As I sit and write this, a mix of emotions are still flowing through me; anger, sadness and frustration. Earlier today, Disney announced that they were canceling Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Many of you will say, so what? It's just a cartoon. Let me explain why it matters to me.
Anyone who knows me or has read this blog knows that I am, above all else, a die-hard Star Wars fan. From the moment I first saw it as a 9 year old in 1977, I have been hooked. I enjoyed the prequels, though they never grabbed me as the original trilogy did. So I was a bit skeptical when Lucasfilm announced a new television show set in the time period between Episodes II and III. A TV show? Anakin has a padawan? What kind of weirdness is George up to now? Still, it was new Star Wars and considering the movies had ended, I was willing to give it a shot.
The movie premiered with much fanfare. There was a midnight madness event at Toys r Us, which my son and I went to, that being the only one we ever had the opportunity to attend. We started getting swept up in a wave of excitement that I had not felt in a long time
So when the Clone Wars movie came out, my son and I headed out to the theater. That is when a funny thing happened; it was actually good! The animation was pretty cool, the voice acting was amazing (Side note: To this day, I still say Matt Lanter is a better Anakin Skywalker than Hayden Christensen ever thought of being!) and I actually found myself enjoying it, maybe even more than I enjoyed some of the actual prequels. Suddenly, I was excited for this new TV show and it did not disappoint.
The Clone Wars quickly became appointment television for my son and I. Every Friday night we were eagerly in front of the television, waiting to see what new treat was in store for us. Then after we would talk about what we saw. What we liked, what we didn't, what we thought was going to happen next and what we wanted to see happen. My son was getting older, changing in ways neither of us could have foreseen and the Clone Wars was what we bonded over. We both liked Ahsoka (though we were happy when she stopped calling Anakin "Skyguy") and it was captivating to watch the character evolve, with much of the credit going to the brilliant Ashley Eckstein who had the unenviable task of voicing a character who, in lesser hands, could have been annoying. Instead she made us care about Ahsoka, to the point of worrying about her fate because, as we all know, Anakin had no Padawan in Episode III.
The rest of the cast were equally brilliant. I could write an entire post on the brilliance that is James Arnold Taylor. Over time, his Obi-Wan Kenobi has become the voice I hear when I think of Obi-Wan. Catherine Taber was simply amazing as Padme, bringing a depth to the character that wasn't touched on in the films. You began to understand Padme thanks to her. Tom Kane's Yoda was so good, I wasn't sure if it was Frank Oz or not! And Dee Bradley Baker did a most amazing thing; he made us care about the clones. They were not nameless, faceless soldiers. They each had a personality, they each became an individual and we cared about them. How he could give distinct personalities to beings who all sound alike is beyond me and I am in awe of his talent.
The cast of the Clone Wars became so important to us, that meeting many of them at Star Wars Celebration V was more exciting than meeting the actors that had been in the actual movie trilogies. The cast actually cared about the fans and took time to talk with us. My favorite memory was meeting James Arnold Taylor at the Force.net party and him taking the time to talk to me. My son was having his face painted at the time and was on the other side of the room. James asked me who else I was there with and when I told him my son, he said "Let's go say hi!" and proceeded to head across the room. Until the day I die, I will never forget the look on my son's face when James walked up, stood in front of him and began talking to him as Obi-Wan, then switched to Johnny Test. He then proceeded to bring us over to meet Matt Lanter. On the convention floor, we had the good fortune to run into the man who brought it all together; supervising director Dave Filoni. Dave is truly a fan of Star Wars and his encyclopedic knowledge is well known. He was kind enough to stop and talk to us and even have a picture taken. It is rare to meet such kind people in the world, but the entire cast and crew that we met were just that great.
I know I am prattling on and could go on much longer about all the great experiences I have had because of the Clone Wars. But I tell you all this so you can understand how angry and devastated I felt today when I read that Disney had canceled the show. Many of us were somewhat apprehensive when Disney bought Lucasfilm. But many people said not to worry, that Disney had been hands off with Marvel, that things would be fine. They announced Episode VII, so things were going to be great. Then, as if Order 66 had been given, many of the things we loved began to fall. First the 3-D release of Episodes II and III were postponed. Okay, that made sense, they want to focus on the next trilogy. But then the Clone Wars completed what was, without a doubt, their best season yet. It left you wanting more! But there was already a disturbance in the Force. Despite being called Chicken Little by people who knew no better, Jimmy Mac from RebelForce Radio began to sound the alarm that the show was in danger. He urged us to write letters, to let the suits at Disney know how much the show meant to us. Many of us wrote, tweeted, e-mailed and signed online petitions. But all to no avail. Much like the clones cutting down Jedi, Disney axed the Clone Wars and Star Wars Detours in one press release. And just like that, our hearts sank.
Which leads me to where I am now. I am furious at Disney for taking away the Clone Wars when it was in it's prime. The show had never looked better, the stories never better. They are taking away something that means so much to me and my family. Taken away, not for lack of ratings, but because it didn't fit in with some corporate suits marketing plan. Despite saying we will see more Clone Wars, Disney has proven, in my mind, that they don't care about the fans. They have become the Empire. I am wishing George had never sold out.
I am also sad. Sad that I will not have the Clone Wars to look forward to every Saturday morning. That I won't be able to watch it and discuss it with my daughter. That I won't get to hear the brilliant cast perform any longer. Sad that something was taken away that didn't need to be.
So that is why the Clone Wars is much more than a cartoon to me. I wish I was writing about the amazing season finale and was speculating about where Ahsoka goes next. Now I am just sad that I may never know. I am sorry this posting has gone on for so long, but this show meant something to me and I hope that, in some small way, I paid tribute to it in the way it deserves.
May the Force be with you all.
With James Arnold Taylor and Matt Lanter
The cast of The Clone Wars at the Force.net party
With Catherine Taber
With Dave Filoni
