Yep cruel, I couldn't agree more. Some fans seem to get a kick out of bashing our Experimental Clone Force 99 Sniper. Really wish they wouldn't. He's NOT the villain, I have been pointing this out for a while now. If you still think he is, you haven't been paying attention. Imagine instead, if Hunter or Wrecker had been brought in by Tarkin, would fans be as cruel to Hunter or Wrecker?
As an Iraq veteran and army retiree I’ve been watching this show and saw all all you’ve spoken on Its interesting how the Bad Batch and Falcon & Winter Soldier are hitting the veteran community
i also love that Bad Batch is a story about family where the main caregiver-child relationship is SPECIFICALLY one of older siblings raising a younger sibling. The parallel of them having to suddenly make do without the Republic's all-encompassing support structure feeding and sheltering them, but still needing to provide both survival AND a healthy childhood at the same time for the youngest and least-independent among them speaks SO much to the experience of families without parents (whether from sudden tragedy, poverty, or abuse). It not only makes these larger themes more immediate and intimate, it's also just beautiful to see that family circumstance depicted with such gravity and care in a kids show, when so many kids out there in those exact circumstances deserve to see that reflected in their heroes.
@@Real_RPGgaming omega was one of the first batch of clones along with boba and she didn't get the growth hormone (The kaminoans used these two as jango Fett's genetic controls). Basically she ages normally making her around her teen years where the badbatch is a newer generation of clone with the growth hormone making them around 5-10 years old when order 66 occurs.
idk about the community's overall sentiment towards the show, but i loved every second of it. especially the fact that it is a story on it's own, no jedi, no grand goal, no game changing world warping plots. just dudes. dudes trying to survive
Exactly. I loved season 1 finale, hoping the Batch wouldn't be saved by a big cameo character. I just loved it. The Bad Batch was unexpected and a great surprise. I hope they keep it up with the simple storytelling.
@@SwordsmanMercenary star wars has very much become dominated by characters who are Somebody- that is, characters that play a major role in the major political events in the story
Not only well researched and organized, but also done without all the negative emotion of so many SW obsessed channels. Thanks for faithfully loving this universe without letting its shortcomings ruin your experience :) There are definitely some eps in the Bad Batch that felt slower or unnecessarily "kiddie themed." But it is still a WONDERFUL addition to the lore.
@@derrickstorm6976 well, there are a few channels (not gonna say names) who are rather negative toward the new content, as well as toward content within sw that tries to have more inclusivity for people who are often underrepresented.
Definitely the next Ahsoka type character now in Grand Master Filoni's stable of Fandom favorite characters. I say Grand Master respectfully, because he was once very much the apprentice...Now he is THE Grand Master, In Filoni We Trust!
this moment should clones have had in TCW long before omega! but TCW was too busy showing us pointless shit and filler.... the books did this. but the show is too primitive for that.
Not only well researched and organized, but also done with the right attitude. I'm so tired of The Fandom Menace hating on everything just to get views.
It makes me so happy that there's somebody in the Star Wars fandom making longform Star Wars content that's not negative, spiteful or mostly normal but the occasional jab at anyone who likes say the Sequels or Rebels. Props king, glad to see someone else who appreciates the Bad Batch!
Seeing who the writer is, I think Bad Batch's veteran parallels are definitely intentional. I even got that vibe despite not coming from a military background or family.
My biggest problem with this analysis is that Crosshair didn’t want power, he wanted purpose. But it’s important to remember that it is the individual who brings purpose to what it is they do and Crosshair couldn’t see purpose, thus far, in anything other than be a soldier - even for the empire. If it was about power, he would have sold them out as quickly as possible.
I agree that it's about purpose-- but having power is what fulfills it in the mind of Crosshair. And like any other villain in SW, power is temporary, and not what delivers true fulfillment.
I also got the impression that Crosshair just wanted to survive, and joining the empire was the most realistic way (in his mind) he saw of doing it, less than he necessarily agreed with the empire or the sense of 'purpose' it gave him.
During the "A Farewell to Home" segment of the video, you should have mentioned a line mentioned by ES-01 (One of the Stormtroopers in training) from the Bad Batch Episode; "Replacements" (S1E3). The specific quote was: "With the Empire, I get paid, I get fed and I have a roof over my head. That's more than the Republic ever did for me." While this relates back to the "A War of Mistruths" segment where you mentioned the Clone Wars was having a negative financial effect on the lives of the lower & middle class people throughout the galaxy, it signifies that for a select few group of people, the change from the Republic to the Empire had a bit of a positive effect.
