TV REVIEW: Star Wars: The Bad Batch S1E1: “Aftermath”
Although much of the attention on upcoming Star Wars projects has centered on popular characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Bad Batch caught my attention more. Part of the reason for this is that Dave Filoni has proven to be among the most reliable creators in the Star Wars space right now, especially when it comes to telling animated stories. Between his work on Clone Wars, The Mandalorian, and the underrated Rebels, Filoni has proven himself to be the spiritual heir to George Lucas on every project he’s undertaken. He understands the lore better than anyone currently at Disney, he understands what Star Wars is as a series, he knows and respects his audience, and he’s built on what Lucas created in intriguing ways without throwing anything out.
If the early episodes of The Bad Batch are anything to go by, Filoni continues to bring these strengths to the small screen. The Bad Batch continues generally where The Clone Wars left off, though you don’t have to have seen that show to understand this. The Batch only appears in three early episodes of Season 7 of The Clone Wars, and we do not see their role in Order 66 until this episode. All you know is that the Bad Batch are a group of genetically altered super-clones (except for Echo, a cyborg clone who was a regular in Clone Wars previously). There are Easter eggs for those who have a deeper knowledge of the series; for instance, a young Kanan Jarrus (played by Freddie Prinze Jr.) appears early in the episode, and his escape sets up the Batch’s desertion from the Empire. At the same time, you don’t need to know the connections to understand the episode, though you’ll get a more complete picture of the story if you have seen Clone Wars and Rebels. For all that it’s grounded in Filoni’s big picture storytelling, “Aftermath” is an accessible setup for those who just want to learn more about the Batch and their main storyline.
That storyline operates on a simple premise, but it works. Because of their unusual nature, the Batch are unaffected by the inhibitor chips that enable the Empire to control the regular clones. “Aftermath” sets up the inciting incident of the series, where the Batch are given morally compromising orders by Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin (a younger version of the later Grand Moff Tarkin played by Peter Cushing in A New Hope) and eventually go rogue. They are joined by a young female clone and medical tech named Omega, who is similarly enhanced (though her power is treated as a mystery) and joins the Batch on their journey. The episode spends time with each member of the Batch, and they have distinct personalities and roles on the team. At the same time, we do see depth beyond the clones’ basic functions. Wrecker may be a brawler who doesn’t think much, but he does sometimes show moments of real insight. Hunter, the team’s leader, is typically a loner who thinks about the mission first, but every clone matters to him and we see his softer side through his interactions with Omega. Tech is a genius, but sometimes he has foolish moments between taking his insights for granted and social awkwardness. Echo is the recent addition who’s haunted by his recent experiences in the Clone Wars, but we see the man he once was shine through occasionally. Crosshair is the conflict character of the first episode, forced into the role of tragic villain as Tarkin takes a more direct hand in the clones’ operations. Omega is a sheltered innocent who knows nothing of the wider galaxy, but she has the potential to be the most powerful of the Batch for all that she seems the most helpless. The clone troopers were always an allegory for soldiers as a “band of brothers”, but they are this in a literal sense. That familial relationship is especially strong among the members of the Batch, who are outsiders even among their own clone family, and bond with each other because of their differences. Each of these characters is fascinating and adds something different to the cast, and they’re all entertaining characters with real potential.
Although there are memes that describe The Clone Wars that highlight all of the numerous roles of versatile voice actor Dee Bradley Baker, The Bad Batch takes it to a whole new level. The Bad Batch truly is the Dee Bradley Baker Show, taking advantage of Baker’s impressive range as a voice actor. Baker plays the entire Bad Batch except for Omega, in addition to voicing all the regular clone troopers and the other clones in the episode. At the same time, Baker rises to that challenge, giving every clone a different personality through his performance. Every clone has a distinct voice, from Wrecker’s trigger-happy brutishness to Tech’s detached brilliance, Echo’s haunted war-weariness, Crosshair’s dangerous loyalty, and Hunter’s reluctant heroism. It’s no stretch to say that Dee Bradley Baker has been the linchpin of this cast, holding the series together with his experience and outstanding voice talent. I was honestly surprised that Baker wasn’t voicing Omega as well, as he’s just been that good, but Michelle Ang picks up the role nicely. Ang sounds like a believable member of the clone family and someone who might be the clone daughter of Temuera Morrison’s Jango Fett. Stephen Stanton does an excellent job of capturing the voice that the great Peter Cushing gave to Tarkin, giving his Tarkin a cold and sinister menace. It’s also nice to see Freddie Prinze Jr. return to the role of Kanan (under his original name of Caleb Dume), as we see how the Jedi hero of Rebels survived Order 66 as a Padawan apprentice. Prinze sounds like a younger Kanan, while also coming across as the same character I enjoyed from Rebels. Ian McDiarmid is credited in this episode as well, though it’s hard to say if he was brought in to do his lines here, or if his “first Galactic Empire” speech was lifted directly from Revenge of the Sith (though I suspect it was the latter). The other cast members carry off their roles well, though it’s largely Baker and Ang who truly carry the show as a whole.
Thus far, Star Wars: The Bad Batch is in excellent hands under the guidance of Dave Filoni and Jennifer Corbett. Filoni focuses well on the familial theme of Star Wars, usually finding different takes on that idea on every show he’s written for. That holds true with the Batch especially, given that they are all clone siblings, and the growing adopted father/daughter dynamic between Hunter and Omega hits that point deeply. Moreover, Dee Bradley Baker truly shines in the early episodes of this show, giving us characters I want to learn more about. Although Omega’s mysterious ability is probably telegraphed a bit too obviously, and Crosshair’s fate is a bit disappointing, there’s much to love in this series otherwise. It’s a show that sheds light on the early Dark Times of the Empire, a time period we haven’t seen much of on screen, and there’s real potential in that setting. All in all, I strongly recommend not missing out on this show. If you’re a fan of Star Wars, and you’ve enjoyed shows like The Mandalorian, The Bad Batch offers the same kind of heart, characterization, worldbuilding, and respect for the lore that Dave Filoni does well.
Score: 4.5/5
Writers: Dave Filoni and Jennifer Corbett
Directors: Steward Lee, Saul Ruiz, and Nathaniel Villanueva
Cast: Dee Bradley Baker, Michelle Ang, Stephen Stanton, Tom Kane, Freddie Prinze Jr., Andrew Kishino, Ian McDiarmid, Archie Panjabi, Bob Bergen, Gwendoline Yeo, Ben Diskin, Matthew Wood
Author Profile
- Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).
