Midichlorians may be worst idea of the entire prequel trilogy, although the whole vader turning to the darkside because of love could beat it out since that destroys the entire Anakin->Vader->Anakin story ark.

In the OT, the force was mysterious and beautiful... "For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere."

In the PT the force was turned into just a tool that those who were genetically predispositioned used. It's as if Lucas wanted to suck out all of the wonder from the SW universe. Hey everyone apperently the force is an STD.

Ultimately I think they should have gone with Baronlando's "they could just sense it". It was already esatblished int he OT that Jedi could sense one another.