The Bad Batch Official "The Bad Batch" Series Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

Not sure if it's been discussed (if it is, fine, but I don't have the patience to go through all of the pages in the thread), but do you think Boba will eventually show up in the series? That would be the clear indication on whether or not Omega could play a role in the live action series. It was just strange to me that we had Fennec and Bane in the last season of TBB as well as the last season of TBOBF and yet obviously nothing about a long lost sister for Boba.

 

I would be very surprised if Boba doesn't show up in this show at some point. We haven't seen any of the history he and Cad Bane apparently have, including their first show down where Boba's helmet gets dented, and we know that Star Wars loves filling in the gaps.

I also just really want to see him show up. I was underwhelmed by his characterization in The Book of Boba Fett, so I'd like to see his time as a bounty hunter expanded on.

 

Well, despite my initial skepticism about this series, I finally got around to watching it…and I was actually pretty impressed!

The animation is gorgeous, the music is pretty good, and the characters really grew on me.

I was genuinely surprised at how much emotion I felt during the finale. I was genuinely shocked at the revelation that Crosshair had removed his chip. That moment where he took out all the other stormtroopers with one shot made me say “holy ****!” out loud. I also really liked that Crosshair had a redemption moment where he saved AZI. I love that little droid.

Now that the empire has Nala Se, I’m guessing they use her knowledge to clone Palpatine. I’m starting to see ways this show could intersect with plot threads from TROS, Mandalorian, and Book of Boba Fett. I wonder if adult Omega will show up in Mandalorian or possibly a season 2 of BOBF?

so yeah, this was a bit rambly, but I’m glad I gave this show a chance and I’m excited to see where it goes in the next season.

 

So safe assumption this comes after Andor and before Mando?

 

I have a feeling we won't be getting this this year.

 

Yes, but plans can change.

 

Finally Disney releases shows can overlap.

 

Better late than never. Looking forward to September.

 

Andor and Bad Batch, will be doube take then.

 

Lots of screaming, it seems.

 

Good, double the shows, twice the watching.

 

Did they scream Wrecker's, "Ha ha! YEEEAAAHH!"?

 

I hope Echo and Tech get more focus this season.

 

I want more development or Echo and Tech too. Hoping they will take a page from Rebels for shifting the spotlight from episode to episode. I'm not holding my breath though. The interview from the end of season 1 made it clear the showrunners are all about Omega.

 

If so, that will be a tad disappointing. I like Omega well enough but I think she's kind of done her job as our viewer stand in to being introduced into the team. Shouldn't be too hard to give just one episode focus per squad member, formulaic though it may be. I think this show even more than the others Disney has struggles to keep it demographically attractive to kids as well as those wanting a bit more intricate stories or deeper characters. I know my daughter's favourite characters are Omega (and Wrecker for comedic relief) so I guess that's a concession to that side of things. But the other members of the squad are crowded out. Having said that, I think Season 1 still had enough for the rest of us in terms of atmosphere and some gorgeous vistas (just doing a rewatch and there's not a bad episode) but the characters could definiftey now use a little more exploration.

 

Omega is the lead character yess. But season 1 still had good focus on Hunter, Wrecker and Crosshair. I hope more for Echo and Tech.many animated shows dont develop characters until second or third seasons. Rebels did it with Sabine and Zeb in season 2. Tough Seb didnt get mutch development after his few episodes. So Tech or Echo might just be there.

 

I think season 1 was a great start and the episodes that get dumped on for being just filler will be much more important down the road. Certainly, both Wrecker and Hunter go through plenty of development as far as the team goes. Setting Crosshead aside because he's gotten incredible development but is not really one of the familiar faces of five. I think the show definitely struggles with character balance and what to do with the characters who are not Omega. She is the primary point of view character but the show does not seem to be able to tear the spotlight away from her.

The formulaic writing isn't a huge gripe for me with The Bad Batch since The Clone Wars spun around Monsters of the Day most of the time. Even once we started getting the four-part arcs Monsters of the Day were still there but cleverly disguised. Would be nice to see The Bad Batch take risks and run with crazy ideas like The Clone Wars did for better or sometimes for worse.

I think one difference between this and Rebel is, that Rebels has two ships since the Phantom could detach from the Ghost and go on its own separate adventure. The Bad Batch can't split up and go on their own adventures like that so easily. Also harder to get a and b plots going in episodes. But it should be easy to start rotating the protagonists and let Omega just assume the point of view roll.

 

Yes, actually that's actually not a bad idea to pair Omega with one of the Batch for a different adventure per week while having the b plot do something else. As I'm watching Rebels again it really is pretty much every episode the Phantom and Ghost go seperate ways so that would need a solution. If they could manage it, would balance things out for the audiences sort of like that Crosshair episode where Omega was retrieving the needed part for their ship while Crosshair was acclimating to the Imperial takeover. And yes, I would exclude Crosshair from character complaints (well, and from the Bad Batch itself at this stage) I expect them to continue Crosshair's story regardless of course and will be happy to see it.

