Star Wars' clones used to be servants of evil who also served nicely as blockbuster cannon fodder. But ever since George Lucas unwound their back stories with the help of Genndy Tartakovksy, the clone warriors have become individuals with narratives as interesting as their puppetmasters'.
The redefinition comes full circle Friday in the new Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode, "Rookies," in which a few Jango Fett copies fresh off the assembly line take center stage with nary a Jedi in sight. The episode builds on a foundation laid by Tartakovksy's original Clone Wars series, which kicked off with a riveting clones-only mission, and Lucas' hard-to-watch Attack of the Clones film, which exposed the origins of the faceless stormtroopers that helped make the first trilogy a fearsome sci-fi legend.
Continually fleshing out the Lucasfilm multiverse meant giving everyone a reason for being. Counting "Rookies," we're only five episodes into the new Clone Wars TV series, but already at least two episodes have taken valuable air time to humanize the clones and explain, via Yoda in "Ambush" and Master Plo Koon in "Rising Malevolence," how each of them is different from the others.
And you thought stormtroopers were just target practice for Han Solo.
"It was a lot of fun showing how the clones talked and interacted with each other," explained "Rookies" director and Avatar: The Last Airbender vet Justin Ridge in a press release, "giving us insight into how these guys really are individuals who have to figure out how to succeed and survive on their own."
The clones aren't the only *Star Wars *cannon fodder being given a conscience. In the new Clone Wars series, the laughably incompetent droids of the second trilogy have metamorphosed from clumsy, armed robots to self-aware comic relief.
Now the robots realize their programming is the problem. Their nicely delivered zingers make the new show a blast to watch, and oddly moving as well: You start to feel bad for a bucket of bolts that understands it has zero chance against even R2-D2, much less Jedis.
The same goes for the clones, who are just wetware with blasters and impeccable training. Using Yoda, Master Plo Koon and, in the case of "Rookies," an entire episode to humanize their situation, Clone Wars has succeeded in cannibalizing its own characters and coughing up something compelling.
Unlike NBC's superhero show Heroes, which has foraged among its own characters and plots for redefinition and come up stale, Lucasfilm's newest narrative has managed to keep its well-trafficked goods fresh. The end result is lots of viewers, with a cumulative total of 27 million people watching the first three episodes of Clone Wars, according to Cartoon Network.
So I will say it again: Clone Wars is the best kids' show on television, especially after the conclusion of the incredible Avatar: The Last Airbender, which was probably the best show on television, period.
Do you agree? Post a comment below and tell us what you think.
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars airs Fridays at 9 p.m. EST on Cartoon Network.
Image courtesy Cartoon Network
See also:
- The Ratings Force Is Strong With Cartoon Network's Clone Wars
- Review: Clone Wars TV Series Packs Action, Kiddie Humor
- Clone Wars TV Show Touches Down, Looks Killer
- Review: Clone Wars Returns Star Wars to Its Youthful Roots
- 10 Reasons Why Clone Wars Beats Any Lucas Prequel
- Belly-Dancing Princess Leia Turns Sci-Fi Fantasies Into Career
