Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+)

[jon-el87]

Tech notes that Boba Fett was originally codenamed "Alpha". Perhaps Omega will eventually get a new name. Will be interesting to see what name she might end up with (provided that it happens).

[jon-el87]

Tech notes that Boba Fett was originally codenamed "Alpha". Perhaps Omega will eventually get a new name. Will be interesting to see what name she might end up with (provided that it happens).

Looking at Clan Fett, on Wookieepedia, there are a few female Fetts from the old EU that they could name Omega after: Arla Fett (the sister of Jango), Ailyn Vel (daughter of Boba) and Mirta Gev (Boba's granddaughter). I could see them go with "Arla", though I prefer "Ailyn" (for one thing, it's not the name of a dairy company). I really hope that they have Omega change her name. I don't hate the name "Omega", but it would make for a nice bit of character development ("Omega" is a codename, given to her by the cloners. Just like how most of the clones were given numbers. Clones that decided to give themselves names). Also (to tie back to my constant Rey-Omega comparison) would probably be handled a lot better than Rey, out of the blue, deciding to take the last name "Skywalker", in the last moments of a trilogy.

[jon-el87]

Episode 10:

Felt weird seeing AT-TEs as tools of oppression. AT-ATs and AT-STs, we're used to in that function. This episode really draws attention to the fact that the ultimate Rebellion becomes a fixture of people who were on different sides of the Clone Wars. In fact, former Separatists are clearly more likely to reject the Empire (which is really just a re-branded Republic, in their eyes). So the villains of the prequel trilogy and The Clone Wars become the heroes of the OT. Found myself expecting GS-8 to become part of the Bad Batch (so to speak). Maybe it happens in a later episode. Right now, all the team has is a gonk droid (that doesn't do anything). When one looks at past Star Wars projects, a lot of them have had (at least) a prominent droid character. Of course, with Echo around, there isn't much need for an astromech to connect with computors.

Liked the species diversity on Raxus (a separatist planet). Among the species present are Twi'leks (suggesting that the Twi'leks present hold separatist views), while Twi'leks like Cham Syndulla fought against the separatists. I always appreciate works that doesn't depicts large groups of people (in this case, a species) as a homogenous mass, that all have the same exact opinions and values (culture, etc.). It makes it feel more authentic. Because real people have different opinions (history, culture, etc. Even within the same species). In this case: some Twi'leks held views in line with the separatists, while others held views that goes against the separatists. Rather than "all Twi'leks were anti-separatists". As you might expect in a lot of fiction, as the writers often have one single character (or a few) represent/embody an entire species of millions (perhaps billions). As a result, all future members of this species get depicted as being identical to the first one shown. Meaning that the writers end up with a sort-of stereotype of the alien race (sometimes said alien race ends up feeling like a bigoted caricature of real-world folk groups. For crying out loud, the Ferengi article on Wikipedia has a section with the headline: "Comparisons with anti-Semitic stereotypes"), rather than something feeling like real people.

Minor nitpick: the Senator says "Draconian tactics". Didn't feel like it really fits in this context ("a long time ago. In a galaxy, far, far away"). Draco was a lawgiver in ancient Greece (on Earth). Omega shows herself to be quite a strategist. I guess pure Jango Fett DNA is the good stuff. Demonstrates the Kaminoans need for her genetic material (rather than just cloning a random person). Fett DNA is important.

[jon-el87]

Episode 11:

Did not expect a Hero Syndulla-centric episode. The titular group only shows up for a few minutes, but it makes sense. This was setting up the situation on Ryloth, with Hera briefly meeting Omega and the Bad Batch, so that she can call them for help (likely knowing no one else, whom she can call. Everyone else has been arrested), next week. If they had started the episode with Cham (and family) being arrested, then the Bad Batch coming in to save them, it'd be running the risk of basically being a repeat of episode 10 (where a senator is arrested by Imperials, and the Bad Batch comes in to rescue him). Here, we get to spend an episode with some familiar characters on Ryloth, before the Bad Batch gets called in to help.

