What kind of TCW fan are YOU?

Like all message boards/Forums, there are a variety of people with different opinions. With The Clone Wars series taking mind blowing turns(like how Season 3 is now composed of half Padme-episodes), the opinions of people have been going in all different directions more so than when Season 3 was being anticipated.
I had also realized that the people on TheForce.net come in many different ages and some ages may affect the opinions of people.

So my question is (without sounding like some online stalker) how old are YOU and what do YOU think The Clone Wars should have more of?
A prequel feel?
A Classic feel?
A Dark Horse feel?
A TOR feel?
Less kiddiness?
Less seriousness?
Certain character?
What was your wish for this show before it began?

The point of this topic is to get a census view of the fans that are on here and get a good bearing on what TheForce.net's people are like. This may also reflect how we view fans outside TheForce.net. A social experiment.

I'll start after the first 5 posts because I don't know how well this will go.....

 

Age:18

What direction should TCW go in?: Classic feel.

The best episodes so far IMO are the more intimate ones, where the larger scale of politics and war is more alluded to than seen on screen. It gives characters more time to breathe and the tension in the smaller scale episodes make them much more entertaining than simply sitting through the sugar crazed dreams of an explosion obssessed toddler in the likes of Landing At Point Rain. (Not that I'm trying to imply LAPR wasn't entertaining)

Great examples of this are the Ahsoka episodes. When she is running around and kicking all different kinds of ass people hate her because she appears to be a shallow nobody who happens to be more powerful than all the established Star Wars characters put together. But when her scenes are slower paced and give her time to explain her point of view then people warm to her and find her much more relatable, making her action sequences more palatable in the meantime, just like in Brain Invaders.

There is no harm in having a bit of political intrigue and large scale battles every now and then, after all we do need to see the scale of the war in all it's forms, but it just should not appear too much.

 

When I first heard of this show, I thought it was going to be a straight forward kids show. I was suprised that I found it was easy to get into and that it wasn't a straight forward kids show. I wish it had a bit of a darker feel to it. I have seen parts where the show didi do it, and I would like to see it happen a bit more often. I think it can be dark and still appropriate. It feels like a prequel(because it is ) and at times plays like that. You see ROTS type stuff and you see TPM type stuff, and everything in between. I often wonder though how the show would be if it wasn't a "kids show."

 

What type of fan am I?

The type that rarely watches TCW sober.

 

Bravo.

 

Age: 13

What do you think The Clone Wars should have more of: A feel of all the movies and less kiddiness, more dark

Certain character? Season three has been lacking Anakin, Obi-wan, and Rex/clones action.

What was your wish for this show before it began? My wish was that it would extend the star wars world for both old fans and new fans.

 

I'd rather not state my age, but I will say I'm very much old enough to be made fun of by my friends for watching TCW.

Anyway, I think the show needs the following three improvements:

1) Less "kiddie" pandering. No more Threepio math lessons and Scooby Doo- style teenage mysteries.

2) Less "writers pets." Padme and Ahsoka are obviously director favorites, and that leads to overuse of them, especially in the case of Padme.

3) No more mundane stories, Star Wars is about escapism, not shopping. The TCW writers need to go back to thinking outside the box. What haooened to AT-TEs walking up the side of a mountain in the middle of a huge battle and Anakin ramming a star destroyer into a droid command ship?

 

I can only assume you are talking about Senate Murders when you say that (Unless you are referring to a S3 episode, which I have not seen yet) in which case I reccomend you read up on your Agatha Christie you young whippershnapper.

 

Well, alright. This thread didn't die.

Age: Later Teens. I'd rather not reveal specifically but I am almost done with High School.

I expected this series to not be about Anakin but be more about...well...everybody! When I heard that there will be a Fisto ep. (LOG) I was excited and believed that everyone in the movies will have a fair shot at backstory.
^That was not the case and instead, TCW is based on a character whose story is already finished in the Saga.

I was also fooled by false promotion and thought Fisto would be a main character. Apparently, LOG was just over-promtionalized like it was the God-episode.

 

You mean the movies are dark? Or that TCW must be dark to be good?

