Star Wars: The Clone Wars is back and on a mission. Throughout The Clone Wars series, mission episodes always delivered the best stories, IMO. The story lines are straightforward, and we get a deeper look into the culture of the clones. The premiere episode for Season 7 builds on that successful formula of tasking the clones with an important mission while delivering the story and animation at a higher level than previous seasons.
It’s been six years since The Clone Wars series ended went on hiatus. Dave Filoni and the Lucasfilm gang have been spending that time honing their writing and animation skills with fantastic series such as Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: Resistance, and, of course, The Mandalorian. The first episode drops us back into the Clone’s world and it feels like we never left. Except now the story lines are even tighter and the animation crisper and more stunning.
Dee Bradley Baker is also back and gets to stretch his range as the singular voice of the clone troopers. In addition to voicing Captain Rex, Commander Cody, and all the other troopers, he voices the Bad Batch, each with their own strong personalities. Baker also voices Admiral Trench and the computer voice heard later in the episode.
The focus of this season appears to be on the clones, and less so on the heroes and villains. This makes sense. The Clone Wars was foremost about the clones who fight this war. And the stories have been told for Anakin, Mace, Yoda, and other primary characters from the movies. No doubt, they will be part of the narrative throughout the final season, but the tone set in the first episode signals a more intimate examination into the effect of war on the clones.
THE BAD BATCH
“The Bad Batch” gets quickly to the action with a short exposition by Rex and Cody to the Jedi brass that sets the stage for the episode. Next we meet the Bad Batch special ops team as they fly their shuttle in low and hot onto the Republic base on Anaxes. It’s a planet the Republic forces are losing because, as Rex and Cody explain, the Separatist Army seems to be able to anticipate their every move.
Commander Cody calls in the Bad Batch because of their unpredictability, which they are and then some. From the moment the hatch of their shuttle opens, it’s abundantly clear who each member of the unit is and what they’re good at. Each member of Clone Force 99 (“Nice touch,” Rex comments) [see “Clone Cadets” and “ARC Troopers”] has desirable genetic mutations.
There’s Hunter, the leader, who looks like a Rambo-esque character from a ’90s cartoon. Wrecker, the brute with a lot of strength and a little too much bravado. Crosshair, the sharpshooter and deadly CQC master, sort of like the Clone Wars’ version of Marvel’s Bullseye. Finally, we get to Tech, the super intelligent strategist and hacker.
THE MISSION
Captain Rex explains the mission: infiltrate a cyber center in Separatist controlled territory and get intel on how the droids are anticipating the Republic’s strategies. Rex confesses his crazy hunch that Echo/CT-1409 is still alive and the droids are using his knowledge of Rex’s strategies to thwart the Republic, despite the fact that Echo died on a previous mission. [see “Counterattack”]
Rex, Cody, Kix, and Jesse accompany Clone Force 99 on the mission. Their gunship is downed within enemy territory and the Bad Batch quickly demonstrate their worth as they make quick work of a droid platoon via unorthodox methods.
After taking over a remote command post, the clones make their way to the cyber center with a large contingent of droids hot on their tails. Tech hacks into the droid mainframe and determines that strategic orders are being transmitted from the planet Skako Minor. The transmissions also sound human in nature. Rex asks Tech to determine the source of the transmissions, and Rex’s fear is confirmed by the identity.
Well, that’s enough spoilers. If you haven’t watched “The Bad Batch” yet, get to it trooper. Season 7 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars started off strong and will only get better from here.
If you’re planning to rewatch the first six seasons, check out our guide on the correct way to watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