[jon-el87]

Episode 12:

As I previously noted, episode 11 was much needed set-up for this episode. Don't think that Omega's ever described Hunter, Echo, Tech and Wrecker as her brothers before. Her relationship with Hunter generally feels like a father-daughter scenario. Appreciated that this wasn't too much of a Hera Syndulla origin episode, where they have her acquire every little thing that we see in Rebels (including the Ghost). You know, like the opening of Last Crusade, where (within minutes. Set within a few hours) we're shown the origin of Indiana's fear of snakes, the whip and his hat. The Ghost is in Hera's future. Instead, Hera and Omega hijack a random shuttle. Expected Hera's mother to be killed during the escape.

Would've liked to have seen some deeper exploration of Howzer. Did his inhibitor chip not work, during Order 66? Did the effects wear off? He managed to convince some other clones to stand down (despite "good soldiers follow orders"). Could see this develop into two camps: those clones still acting under Order 66 influence, and those whose chips malfunctioned (or the effects wore off, after a while). Resulting in conflict between the two groups.

Crosshair has now been assigned to hunt down the Bad Batch. Will probably end with the Bad Batch removing his inhibitor chip. Freeing him from imperial control.

[jon-el87]

Episode 13:

I'm assuming that either Roland or the Irlings was set-up for an upcoming episode.

[jon-el87]

Episode 14:

Half-expected the mission to turn out to be a trap, with Rex turning out to be fake (there are literally millions of men in the galaxy, that have the same face and voice as Rex). The big question is how the Bad Batch will get Hunter out of there. Crosshair and the others will now be waiting for them. Will Hunter be given a new inhibitor chip, and be turned like Crosshair? In the final two episodes (hopefully, just of the first season and not the whole series), will the Bad Batch manage to remove Crosshair's inhibitor chip?

Nice seeing them exploring more of the replacements of clones with enlisted personel, that'll take place between now and some time before Solo A Star Wars Story. Also liked the character moment where Echo brings up the Bad Batch saving him from captivity. Echo felt more clear as an individual character, in this episode, than I feel that he often does.

[jon-el87]

With a thousand TK troopers on that base, it would be fun if TK-421 showed up.

[jon-el87]

Season 2 will be released in 2022.

[jon-el87]

Episode 15:

Was not expecting a return of AZI. Crosshair claims to have removed his chip ages ago. Is he telling the truth? If he is, then it was quite a twist, and I like it. Crosshair is their brother, but he has developed differently from the others. Developed different views, that causes a split between him and Clone Force 99. Omega mentions other tubes, that runs throughout the planet. The characters will likely escape the destruction of the city through them. Or they escape on those flying creatures, that have been established to exist on this planet.

Liked the scene in Nala Se's lab. Really made you understand the basis for Omega's attachment to Clone Force 99. She was in the lab, while they were in the tubes. If she wasn't allowed to play with Boba (does he know that she exist), she probably didn't have any friends beyond AZI growing up (I don't see the cloners scheduling a play date between Omega and the Jango clones, that were bred to be soldiers. If Omega and Nala Se always had a positive relationship, then Nala would be more of a mother figure, than a friend). Clone Force 99 was all that she had, in that lab.

[jon-el87]

Seen some online discussions about whether Omega will show up on The Book of Boba Fett. Personally, I hope not. That show takes place like 30 years after this one. Meaning that we'd then see what will happen to Omega. Her future (and the future of the rest of Clone Force 99) will no longer be a mystery, that gets unraveled throughout the run of this show. It also locks the Bad Batch writers into the future Omega, that gets established on another show. They have to lead into that, rather than developing this character over time and taking her where the story takes her (as they write this show).

The Book of Boba Fett will also be released between season one and season two of The Bad Batch. As of right now, Omega has not met Boba, on this show. If she one day does, then it should be on this show. The Book of Boba Fett takes place like 30 years after this. Meaning that we would be skipping their first encounter (and questions like if Boba accepts her as his sister), and be thrown into a context where they have already met over 20 years ago. Maybe encountered each other many times. Already have some type of relationship (be it friendly or antagonistic), that we haven't seen the start of.

[jon-el87]

Episode 16:

Was not expecting them to spend the whole episode, on the characters trying to escape the city. Some will probably be upset that there weren't any blaster fights. However, the season started with Crossfire turning on the others. With that in mind, this made sense as a season closer. We know that he is no longer influenced by an inhibitor chip, but this episode makes it clear that he isn't going back to Clone Force 99. If the Bad Batch is a family... it is one that has been thorn apart, by members having conflicting opinions, that they can't back down from. We see that in the real world. Family members have different opinions, that they can't reconcile, nor look past. Resulting in them breaking it off with their closest relatives.

