Star Wars: The Bad Batch (TV)
**This review is for the Premiere episode, “Aftermath,” which debuts on Disney+ on May 4, 2021.
I haven’t discussed, in any detail, the television side of the “Star Wars” Universe since 2008’s “Clone Wars” “movie” to introduce that TV series. In a way, the animated side of that has served two purposes- to tell stories the Skywalker Saga films couldn’t with those characters, as well as flesh out the time between “Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope” (or really, “Rogue One”). When the “Clone Wars” movie came out, not only did it feel like four episodes just put together, but the story it told didn’t really inspire much confidence in the series to come. That’s why it took a DragonCon panel, and a few years, to really be inspired to dig into that series, after which point I kind of loved it. “Rebels” was an easier sell in 2014; not only was its introduction stronger, and more representative, of the level of writing and narrative of the show, but it didn’t require a gratuitous trip to the theatre to see it. Which way would the debut, 70-minute “movie” for “The Bad Batch” swing?
When Season Seven of “Clone Wars” debuted in 2020, it was essentially broken up into three storylines- the first one involved Obi-Wan and Anakin rescuing a Clone Trooper with the help of The Bad Batch. Experimental Unit 99, as its called here, is a group of five Clone Troopers with genetic defects which enhanced specific traits beyond a garden variety clone. One of the strong suits of “Clone Wars” was how it brought different personalities to the forefront, so that the soldiers were not simply cut from the same cloth. It was a necessary creative choice that allowed that series to delve deeper into specific characters and themes, as well as not just follow the same narrative trajectory week in and week out. In the soldiers of The Bad Batch- Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Crosshair and Echo- these were already established in those few episodes of “Clone Wars.” Now, in his new series, Dave Filoni and his writers (led by Jennifer Corbett) just have to put them in situations which allow those characters to provide drama and entertainment. The first episode, “Aftermath,” does just that.
Of the three “premieres” of these animated series, I think “Aftermath” might be my favorite on initial watch, and that’s because it just kind of hits the ground running. We start on a distant planet, where the Batch is sent as “reinforcements” during a battle in the Clone Wars. After they make quick work of the droid army, we get word that Obi-Wan has engaged General Grievous, and not long after, Palpatine gives Order 66, and things go sideways from there. Every clone engages their Jedi general and padawan to execute the order, but the Batch does not. In fact, they are confused. So is the padawan, who runs away from the Batch before escaping. Hunter, however, claims he fell to his death. The Batch head back to Kamino, where Grand Moff Tarkin is inspecting the clone army to see which direction moving forward would be prudent for the Empire. The Bad Batch are stuck in the middle.
Because Filoni and Corbett don’t really require setup for their series beyond the breathless “news reel” that was so effective in “Clone Wars,” “Aftermath” moves briskly through the story, sets up plot threads moving forward, as well as ideas that seemed to be disconnected between the original trilogy, sequel trilogy and prequel trilogy. I won’t really delve into more of the plot than I already have; even if you weren’t a huge fan of the Bad Batch set of episode on “Clone Wars” (and honestly, I wasn’t), I think this debut for this series offers plenty of excitement and intrigue moving forward. The animation has only gotten richer for these shows, and the emphasis on dark shadings and hues really help distinguish this from the previous show. The music by Kevin Kiner is terrific for these characters and ideas, and I’m curious to see how these stories expand as the series gets ramped up. If you’re a “Star Wars” fan, I think this might prove to be an essential part of the “Star Wars” Saga.
