You know what, I didn't even think about it but looking at that thing, its definitely looks like Zeffonian tech.
I think you guys are onto something with a Zeffo connection. I really enjoyed this one. A great atmosphere - well done mix of adventure & eerie/mystery. I think this could be an episode which is looked back on a lot more fondly & importantly down the line if the ancient technology angle is followed up on in a significant way.
I enjoyed this episode because it was finally different from the norm. It was refreshing to see a plot besides the crew doing odd jobs for credits or the typical run-ins with other troopers, but it ultimately seemed like more of the same; no matter what happens, everything reverts to status quo at the end... and it seemed that Hunter was more dull than usual. Hopefully, they use this episode as a precursor to new adventures and the introduction of cool characters because there are a great many directions they can go after this, but at this point, it seems like wishful thinking. Since I'm a sucker for Star Wars, I'll keep watching, but if this wasn't Star Wars-related, I probably would have tapped out last season.
That episode was kind of a bust. I mean it literally went nowheres. Nothing was accomplished in the end. I'm still waiting for this season to start its main story because so far it's just been a lot of adventure of the week stories
It's hard to believe there have been 5 episodes this season and only one of them felt like it had a plot at all. These filler episodes could at least be building character motivations or group dynamics or something, instead they are spinning their wheels doing nothing at all. I don't get it, this show has so much potential yet it's not really figuring out what it wants to be still. Entombed wasn't interesting in the least because there was no real goal and it ended on a particularly uninteresting reveal and cheap reset button, we don't really do much to redeem Wanda Sykes' character, it's just baffling. I want this show to reach for higher heights, but it seems content to just fritter away.
I didn’t hate it this episode. I definitely didn’t love it either. Layering the bad batch with this constant “other character who is smarter, wittier, and tougher” is a terrible dynamic for the show. The bad batch ARE the elite. They don’t need to be scolded like children by these “handlers” they now have. Let the bad batch BE the bad batch. I’d like to see them move along to wolfe, or Cody, or Rex, or even freeing the commandoes from their chips. Anything but this
Wanda Sykes also doesn’t really work as this Jack Sparrow type they keep hyping her up as. She doesn’t even sound interested in the role, almost like she’s being told to be slow as possible like the Netflix Siege shows. She can be really funny but she’s phoning it in. And the way she’s supposed to be taking a liking to Omega, oh wait, wasn’t Cid already doing that as the same older wiser comic relief hustler who takes a liking to her? I still stand by what I said about what I liked about this week’s episode, but I’m really only here for the episodes that actually give a shit like the Cody and Crosshair one.
See that's my problem with the show: they're not. There's nothing cool, impressive, captivating, or hard-edged about them. They're really quite toothless, generic, and incredibly dull. These guys should be riding the line between moral and dirty. They're the Bad Batch. Yet they're never bad. They don't even shoot to kill. As far as badass motley crews go these guys are weak as hell. They always feel like they're stumbling around confused and hem-hawing every decision.
Totally agreed. Your post was exactly what I was going for. I want them to be that elite fighting force they should be. seeing them get verbally mocked by Wanda Sykes just kinda doesn’t do it for me.
This season has had like one good episode thus far, and it had nothing to do with the Batch. I don't even know what the plot of this season is or what's the point. Them just doing one odd job at a time is already getting old.
Yes they are elite soldiers, as are the rest of the Clones, but that's not why they're called the "bad" batch. They're called the "bad" batch because they're considered defective clones
I'm well aware of the literal meaning behind the term, however it is plainly obvious I was speaking metaphorically. The Bad Batch were established in Season 7 as a sort of black ops squad. They're irregular not just in their genes but in their tactics. They were set up to be a sort of rogue element sent on only the deadliest and most unlikely to succeed operations. But nothing about them in this show lives up to the hype. They don't even seem much more irregular than your average squad of clones in terms of personality or methods. Also no, not all clones are elite, that's literally why we have things like ARC troopers and Commandos.
Ok, found this to be a better episode. It continues to show the reuse of canceled Clone Wars episode plots for this show, where this story comes from an arc where the Bad Batch are sent in to stop the CIS burning down Wookie forests and teaming up with Tarful. They would have called for the aid of the monkeys shown here to lend them their support, where they were more portrayed as sacred beasts of the forest. The Bad Batch also would have almost gotten killed by the swarm of spiders. Here we see remnants of that arc and its still enjoyable, we actually get to see the Bad Batch be the A-Team on the go like they should be. I find it cool that the Empire is weaponizing and utilizing Trandoshans for their assaults on Kashyyk and I also find it cool there is a smuggler organization made up of entirely from droids.
Was late to watch this episode but I figured I couldn’t have missed much. I didn’t really, but this was far from the worst episode I’ve ever seen. I admit I actually did get sad because poor Gungi is a survivor of Order 66, and all the other younglings are more than likely as dead as we thought he was. The episode was still by the numbers, but I can at least appreciate whenever it’s not just a job for Cid or somebody. This was them helping Gungi out of the goodness of their hearts. It could’ve been way better had the Batch actually been developed characters. But everything is just whatever moves the “plot” forward. Oh no, the fire is spreading, let’s put it out by next scene. Oh no, Trandos. Oh no, spiders that’ll be set up to return later. Still impressive animation here and there.
