SPOILER Bad Batch Season 2

I just finished watching "The Solitary Clone". Man, that was dark. I haven't come across a Star Wars story like that since "Revenge of the Sith". Kudos.

 

I personally thought there was nothing wrong with this episode. Some nice subtle foreshadowing. I think it was meant to be a "fish out water" story but became more of a "the fish is too smart for all of you, now suck it" story.

 

hahaha indeed
i was about to mention all you just said.
A filler, but a cool filler one. And is 100% Indiana Jones! Even in the soundtrack there is a moment with practically same music (when Indy is in the map room with staff of Ra I think)
It was fun to watch, with all those trreasure hunters world and all clues to achieve the treasure. Also it has a lot of mistery, adding mithology to the universe (before Jedi?!)

 

Damn I really love Wookies and even more so Jedi Wooks. #Gungilives.

I wonder if he runs into Cal Kestis ever....

 

Wookies, Wookies, Wookies! Everything's better with a little bit of Wookie. I did it all for the Wookie...
It was such a great moment to see that lightsaber. It seems hard to believe that we haven't seen one in The Bad Batch since the very first episode. I'm really starting to see the slow burn of this season's arc. It feels like they are building the gang's case against Cid as Omega sees all these new-to-her people, places, and situations, at the same time, the boys are seeing things from a different perspective. After what Omega has seen now on Kashyyyk, I have a feeling she's got a few questions for Cid.

The way things are shaping up, we may be in store for an amped up and intense second half of the season.

--- Double Post Merged, Feb 2, 2023, Original Post Date: Feb 2, 2023 ---

They really seem to be weaving in and out of Cal's journey- the trip to Bracca in S1, that mech last week really looked Zeffo, and this week's episode felt like a set-up for the Kashyyyk story in FO. I kept waiting for Saw and his group to show up at the end.

 

if episode 4 was Temple of Doom'ish, the part with Omega and Gungi in episode 5 was actually a Doomlike


Doom Classic, Episode 2 The Shores of Hell, Level 2 Containment Area

 

Sooner or later someone is going to specifically begin hunting the Bad Batch. The question is - how will Crosshair fit in? Will he try to return to them?

As some people have suggested on YouTube, was Crosshair merely trying to save Cody when he was ordered by the Moff to kill the woman who had led a rebellion on a local world, by taking on himself in a hopeless situation? Could Crosshair be becoming a 'good bad guy'? Is this the beginning of his path back to the rest of the Batch?

 

Finally saw the Clone conspiracy, truth & consequences episodes, such great ones & the build up on the fate of the clones. I'm glad Palpatine showed up to manipulate the destruction committed by Rampart to his own advantage debuting the stormtrooper program.

 

I liked it but seasons are too short these days. May just unsubscribe and wait till these are all done,

 

I was surprised that Senator Bartoni didn't recognize Omega and her significance. But then again, she's a politician.

Palp's is ahead of the game.

 

Episodes 7 & 8 were pretty good. Firstly, what a nice surprise to get a two-for-one midseason treat! I do love my Galactic Politics and even more so that some of these themes are mimicking RL political issues... plus some Bail Organa in the mix for good measure.

Clone Conspiracy was probably my second favorite episode this season behind The Solitary Clone. What does it mean that my two favorite episodes had only Crosshair in the first and NONE of the Batch in the second? I was convinced the sniper assassin was Crosshair, and when it wasn't, it made me feel like there is about to be something big revealed. A secret Imperial Clone Army? More irregulars? That was some pretty bada## armor he was wearing. He definitely wasn't supposed to get interrogated since he had the same suicide bite thing that the freighter commander had in The Mandalorian. Truth & Consequences was actually just as good, it really could have just been one long episode, but I kinda like the idea of an entire episode of The Bad Batch being without The Bad Batch. They surely made up for it in the second half getting involved in the whistleblowing and pulling off that fun little action-packed heist, like a miniature practice version of Rogue One. I enjoyed watching each member of the group naturally assume their role, including their immediately falling into rank behind Rex as the leader. Even Omega got an assignment, all though I was a bit surprised and concerned that they sent her off without supervision. I think she might have been safer on the heist than she was walking the halls of the Senate (again, much aligned with RL scenarios) but luckily she was able to complete her mission while continuing her intensively immersive education, this time getting an all too realistic Civics and Government lesson. After Chuchi, Bail and the Batch deliver and drop the literal "smoking gun" on the dirty deeds done on Kamino by the Empire, we finally get the much anticipated arrival of the Big Guy. Ol' Grandpa Wrinkly comes up out of his hole, literally, with a bucket of Imperial Whitewash and throws Rampart directly under the bus, placing him under arrest for his "insubordination" and announcing the dawn of the Stormtrooper. It was a real Empire Strikes Back way to close out the first half of this season, and it seems like there is a whole lot to deal with the next eight episodes, so we probably won't get as much levity and fun as we have seen so far with riot racing and treasure hunting and such. Let's not forget, we are halfway through the season and we really haven't seen anything related to the big closing of season 1 with the whole cloning facility mountain. My guess is the assassin clone is gonna be tied to that somehow, although he was obviously not made there. Every interview I've seen about the show promises a wild ride, and I don't think that's an accurate description of the season so far, so... Fingers are crossed for a really intense run coming up.

