Happy May the Fourth!

Hello friends, and Happy May the Fourth! I’m planning on watching Tales of the Empire tonight, as well as catching The Phantom Menace in the local theater some time this weekend to celebrate.

I also have a special post today: a collaboration post with Jessica Bingham of Storytime Truth. We wrote about the nature of the Force; Jessica described the Light Side and the Jedi, while I explored the Dark Side and the Sith. Enjoy!

The Light Side of the Force, by Jessica Bingham

The Jedi Council

I have always thought of the Jedi Council as the representation of wisdom. The Jedi temple is a place where stillness, peace, and inner consultation resides. Even the structure of the council is one of invitation, that no one Jedi is above another. They sit in circle fashion, conversing. Contrast this to a speaker at a podium, or even Emperor Palpatine addressing the congress during the special session in Episode III. Palpatine speaks at people, the Jedi speak with each other. They each bring their inner stillness and knowledge of the force to bear on a situation. As Yoda says in Episode V, “a Jedi uses the force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.” In the times of the Republic, these sessions were primarily knowledge seeking, with some focus on defense against the dark side.

Common Jedi Force Practices

Meditation

Something you will see Jedi Master Yoda do often is meditate. This is a great way to become inwardly still. Sometimes his meditations are seconds long, other times we are led to believe they are dedicated sessions as part of his routine to remain in a state of enlightenment. He also becomes still before engaging in an action of importance such as lifting Luke’s ship out of the water in Episode V.

Qui-Gon Jinn also does this in Episode I during his fight with Darth Maul. Ultimately he loses the battle, but he gave himself a chance to reconnect with the force through purposeful stillness.

Feeling Before Action

When I say feeling I do not mean giving into impulsive emotions. This is more Sith-like and a sign of the dark side emerging. I mean prioritizing feeling over thinking by letting the heart guide the mind. The heart being the word for wisdom and stillness and the mind being the word for action. Qui-Gon Jinn tells this to young Anakin before his pod race in Episode I and Obi-Wan Kenobi tells this to Luke at the beginning of his training in Episode IV and again at the end of the same episode when Luke successfully destroys the Death Star. Kenobi cautions Luke about the dangers of impulsive feelings in Episode VI. He warns Luke that his fear for his loved ones could be used against him as it was for his father. This does not mean that the Jedi are hostile towards emotions, they just make it a point to distinguish between feeling states that serve them versus those that serve the Emperor (or ego).

Defense and Never Attack

The Jedi do the least amount of response necessary to combat a threat. This is a crucial guideline because it prevents enjoyment when faced with the temptation of ego. We see Anakin succumb to this multiple times in Episode II and Episode III before fully becoming Darth Vader. He takes pleasure in slaughtering the entire community where he mother was held, for example. He attempts to exact revenge on Dooku after the death of his mother and gets electrocuted. He gives into the desire to behead Count Dooku the next time they meet.

We also see Obi-Wan Kenobi flirt with crossing the line in Episode I when he watches his master fall to Darth Maul at the end.

Luke Skywalker has a brief moment in Episode VI where he enters into the domain of attack. He viciously strikes his father’s saber and severs his hand before pulling himself back, sheathing his sword and casting it away. A Jedi must remain in a state of peace, passivity, and calm in order to refrain from the dark side.

Learning About Oneself Through the Force

We see a great deal of Jedi using the force for knowledge in Episode V. Much of this episode is dedicated to Luke’s training with Yoda. In this episode Luke learns that the greatest challenge is to overcome his own mind. He discovers this in the cave when he confronts himself as Darth Vader, reminding all of us that absent knowledge and the accompaniment of wisdom, we are all susceptible to our dark side selves.

Later on in Episode V, Luke loses his connection to the force, to his centeredness and fails to balance the stones in his practice session. He is ambivalent about his ship sinking further into the water and makes the mistake of believing that moving stones is radically different from moving a large-scale object like a ship. This is a crucial lesson of the force for Jedi to learn: its application is the same in all situations. Yoda proves this in the series by being the most enlightened and most powerful Jedi. One of the smallest but the most fierce and powerful. He has the highest midichlorian count of all Jedi, aside from Anakin Skywalker. This is why Anakin’s departure from Jedi to Sith was so catastrophic to the galaxy. He had the deepest, most promising connection to the living force and he fell into darkness. It is also why his one action through knowledge of himself as one with the force and defense of his son at the end of Episode VI was enough to tip the force back into balance.

The Dark Side, by Tina Williams

The dark side of the Force deals in raw, powerful emotions: anger, fear, passion, hatred, jealousy, greed, bitterness, selfishness. You get the idea. These are emotions that are seductive and easy to access, as Yoda warns Luke in Episode V. Powerful, yes, but also a trap: fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. One can tap into great power through the dark side, but it’s never enough, and it will never be enough. In the end, it consumes you.

Consider the fate of these prominent dark-side users in the Star Wars universe:

Darth Vader: Ultimate Suffering

“Anakin is gone. I am what remains.” Vader in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

Darth Vader is the most iconic dark side figure in Star Wars, and perhaps the most tragic. Once Anakin Skywalker, he was one of the most powerful force-wielders in the Jedi Order. Through the light, he could have done amazing things for the galaxy. Instead, that power became focused through the lens of the dark side.

Anakin falls to the dark through his intense fear of loss: he loses his mother in Episode 2, and in Episode 3 fears he will lose his wife, Padme. Sidious makes sure Anakin believes the only way to save her is through him and the dark side. Because of his emotional attachments, Anakin doesn’t trust in the Force—and literally burns in “hell” on Mustafar as a result of his duel with Obi-Wan.

The suit that encompasses him for the next few decades keeps him alive but in constant pain. His injuries, both physical and emotional, will never fully heal. Vader draws strength in the Force through this pain—anger, grief, hate, as well as self-hatred—but that power will never ease his suffering.

It is only through love for his son, Luke Skywalker, that his pain ends. When Sidious tries to kill Luke with Force-lightning (after Luke had shown Vader compassion, after everything he’d done), it’s Anakin who picks him up and throws him down that shaft. It ends his life, but not before saving his son, and his soul as well.

Darth Sidious: The Emptiness of Hate

Darth Sidious, aka Chancellor, and then Emperor, Palpatine, is the paradigm of the dark side in Star Wars. A Sith Lord who rose to power during the prequel era, he is a master manipulator who orchestrates the Clone Wars to destroy the Jedi Order and becomes Emperor.

Sidious is pure evil, defined by hate and anger. There is no in-between with him, no struggling with who or what he is. He cackles with glee at the suffering of others, taking pleasure in their pain. Clearly, he draws great strength in the Force from all this hatred, Force lightning being one of his favorite weapons. But there’s one thing he does fear: death.

The Sith have a great fear of death, believing it to be the annihilation of the soul; they do not want to give up their physical attachments. Unlike the Jedi, they are denied the opportunity to become force ghosts after death, since its requirements are to face the darkness in themselves and defeat it, give up preconceived notions, and let go of what they fear to lose.

“The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.” Sidious in The Rise of Skywalker.

