My Top Five Favorite Episodes of The Bad Batch Season One

As a Bad Batch fan, I would argue that I love ALL of the episodes, lol. And I do. People like to throw around the word “filler” a lot, but I believe that each and every episode has something to offer as far as characterization or plot. Some are just plain fun, and why not? However, I do have favorites, and I do believe that some are “more important” than others. Here are some of my favorites from Season One:

Aftermath. This is the 76-minute premiere of S1, and it’s still one of my favorites. Out of all episodes of Seasons 1 and 2, I think I rewatch this one the most. I love how it transitions from Clone Wars to something new: it starts with the traditional Clone Wars narration, setting the stage for us. But the Clone War ends at the beginning of this episode, with Order 66 (yes, we have to go through it again). I love how we see a young Caleb Dume, who will grow up to become Kanan Jarrus, an integral part of Rebels. And I love how Hunter lets him go.

The premiere reintroduces us to Clone Force 99, who we met at the beginning of Season 7 of Clone Wars. When I watched that arc, I thought they were a little strange and definitely stereotypical characters. They grew on me, but I didn’t think much of them afterward. But this show about them has to go deeper into their characters and make them more three dimensional, and I think this first episode succeeds in that.

This show sets up the premise of the entire first season: the Batch, because of their defects, are immune to Order 66. Except Crosshair. Not only do they have to figure out where they fit in this new Empire, but they have to deal with a schism in their squad and how it affects them. They’re now deserters, with a former brother going after them.

And they meet Omega, their younger clone sister, which adds another element to the mix. Who is she? Why was she created? How will she fit into their squad, and how will that affect them all?

There’s a lot going on in this first (long) episode, and it’s a great introduction to the series.

Rex leads the Batch through the Bracca shipyards.

Battle Scars. Episode 7 sees the return of Rex, and the Batch getting their inhibitor chips removed. Rex takes them to Bracca (known from the game Jedi: Fallen Order, where Cal Kestis hides after Order 66) to an old Jedi Venator’s medical facility, the same kind of place he had his chip removed with the help of Ahsoka. By this time Wrecker has been suffering from frequent head bangs and headaches and his chip is dangerously close to activating. Which it does before they can get the chip out, and he is positively terrifying as he goes after them, intent on destroying them. Even Omega, who he’s formed a close bond with. They finally get him under control, all their chips are removed, and Hunter discovers Rex is covertly working against the Empire. Rex tells them they would be a great help, but Hunter replies he must do what’s best for his squad. Rex disappears into the mist, and we just know we’re going to see him again for another mission.

Reunion. This is Episode 8 and a kind of Part Two to Battle Scars, as it takes place on the Jedi Venator. The Batch decide to salvage some weapons on the ship for Cid to pay off some of their debt to her, but the Scrapper’s Guild has spotted them and alerts the Empire. It’s Crosshair who shows up, and he’s relentless here, going after them with a malicious zeal. They finally escape, but Hunter has been shot and Omega has been kidnapped by Cad Bane, who’s been hired by the Kaminoans to get her back for her special Jango-DNA.

Return to Kamino. Episode 15. In a previous episode, the Batch does Rex a favor and rescues Gregor from an Imperial facility, but in so doing, Hunter gets captured and is brought back to Kamino. Crosshair uses him as bait to lure the others to Kamino as well; we think it’s just to kill them, but no: Crosshair wants to convince them to join him in the Empire. He reveals that he’s had his inhibitor chip removed “a long time ago,” and is giving them a chance they never game him. “Don’t make me your enemy,” he says to them, to which Hunter replies, “Crosshair, we never were.” So I get the feeling he never wanted to kill them (or at least, no longer wants to kill them since having the chip removed) but wants to get them back on his side. It’s not going to happen, of course, and by this time Rampart is done with these clones and orders the destruction of Kamino.

The Batch watches Kamino smolder in the distance.

Kamino Lost. In Episode 16, the season finale, the Batch and Crosshair must find a way off of Kamino City, which has been totally devastated by Rampart and has sunk to the bottom of the ocean. As they traverse the dangerously unstable structure, trying to find a way out, they bicker and argue with Crosshair, who is still bitter, “severe and unyielding,” as Tech describes him. Omega even saves his life with the help of AZ, and he’s still a jerk, lol. What’s interesting in this episode is that we find out that Omega was created before the rest of them and is technically older than they are. They eventually find a way out, and Crosshair returns the favor and saves Omega and AZ from drowning. But back at the Marauder, they offer him a place with them and he refuses. “I’ve made my decision,” he says, and turns his back on them. Even after being left for dead and abandoned by the Empire, he remains loyal. I feel like this is at least part stubbornness on his part. He’s done such terrible things, I think he has to believe he’s on the right side. Or maybe he doesn’t think he deserves to rejoin them. Or maybe he really does love the Empire. Or all of these things, I don’t know. Crosshair’s character arc is truly the most compelling in the series, and continues in Season 2, which I’ll talk about in the next post.

What’s your favorite episode(s) from Season 1? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

The Bad Batch Fan Art

In anticipation of Season Three of The Bad Batch premiering February 21st, I thought I’d get us hyped up with a few BB posts leading up to it. (All right, I’m already hyped up, lol). A good fan art post is always fun.

Here’s a Tech piece that’s new to me. I don’t think his goggles ever glow like that, but it’s cool!

Howzer of the fabulous hair.

I think this one of Crosshair is really interesting. Who does Crosshair see when he looks in the mirror? Looks like he shot the mirror, so maybe that’s your answer, lol.

I like this one of Fennec Shand; the coloring matches a part of her helmet.

Another imagining of grown-up Omega.

This black and white of Hunter is intense.

