Star Wars: The Bad Batch Pilot – Season 1, Episode 1 – “Aftermath” – A Promising Start to Exploring a World Post-Clone Wars

First, May the 4th be with you. When I first heard this show was coming out I had hope about the stories that might be told. “The Clone Wars” ended on a high note but there were still so many stories to be told and are so many stories to be told in the Star Wars Universe. Giving us some more Clone perspectives from a squad we met in the last season of “The Clone Wars” was a very smart way to do it. So what did I think as far as non-spoilers go? This was solidly good. We don’t learn much about the team but the first episode does a great job of establishing the world and the stakes and now the show has 15 more episodes for the season to tell a story. I’m curious to see what will happen as we get political intrigue as well as fantastic action in this episode.

The episode was directed by Steward Lee, Saul Ruiz and Nathaniel Villanueva and written by Dave Filoni and Jennifer Corbett who are also the showrunners.

The story follows Clone Force 99 in the aftermath of the end of the Clone Wars as all as not as it appears to be as the Republic has become the Empire and Clone Force 99 seeks to figure out their place within that.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Animation – The animation is beautiful and on par with the final season of “The Clone Wars.” I can’t wait to see more of it as it looks almost like a painting at times in the level of detail on character faces and environments. This is the best looking 3D animation so far to come out of Star Wars.

The Action – Clone Force 99 is a special forces unit and we get to see just how creative they are as they save Master Billaba and her Padawan Caleb Dume from Separatist forces. We also get to see some great action when Clone Force 99 goes rogue and is fighting the Empire on Kamino.

Order 66 from Clone Force 99’s Perspective – None of the members from Clone Force 99 were enslaved by the chip as their brothers were due to how different they are genetically. Because of this they are able to give a different perspective to events as they see how insane it is that the clones turned on the Jedi they served under. The perspective that agreed with the clones was that of Crosshair who fully embraces the ideology of “Good soldiers follow orders.” which leads to him clashing with the leader Hunter. This conversation happens a few times as Clone Force 99 puts together what happens and how different the Empire is from the Republic.

The Changed Clones – After Order 66 the clones are more aggressive and lack the self-control they once had. I’m curious how this will be explored as we have yet to see Commander Cody and how the fascist chip will affect his brain compared to the others post Order 66. This story has potential in more ways than one as we see Tarkin is set to no longer use clones as he believes that pulling people from the populace to serve the Empire would be cheaper.

The Kaminoans – The Kaminoans are clever and I’m curious to see how they play the Empire and fight them as Nala, and Kaminoan who made the 5 divergent clones (Wrecker, Hunter, Crosshair, Tech and Omega) helps them escape after Crosshair has been fully turned against Clone Force 99 by Tarkin and the others free Omega after Tech figures out she’s a divergent clone like them. There is the implication she is force sensitive too and the Prime Minister of Kamino tells Nala not tell the Empire about the escape as he wants to see fully what the Empire’s intentions on Kamino are. There are so many possible stories here and I hope we see more of the Kaminoans in action and their plans.

Omega – Omega is a girl and force sensitive clone. She’s Nala’s assistant and is the one to first warn Clone Force 99 about the Empire’s intentions. It is from this we see her moments of seeing the future and implication of force-sensitivity in that.

Clone Force 99 – This is Clone Force 99’s story and it is handled well. This episode is over an hour long and I was only tired of one member of the squad. The rest had great chemistry and their story is setup organically as they realize they don’t agree with the Empire’s fascism.

Echo – Echo is the only member of the squad who isn’t a divergent clone but wasn’t affected by Order 66 because of the Separatists making him mostly machine. He is cynically grateful about that and we see how driven he is to protect others as well as much a member of the team he is now. I hope we get more of his perspective on what was done to his brothers as so far the tragedy of what was done to the Clones has really only been felt fully through the eyes of Rex and Ahsoka.

Tech – Tech is the glue of the group and is the one who moves the plot along as he figures things out. He is also good at taking action and speaking up too as we see him be one of the first to see if the clones have changed and we get his outsider status as a divergent clone in the process.

Hunter – Hunter is the primary POV of Clone Force 99 we receive as he is the one holding back from them fulfilling Imperial fascist actions like Order 66 and at point the killing of civilians and insurgents. In each case Hunter saves lives by waiting and holding Crosshair back. In this he is our moral center as he is the one who realizes they need to save Omega and even attempts to save Crosshair but is too late. I hope we see him further developed but I like the solid moral base he provides to Clone Force 99.

