Set aside just over an hour of your day for the excellent first episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, the latest animated show from Lucasfilm, creator Dave Filoni, and head writer Jennifer Corbett. You can catch this episode on Disney+, with new episodes premiering every Friday, beginning with episode two on May 7. The first season consists of 16 episodes, making it one of Disney+’s longest original shows.
Set within the aftermath of the Clone Wars, the show begins with the Jedi on the run from Order 66. We get a graphic look at the Emperor’s bid to establish the first galactic empire, but also see a glimmer of hope in an unlikely place: among his own ranks. The Bad Batch are an elite squad of clones who have turned on their own and want to bring peace to the galaxy. Their ranks read like a squad in a cooperative video game, with each player playing a distinct role. Hunter is the leader, specializing in stealth and tracking. Wrecker is the tank, skilled in close-range melee. Tech is the gadget specialist. Echo is the hacker. And they are all provided cover by Crosshair, the sniper.
The new featurette above gives you a good look at all of these clones in action. Since they are clones, they are all voiced by Dee Bradley Baker. He is joined by Ming-Na Wen, who reprises her role as Fennec Shand, the mercenary that first appeared in The Mandalorian.
The Bad Batch‘s first episode feels like a natural extension of The Clone Wars series, yet has its own vibe thanks to the focus on this elite squad. It’s fun to see them work together and use their unique gifts, but also get knocked off of their game early by an unexpected addition to their ranks. Disney has been on a hell of a run in the streaming space, and this seems like it will be another must-watch show on Fridays. It’ll soon be joined by Marvel’s Loki, another show I can’t wait to watch!
