#pie211-tdb

[doopcafe]

The Bad Batch S2E16: Plan 99 

Comments: Wait a minute, is this the last episode? I seriously gotta start paying more attention... Damn.

Right, so we open on the cable car stuck on its track. Tech is sent along the rail to restore power, which he does, but in the meantime Tarkin has sent air support to destroy the cable car. In the mayhem, Tech sacrifices himself to save the others. 

I have a minor and a major comment regarding this.

My minor comment on Tech's not!death is that Tech's final line is "When have we ever followed orders?" He says this in response to Wrecker saying "please don't do it"... which is not an order. It's more like a wish from a friend/comrade. So... it’s unfortunate Tech's "final" words were clunky dialogue. 

My major comment is that Tech is obviously not dead, this being Disney Star Wars. So I basically have zero emotional response to this, despite him being my second favorite character.

Let's examine!

Boba Fett is eaten by the Sarlacc but later shown to survive so that the Boba Fett show can happen

Chewy is exploded but immediately (the very next scene I think) shown to be alive

Young Reva is stabbed through the gut, but just... survives

Adult Reva is stabbed through the gut, but just... walks it off

The Grand Inquisitor is stabbed through the gut, but just... doesn’t die

Maul is cut in half only to be revived with spider legs

Kylo is killed but then revived by God Empress Rey Palpatine

Literally No Flaws Rey Palpatine is revived after duel with her grandfather

Leia as Mary Poppins

Poe (somehow) survives a TIE fighter crash and just kinda shows up again later without explanation

Fennec is shot, left for dead in a desert, and dies but comes back later just patched up with some droid guts

The Marshall is shot and killed, but revived in some Bacta

And, of course, somehow Palpatine returned

The only significant death that Disney has followed through on was Kanan's in Rebels, which was generally satisfying and competently handled. It's important to mention this isn't the fault of The Dad Batch, but rather Disney Star Wars in general, so it's a shame that otherwise good, competent content (like TDB) suffers from the larger universe in which it lives. 

Anyways, Cid sells out TDB in their moment of need and we end on Omega being taken captive to Mount Tantiss. Any additional comments are just praise for the music, execution, writing... I mean, this show's not Andor-levels of amazing, but it's definitely enjoyable. I look forward to the next season. Fun stuff.

My enjoyment: 5/5 

[doopcafe]

The Dad Batch S2E8: Truth and Consequences 

Summary: TDB breaks into Admiral Rampart’s star destroyer and then gets p0wned by Uncle Palps. 

Comments: Best episode yet. 

We open on a little character development between Echo and Omega as Echo explains the “real bad time” he had in a tank on Skako Minor. They’re interrupted by a call from Rex, who says he’s found this episode’s premise: TDB is gonna go to Coruscant and steal from Admiral Rampart. 

(Just wanna mention that we’re exactly two minutes in and we’ve already (1) developed two main characters, (2) established the episode’s premise, and (3) are embarking on the story. I’ve been suffering through new episodes of Star Trek Picard and, well TDB is just so much more competent.)

Anyways, on approach to Coruscant we get a nice cutaway shot to wide-eyed Omega amazed by the city-planet (character consistency!) and we pick up where we left off: Chuchi and Rex have been hanging out with a corpse in a garage. 

There’s a nice bit of dialogue here where Rex mentions the assassin’s ID number has been erased and Tech says he wasn’t aware such a thing was possible. It makes sense that Tech (rather than any other character) says the line and it suggests that if Tech (of all people) didn’t know, then it was probably done by some resourceful people, setting up some mystery. Sorry, just, compared to Picard, this show, again... more competent... 

Right, so Chuchi wants to prove Rampart’s a lying cunt (her words exactly) so TDB plans to steal the evidence from his ship while Chuchi tries out “take your daughter to work day” with Omega. She (Chuchi) talks to Rampart with Omega standing there... and honestly I was a little confused. Doesn’t Rampart know/recognize Omega? I could have sworn there was a previous scene where he would have seen her?

As an aside, I’m getting pretty annoyed with the execution of these political intrigue plots because all these high-profile people are walking around in public spaces having shady, egregiously compromising discussions about sensitive topics when there’s like, a pair of guards or a shopkeeper or whatever just standing there listening to them? This isn’t a problem with the writing, but it’s annoying. Why a public walkway? Why not a sealed office? For example, when my boss wants to talk shit about some employees, we close the door and lower our voices. We don’t stand in the break room and explain how Allen is the reason the middle finger was invented. 