Sidious’ obsession with prolonging his own life is evident in the lengths he goes for supposed immortality. We see it in his Project Necromancer in the Bad Batch, as he tries to use cloning technology (and, presumably, Sith magic) to attain that goal. He only partially succeeds in this, as, thirty years later in the Sequel trilogy, he returns, but in a rapidly degrading clone body. Only in his granddaughter Rey does he truly have the opportunity to successfully live on and continue to spread his evil.

Luckily, the galaxy didn’t have to endure that, as, once again, Light defeats the Dark.

Count Dooku: Righteous Anger

Count Dooku (Darth Tyrannus), the Separatist leader during the Clone Wars, and secret apprentice to Darth Sidious, came to the dark side through disillusionment and righteous anger. As a Jedi, he became disappointed with how the Order had become beholden to the Senate and the Republic, moving away from their role as guardians of peace and justice. He eventually leaves the Order, believing they’d become puppets to a corrupt system. Darth Sidious uses this to his advantage, turning him to the dark side and making him the leader of the Separatist forces.

As a young Jedi, Dooku lets his anger get the better of him in Tales of the Jedi.

Dooku, like Sidious, can use Force lightning, and uses it against both Anakin and Yoda in Episode 2. His arrogance causes him to believe that he is indispensable to Sidious, when in fact Sidious orders Anakin to kill him, thus replacing him with a new apprentice. The Sith are governed by the Rule of Two: there is ever only two Sith, a Master and an Apprentice. By the very nature of the dark side, the apprentice will always seek to usurp their master, coveting all the power for themselves. Dooku replaced Maul as Sidious’ apprentice and was then replaced himself by Anakin.

Darth Maul: The Futility of Revenge

Darth Maul, former Sith apprentice to Darth Sidious, is fueled mostly by rage and the need for revenge against Obi-Wan Kenobi. Since Obi-Wan “killed” him in The Phantom Menace, he has relentlessly pursued the Jedi throughout the animated series Clone Wars. His burning need for vengeance consumes him for years, coming to a head in the animated series Rebels, when Ezra Bridger unwittingly leads him to Obi-Wan on Tatooine as he watches over Luke Skywalker.

While Obi-Wan’s trials and his solitude on Tatooine leads to his character’s growth, Darth Maul’s consuming focus on revenge leads him to stagnate; he experiences no growth at all, as he’s been stuck in an endless loop of rage and bitterness. Even as he dies in Obi-Wan’s arms, his mind is still on vengeance, though not against Obi-Wan anymore, but ostensibly against Darth Sidious.

Obi Wan holds a dying Maul in “Twin Suns” from Rebels.

“Is he the Chosen One?” he asks Obi-Wan, referring to who he was protecting on Tatooine.

“He is,” Obi-Wan answers, at this point convinced the Chosen One was not Anakin.

“He will avenge us,” Maul says, referring to the suffering they’d both endured at the hands of Darth Sidious (Order 66 for Obi-Wan, and the death of his brother Savage Opress for Maul).

Even with his dying breath, Maul cannot let go of the idea of vengeance.

Kylo Ren: The Dichotomy of Dark and Light

Born Ben Solo, Kylo Ren is the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa. From birth he is strong in the Force, but Sidious, evil being that he is, influences and manipulates the young boy. He turns Ben to the dark side in retribution for the role his parents played in the fall of the Empire. He does this through a voice in his dreams, as well as through Snoke, who takes young Ben under his wing while his parents are busy rebuilding the Republic. Snoke plants distrust and turns him against his parents and his uncle, Luke Skywalker. After Luke seriously breaks Ben’s trust in him, he leaves Luke’s Jedi training academy and eventually joins the First Order.

After changing his name to Kylo Ren, he becomes obsessed with his grandfather, Darth Vader and wishes to emulate him and his power. But as Rey accuses him in Episode VII, he’s afraid he’ll “never be as powerful as Darth Vader.” This fear goads him to ever more heinous acts, culminating in killing his own father, Han Solo. But afterword, instead of feeling more powerful, he only feels more conflicted.

The interesting thing about Kylo Ren is that he is constantly tempted by the Light, rather than the other way around. It’s as if his natural state is the Light side of the Force and he actively has to work against it to ground himself in the dark side.

After he kills his father, he’s so emotionally compromised (and also injured by Chewbacca’s bowcaster) that he’s defeated by Rey in the lightsaber battle in the forest on Starkiller Base. To make himself stronger, he punches the wound in his side to feel its pain even more. He wants to feel the pain and rage of the wound in order to draw upon the dark side for strength, similar to how Darth Vader is in constant pain from his suit and draws power from his rage.

Kylo draws upon the dark side in The Force Awakens.

It’s also interesting how, when Kylo turns back to the Light and fights beside Rey against Sidious as Ben Solo in Episode IX, he looks like a completely different person, and holds himself differently, using the Force through the Light side rather than the Dark. He looks and acts lighter, as if a great burden has been lifted from him. As Kylo he seems weighed down, stomping around and slashing his lightsaber with heavy, massive strokes. But as Ben he’s like a dancer, jumping and flipping around with ease. It’s amazing to see.

While not technically a Sith Lord (in fact, he advocates that the Jedi AND the Sith end), he’s an interesting dark side user that I didn’t want to ignore. There are many dark side cults in canon Star Wars, but Kylo Ren is kind of his own thing.

Darkness is a part of life; there must always be balance. But from what I can see, embracing the Light frees you; embracing the Dark enslaves you.

I hope you enjoyed this collaborative post on the Force! How are you celebrating May the Fourth? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Update for April

The Bad Batch S3. We’re just one episode away from the conclusion of The Bad Batch as a series, and I’ve got mixed emotions about it: anticipation, dread, excitement, sadness, and curiosity about how the heck they’re going to wrap everything up in one final episode based on where we are right now. There’s been some speculation that the last episode (titled “The Calvary Has Arrived”) will be longer than the usual 25 or so minutes, but I’ve also heard it’s just going to be 22 minutes. So who knows?

There’s also speculation that the finale will introduce the beginnings of a new animated series about the Clone Rebellion, led by Rex, Gregor and Wolfe and perhaps Echo; but again, we don’t really know. Bad Batch fans are just holding their collective breath to see how this story ends, who might die, who lives to fight another day, and darnit, who’s CX-2? Is it Tech? Cody? Just another clone? There’s so many questions that need to be answered. And, ready or not, we’re going to get them (hopefully) next week. I’m planning on writing a post after the finale for my final thoughts. What are your predictions?

Tales of the Empire. I’d been hoping for a Season 2 of Tales of the Jedi, but this will definitely do. All six short episodes drop on May 4th with three focusing on Morgan Elsbeth, and three on Barriss Offee. It will be interesting to see Morgan’s beginnings with the witches of Dathomir and how she became Thrawn’s ally; but I think we’re all a bit more excited about seeing Barriss for the first time since her arrest in Clone Wars. Questions about her fate have been swirling in the fandom for years, and now finally we’ll get some answers. Based on the trailer, she’s obviously been recruited to become an Inquisitor after Order 66, but will she ultimately commit to the dark side? Can’t wait to find out!

