Full Series Recommended Clone Wars Arcs

So, I'm a bit late to the game for Clone Wars. I have long been a fan of the Star Wars films, but after hearing negative reviews of the Clone Wars movie, I did not follow up with much interest in the show. When I would occasionally hear people excited about the show, my interest would be piqued, and after catching a few episodes On Demand, I finally purchased the first season on iTunes.

Overall, I found the season to be highly entertaining, though there were certainly a number of episodes that could have been left out in my opinion.

After lurking on these boards for a bit, it seems that many people share the view that TCW tends to mix some really great story telling with quite a bit of "filler". My question for you all is this: If you could "edit" down the first 5 seasons to only the episodes that you felt contributed to the overall saga that is Star Wars, which would you choose? This doesn't necessarily have to be story arcs vs standalone/filler episodes. Really, just which episodes to you feel are vital to developing the characters and story of TCW, leaving out those episodes that just didn't seem as significant for you.

I would like to see how strong of a story can be found be watching the right episodes in sequence. Here is my list for season1:
The Hidden Enemy
Rising Malevolence
Shadow of Malevolence
Destroy Malevolence
Rookies
Cloak of Darkness
Lair of Grievous
Dooku Captured
The Gungan General
Tresspass
Storm Over Ryloth
Innocents of Ryloth
Liberty on Ryloth


What are your thoughts? What are your own lists for season 1? What are your recommendations for the other 4 seasons?

 

That's a hard question to answer. But if I were someone new to the game I'd watch all of them. That's the only way of knowing, especially considering we all have personal tastes.

 

I actually did this a couple of weeks ago...went through and sorted every episode into 1 of 4 categories...

0 = Despise; could've done without
1 = OK; offers some good entertainment and possibly some backstory that is relevant later
2 = Good; Character development is very prevelant in these episodes and/or there are some great action/emotional moments. The context of the Clone Wars is greatly advanced through these episodes.
3 = Best; There is so much that these episodes offer, I could watch them over and over again and never be disappointed

Obviously, my opinions are going to be different than some but I think in general, most of my "3" episodes will be considered in that category for a lot of people...

Right now, I have the list in an excel format - I'll work on getting it in a better medium to view here.

(Just as a side note: When I compared the different seasons and averaged their scores, Season 1 was the worst IMO. These were the rankings:

1. Season 5 (average = 2.1___8 episodes with a "3")
2. Season 3 (average = 2.09___13 episodes with a "3")
3. Season 4 (average = 2___12 episodes with a "3")
4. Season 2 (average = 1.9___11 episodes with a "3")
5. Season 1 (average = 1___3 episodes with a "3")

Season 5 may be a bit skewed since its still so fresh but yea...)

As for the watching in sequence, some stories and the way they're structured will loose their dramatic effect via small spoilers if you go that route but you definitely could - I just wouldn't do it on a first round viewing, I don't think...

 

Sorry for the double post....but this is actually one of my favorite topics of discussion among friends and seeing as I need to hold myself over until I the itunes DL of TWJ on sunday, I have a feeling I'll be adding a bunch of thoughts to this thread.

Going back over what you had said, One of the difficulties with TCW is that almost all of the episodes, no matter how ordinary or dull, have some sort of element of character or SW story development within them. I'd say the one exception that you could almost always rule out is any episode with Jar Jar or Droids... those can pretty much go right in the trash.

But if you look at any other episodes, there is usually something to take away from it. So if you really want to

then you end up in a tricky position with still a pretty long list - consisting of plenty of episodes that some consider "filler."

Ultimately, (as obvious as this is to say) it really is up to you to decide which ones really hit it out of the park and which ones don't quite do it for you.

Going by what you already know with season 1, I pretty much agree with your previous post. But if we're looking at "filler" here are some things that I consider...

Not filler
The Hidden Enemy - I love this episode. Even if it hadn't contributed to the overall saga that much, it would still be very entertaining and thrilling - just from a dramatic standpoint.
Rookies - One of my favorites of all time. Good drama/storytelling, interesting characters, high stakes, emotional consequences, epic conclusions and much more. Always a keeper.
Cloak of Darkness - Another good one; while the story is a bit 1 dimensional, the characters are so thrilling that it remains a top season 1 pick
Lair of Grievous - I know I'm not alone when I say that this episode provides some great character insight along with some thrilling drama.

Could still warrant some editing
Dooku's Capture and Escape Arc - While the introduction to hondo is one of the best moments of this season, much of these two episodes just seems to have poor pacing, IMO. Hondo's personality could be a redeeming factor but the slow and dull storytelling, along with Jar Jar's eventual involvement ruins this Arc for me. I don't want to call it all filler because of Hondo, but it just doesn't do it for me on multiple viewings.
Ryloth Arc - Another example of a few significant moments placed in an otherwise boring story. These arcs are the epitome of how the writers annoy us. Some good character development but not enough drama to really want to revisit it too much.
The Entire Malevolence Arc - While there are some cool moments and decent character development (Ahsoka, Plo Koon, Wolff) I wasn't blown away by any sense of drama and I'd say it could be debatable whether or not these would be considered filler.
Tresspass - I could see how fans of the microseries could appreciate this episode but I hate this stuff - just like I hated the Nelvaanian story arc and this just felt too similar. I guess this is more personal taste than anything but I would define it as pure filler.

