The Bad Batch Season 2 Episodes 1 & 2

Four Clones and a Little Lady

The Bad Batch and Omega return for their second season of zippy, warm hearted Empire-era adventures.

The Bad Batch is an interesting artifact. It’s what I would characterize as unnecessary Star Wars. The portion of the timeline it explores has been excavated to a great extent (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi: Fallen Order, Andor, Rogue One, Rebels and Solo all take place during this part of the timeline) and features a story that echoes (no pun intended) The Mandalorian in its “guys in armor adopting a child” story. It’s a spin-off of a spin-off, more of something of which there is already quite a lot.

It’s also Star Wars that is exceedingly bloodless. In the first episode, The Bad Batch set for stun even in mortal danger. As they run away from the crabs of, I think, Pandora in the opening of Episode 1, they kill not one innocent animal. It’s about as gentle as a show about mercenaries can be.

So why is it so much fun to watch? How does it work?