Almost three months and sixteen episodes. That’s how long it took for Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 to end. The road to the finale was rough and, at times, harsh, but here we are. After the second season was given the green light, there was much talk about the future of the production. Both the creators and viewers knew that this season had to be bigger, more action-packed, and more interesting.
But did season 2 of The Bad Batch bring back the quality of the first season? Was this story really important to tell? Were the “fillers” important after all? You’ll find all about that in this review below. (Take a peek at my thoughts on the season 2 premiere here)
[Warning: Spoilers from seasons 1 & 2 of Star Wars: The Bad Batch are below!]
The Bad Batch can’t have a moment of peace
After such an emotional and surprising first season of this series, fans were left waiting for what was to come. With the destruction of Kamino, Crosshair’s betrayal, and the Empire hunting the Bad Batch, our heroes had no peace of mind. They were forced to flee from one part of the galaxy to another. Fortunately, one good thing came out of the destruction of their home: The Empire thought they had been eliminated.
Now they could fight the Empire from the shadows. Of course, almost every mission we see ends badly for them, which is rather unfortunate. One might have thought that each mission would help them learn a lesson, this turned out to be true sometimes, but not always. Most missions, as in the previous season, failed because of Omega.
Each mission starts with the whole team getting a clear task and everyone agreeing to follow the rules. But as soon as the job feels like it’s been accomplished, something starts to go wrong. Usually, it is because Omega did something that threatened the whole team.
For example, in Episode 5 the Bad Batch enter a cave. It seems innocent enough, but when Omega clicks something wrong, we quickly learn that it’s actually a big machine fixed on destroying everything in its path.
This is just one of the problems the Bad Batch have to solve because of her. Every time you think they’re done with their missions for Cid or anything in general, something goes wrong. Whether it’s someone calling them for help (Rex, Echo, Jedi Gungi, etc.) or side quests to rescue imprisoned clones, there is always something stopping them.
What’s good about this season’s storyline is the importance of filler episodes. Some of them were simply to fill the space between sections. Surprisingly, the rest made sense after the last two episodes of the season. Mainly because they filled in some gaps and closed some story arcs that I personally didn’t expect to see anywhere.
Episodes focused on Crosshair are one of the best in the entire series
One of the problems and positives I have about this series at the same time are the episodes without Bad Batch. The series is all about them, but whenever there is an episode focused on Cody or Crosshair, the quality is some of the best.
While episodes of The Bad Batch are meant to be entertaining or aimed at younger viewers (with the exception of the final 2 episodes of the season), those without are mature and even scary. They give a perfect POV, where we see this happy and loving family through Omega’s eyes; And the dark, monstrous, and sad side of life through Crosshair’s eyes.
When we got the episode where Cody and Crosshair teamed up, I knew it wasn’t going to be another happy reunion. Of course, Crosshair respects Cody and cares for him more than any other soldier. He’s not even a jerk when he talks to him. It’s as if he has so much respect for him, no matter which side he’s on, that he acts nice. The same goes for a clone named Mayday.
The episode “The Outpost” tells the story of Crosshair, Mayday, and the new Lieutenant Nolan. The punchline of these stories, where Crosshair is the main subject of them, is family. After Crosshair betrayed Bad Batch, it was a sign that he was rejecting the gift that is family as well as rejecting all clones.
However, he and Mayday are stranded on a snowy planet and put between a choice: either abandon the mission and save themselves, or complete it and risk their lives. They finish it, but Mayday pays the price. This is the most important moment of the entire series. Because when Crosshair asks Lt. Nolan for help for Mayday, the latter refuses, and we know that he really doesn’t care about clones. Crosshair finally realizes that they have been using him and that he has betrayed his family for nothing.
He kills Nolan with the idea of redemption and a well-deserved death for everything he has done. It was a very touching moment because with each episode we could see that his moral objections were growing. They eventually outgrew his thinking that good soldiers always follow orders.
The Bad Batch season 2 finale has unexpected twists
The final episodes prepared us for something truly unexpected. The Star Wars: The Clone Wars series has taught us that this is not a series designed for children. And they were right. I will say that I really liked the entire Bad Batch team. When they were sad, I was sad. When they were happy, I was happy. Now I am sad and flooded with tears, all because they killed poor Tech.
It was truly an unexpected moment. I could not believe that they would even think of killing off one of the main characters. And besides, such an important figure for the whole team. Without Tech they’ll have a much harder time. More painful is the fact that Tech tried to lead a normal life. Although he doesn’t want to admit it, we’ve seen that he and Phee are getting closer with each episode.
Deciding to end this season with a cliffhanger about Omega’s kidnapping and the discovery that she is not the only female clone was a good idea. However, the way we met another “sister” clone was too short.
What’s awaiting our heroes in season 3 of Star Wars: The Bad Batch?
In season 3, I’d expect we will see Hunter, Echo, and Wrecker trying to find Omega. Maybe with the help of Rex and other clones or other more unexpected characters. Cameos of famous characters like Saw Gerrera (who appeared in the final episodes) should be expected as well. Sometimes the cameos are there just for fun, and other times they are important to the overall story.
Everything we’ve seen throughout The Bad Batch season 2 and other Star Wars Universe projects leads up to the events of the Sequel Era. Every bit of information about cloning, the Emperor’s (Ian McDiarmid) plan, etc… shows us what’s going on. I suspect that at some point we will see The Mandalorian series connect some of its own “dots” with those of The Bad Batch.
Overall, I think the way this season was conducted is somehow really funny. We got a coherent story with a beginning and an end, some additional stories between episodes, and, of course, the Crosshair arc. I have to admit that if it were up to me, I would do the whole series about Crosshair and his transformation back to the good side. That being said, I hope Bad Batch season 3 will also be a great and exciting story with even more plot twists.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 is now available to stream on Disney+. Have you watched the new episodes already? What do you expect to see in season 3? Let us know on Twitter and our Discord channel. And if you haven’t already, take a look back at my early thoughts after the season 2 premiere via the link below!
Review: Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 Premiere
