On May the Fourth in 2021 Star Wars fans are treated with a new animated series, The Bad Batch. We are first introduced to these “unique” clones at the beginning of Season 7 of The Clone Wars. They are a ruckus and elite squad of “genetically modified” clones with a penchant for “creative solutions” to their missions. They are a big hit with the fan base, so we were all very excited when Disney told us we’d be getting more of Hunter, Tech, Echo, Wrecker, and Crosshair. This is The Bad Batch First Impressions of the first episode titled “Aftermath”.
There are going to be 16 episodes so I’m not sure I’ll write something for every episode. The Bad Batch stars Dee Bradley Baker, Dee Bradley Baker, Dee Bradley Baker, Dee Bradley Baker, Dee Bradley Baker, and Michelle Ang.
The following content contains spoilers for The Bad Bath Episode 1.
Order 66 and Omega
We start out with Jedi Master Depa Billaba and her, very familiar, padawan Caleb. Within the first five minutes, we are already getting a tie-in to another series. I’m already enjoying myself. This is that dreaded moment in Revenge of the Sith when Palpatine issues Order 66. We learn why Caleb doesn’t trust the clones. It appears, by and large, the genetic modifications to the clones of Clone Force 99 have also interfered with their inhibitor chips. The Bad Batch boys seem confused by this “Order 66” and the chatter they are hearing on the coms. Things become more interesting and confusing as the Clone War ends and they return home to Kamino. Reality takes a harsh turn when it seems not all of them have malfunctioning inhibitor chips … because “good soldiers follow orders”.
I love that we get to see Kamino again and we learn who is behind the decommissioning of the clones and initiates the conscripting of Stormtroopers. So far I really like this new Omega character, though I’m not sure what her role is yet. She’s as curious about Hunter and his merry band of misfits as I am about her. Is she the overarching plot of the series? The “Baby Yoda” of The Bad Batch, perhaps? Then we find out there is a significant connection she has with Clone Force 99, and that’s when it gets really interesting.
Finally, who is this mysterious contact Hunter knows on J-19? There are some interesting theories going around. Some think it’s Rex, but I don’t think they know where Rex is right now. I like the idea that it’s Cut Lawquane (from Season 2 of The Clone Wars). What are your thoughts?
Honestly, I don’t need to justify, to anyone, why I enjoy all of the Star Wars movies. The Original Trilogy, The Prequel Trilogy, the Sequel Trilogy, Rogue One and Solo; I love them all. All of them are Star Wars to me. Having to justify why I enjoy any of the movies makes as much sense as justifying why I like a certain type of music. Nobody criticizes and belittles people for liking Hip Hop vs Country.
I know I’m probably taking a rather large risk here talking about Gina Carano. She is in some hot water recently and there are many who are fairly upset with her right now. I will not be offended if you chose not to read this post, however I assure you that I will not take a side. More on that later.
Grammar is so important and I cannot emphasize that enough. In a world where social media has such influential power, grammar even matters on your Facebook posts. Potential employers will research you and they will judge how lazy you are or even how intelligent you are simply based on your Facebook posts. If I were a hiring manager or if I am screening potential candidates, I will research your social media. I don’t expect people to have the grammar prowess of an Oxford English professor but I do expect people to know proper comma usage and punctuation.
The most sickening thing I’ve seen are blog authors taking advantage of the fan divisiveness to attract readers. Instead of reporting accurate information, they tailor facts to prey on people’s emotions simply to manipulate them to read their awful articles. This isn’t a prevalent blog but I still won’t sacrifice quality just to attract more readers. I will never manipulate the facts and I will never try to disguise my opinion as fact. I’m concerned this is a microcosm of all journalism.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”