What do you think of these images? Who do you hope to see in Season 3? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Update for January 2024

Hello friends and welcome to my entertainment update for January! Here’s what’s been entertaining me lately:

The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker. This book caught my eye when it first came out in 2013 and has been on my mental book list ever since. I found this used edition at my local Salvation Army for a few bucks and decided it was time to read it. It’s about two magical creatures from two different cultures: a golem from Jewish tradition and a jinni from Arabic culture. A golem is a being made from clay in human form and brought to life, meant to protect their master. A jinni (genie) is, well, you know; but my understanding of these spirit creatures is being expanded by this book.

The “present” of the novel takes place in turn-of-the-century New York City, but we get flashbacks of the Jinni’s long life in Syria, though he doesn’t remember how he was put into the flask in which he is found by Arbeely, a tinsmith in Little Syria. Turns out he was imprisoned by a wizard a thousand years ago. The golem, on the other hand, is very new, having been created by an old rabbi wizard named Shalmaan in Poland for a man named Rotfeld, who wanted a wife and companion as he embarked on a journey to the New World. Unfortunately, Rotfeld died on the ship over from a burst appendix, and the golem is left alone. In the city, a Rabbi named Avram recognizes what she is and takes her in to help her. Both creatures must learn to navigate this bewildering new world.

It’s a big book (over 400 pages) and it’s a slow burn; I’m about a fourth of the way through and they haven’t met yet. I’m reading it rather leisurely, but it’s very intriguing and compulsively readable. I’ll check in again when I finish it, hopefully at next month’s update.

Cobalt Squadron, by Elizabeth Wein. This is a junior novel that takes place between The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, centering on Rose Tico and her sister Paige. I’ve been in the mood for more sequel stories, and this is one I hadn’t gotten to yet. We see Paige Tico die at the beginning of The Last Jedi in the bomber run against the First Order, and Rose later grieving for her. We are led to understand that they were very close, but we don’t get to see that in the film. So we get it here in this book, as they serve together on the bomber Hammer of Cobalt Squadron. The bombers of Cobalt and Crimson Squadrons are on a mission to help Atterra Bravo, a planet that’s being blockaded by The First Order. They must perform a series of supply drops to the planet while evading asteroids (some of which are armed with automatic cannons) and First Order TIE fighters. The bomber supply runs are dangerous and nerve-wracking, but Rose remains brave and determined as long as her sister Paige is in the gunner turret. In fact, Rose can’t imagine going on a mission without her sister. By the end of the story, she’s ready to be separated from Paige, after the destruction of Hosnian Prime puts them on different ships–Rose on Amilyn Holdo’s Ninka, and Paige on the Hammer, where she’ll be killed. It’s a sad foreknowledge, but I enjoyed this book where they could serve together one last time.

What If… S2. I’ve been a bit picky about the Marvel projects I’ve watched lately, having skipped most of the live-action shows and only viewing the latest movies (the notable exception being Loki Season 2). I enjoyed the first season of the animated show What If…? but when I saw that Season 2 was out, I thought, meh. I don’t know why, I guess I just wasn’t ready. But once I finally watched the first episode, I was hooked all over again. Each episode just got better and better. While the episodes explore variations of our heroes (and villains) in several different multiverses, there is an over-arching story arc involving Peggy Carter aka Captain Carter, continuing on from Season 1. I wasn’t particularly interested in her at first, but she’s grown on me. I loved every single episode here; they’re super fun, often hilarious, and could be heartbreaking as well. I also love how at the end of the last episode, the multiverse here is somehow connected to the World Tree multiverse that Loki is now holding together, though only vaguely. I’m hoping we’ll get more information on that in a Season 3.

Echo. This series is billed as a “Marvel Spotlight” as it’s only five episodes long, just long enough to focus on Maya Lopez, a character introduced in the Hawkeye series. While that series didn’t wow me as much as I’d have liked, I was intrigued by this character who is deaf and has a prosthetic leg. That doesn’t stop her from being totally badass, of course. There’s plenty of action here, but the heart of this series is Maya’s story. We got a little bit of it in Hawkeye, but it’s expanded on here, and let me tell you: it’s fantastic.

Maya comes from a long line of gifted Chocktaw women, and her Native heritage is front and center in this show. The crux of Maya’s story is her need to choose between her birth family in Oklahoma (which includes her estranged grandmother Chula, her cousin Bonnie, another cousin named Biscuits, and her uncle Henry); and her uncle in New York who happens to be the villain Kingpin. I don’t know much about Kingpin, other than he runs a criminal empire. He also loves Maya very much (or what seems to serve as love, for him). After her father died, he took her into his organization and she became an integral part of it, doing a lot of his dirty work. Fueled by rage and a sense of abandonment by her birth family, it took Hawkeye to open her eyes to her uncle’s ruthlessness. Oh, and he killed her father. At the end of the Hawkeye series, she shoots Kingpin in the face, believing him dead.

But of course he’s not. He pursues Maya to Oklahoma, presumably to kill her, but really to try to make amends and bring her back into the organization. But Maya’s having visions of her ancestors and must decide who she wants to be and where her loyalties lie.

I didn’t think I was going to watch this series, but I’m so glad I did! Don’t sleep on this gem if you can help it.

In Star Wars news, we got some pretty exciting announcements lately, such as:

The Mandalorian and Grogu movie, Ahsoka S2 announced. On top of the three movies that have been talked about the past few months (the Rey New Jedi Order movie, the James Mangold Dawn of the Jedi movie, and the Dave Filoni Mandoverse movie), suddenly out of nowhere we get an announcement stating there will be a movie about Din and Grogu called, originally enough, The Mandalorian and Grogu. There was some debate about whether or not this movie will replace a season four of The Mandalorian, but I think the consensus is that it will not. There will be a S4 of The Mandalorian and this movie. At some point. There are no anticipated release dates for any of these films or shows, including the near-afterthought announcement of an Ahsoka Season Two. I was happy to hear about that. Of course, as is always the case, things may change. I’m just going to sit back and wait and see what they bring us and not hold my breath for anything, lol.

