REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Delves Deeper into Clone Culture

Star Wars animation is back on Disney+ as The Bad Batch Season 2 lands on the streaming platform. Season 1 explored the landscape in the immediacy of Order 66, with Clone Force 99 fighting to survive while the Empire cements its powerful grip on the Galaxy. During the second season as the Imperial machine grows stronger, and its reach extends farther, the organization begins to question the effectiveness of its aging clone soldiers.

Created by Dave Filoni, The Bad Batch follows the exploits of an elite group of experimental clones, each with their own highly specialized and unique talents. After the events of Order 66 Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, Echo (all voiced by Dee Bradley Baker), and Omega (Michelle Ang) are forced to flee from the Empire. Matters intensify when it’s discovered that the young clone Omega, who is now in their care, is found to be an identical genetic match for their host DNA, Jango Fett. Meanwhile, the Empire grows bolder in its efforts to colonize the galaxy as a new wave of stormtroopers is introduced.

The Bad Batch is an incredibly unique vessel and I’ve been so impressed with how the show has been able to usher in larger narratives fused into untold periods within Star Wars’ chronological history. Season 2 begins to lift the lid post-order 66 on the Clone’s place in the Empire. After General Rampart destroyed the cloning facilities on Kamino during the Season 1 finale, and without a war to fight, it was only a matter of time before this topic came to the forefront. With their advanced aging genetics, they were the perfect weapon to fight the separatist droid army during the clone wars but, as they age out, what purpose do they serve?

This large-scale change takes on many forms and the perception and difficulty in processing it are present throughout the season. As has already been observed in Episode 3, certain characters like Crosshair can see the writing on the wall but refuse to adapt or change. Instead, they hold on tighter to what feels familiar. Even while everything and everyone around him is in a state of constant change, he refuses to accept that reality. He’s in too deep and thus leans harder on his programming mantra – “Good soldiers follow orders.”

What makes this whole narrative so ripe with potential is everything that spawns from it. It’s obvious that at some point the clones would be phased out as we know canonically through the movies that TK troopers were indoctrinated and forced to conscript at a young age. But to see it happen and explored is such a different experience. It immediately creates internal tension from within the ranks of the Empire in the form of a caste system, with the new Troopers receiving brand-new gear and clones being labeled as inferior.

A sidebar here, and a tip of my hat goes to Filoni and his creative team for utilizing the Ralph McQuarrie Stormtrooper concept art from 1975 as the basis for the Gen 1 TK uniforms.

Season 2 of the series does an excellent job of allowing some of the other ancillary members time to shine, such as Tech. An integral member of Clone Force 99, but more often than not he’s used as a plot device in order to affect the narrative when the team is in need of an intelligent suggestion. It was great to see his character receive more focus. Another character that gets some HEAVY plot time is Crosshair and I love how complicated he is; someone you love to hate, but hate that you love. He has proven time and time again he is unredeemable, and yet, he shows a flicker of something resembling decency and which sparks hope. It’s a great use of a character, not to mention his concept design with the tactical black trooper gear is incredibly striking.

Where The Bad Batch struggles is in its distribution system given it’s a weekly episodic show, and its use of longer seasons that utilize filler episodes. Now, this topic is often disputed amongst fans, and while I typically have no issues with filler content, I do find it irritating when I’ve waited a week for one episode that lasts 30 minutes. Filoni has been consistent with this style of storytelling, from Star Wars: The Clone Wars the animated series to Star Wars Rebels, and I wish they’d adopt either a two to three-episode drop rather than just the singular episode drop. Sandwiching filler episodes between stories that actually affect the larger plot points would result in a far more satisfying watch.

The quality of the animation itself is something that the show can really boast about. Not only in the depth of the detail, and the quality of its designs, but even in the vast color palette it employs throughout the episodes. It truly is such a high-quality animation, and sometimes I feel like this gets left behind the simple fact that it’s a Star Wars show.

Baker is naturally the heavy lifter of the show voicing every single clone, which blows my mind with the kind of vocal range that must require on a show like this. However, Season 2 also introduces some newer cameo roles with some fantastic voice talent that will debut later in the series. Keep your ears open.

Overall, The Bad Batch Season 2 is a high-quality, sci-fi action adventure that seeks to deepen the lore of Star Wars. The animation quality is so impressive and often overlooked, but take a moment to appreciate it! The caliber of episodes certainly varies throughout the season, but the ones that hit really land with seismic impact. Star Wars animation has proven its importance throughout the years, and it’s good to see The Bad Batch maintaining these standards.

The Bad Batch Season 2 is a weekly series that debuted its first two episodes on January 4th exclusively available on Disney+.