I'm not the sort to ever discount any episode as filler as for me it's more important to have an entertaining episode than connect to an overall narrative. I'm fine with either but grew up on monster of the week type series and can still enjoy those just fine. I just finished rewatching Infestation which is widely regarded as filler or otherwise the worst episode and it was neat to see the nuance to the Devaronian crime lord as well as a peak into the larger underworld with the Pykes. I guess the best compromise would be an X-Files (or Ghost in the Shell: SAC for those anime fans out there) where you can have the serial storyline in vogue these days but still have excursions to shake things up/change up the setting. I guess we'll see what they have in mind. Maybe too early, but usually we have indications of working on the next season slip somewhere for animated projects by now. Any word on people writing Season 3 yet? Here's hoping for more. My search for more character depth aside, I think the show actually gets unfairly discounted for not having a BIG Star Wars moment attached to it. I'm perfectly content to follow the adventures of these left behind clones making there way in a changed galaxy for years more.

 

The Bad Batch narratively is more like The Mandalorian than anything else, IMO. The Mandalorian is deliberately slow endless build-up from one episode to the next even when a particular episode is action-packed. My personal definition of filler is when an episode of something is added in that had nothing to do with the source material. As an anime fan, you can probably see where I get that mindset from. There is no filler in any of these Star Wars shows because they are not adapting any source material.

Certainly "The Gunslinger" in The Mandalorian is a lesson. "Infested" may end up being the equivalent to that. At the time it felt the most jarring to me because it came right before the final after the narrative jumped around to Ryloth. I think it hurt the season to shift from that Mandalorian-like handling of the season to The Clone Wars' partial snap-shot approach. Which I absolution adore in The Clone Wars. In subsequent viewings, I've softened a bit on this because I believe the buildup is still there in the episode. The Devoronian crime lord will be a recurring character. The Bad Batch has gotten into one jam with the Pikes. And I don't think it's a throwaway that Cid explained her pub sits in just the right position on Ord Mantell for access to important secret hyperspace smuggling routes. I think this line actually explains why The Bad Batch is in a good spot when it comes to avoiding the Empire and how they are slipping in and out on their missions.

I actually enjoy how The Bad Batch is automatically different from Team Ghost or anyone else just because they have no practical experience living in the Galaxy. When they needed to try and pawn something to pay for fuel and food. All Hunter thought they had of value was explosive. And he doesn't even really know how to hangle with anybody. Cid walks all over them. Turns out the only thing they have of any value are their skills as soldiers. The only other thing they seemed to have to go for them was The Bad Batch has a surprisingly good shuttle that isn't really big enough. But the Marauder is a money pit as is the gear required to do the only job they know. Still, I would like to see something come along and change up the status quo with Cid.

 

I wonder if this show will be like Rebels and each season is almost a year and by season 4-5 we almost there with Fallen Order. Like Clone Wars is with ROTS and Rebels with ANH. And you told the tale of the Empire's early reign and how the clones got replaced along with early rebel cells being build. And since Jedi Survivor is 5 years and 10 years after ROTS, if we could get another show covering the next 5 years between Fallen Order and Solo/Kenobi. This show could end with all seems dark now but there's small hope out there in Galaxy a mix of Clone wars and Rebels ending Prologue.

 

It would be best they time skip a bit. Otherwise imperial things seem to appear too soon. I was bit worried how they destroyed Kamino so quickly. It seems for some reason that Dave Filoni and co. want to have as little "evil clones" as possible. It seems bit dumb to me how much they want to separate good clones from bad stormtroopers. And make it clear only clones are good soldiers in armor even if brainwashed. I think it's unnecessary how much they underline this difference. It was made clear clones are not to blame from order 66 and surely even stormtroopers are not all evil, many are just brainwashed by propaganda.

There should be still some imperial clones like 5 years after ROTS. Since clones are such a good soldiers it makes little sense to me that they would want to get rid of them so quickly. Well there are purge troopers at least in canon.

Sure there is also Crosshair. Clone who chooses Empire even without chip in the brain. I am interested in seeing more stories from a point of view of non-clone imperials like Tala who realize they are on the wrong side after they have already done some evil things for the Empire. Sure clones are the focus of the Bad Batch, but are they going to save every clone from the Empire at some point? I dunno. Maybe there is even clone rebellion at some point coming. It could be interesting finale for Bad Batch and explain why Palpatine gave up cloning soldiers altogether. But yeah time skips at several points would be good. Bad Batch could later have more adventures in comics and stuff to fill the gaps.

 

We might get some time skips between seasons of Bad Batch like Rebels had between had in seasons 2 and 3. Season 2 of Bad Batch will start soon after finale pf season 1. But by then we are a year into the empire. From books and comics we know some clones are still in service into 5 - 10 years into the empire. But mostly replaced by regular humans by at least 1 or 2 years into the empire.