[7.6/10] Enjoyed this one quite a bit! The main story deftly married a central thematic idea with some ripping action. Considering the Separatists were the major enemy of the Clone Wars, the post-Revenge of the Sith on-screen media hasn’t dealt much with what happened to their remnants in the Imperial Era. I appreciate the glimpse not only of how one of those systems is faring after the rise of the Empire, but also how the Bad Batch find themselves having to trust people who were once their enemies.
The episode doesn’t go very deep on either of these things, but both are potent ideas conveyed in an age-appropriate way. Senator Singh is a great microcosm of that (Alexander Siddig, bridging the Star Trek/Star Wars divide!) His ideas of wanting to stand up for his people, despite Imperial pressure (and implied torture), and struggling with the decision to live another day rather than keep fighting for the sheer futility of it is a simple but effective one. Siddig’s performance gives him shading that amplifies what’s in the script, and it makes him feel of a piece with Hunter and company, who found themselves fleeing and figuring things out in a post-Republic world.
They are a bit on edge in this one, getting information and advice from formerly Sepratist potentates that makes them question whether this is all a trap, whether it’s Senator Singh or his protocol droid, GS-8. Again, these decisions are straightforward -- accept a code, go into a particular space, head into a seemingly dead-end -- but the show and the backstory make these decisions meaningful under the circumstances, which is what you ask for from these types of legacy series.
Plus, on a base level, the action is just good. This is one of the episodes of Bad Batch that feels most like the old Clone Wars show, appropriately enough. The group's tactics against the stormtroopers and their tanks feel of a piece with the Clone Trooper’s tactics against the Separatists. And a simple extraction mission for an important diplomat seems like the sort of thing Anakin, Ashoka, and Rex might tackle in the former series. In particular, helping to sack a lush city feels like their adventures on Onderon. But the fights are crisp with a nice back and forth between the g ood guys and their foes, and some good Threepio-esque comedy and help from GS-8.
The B-story is good as well, seeing Omega left behind for fear that she’s at risk after the events of the past couple episodes, only to discover a special talent for strategy with some encouragement for Cid. It works well because it softens Cid, showing that despite her rough edges and mercenary bent, she has some well-worn wisdom and support to offer. And I like the idea of Omega not feeling helpless, seeing that she has something to offer even if she doesn’t quite have the braun of her comrades. It’s also about Hunter realizing that too, which is good. It’s understandable that he’d want to be cautious after Cad Bane and Fennec Shand were on her tail, but seeing that Omega is capable and apt to provide a tactical advantage (as displayed through games of Phil Tippet’s famed holochess) is a good way to show both of them getting over it.
Overall, this was a very sound installment that did everything it set out to do quite well.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-07-06T15:46:20Z
[7.6/10] Enjoyed this one quite a bit! The main story deftly married a central thematic idea with some ripping action. Considering the Separatists were the major enemy of the Clone Wars, the post-Revenge of the Sith on-screen media hasn’t dealt much with what happened to their remnants in the Imperial Era. I appreciate the glimpse not only of how one of those systems is faring after the rise of the Empire, but also how the Bad Batch find themselves having to trust people who were once their enemies.
The episode doesn’t go very deep on either of these things, but both are potent ideas conveyed in an age-appropriate way. Senator Singh is a great microcosm of that (Alexander Siddig, bridging the Star Trek/Star Wars divide!) His ideas of wanting to stand up for his people, despite Imperial pressure (and implied torture), and struggling with the decision to live another day rather than keep fighting for the sheer futility of it is a simple but effective one. Siddig’s performance gives him shading that amplifies what’s in the script, and it makes him feel of a piece with Hunter and company, who found themselves fleeing and figuring things out in a post-Republic world.
They are a bit on edge in this one, getting information and advice from formerly Sepratist potentates that makes them question whether this is all a trap, whether it’s Senator Singh or his protocol droid, GS-8. Again, these decisions are straightforward -- accept a code, go into a particular space, head into a seemingly dead-end -- but the show and the backstory make these decisions meaningful under the circumstances, which is what you ask for from these types of legacy series.
Plus, on a base level, the action is just good. This is one of the episodes of Bad Batch that feels most like the old Clone Wars show, appropriately enough. The group's tactics against the stormtroopers and their tanks feel of a piece with the Clone Trooper’s tactics against the Separatists. And a simple extraction mission for an important diplomat seems like the sort of thing Anakin, Ashoka, and Rex might tackle in the former series. In particular, helping to sack a lush city feels like their adventures on Onderon. But the fights are crisp with a nice back and forth between the g ood guys and their foes, and some good Threepio-esque comedy and help from GS-8.
The B-story is good as well, seeing Omega left behind for fear that she’s at risk after the events of the past couple episodes, only to discover a special talent for strategy with some encouragement for Cid. It works well because it softens Cid, showing that despite her rough edges and mercenary bent, she has some well-worn wisdom and support to offer. And I like the idea of Omega not feeling helpless, seeing that she has something to offer even if she doesn’t quite have the braun of her comrades. It’s also about Hunter realizing that too, which is good. It’s understandable that he’d want to be cautious after Cad Bane and Fennec Shand were on her tail, but seeing that Omega is capable and apt to provide a tactical advantage (as displayed through games of Phil Tippet’s famed holochess) is a good way to show both of them getting over it.
Overall, this was a very sound installment that did everything it set out to do quite well.