Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 1 Review - 8 Ups & 2 Downs
A thrilling return to the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
The Bad Batch had a lot riding on its shoulders when it was greenlit following the conclusion of The Clone Wars' masterful final season.
Following the post-Order 66 adventures of Clone Force 99 - also known as the infamous Bad Batch - the series adopts the same animation style and gloomy tone of its predecessor, and more than lives up to the hype of its potential.
Kicking things off with a moody hour-long premiere before exploring the horrors of an Empire-controlled Galaxy, the series has a few narrative kinks it'll have to work out in the upcoming second season, but all told, The Bad Batch is a rousing success, filling Star Wars fans with excitement for what the future holds.
With that in mind - and a quick warning about some minor spoilers - here are 8 Ups and 2 Downs from the first season of The Bad Batch, a show which knocked it out the park but hit some slight bumps along the way.
10. Downs: Some Low Stakes Filler Episodes
Despite its streamlined structure and tense storylines, the first season of The Bad Batch features a few inconsequential filler episodes which ultimately struggle to gel with the overall tone and narrative consistency of the mainline plot.
For every episode or two that deals with the more emotive aspects of the Batch outrunning the Empire or clashing with vicious bounty hunters, there's low-key and tonally jarring episodes about the squad taking on a gangster or attempting to hunt down a kidnapped rancor.
Whilst these filler episodes are good fun and offer up some thrilling action sequences, they tend to lean more into the kid-friendly lightness of The Clone Wars' early years, and feel too far removed from the show's overwhelmingly dark and sinister style to feel as one with the rest of the season.
Sure, there are some good moments even in the worst episodes, but it can still be hard to deal with the season's tone changes - which often stifle the story's momentum - especially if you're a binge-watcher.