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Tag: The Bad Batch

  • REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Does Its Best ‘Uncharted’ Impression

    REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Does Its Best ‘Uncharted’ Impression

    *SPOILERS*

    A dangerous quest for a mythical item through unknown territory, fortune favoring the bold, complex puzzle solving, major characters splitting up in a dark tunnel system, an explosive third act, and a terrifying monster guarding valuable treasure that contains a hidden purpose. All of these elements sound like the key ingredients for a classic Uncharted adventure, but in actuality, they’re far from it. So far, far away, one might even say they’re in another galaxy. The aforementioned story traits actually come from this week’s episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, which does its best to replicate the intrepid wonderment of the famed video game franchise and, more specifically, its genre.

    Titled Entombed, the fifth episode of The Bad Batch‘s second season sees its titular group of rag-tag runaways searching for a lost treasure alongside Wanda Sykes‘ Phee Genoa, a pirate associate of their benefactor, Rhea Perlman‘s Cid. Their journey, and the obstacles they encounter, are obviously designed to evoke the quintessential Lucasfilm feeling of adventure, likely with Star Wars‘ sister franchise Indiana Jones in mind. However, the execution and outcome of their experience fall more in line with Naughty Dog’s aforesaid Uncharted series, specifically in how it uses its plot to convey its ultimate message. The Uncharted games, and tangentially their film adaptation, always end the same way – with the heroes giving up their newfound discoveries and riches for the benefit of the world and those they love.

    Entombed does more or less the same thing, with a wide-eyed Omega and her grumpier adult counterparts allowing a ticket to a wealthier life to slip past them in an effort to keep each other, and the galaxy, alive and well. This is something that The Bad Batch has done before, as recently as this season’s premiere episodes, but its blunt framing and straightforward narrative in Entombed work in conjunction to drive the point home with greater relative ease. Also, plainly put, it’s a lot of fun to watch Omega, Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, and Echo go treasure hunting because Star Wars has always and will always work best as a science-fiction take on pulp storytelling.

    Omega in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    It’s been enjoyable to see the creatives behind the series break formula this season and apply the age-old recipe for Star Wars success to multiple different genres. The result has been a fairly entertaining early group of Bad Batch escapades, but unfortunately, the show’s biggest issue remains. Entombed, for all its likability, still does very little to progress the series or its characters as a whole. It often feels like the series is going in circles, with Omega and the crew learning the same lessons on repeat, and never truly moving forward to their next stage. It’s difficult to stay invested in characters that don’t change, and it’s frustrating when every episode comes with several opportunities to make it happen.

    Entombed might have been more exciting if, as an example, it also laid the groundwork for Omega to take a future interest in treasure hunting herself, as many of the episode’s best moments involved her growing ingenuity and childlike amazement. The potential behind this show is there and is evident in thrilling stories like this one, but The Bad Batch is still just one cohesive throughline short of living up to its predecessors’ standards. Even so, it proves itself an interesting, easily-digestible, adventure-of-the-week style project on a weekly basis. If that’s all one is looking for in this, they’ve found it in spades.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Episode 4 Reminds Us All That Podracing Exists

    REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Episode 4 Reminds Us All That Podracing Exists

    In 1999, when Y2K was set to end us all, George Lucas came to the rescue by introducing podracing in Star Wars: Episode 1-The Phantom Menace. A high-stakes sport that was wildly popular in the Outer Rim territories, podracing (and a little sleight of hand by Qui-Gon Jinn) was the plot device that put Anakin on his highway to hell. Episode 4 of The Bad Batch, cleverly titled “Faster”, puts the win-at-all-costs sport back in the spotlight, only with much lower stakes.

    As has been the case in the show’s second season, “Faster” splits up the squad allowing the episodes to focus a bit more on the growth of individual characters. . Episode 4 sees Tech, Wrecker and Omega accompany their sleazoid boss Ciddarian Scaleback to the sordid spaceport Safa Toma. While the episode leans heavily into reminding the clones and the audience just how unsavory of a character Cid is thanks to Ernie Hudson‘s Grini Millegi, an old associate of hers, its primary focus is the continued growth of Tech. So far, no character has shown more growth than Tech and “Faster” is truly his time to shine.