Anyways, their plan works and they get the data to Chuchi. She uses it to reveal Rampart’s role in the destruction of Kamino. So everything works out, right?

Right? 

Wait, what’s this? By god, it’s Creamy Sheev with a steel chair!

Uncle Palps rises into the senate chambers, orders Rampart arrested, and uses Rampart’s destruction of Kamino as justification to pass the army bill (the one he wanted all along), completely f—ing over the heroes.

I really liked this scene. When Palps enters to some sinister Kiner score, the expectation is that shit’s about to get real. And then it does. The scene is not an unsalted pretzel of disappointment (like Picard). No, instead the delivery satisfies the expectation and it’s just delightful. Also, good on Ian McDiarmid for continuing to voice Uncle Palps. The dude’s voice acting is just top notch and really elevates the scene as well.

If anyone's keeping track, that's: Creamy Sheev: 1; TDB: 0

Oh, and then Echo leaves at the end. I’ve been expecting his character to be written out and honestly I'm surprised it took so long. (1) His character is redundant with Tech, (2) he’s one less character to animate, and (3) removing his character would not result in a real, live human being losing their job. So, there’s that. 

My Enjoyment: 5/5 

Damn bitches, this was good shit.

[doopcafe]

The Dad Batch S2E14: Tipping Point

Comments: We open on an Imperial base where stormtroopers are transporting clone prisoners. The officer in charge orders his troops to “secure the prisoners for transport” (because that’s his line to say), but they just... don’t. They all stand there inside the transport like it’s an elevator, the prisoners very much not secured for transport. 

But that’s okay because we get some fun scenes of Star Wars action happening, where Echo and pals rescue the clone prisoners from the transport ship. They recover a datalog, which Echo later tells Chuchi he knows someone (Tech) who can decrypt it. Chuchi then shares her plan to fuck right outta the rest of the episode. 

Pabu... happens... TBD has been here awhile now helping to rebuild and being uncomfortably happy. We’re shown Omega endangering dozens of lives with her reckless flying. 

Back in Mount Tantiss, Dr. Poisonous Plant tortures Crosshair on a bench. Crosshair gives escaping a hearty go and sends a transmission to TDB, apparently warning them to protect Omega... Y’know, Dr Hemlock, pal, we need to talk. This was the perfect opportunity to find where TDB is hiding and you blew it. What the hell do you think Crosshair was doing in the transmission room? 

Again, this is exactly the type of story this show should be telling. The mystery now is why clones are being sent to Mt. Tantiss.

My enjoyment: 4/5 

[doopcafe]

The Dad Batch S2E13: Pabu

Comments: So we open in a sleazy bar with Omega and that girl from the giant mech episode (Phee?) re-enacting the opening scene from Temple of Doom... Seriously, can we stop with the Indiana Jones references? It’s milked dry, you’ve milked it right out. Drier than a nun’s cunt.

Apparently TDB still isn’t over being left to die in a desert by Cid—or being sent into a monster movie by Cid—or being asked to mine explosive minerals by Cid—or asked to risk their lives in a high-speed race by Cid—

...so they’ve cut ties with her but haven’t told her yet. Like the nice lady she is, she expresses her wish that they're dead. 

By the way, how old is Omega? I ask because she literally shot and killed a man in the opening.

Right, so Phee takes TDB to a remote island sanctuary where everyone’s happy and there’s unlimited sushi and fruit. Romance is in the air as Tech awkwardly follows around Phee and Omega takes her new “friend” on a romantic boat ride at sunset where they talk about loneliness... I'm not judging, but I would’ve preferred young Hera over little miss forgettable.

From what I understand about the Star Wars galaxy, it’s uh... kinda a shitty place? How is this sanctuary still around and why hasn’t it been plundered already, its inhabitants enslaved? The mayor explains it’s a “small island” without any resources, and the “treasure” Phee brings is not actually worth anything, but... I have this feeling that a place like this shouldn’t be allowed to exist in this universe; it feels out of place.

