Star Wars discussion

[Jukka the Sling]

I'm just super happy you've begun watching Star Wars!

[Delthion]

The Trekkie in me was crying the entire time.

[Andy]

The fandom, Episode VII, and everything I've heard about Episode VIII has almost entirely ruined the series for me. If you analyze it very much, it sucks the fun out of it, and considering I have a lot of unpopular opinions about the franchise, people have liked to debate and I've had to overthink it all. I can't even make myself watch Rogue One,  Rebels, or The Clone Wars (even though I have seen a few episodes of Rebels and enjoyed them.)

[Jetthebinturong]

I liked episode VII, but I do acknowledge that it is hopelessly derivative and unoriginal, and most of the criticisms of it I've heard are valid. Rogue One and Rebels you can skip, but The Clone Wars is one of the greatest shows ever. If you can push past the first season, which isn't bad, just not as good as the rest of the series. Seasons 4 and 5 are utterly amazing.

[Andy]

I've heard from my best friend that The Clone Wars is good, but based on what else she's told me about it, it makes a lot of PT characters behave very out of character, and the basic premise bothers me fundamentally, so it's the thing I actually have the least desire to see. I actually have Rogue One (got a deal on it), and my parents liked it, but I haven't been able to find the motivation to give it a go.

I did enjoy TFA, but it wasn't great, and the obvious pandering to nostalgic OT purists honestly felt like an insult to fans of the entire series who wanted something new. It also made me have a stronger dislike for what they're doing since OT purists are always really rude to me and are the ones who've nearly ruined the series for me.

[Jukka the Sling]

I liked episode VII, but I do acknowledge that it is hopelessly derivative and unoriginal, and most of the criticisms of it I've heard are valid.

All of this.  Hopefully Episode VIII is more unique.

I've heard from my best friend that The Clone Wars is good, but based on what else she's told me about it, it makes a lot of PT characters behave very out of character, and the basic premise bothers me fundamentally, so it's the thing I actually have the least desire to see. I actually have Rogue One (got a deal on it), and my parents liked it, but I haven't been able to find the motivation to give it a go.

I don't know that the PT characters behave out of character?  About the only person I could possibly apply that to is Anakin, who's not nearly as glum and annoying as he is in the movies.  He's really quite likeable in The Clone Wars.

If you don't mind my asking, why are you bothered by the premise of the show?

Rogue One is really good, by the way, if you ever want to give it a shot.

[Andy]

I have heard that the Jedi Council forces a padawan on Anakin to help with his attachment issues. Basic psychology tells us that forcing him to take care of a charge would do the exact opposite of that, and Mace Windu and Yoda of the films would never allow this, much less force it. If the Council had actually wanted to help Anakin with his issues, they would have let him periodically visit his mother, rather than forcing a mentally unstable and unpredictable young man to be responsible for a kid.


As I haven't seen it, I have nothing against the characters they've created for the show, and I can't comment on how this all plays out, so maybe it is well done and maybe most people can ignore that. But the concept itself is highly faulty and out of character and no matter what people say, it can't fix the problem with Anakin's fall as the problem happens during Episode 3 and therefore after the Clone Wars. That bothers me too, that people act like it fixed the bit that didn't make sense whereas it chronologically can't.


It further bothers me that people act like this series makes Anakin likable, as if he wasn't a mostly good person in the PT films (and definitely the character with the most depth and character development), and further use it to illustrate how bad the best films in the series supposedly are. Especially since I saw bits of an episode and it looked... unappealing. Though I suppose that could have been the supposedly atrocious introductory movie.

[Jetthebinturong]

Being mostly a good person does not make one a likable character. His acting was wooden, his dialogue was cringy, young Anakin was the most annoying character ever, except Jar Jar, you never for one second believe he and Padme are in love with each other, oh, and he committed mass murder. Granted his mother had just died, but still.

I like the prequels. I hated prequel Anakin as a character. The only time Anakin is watchable on screen is the intro to RotS, and when he turns to the "dark side."

I'm pretty sure training Ahsoka was meant to force Anakin to learn discipline, not help with his attachment issues.

[Andy]

Well, I disagree. As an awkward misfit, I always saw a lot of myself in Anakin, and while I certainly do not think the mass murder thing was okay, I could definitely see the connection between him and Padmé—it was awkward and felt forced because he was so unstable and they weren't technically allowed to be together. Anakin is actually my favorite character, though he did deserve to be written better. The problems with the acting came mostly from the awkward dialogue, and I honestly think people are way too hard on that. But I won't argue it because people aren't going to see my perspective or change their minds and it ends up getting personal.

And for all I know the padawan thing was because of discipline, that's just not what I'd heard before. My best friend also tells me she doubts I would enjoy the series, anyway.


Regardless, I doubt I'll be watching anything Star Wars for a long time. Not implying it has happened here, because it hasn't, you guys have been fairly docile, but people like to yell at and insult me for not agreeing with them about the franchise and I have found so many flaws in every film while picking through to support my personal opinions and so forth that it just isn't much fun anymore. I am hoping that will pass because I did love the series, but who knows?