The Living Force, by John Jackson Miller. I’m not quite done with this book but I’m getting close, less than a hundred pages left. It takes place just before The Phantom Menace; Qui Gon Jinn has offered a challenge to the Jedi Council: to reconnect to the Living Force, get out of the Council chambers and away from their focus on the Cosmic Force (the big picture), and “Just help one person.”

So they do. All eleven members of the Council decide to meet up on the planet Kwenn. The Jedi Temple there, manned since the High Republic, has been slated for closing, a common occurrence at this time. During the High Republic, the Jedi established Temples on a great many planets, to send a message to the people that “The Jedi Stand With You.” Since then there aren’t many Jedi outposts left, as the Jedi increasingly retrenched to the main temple on Coruscant and made decisions in close concert with the Senate and the Republic. The Jedi Council, in particular, have lost touch with the common people of the galaxy, who increasingly don’t trust the Jedi or know very little about them.

Anyway, off they go: Ki-Adi-Mundi, Yarael Poof, Plo Kloon, Saesee Tiin, Even Piell, Eeth Koth, Mace Windu, Adi Gallia, Yoda and Yaddle. Depa Billaba is also a member of the Council at this time, but she’s on a mission. Mace becomes concerned when she goes missing, and his part of the story is trying to find her and what her mission involves, while the others arrive on Kwenn and soon become enmeshed in helping the locals with solving their problems. Kwenn’s society has been declining in recent years and has seen an influx in pirate activity, which in turn has led to less tourism, and the corporations operating there leaving the system, which impacts everyone living there.

While they’re helping various people and groups, they’re also planning a big celebration where they invite all the citizens of Kwenn to show their solidarity with them. The problem is, the villain of the book, a pirate named Zilastra who has kidnapped Depa Billaba, plans on consolidating her power in the sector and killing all the Jedi at this celebration.

John Jackson Miller does an admirable job switching back and forth between all these characters and their individual missions, while making the story fun and lighter than most other books. There’s quite a bit of humor, and we get to know these lesser-known characters and their personalities better. It’s kind of sad, knowing the fate of all these characters at the hands of either the Separatists, Sidious, or Order 66 (Yoda being the only survivor). Because of this, I’m glad of the opportunity to get to know them better.

Star Wars and Philosophy Strike Back, by various contributors. I was browsing through a Barnes and Noble store recently and came upon this book in the philosophy section, so of course I had to get it! I don’t usually read a lot of nonfiction about Star Wars but I want that to change and this seemed like an interesting place to start. I haven’t gotten into it yet because I wanted to finish The Living Force first, but it addresses questions like:

Should droids be free? Should clone troopers?

What political and ethical ideas ground resistance and rebellion?

What’s wrong with the way women are portrayed in Star Wars?

Does Han Solo have a philosophical worldview?

Was Galen Erso responsible for the destruction of Alderaan?

Should you eat Baby Yoda?

I’m not sure what that last question is all about, but I’m certainly curious, as I am about all of them. There’s a total of thirty-six essays addressing some deep questions presented by Star Wars, written by various philosophers, and I’m looking forward to delving into them.

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

Entertainment Update for March 2024

Hello friends! I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying whatever it is that entertains you. Quite a bit to get to this month, so here we go:

Defy the Storm, by Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton. This is the YA novel of the first wave of Phase 3 High Republic books, and centers around the characters from Phase 1’s Out of the Shadows: Vernestrah Rwoh, Avon Starros, Sylvestri Yarrow, Jordanna Sparkburn, and Xylan Graf. On my reread of that book, I really came to love these characters, so I’m happy to get back to them and see how they’ve fared since the Stormwall went up.

I’m not done with the book yet, so I’ll have more to say next month, but I’m enjoying it so far. Avon Starros is the daughter of Ghirra Starros, the ambitious Senator who has aligned herself with Marchion Ro, and Avon is none too happy with that. She strikes out on her own (with the help of Deva Lompop, a Nihil who has come to be Avon’s protector) to find vengeance against Dr. Mkampa, a Nihil scientist who stole her work to create the Stormwall, and to try to destroy the Stormwall itself. She seeks out Venestra, who has been on Sabbatical, of sorts, since the fall of Starlight Beacon. Vern believes her Padawan, Imri Cantaros, died on Starlight, but Avon knows he’s alive and wants to reunite Vern with him (and also get her help without letting her know about her plan of vengeance).

Jordanna and Sylvestri have been doing jobs for Maz Kanata and helping the Republic in any way they can against the Nihil, but Jordanna wants to do more, and find her brother and his family on the other side of the Stormwall; while Syl is still struggling with the death of her mother, Chancey Yarrow, and the part she played in the fall of Starlight.

They get mixed up with Xylan Graf, who is “working” for the Nihil in a guest/hostage sort of situation on the Lightning Crash, which is where the technology for the Stormwall originates. I can’t decide how I feel about Xylan; he’s both interesting, if flamboyant, and exceedingly annoying. But I can never quite figure out what he’s got up his sleeve, and where his allegiances lie, so he keeps me guessing. There’s a lot of backstory that I’m guessing went on in some comics, which always irritates me since I don’t read the comics, but it’s not that hard to catch up. I’ll give my final thoughts on the book next month.

From A Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back. While I was waiting for Defy the Storm to come out, I kept busy with this book’s short stories. All the FACPOV books are by various authors and tell a story from that movie from the point of view of a minor character. I never finished the one for A New Hope; most just didn’t grab me that much. This one turned out much more interesting, and there are some good stories in there, although I’ve only read the first 6 or 7 tales, and we still haven’t gotten off of Hoth, lol. I think it’s a book I’ll read in between other books while I wait for them to come out. The Return of the Jedi version recently came out, and I really think that one will be good, too, but I’m going to wait for it to come out in softcover so my copies will be consistent.

Dark Disciple reread. So I debated re-reading this one ever since we found out Asajj Ventress will be making an appearance in The Bad Batch, and finally decided to dive into it again (the day before her appearance in Ep 9 The Harbinger, so last minute). But it really is a fantastic book, and I’ve put down Defy the Storm a few times to read large chunks of this one at a time. It’s one of the first few canon books I read when I started on this journey and remains one of my favorites. It tells of how the Jedi Council decides to assassinate Count Dooku to end the war and chooses Quinlan Vos to do the job–and that he should connect with Ventress for help. This opens up a whole can of worms, as Vos and Ventress fall in love, Vos falls to the dark side, and the Jedi continue down a questionable path. Spoiler alert: Ventress dies at the end of the novel, protecting Vos from Dooku’s Force-lightning. She sacrifices herself to save the man she loves. But, lo and behold! she’s not dead, apparently, as she makes her appearance in the Bad Batch.

TBB showrunners promise that her appearance does not contradict the events of Dark Disciple. As Ventress was “buried” on Dathomir in the same manner as her Nightsister family–from which they can be “resurrected” through Nightsister magic–I don’t have a problem with this, but it will be good to get some details about it when the time comes. Of course, the Fandumb Menace are up in arms about this, a la “Death doesn’t mean anything in Star Wars anymore!…blah blah blah.” Look, it’s overused, I get it, but in this case, it’s totally plausible. Witches, you know. Anyway, I’m happy to see her back.