Isn't this something that neither the Republic or the Empire granted to the clone troopers? I just always get the impression that most people in the galaxy on both sides of the war and long after it was over never gave a damn about the clone troopers whether they were justified or not. One thing that always irks me is that in my mind, the galaxy long after the Rise of Skywalker would still be familiar with battle droids since these things almost last forever. Droids are always going to outlive humans. Meanwhile the other soldiers of the war are eventually going to be forgotten and anybody who bothers to remember them is going to focus just on the fact they were the Empire's first soldiers. Heck, the clones may even be remembered only as a footnote since the Empire replaced most of them so quickly. History books will flash over the combatants and focus on how the war affected the galaxy, but at least the battle droids still exist and the Jedi Order will be resurrected. The clones on the other hand are gone forever. An entire species (yes, they are human but there is still a distinction from them and normal humans like us) is gone, wiped out. Just like the Geonosians and probably just like the Kaminoans in a matter of decades. Nobody will remember their heroics in the Clone Wars. Nobody will ever know the brainwashing that forced them to betray what they were raised to believe in. Nobody will ever know what their lives were like. Nobody will even care. And the worst part of it is since they were the ones who helped establish the Empire that began a long era of darkness in the galaxy, I can't really fault descendants of those who lived under the reign of the Empire only remembering the clones for one thing-Being the Empire's first soldiers.
@@tristankawatsuma8962 I couldn't agree more. The clones are the biggest tragedy in the Star Wars galaxy. They sacrificed so much, and then they were just thrown aside because their puppet master didn't need them anymore. The worst part is that most people probably won't know or care.
@@ArTorrPresents Hi, i would like to ask you a question. You see, i'm from latin america (peru to be specific) and in my university my ethics proffesor gave a speech criticizing George Lucas because he said that his vietnam message is incompatible with the movie, because in real life the Vietcong commited atrocities like the massacre of Hue, while the americans did the same bombing rural town in vietnam. ¿What's your opinion on this? ¿Did george lucas failed because of a bad metaphor or his story doesn't rely on being a metaphor?
@@magdavillafuerte505 The Rebel Alliance is not a direct parallel to the Viet-Cong, at least not yet. Recently, there has been more of a push to show the Rebel Alliance in a morally dubious light.
Absolute masterpiece. I love the positivity you consistency manage to bring to Star Wars analysis, it's a genuine and enduring inspiration. Star Wars has always had an interesting relationship with various unpleasant forms of trauma, but I never thought of it while watching The Bad Batch. I always viewed it through the lens of individuality vs uniformity, of which Clone Force 99 naturally represents the former, but the aspect of PTSD somehow never entered my mind until watching this. You touched on it briefly with your Fallen Order video, but now you've made a full on exploration of trauma and I am so here for it. As an aside, you've got me listening to the A-Team theme all day long, so good job.
I wonder if he'll expand this with the batch. And I'm not just talking about how this is affecting the Batch, but affecting Omega as well. Some of the things she's experienced, no adult should have to endure, let along as 12-13 year old child.
I think you made an excellent point about Omega and her representation of hope. And the writers did an amazing job of showing that. I honestly can't stop smiling whenever the show focusses on Omega
The Bad Batch is starting to become my favorite story of Disney's Star Wars, as a veteran myself I cant help but see all the same patterns the Bad Batch are going through with my experiences when the war was over. When you live for your next mission, how do you transition from war to peace and not feel lost and purposeless? You learn that only through processing your emotions and learning to love again can you finally put it behind you.
One thing I didn't see mentioned directly, but I think you hinted at, was the ubiquitous sense that I think is in all veterans, that question of "what do I do now?" It's not so simple as just picking something to do, then doing it. You've chosen to transform yourself into something that, in a lot of ways, goes against normal human instinct. At the very least, your simian need for community is co-opted and made to serve what you're told is a higher goal. But at a certain point, that's over, and whether you loved or hated it, the ending always seemed abrupt. This was where the show shined for me, in its portrayal of the range of veteran experiences. Some become like the Batch: a thorn in the side of the power that remains after that power has extracted its use from them. Some are like Cut, finding greater meaning outside what they were "made for," and in holding on to that instead, retain as much of their humanity that remains as they can, even while visibly still carrying their former purpose in their bones. Some are like Howser, seeing the flaws of the system they serve, and bravely exhibiting the courage to stand against it and change it from within...only to find that the system is too big for any one person to change. It even does what the sequel trilogy said it was going to do in humanizing the TK troopers. Who could forget the squad Crosshair leads to Onderon? They were ordinary people, seemingly hardened and trained for war just like the clones they volunteered to replace, only to find that war and violence were far uglier than the propaganda had led them to believe. I find their brief story to be one of the most compelling in the first season, because like them, I joined the military expecting to find greater purpose, only to discover a job that only oscillated between mind-numbing monotony and the deliverance of brutality, both extremes being just as pointless, accomplishing nothing except the waste of time and lives. You said at the end that you weren't sure if the portrayal of veterans in the Bad Batch was intentional...and truth be told, I'm not sure either. But whatever the showrunners intended, they were paying attention. That, for me, is why the Bad Batch is a cut above every other portrayal of veterans in media. It doesn't feel like pandering or even a well-intended mistranslation. It feels like it was written by someone who understands what it's like to give their soul to a cause, and have it spit back out to them with pieces missing.
