The Bad Batch Breakdown
February 28, 2023
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Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Bad Batch Season two episodes 6-10. Read with caution!
For those keeping up with Star Wars content, you would know that the Bad Batch season two started streaming on Disney+ at the beginning of January 2023. After an amazing month of episodes, February’s episodes were held with high expectations. Because of how things left off last month, as well as parts of the trailer that still haven’t been seen in the show, fans have anxiously been awaiting all the future episodes. The question that is lingering in the back of everyone’s minds is whether the quality of future Bad Batch episodes will increase, decrease, or stay the same.
Tribe
Episode six seems to be the breakoff for lighthearted episodes. This episode started with the Bad Batch delivering some kind of delivery for Cid on a droid smugglers ship. It starts pretty chill until Omega hears the sounds of a Wookie struggling. Now, as many Star Wars fans know there were a lot of times when wookies were captured and sold or hunted for money and sport. It wasn’t surprising that a sketchy smuggler ship would be part of this. When Omega went to investigate she came across a familiar Wookie, Gungi. Gungi was a Jedi youngling seen in season five of the Clone Wars along with several other younglings. It was super interesting to see that he survived, but at the same time, based on what he went through in the Clone Wars episodes, I wasn’t surprised.
After the Bad Batch saved Gungi from the droids, they headed to the Wookies home planet of Kashyyyk. However, when they arrived, they found that something was wrong. Something that was super cool about them going to Kashyyyk was the fact that they might have used some background and species that were originally intended for Clone Wars episodes. Anyway, while they were on Kashyyyk we started to see the beginning of the Empire’s attack on the planet. One of the big things that the Empire ends up doing is destroying a lot of Kashyyyk and then capturing wookies to use as slaves.
Overall this was an enjoyable episode. I really liked seeing Hunter step up to the role of father figure and be so quick to help the wookies. I also enjoyed seeing Omega’s innocence and also her being so accepting of Gungi, a person she’s never met. The episode was filled with both laughs and also parts that hurt the heart. At the end of the episode Hunter mentions something about how the kids don’t get to be kids in the current galaxy and he wishes the war would end soon. This was some huge dramatic irony because we as an audience know that the Empire rules for about another 20 years or so. My rating for this episode would probably be 8/10 and it’s one that I would watch again if anything to see Hutner go into “dad mode”.
The Clone Conspiracy
Episode seven was exactly what I was expecting for the middle of the season. Just as I suspected, the previous four episodes were the calm before the storm. And boy was it quite a storm. In this episode we got to see Senator Riyo Chuchi who’s currently fighting for clone rights. She is from the Clone Wars where she is seen in multiple episodes. In these episodes, it was cool to see how far she’s come since her first appearance. The other character we saw again was Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan. He has been in a lot of media lately, but I’m not gonna complain because he’s kinda a cool guy. Seeing both Bail and Riyo did make me miss Padme though. It just can’t be a senate based episode without her.
My favorite part of the episode was when my favorite clone trooper, Captain Rex, showed up. I definitely squealed in delight because I’m weird and I was incredibly happy to see him again. He helps out Senator Chuchi as she tries to escape from an assassin that was chasing after her. The weirdest part of the episode, however, was that the Bad Batch wasn’t in it. It was the Bad Batch with 100% less Bad Batch.
Overall, I would give the episode a hearty 10/10! Although seeing a couple clones die (rest in peace Cade and Slip) was really painful, the episode was amazing. It felt just like an episode straight out of the clone wars. The only thing that it was missing was the jedi.
Truth and Consequences
I thought episode seven was rough, but episode eight was just as rough if not rougher. It was great to see more Captain Rex and the Bad Batch, but things were still bumpy. Senator Chuchi had learned that the destruction of Tipoca City was in fact not from some freak storm, but she needed proof to prove that. Admiral Rampart was really trying his hardest to both convince people what happened on Kamino and also push for Stormtroopers instead of clones. To get proof Rex and the Bad Batch sneak onto Rampart’s ship. It was risky, but they did it and succeeded.
While Rex and The Bad Batch were up to their shenanigans Riyo and Omega were on a mission of their own. They went and spoke with Senator Burtoni, the ex senator of Kamino. She was seen a couple times in the Clone Wars, but she wasn’t really somebody that people liked. It was interesting to see Omega stand up to her. We definitely got to see a different side of Omega in these episodes. It was also interesting, and a little funny, to see Admiral Rampart get arrested. Although it was not the full justice I wanted, it was a good start.
The very ending of this episode was the part that made it sad. Many people have suspected that during this season the Bad Batch is going to drift apart and go their separate ways. We all thought it was just theories, but then it happened. Echo left the Bad Batch to go with Captain Rex. It was sad on its own, but then Omega started crying and the theme for the clone troopers started playing. It goes without saying that I am still emotionally a wreck. I spent at least ten minutes after the episode crying (don’t judge me it was rough).
Despite all the sad parts it was still an amazing episode and still gets a 10/10. It was the kinda pain that hurts really bad but also feels good. And, once again, it felt like an episode of the Clone Wars which I really enjoyed.
The Crossing
This next episode of the show was back to being more chill and laid back. However, it wasn’t as lighthearted as the other more lighthearted episodes. Since Echo had left the group, the previous episode we were able to see the effects of that happening. The member of the group that was hit the hardest was definitely Omega. She’s not very good at accepting change and that showed. She brought it up a couple times and the rest of the Batch struggled to help her with this. It certainly didn’t help that the Bad Batch’s ship was stolen. That was the Batch’s home, and especially Omega’s.
One of the things I really enjoyed was the interaction between Tech and Omega in the episode. Tech had said something that upset Omega and she went running off. Hunter, who had been trying to take charge and fill Echo’s place, insisted that Tech go and talk with her. After an incident with a rushing river and almost getting blown up Tech and Omega had a very heart to heart conversation. It was so wholesome and Tech explained that he struggled to show emotions like most do, but he still missed Crosshair and Echo. Along with that he told Omega he still cared about her even though he wasn’t great at showing that.
Overall I would probably give this episode and 8/10. I really enjoyed it, but I still haven’t gotten over Echo leaving. I also didn’t like the stress that came from the Bad Batch not having their ship. What I thought was the best part of the episode was the conversation between Tech and Omega. It was very heartwarming and made me very happy. I have loved how Omega has been interacting with the Bad Batch this season.
Retrieval
The final episode of the February Bad Batch episodes was the continuation of what was happening in the previous episode. It basically picked up right where things had been left off. In this episode they track down their ship and the thief. He’s a boy who seemed to be in his mid-teens and he helps them find their ship. The place where the boy works was a mine that was originally owned by the Techno Union. The Techno Union was part of the Separatist Alliance during the Clone Wars. They were also the people who had been holding Echo captive for several years.
Not too much super intense stuff happened in this episode. There were a lot of moments with Omega and one of the other members in the Bad Batch. We also got to see in this episode how far Omega has come and how much the Bad Batch trusts her. I really enjoyed seeing Omega interacting with Tech and Hunter especially. Something about those interactions just hit differently. My ranking for this episode would probably be 9/10.
March is the final month for episodes, but we still have six episodes left. Hopefully we’ll be able to see Cody and Crosshair again since it’s been a while. I also hope we’ll get to see Captain Rex and Echo again. Wherever the story may go, hopefully Dave Filoni doesn’t plan on traumatizing fans too much. May the force be with you!