One of the awesome posters for Season 3. This one of Crosshair with his helmet is my favorite.

The Bad Batch Season 3 so far. I’ve been loving the new season so far and have managed to post my thoughts on the first five episodes. I had a plan to post every week with my thoughts on each new episode, but you know, life, lol. At some point I will do a catch-up post. As it is, I think this season so far is fantastic, and I’m loving the little moments between Crosshair and Omega, especially, and just how he’s trying to adjust being back in the squad. I’m curious to see how this whole M-count thing with Omega turns out, how they’ll find Tantiss, who will help, and who the latest clone assassin is (so many theories! And honestly, it could be no one special, like the infamous Marrock, but I highly doubt it). And I just know Pabu is going to be attacked by the Empire (there are clues in the trailer), and I’m sick about it. 😦

Anyway, it’s agony waiting an entire week for 28 minutes of story, but I’m not one who can wait for them all to drop and then binge. It’s hard to believe we’re halfway through the season already and I have a feeling that things are going to ramp up big time after a foundation of quieter moments. So I’m getting ready for a wild ride, and I’m here for it!

Dune Parts 1&2. So I had every intention of going to see Dune Part One in theaters when it came out, but I just didn’t get there and then it fell off my radar. When Part Two came out, I was determined to see it on the big screen, so I rented Part One on Youtube to catch up, and boy, I’m glad I did.

Ever since I heard of Dune, I’ve wanted to love it, to know it, to understand it. I tried to read it many years ago, but for some reason, I had no idea what the hell was going on and couldn’t get into it. Then the 1984 film came out, and I thought, here we go, this will make it easier! Well, no, not really. It was pretty bad, lol, and I just didn’t “get it.” But a stubborn part of me held onto hope that someday, the light switch will go on. I think it was because I knew that Star Wars takes a lot of cues from it, borrows from it, while certainly being completely different from it.

Back in the day, I used to think Star Wars was “science fiction” because, you know, space, so I looked for more of the same in things like Dune and Isaac Asimov’s Foundation books. I was sorely disappointed in them, because where were the space battles? Where was the swashbuckling? Why were they so damn philosophical and heavy and, well, boring? Lol. When I finally figured out that Star Wars was space fantasy, things clicked, and I found other books and films that gave me that same sense of wonder. Science fiction, not so much (I do enjoy a good sc-fi book or film these days, though). It’s a different animal. But Dune? I wanted to love it and get it.

And, thanks to director Denis Villeneuve, and the absolutely amazing cast of these movies, I can safely say that, finally, yes, I get it! Maybe not all of it, but I’m totally enthralled and impressed and just blown away by how good this story, and these films, are. It’s complex and weird and visually stunning, and Paul Atreides’ hero’s journey from boy to man, from young nobleman to messiah, is captivating. At the end of Part Two, it seemed that it was going to be a trilogy, but I’ve heard a Part Three hasn’t been greenlit yet. Seems to me, though, it’s inevitable, and I’ll be in the theater with my popcorn, excited to see where this all goes.

The Acolyte trailer and release date. We’ve finally gotten a trailer and release date for The Acolyte, and I’m hyped! The trailer looks awesome, and the show will premiere on June 4th. Ever since its announcement, I’ve been intrigued by the premise of this show, which has been described as a kind of dark side whodunnit thriller. Yaaass! And as a High Republic fan, I couldn’t be happier to see it come to life in live-action, even though it’s the tail-end of that era. Basically, the High Republic is the Golden Age of the Jedi and the Republic (about 200-400 years before the events of The Phantom Menace), but here, about 100 years before that film, it’s the beginning of the end. As it states, a darkness is rising.

It’s hard to say off of the trailer alone, but evidently someone is killing Jedi, and the answers surrounding this mystery are not going to be good. The presence of a red lightsaber suggests the Sith are stirring after a thousand years of the Jedi believing they are exctinct. Which of course we know, they are not. I believe the Jedi’s experiences with the Nihil a few hundred years before have changed the Jedi and weakened them in a fundamental way, and the Sith are going to take advantage of that and plan their eventual return, which we see in the Prequels.

Anyway, totally excited for this one, despite the exhausting comments about “wokeness” from the afore-mentioned Fandumb Menace. What a complete and utter bore they are. I think it’s a sign I need to get off social media for a while and take a break from the toxic trolls, lol.

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

The Bad Batch Episode 5 “The Return” Thoughts

So I’m getting this post in by the skin of my teeth before the two-parter drops later tonight, lol. No particular reason, I’ve just been busy, but here we go:

Man, I loved this episode so much! I’ve heard a (very) few grumbles about “filler”–don’t get me started, I just don’t understand these people–but this was an absolutely necessary episode about Hunter and Crosshair working things out in their own way.

We start with the Batch on Pabu with Omega finally waking up where she belongs (and btw, I love her little knit sweater and Pabu-style necklace, lol). Crosshair is keeping his distance from everyone, particularly Hunter, but Omega reminds him that he has to talk to Hunter eventually.

Echo shows up, and they all gather together to discuss next steps and to get any information from Omega and Crosshair about Tantiss. Omega offers up Nala Se’s datapad, but it’s encrypted and they can’t get much info. Echo mentions that it’s harder without Tech, and the mention of his name makes everyone sad; they don’t pause long, but it’s a loud pause. Crosshair mentions that he knows an Imperial facility that will help them access the datapad.

The facility turns out to be Barton IV from the S2 episode “The Outpost,” where Crosshair turned against the Empire and killed the odious Lt. Nolan. It’s abandoned, and they have to dig through the snow into the base. We see an ice vulture, one of the screaming creatures that constantly circled above in The Outpost. The bird came to represent Crosshair, and the fact that we see it up close in this episode tells us (as if we didn’t know) that this one will delve into Crosshair and his journey even more.

While the others connect the datapad to the computer, Crosshair wanders off and finds a pile of clone helmets in a corner; he gently picks them up and places them on a table nearby, in respect, most likely thinking about Mayday and the other clones who died there. Hunter watches silently from around the corner and wonders.

When Crosshair goes outside, Hunter follows. Omega moves to follow them, but Echo tells her to let them work it out. Hunter confronts Crosshair about why he turned on the Empire–he wants answers. All their anger with each other comes spilling out, and Crosshair accuses Hunter of being the cause of Omega’s capture, and that he’s jealous Crosshair helped her escape and not him. It might have come to blows, but they’re interrupted by the arrival of a big Dune-like snow worm.

Turns out that’s what the sensors around the perimeter of the base were keeping out; once they turned them off for more power to the console, the worm came knocking. Wrecker’s cry of “Why are there always big monsters?!” is funny and on the nose. And the answer, of course, is that it’s Star Wars, lol.

So Wrecker has to go to a separate bunker to manually ramp up power to the sensors, Omega mans the console to turn them on when it’s done, and Hunter and Crosshair go out to lure the worm past the sensors before turning them back on. Echo is in the tower “keeping watch.” Basically to make sure Crosshair and Hunter don’t kill each other.