Bad Batch S3 Trailer. And of course, we got the first trailer for The Bad Batch Season 3, which I’m super-excited about, as you may imagine. I posted a brief reaction to the trailer the other day and am just counting down the days to February 21st when it premieres.

So that’s it this month. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

The Bad Batch S3 Trailer is here!

Okay, Bad Batchers, it’s finally here!

I came home from work last night and the internet was abuzz with the long-awaited new trailer for Season 3. The show premieres on Februray 21st with three, count ’em, three episodes. Woo-hoo!

Here’s the trailer if you haven’t seen it yet:

I don’t normally break down trailers, but let’s talk about this, because I’m super-excited.

We see a lot of familiar faces returning here: Phee, Rex, Fennec Shand, Cad Bane, Hemlock, of course, besides the Batch, which seems to be made up of Hunter and Wrecker at this point. I didn’t see Echo at all, but maybe he’s on Coruscant helping Rex and Riyo Chuchi? At one point, and you’ll miss it if you blink, it looks like Crosshair is in a vehicle with Hunter-or at least someone in Crosshair’s armor. So maybe he somehow escaped Tantiss, and now they’re going back for Omega?

We see Omega at one point passing Crosshair on Tantiss (and he looks quite defeated), Omega in a room being scanned somehow as she’s holding a tray or something, and Omega looking fierce as she pilots some kind of ship, perhaps.

We see another one of those weird assassin clones that we saw in Season 2, and I was soooo scared it might be Tech, but then we see the guy without his helmet talking some poo-doo, and he looked just like the reg clone from before. Whew! But then, at least he’d be alive. Or it could just be trailer trickery…at any rate, we’ll have to wait and see how that debate turns out.

It seems that lovely Pabu finally sees the arrival of Imperial troops. But I’m not worried–Shep told Hunter that if they do come, they’ll be ready. I believe the mysterious Arkium holds the key, but again, we’ll see.

The biggest and most shocking surprise is at the end of the trailer, when we see none other than Asaaj Ventress make an appearance! She’s clearly in her Light-side form, as seen in the novel Dark Disciple, with her blonde hair and yellow lightsabers. Readers of the book may well be confused, because in that book-spoiler!-she dies, at least several years before the events of this series. But I trust that the writers know what they’re doing, and I’m pretty excited to see her in the show. All will become clear.

Needless to say, I can’t wait for February 21st. We even have a list of episodes and their air-dates:

What do you think of the trailer? What are your hopes for Season 3? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

What I’m looking forward to in Star Wars in 2024

Now that I’ve talked about what I loved in 2023, let’s talk about what’s coming up in 2024.

The Bad Batch S3. Again, no surprises here if you know me. The Batch’s third and final season still has no release date, but at some point I heard maybe April, so we’ll see. It can’t come fast enough! How will Crosshair and Omega escape Tantiss? Who will the rest of the Batch recruit to help find them? Phee? Rex? Fennec Shand? Benny? How will the story of the clones in general wrap up? And of course–is our favorite goggled clone still alive?

The Acolyte. I’m pretty psyched about this one. It takes place near the end of the High Republic, perhaps fifty years before the prequel era. Here’s a plot blurb from The Nerdist:

“The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.”

Oh my word, I am so there, lol. I’m guessing it’s going to hint at the Sith planning their return, which of course leads to Palpatine and his devastating coup d’etat. One of my favorite High Republic characters, Vernestra Rwoh, is presumably going to make an appearance, and will be near one hundred years old (which is prime for a Mirialan). I’m eager to see what kind of role she’ll play in the series. As far as I know, there is no release date as of yet.

Tales of the Jedi S2. I really enjoyed Season One of this little animated series, which focused on Ahsoka and Count Dooku in three 10-15 minute shorts for each character. I’m looking forward to seeing which Jedi Season Two will focus on, and when it will drop (all the episodes of Season One dropped at once, and I assume this one will do the same).

Phase Three High Republic books. I’m including books in this list as well as streaming content, since I’m a huge Star Wars book reader. Phase Three (Trials of the Jedi) began in late 2023 with George Mann’s Adult Novel The Eye of Darkness in November. The Phase continues this year with the Middle Grade book Escape from Valo at the end of January and the Young Adult book Defy the Storm in March. That’s Wave One of this Phase, and waves two and three will continue throughout the rest of the year, wrapping up the Phase, as well as the entire series, in early 2025. The High Republic has really been a highlight of my Star Wars love since it began three years ago with the release of Light of the Jedi.

Other Canon Books: The Living Force, by John Jackson Miller, and The Glass Abyss, by Steve Barnes. There seems to be a pattern to Star Wars publishing lately, namely that early in the year we get the latest High Republic, then in the spring a standalone canon novel, another standalone at the end of the summer, and then the High Republic again in the fall and winter. The Living Force, about the Jedi High Council on a mission in the Outer Rim, will release in April, while The Glass Abyss, about Mace Windu, will be out in August. I’m looking forward to both books.

Skeleton Crew. This show has been talked about for a long time now, but because of the writer’s strike (which I absolutely supported), it looks like this one won’t be out until the end of the year. I’m okay with that, as it’s the thing this year that I’m the least excited about, but I will certainly be happy to watch it. It’s about a bunch of kids going on adventures in the galaxy, to put it very basically. It stars Jude Law as a Force-sensitive who looks after these lost children; the show is being billed as a fun family adventure. Perfect for Christmastime.