What I learned most from the Filoniverse is that the creator of a narrative isn't always the best one to expand on it. They are not infallible, they do not deserve the final say. Once they put the spark of inspiration out into the universe, people may and will do with it as they please (and copyright can't completely stop it- the more it tightens its grip, the more stories slip through their fingers). Sometimes you get someone so inspired by and understanding of what the narrative is about, they can do more and better with it than the creator arguably ever did.
I found Bad Batch very enjoyable. At first I was a little meh on Omega, but she grew on me as the series went on. The revelation that she's their older sister was funny to me. Reminds us that the clones dont live long, etc. Great work again. Looking forward to your Mandalorian breakdown.
I hated everything about Omega, we know what a perfect clone of Jango looks like, because we have Boba and we're supposed to believe Omega is a lossless clone of Jango when she shares literally none of his features.
@@Yodalemos She's a modified clone, like the rest of the 'bad batch'. Who knows what modification she has. Plus she wasnt programmed to age fast. I'm wiling to put some faith in the same people that gave us Clone Wars that it'll turn out good in the end.
@@Yodalemos Think by natural, they meant not aging fast. Natural lifespan. Tho, it could easily be they changed her chromosomes to XX, and a couple minor appearance changes to mask she was a clone to the casual observer.
@@merlyworm She just feels out of place considering Boba still exists, 100% copy of Jango and a natural lifespan. Either Omega has some wierd/advanced modification or she was added for the sake of simply creating a mission for the Bad Batch.
The Bad Batch felt like a Hideo Kojima production, where even if the plot wasn't always moving forward, the characters and world were constantly fleshed out in small but meaningful degrees. I personally disagree with the sentiment that most of the batch is underdeveloped, as character development is rarely as straightforward as encountering and understanding an Aesop, followed by completely altering one's identity for the next episode. As a whole, the Batch are all fundamentally more compassionate and more sure of themselves at the finale than they were at the premiere, and have a deeper understanding of what it means to stand on their own feet and live when they otherwise were expected to die. I loved getting to see a moral quagmire fully embracing how complex the concepts of identity, duty, and betrayal can be, especially when juxtaposed in the hyper-real mirror that Star Wars subtly casts back on us. It's one of my favorite pieces of Star Wars media and I genuinely cannot wait to see where they can take this show. Your video was fantastic and brought a new lens I hadn't previously considered to the product, something that I find happens every time I watch a new Artorr original. I can't wait to see what else you've got, and don't stress about "low content production". My favorite channels make six or seven videos a year, and I do count you among those. Can't wait for your takes on ME2!
I agree strongly with your take that TBB felt like Kojima production. I got heavy Metal Gear vibes early on with TBB. Some of it was admittedly superficial with Hunter and Snake (or Big Boss) sharing a pretty strong resemblance and just generally having a similar energy. But the things you pointed out showed it was more than just superficial resemblance the video reinforces it.
As an OTH veteran it was extremely hard to transition back civilian life without getting any help from the government. I’m extremely lucky that I had my family and friends to help me out.
Every hair on my body was standing up through out this entire video. I agree with everyone else, this is hands down the best SW breakdown video ever. I flippen love it. The intro, the explanations and just an awesome wholesome video over all. Really helps to drag the core issues going on in the SW universe, out into full view and done in a way that was well explained. What a lot of us hardcore SW fans have been trying to explain that there is bigger issue for years, you were able to do in a well fluid way. Love it
Raising awareness about veteran associations amongst at least your closest ones is the best first step in helping veterans to recover. Every country has a war it rather not talk about. To Russia, these are the 1st and the 2nd Chechen Campaigns. Those were conflicts relatable to such as Vietnam or Gulf War. Atrocities, commited by both separatists and Russian army were unthinkable. When the Campaigns were over, we've had hundreds of thousands servicemen with PTSD and other disorders, who came back home, just to find themselves in a downfall of alcoholism, heroin addiction, and criminal organisations. They quickly became branded by society as "people you should avoid". It's chilling now, how ruthless people were to them. Nobody even tried to help, and I, as a kid, was just afraid of them. I've carried that fear throughout a big part of my life. It took me years to refine my contradictory feelings towards them, into something of awareness and compassion. Because this is the way. Dear ArTorr, you did a truly great job. This must be outspoken, and in some cases even constantly reminded about: they are us. No more, no less. They need help, but they are of that kind that rarely seeks it. So that's up to me, you, and all of us. And this refers not only to US military veterans, but to any veteran of any conflict in any country all over the world. Please, at least try to be compassionate to them.