    Tech in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Beginning in the season’s two-episode debut, Tech has continued to move from a nearly insufferable know-it-all and has begun showing signs of becoming sympathetic. Though it was never intentional, Tech has always displayed a tendency to talk down to others and being amazingly unaware of appropriate behavior in most social situations. Through a series of bets and contrivances that put Cid in a bad spot with Millegi, “Faster” puts Tech in a position where his mutation sets him up to save the day. And while he gets to show off his big brain and impress the masses with his calculations, it’s his selflessness in putting himself at risk to save Cid that truly earns him high marks.

    Through four episodes, Season 2 has yet to truly pull back the curtain on its main plot thread, focusing rather on making sure the audience knows that these clones are more than just their mutations and that Omega is not the only one who is still learning. While clones across the galaxy face being “decommissioned” and looking at a fate no better than the battle droids they replaced, Clone Force 99 continues carving its own way through the galaxy and growing as they go.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Matures With Deliciously Complex Third Episode

    REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Matures With Deliciously Complex Third Episode

    *SPOILERS*

    Everybody loves a good villain story. Whether it’s Travis Bickle in Martin Scorsese‘s Taxi Driver, or the zany cast of characters in James Gunn‘s The Suicide Squad, audiences have always flocked to plots centered around the worst of the worst. The exact draw behind these stories is up for debate, but perhaps the most common theory is that people are naturally curious about notions they don’t understand. They are obsessed with glancing into the minds of those they deem lesser, an almost demented form of escapism that allows them to say – “well, at least I’m not that.” The third episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch‘s second season plays on this fascination, but takes an alternative, and quite frankly, more engaging route in its execution.

    After a fairly routine and unmemorable set of premiere adventures, The Bad Batch finally pushes itself forward with The Solitary Clone. The first episode of the series not to feature the main group of titular characters, Clone instead focuses on their former comrade and current rival Crosshair, giving fans a look into his side of the conflict and a better understanding of Imperial clones at large. It’s a much-needed break in the formula for a show that often falls into repetition, and one of the Star Wars franchise’s best deconstructions of the early Empire and its very mortal forces. The episode works as well as it does because it refuses to treat its protagonists as villainous, despite their usual status quo within the series. This is not a story that says “look how awful our leads are”, but one that revels in convincing its viewers of their humanity.

    There’s a dark triumph in balancing the ideals and reactions of Crosshair and his latest scene partner, the once-great Commander Cody. Both are stuck with the “Republic” after Order 66, but only one has grown to regret it. Cody, as fans might have hoped, has grown disillusioned with the Empire, and spends most of the episode struggling with his decisions. Crosshair, on the other hand, remains steadfast in his loyalty. Even after committing heinous acts in the name of “following orders”, however, Clone still manages to make Crosshair feel sympathetic. In classic Star Wars fashion, a sense of possible redemption endures, in large part due to a silent comprehension of Cody’s reasoning. A call-back to an old quote from The Clone Wars – “You know what makes us different from battle droids? We make our own choices, and we have to live with them too.”

    It’s this back-and-forth between the one-time Republic heroes that gives the episode a thriving backbone, tapping into the soul of Star Wars and hyper-focusing on the “will they, won’t they” thematic line that runs through all clone-related projects. The episode is also unafraid to demonstrate the consequences of its leads’ aforementioned choices, giving it an added layer of brutality that acts as a wildly effective visual aid in its point-making. From Clone‘s opening moments, there’s an unexpected admission that the next twenty-odd minutes will take themselves more seriously than the previous week, and the show finds itself maturing because of it.

    The Bad Batch has been in desperate need of trying something new for a long time now, and it’s refreshing to see the series embrace one of its characters and his arc so wholeheartedly in an installment that’s truly unlike the rest. One can only hope this sort of concentrated storytelling continues for the rest of the season, and that the show’s other leads receive similar treatment when they inevitably return to the forefront. Otherwise, The Solitary Clone will be forced to stand out as a diamond in the rough, a singularly delicious tale fit for consumption by any viewer.