 

Episode 9 The Crossing, is now a very close second to The Solitary Clone as my favorite episode of season 2. That didn't dawn on me until close to the end, though. Visually, it was amazing from beginning to end. The painted cliffs and mountains couldn't have been more spectacular if they had been filmed in the American West. The lighting, with the glowing Iridium, the water... all stunning. Equally impressive, and completing the Western Movie motif was Kiner's score taking on a subtle spaghetti western feel yet maintained that sweeping Star Wars theme.

I was struck with a cold jolt as the gang exits The Havoc Marauder. Hunter scanning the area, Tech tapping on his datapad, Wrecker hauling heavy gear, Omega curiously looking at a new environment, then... no Echo. The absence was loud and clear even before it is mentioned a few minutes later. The reason they are there, and what happens next are all fairly same old same old and predictable, which is why the episode almost lost my attention. Here we go again- mission of the week, stuck in a cave, will they make it out? Well of course they do, and in fact, they even use the repeated plot device as one of the learning points and a lesson for Omega. Whatever happens, if they work together and have faith in each other, they can get through it. I love this show for the way these lessons go both ways. Omega learns a skill or a way of thinking from one of the guys, while they learn less rigid and more independent ways to feel and act from her. Both sides are growing and evolving into stronger, smarter, more versatile people, which, at least for the Batch, goes against their creation, training and existence prior to finding Omega.

Probably the most important thing in this episode as far as story progression happens at the very end. After finding that they really are stuck on an abandoned planet, Cid shows her true selfish nature, dismissing the Squads situation. After the Faster episode lit the match of a pending Cid vs the Batch, this episode poured gasoline on the pile. Combustion can't be too far now. Especially if Rex and Echo rescue them before Cid sends someone.

 

Oh yeah, the theif had way more detail then your typical character. Will see them next week. Though I was surprised he wasn't the cliffhanger episode. Side note: I loved The Lion King stampede scene.

 

Episode 10 - Retrieval - is in the books, and it's time to ask an important question.

Are we expecting too much from The Bad Batch Season 2?

Not to say this episode wasn't good, it was. Last week was a high for me, personally, so maybe it's just my perception. There are only six episodes left, and it really seems like there's going to be a lot of pressure to resolve a lot of issues in a very small amount of time. The Cid issue, I think, is an absolute necessity to resolve this season. I have to assume that Phee amd Millegi will be a part of that arc. What about Crosshair? Echo? The undesignated Clone? What about the mountain cloning facility? Where is Cody? Rampart? It seems like a lot of loose ends, and I guess a couple of those could hold over for S3, but it just seems like there are more new questions being asked than answered. That can be a slippery slope that has almost taken down some good TV shows (Lost, TWD, BSG...)

Or, maybe it's a matter of expectations. Coming off Andor, I think even if subconsciously, too much is being expected. The Bad Batch is by no means, a bad series. It's been a fun second season. Maybe it's the seriousness and dire aspect of the underlying story arc dealing with the Clones' place in this new Galaxy... They've broken the skin on that issue just enough to remind us it's there, but then we get a couple of episodes with, "look at the silly monkey..." distractions and seemingly stand-alone mission of the week type stories. I guess it's possible that the remaining six will tie it all together and make everything fit into the main story, but I definitely see the way the arcs are developing as confirmation we will get at least one more season. And that's great! It's an enjoyable series with well-written characters and a story that needs to be told. So maybe that's the key. Patience. In a way, I'm glad this came out before The Mandalorian, if nothing else it's a kind of palette cleanser.

 

IMHO, the story-telling has gone on to impart a feeling of hopelessness, with the victories at the end of the episodes being somewhat empty. The Empire is winning, things are getting worse everywhere, and the Bad Batch and their missions are having no effect on things getting better. The show is dealing with much more "mature" plots. Less action, more thinking.