Full Series The Clone Wars 7.01 - The Bad Batch - Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

Unfortunately I think they announced that it will not go into the unfinished stories, it will be other POVs from already released episodes.

 

i'm sure in the coming years we will be getting more clone wars novels.

 

So, Rex clearly hasn't had his chip out yet right?
Does this increase or decrease the odds that we see him remove it this season?

 

Maybe he was supposed to remove it in the arc with him and R2.

 

That's a theory that has been mentioned. But it's such a significant event I just can't see them skipping over it.
And by all appearances he doesn't have it out in these episodes. So it would be even weirder to just handwave it away by saying It happened off screen.

 

I think there is a chance Rex and Kix have already removed their chips, or atleast the later has. Its interesting Kix has all the suddenly grown out his hair covering up the "A good droid is a dead droid" thing he had going. He may be hiding the scar. Rex's cropped blond hair I guess could cover it up to. Nowhere in the trailers is a scar visible. That's one reason I think it's going to be interesting to see what happens when Anakin gets more involved in the arc. Something is off between him and Rex. I think it predates Rex thinking someone who should be dead is alive. Whether it's out or not I think it's going to come up in the arc. It also felt like something was off between Cody and Rex.

 

Kix I think is possible. Granted I didn't pay as much attention to him, but the hair could be significant. The relevant comparison would be how he looks now vs. how he appeared in the story reels. I kind of doubt they had the whole "Lost treasure of count Dooku" thing planned out so far in advance, so if he looks the same as there I'd be more likely to dismiss it. I'll have to re-watch those.

Rex doesn't get the lion share of the attention in the trailers, so it would be easier to hide the scar on his forehead if it is there. They focused in on it in rebels to hint what had happened in advance, and Five's scar was visible when the chips where first introduced. I don't think it will be handwaved, but I suppose we will have to wait and see.
What is clear to me, he doesn't have the scar in Bad Batch. It would probably break my suspension of disbelief if they just said it was hidden, since he has so little hair to begin with.

 

The episode was pretty good. Not amazing or anything, but it feels surreal to be watching new episodes of the show in any form. I was a bit caught off guard by "created by George Lucas". Haven't seen it in a while. The animation was superb and I loved the planet! I feel like I've entered an older era of Star Wars watching this.

 

I really enjoyed this episode, but it also made me a bit emotional. I'm really glad the Clone Wars is back.

 

This first episode was amazing and its good to see the clone war back. Unfortunately, its true, there are some 30 unscripted episodes that we may never get. I would hope that business is so good with this that Disney decides to change there mind and make them, but in the end, are the stories really relevant? I know that the Return to the Jedi arc can't get done unless re-written due to the 2014 Tarkin novel that states that no one has been in the sith shrine under the Jedi Temple in 5000 years and that only Palpatine knew of it. That pretty much kills that arc. This first episode is a 10/10. Makes you wish that the Crystal Crisis was also animated and even want more. We are all excited now but in the end we are going to wish they didn't just call this another final season and end this. The best storytelling in the entire Disney canon lies with this show along with the Mandalorian.

 

We can! We did once and we can do it again!! I've rewatched this episode several times today, the Disney+ figures are really high too! Success isn't unrealistic! This will not be the final season of The Clone Wars!

 

Agree @cubman987 as the first thing I did after watching it was watching was go on YouTube and watch the old GI Joe cartoon intro from the 1980's since that was the vibe I got:

 

Re-watching, and just... the "camera" work, the lighting, the action, the pacing and flow, music and sound design. All just wonderful.

And finally seeing the awesome Force 99 fully realized is a SW dream come true (any word on an action figure set, yet?)

Thanks to the story reels, we already know how this story goes. But, man, I await the next installment with bated breath.

 

How is there a picture of Rex, Cody, Echo, and Fives, yet Cody has a Phase 2 helmet?

 

I've asked this question before. However, it looks more like a family painting than a photograph or a holograph(?). It is pretty close to being a family portrait for Rex, his surrogate sons/ kid brothers alongside him and his best friend/ big brother. Rex has his right arm on Fives who was his beloved favorite. Really makes the final scenes in "The Deserter" more painful to think about. I've always thought these were the family members that lay elsewhere. It's very sad and Rex seems lonely.