He needn’t have worried, though, as they work together to get the job done. Hunter falls into a snow tunnel, and Crosshair and Batcher follow up top. Once the worm is outside the sensor range, they run back and the sensors are turned on just in time. I love how Wrecker runs to them and hugs them together as they come back, and Echo comments to Omega that at least there’s no blood this time.

Later, Crosshair opens up to Hunter a little and admits he thought he knew what he was getting into with the Empire, and that he did bad things. Hunter says he made mistakes too, and that all they can do is to try to be better. And maybe there’s hope for them after all. Man, I hope so, because I’m a little scared right now as to where this season is leading. But one episode at a time.

So I’m guessing they’ll get enough intel off the datapad to find Tantiss, and that will be the focus of the two-parter coming up.

Highlights of this episode:

Omega calling Crosshair “little brother” and their growing relationship.
How Crosshair is like the dad that didn’t want the dog but now loves the dog more than anyone except Omega.
Crosshair has his toothpicks back and the healing has begun, lol.

What did you think of this episode? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

The Bad Batch Episode 4 “A Different Approach” Thoughts

Please be aware: SPOILERS ahead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Episode 4 S3 of The Bad Batch, “A Different Approach,” moves the story right along without feeling rushed. Frankly, I’m surprised that Crosshair and Omega have busted out of Tantiss (without the help of the rest of the Batch) already and that they’ve reunited with them on Ryloth’s moon at the end of this episode. I thought those things would take half the season, lol. But I’m so glad it didn’t, because it just means there’s so much more story ahead.

So Crosshair and Omega crash their stolen shuttle on a planet called Lau, which is controlled by the Empire. They head to the spaceport; Crosshair wants to blast his way onto a ship, but Omega, not wanting anyone to get hurt, suggests a different plan. She tries to bribe the ticket-seller, but he says he wants 30,000 credits. Wha??? Geez. Omega decides she’ll gamble at a game of chance at a nearby bar. We know she’s preternaturally good at holochess, but it seems her strategic gifts also help her win just enough at a card game for the bribe. She’s about to leave the table when an Imperial enters the bar and challenges her (insists) on a game with him. He’d just collected a case full of credits from the barkeep (presumably protection money) and Omega wins all of it.

They’re about to leave the bar when the Imperial tells them gambling is illegal on that planet and the fine is 10,000 credits. They still have 35,000 credits. Okay, we need to clarify exactly how credits work. Is one credit like one dollar? Is it like Yen, with thousands of Yen to the dollar? Because that sounds like a lot of money, and Omega just casually won it in this seedy bar against a Trandoshan who doesn’t look particularly wealthy.

Anyway, they need to part with another 5,000 credits outside the bar to some kid who demands it in exchange for information on where Batcher is–the Imperial took her to the docks. They head that way, and again, Crosshair wants to blast his way to their goal. Again, Omega convinces him to do things her way. But of course, the Imperial is there waiting for them (his name is Lt. Mann or something, I can’t remember, lol). Hemlock has found their crashed shuttle, and presumably word went out that he’s looking for the fugitives. They’re surrounded with no way out, and Omega finally agrees to Crosshair’s approach: with blasters.

They get onto a cargo ship and take off. Omega sends out a coded message to Hunter with a rendezvous: Ryloth’s moon, where they met a young Hera in Season 1. The Marauder is there, and Omega (and we) finally get the reunion we’ve been waiting for. It’s lovely, especially since Hunter finally–finally!–hugs her back. Then Crosshair walks down the ramp, and everyone gets tense and glares at each other. End of episode.

So basically this episode was about Omega and Crosshair bonding just a little bit more and learning to work with each other and appreciate each other’s approaches to problem-solving. I loved it, especially when they’re walking away from the ticket-seller and Crosshair comments sarcastically how well that went; Omega grumpily replies, “Stow it!” Definitely acting like siblings now, lol.

I’m hoping they pick up right where they left off this episode and we can get more of their initial reaction at Crosshair returning. My only gripe about this season so far is that they’re skipping over the hard conversations that I really think we need to hear. Does Crosshair know Tech is dead? I’m assuming so–otherwise that would have been a pretty big secret Omega kept all those months, and unlikely–but I would have liked to see that conversation. I get that the showrunners need to get a lot of story in and have to make creative choices, but give us something, guys.

Anyway, a great episode and I can’t wait until next week!

What did you think of the episode? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

The Bad Batch Season Premiere Thoughts (Eps 1-3)

Season 3 of the Bad Batch is finally here and I’m so excited!

As you may know, Disney+ dropped the first three episodes together: “Confined,” “Paths Unknown,” and “Shadows of Tantiss.” I’m just going to briefly go over the plot of each and give my thoughts. This one will be a bit longer than usual since there are three episodes to discuss.

So just to be clear: SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It actually starts with a recap of Season 2 and the very first thing we hear is Tech’s words: “When have we ever followed orders?” Yeah, okay, thanks for that, I can see how this is gonna go already, lol. Heartbroken jokes aside, I think it signifies that Tech’s absence will no doubt haunt the entirety of Season 3 (whether or not he “comes back” has been hotly debated since the S2 finale, and though I have thoughts on that, I’m just going to wait and see).

Anyway, “Confined” begins on Tantiss with where Omega and Crosshair are at physically and emotionally. Omega is in a Groundhog’s Day type of existence, helping Emerie everyday with her lab chores, as well as feeding the lurkhounds in their kennels. Emerie tells her she’s not a prisoner, but this just shows how blind she is to her own servitude. It will be interesting to see how Emerie develops over the course of the season. Emerie takes Omega’s blood for testing every day, along with all the other clones, but Nala Se secretly disposes of it. Questions that began in S1 pop up again about Omega and what’s so special about her, questions that have been nagging me all along. But more on that later. She helps and befriends one of the lurkhounds, which she names Batcher, an obvious metaphor for the Batch themselves. Batcher is different and the Imperials conclude she’s useless and slates her for termination; the same could be said of all clones, not just Clone Force 99. You just know that Batcher is going to be important somehow later on.

Crosshair, meanwhile, is quite defeated, slumping along with the other clones, laying morosely on his cot in his cell. He’s totally given up, and he doesn’t care. Omega sneaks down to his cell when she can and talks of escape; he tells her not to bother with him, not to waste her time on “lost causes” like the lurkhound and himself. He tells her he belongs there, obviously punishing himself for all the things he did while with the Empire. Omega tells him that none of them belong there. She’s not going to give up, on escape or on him. It’s not clear if Omega told him about Tech’s death, but I’m going to assume she did until I learn otherwise. If so, maybe he partly blames himself. After all, they were trying to find him (at Tech’s urging), and their plan to get intel on his whereabouts caused Tech’s death (as well Saw Gerrera’s not-very-well-thought-out attack on Eriadu. In fact, I totally blame him. But I digress.)

“Paths Unknown” shifts to Hunter and Wrecker, the only two of the Batch still together, as Echo is off with Rex somewhere. They get some intel on an Imperial lab from Isa Durand and her son, Roland, who we met in S1 when he took over Cid’s parlor. I actually kind of like Roland, lol. His mother, on the other hand, is an icicle.

