Star Wars: The Bad Batch

This series is incredibly formulaic. Not exactly original but that doesn't mean it's bad. A good formula executed well can still equal a great show, which is what this is. It really speaks to how effective certain tropes are when even after seeing slight variations of the same things time and time again, still elicits feelings of satisfaction in the hearts of the audience.

For instance, the villain is someone that we've seen countless times before, but it's pulled off so well in such perfect form that it just works because he's who we want him to be. Our heroes also conform to such typical stereotypes but again, done so well that we don't mind and even welcome it. It can be argued that the uninspired roles they fill with personalities to match are reasoned away in the larger context of what it means to be a clone, but that's just another convenient variation of a theme that we're comfortable with. The entire show is filled with things like this, such as Omega being somehow special and needs to be guarded, but her guardians also recognize her as a full member of the team so that's different enough to accept as something fresh. Or how we see old characters make an appearance for arguably little more than nostalgia, yet as transparent as this is it's briefly explained away via story and we just accept it because we want to. This continues all the way through until the finish. The way things end up is exactly as expected. Outside of one event that the writers shockingly committed to, nothing else was surprising in the slightest and there's nothing wrong with that.

Now combine all of the above with superb animation, excellent lighting and atmosphere, A+ voice work, great scene composition, good pacing / transition and you end up with something fantastic.

I only have one complaint, and that's the inclusion of fillers. There may have been fillers in the original clone wars series, but that had far more episodes than this one and could allow for it. The ones present here would have benefited from being a little more focused and less freeform.

I really enjoyed The Bad Batch. If you were a fan of the series that came before it this is a must watch. Or if you simply like good storytelling, for which this is an excellent example of.

My original review is below, and I'm happy to report the show does indeed go in interesting directions. Basically, half the episodes are standard "mission of the week" type filler that can be skipped. However, hidden away in this show about defective clones is some of the most important SW backstory and setup for plotlines that carry all the way through to the new First Order era of content. And it's fantastic. Not just the stories, but the style, animation, soundtrack, etc, are fabulous. I grew up with the original trilogy, and this is some of the best content I've seen in the entire franchise. Do yourself a favor and find a list of the essential Clone Wars and Bad Batch episodes and watch them. You don't have to sit through all the boring filler - there's still hours of epic stories and character arcs to be enjoyed.

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Interesting start to this new series, but it's already slipping into tired, formulaic plots that we've seen many times before. The characters already feel stale and annoying. There is promise here, so hopefully they will take the show in interesting directions. However it's worrying that episodes are already starting to seem like filler.

This show is very much like clone wars as it balances dark and serious moments with fun and lighthearted! In Clone Wars some of the arcs were mature and amazing that build upon the movies and cannon, while some felt like dumb filler with no purpose!

The same goes for this show, as some of the episodes are side quests, mainly aimed for kids, and some of the episodes contribute to the overall story, are more dark and mature, especially in season two, and aimed for the more mature or older audience who grew up watching The Clone Wars and the movies!

I would say you dont need to watch every episode! Some of the filler episodes can be skipped and you wont miss out! I skipped some of the filler in season two and I enjoyed that season more than one!

The animation though is amazing and that goes for every episode, even the ones that don't matter! Soundtrack is also fantastic as it creates a vibe unique to this show!

The show might have its ups and downs but is still better than some of the live action star wars shows!

Excited for season 3.

My favourite part of The Bad Batch is whenever the episodes aren't focused on them. I wholeheartedly believe that if the series focused more on the morality of the clones and the ethical dilemma that they present it would be far greater than it already is. By far the most interesting and mature theme of the show is seeing the clones get cast aside for the new Stormtroopers. As well as seeing the development of the Empire. Seeing how they are mistreated and abused is so heartbreaking and thought provoking it's the PERFECT theme for the show. I just wish the theme was consistent across the series. But the gems that do touch on this subject is what makes this and 8/10 for me.

The bad batch returns to the characters first seen in clone wars season 7. This first episode is an amazing buildup to what I believe an even better rest of the season. It is packed with some nice action, big suprises and gasping for air moments. I am very interested to see where it is going. Definitely worth the watch.