@snowflake You are absolutely correct. Things are going to be be even worse. It's commonly known that PTSD hits a hundred times harder on those troops who are of the attacking side. Ukrainian people are just defending their motherland from invaders, it's a righteous war to them, they didn't start it. Killing invaders in the process doesn't mean dealing with conscience, and it's absolutely okay. People get KIA/MIA at war, y'know. But hundreds of thousands of Russian troops (who are NOT volunteers, btw) are going to deal with the same devastating psychological aftereffects as Reich soldiers did after WWII. The flimsy ideological basis explaining the legitimacy of the invasion will inevitably crumble in time (as Nazis' ideology did) and we'll have yet another pile of retired soldiers trying so hard to understand _why the hell they did what they did, and how to live with it now_. Sadly, one's brain may be easily tricked with propaganda in a short term, but as soon as delusion fades, it (such wow!) appears extremely difficult to get along with the fact that one is nobody else, but a murderer, and a war criminal. Such an overwhelming controversy fries one's brains, and takes years to process. -- P.S. What's even more horrible, they are all drafted. Evasion is prosecuted by the law: refusing to go will eventually get you behind the bars, wherefrom you'll get drafted anyway, but to penalty battalion now. However, it applies only to those, who did military training (which is more or less obligatory for all men from 18 to 27 yo). -- P. P. S. I thank God I somehow avoided it legally (due to health issues). Still I'm afraid as f.. because, well, who knows what else may pop into our _beloved leader's_ head. He's running out of military personnel already. Nobody's safe here. Would have fled the country already, but I simply can't. Every day I pray for it all to end.
“Omega embodies the reality of raising a family after war, and the Havoc Marauder, their trusty ship, is the car that family lives out of.” speechless.
Some of my hopes for Bad Batch Season 2 is that they try to incorporate the scrapped "Kashyyyk Arc" from the Clone Wars. There are various ways the show could appropriate the arc; either make it a series of flashback episodes or update the arc to match with the setting (think along the lines of what they did with the "Ahsoka Walkabout Arc" by replacing Nix with Trace & Rafa)? I've mentioned this before but I'm hoping that Season 2 has more "original" episode & less that rely of the return of characters/locations from previous Star Wars Media. If past elements do return, I'd love to see either Hondo Ohnaka, Zeb Orelius, Boba Fett, etc. & their interactions with the Bad Batch as well. Season 2 should also answer what happened to the young clones; the ones who were still in the early phases of their training & had yet to experience combat of any form (practice or the real thing)? Whether or not Omega may be force sensitive...to an extent should also be answered in Season 2.
Well, Hondo Ohnaka is the best way for Boba to learn about Omega and The Bad Batch, and it probably wouldn't be that hard to bring him into the show for an episode, or even part of an episode, and have Boba cameo at the end, learning about Clone Force 99 and especially Omega
" They treat combat like Dungeons & Dragons." XD In all seriousness, though, you're absolutely right about everything here. I love Bad Batch. The shift in the Galaxy from the Republic to the Empire is a story we've long needed and been missing. The story of the Veterans. It hurts how much our veterans get forgotten. I know so many, most of them left with permanent scars (both physical and mental). We need to do better. I like the addition of Omega as the Hope that we constantly see resonating through all of Star Wars, though. That's what I love so much about Star Wars. Hope is always there.
Such an amazing channel, few take the time to study the cultural and historical context like you do. Kudos, can't imagine how much work goes into making such a video. You're truly underrated.
Thank you for this. As a veteran I've often related to the clones, and especially trying to readjust to post-military life. I think you did an excellent job touching on those points.
40:39 "You did that on Skako Minor when you rescued me. I'd still be trapped in that place if you hadn't. If there's a chance that trooper is being held against his will, then we have to try and get him out." - Echo *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*
It's sad really. Bad Batch is honestly a really fun show on its surface. Beneath that, there are layers and layers of thought, imo. So I'll always stick up for this show!
Captain Howzer; A man who has found purpose not in becoming a loyal soldier, but loyal to the good he can achieve shows us the way. And he just so happens to have a _magnificent_ head of hair! 😍 #HotHowzer 🔥 #Fashionista
Before the release of the Bad Batch I was worried the morality of Star Wars animation might go away because of different changes around our world and compassionate themes in stories becoming less likely to be in these types of shows or as prominent as it was in Star Wars. But I am grateful I was wrong and am glad Star Wars animation is still what it was before. I believe Star Wars is one of the last media franchises that puts teaching people on morality and compassion before other things.
Knowing that the writers have real army experience makes me happier now that I know the subtext I felt I was reading was intentional. The fact that they parent Omega by using After-Action-Reports instead nondefined rule changes, the seamless way they take posts or shift responsibility back and forth between them without words and even the tiny ways they find privacy while being crammed into a single hallway of a ship. Even a lot of the character development is done through subtle gestures or expressions which feels very genuine. Poor Echo has had to completely rewrite his self identity and moral code this season and practically nobody noticed.
