My problem with the series is largely: why should i be invested in this? We know exactly where it's going.

It would be like a drama about the Nationalist Chinese during the Second World War, you watch them struggle only knowing they're all going to get shot by the Communists in the next ten years.

I had similar thoughts at first. That's sort of why I didn't enjoy the prequels quite as much as I could have. I knew how everything turned out which took away some of the emotional impact that it had. At the same time, they were still fun in the sense that it was entertaining to see how things turned out the way they did.

But we don't know everything. For example, the show introduces some new characters like Cad Bane and Ahsoka Tano. Thankfully, most of those characters are likeable, and I've really enjoyed their roles in the show. We're also introduced to a ton of new stories within the Clone Wars that we haven't heard of before. There's still a lot of the characters you already know, but the new characters help keep it interesting.

The characters that you know from canon are done well too, and it's nice to see them in action. You see a bit of Aayla Secura, Plo Koon, Luminara Unduli (plus the obvious of Anakin, Obi Wan, Yoda, etc), and many more. We know what happens to these characters, but it's still fun to see them in action. 

It's also good at showing how the galaxy gets from AotC to RotS. It made me actually like Anakin, because we get to see more of why he's so respected rather than just have it told to us. It helps that he's not an angsty jerk; he's actually a pretty likeable character. 

I think that if you haven't already, it's worth a try. You might like it, and you might not. If you want a more involved story arc involving some characters that you don't know from the prequels, I can't think of anything better than the Umbara story arc (Darkness on Umbara is the first). It's four episodes that focuses mainly on clones and their Jedi general. If you want to start off earlier in the series (and with something shorter), you might try The Deserter from Season 2 which also focuses mainly on clones and how they fit into the Republic's army.

I'd have to see it all the way through. I did go to theatres in 2008 to see the film "pilot" for the series, which i didn't really enjoy, but i have heard from other sources that the story does get much more involved, and i've seen whole episodes here and there.

Could be worth a look after i'm done with Toriko.

I saw the movie after I had seen the first three seasons, and I really didn't like it that much. That is the general impression I get from other fans of the show as well. The episodes you've seen are likely much better at deciding if you'd be interested or not (unless it was a Jar Jar one...).

I also agree with those sources that say the story gets more involved in later seasons (and it probably helps that when I got into the show, I watched the first three seasons in order within a fairly short amount of time). If you do have some free time and you're bored, I'd definitely recommend sitting down with some episodes and watching them straight through. At worst, it just ends up being something you used to waste time that you'd have wasted anyway, but maybe you'll find that you like it too!

OK! So I finally watched the season 4 finale, that double episode was pretty much the only important one I hadn't seen yet :D

Overall I loved it! And I can't wait until the next season starts! :D

Oops, I thought you had already seen it. Sorry if I spoiled parts of it in my earlier post.

It was awesome though! Seeing the season 5 trailer made the wait that much harder. Darth Maul and the Death Watch, Ventress being... who knows what, Ahsoka supposedly having her darkest moment yet (does she turn?!), and characters dying... Yeah, I can't wait either!

You didn't spoil anything, if anything it gave me the encourgement to go and watch those last two episodes :D

Darth Maul really looks like he has some grand plan now, I can't wait to see what it is. If the trailers and sneak peaks aren't decieving us, then it appears that he gets a load of mercenaries, calls himself the new Mandalor (as in ultimate warrior), captures Mandalore (the planet :P),  betrays the guy he's working with (I don't remember his name), fights off a Jedi attack and then gets attacked by the Emperor :O

My one fear is they kill Maul off, I really want them to casually make a third faction (even if they only last a year or so), just because they can :P

OP updated!

Do you live near San Fransisco? If so, you might get a chance to see the Season 5 premiere of The Clone Wars 8 days early! Link.

*** WARNING *** DO NOT READ THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT SEASON 1-4 SPOILERS!

The official Star Wars: The Clone WarsFacebook page has announced a screening of the Season 5 premiere 8 days before it debuts on Cartoon Network. What makes the September 21st screening even cooler is that it is to be held at the Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco. If you're interested in attending, don't procrastinate and shoot an e-mail on over to maulreturns@lucasfilm.com by September 17th at 5:00PM. Make sure to include your name as well as the name and age of your guest. Space is limited and tickets will be granted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Good luck!

Click on the image above or visit TCW on Facebook for the full details. 

@Teddos;

I'm glad I didn't ruin it for you. The S4 finale was epic! 

Also, I think Maul will be around for a while. At least for the majority of S5. They're definitely trying to establish a third side in the war, with Maul and the Mandalorians, and I think that story arc will at least last one season. Season 6 looks like it's confirmed, so it could last even longer!

Why is this series supposedly so much better than the movies? Does Lucas have no hold over the direction of it? Or does he do animated series well and only fuck up live action movies (which wouldn't make any sense)?

Lucas did create the series and is a producer on the show. Don't let that put you off of at least trying it though.

The reason why I think it's better than the movies is that first of all, Anakin is actually a likeable character. He's not an obnoxious child or an angsty teen. He's actually a charismatic leader, and you get to see why he's respected so highly in the prequels. Because of this, his fall to the dark side in episode 3 actually starts to mean something. It's not just a sudden change because Padme, but a gradual transition throughout the entire war.

Second, while Jar Jar still sucks, he actually played a fairly significant role in a very good episode and his overall role in the show is very, very small. In general, I find most of the characters to be likeable, and many to be fantastic. 

Third, the stories are (usually) really interesting and fun. Sure, we know how the Clone Wars end. But we don't know what happens to all of the new characters. I'm personally a huge fan of the clone centric episodes. Many of those are among my favourites. (Also, the Nightsisters/Massacre episodes were... well, not what I expected from what is supposed to be a kid friendly show.)

Don't get me wrong, the show isn't perfect. Some episodes flop pretty badly, and if you're already upset with some changes Lucas has made to Star Wars canon, you might not be pleased with some of the stuff that is added to canon (though nothing nearly as bad as midichlorians...). In general though, I've found the show to be enjoyable and I think the quality has greatly improved with each season.