‘The Bad Batch’ premiere asks a major question: What now?

One of my favorite additions to Star Wars canon is “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” and the final season last year wrapped up many loose ends when the series was canceled by Cartoon Network, picked up by Netflix, and then canceled again. But one thing the recent season gave us was a new group of clones to root for: Clone Force 99 aka the Bad Batch. Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Crosshair and Echo formed an elite unit of genetically altered clones with “a specific set of skills,” so to speak.

At the conclusion of the Clone Wars, Palpatine commanded the clone troopers to execute Order 66: the elimination of all the Jedi. We’ve seen in several iterations how this went down, in “Clone Wars,” in “Rebels,” in comic books and in “Revenge of the Sith.” Now we see, at the start of “The Bad Batch,” another version of those events, this time centered around our heroes on Kaller as they defend Jedi Master Depa Billaba and her Padawan Caleb Dume (whom fans will recognize as the younger version of Kanen Jarrus, voiced again by Freddie Prinze, Jr.).

When the order is broadcast, the clones turn on the Jedi, and Master Billaba is slain. Caleb flees, but the Bad Batch don’t know what’s happening. It seems their genetic manipulations either blocked or suppressed the order for the most part. Except for Crosshair, it seems.

Hunter follows Caleb, pleading with him to trust him as he, too, is unaware what is going on. Caleb escapes without protest from Hunter, and later Crosshair grows suspicious. Back on Kamino, they learn the fate that we, the viewers, already know: Palpatine has named himself Emperor, dissolved the Republic and declared a new Empire under his control. The rest of the troops cheer this while the Bad Batch begin to watch their backs. Hunter also notices a young girl named Omega who has taken a strong interest in the unique clone troopers.

The full article is available in our e-Edition. Click here to subscribe.