"Inhibited Programming" The Bad Batch Recaps: "Aftermath" & "Cut and Run"

 Star Wars The Bad Batch

We met the Bad Batch, a group of enhanced clones that their peers would call defective, in the final season of "The Clone Wars." It was in that group of episodes that they gained their fifth member, Echo. Looking back, it's pretty clear that those episodes served as a backdoor pilot for this series. I will say that when I first heard about this show, I wasn't sure if it could sustain a series. I haven't watched any of it because I wanted to watch it fresh for these recaps and I can say that after watching these first two episodes, I was wrong. I'm excited to go on the journey through this new Empire with this group of special clone troopers.

"Aftermath"

Narrator: "Separatists pushed to the brink! Republic forces continue to mount victories on battlefronts across the galaxy. After the Jedi Knights thwarted an attempt to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine, the evil droid General Grievous retreated to the Outer Rim. With his legions of battle droids severely depleted, Grievous mounts a desperate and brutal counterattack across several star systems. We find Republic clone troopers locked in deadly combat on the besieged world of Kaller. Led by Jedi Master Depa Billaba, they struggle to hold their position as they wait for reinforcements to arrive..."

The Bad Batch arrive on Kaller to help Depa Billaba and her Padawan, Caleb Dume, drive back Separatist forces. They learn that Obi-Wan Kenobi has killed General Grievous and the war may soon be over. Shortly after, Order 66 is executed and Billaba is killed but Caleb gets away with the help of Hunter. Back on Kamino, Admiral Tarkin arrives to decide whether the new Empire will continue to use clone troops. Due to their enhancements, not all the Batch are willing to follow Order 66 or the new Empire, especially after Hunter meets a clone girl, Omega, and forms an instant connection.

It's Kanan Jarrus!

"The Bad Batch" is definitely the sequel series to "The Clone Wars." It opens with a standard old school war news reel like the other episodes in that first series, but you know something is up. I really love how "The Clone Wars" logo burned away reveal the logo of "The Bad Batch." I love that right off the back the episode gives us a clear introduction to the Bad Batch. You get a great idea of who they are and what each of their roles are in the squad. Hunter is the leader, Wrecker is the muscle, Crosshair is the sharpshooter, Echo is the new guy and Tech is the IT guy. In this opening scene, you see each of the Batchers show off what they can do and demonstrates what they all can do and how they have become a squad that is known across the galaxy. In a pilot like this focusing on characters that have been introduced somewhere else,  you can't assume the audience has seen the other media featuring them. Though, I would not recommend watching this without seeing "The Clone Wars." This pilot brings uninitiated viewers right in with no issues.

In our last "Star Wars" blog post, we read "Kanan" #2 and we see a lot of that first issue in the first moments of this episode, but you may notice that things don't really happen the exact same way here as they do in that comic. Now, there are some "Star Wars" fans out there that will be upset that this episode doesn't stick to what was laid out in that comic book that hardly anyone read. I am not one of those fans. This isn't a huge canonical event that has to stay exactly how it was first portrayed. I'm all about serving the story and if canon has to be tweaked a bit for that to happen, then so be it. 

It's fun to see this new and improved sequence between Depa Billaba, Caleb Dume and the Clones. It's always jarring to see Order 66 happen particularly after "The Clone Wars." They are working together. They are comrades in arms. Caleb Dume is fanboying out over the Bad Batch. It's great to have Freddie Prinze Jr back voicing Caleb and I think he does a great job as this younger version of Kanan from "Star Wars: Rebels." When Order 66 is given, it's awful to watch Billaba try to fend off the clones while telling Caleb to run. It shows you just how fucked the Jedi really were when the troopers turned against them. Caleb gets away and it's because he has Hunter on his side. I think that makes a lot more sense than how it goes down in "Kanan" #2. It also ties Caleb/Kanan even more entwined into the Filoniverse of animated shows.

The Bad Batch returns to Kamino where they find that things have changed and that the usual Clone Troopers aka regs are even more hostile to them. A clone girl, Omega, has taken a shine to the Batch for some reason. Admiral Tarkin shows up to determine whether they should continue with clone soldiers or if they should switch to conscripted soldiers. After a test that includes live rounds, Tarkin seems impressed with the Bad Batch and he sends them on a mission test them. They think that are going to take down a holdout Separatist cell but they are actually the first seedling of Rebellion led by Saw Gerrera. Tensions between Crosshair and Hunter come to a head and Hunter decides they have to take Omega off of Kamino when they learn she is the fifth enhanced clone.

I think overall this is a great pilot episode for this series. I have to give it up for Dee Bradley Baker who voices the Bad Batch and the rest of the clones. He truly is the Tatiana Maslany of vocal work. Just like how you'd forget that she was playing multiple characters in "Orphan Black," you could be convinced that multiple vocal actors are voicing the various members of the Bad Batch. He gives each one of them a distinctive character and that is extremely impressive. 

