Review: Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 Ep. 1 to 4 – The Squad is Back In Town

The first season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch introduced viewers to the fallout of Order 66 and the immediate aftereffects of The Clone Wars. It was like a direct sequel to The Clone Wars Season 7, for better or worse. Not only did we get a new group of characters to follow within the Star Wars galaxy, but went on new adventures that were fresh but familiar to many of us already immersed in a galaxy far, far away. Season 2 of The Bad Batch follows up a short time after the events of the Season 1 finale, reuniting us with Clone Force 99 and Omega as they try to make a way for themselves in a changing galaxy under the rule of The Empire.

Right from the start, the first four episodes of Season 2 show a lot of good things going well for the series. Despite the lukewarm reception of Season 1 by viewers, The Bad Batch has managed to tell a lot of interesting stories that are fun to follow, while also building up the lore of Star Wars as a whole. The first two episodes act as one complete story, taking the team to the planet of Serreno and thrusting them into a mission that gives a heavy nod to The Clone Wars.

Hunter, Omega, and the squad need to get a shipment from the abandoned war chest of Count Dooku, located in Dooku’s palace. The squad ends up getting into a lot of trouble with the Imperial force located on the planet, while also coming into contact with a citizen of Count Dooku’s former home, giving them, and us the viewers, insight into how bad things got during the Clone Wars and during the rise of the Empire. It’s through all of this we see how much the relationship between Omega and Clone Force 99 has grown, with the clones seeing her as both a squad mate and family. Hunter may act like the fatherly figure to Omega, but both he and the whole squad are still her clone brothers. They help and back each other up when it counts, and we see the emotions they feel when things get dire. A lot of your enjoyment of the series will depend on either your love of these characters or the deep-cut fan service that compliments their story.

Speaking of which, there’s a lot of fan service scattered throughout the episodes. Luckily for everyone, it’s not gratuitous but rather handled in a tasteful way that makes sense when it needs to and expands different aspects of Star Wars lore. A lot of designs for various parts of ships, trooper outfits, and other background objects get a lot of inspiration from Star Wars concept arts, often based on the original trilogy, as well as elements from The Clone Wars not highlighted often. You may not notice everything the first time you watch the episodes, but you’ll be surprised at what you’ll find when you go back and look. Star Wars fans that love their easter eggs will have plenty to enjoy throughout.

But does that mean the stories being told in Season 2 suffer from it? Absolutely not, as is the case with the third episode of the season. Episode 3, titled “The Solitary Clone”, is focused on Crosshair and his time working for the Empire. Not only do we get a deep look at how things are going from within the rise of the Empire, but we also get echoes of the past with the inclusion of Commander Cody, the same clone who worked alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi during the Clone Wars and betrayed him during Order 66.

This episode will be deep for some because it not only shows how things have changed after the Empire takes control of the galaxy but details how some of the clones have questioned Order 66. What will make this episode a highlight of the season is the dichotomy of peaceful and aggressive solutions to how the Empire is handling things with each planet it occupies. The action is great and the deep cuts from The Clone Wars will make fans super happy at how well it blends everything up to this point for the series and the Star Wars franchise as a whole. How it ends will not be too shocking for those who have been following the series from the start, but it will remain very impactful nonetheless for everyone.

The fourth episode of Season 2 is more of a filler episode that takes Omega, Tech, and Wrecker to the planet Safa Toma. While Hunter and Echo are on a separate away mission, the group accompanies Cid to the planet for a racing event where she can earn extra credits.

The racing we see is called Riot Racing, which is a little different from the well-known pod racing from the Star Wars prequels. Racers can fire weapons at each other on the track and use other hazards to gain an edge against the competition, kind of like the Star Wars version of Mario Kart in some ways. While there aren’t a lot of big things that the episode gives to affect the series as a whole, it does plant a seed of doubt in Omega, Wrecker, and Tech about Cid and her motivations. How this will affect the rest of the series is anybody’s guess, but it’s known that there’s much more to Cid than what she lets on.

Up to now, Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 is looking to deliver great things while promising more excitement over the rest of the show. While there’s much more explanation needed for how the squad fits into the big events going on in the galaxy, there seems to be a lot of setup for answers later on. Though there’s been a lot of fan service scattered in multiple episodes, no signs of a big cameo or appearance from a major Star Wars character is known. For now, how the show is building up its characters and telling fun stories is much more beneficial, indicating a direction for how this series will shape up to be in its second season.

Are you watching Star Wars: The Bad Batch every week, or did you watch all of the first season? Ready for more great Star Wars content to come soon? Post a comment down below and let us know your thoughts!