The Bad Batch Season 2 Episode 6 may have continued the mostly self-contained plot train, but its special guest and nods to a cancelled The Clone Wars episode made it feel much more connected to that far, far away galaxy than the past two.
Head on down below to either read or watch the review of Tribe, which was taken from the cancelled Clone Wars season featured at Star Wars Celebration 2015 in Anaheim.
Script
After two relatively light episodes of The Bad Batch, episode 6 hit fans with some nostalgic flair thanks to its connections to The Clone Wars, in particular a highly memorable Jedi, and a cancelled story arc from the show’s aborted season.
You could definitely argue that Tribe, like the two episodes before it, didn’t really advance this show’s overarching narrative forward, but on the other hand, it felt more like a traditional jaunt in the land of Star Wars thanks to its direct ties to The Clone Wars.
With that being said, Tribe at least mashed the Batch and the Empire together for the first time since the premiere, so the plot did feel much more connected to the overall galaxy than what has been covered in episodes 4 and 5.
The fact that Echo got a bit more loud about his beliefs in getting the crew involved against the Empire, and their direct action against them, also highlighted how this episode did indeed move the group’s thinking in regards to the Empire and how they should handle its expansion and atrocities forward.
Even Hunter seemed a bit more compelled to use his team’s skills to protect and help those in need, so while nothing galaxy shattering happened, Tribe definitely advanced the team’s mantra, and it seems that they will become more open to fighting for the forces of good, versus hustling for Cid to stay afloat in their new world order.
In fact, I believe this is the first time in the series that the Bad Batch freely chose to fight the Empire, and didn’t have to do it out of circumstance while on one of their missions for Cid. They could have left Gungi on Kashyyk to fend for himself with his new tribe, but they chose as a team to help those in need, which like mentioned earlier, is a clear sign that their attitudes are shifting, and it will only be a matter of time before their missions transform from criminal underworld in nature to more rebellious in nature in regards to the Empire’s rule and expansion.
Mostly self-contained or not, Tribe was a great episode that just had that special Star Wars flair that gets fans all worked up inside thanks to its connections to the past and its impact on how the Batch will proceed with the Empire problem in the future.
How about some top moments.
Obviously, the return of Gungi makes this list, but in particular his rescue really stood out. Seeing the little furry guy was awesome and very nostalgic. It was hard not to think back to his arc in the clone wars when he and other Younglings go to forge their lightsabers.
He was so innocent back then, but in this rescue scene you can feel the damage Order 66 has done to his soul. He’s a scared animal to say the least, so it was awesome to see the Batch come to his aid and seeing him pull a Luke and Rey by using the Force to grab his lightsaber to turn the tide was the cherry on top. It was just an all around great Star Wars action moment with a heavy dose of Clone Wars feels.
Up next in this list is the introduction of Gungi’s new village. Kashyyk looked amazing in animated form, but more importantly, fans got an inside look at Wookie village life, which is something that is rarely touched upon in Star Wars shows. Their way of life, beliefs, and tribal mentality were all put on display, and it was appreciated to see how these hulking beasts who rip body parts of their enemies are actually very peaceful and spiritual beings who honor nature as sentient beings and allies.
These moments just added to the legend of the wookies and how interesting they are as a race when you think about their raw power abilities matched with their penchant for peace and harmony with nature.
Finally, the end battle also stood out in this episode, and most for the visuals and action beats. Having it set at night offered up some great contrasting visuals with dark tones and bright accents. Watching Gungi in action was awesome, as it usually is when Jedis whip out their laster swords. Of course Wrecker shined as well, as he is known to do when the Boom comes out. You just had to love him mimicking Wookie warrior calls, and the fact that he attempted Chewie’s tarzan-esque yell while jumping from the trees to an imperial tank. How can you not love that big lughead?!
