#tbb critical

[cloned-eyes]

two things i never thought i would say:

I hope Tech stays dead because if he comes back now its just way to little time to make it work. And also of they bring him back last Episode to be idk tragically murderd by his bros this series will be genuinely ruined for me.

I miss Cid and i would have liked to see her a) have a redemption arc or b) have to deal with the consequences of her betrayal. She was set up during season 2 to "grow" (at least in my opinion) and that betrayal was in character and it would have been perfect for conflict

#the bad batch #star wars #tbb tech #tbb wrecker #tbb crosshair #tbb hunter #tbb critical #tbb season 3 #Am i dramatic? Propably but i cant bring myself to enjoy this as much season as i hoped #i live for the strong Moments #but its also straining

[jedi-valjean]

Reposts are encouraged

#unwhitewashtbb #unwhitewash the bad batch #unwhitewashstarwars #unwhitewash the clones #unwhitewashtcw #the bad batch #star wars #tbb hunter #tbb tech #tbb wrecker #tbb crosshair #tbb echo #tbb critical

[liontalon1]

I think I’m at the point where i don’t want to see Echo again, and if you didn’t know Echo is my favorite character. I just want him to disappear with Cody to have their fates left up to us.

I’ll be honest i don’t trust the writers to do them justice at this point. They’ve made it very clear that they don’t care about Echo, and Cody was always a background character even in the clone wars. I went into this season expecting Echo to die (i think most of us did) but now i think it will just piss me off.

We’ve had one episode with Echo in it so far, I’m not counting the two episodes where he plays cab driver. Regardless of if you think Tech’s alive or not, you have to admit he had a good send off, it was built up the entire season. He had character development multiple episodes that focused on him even if some were filler. Echo hasn’t had that, so if they do kill him after being sidelined practically this entire show, what’s the point.

He’d be boiled down to a plot device (which i can argue the writers already have done). What purpose does he have but to hurt omega and the audience? I think that’s a big disservice to those of us that have been following his character since Rookies aired, to those of us that held the torch of him surviving after the citadel. I was there, i did my time on ff.net writing Echo survival stories, hell i found out he survived from my story blowing up with comments about if i saw the video.

Now again i wasn’t against him dying but i don’t think it’ll have the same emotional impact anymore. The writing this season has been so inconsistent and i think the show and characters are suffering for it. It’s really noticeable with Omega, the entire time she was on Tantiss she didn’t seem to care about anyone except Crosshair, Batcher, and Emerie (don’t even get me started on her). But the minute she sees Echo again (someone she knows cares about the regular clones) she’s upset about leaving them. Not one mention of them on Tantiss, doesn’t try to help them (i know she couldn’t have that’s not my point). Throughout the entire show the only one to care about them is Echo and the show itself is inconsistent on are they using stun bolts or not, oh they are but they’re also firing cannons at them????

I just don’t think the writers know where they want to take their characters, and plots are just pulled out of nowhere without any build up. This season started out with the potential of being my favorite but as it’s gone on I’ve just found myself disappointed.

#sorry for the rant #i’m just frustrated #the bad bad spoilers #the bad batch #tbb critical #commander cody #tbb echo #tbb omega #arc trooper echo

[supremechancellorrex]

I've been thinking about what the Bad Batch means to me these past few weeks and things just don't quite sit right. When I started watching the Clone Wars, it felt like a lot of love and care had been poured into the project. The clones had unique personalities built from the ground up, with even minor characters getting quirks. Hevy only appeared in two episodes, yet is so loved. Hardcase is missed despite only really appearing in one arc because of expert character crafting and real, actual effort with the writing.

The point of the Clone War was that the clones were individuals, they had agency and they could have an impact on their lives and others. Referred to as 'property', with no representation or rights, they are slave soldiers in function, who are biologically identical although at times with slight variation, but their personalities and motivations matter and have weight. This is why Fives nearly ruins Palpatine's plans. This is why Rex is able to resist the inhibitor chip in Order 66 and help save Ahsoka.

This is why I'm not sure I can forgive the Bad Batch.

Spitting on Grandpa

When the Bad Batch started, I was initially quite excited because it was advertised as a sequel to the Clone Wars. The first episode opens up with the title 'The Clone Wars' fading into the Bad Batch, but the show is anything but because the 'regs', as normal clones have been dubbed, don't matter now. Instead, the only characters with agency are a special group of clones who mostly don't look like the clones based on Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison) or even scientifically fit the basic definition of what a 'clone' is.

How is this not meant to be insulting for TCW and the Clone Fandom? I watch normal clones like Commander Wilco get shot in the face. I watch Mayday choke and die for Crosshair's development. I watch Rex play second fiddle to the Bad Batch on screen, the man and leader who used to always say "I'm always first, kid" and take the reins. I watch Cody appear for an episode only to not appear again this season and have no impact on the narrative other than Crosshair's development. Can 'regs' no longer change the world? Do the 'boring', 'regular' slave soldiers have no impact anymore?

Echo: "The fate of all the clones is now sealed because of us."

When it comes to normal clones impacting the narrative, the closest we get is Rex's resistance network, which features actual clones actually doing something. Yet apparently an episode about the Bad Batch discovering an island paradise world and battling a tsunami deserves more screen time than seeing how the 'regs' set that one up. Even this plot point is less about finally saving Howzer and normal clones like him, and more about Echo not being with the Bad Batch and further setting up the plot regarding Tech and Crosshair. The normal clones remain non-entities outside of the Bad Batch's development, they have no agency beyond this.

This is why we see stock reg clone characters bully the Bad Batch in the Season 1 opening, because despite them all being slaves under the thumb of fascism and the fact normal clones treated Ninety-Nine (the beloved hunchback clone from TCW Season 3) fine, it's the Bad Batch's plight that only matters now, their persecuted perspective on being special and better than the regs, regs that are now treated as old news, an afterthought. The world feels small, and inexcusably less richer than it was.

