Full Series Is it better to watch Clone Wars before or after episode 3?

So I have this friend who i'm trying to get to watch the clone wars (I'm desperate, I don't know any star wars fans irl). He hasn't watched the movies yet but I got him to watch the Mandolorian (as it doesn't connect with the movies much, and hence a good introduction to the universe) and he liked it a lot. I finally convinced him to watch the movies and clone wars, and he decided to watch the movies in chronological order (because he already knows some of the spoilers for the OT, so the PT might offer some more twists). So I was wondering, would it be better to watch TCW after the movies, or watch it in between episodes 2 and 3? So if you watch it between 2 and 3, it builds up the characters and the Order 66 plot? And also, when you watch it that way, wouldn't the fates of some characters be less uncertain in TCW? Or is it just better to stick to watching it when you have a full idea about what goes on in the saga?

 

PT first, TCW after. TCW is not just a 120 episodes of deleted scenes between Episodes 2 and 3. It follows the journey of an entirely different set of protagonists whose lives and experiences are shaped by the events of the PT. It does "spoil" some major events of the PT because it assumes the audience has seen the PT. This final arc we're watching now will do so even more.

In other words, TCW and PT are both products of their times with a different set of creators (albeit George having a heavy influence on TCW) and have their own gestalt and artistic sensibilities. I do not think they should be comingled. Release order gives you storytelling. Chronological order gives you an encyclopedia.

 

Movies first (I prefer order of release for first time watching), then TCW, then Rebels.

 

I just want to clarify, if he were to watch clone wars between episode 2 and 3, i wouldn't let him watch SoM until after episode 3.

 

If he doesn’t already know about order 66, clone wars between 2 and 3. Imagine all that buildup and attachment to all those side characters before watching them all get Red Wedding-ed

 

Mostly between AOTC and ROTS, but save Siege of Mandalore till after ROTS

edit:

Spoiler

Or maybe the last 3 episodes; could be exciting to jump from Old Friends right into ROTS

 

Spoiler

Yeah I was thinking about that too. Maybe jump into ROTS straight from the part where Obi Wan and Anakin get called to Coruscant.

EDIT: Ok, I talked to him, and he knows more than I thought he did. I asked him what he knows about star wars, and the first thing he said was that Anakin kills children, lol. (I should have just let him watch clone wars from here). He doesn't know what happens exactly, but he does know that the clones are good but they turn evil. Idk if he exactly knows that they kill the jedi, but he does still know they're evil. He also knows Palps is secretly a bad guy, because he saw the fight between him and Yoda in a video. So I'm guessing I'll advise him to watch the movies first.

EDIT 2: Ok I'm having second thoughts. There is still some stuff that could build up from watching clone wars first. For example, he hasn't a clue what happens to Dooku or Grievous. So I am considering telling him to watch TCW till SoM and then ep 3. Is there any huge spoilers that would get spoiled in TCW other than Order 66, Sidious and Anakin turns to the dark side that i'm forgetting?

 

I think he should watch TCW before Episode III up until episode 9 of Season 7. Although TCW has some major foreshadowings, he already knows too much. Watching TCW first makes Episode III feel more tragic than watching it after Episode II.

 

At the very least, don't watch the final couple episodes of TCW (7x10-7x12) until you've finished ROTS. Maybe also save 7x9 just to make the arc more cohesive. There's also nothing too wrong with watching ROTS before TCW. Watching all of TCW between AOTC and ROTS is a massive time commitment.

 

I'm doing the very same thing with my parents right now. The last time my mother watched a star wars movie was 20 years ago maybe, so a couple of weeks ago she randomly asked, "let's watch something fun, a star wars or something"

So we watched A New Hope togheter, which she loved, then a week later I showed her Rogue One, which she also loved.
The only spoiler she knows about SW is that Darth Vader is Luke's father, nothing else, and she doesn't know he'll be redeemed in the end.

So I thought, bleep it, I'll go one step further and show her TPM. She didn't realise Anakin was suppose to be Vader until halfway through the pod race, so that hook left her massively engaged. To my surprise, she loved everything about it, she loved Jar Jar, the goofy humor. It was her favorite so far. She did think Darth Maul looked a little silly and did not take him serious at all, until the duel of the fates started and she was mesmerized like a little kid.

Then I showed her TESB, which she actually didn't like as much, she was surprised to see the Palpatine/Sidious was The Emperor, and that he was Vader's boss as she previously assumed Vader was in charge of the Empire.