The destruction of Kamino is one of my favorite scenes in all of Star Wars and animation, the music and imagery is so emotional and overwhelming as someone that grew up with the prequels and clone wars
I was never really interested in Star Wars until The Bad Batch. The show is great and I can see it will become something greater in the future(hopefully) Thank you for the amazing video, it always feels like I'm watching a movie :D
Thank you for a superb analysis of one of my favorite animation shows, the bad batch. I really appreciate your respectful analogy with today's veterans, in general. My brother who was a Vietnam veteran was proud of his service. But, it also altered his life trajectory in a bad way. He suffered from PTSD all his life. He did not meet his full potential because of it. Your criticism of the VA is spot on, but I have to say that he was lucky to have had access to a great facility in Long Beach, CA. He got excellent care there that every veteran in the US should get. Thank you for your hard work in creating such excellent work. Please don't stop.
You're the first person I've seen do a proper, deep look at this series. Most people's reviews (out of the ones I've seen, anyway) seem to start and end with those complaints you listed about filler episodes and no charcter development. This defintely raised my opinion of the show.
Army Grunt here. I think I can speak for myself and all the other dudes and gals that served when I say, thank you. Thank you for using your platform as a way to spread awareness to all our brothers and sisters suffering. One of my NCOs lost the fight in his head 5 years ago, so many things you said truly struck a cord. Not in a positive or negative way, but in a needed way. Keep doing what you do ArTorr. You excel at this shit. Recon!
I like that you brought up Rey and Kylo because Crosshair's scene with the Batch in the Kamino training room reminded me of Snoke's throne room in TLJ and I had the same sinking feeling in my chest in both scenes.
ArTorr, I commented before but I have to say it again: your videos are on a level of quality I haven't seen in a long time. Your audio editing is top notch, and I've not seen people use it to emphasize their points as well as you have. Your writing is as solid as ever too. I had the initial thought while watching the show that this was touching on topics of Veterans, but this analysis just solidified that as something I need to rewatch the show with in mind. But more than that, I ended up losing myself in this video, something I rarely find with TH-cam nowadays. It's funny, my father watched this show with me. He grew up on the Prequels, I grew up on Clone Wars, and I think we both had very different but meaningful reactions to it. To him, seeing Kamino destroyed was this sense of closure to years of questions about the Empire. For me, it was almost like the end of an era, like I was watching something I'd seen grow up with me be taken from me. To him, Kamino was part of the Prequels and the story Lucas told with them; for me, it was part of the Star Wars show that got me into the entire universe, the connection to it I had grown with in such a short amount of time yet was no less strong. For him it was relief, for me it was uncertainty. And I think that's what he Clone Wars and Bad Batch really excel at, hitting all generations of Star Wars with such a fine-toothed edge. Thank you as well for your discussion of Veteran services at the end as well. It was such a sincere way to end the video and really shows how much the topic means to both you and the show overall.
I know it’s a huge ask, but really hope you’re considering making a follow-up to this that covers season 2 and 3. Thank you again for all of your incredible work.
Dude your videos are the greatest Star Wars videos on this platform. So beautifully edited, and most of all, the messages behind them are phenomenal, you really hit us in the feels. You're a great writer, and I can't wait to see what you do next!
“Totalitarianism is never content to rule by external means, namely, through the state and a machinery of violence; thanks to its peculiar ideology and the role assigned to it in this apparatus of coercion, Totalitarianism has discovered a means of dominating and terrorizing human beings from within.” Hannah Arendt, Origins of Totalitarianism
Quickly becoming my favorite TH-camr, rarely does anyone else continually register with my emotions and have such high quality editing and narration. Keep up the good work
I know that the intro started off with a rightfully-so serious tone, but I cannot tell you how stupidly happy it made me to have you use The A-Team theme (one of my favorite shows growing up) with clips of the Bad Batch to make that a new possible reality in my head.
I’ve never sat down for a video longer than 20 minutes and actually stay for the whole thing, especially if it’s longer than that, but your editing, voice, review, and analysis of Season 1 was absolutely mesmerizing! You brought to light things about the Bad Batch I never knew, like that a veteran helped create this masterpiece of a show, and how alike Star Wars is with wars in America! (I already knew that the Empire was definitely based on Nazis, but I never knew how deep the franchise actually went at representing the American History of War. Thank you for bringing all this information to light for Star Wars noobies like me! 😆 The reason I grew such a fondness for Bad Batch-was how much it focused on family and the bonds each of the brothers (And sister) have with each other. I myself grew up being the only sister in a family of seven the others being my parents and four brothers: so a series based around a young girl growing up around her brothers was definitely something I can emotionally relate to. What’s funny though as I watched the show-I found myself relating to a lot of the other characters besides Omega. As I first started watching the Bad Batch I found most of my attention always going to Tech. Now… I’m no genius by far and don’t have awesome goggles like him, but I can say that many scenes with Tech and many lines he said in the show stuck out to me as relatable like these two for example-“Just because I understand you, doesn’t mean I agree with you.” From Season 1 in Kamino Lost. And “I may process thoughts and emotions differently, but that does not mean I care any less than you.” From Season 2 in The Crossing. Those two quotes from Tech hold so much meaning, and they really hit home for people out there who also struggle with looking at the world through a logical lens more than an emotional one. I also saw similarities with the main characters to my own family members, which have helped me better understand them from a perspective I did not have before. I’ve become quite fond of the Star Wars franchise and their shows like Bad Batch, Clone Wars, and others: I really hope the creators of Star Wars make more shows and movies similar to them. Publicly subscribing! Can’t wait for more videos like this! 😁👍
I did not expect to be touched by a Star wars review. It’s not often somebody shows they care with their actions, it’s usually empty words. I love the bad batch for many of the themes mentioned but I didn’t expect this. Thank you.
