Finally, these characters have embarked on meaningful, exciting journeys. After a tough first 1/3 to Season 2, The Bad Batch has finally found its footing and produced some extremely memorable episodes and character moments.
Now, I don’t want to say that Dave Filoni read my articles, but I think it’s pretty clear he heard my criticisms and fixed The Bad Batch.
Okay, I’m just kidding (well, it would be nice if he was reading them), though I do have to commend Dave Filoni and The Bad Batch writing team as they’ve come a full 180 from how they wrote and developed these characters in the early part of the series.
As anyone who has read a few of my reviews for The Bad Batch, I’ve been very critical over how the main group of characters (Hunter, Tech, Omega, Echo, and Wrecker) have developed as they try to find a place in a galaxy and Empire that not only doesn’t want them, but is also actively hunting them down. Or, as I really should say, a lack thereof.
Each and every one of The Bad Batch that left Kamino in Episode 1 of Season 1 (so, essentially everybody except for Crosshair) has experienced very little character growth and development for approximately 20-22 episodes (Season 1 and the first third of Season 2), even though they suffered through some extremely traumatic and world-changing events.
And, to top it all off, The Bad Batch was actually grew stale and boring to follow as they were relegated to completing pointless and boring side missions (ex: Pod Racing, Treasure Hunting, The Kashyyyk episode, etc.) from Cid, one of the most annoying Star Wars characters to ever be created, while the few episodes featuring Crosshair, Commander Cody, Captain Rex, The Empire, etc. started stealing the limelight.
(Disney/Lucasfilm-The Bad Batch Season 2-Episode 3: The Solitary Clone)
You don’t need me to tell you that is a major problem for the protagonists and titular characters.
However, to my surprise and delight, Dave Filoni and his writing team masterfully crafted two fantastic arcs these past few weeks that left me extremely excited for the final third of the season.
“The Clone Conspiracy” and “The Crossing” arcs are easily two of the three best to come out of both seasons to date as they not only forced the Bad Batch to confront the consequences of their choice to leave the Empire, but it also completely shook up their world-view and how to “do the right thing”.
In “The Clone Conspiracy” episodes, the Bad Batch successfully took down Admiral Rampart and his vicious attempts to force through a defense spending bill that would disband and disregard millions of clone troopers to poverty and homelessness.
Yet, their noble actions are thwarted by Emperor Palpatine as he used the evidence brought against Rampart to convince the Senate the clones were nothing but mindless killers who needed to be disposed of immediately for stormtroopers.
Thus, even though they did the “right thing”, they still lost to a smart, evil, malignant force as they were too rash in their thinking. Plus, these episodes led Echo to stop running from the Empire (as the Bad Batch had been doing), leave his family in the Bad Batch, and join up with his former 501st captain, Rex, to take the fight to The Empire.
A great arc, right?
Well, it gets better as the next two episodes dealt with the fallout such a massive event should have on the characters.
In “The Crossing” arc, Omega finally losses some of that childish naïveté she should have lost episodes ago as she struggled to get over the loss of her brother, Echo. Yes, the episode is based on another side mission Cid gives the team, but that fact is thankfully pushed to the background as the first episode deals solely with Tech and Omega’s relationship.
(Disney/Lucasfilm-The Bad Batch Season 2-Freedom Clip)
Even though the first episode is rather light on action (they are stuck in a mine the whole time), the back and forth between Tech and Omega over how each one is “supposed” to grieve the departure of Echo was a great change of pace. Their brief conversation about grief as they awaited a rescue from falling down the mine shaft gave so much more characterization to Tech, who desperately needed it, and Omega a life lesson over how people grieve traumatic events differently.
And, the most recent episode, was a great stealth/action-adventure fight that saw the Bad Batch liberate an ipsium mine from a greedy, fat, and despicable overseer.
In other words, this episode had everything that made Star Wars: The Clone Wars such a fantastic series, which is always a great compliment for any Star Wars-based show. Especially one that is the direct sequel to The Clone Wars.
So, I can happily say that the midway point/second third of The Bad Batch Season 2 gets a 9.6/10 and has left me extremely excited over where the final few episodes take the clone force.
Images Source: Featured Image: (Disney/Lucasfilm) (Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 | Do More | Disney+ – YouTube)
In Text Image 1: (Disney/Lucasfilm) (The Bad Batch Season 2: Episode 3: The Solitary Clone)
In Text Image 2: (Disney/Lucasfilm) (Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 | Freedom | Disney+ – YouTube)