Essentially, we're no longer allowed to see what the reg clones motivations are, why there are reg clones that actually, canonically, dislike the Bad Batch as opposed to Ninety-Nine. People like to speculate, but on screen we are not shown or told in TBB. We're also not shown why all the named clones from Howzer, Mayday, Fireball, Gregor and Nemec to Cut, Cody and Rex never had issues with the differences other than they're the good regs I guess. Hell, even Cody and Mayday's remaining squad say nothing of Crosshair's mutations, not even one catty comment.

Conclusion

So, what does this mean? The Bad Batch steals the clones' agency and makes it their own. They wear the clone identity, but refuse to help normal 'reg slave' clones that look like actual clones in favour of focusing on themselves and their 'more important' personal problems. The Bad Batch are special not because of who they are or that they've worked hard, but because they look different from other clones, because they're just more capable and have special abilities. It's not who you are that counts, it's what you are.

And, now, I even see fans doing what TCW told us not to, disregarding normal clones, 'explaining' why the Bad Batch are fine to leave the reg clones to die because they called them "The Sad Batch" one time. Somehow the Bad Batch undoes all of TCW's work, stripping the clones of their agency and making them into just victims sleepwalking into extinction as we wait for the Bad Batch to consider trying to actively save them.

Echo: "The fate of all the clones is now sealed because of us."

And, then the rest of TBB go cave exploring and holidaying on Pabu. This series might as well be about natborns.

#the clone wars #captain rex #the clones #clone rights #star wars tcw #clone troopers #character writing #character agency #tbb echo #star wars #tbb season 2 #tbb critical #anti tbb

[clonehub]

The thing with six month time skips and emotional moments not being covered is that in books that's definitely not considered to be good rewriting, or at least it's extremely difficult to pull off without the reader feeling cheated. It's often the same with shows and movies. You can do a time skip YEAH, but if there's a major event or conversation that happened during it, what goes on after the time skip needs to feel satisfying or at least realistic. The thing with tbb that I'm seeing is that it's not even like they've moved on from tech.

It's like they forgot he existed entirely? And I'm gonna be honest, it's baffling to me to not show a conversation about Techs death between Crosshair and Omega, or crosshair and the rest of the squad. Like it just doesn't make sense to me. The emotional weight of such a convo is so like. Sorry I just woke up dbksdbkssnsn but like when you think about the balance of character development, did we need to spend so long watching Batcher get tamed? Was that what tbb stans got in favor of a revealing conversation?

And then again with crosshair and the rest of the squad....I really just can't wrap my mind around why they'd skip it. In universe yes it's been five months, but for the audience time works differently and tbb watchers' last memories of tbb were of s2's finale. Sometimes you gotta sacrifice the in universe timing of things for the audiences sake it's just so weird to me that they'd skip it. From a writer's perspective it doesn't make sense. Imagine if a character lied so massively that it ruined multiple people's lives but rather than showing that lie get revealed we jumped three months after and people only reference the life altering lie a handful of times.

#ch posts #tbb neg #tbb critical #bad batch spoilers #just to be safe

[jedi-enthusiast]

I'm bored, so here is how I'd fix 'The Bad Batch.'

Caveat: Obviously I would've preferred a show centered around clones like Rex, Cody, Fox, Wolffe, Echo, etc. instead of some random "special" clones we've literally never heard of, but that's not what we got so I'm making a post about what we have to work with. Also, obviously I'm not gonna cover every issue about the show, these are just the main things I'd change.

1. Un-whitewash them. In fact, un-whitewash all of the clones, but that's a given.

In the same vein, though, have them actually look like clones. It makes like 0 sense for them to have to hide or have to wear disguises or what have you to hide the fact that they're clones...when they don't look like clones.

I'm gonna be honest, if they weren't introduced as clones in the show, then I wouldn't have had any idea that they were clones. They look nothing like Temura Morrison or the other clones. Fix that.

Or, hell, if people are absolutely dead set on them looking different, have them hate the fact that they look different from the other clones rather than making them think they're so much better than everyone else.

Sure the Kaminoans might've said something or other about them being "better" then the other clones, due to their modifications, but they're also just as likely to have said something negative about them looking different since they want things to be uniform---not to mention that their "special modifications" probably got more attention on them from the Kaminoans, which would obviously be something that sucked ass and probably got them in more trouble/gave them more restrictions.

I feel like it'd be more plausible for them to want to blend in and not want that extra attention- (and everything that comes with it) -rather than them having a whole complex about being "so much better" than everyone else. Especially considering that, generally speaking, their modifications don't really seem to make them any more "special" than anyone else.

----------

2. Get rid of the animosity between TBB and the rest of the clones. It makes no fucking sense.

No more of the "regs" bullshit, no more of TBB not giving a shit about other clones, no more of the bullying that apparently went on on Kamino. None of that shit.

The whole "oh the regs bullied TBB because they looked different, boo hoo" thing doesn't even make fucking sense!!! 99 looked different than all the other clones and they fucking loved him! Not to mention the importance that the clones place on individuality, distinction, and being yourself---it makes no sense for looks, of all things, to be something the other clones make fun of TBB for!!

And, honestly, given how TBB consistently talked about/treated the "regs," I'm more willing to believe that the other clones started "bullying" them in retaliation to TBB calling them "expendable" and acting like they were so much better than them.

But, that's besides the point, anyway-

Have TBB actually care about the other clones, have them be close, have TBB have more than blank faced reactions to finding out their brothers are being mind controlled---actually have them give a shit and want to help, but they're unable to.

----------

1. In the same vein, get rid of the animosity Crosshair has with the rest of TBB. It makes no fucking sense, given the direction they're trying to take with the show.

It definitely makes no sense for them to have this whole plot/conflict thing about "saving Crosshair" when none of them actually seem to like each other.

In fact, make the whole team actually seem like they like each other---right now they seem like strangers who barely tolerate each other that just got locked inside a 7/11 together. If there's gonna be a show centered around them, that's gonna try and sell the idea that they care about each other or whatever, actually make it seem like it!!

Have them have more emotions about being separated from Crosshair, have them fuck up a mission on accident because they forgot he wasn't there, have them be more than just "😐" at everything, for the love of fuck.

----------

3. Instead of making them boring characters that are basically just stereotypes + a one-dimensional version of Echo, give them actual personality.

