, and felt they all were awesome though the standout for me at least is Plo Koon.

 

The season as a whole:

For a 22 episode season I don't feel like a lot progressed in terms of overarching story It just felt like it was one individual story into the next. I'm sure other things will come up later and no arc was bad necessarily but I don't know how memorable they will be by the time I finish the series as a whole. I can recollect all of them right now which says they are at least decent, but the truly good stories for me are the ones I remember and stick with me. That is of course perhaps just from taking the information from a novel medium that most of my favorite stories in star wars come from to a 30 minute show.

 

There are standout episodes that I will mention and most of them center around the clones. The things I would recommend in order of their release

Rising Malevolence(ep 2)- Great look into the clone psyche and how they see the view of them as disposable with Plo Koon being a great character showing them there's compassion. 

Rookies(ep 5)- Completely clone centric episode and by god if you just watch one episode of this season pick this one.

Lair of Grievous(ep 10)- A cool look into Grievous and the sith ways of Dooku throwing him out because of a failure, and the idea that the jedi themselves are falling to some extent.

Defenders of Peace(ep 14)- Loved seeing a viewpoint of someone who wasn't outright evil turning away the Republic and the ending with them looking up at the somewhat foreboding Clone Ships were great.

The whole Ryloth arc(ep 19-21)- Pretty good overall all of the episodes develop the characters or are just fun wish this had just been the season finale rather than following it up with the 1 episode that followed.

and Hostage Crisis(ep 22) just because it seems like a lot of those characters will come back a few times and that event will be called back to.

 

There aren't really any episodes I'd outright say are horrible, but just for the sake of listing a few of my least favorite

Destroy Malevolence(ep 4)- Plot device Padme incoming

 

Bombad Jedi(ep 8) Padme's back and Jar Jar comes too. I know this is a kid's show and they're the target audience so I can't say it's horrible, but if I had to list my least favorite episode of the season this is it

 

The Gungan General(ep 12)- Jar Jar is back and he's the most competent person in the episode.

 

 

So there you have my general opinions into the first season. I was going to get into each arc, but this is too long as it is so I'll leave it at this. I might continue making these as I go through the series and maybe branch out to the new and maybe some Legends novels with rating and recommendations for anyone that wants to get into either the new or old EU. This is of course not my idea solely. I don't know how long it will take me to get through each individual season so if someone wants to make a their own thread about season 2 and so on into Rebels with their own reviews and discussions they are very much welcome to, take your own format or copy this completely up to you, as it would probably be a faster way to get through this series for those that have finished or at least further along, and when I get through each season I'll eventually take part in those threads with my own thoughts and opinions.

 

So final words, this is a great kids show, and I'd recommend it so far to any Star Wars fan. As we get later into the series I might have to differentiate the recommendations to either new fans or Legends fans depending on my view of individual changes and old psuedo retcons(since they're in different universes now they don't really matter but just changes that could be viewed badly by fan of what Legends set up storywise and characterwise).

 I'd give the show 3.5/5. This isn't bad by any means for anyone that loves the show, but for me while the show was enjoyable overall with real standout episodes, the lack of an overarching plot and a few bad episodes in the bunch bring it down slightly.

12 Replies

Lord Vader

MemberLegendMay-29-2016 9:26 AM

Can't really argue with much here. I enjoy the show personally. I find it easy to follow and I've never really cared about having a perfect story line. **** blows up and some of the action scenes are pretty cool, good enough for me. Maybe that's just the nut case 17 year old that I am though.

Jack of all trades. Master of none

GG

Moderator2KMay-29-2016 9:38 AM

CW as a whole is a incredible series.

Season 1 probably is the weakest, but I recommend you watch all the remaining seasons. It really begins to pick-up by Season 2, very cool stuff comes up.

I'm currently on Season 3, it is just awesome lol, I watch it immediately when my Vetinary school classes end.

Good grief.

Durp004

MemberInitiateMay-29-2016 10:14 AM

Lord Vader- If you're into the show for the visuals and action, then I'd recommend watching Star Wars: Clone Wars(2003) if you haven't seen it. It's a small microseries that you can watch completely in about 2-3 hours. It's on dvd, but I'm sure you can find it on youtube or somewhere else if you look. So far I'd say it's far superior to SW:TCW in pretty much every aspect plus Grievous made his first appearance there and well this

 

Lord Vader

MemberLegendMay-29-2016 10:24 AM

I'll be sure to watch that. I do enjoy the story lines to it too. I don't mind each episode having its own story mini story personally as well. 

Jack of all trades. Master of none

Durp004

MemberInitiateMay-29-2016 10:53 AM

Lord Vader- Well the SW:CW was more a microseries. For the first 2 seasons it had 3 minute or so clips that premiered between shows in that small timeslot if I remember, then around season 3 the episodes get 15 minutes or so. The show has a pretty good combination of both action and story. It is kind of both a prequel and sequel of this series. It sets up Asajj and Grievious and you see Anakin get knighted.

 

As for individual story I have no problem with them necessarily, I wish there had just been some connection with episode 1 to 22. I'm fine with filler episodes as the season was 22 episodes you'd definitely get those in any show, but just small connections. Like maybe all those small battles over worlds had some relevance to getting to Ryloth. Like maybe they were on the way, or helped gain an advantage to getting Ryloth. It just felt like some of the stories went nowhere really. They of course could come up later and a lot probably do, but just from this season I didn't see why big things happened like capturing Gunray but then after lair to Grievous it never comes up again on either side really or has any relevance to anything outside those 3 or so episodes and maybe a mention in the opening of the next two.

 

GorillaGodzilla- As I said in the opening this series was definitely fighting an uphill battle going into it for me. On top of loving the old EU, and being a big fan of the original Clone Wars cartoon, which I consider superior so far I wasn't expecting this. I can't remember if I watched any episodes from season 2 when I looked for  big events but if it does only get better from here then maybe it will rival the original microseries, and probably going out of season 1 it already is better than Rebels from what I've seen of it(Most of season 1, and about 2/3s season 2).

GG

Moderator2KMay-29-2016 11:59 AM

Definitely watch season 2, and season 3 is easily the best season of all Star Wars Television series.

Good grief.

Lord Vader

MemberLegendMay-29-2016 2:55 PM

Sounds cool. 

 

Yeah, there are filler episodes, but we do get more information later in the series. We see Hevy and his crew again in season 3 for example. 

Jack of all trades. Master of none

Durp004

MemberInitiateMay-29-2016 9:23 PM

Managed to catch the first two episodes of S2 today, nothing too great yet. I liked the idea behind the jedi temple invasion, but it was told better when Zannah did it in Rule of Two. 

Also felt like they skipped an episode of the of the jedi getting captured and went straight to afterward

GG

Moderator2KMay-30-2016 6:25 AM

More towards the middle of Season 2 and beginning of Season 3.

Good grief.

Durp004

MemberInitiateMay-30-2016 11:14 AM

Well finished the Cad Bane holocron arc. I knew about the character from episodes I'd seen, and things I read, but it's nice to see a bounty hunter being on Jango fett levels. I almost think they made his too crafty and good though just from the line they set up with villains like Asajj, Grievous and Dooku.

GG

Moderator2KMay-30-2016 11:16 AM

Cad Bane was always cool.

Good grief.

Durp004

MemberInitiateJun-05-2016 5:34 PM

For anyone interest I'm about halfway through season 2 so that review/discussion should be up sometime this week or next depending on if the season gets better and I'm more inclined to sit through more than one or two episodes a day.

 

Spoiler: so far gonna have to say it's getting a lower review than season 1 for me, unless these last episodes really hit it home

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