Things are taking a more episodic approach on this week’s episode of “Bad Batch.” 

The episode, “Replacements,” centers on the titular group as they crash land on a stranded moon where they are forced to make repairs. While this is going on, The Bad Batch’s estranged brother Crosshairs, who’s impacted by the enhanced effects of the inhibitor chip in his brain is appointed commander of an elite group of new Imperial recruits who are tasked with brutally taking down Saw Gerrera’s militia.

From that summary, it feels like there wouldn’t be much to talk about in this episode, and to be fair, not much happens storywise as we see the Bad Batch doing another usual side mission. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to be found here as we are spending time with characters that we enjoy. During the last episode, I wished we got more of Omega interacting with the Bad Batch, and we see a lot of that here. The scenes she shares with them, particularly Hunter, are effective and establish a bond they have together. I know it can be difficult writing child characters, particularly ones in an action series as they would either feel out of place or get in the way of the plot. Though thankfully, the people behind this show do give a reason for Omega to be here and develop her in a way that moves the plot forward. So on that front, they succeeded. 

The storyline on the moon was handled very well both from a plot and animation standpoint. But because it took place in such a dark location, I did have a hard time focusing on what was happening on screen some of the time. It eventually got to the point where I closed all the curtains in my house so that I could see everything. It doesn’t detract from the episode in any way, but it is something to consider if anyone else has trouble seeing it clearly.

To me, the standout part of the episode was when we go back to Kamino, where we see the changes that are being made of whether or not clones should be used or not. I like that they make the choice to see how effective clones are when working with normal recruits as it gives way for interesting interactions. That being Crosshairs who seeks to get the job done no matter what, and some of the soldiers who view their duties more as a job and are hesitant to do questionable acts. Such as going on a mission to wipe out a group of rebels and civilians from the first episode. This is where things start to go into dark territory, and I don’t say that lightly. You thought it was just gonna be typical army atrocities like in most shows. But no, they don’t shy away from showing you innocent civilians being gunned down, burned, and executed. While some of it is done off-screen, there’s no denying that something horrible isn’t happening as we see innocent people die during this scene. 

It’s not the first time Star Wars animation has treaded dark territory as major parts of its predecessor “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” did show a lot of violent and even disturbing imagery. This is mainly done to drive home the point that in major conflicts horrible things happen. While some may see this as inappropriate for younger viewers, I do like the idea that these shows do treat these subject matters seriously as they challenge kids’ perceptions on what is morally right or wrong. To me, this is where Star Wars shines best as it not only shows you these events happening, but it also allows you to experience both the good and bad side of things so that it leaves an impact. 

There is also focus on a conflict brewing between Tarkin who views clones as obsolete, and the Kaminoans who want their program to continue. This is a continuation of the first episode on what to do with the clones and if they serve a purpose. While we know that they’ll eventually be replaced by stormtroopers in the future, we’re slowly but surely seeing the events that will lead into the new era. That seems to be the case and we’re seeing the early process of how they’re using elite clones to temporarily train and lead new recruits as the Empire slowly builds up its new army. This eventually gets to a point where the Kaminoans make the decision to start making more “advanced” clones. What this means and what this could lead to is anyone’s guess. But one thing is certain, big things are coming. 

Overall, this episode was a good sit-through. So let’s see where this show takes us from here.

Rating: 5 / 5 Spinnaker Sails.

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