 

I like that, from the sound of things, they've tweaked the episode to give Rex a stronger last arc going into the Siege of Mandalore. Anakin's brief appearance was interesting. He seems significantly more distant the last time we saw him, even from someone he was previously close to in Rex. I liked that direction. I love the battle droids, so I was very pleased by a couple of good gags they had with them.

The real star of the episode though was the animation. Apart from not being fond of Anakin's new model, the animation's never looked better. The movement is fluid, the particle effects look great, and the action sequences at the outpost and Cyber Center were both some of the better done action sequences of the show.

The weakest link of the episode I thought was the titular Bad Batch. They're...fine. Just felt a little by the numbers, though I liked how the regular clones reacted to them. I'll see how they develop, I suppose.

 

I settled on 9. I wouldn't put it in the top tier of TCW, and having seen the story reels already there weren't really any significant surprises. But it looked great, and after so long without TCW it is impossible not to feel nostalgic while watching it.

 

Probably a "9," but I bumped it up to that rare ol' perfect score based upon my excitement over the return of one of my favorite SW endeavors.

Well done, Roscoe.

 

6. I found this episode to be an interesting start to a story arc, but I didn't like the bad batch characters, very stereotypical. The hulk strength guy especially, a mutated clone is still a human body. Him lifting the LAAT and kicking in an armoured door just wasn't believable for me, this is Star Wars not a Marvel comic. A lot of the tactics in the episode relied massively on plot armour too, clones just standing in the open trading blaster fire with droids less than 10 feet away and never getting hit. There was also some eye rolling dialogue.

 

I mean...what can I say...TCW is back so it's a 10/10.
The animation is gold and it's a Rex heavy episode so I'm happy.
Perfect start to a new season!

 

Still a 10. It's not just nostalgia. I'm loving this. I rewatched "Bad Batch" and enjoyed it just as much the second time.

More thoughts...

Spoiler

I watched it in bits with the old Storyreel to analyze the changes made moving to the end of Rex's character arc in TCW. The first 5 minutes of the episodes are the most different. I think everyone knows the barracks scene was added and it's an improvement injecting some depth to the arc and bringing Rex from confusion about the purpose of the war to dissolution as he talks about losing everybody.

The change from algorithm software stolen off Echo's body which is the assumption made in the storyreel to Rex worrying near-death Echo was captured with the algorithm is subtle genius. I hated this idea before but it actually makes more sense to keep the guy who's hobby was studying rig manuals alive to decipher and use the algorithm. Rex has been built up as a leader who is forward-thinking and sees a bigger picture. These changes utilize Rex's talents much better than the story reel which is a better setup for some final character development. Cody and Rex are even allowed to take the initiative instead of being assigned to the mission by Mace and Anakin. Mace actually seems to be following Yoda's advice to trust the clones at the end of "The Lost Ones".

I don't think Rex suspecting Echo is alive is misplace hope but dread. Cody respects Rex's intelligence greatly but he just cannot see ahead like that. It sounds crazy. This drives home his loneliness. Anakin being more distant is another obvious change. Rex is going through something and Cody trying to be gentle and caring as he can be blows him off. The sad thing is this isn't all that different from how Rex's last ever conversation with Fives went. Rex knows if he's right about Echo it's not going to be good. You have to wonder if Rex is feeling Ahsoka's absence here with no one else to really talk to.

When Rex and Tech listen to the live signal it really does sound like the guttural almost machine-like clicks are saying "Help me..." over and over again which is pretty gutting. The scene really draws out compared to the reel where there isn't much to it. When Rex hears that number he stumbles toward the computer console and if you watch his eyes they get all watery like after the friendly fire scene in "Carnage of Krell". Then when Tech snaps him out of it he tosses hit helmet on fast. That whole scene really hurt more in the rewatch. This is exactly what is needed to bring Rex to his lowest point before we get to Siege. I'm hoping the "Bad Batch" arc has been retooled to be Rex's equivalent of Ahsoka's Fugitive arc. Just those subtle changes may be enough depending on how the rest is handled. It's a big deal for Rex to really learn the big picture isn't always what you want to see or hear.

Speaking of those inhibitor chips, Kix's rough model (They called him Kix) in the storyreel was bald identically to Jesse instead of having a hair like Cody. He's got a nice head of hair here in the fully released episode. That's a suspicious change if you ask me. I hope Kix isn't put on a bus this early in the arc.