Also, assuming they keep the abilities the same, let their abilities actually affect them negatively instead of just being a way for them to one up everyone.

Hunter - Give him a habit of being overly anxious. He's supposed to be a leader and he's supposed to be close to his team, so have him be worried about making a wrong decision so he often overthinks things to make sure that doesn't happen. Have him look up to Cody and maybe try to emulate him, since Cody seems to take sort of "older brother" vibes when he's around other people, people just seem to look to him for answers- (yeah because he's Marshal Commander, but also let me just have this). Give Hunter sensory issues, have him get uncomfortable and irritable and upset when things get to be too much.

Wrecker - Instead of making him "stupid, childish, and strong," actually make him smart---he's supposed to be a demolitions expert, so he's not just gonna be a dumbass. Also, maybe make him really protective over everyone and self-sacrificing, believing that he's the strongest so he can take the things that everyone else can't---have him be reckless, not because he's stupid, but because he doesn't want his brothers- (including the "regs") -to do the same thing and get hurt. Give him chronic pain. It hurts to grow and he had to grow a lot more than the others---plus, with all the injuries he's endured from protecting the others, he's bound to have been a little fucked up by those.

Tech - They wanna make him autistic coded? Great, we need more representation, but don't feed into stereotypes this time. Make him smart when it comes to his interests---engineering, technology, etc---but then also have him be lost when it comes to things that aren't in his areas of interest, don't make him know everything because that's not realistic. Maybe give him anxiety when it comes to social situations, me and a lot of other autistic people I know get anxious because we don't know what's "right" and "wrong" in social situations, let him actually have anxiety related to his social awkwardness instead of him just- 😐 -all the time. Have him be curious about things related to his interests and prone to rambling about them---let him be excited to tell other people what he knows instead of just saying- "I thought it was obvious." I'm not really sure what Tech's special ability is supposed to be other than just "smart," so let's just say he has an eidetic memory or something. Give him insomnia. Again, me and a lot of autistic people I know have trouble sleeping, and also let him have stress related to everyone always looking to him for the answers---let him mess up and feel guilty about messing up because "he's supposed to know everything/be the smart one."

Crosshair - Don't just make him an asshole who's always looking for a fight---maybe just make him quiet but with a sarcastic sense of humor, that way it's a lot more shocking when he starts speaking up against Hunter. Let him also be anxious in social situations since he doesn't know how to navigate them, let him look to Hunter or Cody for cues on what to do. Instead of basically saying "let's leave Echo for dead, he's just a reg" in TCW, maybe have him be vocally supportive of Rex whenever someone else shows doubt---have him understand not wanting to leave someone behind, have him care deeply about his brothers, and then let that make it hit so much harder when TBB has to leave him on Kamino. He's supposed to be The Best Sharshooter Ever due to genetic engineering? Great, give him eye problems. Make really bright lights hurt him, so he has to wear his helmet to make things easier on his eyes---maybe have him struggle with seeing things really close to him.

Echo - JUST GIVE ME TCW ECHO BACK, AND LET HIM ACTUALLY HAVE PTSD FFS

----------

4. Finally, change the direction of the story.

Make more of their story center around trying to help Rex save their brothers and try to figure out how to stop the Empire, not just them apparently having the world’s worst luck and being shitty bounty hunter knock-offs. When Rex asks them to help the Rebellion/their brothers/whatever, have them agree to help and go with him rather than Hunter basically just saying- "welp, that sucks ig, but I only care about my fellow "special" clones, so nah."

Have them join the Rebellion and help Rex free the other clones, use the show to give us a deeper look into the clones---what sort of culture they would’ve developed, the complicated relationship they would’ve had with the Republic, etc.

Give us episodes that center around Gregor, Cody, Wolffe, Fox, Rex, etc. and give us insight into what their lives were like after the Empire took over, rather than just having this show about a random group of "special clones" basically copying the style of The Mandalorian.

#so basically just change the whole thing #that's what I'm getting at #unwhitewashtbb #unwhitewash the clones #anti tbb #tbb critical #tbb hunter #tbb wrecker #tbb tech #tbb crosshair #tbb echo

[moosethren]

I feel Clone X being Cody would be as emotional as it possible being Tech, because... the last time Crosshair saw Cody, they were fighting side by side. And Cody protected and helped Crosshair during the time, when all other regs ignored him.

Having Cody/Clone X call Crosshair out on "You could have been one of us" also has a double meaning of him trying to make Crosshair see the other side from S2.

I know people want it to be Tech and it probably is, but gods, having him be killed off and then brainwashed and revealed at what is gonna be the way mid/late part of the series is... oof. Especially since I doubt they'd kill him off AGAIN as a mercy kill because he's too brainwashed. That means he'd need to be helped back to normal again and there won't be enough time to handle that properly in the show.

But the latter is a problem in the series for sure; too many important things happen off screen and are often solved within one episode. The show isn't allowed to breathe and take things slow.

(Cody being revealed as having been brainwashed is of course bad too but like it or not, he's not one of the main characters of the show. Rex having to deal with a brainwashed Cody could very well be what forces him into retirement.)

Just my two cents.

And why is Echo ALWAYS sidelined in this show?!

#maybe they were too fed up with people calling everything filler in s2 and decided to always move the plot forward now #i really miss the old series where there was like 22 episodes at least in a season; and fillers ARE important #the bad batch #tbb season 3 #tbb critical #tbb spoilers #i love tech; he's my fave character but at this rate I don't think his return can be done in a satisfying way #like yeah sure theyre soldiers and handling things this and that way; but it's still a tv show; the AUDIENCE needs to see these things #you cant just hide everything between episodes and pretend its fixed afterwards

[highfantasy-soul]

I usually don't post about The Bad Batch, but here's at least one post about it: I will be SO IMPRESSED if they actually keep Tech dead!

One of the main sticking points I had with the entire concept of the show and the 'reject clones' (ugh I hate that they're called that and I WILL NOT call them anything to do with 99, they don't deserve it) was that they undercut everything I found interesting about the clones. The idea that everyone has been created to be the same, yet they still clawed for their own identities within the sterile and controlled ranks, they were just normal guys - no special powers up against those with the force and machines of war, they followed orders - even when they knew it would lead to tragedy or wasn't what they thought was right they still had to do what they were told, the fact that they failed - a lot, and one of the biggest things: they DIED.

