Right. I’ve now created a record of every single (relevant) character appearance per episode, so as I review each episode I can be mindful of character arcs. For our central characters, I’m tracking the details of their development in each episode too. I’m also tracking any specific mentions of chronology, in case I later come to rearrange things. For example, The Deserter mentions the guy deserting after the battle of Ryloth, but his kids look four years old, so to me that really should be near the end of the clone wars, not up near the start of the show.
I’m now reviewing each episode, with a five-rank ‘VIDEO’ system -
- Vital - Core of the show
- Important - Not core, but adds value to either the show or the wider franchise (think good character development for a main character, or someone like Saw Gerrera)
- Desirable - will include in a way that incorporates it as well as possible
- Excludable - At best, no value add, other than for more Star Wars. Probably will include but mark as skippable
- Objectionable - Actively hard to watch / offputting for whatever reason. Won’t include at all.
And I’ve just walked through a couple of episodes:
S01E06-E07 - Downfall of a Droid / Duel of the Droids - Objectionable
GOOD: The idea that Anakin’s decision to disobey protocol and never wipe R2 is why R2 has such a creative and quirky personality is interesting and serves both characters well. However, the execution is awful. Also, seeing some of Anakin’s anger as he fights to save another ‘one he loves’ is also a decent step on the journey of his fall, but ultimately doesn’t nearly make up for the bad.
BAD: The animation and lighting is absolutely horrible throughout. It also features that weird rock music that a couple of early episodes had. The rival droid is just a weird villainous plan, and it makes Grievous feel small as a villain. Ahsoka being so competent a duelist she could survive Grievous is not great development for her early on, and conversely the decision to face Grievous is way too foolhardy (even for her).
Back in the day I got excited about the IG droids, but I think I’ve come to realise that easter eggs absolutely do not equal quality**, and I’ll apply this principle throughout. This edit has to be about the resonant emotional core. We should feel how we feel when we watch the Mandalorian. That’s the goal to strive to, however achievable.
This episode is also one of those that TCW has early on which features Grievous and ends with absolutely no change in status quo, making him feel neutered as a villain***. He talks villainous nonsense, achieves little, and flees from battle. There’s no threat.
There’s nothing to salvage in this episode.
S02E09 - Grievous Intrigue - Excludable
This episode is absolutely fine, but achieves nothing. The start has some good genuine menace from Grievous, which I might find a way to use elsewhere. Otherwise, this can remain as a fine example of ‘more Clone Wars’. Grievous captures Eeth Koth, a bunch of Jedi go to save him and succeed, nobody gets harmed. It ends with Grievous crashing, which sets up the next episode, but you certainly wouldn’t waste these 22 minutes just to establish Grievous crashing.
S02E10 - The Deserter - Desirable
Famously a great episode, though one which I think belongs later in the show’s chronology since the deserter clone has kids (and I feel like ‘clones have variety’ belongs later). It’s an episode of two parts - one featuring a crashed Grievous getting pissy with droids and then escaping from Obi-Wan, and the other about a wounded Rex finding a deserted clone who’s got a family. You don’t need the Grievous stuff, and I think you could cleanly cut around it. That’d give you about twelve minutes of self contained gold, and is one of reasons I’m leaning toward little ‘Tales from the Clone Wars’ anthologies (even though one of the reasons this project exists is to have multiple smaller episodes). Unless it can neatly fit into another episode, of course.
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** For this reason I might be relatively brutal to the Tartakovsky show, which I know is kind of sacrilege. But I’m reminded of an army of IG droids with lances, and that just… doesn’t feel like it really belongs in this canon.
*** I might even look at really minimising him in RotS. I just feel like the vast majority of the time, he barely adds value.