Love the bit about clones and military families. My dad was navy and never the biggest prequel fan but whenever he was home I made him watch clone wars with me, and he loves the clones
I have a brother who was a Vietnam veteran who never found home when he came back. He died a couple years ago still hunting the home he went to war to protect.
Something I noticed about the scene where captain Howzer surrenders is that some the clones that side with him thrown down their weapons and shields with force, with defiance shining bright. While others, take a softer approach being gentle with their weapons and shields, potentially unsure or doubting of what they are doing but eventually coming to the conclusion that what Howzer says is right. Another detail I noticed is that the ones who follow the imperial line don't look around when the captain says to, they basically don't even react to his speech at all. Despite the faceless helmets, I feel like this underpins the individuality of the clones. The fact that among a group of clones, half chose to follow their commander's example and the other half chose to turn against them
I loved the bad batch season one. While Crosshair's story is a breath of fresh air from Starwars' redemption themes, I really do hope that this isn't the end of it. I remember being mildly upset during the season finale p2 at Tech's comment on how Crosshair couldn't change. I felt this way because after I got over my initial dislike of him (I honestly cheered when Rex punched him haha), I saw the potential his character had to evolve based on the events that happened to him in the first few episodes. My biggest hope for season two is that the writers continue to pull at the string in Crosshair that had him save Omega (without victimizing him) if we are to get a happy ending. Of course, there's always the possibility *we won't* but that's something I prefer not to think about. I'm also hoping for more of Rex, and more Echo-centric episodes for no other reason than I like him and want to know so bad how he found out about FIves. Here I am still awaiting Rampart's death whoops.
I haven't been able to fully watch the bad batch yet, but now with your video, I feel like I will be able to see a new clarity, when watching the episodes.
You easily have some of the best and most nuanced star wars video essays on TH-cam. It'll be interesting to see how you interpret the aftermath of a civil war in The Mandalorian and an apathetic galaxy learning to care about each other in the Sequel trilogy.
Damn this video aged super well with season 2 of Bad Batch. Also, I'm a vet myself, got out around the same time this show first came out. Love your analyst.
The analysis is all in all great but the A Team theme (which was something I've never even considered to be fitting for the Batch until now) makes the video worth it to have checked out, made my day!
Thank you for this...Clone Wars and Bad Batch is a reflection of my reality as a combat Vet serving during the post Vietnam era 1989 thru 2010..THANK YOU!
I'm here for the star wars videos, but from the analysis, video quality, intellect, and articulate manner of speaking on meaningful topics affecting the real world, i have to say your videos are absolutely brilliant
A very sobering discussion, for sure. While you mostly discussed how it relates to our past, it really does describe our current present rather well, too. There are so many lies everywhere, and a staggering amount of people are more interested in picking a side than putting in the effort to find the truth themselves. These are not times when you can trust everything you're told, and that's true for both parties.
You can't find the truth yourself... that's why all these issues are happening. Because of the internet we live in a post-truth age. Nothing anyone says can be taken as objective fact online, everything has a bias and lens to it. And it goes deeper then left vs right, that's just the easiest line to draw.
This made me tear up. When you were talking about vets i couldnt stop thinking about my dad. At every turn the military screws him over and that section was a powerful reminder of the help that the govt and people should be providing to our vets. Great video!
I was a SGT in the 82nd Airborne in 2003 and in August I pulled a Howzer. I refused to indiscriminately raid civilian homes without warrants or cause and made an moral appeal. I got lucky, my BC knew me and my character and agreed, but he didn't have the power to stop a Corps lvl decision. I was given redeployment orders and my stoploss was lifted. I was given an honorable discharge and a medal for good measure to shut me up (If I am cynical). That discharge was a blessing because the last 20 years have been horrid. An out cast in an apathetic society and a Casandra, at least I have healthcare, at least until the US's chickens come home to roost. I try to help and advocate, but Hunter's disassociation and confusion is very relatable. But there is a force. Realizing that is everything.
I love how you bring so much positivity to the less appreciated Rebels and The Bad Batch, I like most have my issues with them but I still overall love both series and wish more love was given to them. My favorite part is how you tie in the shows to themes and outside events to help set the tone and establish their influences
There was a time I would've celebrated the destruction of the Kamino, that heart of evil where so much was done to ensure the destruction of the Jedi Order and the rise of the Empire. And yet, when it finally happened, I felt sadness instead. And I remembered the episodes during the Clone Wars when the clones fought in Kamino's defense declaring, "Today, we fight for more than the Republic! Today, we fight for our home and brothers!" And I suddenly realized that the end of Kamino doesn't symbolize justice for all the evils that were committed there; it symbolizes everything the clones fought for being in vain, both here and across the galaxy. And I cried.
