Episodes viewed: 3 of 15
Streaming on: Disney+
It ain't easy being a clone, and nowhere is that more true than in a galaxy far, far away. But this unique struggle is what's always set The Bad Batch apart from the rest of Star Wars. Unlike the Jedi, our renegade Bad Batch clones fight to forge an identity of their own making, all while evading the Empire's insidious clutches. The problem is, they've only got one more season left to do it.
Thankfully, this final run seems set to take a far more serialised approach in the run-up to The Bad Batch’s endgame. That's not to say one-off stories don't have a place still — Hunter and Wrecker's (Dee Bradley Baker) reluctant team-up with Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) is an obvious talking-point — but so far the overall narrative definitely feels more cohesive than it has in previous years, even if some pacing issues still linger.
It's our underdog clones who rightfully take centre stage in this last story.
It's a welcome step in the right direction, because this is the point where everything should feel like it's coming together, lending the final run a climactic energy as we hurtle towards the end of the story. That energy can be felt everywhere from the action (better animated than ever) to quieter character moments that have us pre-emptively missing the Bad Batch before they’ve even gone. Particular kudos to Dee Bradley Baker’s extraordinary ensemble performance as the various clone troopers, and Michelle Ang's emotive take on Omega.
Cameos from Emperor Palpatine and Asajj Ventress help tie Season 3 into wider lore, but in ways that serve the story rather than detract from it — a lesson similar shows would do well to learn. It would have been easy to prioritise the wider timeline and how The Bad Batch fits into it all, but it's our underdog clones who rightfully take centre stage in this last story, one that has us rooting more than ever for them to come out on top. Let's just hope they stick the landing.