They were literally created to be cannon fodder to DIE and be replaced by the exact same model time and time and time again. We would get to know a new group of clones for ONE episode, but when they died, we still felt it - though they were created to be red shirts to die and non one to think about them again, the writers of the Clone Wars showed that they mattered - each and every one of them. That they still clung to individuality and companionship with one another even though they knew they were destined to die in this war and be replaced without a second thought.

The Bad Batch flew in the face of this: they were a group of superheroes we were supposed to feel bad for? They didn't follow anyone's orders, no one had ever died from their group, and they looked down on 'regs' as less than them. And of course, they were resistant to the chips in their brains because they're just so special.

So, if they actually keep Tech dead, it would be such a ballsy move that would turn the tone of the show on it's head. Suddenly, the Bad Batch would no longer have plot armor, they'd be just like any other clones (I mean, not really, but closer than they ever had been before).

I'm pretty sure they'll reveal he was saved by the empire and experimented on a la the special assassin units they just introduced (or like Echo), but if they actually stick with it, I'll have so much respect for the show.

#tbb #the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers #tbb critical #i suppose this is more critical of the concept as a whole #I've actually liked the stories they've told and the tone they take better than rebels #I've just had to ignore the base premise that I so strongly dislike and just 'accept' it and judge what they're doing with the story itself #which has actually led to me really liking it #The fact that they've kept it much more 'small scale' with the goal not being to take down the empire but rather just help (1) person helpe

[mother-mommy]

TBB 03x09 SPOILERS

(Also a warning, I'm just expressing my frustration with this episode here so if you enjoyed it and are wouldn't want to have your fun spoiled with negativity, feel free to skip this rant. Now if you're also bitter about it like I am, welcome, you're not alone lol but to the point)

They brought Ventress back for THIS? Really?

They spat on a satisfying, emotional conclusion for the character's arc and journey, only to make her play teacher, be ooc, fight yet Another tentacle monster of the season and then fly away immediately after, cause they just needed someone to conveniently Force-test The Main Character Syndrome Personified, while also being well liked enough to generate hype from being in the trailer. Wow.

And they didn't even pick the more logical route of explaining her suddenly rising from the dead with the already established, famous for creating the Undead, Nightsister magic since she was buried in a lake on Dathomir?? Pfft who cares right, let's do a "Somehow Palpatine returned" all over again and make it sound like she's a cat and has 9 lives lol

As a Ventress fan, and a person who read and liked the Dark Disciple, but also a Bad Batch fan (at least a fan of the concept💀), to me this episode played out in one of the worst ways it possibly could've and I'm pretty disappointed but I guess not surprised. I only wish they wouldn't have tried to give us a false hope that it wouldn't mess with the established canon when they had to know well it would in fact just be another pointless retcon.

#tbb spoilers #the bad batch spoilers #tbb season 3 #bad batch spoilers #asajj ventress #tbb negative #tbb critical

[writingforfun0714]

So I wanted to wait and let the new Bad Batch trailer sink in before posting about it.

Warnings: Spoilers, some thoughts/opinions will be critical

Alright so I don’t think it’s any secret that I don’t care for the Bad Batch. Even ignoring the horrible, incredibly RACIST clone model, the writing is mid/passable at best and not even watchable for me. Most of S1 and 2 combined is the typical ‘mission of the week’ type of story where only a few Empire-focused episodes stand out. There are also instances of ableism concerning Echo in particular (CF99 are also super dismissive of him in general—going along with that whole fucking ‘superiority over regs’ thing—seriously wtf).

Most episodes were very bland and predictable. S1 had no stakes despite its finale. By Mando/ST it’s clear that something has happened to Kamino. Didn’t really need to see a 2pt ep of the city getting wiped. Plus AZI should’ve been sacrificed. Even Ahsoka learns the lesson that you can’t save everyone in S1 when she disobeys Anakin and Admiral Yularen. TBB S2 had no character development from anyone besides a little bit for Omega (and Tech—but that was always speculated by fans since S1 and he’s dead now so it doesn’t really matter). A lot of the dialogue felt…basic. I think the only thing that TBB does well is the music. It’s really amazing and beautiful along with the smooth, crisp animation/scenery. Shame they ruined it with racist clone models, racist tones with the ‘reg’ dispute in both seasons, and being ableist and dismissive towards Echo.

Which brings me to the trailer. Oh boy. First, right off the bat I noticed how similar the trailer opening is compared to the S2 trailer. I do like that Phee is back. She did take time to grow on me but I do like her character and am curious to see where they will go with her.

It’s interesting we are seeing Crosshair back with the group so soon. Personally I do believe that is Crosshair and not just someone else wearing his armor like some think. I like the idea of Omega and Crosshair escaping early on but Omega gets recaptured/separated and taken back to Tantiss.

I’m interested in Hemlock and his backstory (is his gloved hand robotic?). I wish they’d create more interesting and unique characters like Phee and Fennec Shand instead of relying on cameos of established characters/fan-favorites like Ventress. I loved Dark Disciple and I thought it was a great ending for her.

I know it’s officially said that Ventress’ story will follow Dark Disciple but I don’t see how unless they retcon her death or pull a ‘somehow she survived’. Either way that sucks. Reminder!! DAVE FELONY DIDN’T EVEN FOLLOW REBELS FOR AHSOKA. SABINE IS NOT FORCE SENSITIVE IN REBELS. DAVE RETCONS THE SHIT OUT OF EVERYTHING. I have no faith that they will remain loyal to DD. Anything that will be ‘canon’ will be mid at best because even Crosshair’s arc has been messy (which is due to the weird S1 ‘reset’ the characters go through. Like they totally should’ve appreciated ‘regs’ by the end of TBB arc in TCW S7–there was no need for that awkward food fight scene in S1).