OH YESSS I DIDNT KNOW WHAT TO WATCH TONIGHT AND THIS POPS UP AT THE PERFECT TIME Fan talk aside, the amount of work you put in these and the clone wars and rebels videos is amazing and i always enjoy (re)watching them. May the force be with you
Hi, military historian here. The hessians were not mercenaries during the American War of Independence, but they are still a great real world example of what the clones were. Hesse-Kassel was a feudal kingdom, unlike England. Hessians were duty bound to both the feudal nobility and the crown. They were not citizens of a country, they were subjects of a ruling class, basically property. Hessian regiments were not mercenaries because they were not enlisting voluntarily, but being actually drafted under the obligation of their lordships. They didn’t have a say in the matter. King George III basically struck a deal with Hesse to basically rent their army, Hesse was leasing its property, soldiers, to an allied Kingdom. The soldiers themselves could not decide if going to fight or not, but were forced to. I think this is a very interesting parallel to what clones are in Star Wars. The recent episode of Palpatine showing up in the senate before arresting Admiral Rampart for the destruction of Kamiko shows a similar situation. You mentioned that clones are not individually scrutinized despite their divide with the people, not to the level the Jedi were, I think it’s the same reason George III could simply lease hessians without their consent, because just like Hessian feudal subjects, Clones are not subjects of law, they do not have rights as individuals, they are property.
This was lovely and well done. I totally loved this first season, and it was great to connect the dots. Your emphasis on compassion is very appreciated.
Amazing job, actually had to fight off some tears.. I love Star Wars but making even more connections with real world events then I originally knew made it that much more deeper. And honestly helps me understand why I’m so drawn to it. Great research and an amazing video!
I don't think enough people watched the Bad Batch to appreciate how beautiful the animation is. I thought the last 4 episodes of Season 7 of the Clone Wars was beautiful but this show somehow managed to take it up another notch. I've never seen anything like it.
When I first heard this show was getting made, I was like, 'Okay, really?' I felt like I had already finished with the Clone Wars Era with the amazing last season. But I am so delighted to have been wrong. I have loved The Bad Batch. The way it explores the struggle the clones have had to find meaning is so cathartic, and this video did a good job of helping address the real-world issues of caring for war veterans, which at first I didn't even think about. I still have some hope for Crosshair. Like Omega said, he's their brother too. And its such a great true way to say goodbye to the prequel era of Star Wars.
The best part of this show for me despite some of its shortcomings was the main theme. Easily became one of the most recognizable pieces of music for me, right up there with Luke’s/Force theme and Duel of the Fates. The way it swells with a sense of wonderment and adventure with twinges of hope captures the soul of Star Wars. A proud addition to the franchise. And you sir are criminally underrated. This was an amazing video essay. Well edited, well researched, well understood, and well respected. You handled it with care and passion, and for that you have my sub. We will watch your career with great interest.
Yet another fantastic video. I always think I understand Star Wars, but with almost every video, you point out the actual depth. Thank you for helping me scratch a little deeper under the surface.
watching this prior to bad batch season three coming out, this was amazing! i loved your comparison, and it was fascinating as my favorite show was put into a new light i haven’t heard it in before. i’m excited to see where the story heads in the third season, and i hope you decide to make a video about it!
I am hooked on your Star Wars video essays. I love your style and how you break everything down so well. I too picked up on the US veteran mstreatment message in the show but had no Idea that Jennifer Corbet was in the Navy, now it all makes sense and I salute her. She and the others working on this show have made something truly special that I believe will stand the test of time
Suggested edit. Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy both sent (Eisenhower) and expanded (Kennedy) American's involvement in the Vietnam war. Lindon Johnson expanded America's role in Vietnam. Nixon did continue to expand Amerca's role, however his administration did get the United States out of Vietnam.
I can't say how much I loved this. I appreciate the discussion of the different points of history that influences Star Wars, and the real life issues that are addressed or alluded to. I also loved the way you described crosshair, because you're right. He clearly wants to be with his brothers again (in that he literally tried to recruit them because he sees being in the empire as the best choice for them, where their "weirdness" and "differentness" suddenly makes them "special", plus others.) I think it's also safe to say he cares about Omega too, because from the first episode, she already believed in him. Also, his plan for her was to get her a stable home where she didn't have to be on the run. I loved the last two episodes for a lot of reasons, but the first was that the show allowed Crosshair to have his time to explain his hurts and defend his choices and even make them seem reasonable. But from then on, it constantly pointed out how wrong he was. I think he's a great villain because he is realistic. He's actively choose to do horrible things (because it gets him power and respect, because he feels like his family abandoned him, because he wants to be right, because he does hold himself seperate and wants to jump at a chance to be special), but ultimately it's most painful because he has a family that he wants with him, and his family wants him back too. The divide isn't "just politics", but morality and choice. It hurts good. Your video just reminded me of how excited I am for the second season. This really was amazing, thank you very much!