  • ‘The Bad Batch’ Producer Discusses Potential of Omega and Boba Fett Meeting

    ‘The Bad Batch’ Producer Discusses Potential of Omega and Boba Fett Meeting

    As Season 2 of Star Wars: The Bad Batch finally premieres, fans of the franchise eagerly look toward how the events of the show will play into the larger tapestry of Star Wars. One major pathway would likely come in the form of Omega, a rare unique clone that deviated from the specific genetics of Jango Fett. The only other in the same universe is the popular character of Boba Fett. Naturally, this has led to some desire from the audience to see the two characters interact at some point in the animated series.

    However, fans shouldn’t expect to see an interaction between the two happen any time soon. In an interview with the Direct, Bad Batch producer and season two premiere writer Jennifer Corbett spoke about this possibility and why they won’t be capitalizing on it in their show.

    I think a lot of people want that because they are brother and sister but it’s important for her, at this point in her life, and where her journey is – she’s at a very different place than where Boba is right now. So we just really wanted to focus on her growth and her interactions with her found family versus the trajectory that Boba’s currently on. But, you know, never say never.

    Jennifer Corbett

    This is a logical reason to hold off on any interaction between Omega and Boba Fett. It’s important for both Omega and Star Wars: The Bad Batch to find their own identity without being ensconced into specific lore of the franchise, something that Star Wars has sometimes struggled with in the past. Allowing Omega to grow solely through her relationships with Clone Force 99 will only make her that much of a strong character in the universe. And at that point, the creative forces for the show should only then consider a meeting of the de facto siblings (which is likely too tantalizing to turn down at some point in the timeline).

    The first two episodes of the second season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch are now currently available to watch on Disney+.

    Source: The Direct

  • ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Premiere Features Prominent ‘The Clone Wars’ Location

    ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Premiere Features Prominent ‘The Clone Wars’ Location

    The Bad Batch are back and traversing the galaxy far, far away. Just as everyone expected, the premiere episodes of the animated series’ second season took the titular team of lovable rogue clones to places far and wide. What might have been a surprise, however, was where Dee Bradley Baker‘s Hunter and his comrades ended up. Spoils of War and its follow-up, Ruins of War, saw Clone Force 99 arrive on Serenno, a lesser-known planet that played a huge role in the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and several of it’s spin-off materials. Longtime fans of the franchise likely lit up at the mention of the planet’s name, but its status as a less-frequent setting in the Star Wars universe may have caused some confusion among casual viewers.

    Serenno is a planet located in the Outer Rim Territories, placing it far away from the activities occurring in the central Core Worlds and the galaxy’s governance. As a result, Serenno essentially functioned with its own government for most of its history, making it a fairly independent location. According to legend, it was once ruled by the Sith Empire, until the eight Great Houses of the planet joined together to force the dastardly conquerors off world. The revolt was led by House Serenno, named for its patriarch, who was consequently named ruler of the planet. The people of Serenno also took to naming their homeworld after their greatest House, because apparently, a few honorary street signs wouldn’t have been enough.

    House Serenno continued to rule the planet until, as The Bad Batch revealed, its societal demise following The Clone Wars. Its final leader was a man of complicated legacy and someone whose name should automatically ring a few bells for those who’ve seen the Star Wars films. Count Dooku, introduced in Episode II – Attack of the Clones and featured heavily throughout The Clone Wars series, was a member of the House Serenno family, ruler of Serenno, a former Jedi Master, and finally, the second-to-last Sith Apprentice to the legendary Darth Sidious.

    Dooku was portrayed by the late Sir Christopher Lee in live-action and has been voiced by Corey Burton in animated form for over a decade. He was a major player in the events of the Clone Wars, founding the Confederacy of Independent Systems with other Separatist leaders and funding its infamous droid army with his family’s immense wealth. Tangentially, that makes Serenno one of the most important locations of the Clone Wars era, despite its minor usage in Clone Wars storytelling. It’s mentioned consistently, but has never been shown in live-action and was only the setting for a handful of Clone Wars episodes – seven, to be exact. It was also part of the plot for Star Wars: Dark Disciple, a novel based on an unproduced Clone Wars story arc, which would have given the planet more screen time had those episodes made it to air.