Echo and Rex can’t meet up with them for two more days and Hunter decides to go without them. Surprisingly, it’s Wrecker who is the voice of reason: he says the last time they infiltrated an Imperial base, not all of them came back. Hunter won’t wait, which further shows his desperation to find Omega. The fact that they messed with the Pykes for the Durand intel shows how far Hunter is willing to go.

So off they go to find this lab, but unfortunately, the intel is outdated: the lab was destroyed by orbital bombardment. They meet up with some young clones who escaped the lab and have been living in the jungle on their own. They surmise Hunter and Wrecker are “99s, defective.” Wrecker’s response, “Defective AND effective!” is perfect, and obvious t-shirt material. Anyway, the young clones explain that the Imperials destroyed the facility when they lost control of one of their experiments, which they face soon after–slithervines that have overrun the lab. They bring them to Mox, a slightly older cadet, who is impressed by their loyalty to Omega, but won’t help them because it’s too dangerous. Deet, one of the younger ones, wants to help, however, and he leads them to the lab. There’s a control panel there that might have some intel that could point the way to where they might have gone. They bring Gonky along for power, and get some intel, but are attacked by an even bigger vine-monster. The other two boys decide to help (after thinking about stealing the Marauder and leaving) and get them out. The intel only gives them a sector to search but it’s better than nothing. Hunter tells the young clones they’ll drop them off on Pabu where they can decide who and what they want to be.

“Shadows of Tantiss” goes back to Omega and Crosshair on Tantiss. Turns out that the Emperor is making a visit to the facility to check on Hemlock’s progress with “Project Necromancer.” Hemlock wants Nala Se to be with him, so she can’t dispose of Omega’s blood like before. She warns Omega that she must leave; she tells her to take her datapad and find a shuttle to get off the planet. Omega won’t leave without Crosshair, however; she runs down to his cell and convinces him to distract the guards, which he does. She brings them down to the kennels to escape through Batcher’s empty tunnel to the outside; she plans on finding the shuttle that had crashed in the first episode and using the communications system to contact Hunter and Wrecker. Emerie finds them first, however, and calls for backup before Crosshair stuns her. The flee into the wilderness with lurkhounds and Imperials following. The communications system in the downed ship doesn’t work and Omega begins to despair. But Crosshair tells her they’re not done yet and they execute Order 72, which apparently means split up and surprise the enemy from two sides. Batcher helps out and they commandeer the Imperials’ shuttle.

They’re pursued by fighters and probably wouldn’t have gotten away except for one thing: Omega’s blood count shows that she’s a match for what they’re looking for– a high M (midichlorian)-count with no degradation. This is what they’re looking for in Project Necromancer, which I presume is how the Emperor is trying to achieve immortality–transferring his essence into a Force-sensitive clone of himself, which tracks with what we’ve seen in the Mandalorian and the Sequel Trilogy.

Anyway, Emerie makes the discovery and tells Hemlock to break off pursuit, since they’ll need Omega alive. Omega and Crosshair jump into hyperspace and get away. Hemlock calls it a “minor setback,” as he has all the resources of the Empire behind him.

There’s SO much I loved about these opening episodes, especially the dynamic between Omega and Crosshair. Crosshair’s got a long way to go, but I’m glad to see he’s still got some spark left in him, and that he’s softening toward Omega. Just a little bit.

I’m also gratified to learn about Omega’s high M-count. It doesn’t mean that she’s Force-sensitive, I guess, but maybe she has a strong potential if taught. Certainly more so than Sabine. If Sabine can learn, who presumably has a very low M-count, then Omega has huge potential. I flirted with the idea of Omega being Force-sensitive early on during the first season; I even made a post about it outlining my “evidence.” But then nothing came of it and I gave up on the idea. So I’m loving this interesting turn of events and I’m eager to see where it all leads.

A very satisfying opener for Season 3, and I can’t wait for the next episode!

Oh, and side note: we get a very brief glimpse of the assassin that’s in the trailer, the one similar to the clone assassin in S2 that went after Senator Chuchi. Of course, there’s been a lot of speculation about who this might be: Cody? (I don’t think so). Rampart? (Maybe? But again, I don’t think so). Tech? (Gahh!!!) It could very well be no one special, just another clone, but I have a feeling it’s someone we know, or they wouldn’t have (briefly) called attention to him right now. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see on that, too.

Oh, side note #2: Crosshair’s tremor. This is an interesting development. Not surprising, considering the trauma he’s been through, but it will definitely affect his sharpshooting skills. He’ll have to reconsider his future, what he may want to do or be going forward, like the rest of the Batch has had to do this whole time. A tall order for a man who followed the Empire, in part, because he didn’t know what else he could be besides a soldier. Anyway, no more side notes or I’ll go on forever, lol.

What did you think of these episodes? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Update for February 2024

Hello friends! It’s been a busy month and there’s a lot to cover, so here’s an update of what’s been entertaining me lately:

The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker. I finally finished this big book, and absolutely loved it. It’s the story of a female golem, a supernatural creature made out of clay by Hebrew magic, and a male jinni, a creature of light and fire from the Syrian desert. These two form an unlikely friendship in 1900 New York. The story of how they came to be and how they met is a long, complicated one, but it turns out the man who made the golem is also the reincarnated version of the man who trapped the jinni in a bottle a thousand years ago. The soul of the man’s many lives is bound–and cursed–by the spell he wove so long ago, binding his soul to the jinni. By circumstance and serendipity, the golem and the jinni find themselves trying to fit into the human world they’re trapped in, and eventually escape the clutches of their nemesis, Joseph Schall. This is a very simplistic summary; the story is richly told, the setting of Little Syria and the Jewish neighborhoods in New York in 1900 is intricately detailed, and the cast of supporting characters is fantastic. It took me a few months to read it, and I loved every minute of it. I just found out there is a sequel called The Hidden Palace, and I’ve promptly ordered it; I’ll be voicing my thoughts on that on my next update.

Escape from Valo, by Daniel Jose Older and Alyssa Wong. This is the first middle-grade novel for Phase 3 of the High Republic. It takes place on Valo, where the Republic Fair took place and was attacked by the Nihil in the book The Rising Storm, from Phase 1. Valo is the home planet of Ram Jomaram, a Padawan who had adventures and battles against the Nihil in previous books. Since the attack on the Republic Fair two and a half years ago, the Nihil put up their Stormwall and took control of Valo. They killed many adult Jedi with the Nameless, and Ram is hiding out in the abandoned Jedi Temple, and masquerading as the “Scarlet Skull,” making strikes against the Nihil and broadcasting his rebellious messages on various channels.

He comes across three Jedi younglings–Gavi, Kildo, and Tep Tep–who had been hiding in the mountains for a year but have been inspired by the Scarlet Skull and have come back to Lonisa City to fight the Nihil. Thrown into the mix is a Zabrak youth called Zyle, a pirate who has come to Valo to find bacta on the sunken ship the Innovator. Together they cause trouble for the Nihil commander, Vark Tarpalin, and hatch a plan to retrieve the bacta.

