Star Wars: The Bad Batch is quite advanced when it comes to animation styles. Its story and characters are unique, however, the first season felt like a cautious entry into the series. I enjoyed the first season, but is the Bad Batch season 2 premiere a good start to the second? Read my thoughts below.
[Warning: Spoilers from the Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 premiere are below!]
New beginnings in The Bad Batch season 2
The previous season of The Bad Batch re-introduced the beloved Clone Force 99 from season 7 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In season 1, their lineup expanded, as Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Echo, and Crosshair were joined by their “sister” Omega.
Omega is a naturally growing clone of Jango Fett, making her the same age as Boba Fett. Together they have many adventures, starting with escaping from a team of soldiers led by Crosshair, teaming up with Rex on Bracca to destroy their clone chips, and ending with blowing up their home on the planet Kamino.
In The Bad Batch season 2, they have new suits which look better and add much more color to the series. The visuals are better this season and are slightly modernized mixing styles of Clone Wars and Tales of the Jedi.
Our heroes continue to work for Cid paying off their debt, as well as earning some money and settling down instead wandering the galaxy. The two-episode premiere is one cohesive adventure arc. This is a significant change from season one, revealing what the status of the Bad Batch is after escaping the Empire, and what Wrecker’s new favorite weapon is. The first episode focuses on the Bad Batch’s escaping from the planet after recovering some items.
Omega is now being trained to be a valuable member of the team, gaining important knowledge of combat and technique from each of them. Upon their return to Ord Mantell, they met a pirate named Phee, who is sure to have a more important role in upcoming episodes.
The mission and the moral of the story
The Bad Batch doesn’t have time to rest, because as soon as they finished talking to Phee, Cid gives them another task that would allow them to be free across the galaxy. They fly to Serenno Castle, previously known as the late Count Dooku’s residence. All his treasures and war chests are taken to the Empire’s headquarters to be used as another source to control of the entire galaxy. In the end, Hunter decides they should do it because this mission could be their last, then they can “retire.”
When they reach the planet, the mission gets more complicated than it was supposed to be. There are more than forty Empire troops present and a lot of the cargo could be taken. The whole mission appears to be a no-win situation, but worth the risk.
The troopers suspect something is up with the cargo in danger of being taken over by thieves, in this case, the Bad Batch. As expected, everything goes wrong as soon as some shooting starts. Omega, Tech, and Echo are trapped in one of the containers, while Wrecker and Hunter have to get to the ship and rescue them. It was a great scene that showed how the Bad Batch has grown to be about to depend on each other, and each member is valuable to the team. Despite the lack of cooperation and bickering among each other, no matter the plan, teamwork is essential to completing missions. It’s a very nice touch that perfectly sums up what we saw last season.
The container crashes to the ground and Tech is injured, but they are rescued by one of the former residents. There is a very interesting debate between him, Echo, and Tech, in which they discuss the importance of fighting the Empire. This discussion very much showed us how people who are not part of the rebellion try to live their lives, deciding that the sooner the Empire leaves them, the better.
The second episode ends with the war chests being destroyed and the moral of the story seems to be telling viewers, as well as Omega, “No amount of money or no matter how much treasure you find, it won’t buy you happiness”.
What else to expect from The Bad Batch season 2
Future episodes of The Bad Batch are sure to give us more action and reintroductions of characters, both cameos and important appearances for the story. It’s expected they’ll show what happened to the mythical beast Zillo from the Clone Wars (now the Empire’s “secret weapon”) and what Cody’s role is under the new leadership. We’ll likely see how the Bad Batch may join the Rebel cause in later episodes, as well as how quickly the Empire is expanding.
We can assume that, as in season 1, there will be a few filler episodes that lightly develop the characters as well as moral lessons. Certainly, The Bad Batch season 2 has more surprises in store for viewers as well. We’ll see Palpatine, more Bounty Hunters, Criminal Syndicates, and maybe, even more, Jedi than Gungi.
As a huge Star Wars fan, I’m looking forward to what parts of the galaxy The Bad Batch will explore this season. The first two episodes are currently available on Disney+, with new episodes arriving weekly.
Have you watched the new episodes already? What do you expect from the rest of the season? Let us know on Twitter and our Discord channel. And if you haven’t already, check out our review of Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi!
Review: Star Wars Animation is Back with Tales of the Jedi