The pilot sets a clear direction for this first season. The clones of squad 99 are going to have to work to find their place in this new Empire. Crosshair's defection makes the stakes personal. Can they help their friend and free him from the influence of their inhibitor chip? What is the deal with Omega and will she fully integrate into the squad even though she is just a child? Seeds are planted for the Bad Batch play a part in the rebellion that we all know is on the horizon. It was great to see a young Saw Gerrera make a re-appearance when the Batch head to Onderon. This has all the things we've come to expect from a Dave Filoni animated "Star Wars" show. Really beautiful animation. Great character work. Stellar action sequences. Mysteries like what Lama Su and Nala Se are up to on Kamino. I'm interested to see if Tarkin is going to be the squad's imperial adversary.

This is an oversize episode and if I have one minor complaint, it's that it probably didn't need to be. There were moments where things seemed to drag a little bit and it sort of forced the episode to repeat beats like the multiple confrontations between Crosshair and Hunter about following orders. Like, you didn't need to beat us over the head so much that he was going to stick with the Empire. Other than that though, a solid, well-done pilot that has me excited for where this series is going to go.

Grade: A-

"Cut and Run"

Omega: "I know I made a mistake... and I have a lot to learn... but you don't have to get rid of me! I left Kamino with you. This is where I want to be!"

Hunter: "To tell you the truth, kid, I guess I've got a lot to learn too. If this is where you want to be, then this is where you'll stay."

After fleeing Kamino, the Bad Batch heads to Saleucami to meet up with clone deserter, Cut Lawquane and his family for help disappearing. They find that the Empire has dispatched clone troopers there and are forcing everyone to get chain codes so they can get on transports. The Bad Batch attempt to work out a scheme to get chain codes for Cut and his family so they can flee and Hunter asks that they take Omega with them.

Omega is just a girl.

The second episode of a series usually give you a better idea of what to expect from it week to week and that is definitely what happens with this episode of "The Bad Batch." They definitely feel very much like episodes of "The Clone Wars" and I love that we will be re-visiting characters that we met in that series. There are a lot of clones that we met that deserted and decided that the life of war is not for them so I think it's great that we are meeting back up with one right off the bat.

We first met Cut Lawquane in the season two episode "The Deserter" living on the planet Saleucami with his Twi'lek wife, Suu and their two children. I don't recall the clones of the Bad Batch ever having any sort of interaction with Cut, but maybe they didn't. It isn't a surprise that these clones would keep tabs on their fellow clones that maybe don't follow the pack. The clones of the Bad Batch are getting a crash course in what their lives are going to be like under the new order of the Galactic Empire.

This episode starts to give us glimpses at what the Empire is doing. They are changing the currency and allowing citizens to convert their Republic credits to new Imperial credits. The biggest change is that everyone is required to have a chain codes. Chain codes are codes that are assigned to each Imperial citizen as a way for the Empire to track them. They are required to do anything in this Empire include get on a transport which makes things different from Cut, his family and the Bad Batch. Tech makes the good point that Clones worked so hard to exert some sense of individuality on themselves to differentiate from their brothers and now the Empire is making all its citizens no better than a clone with these chain codes.

Omega is experiencing a lot of new things now that she is off Kamino. It's adorable when she steps off the ship and is just taken with everything that she experiences and it's great to watch the expressions of the faces of the Batch as they watch her. She's loving everything from the fresh air to the dirt on the ground. She meets kids her own age and it's great to watch her act her age. But, Omega is naive and sheltered as evidenced when she ignores their warning to not go outside the fence and is almost eaten by some creature. This is what convinces Hunter that the best thing for Omega is to go with Cut, Suu and their kids.

I think we all know that there is no way that Omega is going to leave the Bad Batch. And they are definitely setting up this father/daughter relationship with Hunter and Omega and it feels like everyone can see it except for Hunter. I don't mind that and I am enjoying seeing the various members of the Bad Batch interacting with Omega and working on integrating her into the squad. It's not surprising at all that Wrecker is good with kids. He's a giant teddy bear and the exact kind of guy that kids would like. If I have any issue with the Hunter and Omega become like father and daughter storyline it's that the writers are being a little too heavy handed. We understand what you're doing here, there's no need to hit us so hard over the head with it.

That's maybe my general complaint with this episode. Plot wise it feels very paint by numbers. It feels very similar to episodes that we've seen on "The Clone Wars." I can appreciate that familiarity but I really want "The Bad Batch" to make its own mark and I definitely think that it can.

Grade: B

Next up, The Bad Batch find themselves on a deserted moon with a damaged ship and they are approached by a mercenary on a supply run.

What did you all think? Are you excited to spend more time with these clones? Do you think that this series is a worthy addition to the Filoniverse? Who's your favorite member? Let me know in the comments.