Thoughts?

 

Okay...here goes and then I'll let someone else talk...I prentty much agree wholeheartedly with DARTHVENGERDARTHSEAR about watching them all since everyone has different tastes. But, since it seems this thread was created for the purpose of asking other people's opinions, I'll provide my list as some sort of reference (as much of a reference one person's opinion could be concerning this matter)

My Scoring system:
Bold = GREAT
Underlined = Good
Plain text = Okay
strikethrough = bad

Note: Although I will be putting my episode rankings by list in each season, I will also try to summarize a "general" feeling on the season as gathered from discussions with other fans. In some cases, you will notice that my thoughts do not necessarily agree with those summaries - hence, its all preferential.

Spoiler: Season 2

Season 2 is interesting because although I don't grade the overall season very high, there are not many episodes that I would say are bad. For the most part, I think Season 2 is made up of a lot of "Good" or "Okay" episodes. Nothing really jumped out as amazing to me. I know that many people disagree and LOVE certain episodes in this season. But in general, I think this season is full of meaningful episodes that may or may not be "Terrific" to you depending on your tastes. For example, the only two episodes that I really didn't like were the Zillo Beast ones - simply because I'm not a King Kong/Godzilla fan. To people who are, those may be their favorite ones. The same could be said of Embo or Satine. I don't think people hate them really but some people LOVE the themes surrounding them. I think one thing that most people can say was a great aspect of this season was Cad Bane. But again, I think you should watch throw all of them and make up your mind.

Holocron Heist
Cargo of Doom
Children of the Force
Senate Spy
Landing at Point Rain
Weapons Factory
Legacy of Terror
Brain Invaders
Grievous Intrigue
The Deserter
Lightsaber Lost
The Mandalore Plot
Voyage of Temptation
Duchess of Mandalore
Senate Murders
Cat and Mouse
Bounty Hunters
The Zillo Beast
The Zillo Beast Strikes Back
Death Trap
R2 Come Home
Lethal Trackdown

Spoiler: Season 3

Season 3 is another very polarizing season because this represents a prime example of when episodes that seemed to consist completely of filler really reared their ugly heads. You have the whole Mandalore Corruption arc which seemed completely stupid and pointless but then you also have these amazing clone episodes and a 2nd half that exploded with creativity. However, that creativity is also the bane of many people (not me, but you'll find them). It was around this time that the writers started taking greater risks. They made some gutsy decisions regarding peoples views on subject matters, "fan service," and canon. Many hardcore canon enthusiasts were very upset with the results - nevertheless, the stories during this 2nd half were incredibly powerful arcs IMO.

Clone Cadets
ARC Troopers
Supply Lines
Sphere of Influence
Corruption
The Academy
Assassin
Evil Plans
Hunt for Ziro
Heroes on Both Sides
Pursuit of Peace
Nightsisters
Monster
Witches of the Mist
Overlords
Altar of Mortis
The Citadel
Counterattack
Citadel Rescue
Padawan Lost
Wookiee Hunt

Spoiler: Season 4

Season 4 seemed to continue on the path that Season 3 went. While this inevitably meant some people grew more disenchanted with the series, others (like myself) got more and more excited. The topics of discussion and themes grew heavier and the overall implications for the saga were huge. Of course, Like Season 3 had done before it, the gutsy second half of the season seemed to again mean a mediocre, or downright upset first few arcs. That initial frustration early own, coupled with the daring moves and hot topic aspects of the rest of the season still resulted in lower ratings and more unhappy fans. But if you are interested in repercussions considering the entire saga -this is one bombshell of a season, IMO.

Water War
Gungan Attack
Prisoners
Shadow Warrior - *Special note - beware when watching this episode: You may want to throw a brick at your TV
Mercy Mission
Nomad Droids
Darkness on Umbara
The General
Plan of Dissent
Carnage of Krell
Kidnapped
Slaves of the Republic
Escape from Kadavo
A Friend in Need
Deception
Friends and Enemies
The Box
Crisis on Naboo
Massacre
Bounty
Brothers
Revenge

Spoiler: Season 5

Season 5 seems to balance the kind of Season that Two was with where Four was heading. With Inevitable story arcs that would hold unbelievable weight (Mauldalore/Ahsoka's Arc), the season seemed to start off with a number of arcs that seemed "okay" depending on your preferences. While there may have been some who hated these first Arcs, I think the consensus is that they just weren't that special - especially after the expectation the show had been building with its more influential arcs. While many people see these arcs as filler, I think it became quite clear that the writers were wasting our time when they devoted an entire arc to a group of droids led by --no, no....I won't get into it here. The unsettling feeling with where the season was going was quickly disspelled, however, when the shining jewel of the season, nicknamed the "mauldalore" arc premiered. Since then, we seem to be off to the races again.

