Review:Star Wars:The Bad Batch “Flash Strike”

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, and Rampart touch down on Tantiss while Echo sneaks in the facility as a trooper, eventually meeting Emerie, who decides to help him. Omega, sensing that her brothers have arrived to rescue her, works with the other kids to escape.

OUR TAKE

Okay, I think we have a bit of a problem here. We’ve got one episode left to wrap up everything from the past three seasons, but so far we’ve been going at a pace heading towards a rather standard season finale, not one for the series. This episode, like the handful of ones before it, is perfectly fine, in fact I wouldn’t really say there’s anything that’s WRONG with it. Things are moving at an even clip, the Clones have made their way inside the facility and I don’t doubt that Omega will be saved. But there’s just no PUNCH to it. Yes, the plot is progressing but I guess I was expecting a bit more to be going on the second to last episode of the entire show. And I’m not just talking about Tech making a surprise reappearance, which I have now given up on, since if they were going to pay that off it would’ve been now. Like maybe have more appearances from Clone Wars characters like Rex or Cody, get Ventress involved as one more middle finger against the Empire and Sidious, or heck, even a callback to the Bad Batch’s first appearance, but…nope. It’s an unfortunately very utilitarian penultimate episode.

But this being the penultimate episode also means there’s no better time for some last minute predictions for how this whole thing shakes out. And I gotta tell you, I’m kinda leaning on all the good Clones making it out alive, which I’m also not exactly happy about. Not that I want them all to die Rogue One style, but it seems like killing Tech off was more of a fluke, and killing one other Clone off for the finale would just feel kinda samey. As mentioned, this show’s place as an interquel side story means that it ultimately can’t have any big consequences to the timeline, so the finale will likely remain self-contained, which can be cool. But a prevalent feeling that I’ve had since the beginning of The Bad Batch is wondering why this show needs to exist, even at its high points. I very much would like to not be thinking that by the end of next week’s finale, but it’s looking increasingly likely. Still, I’ll give it an honest look for all its strengths and flaws, so here’s hoping, against all odds, they can make The Bad Batch finale a satisfying one.