Then The Clone Wars season 7 started, and I felt even more ambitious, so I showed her an arc of the Clone Wars, The Darth Maul episodes from 'Brothers' all the way up to 'The Lawless', she was taken aback by the animation style at first, however by the very end she was loved, loved, loved Darth Maul as a character, she even confessed having had nightmares about big scary red guys.

Anyhow, long story short, I have convinced my 61 year old mother, who previously scoffed at the very notion of 'Star Wars' to now watch the entire show with me.

So I showed her Attack of the Clones to provide a little context, and now so far we have watched Ep1, Ambush with Yoda. And Ep12/13, Dooku Captured/Bombad General.

Considering the fact that I, haven't even watched the whole show yet, this is going to be such an awesome experience
I purposely haven't showed her ROTJ and ROTS, so that she doesn't know how and where it will end.

 

Before S7 came out, I tried watching it between AOTC and ROTS after starting with TPM.

And it works beautifully by widening the scope of the story, but still not forgetting the main threads. In between, every time.

 

I would watch Attack of the Clones,Clone wars,Revenge is the Sith,Then Siege of Mandalore.That way you don’t get spoiled for Revenge of the Sith.

 

This is a good idea.

 

I have a friend who’s never seen Revenge if the Sith or clone wars and I wouldn’t let him borrow my copy of Revenge if the Sith until he watches clone wars season seven (Not the final 4 episodes) then he must answer a quiz I made to prove he actually watched them.He is in season 6 right now.

 

The dedication, love it

 

He has tried to steal my copy and has twice lied about watching the series.Then I ask himk so who’s this? I show him a picture of Trace.Himh that’s a uh bounty hunter.Me:Yep totally.

Thank goodness he doesn’t have a Disney Plus account.

 

You should post the quiz.

 

Going to respectfully disagree. If you applied this argument to Rebels, then ya, I get what you're saying. But Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padme are 3 of the 5 main protagonists of this show. And Darth Sidious, Count Dooku, and General Grievous are the villains. It totally continues the main throughlines of the story continued in AOTC and concluded in ROTS.

And even though we don't see Ahsoka and Rex in ROTS, I feel their presence is very much felt by their absence. Would Anakin have been able to look Rex in the face when issuing the order to attack the Jedi Temple? Would Ahsoka have been able to talk him down? Did he feel hurt by her decision to leave him at all?

All of that is lost if you watch it out of order.

 

I haven’t finished it yet but I was just gonna ask him these questions:

Also I’m making him read dark disciple and son of Dathomir

What character comes back in season 4 after being presumed dead?

What jedi betrays his clones by having them attack each other?

Who’s Obi Wans love interest?

What clone trooper discovers a plot to destroy the Jedi?

How does Ahsoka die? (But later comes back)

What crime syndicates join Maul?

Who do the Jedi break out of a massively secure prison?

Who betrays the republic and bombs the Jedi temple?

I’m still thinking of questions.Any ideas?

 

I'd say watch the Filoni shows before any of the movies, then watch the 6 movies to fill in the blanks. Or just watch the PT & Clone Wars.

 

I'd say after ep3. The mortis arc kinda gives away that Anakin will become darth vader. Obviously the current siege of mandalore arc is pretty spoilery. There's some spoilers in the yoda arc of season 6 as well with his visions of the future.

 

It also very much spells out the fact that Palpatine is Sidious, which may or may not matter depending how observant the person watching is.

I'm of two minds about this, on one hand I do love the idea of integrating TCW naturally into the saga as it extends the story by countless hours and gives you a lot more time to becomes attached to the characters.

On the other hand we have parts of the show that assume you have watched ROTS, such as those mentioned above. It also kind of obligates you to watch Rebels if you want to settle Maul's fait, which opens its own can of worms since there are still a lot of unfinished stories there. I wouldn't crazy about having to answer questions about the potential fait of Ezra and Ahsoka, and trying to explain WBW would probably break me.

So there are definitely some positives and negatives to any way of going about it.

 

Ask him how Jar Jar finally manages to kill Maul, and see if he says anything. Thanks for the quiz, I think I might be needing it myself.

 

I might add:Who is Har Jars girlfriend.I mean he technically has one

 

That might be the only question you need to ask. If he remembers/watched the Jar Jar episodes, you can be sure he's watched the others. I'm still trying to forget their exist.