Another player is Driggit, Gavi’s former best friend who has joined the Nihil, initially to help protect her parents and Valo. She had thought her former Jedi friends had been killed, but when they show up again attacking the Nihil, she inexplicably becomes enraged. I didn’t really understand or like this character. I thought her stint with the Nihil was just a ruse and she wasn’t really one of them, but when her friends come back, she blames them for making things worse and is actually willing to kill them later on in the story, and she feels very much like an actual Nihil. I felt her character was a bit contrived for drama’s sake.

Other than that, I enjoyed the book and thought it a fine addition to the High Republic middle-grade collection. It’s got a lot of heart and deals with Jedi relationships and attachments, their connections to the Force, and of course, learning to deal with fear, to accept risk, and to grow.

The Legends of Luke Skywalker, by Ken Liu. This was a pretty fun book. It takes place during the Sequel era, when Luke Skywalker is still in hiding, and very much just a legend for most people. A crew on a transport ship are heading to Canto Bight for a delivery, and they amuse themselves with stories they’ve heard about Luke Skywalker. Most of the stories are entertaining (even though their knowledge or ideas about the legendary Jedi are garbled at most, and ignorant and ridiculous at worst). There was only one story I thought particularly stupid, and that one’s about a flea-sized sentient creature hanging out on Luke and giving him directions on how to fight the rancor and Jabba’s henchman. Are you kidding me? But maybe that’s the point: these stories about Luke can beggar belief; it doesn’t take long for facts to get mixed up, for feats to be exaggerated, for truth to become tall tales. But I like how in one of the stories, Luke himself, after listening to some woman relate ludicrous tales about Luke Skywalker, say that he doesn’t mind the inaccuracies. The whole point of the war and the New Republic was partly about freedom of speech; people can say what they want without fear of being imprisoned or killed. Luke’s actions weren’t about being celebrated as a hero, but about fighting for what’s right. As long as that was accomplished, it doesn’t matter what people say about him. I thought that was a great touch. Anyway, an entertaining read.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain. I’ve had my eye on this book for a few years now, as I am an avowed introvert. As I suspect is the case with most introverts, I’ve always felt out of place in this loud world and that perhaps something was wrong with me. I even feel that my introversion has held me back in my life and I’ve missed opportunities that might have made me more successful. While this might be true, it’s gratifying to know that I’m not alone, that introversion is not a kind of deviance or disease, and that we can learn to work with our personality traits to navigate successfully through life. I’ve just started this book, and the beginning is filled with scientific studies, both biological and psychological, and it’s fascinating. I do hope we move on from all the studies and possibly learn some strategies in making life a bit easier for those of us who don’t wish to throw ourselves into the spotlight. At least not all the time, lol.

I love how Omega looks like a tough little cookie here, lol.

The Bad Batch Season 3 Premiere. The Batch is finally back, and the first three episodes didn’t disappoint! I’m working on a separate post of my thoughts for the episodes, but until then let me just say I’m loving it already and am excited for the next episode! Stay tuned.

Assembled: The Making of Echo. These behind-the-scenes docs are always fun to watch, and this one’s no exception. I was impressed that the entire cast and a lot of the crew learned sign language before filming began, to make things flow easier for the deaf star, Alaqua Cox. They also asked for input from the Choctaw Nation, to be as authentic as possible in their Native representation on screen. I adored this series; there were no global stakes or huge super-hero powers at work, just a woman caught between two worlds who’s trying to make sense of who she is and who she ought to be. All while being very kick-ass, of course, lol.

Upcoming: Temptation of the Force, Tessa Gratton. This book was just announced for release on June 11th. It’s the second adult High Republic novel of Phase 3, and I can’t wait for it!

Forbidden love…it’s going to be disastrous, and it’s going to be great!

Here’s the blurb:

For over a year, Jedi Masters Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann were kept apart by the Nihil’s Stormwall. After Avar makes a daring escape from inside the Occlusion Zone, the star-crossed Jedi are reunited. But while the physical distance between them has evaporated, their shared grief over their failure to protect the galaxy from the Nihil threat remains.

To rally the Jedi Order and the Republic, Avar and Elzar cling to their belief in serving Light and Life. Together, they lead a daring mission into Nihil space to liberate the planet of Naboo and show those trapped behind the Stormwall that the Jedi will never abandon them. Now back within close orbit of each other, the two Jedi Masters can no longer deny the bond that has always drawn them back together and made them stronger.

After finally embracing their true desires and imbued with renewed purpose, Avar and Elzar devise a plan to turn the tide of the conflict with the Nihil once and for all. Accompanied by Jedi Knights Bell Zettifar, Burryaga, and Vernestra Rwoh, the Jedi begin their hunt for Marchion Ro. But to seek out the Nihil’s dangerous leader, the Jedi will have to survive the Nameless terrors that thus far they have been powerless to stop.
Temptation of the Force

Can’t wait for this one, but first comes Defy the Storm, the next YA novel coming out March 5th, so plenty of High Republic to keep me happy!

What’s been entertaining you lately? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Top Five Favorite Episodes of The Bad Batch Season Two

Last week I made a post about my five favorite episodes of Season One of the Bad Batch. Today is all about Season Two. Honestly, I loved all the episodes of S2 and it was hard for me to pick five, so I did cheat a little and listed a few two-parters as one choice. Here they are:

Commander Cody contemplates his choices.

The Solitary Clone. Episode 3 is the first time we see Crosshair this season, and it’s excellent. We find out that the Empire left Crosshair on that platform on Kamino for 32 rotations. Even Rampart wonders why he remains loyal. But he’s been medically cleared for duty (though not for a command position), and he’s been paired up with Commander Cody, the first time we’ve seen that character after Order 66 in canon. They’re sent to Desix, where an Imperially-assigned governor has been taken hostage by that world’s self-proclaimed governor, Tawny Ames. Their assignment is to free the Imperial governor at all costs. The action-sequence as the clones make their way into the compound is awesome; Kevin Kiner’s soundtrack is just fantastic here. Working together, Cody and Crosshair finally make it to the top of the compound (that stairwell scene!), destroy the tactical droid, and confront Tawny Ames. Cody negotiates with her, promising a peaceful resolution and getting her to release Groton. Once free, Groton demands that Cody execute her. Cody hesitates, but then Crosshair shoots her instead. Many think that Crosshair did it to spare Cody from having to do it when he clearly didn’t want to and to save him from an insubordination charge. There’s no clear answer, but I think this rings true. Cody is disillusioned, and watches as more stormtroopers arrive on Desix. Back on Coruscant, it’s clear Cody is doubting he’s on the right side; this is confirmed when Rampart tells Crosshair that Cody has gone AWOL. And so just when Crosshair begins to feel that he’s part of a team again, he’s not. He’s alone. Again. Such an excellent episode, and I truly hope we get to see Cody again in Season 3.

The Clone Conspiracy/Truth and Consequences. Episodes 7&8 are a two-parter I’m counting as one. The Clone Conspiracy doesn’t have the Batch in it at all; it focuses on Senator Riyo Chuchi, who has decided that she is going to fight for clone rights, as it seems no one else will. Her main antagonist is General Rampart, who has no intention of giving the clones anything, particularly when the Emperor, through Mas Amedda, is pressuring him to push a bill through the Senate that would create a new Imperial army. A clone named Slip tells Chuchi that Kamino wasn’t destroyed by a storm; it was destroyed by Rampart. She wants him to testify, but he tells her she doesn’t need him; the information she wants is in the databanks on Rampart’s Venator. Slip is killed, by a strange assassin who kills himself after being captured by Rex.

