An Opinion, By Robert Teters

So just a disclaimer before I get into this, the following opinion is going to involve some super nerdy stuff because I have a problem. You’ve been warned. Now that we got that out of the way, Stockett has asked me to report on some Star Wars stuff. As many of you may know, Disney has been doing a lot with this franchise, and a lot of it has left fans not so happy. The new trilogy has some very cookie-cutter characters that many fans simply didn’t care for. Apart from Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, I didn’t care at all for the new cast. They were boring or poorly written. The only movie from recent years that has done some sort of justice to fans was Rogue One. A movie filled with emotion, insane cinematic shots, and interesting characters that we only see once. It wasn’t enough. People have been waiting for something to happen, for Star Wars to finally be good again. And it’s been happening in small ways.

Queue the release of the Mandalorian. A bounty hunter with an unknown past and a western gunslinger inspired persona. This show was crazy good and had a budget that allowed it to do a lot of things that most TV shows can’t. The CGI and worldbuilding throughout the first season was something on the same level of a big-budget movie. And that isn’t even mentioning the new character that we each came to care about, including the famous Baby Yoda. This show was good. It was what we needed. Something worth watching and with higher stakes because we felt a connection to the characters. People like this sort of thing. But where can we find more?

So, you want a Star Wars show with complex characters, gorgeous shots, worldbuilding, crazy plot twist, and something that keeps you invested? Well, there’s this animated show called Star Wars: The Clone Wars that might be just what you are looking for. Now, before you get all high and mighty about it being a cartoon, hear me out. This show is probably some of the best Star Wars content to ever be made. This show takes place in between the films for Episode 2 Attack of the Clones and Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith. We hear a whole thing about a war in the movies, but we never see it. We also hear from Obi-Wan in A New Hope that Anakin was a good friend and the best pilot in the galaxy but we have no proof. This show is proof. It takes many familiar faces and fleshes out their stories. Heck, this show even makes us care about the clones, the soldiers with the same face. It gives them each personality and emotions. They aren’t just disposable soldiers, but individuals. Some of my favorite parts of this show are when we see the clones and how they develop. We care about the characters, and it hits hard when someone dies. That’s another thing, you see a lot of people die, but that just adds to the fact that they are fighting a war. We see more insight on famous Jedi like Obi-Wan and Anakin, Mace Windu and Yoda. We are even surprised by the return of some characters and rivals that were thought dead. I won’t spoil it but it blew my mind. I’ll admit that the first two seasons are a little rough around the edges, but it just keeps getting better. Once you get past all of that, the show becomes fluid and so easy to get into. The animation evolves with each season and by the end of season 6, some parts look just like a movie. The Clone Wars was canceled around 2014 after Disney bought Lucas Films, but by popular demand, it was brought back. They want to finish what they started. Season 7 will lead right into the events of Revenge of the Sith and we will see a different side of things and how Anakin becomes Darth Vader. We even see Order 66 play out, and after all of this time establishing a connection with the clone troopers, this is going to hurt. Regardless of that, this show is well worth the watch and with new episodes coming out every Friday on Disney+ there’s no better time to get into it. If you are a fan of Star Wars, a good story, and better characters, then this is the show for you.