    Count Dooku’s grand castle is the most recognizable aspect of Serenno among fans, as most scenes from The Clone Wars set on the planet played out in the villainous royal’s throne room. That room makes another appearance in The Bad Batch, which takes its time to flesh out the history of Serenno and give viewers their most comprehensive look at the Outer Rim marble yet. A native of the planet explains that Dooku was secretly using his people’s money to supplement the Separatist movement, which lead to an economic crisis they’ve not been able to recover from.

    A huge benefit of projects like The Bad Batch is their placement in the universe’s timeline. The show’s existence between other major Star Wars properties gives it a chance to fill in the blanks where most audiences might not have even realized there was a space. Serenno and its past are important parts of Star Wars lore, and thanks to The Bad Batch, they have both now been threaded through multiple eras of storytelling.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Premiere Sets the Tone for an Even More Grim Second Season

    REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Premiere Sets the Tone for an Even More Grim Second Season

    While Rebels and Andor tell the story of how the early days of the Rebellion, The Bad Batch tells a darker, more grim story: one of the early days of the Empire. Set around 19 years before the Battle of Yavin, The Bad Batch takes place right on the heels of Order 66 and the end of The Clone Wars and puts on full display how the Empire began to grow into the type of tyrannical rule that characters like Saw Gerrera and Luthen Rael would ultimately seek to end. It’s animated, sure, but it’s no kids’ show, and Season 2 reminds the audience of that over the course of its heavy two-episode premiere.

    After escaping from a mission gone wrong that serves to remind the audience of who is who on the team (and what their personalities are), the Bad Batch head back to their de facto headquarters on Ord Mantell. It’s a short reunion with Cid, their Trandoshan “benefactor”, as acting on a tip from Cid’s pirate friend, Phee (voiced by Wanda Sykes), the Batch finds themselves sent on a mission to a location familiar to fans of The Clone Wars: Castle Serenno, the home of Count Dooku and the now defunct (thanks to Vader) Separatist movement. With Dooku having lost his head, it seems the Empire has begun to collect his war chest and Cid wants her hands on whatever Clone Force 99 can get before it’s all gone. While Hunter isn’t too keen on the gig, the rest of the group is convinced it’s a job worth doing. Ultimately, Cid convinces Hunter with a bit of logic that sets the tone for one of the big themes of Season 2: the aggressive expansion of the Empire. With the Empire’s reach growing, this job could provide a big enough payday to get the team out of the game, giving them some freedom and providing a safe future for Omega.

    Omega in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    “Our Lives Are Like This Because of Omega”

    While the Batch all agrees to head to Serenno, they aren’t all doing it for the same reasons. Echo agrees it was right to save Omega, but it has fundamentally changed their lives and while Hunter wishes to use the war chest to get out of the game to give Echo a better life, Echo believes the war chest should be used for…more war, only this time with Clone Force 99 taking it to the Empire. The Bad Batch aren’t the shining example of a modern family, but they are all each of them has and that includes Omega. The decision to keep Omega with them as they continue to run missions for Cid will certainly be a big part of the core of Season 2 and little time is wasted in reminding the audience that while she’s an enhanced clone (and still a big mystery), Omega is just a kid running the galaxy with some of its most wanted. To that end, Echo makes his point to Hunter that the life he’s trying to escape only exists because of Omega. Omega overhears and that sets into motion the events that lead to her being in danger quite a bit over the course of the two-episode premiere.

    Once the headquarters for the Separatist movement under Dooku, Serenno has, like Kamino before it, been decimated by the Empire. The Batch’s mission to Serenno nicely explores the blurred lines between good and bad in a galaxy where everything has recently been upended. Echo’s desire to use the war chest to wage war confuses Omega, who can’t quite seem to understand how that’s any different than Dooku’s goals. Echo’s response of “depends on how we use it” doesn’t offer Omega the clarity she needs, but it also sets up events to come over the sophomore season of the series.

