I can’t be the only one who thinks 50% of Season 1 was unnecessary filler. Bad Batch Season 2 is coming out tomorrow and I can only hope that Dave Filoni and the producers only add in VITAL episode arcs, unlike most of Season 1.
Now, I don’t want to complain too much as Dave Filoni and his rise to the top of the Lucasfilm hierarchy has been one of the best things to come out of the Disney Star Wars era.
Helping shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, The Mandalorian, The Tales of A Jedi, Star Wars Rebels, be developed and flourish during a time in which the brand of Star Wars has seen unprecedent studio self-destruction and fan apathy is nothing short of a miracle. Yet, I can’t help but point out that Bad Batch, despite having compelling characters, arcs, overall story, and locations, was plagued with inconsistent filler episodes.
Just for some clarification, the episodes that I’m classifying as “vital” are the ones in which the Bad Batch either develop significantly as characters, escape the Empire and Crosshair’s clutches, or help Omega grow and learn as a young, clone girl in the post-Republic galaxy.
So, in other words, the episodes that involve the Bad Batch fleeing from the Empire, rebelling against the Empire, coming into conflict with their former member Crosshair, or when they overcome their inherent nature as Emperor Palpatine’s brainwashed war machines.
The “filler” ones are everything else.
Thus, the number of episodes that I would classify as “vital” to the story, plot, and character development of the Bad Batch is 8. Therefore, only 8/16 episodes that aired last season were ones that I would consider “vital” to the show, proving that just 50% of the episodes were worth watching.
I mean, I don’t know about anyone else, but I can’t think of a time I went back and rewatched one of the “bounty hunting” episodes with Sid. No offense to the green slug-like alien, but every quest she sends the Bad Batch on is either painfully dull or irrelevant to the central plot.
For example, the Ryloth arc with Cham Syndulla, Hera Syndulla, and Captain Howzer, easily one of the best and most fascinating arcs to come out of the show, was immediately followed up the “Infested” plotline that saw the Bad Batch fight off insects and a Pyke Syndicate wannabe. I couldn’t be the only one who was profoundly annoyed when this happened week after week.
Thankfully, I don’t think that’s going to happen this season as it is clear from the trailers and the events of last season (the destruction of the Kamino cloning facility) that Emperor Palpatine is on the verge of decommissioning the entire Clone army.
(Disney/Lucasfilm-The Bad Batch-Season 2 Official Trailer)
So, I would suspect we see many episodes and arcs dealing with the fallout of such a decision on the Bad Batch and their clone brothers, while also seeing how the involvement of “disillusioned clones” (i.e.: Captain Howzer, Commander Cody, and the clones Cody mentioned in the trailer) will affect the new Stormtrooper army and Palpatine’s plans.
Given how Cody implied in the trailer that the Order 66 brainwashing is starting to wear off and the clones are becoming their old selves once again, I’m hoping Filoni and his team pulls off a Clone Rebellion similar to the one in the Extended Universe novels.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see when Episode 1 airs tomorrow.
Images Source: Featured Image: (Disney/Lucasfilm) (Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 | Official Trailer | Disney+ – YouTube)
In Text Image 1: (Disney/Lucasfilm) (Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 | Official Trailer | Disney+ – YouTube)