I hate that this show has to rely on cameos to get the viewing numbers. Here is a list of every character cameo we’ve seen so far:

—Rex*

—Tarkin*

—Palpatine*

—The Lawquane Family

—The Syndullas/Chopper

—Nala Se/Lama Su*

—Cad Bane

—Bail Organa

—Riyo Chuchi

—Gungi

—Gregor

—Wolffe

—Cody

—Scorch

—Saw Gerrera

—Martez Sisters

—Kanan/Depa*

—Muchi/Rancor from RotJ

—Taun We/Halle Burtoni

—Ventress

*I consider these important/relevant cameos and am not bothered by them like the others*

What a list right? I might even be missing one. These were just off the top of my head. Some are big players, others smaller and almost not-relevant to the plot. Not counting the one’s I asterisked, it’s 15 characters. There are original characters but a lot of them, especially in S1 felt like one off, not important characters. And I hate Cid so much—glad to see she was absent in the S3 trailer. I’m really starting to love Phee and I’ve always loved Fennec Shand, and Hemlock is definitely an intriguing villain and Emerie feels like a total mystery (though the reveal was not shocking due to the similar design and accent to Omega). Like why can’t they create more characters like these? The rest just feel forgettable. And it’s clear that characters like Saw, Gungi, Scorch, Cad Bane and even the Syndulla and Lawquane families just felt like fan service. The rest kind of make sense that they’d show up but it also feels a bit like fan service.

Moving on..

I know a lot of people think that new weird dark trooper at the 1:40 mark is Tech. While I’m inclined to agree as I think the ‘Winter Soldier’ story is an obvious choice to pick, I also think that Tech is dead. I’ve changed my mind and kind of hope that Tech isn’t brought back.

I hope this is someone new. I also wouldn’t mind if it was a bounty hunter we’ve seen before. Due to the frame and stature, I could almost think of Boba due to him being older than Omega but it’s definitely more likely to be Tech than either of these choices.

It’s interesting a lot of cameo characters from S2 do not make an appearance in the trailer. Bail, Riyo, Gungi, Gregor and Cody are all absent from the trailer. Trailers usually show action shots to avoid story spoilers, but with Gungi, Gregor, and Cody all being capable fighters, I’m surprised they didn’t appear (usually stuff with politics is a story spoiler).

Overall I’m skeptical of the trailer. I don’t like Ventress being alive/in TBB being a Dark Disciple lover. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the story of S3 so I don’t feel like I can give an accurate take on that. I hate how Omega’s longer hair looks. Curly haired Omega is adorable!! The animation (everything but the clone model) is definitely getting better. However, based on how S2 was marketed as a ‘darker story compared to S1’ and was like 80% fetch quest I’m definitely skeptical.

Those of you that made it through this post, thank you for your time and I hope I gave you something to think about. If you wanna learn more about the racism and ableism portrayed in this show, check out @unwhitewashthebadbatch for more info.

#star wars #bad batch #thoughts #unwhitewash the bad batch #uwwtbb #tbb critical #Dave Felony Brad Rau and Jen Corbett are gonna wreck Dark Disciple #and Ventress #so scared for her #tbb season 3 #tbb s3 #spoilers #tbb season 3 spoilers #tbb s3 spoilers

[camirami]

I'm still not over how disrespectful the pilot episode of the Bad Batch was towards Kanan.

Hunter's discovery of Order 66 could have been done with any other of the thousands of Jedi existing while still accomplishing the same intended plot and purpose (learning about the inhibitor chips and how theirs doesn't work). Instead, Kanan and his master are forced into the show, and what is meant to be a pivotal moment in his life is shoved to the side so we can focus on other characters' reactions to that moment.

The Kanan comics also had a frankly more emotionally compelling depiction of the Order than the show itself. The battle's over, Kanan's happy because he finally understands his role as a Jedi, and he's relaxing and joking around with the clones and his master. Suddenly the rug's pulled out from underneath him, and he freezes up as the clones open fire and he's quickly forced to join his master in cutting them down. Depa tells him to run and that she'll follow him, but when he briefly turns around he watches as she is put down by his former comrades and friends.

In the Bad Batch, he's hanging around with some guys he met not even an hour ago, and he was already running away from his master when the order came down. Then the next few minutes is spent on Hunter trying to convince Kanan he's not going to kill him... Even though Kanan has less reason to trust him than the members of his own battalion.

It's even more frustrating because I just know that Kanan was included because Dave wanted him in as a cameo without taking into consideration that it would retcon the works of other Star Wars writers like Greg Weisman, something that's starting to become a bad habit for Dave.

#dave filoni critical #tbb critical #kanan jarrus #the bad batch #star wars #star wars the bad batch

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: “The Lost Commanders”

After the harrowing peril of the premiere we settle in for a more laid-back and chill adventure with some old familiar faces.

We open with the Rebels discussing what to do next, after the shankening that Vader handed them last episode.

(And let’s appreciate for a moment how, if not for becoming distracted by Ahsoka, Vader would have completely decimated Phoenix Cell in its entirety by himself.)

Ezra blurts out his ideas before remembering that he needs to have a modicum of proper decorum.  (I love his awkward little salute and Sabine shaking her head all cutely long-suffering.)  Clearly he feels comfortable enough to be himself in this formal, militarized environment.

“You are never shy with your opinions, Ezra Bridger,” has all the hidden consternated tones of, “Why did we let this feral gremlin child into the Rebelllion.” lol, Sato is just so confounded that this is his life now, he’s the commander of ragtag teams with literal fifteen year olds.

This episode is the first of what I’m going to affectionately call the “Friendship Fetch Quests”, in which we go have mildly interesting adventures and do something seemingly innocuous that gains us an ally that will wind up being important later.  Season Two is mostly this, if we’re honest.  We go to this location, we do this character’s Loyalty Mission, we gain them as an asset to call upon later.  It fits very well with the overall theme of connection and family, of making friendships and bridges that benefit the cause.  Ezra’s unique Force ability is literally the power to connect, so it makes perfect thematic sense that the show emphasizes the connections made to bring so many disparate people together and unite them in the fight against the Empire.

Anyway, Ahsoka decides to aim the Ghost crew at Rex, not telling Kanan beforehand that she’s sending him to meet some clones which is... a bit of a questionable decision.