[Jukka the Sling]

To be honest, I'm pretty sure the Council did assign Ahsoka to Anakin in an attempt to help him get over his attachment issues, though it could also have been an attempt to make him more responsible - who knows.  And I don't know if it truly fixed anything.  One of the main things I realized as I got deeper into Star Wars is that the Council (and all the Jedi) are definitely not all-knowing.  They make some serious mistakes over the years.

Anyway, Anakin obviously doesn't like Ahsoka at first, since she's sassy and immature, but they eventually become like siblings.  Ahsoka has a ton of character development throughout the series, and you can really see by the end how she's grown as a person.  I really like her.

I also like Anakin as a character, but I have to mentally step away from how he talks and acts in Attack of the Clones - the way Christensen delivers his lines sounds so unconvincing and awkward.  (I read somewhere that Christensen was trying to talk in the stilted way Vader does in the original trilogy, which was... perhaps a misguided choice on his part. )

If you can get over the fact that Anakin was assigned a Padawan by Yoda, then I think you could really enjoy TCW.  The first couple of seasons aren't the greatest, but it gets way darker and more intense the further in you go.  There are heavy themes, complex plotting, and some pretty brutal deaths - and this show is ostensibly for kids!  Also, there's some Anakin/Padme-centric episodes... just mentioning that since you ship them.   A lot of minor characters are fleshed out too, like Aayla Secura, Plo Koon, Barriss Offee, etc.  You even get to know and love the clones!  I don't know if all the above will sway your opinion, but I just really love this show, so I want to share it with, like, everyone.


Also, I don't know what forums you've hung out on before, but I'm pretty sure basically no one active here today would yell at you for your Star Wars opinions.

[Wylder Treejumper]

Also Jukka can now smash them with a banhammer if they do

[Jukka the Sling]

[BJaqFan]

Do any of you play SWGOH?  Are you looking for a friendly guild that is focused on having fun and raids that are leveled so most, if not all, guild members can participate?  Then please check out DarthHusker...currently accepting members of any level/GP!

And yay...my local library got season 3 of Rebels catalogued before the new season starts...picking up the first 2 discs tonight!

[Jetthebinturong]

To be honest, I'm pretty sure the Council did assign Ahsoka to Anakin in an attempt to help him get over his attachment issues, though it could also have been an attempt to make him more responsible - who knows.  And I don't know if it truly fixed anything.  One of the main things I realized as I got deeper into Star Wars is that the Council (and all the Jedi) are definitely not all-knowing.  They make some serious mistakes over the years.
That is, by and large, the point of the Jedi in the prequels. Their dogma makes them weak and arrogant and complacent, and they are blind to the advance of the Sith. They insist on clinging to traditions that make no sense, and by doing so, they create Darth Vader and this allows Sidious to triumph over the Republic. That's why in everything, be it canon or Legends, the Jedi will always abandon their traditions or disband after the fall of the Empire. Jedi are bad. Sith are bad. The only way it can work is if there is balance.

Anyway, Anakin obviously doesn't like Ahsoka at first, since she's sassy and immature, but they eventually become like siblings.  Ahsoka has a ton of character development throughout the series, and you can really see by the end how she's grown as a person.  I really like her.
I definitely wouldn't say they become like siblings, but yes, Ahsoka is awesome.

I also like Anakin as a character, but I have to mentally step away from how he talks and acts in Attack of the Clones - the way Christensen delivers his lines sounds so unconvincing and awkward.  (I read somewhere that Christensen was trying to talk in the stilted way Vader does in the original trilogy, which was... perhaps a misguided choice on his part. )

If you can get over the fact that Anakin was assigned a Padawan by Yoda, then I think you could really enjoy TCW.  The first couple of seasons aren't the greatest, but it gets way darker and more intense the further in you go.  There are heavy themes, complex plotting, and some pretty brutal deaths - and this show is ostensibly for kids!  Also, there's some Anakin/Padme-centric episodes... just mentioning that since you ship them.   A lot of minor characters are fleshed out too, like Aayla Secura, Plo Koon, Barriss Offee, etc.  You even get to know and love the clones!  I don't know if all the above will sway your opinion, but I just really love this show, so I want to share it with, like, everyone.
Also the foreshadowing (retroshadowing?) of Anakin's turn to the "dark side," without doing something something as drastic as wholesale slaughter.

Also, I don't know what forums you've hung out on before, but I'm pretty sure basically no one active here today would yell at you for your Star Wars opinions.

[Jukka the Sling]

^ Yeah, I love all the foreshadowing with Anakin.  Especially when they have the Imperial March playing.



This is random, but - I'm curious about the Darth Jar Jar theory.  Do its proponents actually believe it themselves?  It's fun to joke about, yeah, but I'm absolutely certain it isn't fact.  However, the way all the folks on the famous Reddit thread reacted seems to indicate a good number of them took it seriously, which is odd to me.