Ryan Shoots First: The Clone Wars (S7 Ep1) “The Bad Batch”
Yes, back from the dead is one of the best Star Wars properties out there in The Clone Wars. A show that started as a mini made for TV movie with an annoying Padawan for Anakin Skywalker that would eventually give us some of the best stories in all of Star Wars. It would also not only redeem some of the failed luster of the prequels but deepen our understanding of the force and deliver one of the most well rounded, developed characters in Ashoka Tano.
When Disney made the transition with its purchase of Star Wars, Clone Wars was one of the saddest casualties. The show was a hit and super popular but Disney wanted to pause and take stock of everything they had just spent billions obtaining and a cartoon airing on a rival network didn’t stand a chance. The years went on and the Lucas protege Dave Filoni is now at the height of his Star Wars powers and with that comes a new streaming service desperate for Star Wars content. That means at long last we get the proper conclusion to the Clone Wars story.
The first episode is titled “The Bad Batch” and if you saw the short teasers we are starting off this season with something Star Wars fans and especially toy collectors crave… Specialized Clone Troopers. It was great to hear familiar opening narrations again, the episode begins on Enaxis, the Clone armies are having trouble getting around the analytical core of the clankers. Rex and Cody have a plan to get around it as their plans while initially successful keep failing. Before heading out Rex shares a somber moment remembering his former squad mates Heavy, Echo and Fives. Rex has a theory Echo may be alive and helping the Separatists strategize against them. For the time being they call in Clone Force-99, The Bad Batch. They are a collection of defective clones that have mutations that can be beneficial on the battlefield. This means they are also a little unhinged and eccentric. They barely resemble clones and their leader Hunter looks like he is taken straight out of an 80’s action film complete with the Rambo headband, he has heightened senses. In addition you have the heavy brute Wrecker, the braining tech guy Tech, and the silent assassin Crosshair. I have loved over the seasons to see the clones change from the all white uniform clones we see in Episode 2 to now. They are grizzled and over the various years have developed different traits and quirks from their different experiences. Even though they all started the same their life experiences have shaped them differently to where they are completely different people. A fact revealed in their various armor that was once pristine is now adorned with different logos and call signs. I love digging into the nuances of the clones and their exploration of their purpose. It seems we will get more of this throughout the season as we move towards seeing the crew where we find them years later after Order 66 in Rebels.
The team attempts to infiltrate a communication hub to get some intel. They are shot down along the way to the joy of Wrecker. Cody gets knocked out in the crash and Wrecker goes Strong Man on the gunship to get him out. Now with a fleet of droids approaching the Bad Batch gets to work They systematically take down the whole fleet, these guys are going to be fan favorites for sure, their armor gives off a Mass Effect N7 vibe which tugs at my heartstrings. Things get tense as the Batch does not like working with “Regs”. They take the Cyber Center complete with a seamless “Hallway Scene” special. They discover there is no algorithm but a live signal from another planet. Rex’s suspicions have proven to be true as evidence points towards Echo being the one feeding the droids live intel and the episode ends.
It’s great to have Clone Wars back and with them having the proper chance to end the stories they set up it only seems right. The animation is better than ever with the luster of being a tent pole property for Disney+. The events of Revenge of the Sith are looming and seeing how Anakin, Rex, Ashoka and Maul all get to that place will make for some great TV over the coming weeks. The Bad Batch was of course the highlight of the episode with no Jedi and no Ashoka or Maul but all of the Clones from Force-99 are going to stick with fans. I expect to see them in comics and toys in no time. It was cool as always to see the inspiration for their gear as Filoni loves pulling from the Star Wars archives for inspiration. Hunter’s helmet looked even more like a traditional Storm Trooper helmet than the normal Clone helmet signaling just how close we are to the from of the Empire. Wreckers armor and size with his special helmet reminded me of the Space Trooper from now non-canon Expanded Universe lore. We got no sneak peek for next week so it remains to be seen if we follow the format of previous seasons where arcs are told in 3 episode blocks or if the story of Rex and Echo will play out over the season. You’ll just need to tune in to find out! And if we’re lucky at the end of all of this they will announce the Rebels sequel series!