“There are questions... questions that need answering.”  Aaaaaand take a shot every time there’s a Lord of the Rings shoutout in this show, we’re gonna be seeing a lot of them.

The fanfare is slightly altered this episode, vaguely TCW-sounding?

The Ghost suffers a Plot Contrivance so that Hera and Chopper can stay in orbit while the rest go down to the planet.  And MY GOSH this is pretty.

I know I keep harping on the soft, watercolor-like quality of the textures but seriously, the Ralph McQuarrie style is all over these backgrounds.

Ralph McQuarrie being one of the original concept artists for the OT; his designs and art style were largely recycled, reused, and repurposed for Rebels.

You can already tell Kanan is suspecting what they’re about to encounter.

Multiple other people have already pointed out that the AT-TE has a lot of Studio Ghilbi Howl’s Moving Castle vibes.  I’m just gonna reiterate them.

I love this moment right here with no music or dialogue, just the soft sound of the wind chimes.  Very zen.  Very lovely atmosphere.

I still haven’t actually seen TCW in its entirety, full disclosure, so I was not nearly as excited about this reveal as the Tari Husband was.

(He was sooo excited, lemme tell ya.)

HGKAJHSFKAHSFSA KANAN BEING CONFRONTED WITH A WALKING PTSD TRIGGER FROM HIS PAST AND HIS IMMEDIATE FIRST THOUGHT IS TO STEP IN FRONT OF HIS PADAWAN.

A couple people have pointed it out but Kanan’s posture here is mirrored to Depa’s in the Kanan: The Last Padwan comics.  (AKA the superior tragic Kanan backstory *glares at The Bad Batch*)  One hand forward, one hand with lightsaber back, shielding the padawan.

Love that.

Lol awww, Ezra being excited about the Gen 1 Clone Trooper helmet and then disappointed when Rex tells him not to touch it.

Kinda dig that Ezra’s the one doing the talking.  Kanan has obvious issues with clones but Ezra doesn’t have that bias, and he’s naturally likable, so it’s easy for Rex to give in to him, at least somewhat.

*continues to grumble about The Bad Batch retconning Rex’s characterization here*

No, listen, this is why new writers need to be given refresher courses on the characters before they come on board and shows with interconnected continuities need to have detailed arc and plot maps to follow, sure we can infer and theorize that something or other sapped Rex of his motivation and drive to fight but then that’s fandom carrying the water and doing the work for the writers and I hate that, don’t do the writers’ work for them we deserve better than that!

*ahem*

But I’ll refrain from going into that rant.

Kanan’s expression. :(  He hates every minute of this.

This is a nice dolly shot around here.

THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION. :(

Ezra the empath, trying to understand why his master is so agitated.  How he shrinks slightly when Kanan yells.  How Kanan says he doesn’t want to discuss it but does so anyway because Ezra just has that effect on people?

THE ABSOLUTE PAIN AND RAW EMOTION IN KANAN’S VOICE AS HE TALKS ABOUT ORDER 66 AND WATCHING HIS MASTER DIE.

*grumbles a little bit about TCW Season Seven making this line of Rex’s into more of a self-cope than the honest truth*

This whole sequence with the Joopa hunt is technically completely superfluous but it’s soooooo much fun. :D

The camerawork, the dialogue, the animation, the sound design and music, the Old West adventure-feel of it, the badass little moments and characterization bits for Sabine and Zeb and Kanan and Ezra...

It just makes me smile.

Speaking of the music though, this has such a classic Hollywood sound.  Bombastic strings and brass, soaring into high notes and dancing.

(Favorite bit of this sequence is Kanan kick-jumping his rod into Ezra’s hands and Ezra immediately turning around and jamming them both into the line.)

Sweet.

This shot. <333

Zeb deciding to roll with Gregor’s compliment. <333

A brief snippet of Ezra’s theme here, when Kanan calls Hera.  I’m actually not going to grumble about Hera’s backstory later being filled in a little, that was undefined enough that the fleshing out didn’t change anything vital.

Instead I’m going to note this very pretty flute line here.

Rex and Ezra’s friendship is criminally underrated.  I bet Rex sees shades of a younger Ahsoka in him and Ezra just sees a cool old guy with great stories, another strong male influence for a teenage boy who needs them.

Ezra still can’t help talking Kanan up though.

<3333

Ezra playing peacekeeper.  (Not for the last time.)

As I said, still haven’t fully watched TCW but I do appreciate that Wolffe and Gregor are both obviously damaged by their wartime experiences, Gregor by going just slightly batty, Wolffe by being a paraonoid anxiety wreck, white bites the Rebels when he calls the Empire.  Rex having to remind him, “[The Jedi] weren’t the ones that betrayed us.” and “The war is over.” are like so many self-regulating mantras he must have practiced, to remind both him and the others of the truth.  The chip’s influence lingers, even though they’ve all had it removed.

Ezra looking between Rex and Kanan like an anxious child in the middle of a custody battle lol.

This sequence is loose with the animation, bouncy like the first season, but the quick movements and shot choices emphasize the frantic nature of them needing to shoot the probe.

A veeery small excerpt of the Imperial March here as we close out.

This episode (and it’s following companion) is soooo rewatchable.  It has the fun chill vibe of the first season with an emphasis on heavier character development and background stakes.  The clones are well-integrated into the plot, used mostly to trigger and discuss Kanan’s personal traumas, while also hinting at the crap the clones have gone through themselves.  There’s an almost self-defensive anger in Rex’s voice when he insists, “I didn’t betray my Jedi. [...] We all have a choice.” because for the clones... they didn’t.

I’m one of the people who likes the chips, who likes it being literally mind control rather than just genetic conditioning that turned the clones on the Jedi, like in Legends.  The way I tend to sum it up is thus:

With Order 66 being just one order in many that the clones followed unquestioningly because they’re just that loyal and obedient, it makes the clones seems more monstrous.  With it being a literal brainwashing device overriding their free will, it makes Palpatine more monstrous.

That he would choose clones instead of droids, because the Jedi would see the clones as human, as friends, as worthy of protecting and fighting alongside, and thus would be more blindsided, and the clones would be loyal and dependable friends right up until the chip kicked in and blanked them out, giving no warning, snaring the Jedi into the perfect deathtrap...