As of this writing, Andor Season Two is not on the roster for 2024 and seems to be slated for release in 2025.

What about you? What Star Wars projects are you most excited about? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

I rank Star Wars streaming content from 2023

Now that 2023 is over, I thought I’d do a personal ranking of the streaming content we got in Star Wars during the course of the year (excepting Young Jedi Adventures, which I have not watched). Here’s my list, beginning with my favorite, on down to my least favorite:

One of the most wrenching scenes of TBB S2 (besides *that* one): Crosshair is brought to the brink.

The Bad Batch S2. I think you all know how much I love the Bad Batch, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Season 2 had some great story arcs, more characterization, a new villain, and some heartbreaking moments. The Clone Conspiracy arc was especially fantastic; Echo and Tech both got some quality-time episodes that help us understand their characters more; Dr. Hemlock is creepy, cold-hearted, ambitious, and probably a little insane; and Plan 99–well, you know. I’d like to give a shoutout to Crosshair’s episodes, The Solitary Clone and The Outpost, as nominees for Best Star Wars content probably ever. Once we see a trailer for Season 3, my anticipation will reach a fever pitch, lol.

Oh Baylan, we hardly knew ye. The mystery of Baylan Skoll was one of highlights of Ahsoka, as well as the great performance of the late Ray Stevenson.

Ahsoka. This series was a bit uneven for me, but I still enjoyed it immensely. I will say it’s basically Rebels Season 5, but it was great to see some of my favorite animated characters in live-action. It has great mystical elements (Dathomirian witches!), warp-speed space whales, zombie stormtroopers, ancient artifacts, lots and lots of lightsaber battles, Baylan Skoll (he warrants a category of his own), the return of Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn, and oh yeah, Anakin Skywalker in the World Between Worlds. It was quite the spectacle, it was fun, and I love Ahsoka.

I loved the look of this episode (“Sith”) and the theme of leaving your past behind to become a better person. Also: Force Art.

Visions S2. I really enjoyed Season 1 of Visions–I thought it was a great way to get new, original Star Wars-inspired stories. I had some clear favorites, while others didn’t grab me, but overall it was great fun. So I was excited to learn about Season 2, and I think I loved it even more. Every single episode was a strong installment for me, and I loved the global feeling of this season as well. Some standouts for me were Sith, Screecher’s Reach, and The Spy Dancer. But seriously, I loved them all. I hope we get more Visions in the coming years.

“Bad baby!” Grogu is always the best part of The Mandalorian.

The Mandalorian S3. Sad to say, this was my least favorite Star Wars offering of last year. I’m not saying it was bad; it was entertaining, and I enjoyed it. But it just didn’t grab me the way the first two seasons did. Part of this is because a good portion of it consists of the Mandalorians trying to get along with each other as they attempt to retake their homeworld (I’m not sure why, since it’s almost completely destroyed), and Din and Grogu’s part in it. That’s fine, I understand why this story needed to be told, but I really just prefer the more intimate story of Din and Grogu, what they mean to each other, and their adventures together. I hope we get more of that if a Season 4 happens; the Mandoverse is in a bit of flux right now. Will we get a S4? What about an Ahsoka S2? How will Filoni’s movie fit into it all? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, but this is the only series I have not rewatched yet, and that says a lot.

What about you? What was your favorite Star Wars streaming content last year? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Liked Ahsoka? (Or need more context?) Try these.

Star Wars is an intricately connected universe, for the most part. There’s just no getting around it. There’s so much canon content out there (not to mention a gargantuan Legends collection), it can be downright intimidating or confusing. If you’re just getting into Star Wars, or just watch the movies and live-action shows, there may be some gaps that leave you scratching your head a little bit. The Ahsoka series was supposed to be “non-Rebels fan-friendly,” but let’s be honest: it’s a much richer experience if you know a little bit about these characters. Or a lot. Here’s some content you may want to explore for further enrichment:

Ahsoka, by E.K. Johnston. This book came out a few years ago and details what Ahsoka did in the year after Order 66. Basically, she tried to keep a low profile (duh), worked on a farm planet and met two sisters and their friends who get mixed up in some Imperial trouble, and of course tries to help them. She also confronts an Inquisitor, and meets up with Bail Organa, who convinces her to help in the early formation of the Rebellion. It also shows how she got her two white lightsabers. An abbreviated version of these events happen in the animated series Tales of the Jedi (see below).

Tales of the Jedi. This animated series came out this past year and focuses on two characters: Ahsoka and Count Dooku. Each character gets three short stories (about ten minutes each) dedicated to them at crucial points in their lives. The Count Dooku episodes are great, and since we don’t see much of him (besides the audio drama Dooku: Lost, and as a baddie in Clone Wars), it’s worth watching just for those. But the Ahsoka shorts are pretty good, too. The first one is about baby Ahsoka and how her family found out she was Force-sensitive; the second is the abbreviated version of the Ahsoka book I mentioned above; and the third is how Anakin (inadvertently) trained her, along with Captain Rex’s help, to survive Order 66. Pretty good stuff.

Rebels. Okay, so the Ahsoka series has been described as “Rebels Season 5” and I can’t argue with that. If you want to know more about not just Ahsoka (who really only appears in a handful of episodes here) but Sabine, Hera, Ezra, and Thrawn (as well as Kanan Jarrus, Jacen Syndulla’s Jedi father), this is the series to watch. It takes place in the years before A New Hope and chronicles a Rebel cell consisting of the Ghost crew. As I’ve mentioned before in talking about Rebels, the first season is the hardest to get through–as most of these animated shows are, they’re targeted, at least initially, to younger viewers, and the first season attests to that. But they’re also designed to grow with its audience, getting more mature, complex, and a bit darker as it goes on. It truly has some of the best Star Wars out there. The finale shows how Ezra and Thrawn got stranded on Peridea in the first place.

Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka meet the Daughter

Clone Wars, specifically the Mortis and Dathomir arcs (but almost all of it is worth watching). This one’s kind of a monster, because it’s seven seasons with 15-22 episodes each. It took me longer to get into this one, as again, it starts out kind of kiddie, but does grow with its audience. By the last four episodes of season seven, it’s outstanding. But for Ahsoka-series purposes, if you want more on the Nightsisters, or need more context for the Mortis gods, check out these episodes:

For Dathomir and the Nightsisters:

Season 3 Episodes 12-14: Nightsisters, Monster, and Witches of the Mist

Season 4 Episode 19: Massacre

(The witches also make an appearance in Rebels–Season 3 Episode 11: Visions and Voices)

For Mortis and the Father, Son and Daughter: Season 3 Episodes 15-17: Overlords, Alter of Mortis, and Ghosts of Mortis.

Ahoska herself is in a lot of the episodes, obviously, as she is Anakin’s padawan, so if you want to get to know her better and her relationship with her master, this is the one to watch.

A New Dawn, by John Jackson Miller. This is a little further afield, but if you’re interested in early rebel Hera and how she met Kanan, this book tells that story. It’s a good book about Kanan and Hera working together and with others against an Imperial villain named Vidian, but they hadn’t met the rest of the ghost crew yet, so I was a little disappointed in that. But overall, a good read.

Any number of Thrawn books by Timothy Zahn. I think there’s well over a dozen Thrawn books, counting canon and Legends. Of course, there’s the original Legends books Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command, as well as Outbound Flight and Spectre of the Past. I read the Legends trilogy ages ago when they first came out, but they didn’t particularly wow me and I never much got into Legends. I tried reading the first canon novel (pictured above) but could only get halfway through it, lol. I don’t know, I just can’t get into “book Thrawn.” It’s very Sherlock Holmesy, with Thrawn lecturing his underlings about how he understand his enemies and why he’s doing what he’s doing. I just don’t care for it. But plenty of people adore the books and how Thrawn is portrayed in them. There are currently two trilogies: Thrawn, Alliances, and Treason; and then a prequel trilogy comprised of Chaos Rising, Greater Good, and Ascendency. I haven’t read any of the books, but from what I understand, Thrawn joined the Empire to help his people, the Chiss, fend off an invasive alien species called the Grysk. Some people see Thrawn as a hero for this; and while I understand that as a protagonist, he needs to have some redeeming qualities, he still does evil things in the name of his goal. He’s still a bad guy, and that’s okay, because at least he’s an interesting one. I prefer the Rebels version of Thrawn, but you might enjoy getting to know him better in these books.

Marvel Kanan comic. Kanan is not even in Ahsoka, so this is another reach, but if you’ve watched Rebels and you’re interested in Kanan, there’s a comic that shows him as a Padawan (with his original name, Caleb Dume) with his Master, Depa Billaba, during Order 66. The first episode of The Bad Batch begins with them on the planet Kaller when the order comes through, like in the comic, but it does change it a little bit, from what I understand. I’m not a comics person, and I haven’t read it, but it’s another connection you might be interested in.

Speaking of The Bad Batch, we also meet a young Hera in Season 1 Episodes 11 and12; her father is Cham Syndulla, the freedom fighter on Ryloth, who we meet in the Clone Wars. If you’re a completionist, here you go, lol.

There’s one other small thing I’d like to mention, and that’s concerning Senator Hamatsu Xiono. You know, that slimeball Senator that Hera trades barbs with, and who seems to be a secret Imperial sympathizer (and may well be). He’s the father of Kazuda Xiono, the young Resistance pilot in the animated series Resistance. The Senator himself only makes a brief appearance, and the show truly is targeted to younger viewers (I watched and liked it, anyway), so it may not be for you. Just one other connection I wanted to mention.

That’s about all I can think of, and that’s plenty to chew on if you decide to investigate. Some people don’t like having to watch other things or read books to understand a show or movie in Star Wars, and I get that, but it’s kind of what I love about it: the interconnectedness. Anyway, hope this list is helpful to you if you want more out of Ahsoka.

My Thoughts on Visions S2

SPOILERS for Visions Season 2 ahead:

Visions Season 2 premiered on May 4th, and I have to say, it’s spectacular.

I enjoyed Season 1, with a few that I loved, some that were fine, and a few I just didn’t care for. With Season Two, I can confidently say that I loved them all to some extent, with a few favorites, and none that I didn’t like. They are all wildly different on the surface, with different anime styles but all beautiful in their own way; with similar Star Warsy themes running through them like a thread connecting them all. Here are some brief thoughts on each (and please forgive any mispellings or mistakes on names):

Sith. (El Guiri, Spain). The first one is my absolute favorite. Not only is it fantastically gorgeous, but I loved the story and the message that it illustrates. Lola lives with her droid in a place that comes alive with her art. She has nightmares, and tries to erase the darkness from her paintings, to no avail. It wants to be a part of her work. We find out that she is a former Sith, who left that life, and now her former Master has come looking for her. He is terrifying, and Lola must face her fear and overcome it, and to accept the darkness within her. She is no Sith, as she asserts, but must accept both the light and the darkness as equal aspects of herself. This realization helps her defeat the Sith Master. As she leaves the planet, she states that she is the Master now–of her own destiny, free to paint it anyway she wants. I loved this episode so much; it wowed me from the very start. I never knew anime could do these things, that it could look and feel like this. Absolutely amazing, and for me, the best of the bunch.

