If you’ve seen The Clone Wars series, you’ll know there were some episodes that centered around only clones. That’s pretty much The Bad Batch’s entire premise, you’re either going to like it, or you won’t.
The Bad Batch: Season One is a Disney+ series that was released in 2021, and created by Dave Filoni. The show is voiced by Michelle Ang as Omega, and Dee Bradley Baker as Wrecker, Tech, Echo, Crosshair, Hunter, and every other clone in the show. Set in-between the events of Revenge of the Sith, and A New Hope, The Bad Batch shows us an inside look at the rise of the evil Empire through Clone Force 99, a group of clone troopers with unique abilities, as they go against orders and are on the run in an ever-changing galaxy.
Off the bat, Baker must be praised for his voice acting. He adds so much character to each different clone, with small changes to make them each feel like their own person, to the point where it wouldn’t be surprising if most people thought the main clones were voiced by different people.
Within the first season you see each of the main heroes grow off one another in fun and interesting ways. Omega is the best in this regard, with the most noticeable character development, and is a rare example of a kid in a movie to show that isn’t absolutely annoying. She actually contributes to the team, which was very refreshing to see.
A lot of episodes find ‘The Batch’ helping, and interacting with a vast array of characters throughout the Star Wars universe, from other animated shows, to main entires. The writing excels at introducing these storylines and character arcs without the need to watch the other source material in order to grasp what’s going on. It’s a cool way of giving fan service, while also focusing on its own story. Overall, the fan pleasing moments found in The Bad Batch are better than in The Mandalorian.
The 16 episodes have huge chunks full of filler, with that said, I don’t think there’s a bad episode. Each of them are fun, taking the time to evolve the characters with just enough to make you want more. It must be said though, that the pure story driven episodes are the best, with the over and hour long premiere being the most investing.
It’s definitely a “villain of the week” sort of show which, for some, can take away from overall story trying to be told.
One of the coolest things this adds to the Star Wars universe are answers to age-old questions for many fans, things like exploring what happened to Kamino, the world where the clones were created, or how the Empire began to gain control after the Clones Wars and fall of the Jedi. While these storylines may have been explained in other cannon media such as books, its satisfying to see these moments in a fully fledged production.
The animation style is excellent, working well with the cinematography to bring some moments that are truly beautiful. Each planet has its own personality, with several unique set pieces and memorable moments to make them all stand out.
The Bad Batch: Season One is an awesome expansion to a galaxy far, far away, and might be the best Star Wars related movie or TV show since Disney took control of the property.
[My grade for The Bad Batch: Season One is an A]
MooCow Entertainment 