Crosshair’s Arc – Crosshair is bad news from the get-go as he is following orders even though his chip isn’t working. All that is made worse when Tarkin as the Kaminoans make the chip stronger which fully indoctrinates him and sets him up as the main villain who will be hunting his former squad mates. I really hope we see him team up with Commander Cody and see a Cody vs Rex like we’re getting Crosshair vs Hunter. The arc is simple, predictable and works and makes the story more personal.

The Cons:

Wrecker – Wrecker is really annoying in this. I hate that he seems to be written entirely as comedic relief and just loud and dumb with a good heart? He is the most shallowly written of the characters and I really hope he is developed cause he if he stays written as he is now it is going to hurt the series.

The Apparent Lack of Imperial Plan – So the Imperials are occupying Kamino and testing the clones but we aren’t seeing any real plan yet. This is a con that could go away depending on how the show and Tarkin are handled but right now the Empire simply exists as a full fascist threat with no direction beyond control. I hope they don’t become the joke they were in a lot of “Rebels.”

“The Bad Batch” is a show with so much potential. I can’t wait to see what stories are told over the next 15 episodes and how the Star Wars Universe is hopefully expanded and explored. Clone Force 99 has potential to grow beyond the character types they represent and become fully realized and complex beings and I am here for it. Dave Filoni made Rex, Cody and so many other clones have nuance and Clone Force 99 seems created explicitly for that purpose given their strong individuality. If you are a Star Wars fan, definitely check this out.

Final Score: 8.3 / 10

“Star Wars Rebels” Season 1 Retrospect – A Band of Outcasts Against the Empire

     “Star Wars Rebels” is a great series. Such a great series in fact that it has inspired me to eventually review “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” which was made by some of the same creators. What was it that made this series great? How would this series be defined? What made this series work were the characters, the themes and the writing and within that the fact that this is the only series besides “Firefly” that really captures the feel of a band of outcasts fighting against a force so much more powerful and overwhelming, all of which made this series work.

      The series was created by Lucasfilm and Lucasfilm Animation with Dave Filoni as Executive Producer and Supervising Director while also being joined by Simon Kinberg and Greg Weisman.

      The premise of the series is that a band of rebels fights against the Empire in the Outer Rim world of Lothal as Ezra Bridger learns he is force sensitive and must deal with his role as a force user with potential to become a Jedi as all of the crew of Ghost deals with the threats of the Empire and The Inquisitor.

The Pros: The Soundtrack – Kevin Kiner does an amazing job adapting John Williams’s original score to fit the television series. The music is one of the strongest parts of the series as it creates tension and adds to the characters.

The Premise – The premise is wonderful as we explore the lives of one rebel cell and get to see what life is like for the Rebels in the Outer Rim and how complete Galactic control really is from the Empire.

The Characters – The characters are mostly all fantastic! Whether it is the Imperials, Rebels or even some minor characters, most of them get explored and it lends great power to the series since there is still room for all of them to grow, even though they have grown this season.

The Imperials – I really enjoyed the Imperial characters. Some of them weren’t completely bad and even the bad ones had moments of empathy or mercy and we were given a chance to sympathize with them even though they are the wrong side for obvious ethical reasons.

Agent Kallus – Kallus committed genocide against Zeb’s people and is a very hands on commander. We see him put himself out there on multiple occasions and be in the thick of battle. He is not underhanded and is very Mandalorian in how he does things. You can tell how much he loves battle and he does have respect for his troops.

Minister Tua – Tua is the one trying to put a nice face on what the Empire does and she does a good job at it as she isn’t outwardly cruel though she endorses the open cruelty that others do. She does have a conscience though and we see it when The Inquisitor executes Aresko and another Imperial Commander under orders of Tarkin. So much of what she does is truly ruled by fear even if true belief is there.

Commandant Aresko – I like Aresko, we see him train the recruits and he’s actually a kind guy who looks out for those under him. He may not always succeed but it certainly isn’t from lack of trying. For this reason I actually mourned this characters death.

The Inquisitor – Jason Isaacs is wonderful once more as a fantastic animated villain!  The Inquisitor is cold and calculating and does a good job at getting into Kanan’s head. He’s introduced as a force of nature and in defeat we see his humanity as he fears things worse than death that the Emperor or Vader would do to him for failing to stop Kanan and Ezra.

Grand Moff Tarkin – Tarkin is brutal and we see why he was put in charge of the Death Star as it is thanks to his fighting the rebels as a war and not a police excercise that leads to Kanan’s capture and forces the fledgling Rebel Alliance to reveal itself to save the Lothal Rebels. After his failure to stop them and the reveal of the Alliance he decides that Vader will be brought in to deal with this new Jedi and Rebel threat.