Revival
A War on Two Fronts
Front Runners
The Soft War
Tipping Points
The Gathering
A Test of Strength
Bound for Rescue
A Necessary Bond
Secret Weapons
A Sunny Day in the Void
Missing in Action
Point of No Return
Eminence
Shades of Reason
The Lawless
Sabotage
The Jedi Who Knew Too Much
To Catch a Jedi
The Wrong Jedi * Assumption as I haven't seen it yet...

 

So...


I love Season One. It is my favorite season and I think all the stories in it are great and awesome. Sure, the drama that some want is not so there, but that is why this season kept the main Star Wars feel - the sense of fun and adventure. Star Wars has had drama, but for majority of the Saga is about the adventure.

In S1, there are those episodes that people are not that big fans of, but in S1all arcs and standalones are worth a watch. Especially arcs like Ryloth and the Gunray arc. Liberty on Ryloth and Lair of Grievous are stunning parts of their arcs.

S2 is the same situation, but it gives more to the fans that want drama. There are two episodes IMO that are the low point in the Season. They are not bad, but not as good as the rest. Such are Duchess of Mandalore, Senate Murders and R2 Come Home. Now if you really want to get the best out of S2's genre explorations - the Holocron arc, the Geonosis arc (starting with Senate Spy) and the Zillo Beast episodes.

S3... hmmm... there are several arcs that are a must and many episodes to skip. You should check out the awesome Clone arc in the start (combined with Rookies from S1 since they 3 are one arc), the Nightsisters arc (cause a Ventress story it works well) and the Citadel arc.

S4 is tricky. I recommend watching the Mon Calamari arc, the Slavers arc and the Finale arc. The Finale arc episodes with Ventress are genius!

 

I second the Citadel Arc. It was basically the Death Star break-out with Clones and Jedi.

 

My personal favorite arcs in the series are, in chronological order:

- The Malevolence Trilogy
- The Children of the Force Trilogy
- The Geonosis Arc
- The Zillo Beast Duology
- The Rookies Trilogy
- The Hunt for Ziro Trilogy
- The Nightsisters Trilogy
- The Citadel Trilogy
- The Padawan Lost Duology
- The Water War Trilogy
- The Umbara Arc
- The Rako Hardeen Arc
- The Return of Darth Maul Arc
- The Young Jedi Arc
- The Shadow Conspiracy Arc

But if I had to choose one end-all be-all favorite, it would have to be the Shadow Conspirary arc. Best thing the show's done so far, period.

 

I wouldn't edit TCW down. I'm a completest. Rather than recommending arcs, if you really want to cut it down. Start with the Citadel Arc in season 3 and watch TCW straight through from their. Skip all the Water Wars arc and droid episodes in season 4.

 

Also seconded. Firstly because Umbara looked fantastic. Secondly because Pong Krell vs the Clones was badass.

 

I've really been enjoying people's input so far. Just to clear up one point because it has been mentioned several times, I do intend to watch all of the episodes, but I was in the middle of re-watching season 1, and I was wondering if I could streamline the season for future viewings to maximize the impact of the story telling.

Fives_Says_No_To_Sixes:
I agree with most of your comments on S1. Below is my list again, with some word as to why they were included:
The Hidden Enemy - Just an excellent episode IMHO. It does feel a bit unresolved, and while the battle is picked up in the movie, I'd like to see Ventress' role fleshed out a bit more. Perhaps other episodes will go back to this time frame.
Rising Malevolence, Shadow of Malevolence, Destroy Malevolence - I really enjoyed the character development in this arc - especially Plo Koon, but also the Anakin/Ahsoka relationship. I feel like the arc could have built up to a better climax, but given how early in the series it occurs, I was really pleased to see the multiple-episode arc handled fairly well.
Rookies - A fantastic episode, and one that really turns the clones into characters that I care about
Cloak of Darkness - I thought this episode had a lot of the good makings of a Star Wars story. There are a few bits I don't like, but this is a nice chapter and helps set up the next episode. I want to like the preceding episode as well to fill out the arc, but there's the Jar Jar factor, and I also dislike Padme in this show. Her character seems to be reduced to a caricature of a noble yet woefully naive politician, and her dialog always seems forced.
Lair of Grievous - I really like this episode, the background it gives, and the hints at some differing Jedi philosophies and the toll the war has taken on some younger Jedi.
Dooku Captured - I'm not a huge fan of this one, and I almost left it off my list, but in the end, I liked giving Dooku a bit of action and Hondo seems like a promising character.
The Gungan General - Jar Jar seems even worse than usual in this episode, and the Jedi/Sith buddy comedy routine seemed a bit too light, but I kept it on the list to finish the plot from the previous episode.
Tresspass - I should rewatch this episode. I remember a lot of the ambassador/senator conflict annoyed me, but maybe I'm a sucker for the snow planets since I associate them with Hoth.
Storm Over Ryloth, Innocents of Ryloth, Liberty on Ryloth - I agree with your comments, but it does add a nice bit of continuity to the season.