It’s Star Wars Day, and everyone on social media is sharing ‘May The Fourth Be With You’, a wordplay for May The Force Be With You. Disney+ made sure to make the day special by releasing the first episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode 1. Created by Dave Filoni, the animated series is directed by Brad Rau. Dee Bradley Baker, Ming-Na Wen, Stephen Stanton, Andrew Kishino and Michelle Ang have voiced the characters.
The Bad Batch episode 1 is titled Aftermath. The story is set after Star Wars: The Clone Wars, another animated series streaming on the digital platform. Dee Bradley Baker is back to voice the five main clone troopers in the latest series.
Last year, Star Wars introduced us to Clone Force 99 – a squad of elite clones with genetic mutations. These clones are Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Crosshair and Echo. In the first episode, Brad Rau shows us the unsettling aftermath of The Clone Wars, especially on Hunter and his troops.
The first episode starts where The Clone Wars ended last year – execution of Order 66 at Kallar (Jedis Depa Billaba and Caleb Dume). The clone troopers blindly follow the orders as they are built that way. However, The Bad Batch are hesitant (except for Crosshair) due to their genetic mutations. While Billaba is executed, Hunter helps Caleb escape from Kallar and tells the Republic that they’ve killed him.
When The Bad Batch returns to Kamino, the republic is no more, and it is now called the Galactic Empire. The war is over, the Empire is new to Hunter and his men, and a new character makes an entry. Moff Tarkin (Stephen Stanton), the imperial officer at Kamino, tries to test the five clones loyalty by putting them to the test and giving them a mission.
After the Clone War, what’s the fate of these war heroes in The Bad Batch episode 1? How will the Empire affect their lives? Who is this new character making a significant entry in their lives? What is Tarkin’s mission to Hunter and his men? You have to watch the new Star Wars series to find out the same.
The episode is more than an hour-long, almost like a movie. In the one hour, the makers try to create a basic idea of what to expect in the series further. The top-notch animation and the action scenes are as good as Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The elite clones who were the side characters in the previous series are now the hero.
Dave Filoni can never go wrong with Star Wars. We saw the magic he created with The Mandalorian Season 2. The first episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode 1catches hold of your attention with some impact, but not much. But it doesn’t disappoint you. Maybe, trimming the episode a bit would’ve helped. Otherwise, it is off to a good start, and fans will be full of curiosity to know what’s next.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode 1: Is it worth it?
Overall, Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode 1 is a remarkable gift the creators have given to all the fans. It is appealing to the eyes, driving our interest towards the clones and the impact of the Clone Wars, something the films didn’t show us. So please don’t waste any time and give it a watch!
Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode 1 is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
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