The Mosley Review: Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Season 1)
And so the Star Wars franchise continues to expand in interesting and somewhat risky directions. During the time Attack of the Clones came out, if you had told me that there was gonna be a series about just a squad of clones and no Jedi are part of the main plot, I would say you’re insane. Well, here we are today and I am elated. The Clone Wars animated series gave us many different perspectives of the war whether it be the Jedi, the Sith, the Republic or even the inhabitants of each planet the war landed on. The most interesting and quickly beloved perspective were the of the ones really fighting the war, the Clones. I have fallen in love with a number of them and all their complexities, but Clone Squad 99 really shined brightest toward the end of The Clone Wars series. This series continues where that prior left off and you get a fresh perspective of the end of the war and the beginning of the Imperial reign. You witness the tragic death of an important Jedi and the emotional impact it has on them. What was fascinating is how the Bad Batch navigated across a galaxy that was rapidly changing and to see it was satisfying and heartbreaking. This was a surprise at how fun this series became and how much of a connection it has to the other series and video games that come after it in the Star Wars canon timeline. Now at times it felt like an “adventure a week” styled show which was great, but could've truly cut back and focused on the main plot. That being said, it still was an excellent achievement in storytelling and added layers to characters that stole our hearts the moment we met them.
Squad 99 or The Bad Batch were stellar and fun all around. Hunter is an excellent leader that leads with compassion and has a strong moral compass that is always true north. I loved his sort of Rambo style design and his incredibly effective fighting skills. Tech was perfectly made out to be the genius of the group. I loved how he is a valuable part of the team, but his social skills are not that great, but you love him all the more for it. Wrecker was the big loveable heavy of the group. He has the strength of 50+ men, the skill of a great trooper and a heart of gold. Echo really gets to shine and I loved that he uses what happened to him as an advantage and not as crux. His irreverent humor is really appreciated in some of the more intense moments. Crosshair was cold and awesome as he would become the most deadliest of the group. I liked that he had the most edge amongst the group. They are all brought to life by legendary actor Dee Bradley Baker and it was astounding how much of an identity he gave each character. This was yet another master class in acting and imagination. Michelle Ang joins the crew as the only female Clone Omega and it was interesting to see her experience the galaxy. Her innocence is tested and sometimes taken away as she experiences the darker and more dangerous parts of the galaxy. How she navigates through her new found life away from Kamino was fascinating and truly refreshing. Her chemistry is great with the the Bad Batch as she starts to see them as their family which they are, but the bond gets even more powerful than that. There are a great deal of cameos and surprises and I won't spoil them all here, but I will say that seeing Ming-Na Wen show up once again as Fennec Shand was awesome and I liked seeing some of her history.
The outstanding score was done by the maestro of The Clone Wars, Kevin Kiner. His compositions and orchestration is amazing and bleeds the very same blood of John Williams into every note of the score. This man understands the classic nature of Star Wars music and he pays tribute to it all and compliments as well with fresh takes of classic themes. Visually the show is stunning and I love the usage of depth in the animation. There are so many stills that can be taken from the show and posted at an art museum. Like I said before, my only gripe is that the show felt a little dragged along in the middle portion and could've just been 12 episodes instead of 16. It was a rollercoaster of greatness and then sometimes filler, but a great continuation of the timeline. Overall, I enjoyed the show and it was a risk that paid off in many ways. I can't wait to see what new adventures The Bad Batch will go on and the challenges they'll face. Season 1 is currently streaming on Disney+. Let me know what you thought of the show or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