The Crew of Ghost – The crew of Ghost is a band of misfits and comparable to the crew of Serenity in the show “Firefly.” From the witty chemistry they have with one another and wounds they carry for being refugees and the last of their people or kind we see a rich humanity to them.

Zeb – Zeb is one of the last of his people the Lasat and is an intelligent guy who doesn’t put up with Ezra’s crap, though they do become quick friends when they are forced to work together. Like Sabine he is the primary muscle and the one who causes distractions though he is good at pulling his weight for whatever the mission needs. He has a lot of pain over all he has lost and deals with it by being rough around the edges and first and valuing the time he has alone. He still has to kill Kallus for being one of the primary ones responsible for the genocide against his people.

Sabine – Sabine is a Mandalore and ex-stormtrooper who expresses herself through her art. She does a bunch of different kinds of art but specializes in graffiti and protest art. She’s a great actor and is the most witty against opponents. She also has a lot of awareness to and saves a data disk from Ezra’s home so he has a picture of his family again. Her biggest issues are trust issues because of how she was betrayed by the Empire when she served them.

Hera – Hera is the mother of the group and has to make the tough decisions. We see this in her withholding information in case the Empire captures them and the chances she chooses to run or stay low so the entire Rebellion doesn’t get eliminated. She sees the big picture, where none of the other members of the crew really do. She also gets people and is the one who makes Ezra aware of others.

Kanan – Kanan is one of the last of the Jedi who was never trained to be a Master but is forced to become one. He is unsure of himself but when he chooses to fight for his crew and to raise Ezra we see a will of iron born as he withstands torture and sacrifices himself so the Lothal rebellion lives on. He doesn’t die and they rescue him of course, but it shows that he is no longer about just surviving and is not afraid of being known as a Jedi.

Ezra – Ezra goes from a selfish thief to someone who is willing to sacrifice himself to protect his new family. He has a lot of anger and fear towards the Empire and the loss of his parents by the Empire but has potential to forgive as we see him do just that to the family friend who abandoned him as a child. He invents his own lightsaber (that also functions as a gun) and gets his first scar in the final fight against The Inquisitor. He has a lot of force potential but is very much a Padawan in training in over his head, which makes him human and gives him a lot of room to grow.

Chopper – Chopper trolls everyone but comes through in the end. Whether it’s conning Lando to steal his fuel while Lando was conning them or saving the crew on multiple occasions, Chopper may grumble an groan the entire time…but he or it comes through.

Minor Character Shout Outs – The informant Fulcrum is Ashoka (Want to “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” to know fully who she is beyond Anikan’s apprentice), Lando makes an appearance and uses the crew to his own ends and R2-D2 and C-3PO are in the first episode and show the role they play in the Rebellion. Yoda also makes an appearance in “Path of the Jedi” as a voice guiding the Jedi, which I think is what was his primary role in hiding. For those who seek the force he is there to guide them.

The Themes – The themes are fantastic! From dealing with the consequences of Genocide as Zeb’s people were wiped out, what it means to teach when training was never finished (Kanan teaching Ezra) trust and sharing of information during war (The ruling among the Rebels that they should reveal themselves and come together and Fulcrum’s secrets and Hera and Kanan being the only ones who know individual missions) and that just because you are a Rebel or Imperial does not automatically make you good or evil (which fits into the theme of the “Gundam Universe”).

The Potential – There is so much potential in this series and I love it! From showing that the Rebels could do unjust things for just ends and getting the perspective of the Empire and the players within both factions and putting them through arcs. Bringing Vader in and saying next season will be “The Empire Strikes Back” of this series is just what I needed to hear and I hope they follow through with that promise. So much potential to be a great series beyond just the first season.

The Cons: Empire Needed a Major Victory – The Empire needed a victory for me to give this show a 10. The rebels were always on the run but the one time they are “defeated” is only because Kanan surrenders himself to buy them time. It’s something he chose to do, a Imperial Victory is one where the Rebels don’t have a choice and are forced to surrender or lose one of their own. This did not happen, hope it does next season though.

   I really enjoyed Season 1, it did so much right and makes me want to watch a series I was worried about due to how much of a failure “The Prequel Trilogy” was in relationships to “Star Wars.” Not many shows can do that. I hope it will stay good all the way through but I’m not counting on anything, and for what it’s worth this first season was amazing and I highly recommend it to any “Star Wars” fan. You will see characters who grow and change, be in a world that feels lived in and experience some powerful and enjoyable stories.