Anyways, a tsunami comes and destroys half the island. As an inhabitant of Japan, I just wanna say these people were ill prepared for this, especially since the mayor explained this just happened within recent memory... There’s an earthquake and they all stand around wondering what it was. I’d be screaming like a little girl. Well, not like Omega, but like a regular little girl.

Note sure what we’re doing here with this episode. My best guess is that these people are gonna get slaughtered next episode, probably by the Empire, thereby motivating TBD to really start fighting the Empire properly. 

My enjoyment: 2/5 

Wait, am I all caught up?

[doopcafe]

The Dad Batch S2E12: The Outpost 

Comments: OMG, did the writers finally remember Crosshair exists? 

Right, so Crosshair is hanging outside a shuttle when Lt. ROTC shows up to demonstrate why a PolySci major with zero on-the-ground combat experience should not be granted officer status. Lt. I’m A Cunt has brought a mission statement with him: go to an ice planet and collect a bunch of crates. 

It’s cold, the base is being raided by... raiders, and they're down to just a few surviving troops. There’s some good world-building here with Mayday (the clone commander) drawing attention to the Empire’s neglect of the clones. After two clones die off screen, Lt. PolySci orders Crosshair and Mayday to retrieve a pair of crates stolen in the recent raid.

They raid the camp of the... raiders, but when they go to recover the cargo, they learn that it's just a bunch of worthless stormtrooper armor. It’s a particularly poignant moment and effective at highlighting what’s been happening in this world. 

Anyways, an avalanche happens and Crosshair attempts to rescue Mayday by dragging him through the cold back to base. Upon barely making it, Mayday collapses and dies as Lt. I’m A Bitch dispassionately watches. So Crosshair murders him. 

We then cut to Crosshair in the Mount Tantiss facility. We, uh, doin’ a redemption arc for Crosshair here? I would think, after slaughtering civilians in S1, his character is beyond redemption at this point? Hmm... Maybe we're making him into a super trooper or something? Or... They gonna clone Crosshair?

My enjoyment: 4/5 

[doopcafe]

The Dad Batch S2E11: Metamorphosis 

Comments: So we open on a disabled ship falling out of hyperspace with some monster-movie cliches happening onboard. We then cut to Mount Tantiss (from the conclusion of S1) where we’re introduced to new!villain!man, Dr. Hemlock, who, uh... okay, stupid name... who enters to some nice villain-esque execution (hiding his face until his first line of dialogue). He’s here to further his research. 

Dr. Poisonous Herbaceous Plant needs the cooperation of Omega’s mom, who’s been chilling in her prison cell since S2’s ending scene. She’s unwilling to cooperate with Emperor Palp’s plans and is therefore unwilling to help Dr. Hemlock with his. Also, she’s feeling a bit down regarding the eradication of her species. 

Via hologram, Cid assigns this episode’s plot to TBD: the monster-movie ship from the opening scene has crashed on a planet and she wants them to retrieve anything of value from it. TDB waits until nighttime before landing to ensure the monster they’ll discover is extra spooky. 

Some more monster-movie cliches happen (but competently executed) before—OMG, is that the Zillo Beast?!

Why yes (and no), it’s the Zillo Beast. He’s here to showcase how TDB is much better than TCW in both storytelling and execution. My boy sucks up some energy, grows in size, and is recovered by the Empire. It was nice of the Imps to wait until TDB got involved before arriving themselves...

...that was gonna be a nitpick, but thinking about it more there’s any number of plausible explanations. The core argument is that the chain of events would need to be: ship crashes, villagers see it (but don’t investigate), tell someone (or a string of someones), Cid gets word of it, Cid tells TDB, and TDB flies there. That timeline is in parallel to: a high-value ship does not report in, an underling learns of this and reports it to Mr. Villain Man, Mr. Villain Man orders a search, and the Imps fly there. Cid’s got some pretty serious connections if TDB won that race, but hey, maybe they were just much closer. Or high-value assets only have to report in every three days or something... 

Anyways, Zillo the Armadillo (I think I just realized where Lucas got the name) is captured by the Imps, who remove all the witnesses as well. It’s nice to see competent antagonists being competent. Star Wars: Competent Storytelling. The episode ends with Dr. Hemlock learning he needs to find and use Omega as leverage against Omega’s mom. Bro, you best stay away from my girl.

Good stuff.

