In this week’s episode the Star Wars ranking team is discussing The Bad Batch Season 1 Episode 12: Rescue on Ryloth. Well, everyone but Christian will have a valid opinion since he watched the wrong episode! Don’t worry, he still finds something to say while Amanda, Tim, and Brody still do their job. Is Hera a top 10 character? Is there a case to be made for Omega being force-sensitive? Tune in as we seek the truth while comparing creative choices like Chopper and BB-8.
“I’ve never been so disappointed in someone’s survival.” - Amanda
The Story (62.8%) and Immersive Universe (55.2%) were the top two ranking categories for this episode. This was a solid conclusion to the two-part arc of Ryloth. However, it wasn’t that consequential for The Bad Batch series as a whole. That’s what keeps the story rank lower than what it could’ve been, but it does contribute to the vast lore of Star Wars. Hence, the Immersive Universe also ranked at the top for this one. We enjoyed Hera’s nod to Leia in asking for help like she so famously did. The messaging of this feature was also good; Omega’s determination and commitment to helping Hera is admirable. Hera’s mother had the best quote: “If a war is coming, it will be our war as much as theirs.” This shows that passivity in any conflict is just as much of a choice as it is in participating in the fight. That quote sets up Hera and Omega as the next face of the rebellion.
“Hunter and the Bad Batch overall in this episode weren’t good.” - Amanda
The Characters (54.4%), Technical Aspects (51.6%), and Music (48.4%) were the weaker points of this episode. The Batch’s reluctance in aiding Omega was disappointing. They seem to be more of an obstacle for her as we go along. She’s painfully showing them that they’re soldiers there to help those in need; they don’t seem to want to help much. Now, maybe this is part of the process in maturing the Batch, but this far into the series we’d hope to learn a lot more about them.
Hot Takes:
The Bad Batch is no better than your average decent soap opera.
Lower the stakes and make this show a sitcom instead.