Final Score: 9.5 / 10

Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion (2014) – The Spirit of the “Original Trilogy of Star Wars” Captured Once More

     It has been a long time since there has been a good story that came out of the Universe of “Star Wars” in the medium of film or television. I might be wrong about “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” that was also CGI animated but I do want to give the show a chance, largely because of folks from the “Avatar Universe” being involved as one of them (Dave Filoni) was with “Star Wars: Rebels.” For me the last great story that was in the medium of film or television for “Star Wars” was “Star Wars: Clone Wars” that was done entirely with instrumentals. Sadly “Episode 3” ruined some of the cool aspects of that episode, but I’ll get into that when I eventually review the prequels. For now this is going to be the introduction to “Star Wars: Rebels” and the fantastic potential this show has after this kickoff film…and as a fan of “Star Wars” this makes me glad. “Star Wars” has needed good stories again.

       The television film was directed by Steward Lee and Steven G. Lee and Simon Kinberg. It was created by Lucasfilm and Lucas Animation and aired on the Disney Channel.

       The story follows that of the orphan thief Ezra Bridger who is pulled into the beginning of the rebellion when the crew of Ghost is stealing blaster rifles on his homeworld Lothal which also had the intention of stealing. As the Empire deals with them they are forced to work together when they receive information about Wookie slaves that need rescuing and Ezra must choose what kind of person he wants to be and to deal with his force potential.

The Pros: The Animation – The animation for “Star Wars Rebels” is fantastic! The animation flows, is distinct but also has a very organic feel to it, it reminds me of the old toys from the “Original Star Wars Trilogy.”

The Soundtrack – The music is wonderful. It plays tribute to music we’ve heard before in “The Original Trilogy” but does interesting things with it and gives it a different feel that at times feels sadder than the “Original Trilogy.” This makes sense as things have to be bad enough for a people to rebel, and this is telling that story. Kevin Kiner was a good choice for this show.

Lothal – The world of Lothal has a great design. It is a mixture of Tatooine but has more development and also the outskirts where the refugees from the Empire attempt to live. It’s a diverse world and it makes sense that the Rebellion would start here and that our heroes would be connected to this world.

The Action – The action in this film was fantastic! The Empire feels big without being overwhelming since we’re in the Outer Rim but we still get some great speeder and ship chases and the moment Kanan uses his lightsaber and reveals himself as a Jedi is one of the soaring moments of the fight.

The Crew of Ghost – The crew has a great dynamic and each bring an interesting dynamic to the series. Each of them is an outcast with Kanan and Hera being the closest thing to parents for all of them. Also the ship has a great design.

Garazeb – Is a Lasat with an Australian accent who is the tough guy with a good heart. His design looks like the early Wookie designs and he is a great character. He’s rough around the edges but will always put himself out there for others and go against his rather strong survival instincts. He is against saving Ezra but does come back after Kanan’s vote. He’s aware of the other species like him that the Empire nearly wiped out so he has a lot of reasons to want them defeated.

Sabine – Sabine is a Mandalorian who specializes in explosives and takes a liking to Ezra. They’re both orphans and she is easily his equal. She like Garazeb has a stronger survival instinct and after the trap votes against going back for Ezra. She is also the first to embrace Ezra though.

Hera – Hera is the mother of them all in a manner of speaking. She is a Twi’lek and in a relationship with Kanan (or at least feels like she is). She has the coolest head and helps Ezra to grow up. Ghost belongs to her.

Kanan – Kanan is the leader and one of the few surviving Jedi. He is dealing with the danger of Ezra being selfish and a danger to them but also his force potential. He offers to train him if the lightsaber Ezra stole from him is brought back. He’s shown to be very honorable and reveals himself as a Jedi in order to save everyone and forgiving since he gives Ezra a lot of chances.

The Message – The message is that there are things worth fighting for and how important it is to remember those who have nothing (the refugees) and to do something and stand against injustice. It is presented really well as we see Ezra go from the most selfish character to someone trying to be a good person.

Okay: Agent Kallus – Kallus is like a lite Admiral Zhao at the moment. Threatening but just not powerful enough. That may change once we see him get some victories beyond his brief capture of Ezra.

Chopper – Is a Astromech that is pretty rough and tough. I can’t really define it’s personality fully yet. I like the design though.

The Cons: The Wookies – The Wookie animations looked pretty derpy and were hard to really enjoy for that reason. The fur didn’t look like fur, it just looked like it was pasted on. Also the baby Wookie did not look cute it just looked creepy.

  I’m going to review this series. Not yet, but this television film sold me on it. “The Spark of Rebellion” was able to express motivations, lay down stakes (The Jedi Hunting Inquistor appears at the end) and we see that the Rebellion is just that, a rebel cause that is outmatched and outgunned by a far numerous and superior force. This makes it compelling and gives us a chance to see the complexity of the Rebels and the Empire.

Final Score: 9 / 10. Solidly great.