 

I'm too young to have seen ANH in theatres, but I saw TESB in cinema when I was a little kiddo. I'll never forget the impression those AT-ATs made on me. Especially the walking sounds.

I remember wondering how they could make walking machines SO BIG!

I never watch TCW sober either.

I'm the kind of fan that loves the prequels just as I loved the OT, even though the OT still seems better to me. I love some parts of the EU, especially the Dark Forces and other 90's Star Wars games. I dislike most of the EU books I've read, especially the post-RotJ EU. Clone Wars era EU tends to be better, but I can't seem to get through a lot of the books. I like some of the comics and I love everything related to the KotOR era.

What feel do I want TCW to have? I'd say I'd like it to have a genuine Star Wars feel. Star Wars is all kinds of things... from action and battles to romance and funny stuff like Jar Jar. From Bounty Hunters, smugglers and gangsters to lighthearted adventures, epic situations and really dark moments from time to time.

What did I expect from the series? I must say I expected the stories to flesh the war out more. I expected 'bigger stories'. Developments that would have a more lasting impact. I had expected to see events depicting how the war would tip in favour of the separatists, then the republic, etc. To actually see the 'ongoing stalemate', instead of it just being mentioned by dooku despite the Republic heroes winning episode after episode. In short: more ongoing continuity.

I especially expected to see Obi-Wan and Anakin in tense situations, to see them developing from master and learner into brothers in arms.

My biggest complaint about the series is that it's really suffering from its formula. I think if we had a chronological story, with cliffhangers from week to week, sure it would suck for the kids, but man... this series would have so much more tension. People would be really pumped to watch the next one and see how it all turns out. There could be much 'bigger stories', real, meaningful developments that alter the course of the war.

Instead we're being served with a 'Tales of The Clone Wars' anthology that is lacking all suspense. The fact that you know everything is going to be neatly tied up by the end of the episode not only takes away the tension, but also really limits the storytelling. As a result we're getting all sorts of mundane little adventures that are pretty irrelevant to the overall story (as far as there is any) and the course of the war. A whole series of homage episodes... it's just a shame, really. Even the bigger story arcs are lacking in tension because the Republic is winning all the time.

The only real overall storyline seems to be about Ahsoka, and as far as that goes, I don't see a lot of development in that either. I think they could do a lot more with the Anakin/Ahsoka dynamic than they're doing.

On top of that, the series is often suffering from bad writing. I mean I really DO want to see more Anakin and Obi-Wan episodes, but why on earth do they have to show them together in ANOTHER episode that features a duel with Grievous? At least with lesser known Jedi there would be a lot more tension and a lot less repetitiveness. I mean it's just ridiculous how often Obi-Wan is sending Anakin off just to fight Grievous alone for the-Force-knows-how-manieth time.

 

Age: 20

What direction should TCW go in?: From your list, I'd say Certain Characters, meaning greater emphasis on relating and portraying characters, as well as more sharing of the spotlight.

Doesn't matter whether it's light or dark. If anything, I have a higher preference for optimistic spots in plotlines.
I firmly believe that good characters can sell even mediocre plots. Of course, on the more general perspective, I'd say it should go in the direction that 'achieves the greatest amount of enjoyable good'...yes, even if it alienates certain fanbases or steamrolls the EU. I'm very cavalier about that. Bear in mind, though, that ideally the greatest good would include us AND the mainstream audience, so yeah.

EDIT: For the record, I have only a passing Wookiepedia knowledge of post-ROTJ EU, I've read the Dark Horse comics and liked most of those, and I also really liked the KotOR games. I have little experience with the rest of the EU, however, including novels. I'm not an EU-hater, but I'm not particularly enamoured by it either; I just think 'this is cool, it can work' or 'this is weird, I'll drop it'. If any given EU interferes with my ability to enjoy something, I take a look and see which ones should be modified (with the power of IMAAAAAAGINATION) or dropped for now.

What was my wish for the show before it began: General goodwill and success, but I was admittedly pretty vague until I saw the first season 1 trailer and the shot of Plo Koon ushering his clones into escape pods. From that moment on, I just knew "I HAVE to watch this."

