*Warning: the following article contains spoilers for episode fourteen of Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 2*
Next week, Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 2 finally ends, and you will no longer hear me complain about the show. Isn’t that a wonderful thing? However, episode fourteen of the second season was pretty good and set the table for its two-episode finale. From the looks of episode fourteen, the finale will also be good and hopefully move the story forward in an exciting direction for a potential third season. But let’s not kid ourselves here: Star Wars: The Bad Batch should not return.
Read: ‘Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 2’ Episode Thirteen Review: “Pabu”
It sounds harsh to say this, but Star Wars animated shows have been far better than The Bad Batch, especially The Clone Wars and Rebels. The Bad Batch wants to be a continuation of The Clone Wars, but it’s nowhere near as interesting as The Clone Wars, which is honestly quite a shame. Even its most interesting episodes aren’t as great as The Clone Wars and don’t reach the emotional apex of Rebels. Sure, there’s a bigger story to tell, but is it worth it? That’s something worth contemplating.
Episode fourteen of The Bad Batch – Season 2 does have some genuinely great moments, including an opening space chase with Echo, who makes his grand return after the midseason finale. As always, Star Wars space battles are entertaining, and this is no different. At least the show has always looked good, though it doesn’t exploit its animated setting to the fullest.
Then we get confirmation that yay (!), Crosshair has turned against the Empire. In the interrogation room, he stuns clone troopers and gets a message out to Clone Force 99, titled “Plan 88: The Seeker, warning them that the Empire is looking for them, specifically Omega (Michelle Ang). Seemingly, Dr. Hemlock’s (Jimmi Simpson) plans with Omega will be revealed next week, but it’s not looking good for The Bad Batch, who will be walking straight into a trap to rescue Crosshair.
On Pabu, Echo re-joins The Bad Batch and tells them about the mission he has been doing with Senator Chuchi (Jennifer Hale) in rescuing clones from the Empire. With the Batch, Echo sees how remote Pabu is, and the gang contemplates staying on the planet, which could prove a haven for them once their affair with the Empire is over.
Review what I said in the first paragraph: The Bad Batch should not return. Having Clone Force 99 rescue Crosshair from the Empire and the team laying low on Pabu and retiring from their activities seems like a fitting end (while also setting up what’s next! Of course!) for Clone Force 99, stars of the worst animated series in Star Wars history. Even Star Wars: Resistance, which started badly, but redeemed itself with its latter episodes. But season two of that show was vastly superior and fixed many of its problems for its conclusion to feel more emotionally invested.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 2 started strong but never recovered. It’s a shame that even with good episodes, I can’t say, “oh, yes! finally!” and start getting reinvested in the show. Episode fourteen should’ve arrived far sooner in the season than the penultimate episode before the finale. Now, I’m eagerly anticipating the final episodes so that the show finally ends once and for all. That’s not good, but it is what it is.
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The fourteenth episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch is now streaming on Disney+.
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