Screecher’s Reach. (Cartoon Saloon, Ireland). This one has a more cartoony look, but an even darker feel than “Sith.” There is no light anywhere, except perhaps in the hearts of the young ones that accompany Dal to Screecher’s Reach. They all work in a miserable factory, and Dal can’t take it anymore; she seeks escape in a journey to the dark cave. Her friends treat is as a lark, an adventure, but as things get real scary, they want out. But Dal is determined to face the darkness of the cave, often talking to a medallion she has around her neck, asking it for strength and courage. She faces the ghost/banshee/demon Sith or whatever it is in the cave, and kills it with its own red lightsaber. Once out of the cave, Dal speaks to the medallion again and a spaceship lands near them. A strange, creepy being descends and tells Dal that she passed the test, and that she must decide if she’ll come with her. Dal has dreamed of escape, and is excited at first, but is sad she must leave her friends. To them, and to us, the strange being is not benign, and we suspect the being is a Sith. Dal chooses to go with her, but her last look at her friends is one of uncertainty and fear. We fear that Dal has made the wrong choice, that her life going forward will be one of darkness. Probably the darkest of the bunch, and a bit depressing, lol.

In the Stars. (Punkrobot Studios, Chile). This one has two sisters living on a planet that the Empire has taken over. They are the last of their tribe, as the others were killed when they fought against the Imperials. Their mother had led the attack, and she had the Force, but it wasn’t enough. We get this background story through the tribe’s art: glittering, living pictures brought to life by starlight. But the starlight (who they believe are the souls of their lost tribe) is dimming, as the Empire’s factories belch smoke into the sky, obscuring it. The younger sister is fierce in her desire to fight the Empire, while the older sister, impatient with her young, headstrong sibling, feels a responsibility to keep her safe. The young one insists they have “Mum’s power,” or the Force, but the older one scoffs. The Empire siphons off their water supply, so the older sister goes to the factory to steal some water. However, the young one follows and soon gets in trouble. They flee, but when the younger sister is captured and is thrown from a ledge, the older sister reaches and uses the Force to save her. Together, they use their mother’s power to destroy the factory, the smoke clears and they can see the stars again, and the world will heal. The younger sister was pretty annoying at first, but of course she was right.

I Am Your Mother. (Aardman, UK). This one was used with stop-motion technology, and is a sweet story about a young girl learning to appreciate her mother, who, let’s face it, is pretty embarrassing, especially to a teen. Annnie (Ani?) goes to a fancy flying school taught by none other than Wedge Antilles. There’s a family race taking place, but Annie doesn’t tell her mother. She forgets her lunch, though, so her Mom shows up with it just before the race. At one point, she hurts Mom’s feelings by telling her how embarrassing she is, but Mom’s a tough cookie, and when the snotty rich girl and her horrible mother make fun of them, Mom is all in for the racing to show them a thing or two. They win, of course, and it’s a fun, light-hearted story, the lightest of all of them. I do love a particular Easter egg in this episode: when Annie and her friends are walking through the street, you can see Maz Kanata’s arm reach out and take Luke’s lightsaber from the items alongside the street. I never would have caught it myself; I learned about it from an interview with the creator on an episode of This Week in Star Wars, and I looked out for it on rewatch. Also, Annie calls her Mom “Red Leader” and Annie is “Red Two.” I think Wedge was Red Two in ANH.

Journey to the Dark Head. (Studio Mir, South Korea). So this one seemed like your more typical anime, with some over-the-top lightsaber battles and histrionic screaming matches, which isn’t really my favorite type. I didn’t like it at all at first, but on a rewatch decided it wasn’t too bad. Atta is a girl who grew up on a remote planet which has two statues: a buddha-like head that represents the Light, and another the Dark. When it rains, the rocks below can be prophetic, and she sees something with three figures that may take place in the future. When she’s grown, she goes to the Jedi Council and tells them if the Dark head is cut off, then the Sith war that has been raging will end (I’m assuming it will cut off their power or something? Not sure of the significance). They agree and send a young Jedi with her, Tal, who has a lot of anger in him. His Master had been killed by a Sith, and he is restless, seeking vengeance. The Sith had recognized it in him, and told him they’ll meet again and he will join him. The Sith follows them to the planet with the statues, and engages Tal while Atta tries to blow up the Sith head. But a problem occurs: both the heads have red and blue light, representing the Light and the Dark. Clearly, one cannot exist without the other. They will always co-exist. So she can’t blow them up; she uses the explosives to help Tal in his battle with the Sith. Tal kills the Sith after realizing why he was sent there: to face himself, and the anger within himself. Not a bad message, and the banter between the two is charming.

The Spy Dancer. (Studio La Cachette, France). The Spy Dancer is another one of my favorites. It tells of Louie, a dancer in an Empire-controlled world who uses her art for the Rebellion. Her swirling fabrics cascade around her as she twirls down gracefully and elegantly, all the while attaching trackers to the stormtroopers who are in attendance. It kind of reminds me of a Star Wars Moulin Rouge, lol. Years ago, her baby son was taken by an Imperial commander, and she hasn’t seen him since–until this night, when he returns with his “father’s” cloak and staff. Louie recognizes him, and though she fights him, she does not hurt him. The fight goes to the top of the building, where she escapes with the help of her friends, but not before embracing the frustrated, puzzled young man and telling him who he is. A beautiful, poignant story that’s at the top of my list.