EDIT: I guess it can be summed up as such: I'm an optimist, and a proud background Jedi fanboy. I count my blessings. By looking at what's good, I think I'm better able to appreciate how they improve what they're doing.

 

How many times has Obi Wan do this by the way? The only times I can recall off the top of my head are the season 3 starter and Grievous Intrigue, assuming I have the right episode name there. That and I think you're exaggerating at least somewhat, though I'll admit that the G vs OB battles are getting a tad stale. Though it does make their final battle make a good bit more sense in my mind: Who better to send after the good general than the man whose fought him numerous times and knows his tricks?

Sorry bout that tangent there. As for what sort of fan am I? I'm similar to the good chaps on the CloneCast, I'm easy to please and ra

 

I'm 24. I avoided the movie itself for a year. I found the first movie to be very Classic SW in tone. I'm glad they lost the techno music and have been using more classic-sounding music. I really enjoy the "ripped from the headlines" political episodes, but I like it more when it's mixed with action. The latest episode and The Mandalore trilogy would be the perfect example of what I like in TCW.

I trust that the series is going somewhere, but I wish it would get there soon. Looking forward to the Witches.

 

Age: teenager.

I'm a bad CW fan. Haven't seen an episode this season since the opener do to my conflicting television schedule.

Er, but as to the point of this thread, there are few things that would make me happier than seeing some of the DH stories adapted onscreen, particularly the Jabiim arc. I'd like it if it got a bit darker.

 

Ok, he's done that two times. But he's been in a duel with Grievous four times, including RotS. Damn, it feels like 7 duels or so, really. I'm getting tired of it, and I'm not buying Obi-Wan's surprise in RotS anymore when Grievous reveals his extra arms.

Anakin who's being sent off without so much of a protest, even if it is only two times, is ridiculously unbelievable. The point is that they could have avoided it, but noooo...

 

How about you share your own opinion before you start judging others?

Me, I used to watch this show every week. But lately I've been busy as hell, so friday nights aren't working out so well. I'd say that I'm a pessimistic fan. I appreciate the show when it is done well, but I am very critical when it flops.

 

I am a 27 year old fan from Australia and I just love The Clone Wars the way it is. It's perfect!

 

Age: I'm in the middle stages of college

What I was expecting with TCW a few years ago: A kids show and at first with the movie my fears were being realized, not to say the movie didn't have any good things(very little but still) but it definitely had that kiddie feel to it, so did the beginning of Season 1. Ambush got my hopes up for the series than Rookies came along and I've been hooked ever since. I don't know whether it's good or bad that arguably TCW's best episode was the 5th episode ever aired.

What it needs: Better writers . I kid..well kind of. I feel like they got away from what made this show really good and really addicting and that mixing the war with other outside things. This galaxy is huge and not just the War is being fought. Season 2 did a great job mixing the war with outside things like the bounty hunters, politics, mandalore etc. Voyage of Temptation and Cargo of Doom are perfect examples of this. This season they are relying too much on Padme and Ahsoka and to be honest no one really wants to see that. Padme is a dull character overall(PT and TCW) Ahsoka has her good and bad moments, the latter happening more than the former unfortunately.

They need to get back to Anakin and Obi-Wan's strong friendship with Lucas failed with showing during the PT. These guys are the closest friends, brothers and we haven't seen many episodes where this is shown. That needs to change. We also need to show more Jedi-Clone friendship. How close the Jedi and their clone troopers(particularly the leading Captain, Commander etc) become after this 3 year war. Things change during war and I wanna see the Jedi growing attachments to these clones. The ending sequence to "Supply Lines" remains one of my favorite scenes of this series. Ima-Gun Di hesitating at Captain Keeli's death, even closing looking upset, he didn't do this with any other clone.(when we know he was just knocked out) Than Keeli getting back up and having his General's back and both of them dying with honor.

