New Disney+ animated series: The Bad Batch

[Frontier]

It's nice to see Omega more mature and involved even if sometimes it takes me out of it that they've got a kid that's attached to their unit. I really want to see her meet Boba.

I don't know what was more surreal for me, Wanda Sykes in Star Wars or that her character hit on Tech (for five seconds before Tech started talking).

I don't know if it was deliberate or not but it felt like this episode was addressing some of the criticisms of season 1, insofar as the screentime and focus among the clones was more balanced compared to how season 1 was mostly a Hunter and Omega show, and we got more material with Tech and Echo than we really got in most of season 1.

Cid actually seemed more sincere in this episode, but I'm ready for the Batch to just cut out and leave her.

These Clones were more competent in two episodes than any non-Thrawn or GQ or Vader Imperials were in four seasons of Rebels.

If I remember from the Dooku audiobook he actually took up the mantle of Count partially because Serenno was in a bad state and needed his leadership (or so he said). And in the end he used up his own planet for it's resources while he lived it up in luxury. Count Dooku gonna Count.

Has Hector Elizondo genuinely not been in Star Wars before? That kind of surprises me.

Wilco didn't deserve to go out like that. Dude was just dutifully doing his job and wouldn't lie. But now Rampart has more reason to come after Clone Force 99 because his reputation is staking on the fact that he supposedly took them out the first time.

[thwhtGuardian]

That was a decent opening if a little bit slow. There were definitely some good character moments and I'm looking forward to more.

[ChrisIII]

Today's episode was much darker, didn't feature the main batch, was kind of a Clone Wars redux of sorts focused on Crosshair and Cody tackling a Separatist holdout that is holding a replacement Imperial Governor hostage. Even has the somewhat more Blade Runner-esque music that Andor had.


Also an introducing development for Order 66's poster boy, Cody....

[thwhtGuardian]

Wow, that just might have been one of the best Bad Batch episodes yet.

[Marvell2100]

Wow, that just might have been one of the best Bad Batch episodes yet.

I think so too. It's good to show that Crosshair is struggling. Even if he did end up killing the governor, he still is having a hard time adapting to his place in the empire.

And Cody's story is the topping on the cake. I hope we see more of him and how he plans to go up against the empire.

[thwhtGuardian]

I think so too. It's good to show that Crosshair is struggling. Even if he did end up killing the governor, he still is having a hard time adapting to his place in the empire.

And Cody's story is the topping on the cake. I hope we see more of him and how he plans to go up against the empire.

Yeah, the character work here was fantastic and so subtly done.

[Ascended]

I think so too. It's good to show that Crosshair is struggling. Even if he did end up killing the governor, he still is having a hard time adapting to his place in the empire.

And Cody's story is the topping on the cake. I hope we see more of him and how he plans to go up against the empire.

Thought the last episode was extremely well done, myself. That script didn't feel like a cartoon to me, it had layers for days, and that'd when Star Wars animation is at its best I think.

Crosshair has become the show's most compelling character. I dunno if he's struggling with his choice to back the Empire, but he definitely seems to be struggling with how the Empire isn't choosing to back him. He clearly knows they want him and all the other clones dead and gone, and I wonder how long he'll put up with that?

Cody going AWOL and the whole situation with the clones that's built around, is absolutely fantastic. I never quite understood why the Empire would give up on the clones so easily; did Palpatine not spend decades arranging their creation? Are they not the greatest fighting force in the galaxy? Do they not have mind control implants that Palpatine already proved work (almost) perfectly? They're expensive yes, but so are moon-sized super weapon space stations and the Empire always seemed willing to burn cash on military spending. But with Cody in this episode, I can finally see the cracks in the system and why the Empire wanted to get rid of the clones as quickly as possible; the mind control isn't as permanent or perfect as I thought it was, and every clone left alive is a potential rebel. Maybe I already knew that, maybe it was established already, but I either forgot or this episode really crystalized the situation in my mind.

Did Lucas, in his endless tinkering with the original trilogy, ever add some old clones into background shots? I feel like maybe in Return of the Jedi?

[thwhtGuardian]

Thought the last episode was extremely well done, myself. That script didn't feel like a cartoon to me, it had layers for days, and that'd when Star Wars animation is at its best I think.

Crosshair has become the show's most compelling character. I dunno if he's struggling with his choice to back the Empire, but he definitely seems to be struggling with how the Empire isn't choosing to back him. He clearly knows they want him and all the other clones dead and gone, and I wonder how long he'll put up with that?

