…to tell you that, quite unexpectedly, Cartoon Network’s panel on their new original series, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” began with the premiere screening of a full episode of the show!

Three words: it…was…AWESOME.

You never know how to approach these animated spin-offs of live-action films, but here’s the thing: the “Star Wars” universe is so damned FX-heavy anyway that it’s surprisingly easy to find yourself forgetting that you’re watching an animated series. I don’t know how much in the way of spoilers they want us to dole out, but I will tell you that the episode reveals the secret of how the Toydarians…that’s Watto’s race, if you remember him from “The Phantom Menace”…came to join the Republic, which involves Count Dooku assuring the leader of the Toydarians that he will challenge Master Yoda to a fair fight and show which side is the more powerful. Dooku assures him that Yoda’s powers have been greatly exaggerated…but, of course, you and I know better, right? Right…? Well, in response, I offer you the line that made me laugh out loud: “That’s a lot of smoke for a surrender.” There are some fantastically bad-ass action sequences, a heartfelt scene between Yoda and the three clone warriors who fight by his side, and for a half-hour episode, it’s remarkable just how epic the whole thing feels.

Again I say to you, it was awesome…and although I admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan in the world of the prequels, if this series stays at the quality we just witnessed, I’ll be there week after week after week.