The Bandits of Golak. (88 Pictures, India). This is another one high on my list. The story of a big brother helping his Force-sensitive younger sister get to a safe place, this one is visually stunning, and I love the Indian influence. The young sister, Ronni, is, again, annoying, being incredibly stupid in using her powers in public. Aside from this, I loved the Inquisitor, and the old Jedi woman who fights him. Parting the water in the pool, revealing a secret passageway, is super-cool, and I’d like to think it leads to the Path, the sort of underground Jedi railroad we saw in Obi-Wan Kenobi. I just loved the feel and the visuals of this one.

The Pit. (D’Art Shtajio and Lucasfilm Ltd, Japan and the US). This one has no Jedi or Sith, but it has plenty of Imperial stormtroopers. The stormtroopers had gathered a group of prisoners to mine kyber crystals in a large pit (for the Death Star, one would assume). Once the mine is spent, the Empire simply abandons them, leaving them behind in the pit. With the workers despairing, a young man, Crux, climbs to the top of the pit and travels to the nearby city, seeking help to get everyone else out. His pleas fall on deaf ears at first, as the people go about their business. But once he makes clear what’s happening, the Imperials in the city capture him and drag him back to the pit, hurling him down back into it, killing him. But the people of the city heard him, and head out to the edge of the pit. They are drawn to it by the trapped workers shouting “Follow the light!” over and over. The stormtroopers try to drive them away, but they do not succeed, and the city folk send ships down to save the pit workers. It’s a great story about ordinary people coming together to help each other.

Aau’s Song. (Triggerfish, South Africa). I’m not a big fan of the stuffed-animal look, but this one was charming, and links music with the Force. A young girl named Aau lives on the planet Korba, which is filled with kyber crystal, but they had been corrupted by Sith a long time ago. The Jedi often come to the planet to help heal the crystals. Aau’s father works in the mines, but she is not allowed to go, as her voice has an effect on the crystals that they don’t understand. The Jedi who comes to the planet senses that she has a gift and encourages her to use it. So she sneaks down to the mines and sings, and her voice heals the crystals–all of them. A sweet story about using the gifts we possess, even if we don’t always understand them or where they will lead.

I loved the international flavor of these shorts this time around, and I really hope this becomes an annual thing. Visions is a great way for creators to make unique stories with Star Wars flavors, something different in the fandom that we can all look forward to. If I had to choose my top three this year, it would be Sith, The Bandits of Golak, and The Spy Dancer.

Did you enjoy Visions? What were your favorites? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

How the Bad Batch Won Me Over

So now that Season Two of the Bad Batch has ended with a final Season 3 on the way, it’s safe to say that the show is a fan favorite. I’ve seen a ton of love for this show on social media, and I couldn’t agree more. I love these guys so much. But for me, at least, it wasn’t always so.

When we first met Clone Force 99 back in the first arc of Season 7 of the Clone Wars, I thought, who the heck are these clowns? They just seemed so over the top and stereotypical: the broody leader, the strong one, the smart one, and the grumpy sniper with the toothpick. I kind of rolled my eyes. I already loved the clones; why’d they have to create these weirdos? Lol.

By the end of the arc, they’d grown on me a little bit, but I swiftly put them out of my mind as the exceptional season 7 continued. But then the announcement came: The Bad Batch would have their own show. Really? I thought. Those guys? Why? Oh well, I’ll tune in, but I’ll probably hate it.

Two seasons later, and I’m slightly obsessed (okay, full-on obsession), and Season 3 can’t come fast enough. And can’t we have more than 3 seasons? Please????

So how did this turn around so much and so fast? I thought about it, and here are the main points about the show that won me over completely:

