JD Disturco, reporter
@JDDcourant
On Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, Star Wars: The Bad Batch aired its series finale, concluding the plot and characters followed since the first episode in may 2021. The show features five enhanced clone troopers and their journey of escaping the newly founded galactic empire.
Each of the enhanced clones has unique traits. Crosshair, played by Dee Bradley Baker, is an excellent sniper who rarely misses a shot. On the other hand, Tech, also played by Dee Bradley Baker, has an advanced understanding of technology. Along with their other teammates who have super strength and can sense electromagnetic frequencies, plus the squad’s successful tactics, the Bad Batch is a formidable team against their foes.
The show follows the empire’s hunt for the youngest member of the Bad Batch, Omega, who unlike her millions of brothers, doesn’t age as rapidly. But that is not what makes her unique.
The villain, Doctor Hemlock, assists in cloning Emperor Palpatine, a plotline that carries into the sequel trilogy, which takes place up to 50 years after this show. To successfully clone the emperor, Hemlock needs a perfect midichlorian count. Midichlorians are the very thing that allows one to wield the force, so to clone Palpatine, one of the most powerful force users takes an ideal Midichlroian count, which omega has.
The Bad Batch faces a variety of triumphs to protect their sister. Tech dies in the season 2 finale, sacrificing himself for his brothers and sister to protect them from capture and execution.
The main cast’s strong connection is a driving point for audiences. The characters from their inception in the final season of Clone Wars, have always had a tight bond, one that this show was made to explore, along with the cloning plot.
The series finale encapsulates all the emotions presented before it in a stellar, intense, and moving 50-minute episode, double the length of a normal one. The final episode concludes most of the major plot points. Hemlock dies at the hands of Crosshair, and his operations stop for good.
The animation of the show has been consistently incredible. Bad Batch uses the same studio as Clone Wars and Tales of the Jedi- offering better lighting, shadows, and detail- Bad Batch’s animation is an enormous improvement from the shows before it and a testament to the overall quality of the show.
The Star Wars franchise has tried a variety of different animation styles. They tried a painting-based style for Star Wars: Rebels and an anime-inspired style for Star Wars Visions. Both styles look good but can’t compare to the depth of Bad Batch and Clone Wars.
The Bad Batch serves as an excellent sequel to the Clone Wars. Old characters constantly reappear. Fan favorites return; former captain Rex assists the Batch throughout their journeys. Many other clone troopers return; Commanders Cody and Wolffe of the 212 and Wolf Pack are in the second and third seasons of the show. Both characters initially work for the empire but leave after seeing the unorthodox tactics of the empire. Asajj Ventress, the former Sith apprentice of Count Dooku, returns to help Omega learn about her M-count, a central plotline in the show. Bad Batch gave closure and expanded the stories of characters from The Clone Wars while progressing the plot.
The Bad Batch is an extraordinary case of uniqueness while feeling similar. The main cast of characters encapsulates this perfectly. The concept of genetically altered clones fits the theme of the show about outsiders. The Bad batch begins the series as outsiders to the other clones, but as time dwindles, the regular clones get replaced, leaving the Bad batch as some of the last clones around. All the characters have individual arcs where they learn something valuable to themselves. Crosshair is initially part of the empire but abandons them as Cody and Wolffe did, and he strives for forgiveness from his brothers. After killing Hemlock and saving Omega in the series finale, Crosshair finally redeems himself. Hunter, the group leader, struggles with letting Omega roam on her own, but in the series finale, finally lets her leave and serve the rebellion against the evil empire. Tech, many fans’ favorite, learns to be more connected to his family and does so by sacrificing himself. The show does all of the service of its characters through the development they receive.
The end of the Bad Batch marks the end of an era. The Bad Batch is the final installment of the prequel trilogy. It does the prequel trilogy justice, tying everything together and setting up for the future. The Bad Batch was incredible and will live on as one of the best Star Wars projects for its character work, animation, and story.
