What about making notPadme the secret apprentice of Palpatine? Or even his daughter would say Lucas...
Make Anaking falling in love in episode 1. Then it is revealed to the audience that she's Palpatine apprentice at the end of episode 2 and that her love interest in Anakin was purely part of a plan to convert Anaking to the dark side (maybe she would fall in love at some point, but it's never really explain), then Palpatine kills her by episode 3, blaming the Jedi for it.
I don't know just an idea.