First off, we get a glimpse of the early years of the Empire, which we haven’t seen too much of, outside of books and comics (and yes, another Order 66 scene, one that involves a young Kanan Jarrus. Points for familiarity and ties to Rebels). We see what happens on Kamino and how the clones are affected; including Project War Mantle, or how the clones were being replaced by stormtroopers. Later, in Season 2, we see Mt. Tantiss, a throwback to Legends, and Palpatine’s secret doings there. It’s a different timeline than we’ve seen before, and it’s interesting.
It’s the continuation of the story of the Clones. Clone Wars told of how the clones and the Jedi worked together during the war, what exceptional soldiers they were, and helped us see them as individual human beings. We also saw hints of what’s to come with Fives and his malfunctioning inhibitor chip, and our dread increased. In the BB, that story continues, with the fallout from Order 66. It’s not just the Jedi who were betrayed, but the clones themselves, used as a tool for Palpatine’s plan, and then discarded. What happened to Kamino and the Kaminoans? How were the clones replaced? How did the clones feel after Order 66? What happened to them? These questions and more are answered in the show.
Besides these two rather objective plot points, I want to talk about the Batch themselves, naturally. They are what make the show. Yes, they were rather stereotypical at first in the Clone Wars arc, and perhaps at the beginning of Season 1. But they quickly became more three-dimensional as the show went on, and I, for one, came to love them all. In Season 2, especially, we see a lot of character growth for all of them.
- Hunter. Hunter’s growth comes mostly in Season 1. He has to learn to adapt and lead his team in this new world of the Empire. But mostly his growth comes with Omega, who he has taken on as his responsibility. And as the season wore on, he had to learn to let go and not overprotect her so much. It’s natural to worry about a child’s safety, but Omega is part of the squad. As a mom, I thought it was a huge leap of faith to allow her to participate in dangerous missions. In Season 2, he has to decide what’s best for the team, pull away from Cid, and decide whether or not they should stay on Pabu. In the end, it’s about protecting their own: going after Crosshair, and finding Omega.
- Echo. Echo was a reg and not part of the original team, so he’s always felt like the odd man out. Maybe that’s why he’s always so grumpy, lol. But the squad welcomes him in as one of their own, a clone who’s not like the others. But from the first episode of Season 1, Echo has wanted to do more to fight the Empire. He was a loyal soldier to the Republic, and this Empire doesn’t sit right with him, especially with what it’s doing to his brothers. But Hunter has other priorities: Omega, and keeping them safe. It comes to a head in Season 2, when he leaves to join Rex on his missions. It saddens Omega, but I’m glad they had a little moment that brings them closer together.
- Wrecker. Wrecker couldn’t get more stereotypical: the big dumb muscle of the group. He likes to blow things up (because he likes to blow things up!), but he’s nevertheless child-like with a big heart. He bonds with Omega right away, a fellow kid he can have fun with (and share Mantell mix with). His brute strength is impressive, but he’s not all dum-dum: in Season 2, while trying to escape clones on Serenno, he innovates and creates a new weapon out of old ones. Still no genius, but he’s good with weaponry, at least. And I think it’s easiest for him, out of all of them, to adapt to their new situation. He’s very happy blowing things up, but he’s also very happy fishing for dinner on Pabu. Love the big lug.
- Tech. I’m not going to say Tech had the most character growth out of them all, but I would say he had the most dramatic. From the very beginning, I think Tech struck a nerve with a lot of fans–some feel he represents the neurodivergent community, and that’s cool. He’s clearly more comfortable with a datapad in his hand than with interpersonal relationships, and as someone who often has her nose in a book to escape socializing, I totally get it. Season 2 really got into his character, highlighting the fact that although it’s hard for him to show emotions, or even articulate them, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel them. He has a wonderful bonding moment with Omega showing this, when she’s so upset about Echo leaving. It’s hard for him to even explain this to her. But he clearly loves his squad/family, as he sacrifices himself to save them in the season 2 finale. Oh, and that sort-of thing between him and Phee is delightful–she flirts and teases, and although he doesn’t quite know how to react, he’s definitely not unaffected by it. If you pay close attention, you can see that he watches her a lot. You can tell he wants to say something to her when they leave for that last mission, but he doesn’t know what to say or how to say it. Which is all the more heartbreaking. 😦
- Omega. I love this girl so much. She’s sweet from the very beginning, and has served as the moral compass of the group, always insisting on doing the right thing, even though it may be inconvenient to them. She’s spirited and brave and smart and learns quickly. She loves her brothers unconditionally (even Crosshair). It’s only in Season 2 that she starts to display a bit of adolescent rebellion, lol. While it took me awhile to warm to other Star Wars kids, like Ahsoka and Ezra (and I love them both so much now), it wasn’t a struggle to love Omega. I think it’s really interesting that she’s actually older than her brothers, and maybe even saw them when they were babies. How weird is that?
And let’s not forget Crosshair. Crosshair’s betrayal in the very first episode of the series is the twist that gives this show its dramatic gravitas. One of their own, their brother in arms, has joined the Empire and hunts them down like enemies. That hurts. It hurts even more when we realize he consciously makes this decision, as he had his inhibitor chip removed at some point. One of the more compelling questions of the show has been: why? If it’s not the inhibitor chip, what makes him stay with a regime that is so clearly contemptuous of him? That is so heartless, violent, and cruel? Personally, I think it’s fear: he doesn’t know who he is if he isn’t a soldier. The others in the Batch are dealing with that conundrum, but Crosshair can’t even consider it. So he does everything the Empire asks of him, just so he can be what he’s used to being. My take. Anyway, Crosshair is one of the most interesting and complicated characters of the show, and his episodes are consistently excellent. I can’t wait to see what will happen with him and Omega on Mt. Tantiss in Season 3.

I could go on and on. The gorgeous animation, Kevin Kiner’s awesome score, the humor, the attention to detail–the way Hemlock holds his black-gloved hand (what’s up with that, anyway?) So these are the things that won me over, and this is my love letter to The Bad Batch. 🙂

What do you think of the show? What’s your favorite thing about it? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Tech-nical Difficulties

Bad Batch Spoilers!!!

[Deep Sigh]

So, I’ve been in mourning this past week, along with a very large segment of the fandom, over Tech’s death in the season finale of The Bad Batch. I’ve been obsessively reading and replying and commiserating with other fans on several social media fan groups, and the consensus is we’re all devastated .

Oh Star Wars, why do you insist on breaking our hearts?

I haven’t been this heartbroken since Kanan’s death in Rebels. But even then, we had clues. Clearly something very bad was going to happen to him (and I was a bit late to the party, so I already knew he was doomed, but still, it hurt). I didn’t see Tech’s death coming until he was hanging off that rail car and announced Plan 99. But, looking back over Season 2, I suppose there were clues. These episodes were quite Tech-heavy, with him strengthening his relationship with Omega, saving the day with the Riot Race, and the little kind-of romance with Phee. I didn’t know why we were getting so much Tech, but boy, was I pleased. Now? Not so pleased. They were making us love him even more, so when he died, the emotional impact would be epic.

I misquoted him in a previous post, but I think I got the gist.

But it’s a double-anguish, because–IF, in Star Wars fashion, he might still be alive, the only outcome I can see is Tech being taken by Hemlock and turned into something really awful. And that would break my heart even more. (I was going to be upset if Crosshair suffered that fate). So, given the choice of him being dead or being turned into a monster, I’d choose him dying as a hero. And he IS a hero, even if he does come back in whatever form. When he was hanging from that railcar, he knew the only way to save his family was to cut the line. That decision will not be erased by some “miracle” of him coming back. It wouldn’t be “for nothing,” as some fans suggested. In my opinion, he’s forever a hero.

That’s it. That’s the post. I loved Tech, and now he’s gone (forever? Only Season 3 will tell).

You will be missed, my awkward but still badass friend.