Clone Wars Chronology

The Clone Wars has debuted on Netflix, including the never-before-seen Season 6: The Lost Missions. I am only two episodes into it, but I must say they are excellent. I've said before I was not a big fan of the Clone Wars myself, but I can clearly see how much they have improved, not only with the visuals but with the storytelling as well. I hope the lessons learned will translate well into the new Star Wars Rebels series. I am a big fan of Dave Filoni and have every confidence that he will.

One exciting aspect of having the Clone Wars on a streaming service is that it is so easy to switch episodes.

216 116 T 301 303 101-115 117-121

201-203 217-219 204-214 220-222

305-307 302 304 308 122 309-311 215 312-322

S4

502-513 501 514-520

601-613

Cat and Mouse (S216)
Hidden Enemy (S116)
Clone Wars: The Movie
Clone Cadets (S301)
Supply Lines (S303)
Ambush (S101)
Rising Malevolence (S102)
Shadow of Malevolence (S103)
Destroy Malevolence (S104)
Rookies (S105)
Downfall of a Droid (S106)
Duel of the Droids (S107)
Bombad Jedi (S108)
Cloak of Darkness (S109)
Lair of Grievous (S110)
Dooku Captured (S111)
The Gungan General (S112)
Jedi Crash (S113)
Defenders of Peace (S114)
Trespass (S115)
Blue Shadow Virus (S117)
Mystery of a Thousand Moons (S118)
Storm over Ryloth (S119)
Innocents of Ryloth (S120)
Liberty on Ryloth (S121)

Holocron Heist (S201)
Cargo of Doom (S202)
Children of the Force (S203)
Bounty Hunters (S217)
The Zillo Beast (S218)
The Zillo Beast Strikes Back (S219)
Senate Spy (S204)
Landing at Point Rain (S205)
Weapons Factory (S206)
Legacy of Terror (S207)
Brain Invaders (S208)
Grievous Intrigue (S209)
The Deserter (S210)
Lightsaber Lost (S211)
The Mandalore Plot (S212)
Voyage of Temptation (S213)
Duchess of Mandalore (S214)
Death Trap (S220)
R2 Come Home (S221)
Lethal Trackdown (S222)

Corruption (S305)
The Academy (S306)
Assassin (S307)
ARC Troopers (S302)
Sphere of Influence (S304)
Evil Plans (S308)
Hostage Crisis (S122)
Hunt for Ziro (S309)
Heroes on Both Sides (S310)
Pursuit of Peace (S311)
Senate Murders (S215)
Nightsisters (S312)
Monster (S313)
Witches of the Mist (S314)
Overlords (S315)
Altar of Mortis (S316)
Ghosts of Mortis (S317)
The Citadel (S318)
Counterattack (S319)
Citadel Rescue (S320)
Padawan Lost (S321)
Wookiee Hunt (S322)

Water War (S401)
Gungan Attack (S402)
Prisoners (S403)
Shadow Warrior (S404)
Mercy Mission (S405)
Nomad Droids (S406)
Darkness on Umbara (S407)
The General (S408)
Plan of Dissent (S409)
Carnage of Krell (S410)
Kidnapped (S411)
Slaves of the Republic (S412)
Escape from Kadavo (S413)
A Friend in Need (S414)
Deception (S415)
Friends and Enemies (S416)
The Box (S417)
Crisis on Naboo (S418)
Massacre (S419)
Bounty (S420)
Brothers (S421)
Revenge (S422)

A War on Two Fronts (S502)
Front Runner (S503)
The Soft War (S504)
Tipping Points (S505)
The Gathering (S506)
A Test of Strength (S507)
Bound for Rescue (S508)
A Necessary Bond (S509)
Secret Weapons (S510)
A Sunny Day in the Void (S511)
Missing in Action (S512)
Point of No Return (S513)
Revival (S501)
Eminence (S514)
Shades of Reason (S515)
The Lawless (S516)
Sabotage (S517)
The Jedi Who Knew Too Much (S518)
To Catch a Jedi (S519)
The Wrong Jedi (S520)

The Unknown (S601)
Conspiracy (S602)
Fugitive (S603)
Orders (S604)
An Old Friend (S605)
The Rise of Clovis (S606)
Crisis at the Heart (S607)
The Disappeared Part I (S608)
The Disappeared Part II (S609)
The Lost One (S610)
Voices (S611)
Destiny (S612)
Sacrifice (S613)

Five Reasons Why You Will Hate Star Wars Rebels

1. It is on the Disney Channel.

There is rampant speculation that Rebels will be made for kids. Sure, you were a kid once and the films appealed to you. But Star Wars should be created just for your age group. The show must be something that appeals first and foremost to you 30- and 40-year olds. Kids these days just don't have the special appreciation for the Star Wars galaxy that you do. You must be catered to.

