The following contains spoilers for Episode 4 of Star Wars: The Bad Batch. You can read the last episode review here.
The Bad Batch returns this week with a new episode on Disney+. With the conclusion of last week’s episode showing us some future possibilities of the titular group, another wrench has been thrown into the ring. The return of Ming-Na Wen’s character Fennec Shandis certain to cause problems for Clone Force 99 as the season progresses.
While the episodes remain fun and exciting to watch, there remains a sense that this is just filler TV. It pains me to say that because, on the whole, I’m enjoying The Bad Batch very much. As a Star Wars fan, it’s fun to see this group every week, but perhaps this prolonged 16 episode season could cause harm to the viewing and narrative experience. It remains a bit too early to tell if The Bad Batch will fall into this. But so far, signs are pointing to yes.
The reason I bring up that The Bad Batch could fall into filler TV is becoming more apparent, Omega. Don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying Omega and think she bring a nice dynamic to the team. But the series isn’t capitalizing on it. So far, it feels as if it’s more so the Hunter and Omega show. That’s rough because it’s becoming more and more clear that Wrecker is the more natural choice to be Omega’s best friend and they aren’t letting it happen. With that said, if they do to Wrecker what we all might be thinking, it would be that much more heartbreaking.
The thing is, though, is that it’s not just Wrecker who is seemingly sidelined, a Tech and Echo are barely getting any interaction with her, either. If The Bad Batch continues down this path, it will become less and less interesting. And with Tech being reduced to just fix the ship and Hunter chase Omega, it’s hurting the chances of seeing these characters grow.
READ: ‘The Bad Batch’ Episode 2 Review: Treading Too Familiar Ground
A positive to look forward to in The Bad Batch is the reintroduction to bounty hunter Fennec Shand. Her appearance in The Mandalorian was quite enjoyable, and within this series, we should be able to see more of her ruthless bounty hunter skills as she continues her hunt for Omega.
By the end of the season, The Bad Batch Episode 4 may be regarded as filler. But I hope that’s only because the rest are not. I, unfortunately, believe we’ll see some more filler episodes. As mentioned, there were positives in this episode, and The Bad Batch just needs to improve on making the squad feel closer together. – Collin Stetzner
Grade: 7/10
The Bad Batch drops new episodes every Friday on Disney+
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