Hgnnnh the feels.

Ezra-as-everyone’s-therapist would continue through the season but for now let me just appreciate that Kanan’s issues are so deeply rooted it takes a few episodes to solve, lol.

Anyway, this episode is great.

#star wars #star wars rebels #rebels rewatch #liveblog #space dad and his precious pumpkin child #tbb critical

[supremechancellorrex]

Just got thinking, Star Wars has got a treasure trove of fantastic, interesting, well-developed clone characters that still have more to give. In fact, I'd prefer them over clones that don't look like clones, especially considering many clone characters, despite being stars, had limited screen time in TCW compared to other characters.

Why do TBB get a series to themselves first and others are neglected? Why not focus on Rex, Cody, Wolffe, Gregor, Fox, Echo, etc. Give me 'The Good Batch'! The awesome people actually proactively fighting to free slave brothers, battle fascism and make the galaxy a better place!

#star wars #the clone wars #star wars tcw #captain rex #the clones #clone rights #clone troopers #tbb critical #clone trooper wolffe #commander cody #commander wolffe #commander bly #arc trooper echo #give me a clone trooper franchise

[clonehub]

The bad batch has some of the shallowest writing I've seen in ages. The wrong character interactions get the attention, while the audience is left with a "tell, don't show" style of narrative storytelling that just leaves people unsatisfied left right and center. Hunter is upset because he feels guilty (a generous read imo) for letting omega get captured while Crosshair was the one to escape with her. Hunter is not mad at Crosshair for his decision to choose the Empire, which led to Tech's death. Hunter is not mad that Crosshair joined the regime that literally mind controlled him into attempting to set them on fire.

Omega afaik never had a solid, positive interaction with Crosshair the way she did with the rest of the bad batch all during seasons one and two. Crosshair tried multiple times to kill her, under influence of the chip. He objectively knew this and still chose the Empire. Omega also objectively knew this and forgives him anyways? And still has faith in him? She was hurt over his decision to stay, but never harbored any fear or resentment. Just pure and total love. And now she's guiding him through dealing with his trauma by meditating on sunset-lit beaches.

Wrecker is still a non-character who doesn't lead and hardly participates in any meaningful way in conversations. I don't recall him having any extensive conversations with any of the other batchers. I remember Tech being snappy with him, and Crosshair saying he has a tiny mind back in season 1. He has cute moments with Omega, but doesn't get developed outside. He doesn't get developed at all, really, besides following the narrow track of the trope set out for him.

The entire emotional arc of the series is dedicated to everyone around Crosshair forgiving him for his choice to join the Empire, but...he's never once thus far actually seemed remorseful. Does he condemn the Empire's violence? Does he look sad or regretful that he got so many of Howzer's men killed on Ryloth? Does he say "I hate what the Empire did to clones, I hate that they used chips on us, I hate that they made me oppress people throughout the galaxy, I hate that the Empire is a violent oppressive regime hurting innocents"? No. He says "The Empire wasn't loyal to me." He doesn't justify what he did, but he definitely doesn't regret it.

(Which is funny because soon afterwards, Rex is able to sow the seeds of doubt into Wolffe's mind that the Empire is bad because they're making him hunt a child.)

And the writers do the laziest thing in the world by having this potentially massive conflict between two characters and using rescue/saving their life as a stand in for a real conversation. Crosshair saves Hunter from the ice worm, they nod, and now they're chill/more chill. They present this as if anything else was a viable option, as if Crosshair would have reasonably or realistically left Hunter to get eaten by the giant ice worm. Then they frame Hunter and Crosshair's mistakes (for the former, I have no idea what) as on par with one another. After their non-argument, Crosshair saves Howzer's life (?), they nod, and that's it. Forgiven.

Halfway through the season and the writing still feels just as unbalanced as it did in season 1. Multiple people keep talking about how they feel like coworkers and roommates with guns rather than brothers. The writers do a better job saying the word loyalty than actually showing it. The majority of the emotional burden is being put on Omega, the only prominent female character in the series and a child. Why is she the emotional support group for a group of grown men? It's just classic misogyny. I'm amazed that type of trope even reared its head again, it's been so long since I've seen it.

Even the writers don't seem to know how to express the batchers' supposed love for one another. No, saving each other's lives is not proof of a deep love or even respect for one another. That's bare minimum. That's SoP. Them leaving each other to die would be the extreme thing, not the other way around. They hardly mention Tech. They had a forced-feeling "hang our heads in silence at the mention of tech's name", and every time after that he's been mentioned as far as his usefulness to the squad. Maybe the second half of the season will have people actually confront Crosshair about Tech. The "Don't have the heavy emotional conversations" thing has been a problem since The Clone Wars, unfortunately. Pretend Teth didn't happen. Pretend Umbara and the Kadavo arc didn't happen. Don't show Rex's reaction to Ahsoka leaving at ALL. Don't show Omega informing Crosshair of Tech's death, which is WILD to me.

Some people claim that the Bad Batch have had six or so months to grieve and mourn, and they're seasoned soldiers who've experienced loss and death before, so they're used to this. The former I can see, but the latter? Who would they have been losing? They're not connected to other clones, rarely worked with them, and never liked them. What losses have they fielded beforehand? They don't even act like 99 or share his values.

I know I'm not alone in this, and at this rate I'm probably beating a dead horse, but it bears repeating: Crosshair hasn't condemned Empire violence, he's only condemned how they treat him in particular. This is a dangerous way to present fascism and why people choose fascist organization/regimes. There's absolutely a personal element to it. Arrogance. Ego. Material or emotional insecurity. But there's an external part as well: desire for control, hierarchy, order, violence. Fascists understand that the ideology is violent. That's why they join the regime. They want and support the subjugation of those they believe deserve it. In real life, this is people of color, women, disabled people, immigrants, the "degenerates" of society, and others. In Star Wars, that's the aliens and the enslaved, the "traitors" and the Rebels. Fascists being "lead astray" or "misguided" by thoughts of loyalty or personal power come secondary to oppressing others.