Man, I was really enjoying this two-parter. The first episode is really solid, tackles some really interesting and compelling topics around the political aspect of dealing with clones post-war, and ends with a hell of a cliffhanger with fascinating implications for the story going forward. Then the second episode follows up on the main plot with some fun action bits, has a really satisfying twist at its conclusion... and then, as if the show realized it was in danger of being really good, it fumbles the end so hard I'm kind of shocked. Spoiler So, that plot thread that was introduced in the premiere, in which Echo and Hunter are in disagreement over what role the Batch should be playing in galactic affairs? The kind of disagreement that makes for a really solid season-spanning conflict that could split the main cast down the middle, as each has to consider their place in the larger conflict, what they want out of life and for each other, and how they feel about each others' decisions? Well, after five episodes of ignoring that plot thread completely, we now pick it back up... only for it to be resolved by having Echo, the catalyst of the conflict (and the most potentially interesting main character), just removed from the show. No actual resolution, no conflict building up to it, just suddenly Echo decides to leave. We don't even get to see anything of him wrestling with this decision, or how his brothers felt when he told them, because it all happens offscreen. It's like the writers were aware that they'd written themselves into an actual, honest-to-god character conflict for the main cast, ignored it for as long as they could, and then wrote themselves out of it at the first possible opportunity. I'm sure Echo won't be gone from the show permanently, and we'll probably get a little of his and Rex's adventures later on, but this constant need to keep all the interesting stories and character interactions away from the core cast is utterly bizarre.
I won’t say these are the best episodes of the series but they were pretty good. They were uncomfortably familiar to the Order 66 arc, and it came complete with troopers biting it and that old clone bar that Fives hid at. I did feel worried, which I can’t say I usually feel during the show. I started worrying about Echo a little, but we’ll get to that. I like that these episodes fulfilled the premise’s promise of actually, you know, looking at the fate of the galaxy in the aftermath of Order 66 and the clones. That 501st cameo in Kenobi hits harder after today. Why can’t we focus on actual game changing stuff like this instead of missions for Cid? It’s telling that the best episodes of the show involve the Bad Batch themselves very little. Which leads me to the ending where it’s pretty laughable that Spoiler Echo leaving is treated as an emotional moment for Omega when he’s easily the second least focused on of the batch, let alone any screen time with Omega. I could see Omega crying over Wrecker leaving, or Hunter by default. It’s pretty telling how underdeveloped the crew is that they basically say “peace out” with Echo leaving and nothing more. They are indeed a squad like Omega said, and that’s not a compliment. They’re like a paper drawing of a squad. When Sabine left the Ghost crew for a while, it was a fairly big deal; when Ahsoka left, obviously that was a huge deal. But the only thing I really felt was just some concern since Echo is presumably going away for a while, which means his fate isn’t guaranteed. Certainly not like Rex, and certainly not like the main cast of the show. This is the second or third time in the show that Echo has even shown any real agency as a character. Finally. It makes sense he’d want to go after his fellow clones, but geez would’ve been nice to see some of this earlier and not 1.5 of the way into the currently 2.0 series. Hey Echo, remember what Rex said happened to Fives? I’ll say that the episodes did start feeling like Clone Wars again. I was interested to hear everything in the Senate even though most of it was just stuff we already know. Nice to see that future Rebel council member from Rogue One as a senator. That new bounty hunter was cool… Spoiler and the revelation he’s a new custom clone was chilling. Isn’t it remarkable that once we hated the omnipresence of political scenes in TCW to the point Filoni toned it down for Seasons 4-5, but now I’m so ready for them after the blandness that the Bad Batch usually is? This all led to the big showstopper, the arrival of none other than Spoiler Emperor Palpatine himself. Ian sounds great as always and this was a legacy character appearance that worked. He wasn’t just Darth Sidious the Sith Lord, he was the Emperor who showed how he was able to swindle the galaxy away from everyone while they were looking. The way he immediately took the floor to save his vote, throwing Rampart under the bus while pretending to care about Kamino. But Chuchi needs to watch her back, because she just put a bigger target on her back. Also, satisfying to see Rampart finally laid low, though I doubt this is the last we’ll see of him. Pretty solid episodes. Once again when the show actually wants to be good, it’s good. The Crosshair and Cody episode is still the best of the episodes of the show that actually give a shit.
I am generally concurring with the posts here. In short, this season was a lot of meh with one or two highlights—in which the main characters were conspicuously absent. I feel like the problem from their first introduction was that they were set up to be this really totally rad team of like wickedly bad dudes…dude. We were told we should think they were cool. Which made them kind of corny. And then the biggest highlights of their show became the cameo of the week. And I always chortle when they stun some infantry and then blow up the pilot in a starship.
