Is It Worth Coming Back After Season 2? ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 3 Review
After many highs and lows, does the third and final season of The Bad Batch bring it all back to a satisfying end?
The Bad Batch is finally over, not just season three, but the entire series. But how was the final season? Did it make up for a second season that barely whelmed? And was the ending worth the time investment?
The Good
If you watched last season and were turned off by the job-of-the-week style, if you were frustrated with how slowly the plot came and how half of the season seemed to be spent doing nothing at no great speed, you may see season three as a breath of fresh air.
The final season of The Bad Batch felt more like The Clone Wars. Things happened, quickly. Sometimes devastatingly. But they happened.
I feel weird saying that this season moved at a somewhat glacial pace. But I mean this in the best way possible. Every episode was purposeful and pointed. And every episode progressed the plot, raised the stakes, moved the players around the board, or upped the tension. There wasn’t a single episode where I thought, “Why are we watching pod racing?” But there were episodes where I thought, “Oh no, what will happen next?”
This was also a season that showcased just how much Omega has grown since the start of the show. She’s smart, confident, self-sufficient, and a leader. We couldn’t have had that character growth without a younger version that was none of those things, and the final version was somebody I’d want to have my back.
The writing was smart and full of references and callbacks without being pandering. And when the show finally came to an end, it was satisfying and meaningful while clearly closing the book on (most of) the characters’ stories.
The Bad
While I liked the writing for the most part, it did feel like there was a little extra here and there that didn’t need to be. Without getting too specific, there were some characters that adding nothing to the show and didn’t need to be written at all, let alone introduced. And honestly, I kept waiting for them to be something or someone… only for nothing to come of it.
The ending also felt somewhat safe. Not bad or without meaning. I meant it when I said that the finale was satisfying. But it was safe. It was the ending a writer would (rightfully) think people want to see, and I would have loved another twist or turn. But honestly, I can’t complain too much about something being un-complicated and nice.
My only other criticism is how dark the show was at times. Not tonally, but visually. There’s a trend in television being very dark and it makes shows hard to watch in a room that isn’t also pitch black. I promise we’ll understand that the setting is meant to be dim or the battle is happening at night even if you give us enough lighting to see! The viewers will understand; we’re smart enough.
The Rating
I’m not crying, you’re crying. Shut up.
Watching season three, you can tell that this is the story they wanted to tell. All of the setup and friend collecting from the first two seasons were there just so that these fifteen episodes could thrive. And so much of this season made me say, “Oh, I get it. These are Filoni’s favorite little guys and he wants to see them get the send-off they deserve.” Honestly, me too.
I loved this season. From the complexities of family and forgiveness to the minutia of Omega bringing home a dog, because why not? This was the show I wanted to see second season and the show I knew we could have with a little patience in season one. I just wish we didn’t need to slog a bit to get here. But I can’t wait to see how we move forward and where (and if) we see some of the characters in the future.
4/5 stars
Did you watch this season of The Bad Batch, or were you waiting to see what people had to say before binging it? Was this your favorite season? How do you think the show will effect the future of Star Wars shows and movies? Let us know in the comments!
May the Force be with you, adventurers!