    (L-R): Tech, Hunter, Omega, and Echo in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    The mission goes a bit sideways, as you might expect, and the group gets split up. Omega, Tech and Echo find themselves in the company of Romar, a native of Serenno who survived the Empire’s ariel bombardment of the planet. Despite the extraordinary odds their facing, Omega’s insistence on completing the mission, which is a clear reaction to Echo’s comments about how she’s changed their lives, causes Romar to comment that this group of clones is much more like those still working for the Empire than they think. Romar continues to add some perspective to the group when he reminds Tech that he and many other inhabitants of Serenno were among Dooku’s first victims in building his rich war chest and that being a native of the planet makes him Serennian, not Separatist. Romar is a man, who like Hunter, can’t wait to put the past behind him, but that’s not something every Batcher is willing to do.

    The two-episode premiere ends with the return of Season 1’s villain, Rampart, and a reminder of just how far the Empire is willing to go to establish its own version of order and truth to the galaxy. Rampart’s willingness to cover up the events of the Season 1 finale that saw Kamino destroyed are just a microcosm of the Empire’s “at all costs” approach and something that will certainly be an ongoing plot point in Season 2. It serves as a grim reminder of what these clones are up against as they try to make their own way in the galaxy. And ultimately “Spoils of War” and “Ruins of War” do a fine job of detailing how achieving that goal will be the Bad Batch’s toughest mission yet. The Bad Batch isn’t peddling hope; it’s building the world that almost ran out of it.

  • ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Release Schedule, Episode Titles Officially Released

    ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Release Schedule, Episode Titles Officially Released

    The first season of the animated series The Bad Batch told the story of the ongoing adventures of Clone Force 99. The special forces squad first appeared in an unfinished episode of Season 7 of The Clone Wars that was shown exclusively at 2015’s Star Wars Celebration before the finished version streamed on Disney Plus when Season 7 was completed. Shortly after, a series focused on the Batchers was greenlit and Season 1 streamed in 2021. The Season 2 debut of The Bad Batch is just around the corner and now Disney Plus has officially given fans an idea of what to expect.

    Season 2 of The Bad Batch will debut on January 4th with a two-episode streaming premiere. Season 1 ended with a two-part event that took the team back to Kamino where they learned the truth about Omega and squared off with former Clone Force 99 member Crosshair before leaving him behind. The newest trailer for Season 2 shows the team right back up against it in the premiere.

    The 16-episode season has some interestingly titled episodes, most notably the double dip of episodes set to stream on February 8th which may follow up on the events of the Season 1 finale.

  • D23: ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Arrives in January with 2 Episode Premiere

    D23: ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Arrives in January with 2 Episode Premiere

    We’ve got our first new release dates as finally will know when The Bad Batch season 2 releases. While it’s been a back and forth on its release date, at one point even a mistake on Disney+ setting it for late September, it’s now confirmed for a release in January, on the 4th to be exact. It’ll consist of 16 episodes and come with a two-episode premiere, which is a nice trend from the series.

  • REPORT: ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Release Date Revealed

    REPORT: ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Release Date Revealed

    The first look at Season 2 of the Star Wars animated series The Bad Batch came through a trailer released at Star Wars Celebration and while it came with a Fall 2022 placeholder, no firm release date was given. One Take News has come across a date and it looks like it’s coming a little sooner than most expected.

    According to the report, the next round of adventures for Clone Force 99 will kick off on September 28th. It seems that a listing on Disney+ has included a banner with a release date.

    The new season looks to take place after a bit of a time jump from the end of Season 1, as Omega has aged up a bit and the gang is sporting new grey and orange armor. The trailer also revealed that Gungi, a fan-favorite Wookie Jedi from The Clone Wars animated series, will be part of Season 2, leading to some pretty fun theories about what might go down.

    A September release for The Bad Batch means that Lucasfilm will have two Star Wars properties streaming simultaneously, with the 12-episode first season of Andor scheduled for a two-episode debut on August 31st. In addition, Marvel Studios will also be streaming She-Hulk during the same window, giving fans plenty of content to consume.

