Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003-2005)

George Lucas' Star Wars prequels were received with widespread scorn by the geek community upon their release and, while their reputations have been somewhat rehabilitated by endearing memes and the passionate, nostalgic support of those who loved the movies as children, much of the eventual goodwill surrounding these films was likely engendered by the higher quality of their animated spinoffs. Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which began in 2008 and concluded in 2020, is one of the most beloved products of the sprawling Star Wars franchise overall. Somewhat overshadowed is the preceding (and similarly-named) Star Wars: Clone Wars, a series of loosely connected vignettes overseen by director Genndy Tartakovsky and released between Attack Of The Clones (2002) and Revenge Of The Sith (2005). This episode is about the Tartakovsky program. Ryan is joined by Rachel for a lively and extended dive into this unique wing of the Star Wars saga. Discussion points include how Tartakovsky's keen, judicious eye for pacing influenced the show's stunning action sequences, how the storytelling's penchant for minimal dialogue distinguishes Star Wars: Clone Wars from its brethren, how perception of tangential spinoffs has changed in the almost twenty years since the show's production, and how Kit Fisto never got his proper due. Naturally, there is also some chatter about how Star Wars: Clone Wars fits in with Tartakovsky projects like Dexter's Laboratory (1996-2003), Samurai Jack (2001-2017), Hotel Transylvania (2012), and Primal (2019-). To the surprise of no one, there's also a short rant about how most of the stuff that people hate about the Star Wars prequels (awkward pacing, clumsy dialogue, wooden acting, myopic political metaphors, thinly-veiled racial stereotypes, etc.) is also present in the original trilogy.