Another small thing they need to touch upon is Mace Windu's and Anakin's relationship. Something obviously happens to create tension between the two, "You have gained my trust," Mace's line to Anakin in ROTS after Anakin tells him about Palpatine. I'm fine with them being friendly now, though it's obvious Mace does have problems with how Anakin deals with things, which was shown at the end of Season 2. This could be something interesting that could involve the death or loss of Ahsoka. I wanna see what they'll do here, they can wait until the final season or whatever but something needs to be done. These guys were at odds in ROTS.


All in all I do enjoy the show still, I still make sure to tune in at 9, if I go out I make sure to do it after or I just DVR it for when I get home later that night. Things do need to get darker as it gets closer to ROTS and the end of the war. More dead Jedi, more Republic losses and more dead clones.

 

Age: Ehn'eta resol

What do I want The Clone Wars to be?

I think its impossible for this series to ignore the feel of the Prequel Trilogy for very long as frankly that is the time frame it is set in.

I'd say its virtually impossible for this series to capture the overall feel of the Original Trilogy due mostly to the size of the cast and the fact that the end is known.

They could take some hints from Dark Horse, but overall I'd like to see them avoid going for that direct feel.

They could also take some hints from West End Games, Del Rey & Bantam. The EU contains a rich 20 year history which highlights what worked well and what was less well recieved. The Clone Wars should be able to learn something from this history and apply it accordingly.

I wish the last remnants of The Old Republic got swept away.

I think there is a time and place for episodes aimed at a younger audience. They are great in small dosed, and I'd like to see every major character get a featured episode every Season.(Obi, Annkin, Padme, Mace, Yoda, Jar Jar, Jabba the Hutt and C-3PO & R2 D2 to name a few.) Obviously they could double up, have Yoda adventuring with R2 and 3-So for example, but I really want to see a significant plot for everyone at least once per season.

In terms of being serious, I'd like them to get more serious about their writing and story generation. They could improve the drama greatly if they simply paid attention to what they are writing.

The characters to focus on are Anakin and Ahsoka, with Obi-Wan coming in third. The entire era centers around the chosen one and he needs to be used in a more prominate fashion.

I'd also like to see them increase their focus on creating new characters instead of rehashing(or completely rewriting) older, established ones. I've said it before but characters like Embo, Tera Sinube. Lok Durd, Hondo, Nuvo Vindi and more pretty much make this show for me. I love them and love seeing them in the context the show provides.

On the flip side of that the show needs to mess around a lot less with characters like Quinlan Vos, Asajj Ventress, The Nightsisters & other creations from the EU that it seems to have difficulty capturing or even understanding correctly. If The Clone Wars wants to have a Jedi surfer dude it should just create a Jedi surfer dude character instead of re-imagining an existing character into that mold.

So I don't know what kind of fan I am really. I watch the show good, bad or ugly - just like a read the books good, bad or ugly. I'm unlikely to stop doing either.

As a part of this social experiment I should mention that I moderate on another site that has Clone Wars series discussion. There I am the only EU fan with the majority of the other users being folks that are only fans of The Clone Wars series itself(a couple of them put it above the films actually). Its very interesting to see their views as they are unjaded by almost all other things Star Wars - as long as The Clone Wars is good they don't care if the movies get overwritten. In a smaller sample size its pretty much the exact opposite of the dynamic we have here.

 

age:21

I think TCW has did good job by capturing all those feels in certain episodes- Malevolence was so classic like Death Star battle- Y-Wings and desperate fighter attack (only William's fanfars and Dodonna were missing but there was Yularen- he is now TCW reminder when you watch ANH ), Trespass took us to nearly to ESB echo base- Return to Geonosis and Kamino captured best parts of AOTC- Naboo and Gunray reminded us of TPM- if only they would use more Prequel characters- Padmé's handmaidens, Boss Nass, Panaka, Sio Bibbie, Rune Haako, Sly Moore
And we even visited Mustafar and ROTS is always foreshadowed when Ani, clones and Palpy are around. Seeing Tantive IV- the actual Tantive IV- was really nice as well as Alderaan- i want to see alderaanians in battle (they nearly were in Cat and Mouse) droids R2 and 3po were pretty much like they were in OT- Jabba and his palace and even Sy Snootles from ROTJ- not even to mention Mon Mothma whose only movie appearance is speech aboard Home One (well she can be spotted in Rots but she is edited away)