Maybe they'll address that in the second half of the season. It's a generous read, but I don't want to make any calls til I've seen everything. Unfortunately, every interaction Crosshair has with people has been designed to service their forgiveness of him, all without him actually apologizing for anything. Yes, he must explicitly apologize. He joined a fascist regime after they made him do terrible, heinous things. The text tells us that Crosshair only left because the Empire wasn't loyal to him. Anything other than a clear apology would be bad and frankly dangerous writing.

#ch posts #tbb critical #tbb negative #tbb spoilers #long post #its so like. status quo. generic. regressive in a way? so many words but i feel like im still not being clear #persistent writing issues from s1 #legacy writing issues from tcw #somehow #its so. weird to see. #shallow empty vague show v tell problems racist ableist #goes out of its way to retcon the clones and then doesnt even make the central characters interesting? #like huh #tbb neg #tbb crit

[heirtotheempire]

The Bad Batch S2 has honestly left much to be desired. I do not understand the people who claim filler does not exist, to me it does. There are absolutely episodes where a character arc (positive or negative) does not progress, where addition to a plot is absent. This may make sense in shows where each episode is a contained story such as in classic Saturday Morning Cartoons, but in a show that claims to be serialized such as TBB, it ends up looking lazy.

Episode 4 for example, titled Faster, is what I would call a good character arc episode. It does not include any overarching plot about the Empire or the Batch as a whole, but shines light onto Tech's attitude and pushes his character to do something he most likely wouldn't do otherwise. And, it even brings up possible issues with Cid, such as her rocky past and potential to hurt the team. The events aren't mentioned again, but it actually explores a handful of characters in a believable and fun way. The mini-arc Tech goes through will (hopefully) be retained. It matches the tone of the series without being too angsty or too wholesome.

Episode 3, The Solitary Clone, is a good story based episode. It dives into how the Empire is treating clones, and its shaky morals. The events that occur do impact future episodes and are mentioned again, because the plot adds to the overarching story about a post-Clone War world with Imperial rule crawling in.

Both these episodes are very very different, but actually contribute to the show and it's characters. While Faster could be labelled a filler episode since it doesn't include the same story themes The Solitary Clone does, I would argue that because of its character exploration, it is not filler.

What IS filler in my eyes, are episodes like number 6, Tribe. The Gungi appearance acts as a cameo, but does not do much other then give The Clone Wars (2008) fans a chance to point at him and go "LOOK ITS HIM" and be happy. A lot of Star Wars has become this, but is a lot more noticable in the live action series (did R5 really have to be the droid Mando picked up...). Cameos are not inherently bad, this is a story that spans many years after all. It only makes sense for characters from other shows to make an appearance. But what matters is how the cameo functions.

Star Wars Rebels has fantastic inclusions of The Clone Wars (2008) and Original Trilogy characters. They have Ahsoka present for a good chunk of the series, but not simply as a draw to get people to watch the show. It expands on her character, she has a duel with Vader, she functions as a teacher to Ezra, and most importantly we see her fight for the Rebellion, something that makes her appearance in Rebels make SENSE and add to her story in a thoughtful way. Similarly, Rex joins the cast as a disillusioned old man who needs to be convinced to join the Rebellion. But even after he does, he acts as a source of conflict for Kanan, which helps both characters with their own long-lasting emotions about Order 66. In short: their long-term roles within Rebels help progress the story and the character arcs the show wishes to portray without feeling invasive or like a gimmick.

Pivoting back to The Bad Batch, Gungi's cameo does none of this. We learn he's in trouble for being a Wookie, the team saves him, and then they fight some Imperial shenanigans on Kashyyyk. Gungi could have been any Wookie, hell he didnt even need to be a Jedi for the story to work. None of the characters other than Omega really 'connect' to the culture on Kashyyyk, theres no thoughtful arcs or progression in the overarching plot, the episode simply exists. Omega and Gungi's friendship is surface level and does not challenge or change anything about Omega, its purely there for the cute factor. And again, it did not even have to be Gungi for this to occur.

Ahsoka being the one to duel Anakin, the one to commit to the rebellion, thats something specific that actually means something for Ahsoka to be doing it. Gungi's story in Tribe is so generic it can be applied to any of the other Padawan children he was with in The Clone Wars if the writers felt like showcasing them instead. It does not mean much for Gungi to be the specific Padawan returning to his home. Perhaps, if the writers actually went into the effects it had on Gungi to return to a place that is theoretically his home, but is not where he grew up nor a place he has memories of... Then maybe it would actually matter that it was his story. He would not be interchangable anymore.

I don't think that enjoying the episode is a bad thing persay, but it is important to understand why some of us may be more critical about this season, or just about any Star Wars media in general. If I wanted to watch a show with no conflict, and everyone was happy and safe, then I would turn on some Cartoon Network show or whatever. Star Wars can be silly and goofy, and it absolutely fails when it takes itself too seriously, but there is a difference between that and just poor writing.

I really do love this show, but more for the potential it has to be great. Episodes such as The Clone Conspiracy, Truth and Consequences, and my personal favorite so far, The Outpost, showcase how fantastic the premise is, how interesting the material present can be. It's kind of a bummer watching thay go down the drain.

#star wars #the bad batch #star wars the bad batch #tbb #tbb s2 #the bad batch season 2 #the bad batch season 2 spoilers #tbb s2 spoilers #star wars the bad batch critical #tbb critical #the bad batch critical #i will say i am bias about episodes that touch on imperial stuff lol #i personally want more imperial focused episodes #but that doesnt really matter if the writers don't wanna write about it #not gonna throw a fit about it #i AM going to call out crappy writing tho #if they wrote an imperial based episode but wrote it poorly then id toss it out on the trash too #this aint about what i want out of the show. its about being a decent piece of media.

[mother-mommy]

fennec is the only good thing about this episode, bossing these two around and reading them while she's at it lmao queen behaviour

#love my girl #galaxy's 1 girlboss #the rest was cringe as shit though #to me obviously #at least hunter got to not be useless #i guess #the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers #tbb season 3 #tbb s3 #the bad batch #omega “i can fix him” badbatch #strikes yet again #she mixed up meditation with medication lmao #fennec shand #the bad batch criticism #tbb critical #sw tbb