Full Series Official "The Clone Wars" Series Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

My big issue with season 6 (I wasn't even bothered with the "Moriband" issue, Korriban's location has been lost and rediscovered several times throughout the history of GFFA) was with "The Disappeared" Part II... namely that instead of an epic duel between Mace Windu and Mother Talzin, I instead got to watch Jar Jar fumble around, ruin all of Talzin's plans and force her to retreat with only maybe 20 seconds of Talzin vs Windu action.

I was ticked off and I delayed watching the rest of the series for 3 days because I was so upset about that treatment for one of the more interesting villains that was introduced throughout the series.

 

So I'm currently rewatching A Friend in Need and this little exchange caught my attention:

Katan: betrothed, huh? A little skinny, isn't she?

*Spanks Ahsoka*

Lux: She serves her purpose!

Boy, does he know how to make the ladies feel special!

 

After reading that I'm glad I stopped when I did. Tried to get into the Order 66 arc and failed. Didn't keep my attention. Sunny Day in the Void was too over the top in tone for me to get anything of merit from it. Ah, well. Now I have a taste of TCW and know it's not for me. I'm thrilled for those that dig it, though.

 

I'm kind of curious as to how they do these things. Like last year I think they have a guy in a Vader suit with a Vader voice over explaining his disappointment in losing. Yoda won, and so this year they have an "interview" with last year's champ, and animate Yoda.

I wonder if by now they can just kind of assume "either Yoda or Vader is going to win" pre-make victory speeches and then just wait to see which of those two wins. Or the the outside chance R2 wins, it's not like it would be hard to have an R2 model that beeps and whistles for winner's video.

I'd just be curious as to what happens if Han wins, or Palpatine wins, or Piett... Really... What would they do if he won? At least some of them like Obi-Wan they could bring out the TCW model and get JAT to do the voice, same with any other TCW character and the respective voice actor. But really... Too bad Piett's already out... That could have been a fun experiment.

 

Get out the Han "Detours" model in case he wins.

 

If Palpatine wins we could always get a lovely speech about how reluctantly he how reluctantly he is to win and long live the Tarheels voiced by Tim Curry.

Personally if we whanna show support of TCW. I think our efforts would be better spent trying to flood Netflix with positive reviews.

 

Palpatine: "Commander Cody... the time has come. Execute Order 66... but tell the guys it's up to them. If they want to help out, cool, but if not, that's OK."

 

Watching the last season of TCW, I have to say I really liked the way they handled the way the clones were so obedient during Order 66.
However, I also disliked it. I always felt that the Clones did not obey the command of Sidious, just because they had a chip installed. I prefer the version (in my head) where the clones obey the chancellor, not because of the chip, but because they are loyal to the Republic as an institution and even more loyal to its government. In other words, the clones killed their Jedi Generals, whom they trusted all these years, because the chain of command ordered it so and as clone troopers (and soldiers) they were taught to follow orders.
In addition, (if just assume that the clones obeyed the chancellor not due to the chip, but because of their loyalty to the chain of command) it means that the plot, that the Jedi tried to overthrow the chancellor, actually made sense and was carefully and cleverly orchestrated by the chancellor, so well, that it was actually believable.

 

One thing I noticed that is cool to me is that if you watch the PT alone you still have very non-individualistic clones as best you can tell from what they show, and there's no explanation for them following Order 66 needed or given; adding TCW gives you highly individualistic clones, creating a need for an explanation, and then gives it. It's like no matter what the story still works.

 

I never actually though of it that way. Although it is that individuality that really made me fall in love with the clone wars, the image of the clone army as shown in the prequels (especially that last scene in AOTC); that is being the perfect professional army, willing to question orders unwillingly, was always more to my liking.

 

I don;t think there was anyway to prevent that need of explanation from being created, as it was done very indirectly. Simply, as TCW showed us the relationships that clone troopers created with the Jedi, it was inevitable for the viewer to ask himself: "Why would the clones betray the Jedi like that?"

To avoid the explanation, the directors would have to not show clones and Jedi fighting together at all, which maybe would have been kinda difficult

 

Well said, Takas. Personally, though, I think the difference in approach with the clones between the films and TCW is a mistake and creates yet another unneeded inconsistency. They are basically created fodder for the war. Slaves. Honestly I don't like the clones being used at all. Though the fact they are does indeed make a powerful point that the Republic and Jedi aren't nearly as righteous as they pretend. That is worthy.

 

I thought not really delving into the individuality of the clones or the concept of them as property was a big missed opportunity of the PT (not a gaping hole though), so I'm happy they got around to that and I don't know if that kind of story can be done well without the clones having more individuality than we see in the films. I agree that since it wasn't a gaping hole you might call it a waste of time in that sense, but I've found that on this forum which episodes are a waste of time is almost always simply a matter of taste.

It took me a few seasons to really start to appreciate clone characters individually, but I always loved the behind-the-scenes intimate feel of Rookies, Death Trap and Clone Cadets especially. It's fascinating to see what a normal day was like down to the personal a perspective when we're so used to seeing only the big picture.

The part I put in bold was driven home much more strongly by TCW than the PT for me, so I guess we took their different portrayals in opposite ways.

I mean this question seriously: so what? They're not droids. They were never supposed to be mindless automatons. Being a clone doesn't mean you automatically accept whatever role you're thrust into.

 

The fact that some clones were deserts actually gave the show a very nice touch of realism.
The thing that I disliked about that particular episode was the fact that those clones were willing to hurt their brothers for a chance at freedom, where their brothers were the only persons, to whom they had an actual emotional attachment.
And yeah, some episodes just took the "brotherhood" thing too far, like one is season 6, where there was a clone bar in Coruscant.

 

Speaking of realism, I really, really liked the way the directors showed the Jedi handling the possible clone plot after further evidence was revealed regarding Darth Tyrannus and Syfo Dias.
The Jedi council, even though being fully aware that the clone army was in the end ordered by Dooku, they preferred to keep the clones. Even though it backfired in ROTS, at the time, it was the only practical thing to do; the alternative was disbanding the Clone army and finding other means to fight this war.
In addition, it showed again the faith the Jedi had to their clones, as pointed out by Yoda in that episode.

 

The Deserter and Missing in Action present two very different AWOL clones in very different, albeit linked, situations. All throughout the series, we see a fairly wide spectrum of attitudes, with the indoctrinated loyalty we've known from the films remaining strong even among the more unorthodox of clones. There's a very human diversity to the clones in TCW.

I loved the clone bar. And the drunk clones. Societal tensions often get exposed when those involved are inebriated. Their spat with the taxi driver was very revealing.

On top of that, some of them were wearing black Republic military dress uniforms, much like the Stormtrooper Corps personnel we see out of armour in the OT such as Tannon Praji. Until that point, we'd only been acquainted with clones in grey Navy uniforms, even the GAR officer Wolffe. This was subtle yet much appreciated fleshing out of the Republic military.

 

It also pointed out their folly, blindness, and arrogance.

 

Don't get me wrong, and maybe I did not make myself clear; the clone bar was indeed a nice touch, but created a very different image from the clones that we see in some other episodes. In my opinion, the "fleshing out" that you mentioned, should have been more gradual, in the sense that we are not shown images of clones talking off-duty in one episode and in another images of them getting really drunk at a bar.

 

By the way, the clones with the red armor; the ones that consisted the personal security force of the chancellor, what kind of training did they have?
Did they have any war experience and were transferred to Coruscant, or were they specifically trained for that task?

 

They have been genetically modified to obey any order, just not in exactly the way you originally thought.