Star Wars: The Bad Batch is fixing its biggest Clone Force 99 problem, which will finally allow the show to reach its true potential in season 2.
This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2, episode 9.Star Wars: The Bad Batch has had a recurring problem throughout its run, but it seems the show is finally fixing it. While it’s always been a loyal follow-up to Star Wars: The Clone Wars, in many ways The Bad Batch only works as a sequel to its predecessor, with the show being more interesting when it doesn’t focus on Clone Force 99. These issues are a symptom of the show’s core struggle, holding it back from reaching its full potential. However, The Bad Batch season 2 has acknowledged this problem and provided the means to tell an even better story.
Although The Bad Batch made Echo important in season 2, episode 8 “Truth and Consequences,” it seemed that the show was creating a new problem by having him leave Clone Force 99. This didn’t turn out to be the case, as the following episode, “The Crossing,” had some of the show’s most compelling moments to date, all stemming from Echo’s departure. These scenes brought more attention to The Bad Batch‘s weakest link, but they also demonstrated how Clone Force 99 can grow throughout the rest of season 2, allowing them to truly be the best part of their own show.
The Bad Batch Are Hard To Connect With Emotionally
The biggest Clone Force 99 problem in The Bad Batch is that it’s hard to connect with them on an emotional level. The Star Wars franchise has always had fun lightsaber duels, cool ship designs, and epic battles; while these are icing on the cake, it’s the characters that generate investment, and seeing how they grow and develop over time creates a story. This is where The Bad Batch tends to struggle, focusing more on missions and galaxy-shaping plot lines over substantial character development.
One exception to this problem has been Omega, a child seeing the galaxy for the first time and maturing emotionally because of it. She’s the one who brings the Bad Batch out of their shells, with Hunter having to be a father figure and Wrecker acting as a supportive big brother. Even so, these dynamics have never developed as much as they could have, and while each member of Clone Force 99 has had strong emotional moments with Omega, they don’t have very many with each other. However, The Bad Batch season 2 suggests that this is going to change for Clone Force 99 going forward.
The Bad Batch Makes The Team Better (With Room For More Growth)
The Bad Batch has begun to fix its biggest problem by making Clone Force 99 feel more like a family, and there’s room for them to keep growing in season 2. Omega shares her frustrations with Tech, a moment that allows both characters to help the other grow. Tech has seen some of the least character development, but that began to change when he acknowledged to Omega that, while he processes change differently, “it does not mean I feel any less than you.” More moments like this need to happen in The Bad Batch season 2, because they highlight what the members of Clone Force 99 are going through behind their rough soldier exteriors.
Tech also points out that change “is a fundamental part of life.” But despite all they’ve been through, Clone Force 99 hasn’t changed a great deal. Omega challenges Tech to see themselves as a family, not just a squad, and this is a fantastic development for the show. The Bad Batch are at a low point after the tragic impact of stormtroopers on the clones, but they’re also beginning to grow into a better family, not just the unit they were created to be. Connecting with Clone Force 99 has been Star Wars: The Bad Batch‘s biggest problem, but now it has the potential to become the show’s greatest strength.
New episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch release every Wednesday on Disney+.
#Bad #Batch #Finally #Fixing #Biggest #Problem