    Source: One Take News

  • ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Could Revive Abandoned ‘Clone Wars’ Arc

    ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Could Revive Abandoned ‘Clone Wars’ Arc

    This year’s Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim was full of exciting surprises. Among them was the first trailer for the upcoming second season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, which gave fans another glimpse into the future of Lucasfilm animation. The footage revealed quite a bit of new information regarding what’s next for the titular team of misfits, who will be sporting a new set of armor when they make their big return. Hunter and his daring cohorts will come across a variety of new species and familiar faces, which will apparently include Obi-Wan Kenobi’s former partner Commander Cody, the sinister Emperor Palpatine, and even the greatest Jedi to ever live – Gungi, the Wookie Padawan.

    While most of these marquee cameos are sure to make for grand new adventures, one of them may actually signal the restoration of a rather old one. The inclusion of Gungi, and even more so the brief flash of another Wookie warrior, would indicate that a trip to Kashyyyk may play a part in the Bad Batch’s next set of missions. If this is true, it could mean that Brad Rau and the folks behind the show are planning on bringing back a previously unproduced arc from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Specifically, one devised by current Bad Batch story editor and longtime animation writer Matt Michnovetz.

    The Clone Wars was canceled by Cartoon Network in 2013 after its fifth season had completed airing, as a result of Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm. Before this, however, Dave Filoni and his team had planned on making at least eight seasons of the animated series. As a result, all three of the remaining episode batches had been mapped out and were already in some form of production at the time of the series’ abrupt end. Some of these stories found new life in other media, like the novel Dark Disciple or the limited comic Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir, and some were eventually completed and included in the show’s two revivals, like The Lost Missions and The Siege of Mandalore. In fact, The Bad Batch itself was originally an incomplete animatic released to the public at Celebration in 2015, later finished for inclusion in The Clone Wars‘ final outing on Disney+ and eventually getting its own spin-off.

    Unfortunately, a handful of these planned Clone Wars stories were far too early in their development process to get the same type of release treatment and remain untold to this day. One such plot was a four-episode arc that was set to take place on the aforementioned Wookie planet of Kashyyyk, and would have explained Yoda’s remark in Episode III – Revenge of the Sith about having “good relations with the Wookies.” The story would have featured the second appearance of the Bad Batch, teaming with Yoda and his squadron of clones to help the Wookies fend off an attack by the Separatist droid army and a number of Trandoshans led by the fearsome Babwa Venomor. A major sub-plot concerned the clones and Wookies coming to understand each other, with sequences involving Wookies riding giant ape lizards, the Bad Batch fighting arachnid creatures, and even General Tarfful communing with the trees of Kashyyyk before burning them down to create a tactical advantage. Chewbacca and a new Wookie character named Major Clausito were also said to have played a major role in the story.

    Multiple elements from this untitled arc have found their way into later projects. The Wookie’s Force-like connection to their home planet and its flora was explored in the video game Jedi: Fallen Order, while Echo’s commitment to becoming a member of the Bad Batch, which was originally intended to occur here, was instead worked into The Bad Batch‘s first season. Major Clausito even received a canonical name drop in last year’s official reference book, Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy. Lucasfilm also has a long track record of reusing once-abandoned concepts in later projects. This has become something of a staple for other Star Wars shows like Rebels and The Mandalorian, which persistently use old concept art for new proposals and plot lines.

    The point being made is that it wouldn’t be unlike Lucasfilm to bring back and canonize something that was formerly thought to be a dead idea. The Bad Batch itself only exists because of a willingness to pull from a closed sandbox, and it would only make sense if the team developing everything used the opportunity to reanimate some of the best of their unmade treatments. Of course, the Kashyyyk story could no longer exist in the same way it might have nearly a decade ago, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be told with a few adjustments. Maybe Gungi takes the place of Yoda, now that the latter is in hiding on Dagobah. Perhaps the Bad Batch find themselves helping what’s left of the Wookie resistance fight off the Empire, as opposed to fending off Separatist advances as initially planned. If the history of Star Wars has been consistent with anything, it’s the Imperial assault on Kashyyyk and its inhabitants. After all, the second season trailer does have Echo mention “others out there” who need their help, and few are more qualified to give assistance to Wookies than the Bad Batch.