My enjoyment: 4/5 

[doopcafe]

The Dad Batch: S2E4: Faster, Daddy 

Summary: Tech races in a pod race. 

Comments: I don’t mind the frame story of this show in general (TDB does shady-ass jobs for Cid), but I expect that it will soon exhaust itself from repetition: the summarized premise of each episode (TDB does a shady-ass job for Cid) is identical between episodes and is unaltered by the details of the shady-ass mission. 

I hadn’t mentioned it before, but we’re getting hints of a larger story happening, so I expect the status quo to be lifted soon. For example, in this episode it’s made obvious (like, tell-the-camera obvious) that Cid has a dark(er) backstory, at least one beyond “owns a shady-ass pub and knows shady-ass people and gives shady-ass missions to TDB.”

Anyways, the plot here is that Cid has another “mission” for THOT (TecH, Omega, and wreckTer)... Cid has a mission for TOW (Tech, Omega, and Wrecker): she’s gonna go place shady-ass bets on a shady-ass racing planet and needs W to be her “muscles”. Tech and Omega come along because the plot said so. 

Cid’s owns (?) a pod racer droid named TAY-0 who is voice-acted so well his character is given more personality than the entire sequel trilogy combined. TAY-0 is good at racing, but Cid’s competitor is dude!boss!man (voiced by Ernie Hudson), who’s got some shady-ass tricks up his sleeves. 

So dude!boss!man plays the old “LOL just cheat” trick during some unclear racing scenes, Omega doubles down on the original bet, and the WOT crew ends up needing to win the final race to earn Cid’s freedom. 

You know, I really hate chase sequences. I never realized until now that I also hate race scenes, probably for the same reasons. They’re pretty much the same thing: five minutes of motion blur and then someone wins/loses. The race itself is filler.

In this episode, we get three races! The first is the Cliffs Notes on the mechanics so the audience understands what’s happening during the second race, which itself is a demonstration of the important bits (e.g., the aforementioned “cheating”) so that the audience understands what’s happening in the third race (the one with Tech). 

Well, TAY-0 gets smashed (I mean, he gets crushed by a pod racer; the droid did not get hammered, by which I mean “drunk”)—I’m so confused—so Tech volunteers to pod race in his place.

Remember when in that stupid Solo movie Donald Glover’s character does

Ah... Y'know... I wrote "Donald Glover's character" because I honestly couldn't remember his character's name. Donald Glover played the character of Lando Calrissian.

Anyways! Remember in that stupid Solo movie when not!Lando does an UEM (unearned emotional moment) over the “corpse” of his co-pilot droid? And it’s just the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen [hyperbole] ‘cause it’s just a piece of equipment? Like, not!Lando is shedding tears over the broken frame of his favorite sex toy (thank you Disney for making that not a joke) and all I could think of was how stupid the whole thing was? Like, just put her back together? You’ve got her parts. Just solder her back together. I've got some electrical tape if ya need it.

Anyways, in this episode, TAY-0 gets comedically smashed (again, crushed) by a pod racer and Wrecker just picks up his bits and shakes ‘em around and—I’m paraphrasing—says something to the effect of, “Yup, he’s f--ked” while shrugging. The first time TAY-0 gets smashed (crushed) they just pick up all his parts and reassemble him on a lab bench. BECAUSE HE’S A F---ING PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. Five years later and I’m still mad about the stupid Solo movie...

Anyways! The point I'm failing to make is that this show is written by fairly intelligent people making rational decisions and the manifestation of that is enjoyable to watch. Also, at one point dude!boss!man says, “[...] never stop a fool from giving his life to make [you] rich”, which I think is Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #110? Oh, there’s also some fun, self-deprecating humor, which is always nice.

But god damn do I hate chase scenes.

My enjoyment: 3/5

Seriously, really hate chase scenes. The show's good though.

[doopcafe]

The Bad Batch S2E15: The Summit 

Comments: We open on Pabu to establish this episode’s premise: Tarkin and Hemlock are having a meeting on some planet, so TDB will infiltrate Tarkin’s compound and place a tracking beacon aboard Hemlock’s ship. This will allow them to track Hemlock and identify the location of his secret base. 