2. It is the first episodes of the first season.

You expect a new show to be fully developed with a cast that is already full of chemistry and completely integrated with the technical and story writing teams. Also, all the animation models for every character, ship, and world are fully designed with no need for a single enhancement. You believe the first episode of the first season should have the exact same level of quality as an episode at the end of the third season.

3. It is not the Clone Wars.

You believe Star Wars: The Clone Wars was the highest form of animated entertainment and that anyone who did not watch the show regularly are not "real fans" or are Prequel-bashers. You like dark stories with little humor and a serious approach to the content. You expect that since Dave Filoni is heading the team that the same style of stories will be told. You don't want anything new or different. Lastly, for you, if the animation is not rendered in detailed high-definition then it is not good animation.

4. It will sell toys and merchandise.

How could a company possibly consider selling merchandise when spending millions of dollars making a television series? Nevermind the fact that it was because George Lucas retained merchandising rights back in 1977 that Lucasfilm could even come into existence. You also overlook the hours of fun you had playing with those 3.75 inch figures in your backyard, or looking at your Empire Strikes Back lunchbox on the bus on the way to school. Now it is all just greedy, soulless capitalism to your enlightened (cynical) mind.

5. The 1983 George Lucas is not involved.

It is not Star Wars unless George Lucas is involved - but it must be your version of George Lucas. The one from 1983 who made the original trilogy, or the one from 1980 if you hated the Ewoks. Certainly not the one from 2005 who made the prequels - or maybe the one from 2013 who made those Clone Wars episodes that reflected classic movie style because those didn't "feel like Star Wars" to you. You know you have the right version of George Lucas.

6. Is this not you?

Congratulations! You have a healthy level of interest in the Star Wars universe. You know not everything will be perfect. You understand that the people at the helm will make creative choices that you may not agree with or will take time for you to get into. You know that mistakes will be made and learned from. But, no matter what, you are excited that new Star Wars stories are being told and that the joy you felt as a kid will be passing onto future generations that you can share your fandom with.

The "Kid Show" Concern

There is a segment of fandom that is very concerned that Star Wars Rebels will be a "kid show". These people likely base if off the fact that Lucasfilm is owned by Disney and that the show will be on the Disney XD channel, which has a target segment of pre-teen/young teenage boys.

For me, I am hoping it *is* a "kid" show. Let's face it, while the Clone Wars featured fantastic animation and frequently very good storytelling, it was really not meant for kids - teenagers and adults, yes, but not for younger kids. When watching some Clone Wars episodes with my nine year old son recently on Netflix, he asked me if there was an episode without so much killing. This was why I stopped watching the show with him during season one. I thought a few years later he would be more comfortable with it. But I must conclude that no, this show is just not meant for kids.

I think it is telling that a recent Star Wars blog posted the top five kid-friendly episodes in the Clone Wars series. I agree with the list and I also think that the reason it is a top five list and not a top ten list is because those are the only episodes out of 122 that really are kid friendly.

Honestly, what is wrong with a "kid" show? I know popular culture is telling us the only way you can tell appealing stories for adults is to fill it with gratuitous violence, sex, and foul langauge (see Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and practically every other television series). But I completely disagree. One of Walt Disney's guiding principles when developing his entertainment - whether it was movies or amusement parks - was that it appeal to both children and adults. It was entertainment that everyone could enjoy together. How is that a bad thing?

I can offer up at least one prime example of a great television series that we all watch together as a family, on Disney Channel no less - Phineas and Ferb. Think of it as a more light-hearted Simpsons without the off-color humor or cynicism. There are funny references in there that adults can chuckle at and plenty of action that the kids can really get into.

Episode IV did have some dark elements to it, but it was also fun and adventurous. It's a movie that I know the whole family can enjoy. I saw the recent clip from Rebels and I am very encouraged that the show will follow in its style. Bring on the kid show!