Picking up only moments after the conclusion of last week's epic episode, "Reunion", we follow a wounded Bad Batch as they track Omega, who's in the custody of the notorious bounty hunter, Cad Bane! This week's episode continues the streak of absolutely stunning visuals as we're transported to an abandoned cloning facility in the clouds. Lucasfilm Animation is really outdoing themselves with this series, and the action sequences in the cloudy, sunset lit, hallways of Bora Vio are just a delight to watch. All that being said, and despite some valuable character growth for Omega, it would have been nice to have her capture last longer than one episode.
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SSSW - The Bad Batch S1E8 "Reunion"
This show just continues to impress. Coming off an emotional high last week with the return of Captain Rex, 'The Bad Batch' one-ups itself with episode 8, "Reunion". As the episode title suggests, Crosshair is back, and he's hunting our squad with ruthless abandon. Having a villain that knows the heroes so intimately makes for an extremely compelling 26 minutes of television. Plus, add in some really inventive camera work and cinematography and we're talking about top tier Star Wars storytelling. If that wasn't enough though, a surprise appearance from a fan favourite character really ups the ante and takes this episode, and really the show as a whole, to the next level. This is must watch Star Wars.
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SSSW - The Bad Batch S1E7 "Battle Scars"
It's all business this week for 'The Bad Batch', as it wraps up a few lingering plot threads as we move into the second act of the season. Captain Rex also makes a return this week, with a fresh battle scar all his own, as he helps the squad remove their inhibitor chips with a visit to a familiar planet. You might wonder, how much more can they really mine from Order 66? And the answer seems to be, quite a bit actually. This episode uses the backdrop of order 66 to frame it an a whole new way as we get to live out a version of the horrifying moment through the eyes of Omega. It also nicely sets the stage for the return of Crosshair, making it easily one of the best episodes of the season so far.
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SSSW - The Bad Batch S1E6 "Decommissioned"
This week’s episode of ‘The Bad Batch’ brings us back to the good old days of clones vs clankers… in a way. The squad is given a new mission from Cid, and then heads to Corellia to hunt down a decommissioned Tactical Droid. Plus, a surprise appearance of a pair of characters from ‘Clone Wars’ season 7. Though someone might argue that their inclusion, at all, is somewhat problematic. Julian and Rachel break it all down.
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SSSW - The Bad Batch S1E5 "Rampage"
We pick up with the Bad Batch as they attempt to gather intel on why Omega has a bounty hunter on her tail. The plan is to meet with an old Jedi informant to try to ID who was chasing them. The plan, unsurprisingly, goes sideways when they are recruited by the informant to do a "rescue" mission in exchange for the information. It's another step into the underworld for our squad, but also the introduction of a fascinating new character in Cid, as well as some fun connections to 'Return of the Jedi'. Listen as Julian and Rachel break it all down!
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SSSW - The Bad Batch S1E4 "Cornered"
The picture of what ‘The Bad Batch’ will be like week-to-week is becoming more clear. This week’s episode “Cornered”, brings a fan favorite character to animation for the first time, but more importantly, it established that this show is not interested in slowing down, and in fact seems to be speeding up, despite there still being 12 episodes left. The pacing here is relentless but never feels rushed, even with only a 22 minute runtime, and the they are finding clever ways to blend the truly spectacular action (some of, if not the best, non-lightsaber action in recent memory) with some tender character moments. Plus, the show is apparently not afraid of getting dark as this week episode continues to prove. I’ll say it again, this is top tier Star Wars. Listen as Julian and Rachel recap the full episode right here!
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SSSW - The Bad Batch S1E3 "Replacements"
After a supersized recap of episodes 1 and 2 last week, Julian and Rachel return to discuss the more subdued (but surprisingly dark) third episode of 'The Bad Batch'. With an homage to 'Empire Strikes Back' and undercurrents of political intrigue maintaining the momentum this week's episode might not move the plot forward much but it makes up for it in style. The control chip is still top of mind for all parties but new Imperial players start to lay the groundwork for a new conscripted army, all while the titular Bad Batch work to get themselves out of a jam. Join the SSSW Crew as they break it all down, scene by scene.
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SSSW - The Bad Batch S1E1 "Aftermath" and S1E2 "Cut and Run"
It's been a long 5 months since we last visited Mando and Grogu. But Star Wars Day brought a return to the galaxy far, far away with the premiere of the much anticipated 'The Clone Wars' sequel; 'The Bad Batch'. Julian is once again joined by Rachel to break down every scene from the 90 minute premiere "Aftermath", as well as the second episode of the season that came only two days later, "Cut and Run" (yes, it's a long podcast). Gorgeous animation, moving musical themes, a grittier tone and darker setting are all hallmarks of this new Lucasfilm Animation series, but will it reach the same heights as 'The Clone Wars'? Let's find out!
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SSSW - The Mandalorian S2E8 "The Rescue"
Wow, what a season. It really felt like ‘The Mandalorian’ came into its own as a show this year, and it never once felt like they needed to water down Star Wars to make it fit on the small screen. To be treated to the introductions/reintroductions of so many iconic characters was worth the price of admission alone, but the way each of these new, or returning, characters was treated felt like something you’d see in a blockbuster movie, let alone a streaming service. Which brings us to the finale, and what a finale it was! It jumps right into the action and never slows down, only taking a breath to acknowledge a well deserved goodbye (hopefully Din keeps his promise!). The inclusion of almost every new character we met this season (sorry Cobb!) added to the spectacle but the surprise inclusion of [redacted] was really the cherry on top. With all that said, there remains many lingering questions, and with you-know-who now watching over Baby Yoda, where does Din go next?
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SSSW - The Mandalorian S2E7 "The Believer"
After the return of none other than fan favourite/original Mandalorian himself, Boba Fett last week, we are treated to a classic Star Wars infiltration mission to retrieve the whereabouts of Moff Gideon’s cruiser. The episode is written and directed by Rick Famuyiwa, who also directed last season’s prison break episode, so it’s not surprising to see Bill Burr’s Mayfeld character return. Although traditionally a standup comedian, and with his appearance last season raising some eyebrows, we’re glad to report that Burr’s performance in this episode is top notch. His karisma is a breath of fresh air for a show that now has two stoic Mandalorians under helmets. The episode also does some great character building. Not just for Mayfeld, but also for Mando and Cara as well. Although having a relatively short runtime again, the pacing was spot on, and laid the groundwork for next week’s unpredictable season finale, where it feels like almost anything can happen!
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