Upcoming Savage arc reminds us of Force Unleashed, KOTOR and TOR and all those great mysteries of the Force- Dark Horse feel is not yet around though but i think some episodes were close enough- Rookies-trilogy especially was nice cloneaction... and Republic commandos excellent desicion Filoni

Kiddiness can be around sometimes (droid spa was cute) but it shouldn't take over the show and destroy stories- and combining politics and overall sillyness is horrifying- if they have to do politics even more- they should continue with episodes like Heroes on Both Sides

 

Well, I'm a female just slightly older than the Star Wars Saga itself, by a year or so. It's difficult, though, for me to say what the series should have more of though. I mean there are some things I think would be neat to see, but will I be upset if they don't happen? Probably not.

Let's go ahead and get all of the "feels" out of the way. I think TCW should feel like TCW and that's it. Out of everyone I know online and in person it seems to me I'm one of the few who judges a book or a TV show or a movie simply on it's own merits. I don't compare it to anything else. I don't see the need to. I mean, I can compare one thing to another after the fact if someone asks me to, like if they were to ask me to order the SW movies in order of best to decent (I happen to like all six), but my basic enjoyment or dislike of a story is based on how it's presented to me. Comparisons to other stories never enter the mix for me.

Each episode of TCW gets evaluated by me based purely on it's own merits. I enjoy TCW quite a bit. Sure there's an episode or two that doesn't quite sit well with me, and so I don't tend to often watch those episodes again. The episodes that are most easily guaranteed to bring pleasure, though, are character building ones. I want to know more about these characters. I want the show to get inside their heads and tell me about what they're thinking, what they're seeing in the universe around them. When that happens these visually three-dimensional characters become mentally three-dimensional as well. They become real.

Still, I find pleasure in action-oriented episodes, and even ones based around politics. To me it's all about the presentation. Any story revolving around any topic can be made interesting if it's told correctly. In my own mind most of the episodes this season have been told correctly. At least correctly enough that I enjoy them.

What TCW needs to be, to me, is a balanced blending of action (it's a war), character building/exploration (I can't care about someone unless they seem real to me), personal and political drama/intrigue (hey, governments are why they're in this mess), and finished off with a dash of comedy (makes the rest of it easier to swallow). Thus far, I think, TCW has done an admirable job of providing all of these. I don't think it should focus on any one area. I can understand and sympathize with those that complain this season has been nothing but politics and such, and I will agree on the point that they seem to have lost the balance a little bit, but there's still plenty of time in the season to make up for it, and it's not like this is the last one. The series writers and director shouldn't focus on any one aspect. They should provide stories that cater to all these tastes.

What was my wish before the show began? Well, before the show began, I was a fan of the six films, but I hadn't read or watched any other SW material, the lone exception perhaps being that little novella that came with Tie Fighter (excellent game) and the accompanying strategy guide. When I heard about this show I thought to myself "What the hell? I'll give it a shot. It sounds interesting. Not sure about the animation style, but I'll give it a chance."

I haven't regretted that decision since...well, maybe when "The Gungan General" premiered, but that was the only time.

 

Don't listen to your brain, television schedules are beyond your control and in no way makes you a bad fan. Quite a few of us weren't around to see Star Wars when it was theatrically released.

While I do get that from how you generally post and react, it's nice to know I'm not alone in how I choose to view things. Well, sort of. I only add a comparison in hindsight, and usually if it can enhance my enjoyment.

 

My opinion has been shared more than once in this forum. And where am I judging others?

 

19 here. When I saw the movie for the first time I actually hated it for awhile. I thought I was never going to like the show, but when the TV show really rolled out I somehow began to like where the series was going episode after episode for some reason. Hell, I even ejoyed those Jar Jar episodes. After the very first few episodes of the first season, I kind of redeemed my outlook on the movie and took it for what it is and just looked passed its little flaws I made look big.

Oh, and what do I think the show need more of? I think it should have more of a Classic feel with more of William's awesome music to it, but I think it's just fine the way it is at the moment.