At the meeting, Tarkin asks for details on Hemlock’s plan, but he just sorta monologues about some bullshit for a bit before Krennic (of Rogue One) has a cameo. Couldn’t Tarkin et al. just Zoom chat this one? There’s no reason why it needs to be an in-person meeting beyond, I suppose, the top-secret nature of the discussions. Am I to believe there’s no encryption protocols for long-range communications in the Star Wars universe? 

Anyways, TDB infiltrates the compound by hitching a ride on a cable car, which—just like in that stupid Solo movie—brings into question the practicality of trains in a universe that has ubiquitous floating/flying vehicles. 

As an aside, characterization is good, I like it, but highlighting Wrecker’s fear of heights literally every single f—ing time goes too far. Yes, we get it. We don’t need a line of dialogue every single time; there’s other ways to show this. It’s like the one absolute guarantee of this show. 

Right, so during their infiltration, Omega successfully places the homing beacon, but Hunter/Tech discover that Saw Gerrera is also here, up to his ‘ol shenanigans. Saw’s plan is to destroy the entire compound, with all the high-ranking Imps inside, which is in direct opposition to TDB’s plan (which is to allow Hemlock to leave aboard his tracked ship).

There’s a nice debate here on contrasting methods, with Tech/Hunter wanting to gain intel to help their cause while Saw wants mindless, ill-considered violence. Tech points out that Saw’s plan would only produce short-term gains but Saw retorts with something about “the greater good” (the greater good)... Y’know, I get the sense Saw isn’t very smart? I’m starting to view him as a big reason why the Rebel Alliance didn’t succeed earlier in their fight against the Empire. But, anyways, this debate is solved with writing contrivance, as an underling interrupts the debate with the announcement that stormtroopers are on their way. 

In the end, Saw blows up the compound (along with the tracking device) and TDB ends up stuck in a cable car above the mist. 

My Enjoyment: 4/5 

[doopcafe]

The Dad Batch S2E6: Tribe 

Summary: The Dad Batch returns Gungi to his homeworld. 

Comments: I hope this season doesn't devolve into being another TCW. I don’t care about any of the characters* "introduced" in TCW or what they’ve been up to.

*Except Hondo. Three filler episodes starring Hondo? Being a Pirate? Set to Kiner's Punjabi Bhangra scores? No complaints.

Here, Omega wanders off during a mission and rescues Gungi (the Wookie kid from the Younglings sequence). As bad as Fish Wars was, and as intolerable as the Droid Arc was, I think the Youngling sequence was my least favorite "arc" from TCW. So obviously not happy being reminded of its existence.

Anyways, the second half of the episode involves fighting Trandoshans and stormtroopers on Kashyyyk. Nothing meaningful happens that’s relevant to the overall premise of the show, so this is another filler episode.

Do the Martez Sisters next! ** 

My enjoyment: 3/5 

** A joke. Seriously a joke. Please please don’t do the Martez Sisters next. I'd honestly stop watching.

[doopcafe]

The Dad Batch: S2E7: The Clone Conspiracy 

Summary: Clones! 

Comments: Hey, this was my suggestion! 

The basic premise here is that a clone named Slip is on the run because he knows “the truth” regarding Kamino (that Admiral Rampart ordered its destruction). In turn, Rampart has sent an assassin after Slip to silence him and Senator Chuchi (from TCW). She wants Slip to testify before the Senate to help uncover Rampart's deception and lies.

There’s a big chunk of “Senators talking” here, which boils down to background exposition: Chuchi, Jimmy Smits, and basically anyone who doesn’t look like a villain wants to provide a pension to retiring clones while all the evil!Senators want to spend that money on a fresh, new army. It’s sloppy, heavy-handed world building, but it serves its purpose within the context of this episode.

Anyways, Slip is killed and Rex shows up to rescue Chuchi. He takes the unconscious assassin back to... what I think is the garage of the Martez Sisters (f--k)... and questions the assassin. Before killing himself, the assassin explains he’s a “Believer,” suggesting some deeper mystery plot.

Kiner’s score is great. None of the Bad Batch, Omega, or Crosshair appear in this episode.

This is the type of story this show should be doing. 

My enjoyment: 4/5

[doopcafe]

The Dad Batch: S2E5: Entombed 

Summary: TDB plays Indiana Jones with an annoying guest character; a giant mech trashes a lifeless planet with a death ray. 

Comments: This is a “filler” episode, but I don’t mind so much for reasons which will soon become clear. 