In Truth and Consequences, Rex asks the Batch for help. They need to get the information about Kamino off Rampart’s Venator. While they infiltrate the ship to retrieve the data, Omega stays with Chuchi while she consults with Bail Organa. He tells her to “follow the money,” and directs her to the former Senator of Kamino, Halli Bertoni. After some persuasion, she’s willing to testify, but Chuchi needs hard evidence. She finally gets it, and the Senate watches in horror as Kamino is shown destroyed. Their plan backfires, however; the Emperor shows up and throws Rampart under the bus. He claims the clones’ willingness to follow orders without question means they need a new military, made up of recruits that fight for the people (the irony is galling). The recruitment bill is passed, and Sidious wins. These two episodes have great political thriller vibes, and I’m here for it.

At the end of the episode, we find out along with Omega that Echo is going to stay with Rex, at least for a while, to help him fight for the clones. This is deeply upsetting to Omega, as we see more fully in the next episode, The Crossing.

The Crossing. Episode 9 sees the Batch on a mission from Cid, to retrieve an explosive mineral called Ipsium from a mine she purchased on a desolate-looking planet. Things go wrong almost immediately. While in the mine, the Marauder is stolen by a young thief, stranding them. Tech and Wrecker begin to bicker, as it was Wrecker’s responsibility to be the lookout. They start walking to a settlement a long way off but are nearly trampled by a stampede of animals. Then a dust storm blows in, and while they find another mine to take cover in, they lose the Ipsium. It explodes and causes a cave in, and they’re trapped. More bickering ensues, which is upsetting to Omega, who is already upset about Echo leaving. She’s worried about losing the Marauder, too, which has become her home. Tech says something hurtful, and she storms off. This is the most irritated we’ve seen the usually unflappable Tech. Hunter tells him to go after her and make things right. When he finds her, she’s drilling for more Ipsium she found, which she hopes they can use to blast their way out. Tech helps, but then she falls off the ledge into an abyss. Tech immediately follows, not knowing what awaits them at the bottom. It happens to be water, and they’re swept through a tunnel system, over a waterfall, and into another cavern. There’s a way out, but they need the Ipsium to blow a way through. While they wait for Hunter and Wrecker, Tech and Omega have a heart-to-heart talk, which is really the highlight of the entire episode.

I won’t repeat that conversation verbatim here, but it really gives some insight into Tech’s character, and brings the two closer together. Basically he says, I react to things differently than others, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care. It’s a very sweet and touching moment, and this episode is one of my favorites.

The Outpost. Episode 12 brings us back to another amazing Crosshair episode. He’s sent on a mission to a wintry planet called Barton IV with the awful Lt. Nolan, to pick up some cargo that is described as vital to the Empire. There they meet clone trooper Mayday and what’s left of his unit. The outpost is in bad shape, as the Empire has ignored Mayday’s many requests for supplies and help. Which he explains to Nolan, who responds with contempt. The outpost is attacked by native insurgents and some cargo is stolen. Nolan orders Crosshair and Mayday to find them and bring back the cargo. They track the insurgents back to their hideout and destroy it. They find out that the cargo Mayday has been guarding for so long is stormtrooper gear, while the clone troopers have to patch up their old gear. “We were good soldiers. We followed orders. And for what?” he asks Crosshair. The explosions cause an avalanche, and they get caught in it. Mayday is injured, and despite Crosshair’s earlier comment about not wanting to carry “dead weight,” he picks up Mayday and half-carries, half-drags him through the freezing cold and snow. When they get back to the outpost, instead of helping them, Nolan sneers and scolds. Crosshair nearly begs him to help Mayday, but Nolan refuses and Mayday dies. “He was expendable. As are you,” he tells Crosshair. As he walks away, you can see the turmoil in Crosshair, the despair, the dawning realization of his colossal mistake. He shoots Nolan dead, and then collapses. He wakes to find himself on Tantiss, in Hemlock’s clutches, though he doesn’t know it yet.

I thought The Solitary Clone was a great Crosshair episode; when I watched this one I thought, Wow. Just wow. Watching the end of this one, with the screaming bird monster circling above, reminded me of how I felt at the end of Clone Wars, as Vader watched Morai circling above a different wintry planet: haunted, bereft, unutterably sad. Damn, these “cartoons” are killing me, lol.

Crosshair is so done with Nolan and the Empire.

The Summit/Plan 99. And we’re not done with the tragedy yet. These last two episodes of the season culminate in the unraveling of everything Hunter has fought for: keeping his squad safe and together. The Batch head for Eriadu, where the mysterious Dr. Hemlock is meeting Tarkin and other Imperial bigwigs. Their goal is to plant a tracker on Hemlock’s ship and follow him back to his base, where ostensibly Crosshair and other clones are being held. But they’re not the only ones infiltrating the summit; Saw Gerrera and his crew are there planting explosives to blow the place up. The explosions cause the railcar they’re on to stop in midair and hang dangerously above an abyss, while Imperials attack them, leaving them literally hanging on a cliffhanger.

Plan 99 picks right up where they left off, as sitting ducks for the Imperials. Tech thinks he can get the railcar moving again, but he needs to get to the terminal, which of course is not nearby. He goes to the top of the car, runs along the line and jumps to the terminal, does what he needs to do, and runs back, all while the Batch try to fend off the attacking Imperials. Blaster bolts cause the car to unhitch from the cable even more, throwing Tech off of it, leaving him hanging. We all know what happens next: Tech knows there’s no time to haul him up and shoots the cable that holds him to the railcar; he plummets into the abyss, to the horror of his friends. The car hitches up to the cable again, they go careening into the station at the other end and are injured. They make it back to the Marauder and Hunter tells them to go to Ord Mantell so AZ can help them.

It’s difficult to watch their grief as Tech’s death sinks in, especially with Omega. But they’re not out of danger–Hemlock shows up at Cid’s, and it’s clear she betrayed them. She probably didn’t have a choice, but it still stings. Hemlock captures Wrecker and Hunter and throws them Tech’s shattered goggles, which twists the knife in our hearts. He wants Omega in order to coerce Nala Se into working on Sidious’ cloning agenda. Omega tries to stop them, but she’s stunned and taken to Hemlock’s ship; meanwhile Echo and AZ help free Hunter and Wrecker from Hemlock’s clutches. Hunter can only watch helplessly as Hemlock’s ship lifts off with Omega on it. There’s no way to know where they’ve gone. Omega is brought to Tantiss and finds an unconscious Crosshair; Emerie reveals that she’s Omega’s “sister.”

And that’s where we are at the end of Season Two. Again, I loved all of this season’s episodes, and would have added Faster and Pabu to the list, but this post has gone on long enough, lol. The three-episode premiere of Season 3 is only days away, and it can’t come fast enough!

What are your favorite episodes of Season Two? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

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.