Was not expecting AZI to make it. Now the Bad Batch has got a proper droid character. One that is distinct from R2 and Chopper. AZI is a medical droid, setting him apart from the two astrodroids. It also gives AZI a distinct function within Clone Force 99. They already have Echo to connect to computer terminals (as astrodroids would do). Making as droid with that function pointless within the group. A medical droid, on the other hand could be useful whenever a team member (or person that they encounter) is injured. Given his history with Omega, AZI probably has Omega's full medical history, in his memory files. Making him a useful resource into exploring Omega's origin. They still haven't answered the question of why Omega is a girl, when she's a pure genetic replication of Jango Fett. My theory is that she's intersex. Seen some online speculation that Omega is trans, but I think that her being intersex is more probable. She's a mutated clone. A mutation that could've been manifested through Omega being born as an intersex variation. If she's trans, it raises some questions. She's one out of millions of Jango Fett clones. Yet, none of the others (nor the original, whom Omega is supposed to be a pure genetic replication of) appears to have had a transfeminine gender identity. Could that really be explained away by her mutation? No, my bet is on Omega being intersex. A group that is represented far less than transwomen (it should also be noted that transwomen are also represented a lot more than transmen), in film and television. Intersex people are often erased.

Curious to find out who that lady scientist, who speaks to Nala Se, is. No doubt, that imperial scientist have something sinister in mind.

[jon-el87]

Episode 16 (further thoughts):

In addition to giving resolution to the Crosshair matter, the episode was also about the loss of Kamino (a place introduced 19 years ago). The six clones have to make their way, through the place where they were all born and grew up, as it's sinking and collapsing. Omega gets to look in sorrow, as what had been her home her entire life (until the end of episode 1) gets destroyed. Out of the six, she has got the strongest connection to this place. She was created first. While the others went off to war (for three years), she stayed behind on Kamino. In this city. It had literally been her whole world, her entire life, until she fled (probably less than a year ago), with Hunter and the others.

I like that they have Tech point out that Omega is technically older than the other clones. She just doesn't look it, because she ages normally. It draws attention to the fact that, while all the clone troopers might look like adults, they're technically 10-13 years old. Technically, they are all child soldiers.

Seen some speculations that the mountain base, at the end, could be Mount Tantiss from the Thrawn trilogy. It could be. Also seen some noting a similarity (appearance-wise) between the imperial scientist and Dr. Pershing from The Mandalorian. Considering that Pershing and this unidentified imperial medical officer, appears to both be involved with cloning, perhaps they're connected. Maybe she'll turn out to be his mother or something. You know, anything is possible at this point.

[jon-el87]

Seen some speculations that the mountain base, at the end, could be Mount Tantiss from the Thrawn trilogy.

Starwars.com confirms the mountain as being Mt. Tantiss, on the planet of Weyland. No idea why they've changed the spelling of the planet "Wayland" to "Weyland". Not that it matters. "Wayland" or "Weyland". Regardless of the spelling, it makes you think about the Weyland-Yutani Corporation from the Alien franchise... which is now a Disney-owned franchise. Perhaps they have a xenomorph in there?

[jon-el87]

Cody appears to be back.

Clone Force 99 have modified their armors. Makes sense. Thought that it was a bit strange, last season, with them being on the run, but not even bothering to change their looks.

Not sure what to make of Omega's new helmet. It looks a bit weird (especially when she's working alongside people, who wears face-covering helmets). Of course, it becames a bit more distinct. It sets her apart from the other pure genetic replication of Jango Fett: Boba.

The Wookiee youngling from the Clone Wars is still alive (and Petro, by the looks of it).

AZI-3 is seemingly not in any shot. I hope that they did restore him, after the season 1 finale. Partly to serve as the group's medic, partly to resolve the continued question of why Omega's a girl, when she's an unmodified clone of Jango Fett. Okay, the answer's obvious (but they still need to establish it onscreen): in her case, her mutation resulted in her developing Androgen insensitivity syndrome, as an embryo (causing the clone's body into presenting female outwards, while still having XY chromosomes and testicles (instead of ovaries)). It's a real thing (an intersex variation). And a hell of a lot more believable than a genetic mutation resulting in sharp-shooter skills or super strength.