TV Obsessive
Catching Up on Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Rachel: Whether you think it’s total fan service or that Favreau and Filoni have “saved” the Star Wars franchise, The Mandalorian has been integral to linking other Star Wars spin offs into the larger canon. In Season 2 of the show, a variety of characters finally had their day in the live-action sun, one of which was Ahsoka Tano. Long before Rey discovered her own path to being a jedi in the modern sequels, Ahsoka found her own way as Anakin Skywalker’s padawan.
I guess I’m what you’d consider a casual Star Wars fan. I’ve seen the original films, the prequels, the sequels, and the other spin-off films. Honestly, there’s aspects I love in all of them. The one thing I hadn’t made time for yet was the various animated series.
One of the perks with Disney+ is having the entire Star Wars catalogue at your fingertips, so I decided it was time to dive in once The Mandalorian wrapped up. And man, I’m glad I did. Star Wars: The Clone Wars picks up where Episode II: Attack of the Clones left off. The episodes are quick paced, adventure packed and typically wrap up with a moral.
For me, the real joy is getting to see characters we were supposed to be emotionally invested in from the prequels really shine. George Lucas is an iconic world builder, but much of the dialogue in the prequels felt stiff, which caused a disconnect for me, despite the cast’s best efforts. Here the camaraderie between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi really works, and I feel like once I return to watch the prequels, the third episode might hit differently. (And I’m hella excited that Hayden Christensen will be getting his moment of redemption in the upcoming live action Obi-Wan series.)
It’s also great to see Anakin take on Ahsoka as his padawan and encourage her before the dark side takes hold. Ahsoka is inquisitive, loyal, and to watch her struggles and successes is a joy. I’m about halfway through Season 1 at this point but I can already see why Ahsoka is a fan favorite and why her appearance on The Mandalorian was so important. This is the way.
Those are our recommendations this week! What are yours? Let us know in the comments!
