Second season of Bad Batch feels trapped by canonical service, rules

Hot off the heels of the success of Tony Gilroy’s Andor, the Star Wars franchise has finally seen its new hope despite the dark abyss known as Disney+. However, is it truly the return of the once mediocre franchise or is it a trap? 

Season two of The Bad Batch blasts off shortly after the events of the season one finale with Clone Force 99 (all of whom are voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) continuing to explore a galaxy far, far away as they watch the rise of the despotic Empire in the wake of the demise of the Galactic Republic. To make matters worse, the Batch is still troubled by the stigma that accompanies them due to this wretched act that they did not even consent to.

Similar to other Disney+ shows, The Bad Batch premiered its first two episodes on release day, reintroducing familiar faces into the fray such as Commander Cody, the clone that famously accompanied Obi-Wan Kenobi. Throughout the first few episodes, it is shown what happened to Cody after Order 66, the clone directive by Emperor Palpatine that massacred the Jedi Order almost entirely. 

Where the second season excels is with its improvement on the formula of each episode. One of the main criticisms of the first season was the abundance of filler, yet it seems as if the second installment almost entirely remedies this with its midseason finale and improvement of the quality of this so-called “fluff.” A prime example of this is the episode “The Solitary Clone,” which delivers an episode that advances the plot by revealing that former clones have been deserting the Empire, planting the seeds for the eventual rebellion against the draconian syndicate as well as Palpatine’s initiative to dispose of this technology as a whole. 

Additionally, the show exceeds expectations in the department of consistency of tone. Never does the series feel like it's dumbed down for a younger demographic, especially in sections where it is clear that the problem at hand is more mature than what the show’s art style may suggest. The worthlessness felt by the clones after they’ve served their purpose is heartbreaking to viewers, as they have been ridiculed down to only being seen as valueless military assets. In a brief conversation between Omega (Michelle Ang, Rizzoli & Isles) and Senator Chuchi (Jennifer Hale, Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated), it is revealed how insignificant the clones truly are to the Empire, having no representation in the Senate whatsoever. 

However, on the other side of the coin, the series continues to falter in giving its characters proper development and growth. Members of the Batch remain constrained by the pre-established lore of the Star Wars universe with constituents' motivations being muddled and tied up in strings. Hunter, the leader of the group, is dead-set on keeping a low profile away from the Empire, whereas Echo seems to be determined on fighting against the Empire in larger ways. Both of these clashing motives should, in logic, lead to some form of conflict, but the show almost entirely ignores this in preservation of what was already established in other entries and allows Echo to leave the group with seemingly no major consequence. This makes what the clones are doing seem utterly pointless in the end, something that Andor somehow circumvented by containing itself from intervening in the major affairs of the larger universe, keeping a more grounded style, only delivering on fanservice where most necessary.  

Although The Bad Batch does not pile on such fanservice needlessly, unlike some of the Marvel Disney+ series, its issue with being so heavily rooted in the franchise’s norms holds it back from reaching what should be the standard of a series so eagerly desired by fans. Overall, as an expansion and yet another look into the creation originally from the mind of George Lucas, The Bad Batch season two delivers on improving the level of consistency in style and caliber that plagued the first season of the show in a way that keeps it interesting throughout.

B: The Bad Batch season two continues to delve deeper into the Star Wars mythos, but at the cost of its freedom to impact the larger universe at hand.

By Evan Parfitt

February 21 2023

Oshkosh West Index volume 119 Issue V