We open on Wrecker and Omega searching through a junkyard and then returning to Cid’s bar with their loot. One of the things Omega brings home is “plot contrivance”: a compass that’ll lead them through the episode. (It's literally a compass that points them to where the plot needs them to be).

The assumption is made that the compass points towards treasure because the aforementioned guest character is discount Lara Croft without all the character development. It could just as easily be an address to a liquor shop or like, a used books store, but nah, it’s treasure. They said so! 

There’s a thin veneer of “Omega has a bad role model” happening here, but it’s not developed or explored well enough to be even remotely interesting... This is really just a “solve puzzles to find treasure” plot.

Right, so the plot!compass leads them to a planet that’s been recently razed and left uninhabited, then to a mountain (which they conveniently landed right next to). Pushing away some rocks reveals a doorway. At this point, budget Lara Croft explains to the audience that the episode’s plot will now focus on obtaining the “heart of the mountain” (a stone inside the mountain). 

Keeping up with the treasure-hunter theme here, Kiner’s score suggests Indiana Jones and they even do a nod in the dialogue (“You’re just making this up as you go”) which is, to me, of course, annoying, but whatever. 

Right, so some Indiana Jones puzzles happen and they find the heart of the mountain, which is a sparkly stone. They pull it out and then... the episode goes completely off the rails. 

Turns out, the mountain wasn’t a mountain at all, but a giant f---king mech that activates and just starts lasering everything. Apparently, the stone was its restraining bolt. 

I learned a valuable lesson from watching this episode. So it turns out I’m willing to stomach plot contrivance if it sets up a story premise, but I’m also willing to stomach plot contrivance if it leads to giant mechs absolutely trashing a planet with a death ray. 

Inconsequential filler episodes are fine, but they should be used for character development. Besides, I know this show can be so much better. Let’s see the growth and spread of the Empire, let’s see some clones questioning Order 66, let’s see so many other ripe story points. 

Lol no, mech lasers planet! PEW PEW! 

My enjoyment: 3/5

I enjoyed this way more than I should have; I just can’t argue with giant mechs.

[doopcafe]

The Dad Batch S2E10: Retrieval 

Summary: TDB gets involved with a shady mining operation and there’s, yet again, more Indiana Jones references.

Comments: Plot-wise it’s the conclusion of the previous episode. We meet the kid that stole their ship, who works for a local crime boss. They apprehend him and force him to help them recover their ship. Everything works out in the end. 

There’s a central problem here (the episode’s main flaw) which is that the kid has no motivation to help them, but does anyway, because the events couldn’t happen if he didn’t. His character isn’t a character, he’s a shallow plot contrivance. 

My enjoyment of this episode was probably higher than it probably should have been, since I just binged three episodes in a row... This “review” is also shorter than it probably should have been for the same reason.

My enjoyment: 3/5 

[doopcafe]

The Dad Batch S2E9: The Crossing 

Summary: TDB has their ship stolen in the Wild West. 

Comments: Today’s premise comes courtesy of Tech: Cid bought a mine (a “dig a deep hole” mine, not an “explosive in the ground” mine) and wants TDB to, uh, excavate some valuable mineral. 

On the surface, this episode is about mining said mineral and resulting shenanigans, but the episode’s heart is about Omega dealing with Echo leaving and learning to appreciate the values that make them a team. There’s some internal conflict within the team, Omega taking the loss of Echo pretty hard, Wrecker and Tech bickering while Hunter stands around uselessly... (Seriously, why has Hunter's character been handicapped this season?)

There’s a fun series of “bad shit happens to TDB” as well: first their ship gets stolen, so they’re forced to walk 40 km through the desert, enroute they’re almost killed by a stampede of wild animals, then they’re overtaken by a violent storm, then they lose the valuable mineral they came for, then they’re trapped in a mine... not their best day. 

One of the better scenes has Omega voicing her frustration with Tech not showing grief over the loss of Echo. But poor Tech is just over here being his autistic, engineer self and just... is completely unable to relate to her on a human, emotional level and I’ve never related to Tech so much before I think we’re soulmates.

Anyways, those previous couple episodes were filler and I said you can do filler, as long as you couple it with character development... which is what this was. Filler coupled with character development. So good.

My enjoyment: 4/5