Cody going AWOL and the whole situation with the clones that's built around, is absolutely fantastic. I never quite understood why the Empire would give up on the clones so easily; did Palpatine not spend decades arranging their creation? Are they not the greatest fighting force in the galaxy? Do they not have mind control implants that Palpatine already proved work (almost) perfectly? They're expensive yes, but so are moon-sized super weapon space stations and the Empire always seemed willing to burn cash on military spending. But with Cody in this episode, I can finally see the cracks in the system and why the Empire wanted to get rid of the clones as quickly as possible; the mind control isn't as permanent or perfect as I thought it was, and every clone left alive is a potential rebel. Maybe I already knew that, maybe it was established already, but I either forgot or this episode really crystalized the situation in my mind.

Did Lucas, in his endless tinkering with the original trilogy, ever add some old clones into background shots? I feel like maybe in Return of the Jedi?

There are a couple of shots of old rebels that fans have said are old clones but nothing real

[Gray Lensman]

There are a couple of shots of old rebels that fans have said are old clones but nothing real

The closest is the old guy on Han's Endor team (originally named Nik Sans but never named on screen) being retconned into Rex due to how they drew the art for his older version in Rebels. I don't even think that was planned, it was just a fan theory that Filoni decided to run with and make official.

[Frontier]

I don't know why but I found everybody at the beginning running away more comical than I think it was intended to be.

It's interesting that this was like a traditional Clone Wars episode (Clones try to free a plant from Separatist rule and save someone being held captive) yet framed in the context of the Clones and the Republic/Empire being bad guys. Although if only this lady knew about the real Dooku...it's what cost her her friends' life.

Crosshairs is still shunned and alone. But he made that choice. Also looks like Rampart is keeping it close to the chest that he knows the Bad Batch are still alive.

One of the longest post-RotS questions ever has finally been answered...the fate of Commander Cody. It was kind of surreal seeing him again, being frank with Crosshairs, and even watching him go AWOl. We don't see him with Rex again in Rebels so I have to assume something happened to him, Rex even had a nightmare of him.

I was kind of surprised they didn't have any Super Battle Droids, but I guess the Commando Droids served that function. Poor B-1's can never win...

I mean, the lady was going to die one way or another, it was just a matter of when Crosshairs pulled the trigger. Cody tried his best.

[Kirby101]

Another good episode as this season soars. Will we get a Wookie show?

[Frontier]

This was definitely a much better episode than the prior one in my opinion.

[babyblob]

I am just starting this series today. I avoided this thread so I dont see any spoilers. I am really hyped because I hear it got a lot of good buzz. I am halfway through the first episode. I think I am going to enjoy this. I am going to binge it today and tomorrow

[inisideguy]

Great episodes. Here is my small amount of criticism. They are telling a great story on how the clones were phased out. Im not sure they are really explaining very well exactly why they were phased out.

[Ascended]

Great episodes. Here is my small amount of criticism. They are telling a great story on how the clones were phased out. Im not sure they are really explaining very well exactly why they were phased out.

I think that while they haven't come out and said so explicitly, we're seeing why Palpatine wanted them gone via the number of clones that're abandoning the Empire. The mind control isn't permanent or perfect and the clones are too deeply entrenched in the Jedi/Republic philosophies and methods of governing. They're the greatest fighting force in the galaxy and Palpatine wants them gone before they turn on him.

Imagine if Palpatine *had* kept the clone army. As the Empire grew more openly corrupt and the rebellion grew in size, which side are the clones likely to end up on? Sure, Palpatine could have grown new, Empire-friendly clones, but he still has that entire Republic era army to deal with and who knows what kind of influence they may have had on the new batch? I think, given how easy the clones were to twist around to serve Palpatine, he doesn't trust them. If he can use them against the Republic, they can be used against him too, and likely with far less effort than a secret mind control order that had to stay hidden for years.

As for the last few episodes of Bad Batch...I find it funny, and a little worrisome, that the best episodes haven't actually featured the Batch. Show has been good, but it feels like CF99 is kinda just treading water while all the interesting stuff is happening elsewhere. I dunno, it feels like the showrunners don't want the Batch to join the early Rebellion (or whatever Rex is doing), but also can't really find anything else equally compelling for them to do. And the mystery of Omega seems to have fallen completely by the wayside; what was the point of her? Why create her? And I'm getting a little tired of the "maybe she's Force sensitive" teases. If she is, then start using that as part of the active narrative. If not, stop dropping vague hints and teases that she might be.

I'm hoping that this is just the turning point, and soon the Batch is going to be forced to pick a side and do something other than hide. Show is still fun but at this point I'm more curious about where Cody went, and what Crosshair is up to, and what'll happen to all the clones still serving the Empire, than I am the main cast and that's gonna become problematic pretty fast if it isn't rectified.