This was so wonderful to watch. I absolutely L O V E D this show, to me it felt like it was trying to say something different. The characters didn’t have the most depth, but I completely adored all of them anyway. To me the show was about a family trying to find their way in a broken galaxy. Before their purpose was just the mission, but now it’s to simply take care of one another. Hunter has a really strong moral compass that’s constantly challenged, and when he starts losing sight of it, it’s Omega who reminds him not to lose his compassion. Everyone looks to him for answers, but he doesn’t always have them, and it important that he doesn’t always make the right call. However I’d argue Hunter is probably one of the most objectively “good” characters in Star Wars. He’s just a war veteran trying to get by alongside this hodgepodge family he sort of pulled together. He took in Omega without hesitation, and when he doubted his ability to give her the stability she needed, he tried to send her with the Laquaynes. But when she assures him that she wants to stay with them, he tries to be the best parent he can be to her, and she builds her own unique relationships with each of her brothers. TLDR the show was smaller than what people are used to, but I think that’s a good thing. It’s just really cute and really sweet. I’ve seen a lot of pretty bad takes on The Bad Batch. I almost didn’t click this video because I was ready to hear another person rip into something great for not living up to their unrealistic expectations. This show is a personal comfort of mine, and I am counting the days until season 2. Aside: i’ve been saying that Crosshair is your racist uncle since August
Currently In the military and recently found your channel and I just wasn’t ready for this video as much as I am a Star Wars nerd I appreciate this video so much
First, well done. I appreciate, as a veteran who deals with mental health issues, the factual yet supportive way that you brought it all around. One criticism, though, is that nobody can "do what they need to do" to make Crosshair change. Crosshair has to see a need and then want the change he would have to work on. Nobody else can define that for him, or force him into it, and any efforts to do so will only push him farther into the hole he has dug. What his brothers and sister CAN do, however, is provide the support he'll need once he makes that decision, if he ever does. Perhaps that's where you were going, and it just came out poorly, or I misunderstood your message at that particular moment in the video. All in all, though, well researched and written overall. Thank you.
Go to nordvpn.com/artorr and use the code 'artorr' at checkout to get a significant discount on a two-year plan!
"We're soldiers, what happens to us then?" Well, the Bad Batch became the Dad Batch, for one.
Real Star Wars fans loved the prequels. It was very apparent the backlash came from a loud minority.
Man, when I clicked this video, I had no idea how amazing it would be!
E .
"It’s been a blast"
*Shows Crosshair taking the reactor ray in his face*
That was cruel
Yep cruel, I couldn't agree more. Some fans seem to get a kick out of bashing our Experimental Clone Force 99 Sniper. Really wish they wouldn't. He's NOT the villain, I have been pointing this out for a while now. If you still think he is, you haven't been paying attention. Imagine instead, if Hunter or Wrecker had been brought in by Tarkin, would fans be as cruel to Hunter or Wrecker?
@@clankers8929 That was just a joke buddy, you’re taking it too seriously
@@mandotory6728 I do, yes. Passionate about my Star Wars, guess that's what happens when you literally grow up with it, I was 7. I hear ya, sorry.
Clankers! Oof
@@clankers8929 He's ordered the execution of unarmed civilians.
As an Iraq veteran and army retiree I’ve been watching this show and saw all all you’ve spoken on Its interesting how the Bad Batch and Falcon & Winter Soldier are hitting the veteran community
Thank you for you service, good sir.... And may the Lord be with you. ;)
@@blackneos940 thank you very much
Thank You for your service, my grandpa served in the Air Force during the Vietnam Era.
@@schoonfam08 thank you And for hom
Thank you for your service sir. The Good Lord Almighty and the Force will be with you, always.
i also love that Bad Batch is a story about family where the main caregiver-child relationship is SPECIFICALLY one of older siblings raising a younger sibling. The parallel of them having to suddenly make do without the Republic's all-encompassing support structure feeding and sheltering them, but still needing to provide both survival AND a healthy childhood at the same time for the youngest and least-independent among them speaks SO much to the experience of families without parents (whether from sudden tragedy, poverty, or abuse). It not only makes these larger themes more immediate and intimate, it's also just beautiful to see that family circumstance depicted with such gravity and care in a kids show, when so many kids out there in those exact circumstances deserve to see that reflected in their heroes.
Agreed!!
Technically omega is their older sister
@@yog-sherkoth1782 how?
@@Real_RPGgaming omega was one of the first batch of clones along with boba and she didn't get the growth hormone (The kaminoans used these two as jango Fett's genetic controls). Basically she ages normally making her around her teen years where the badbatch is a newer generation of clone with the growth hormone making them around 5-10 years old when order 66 occurs.
@@yog-sherkoth1782 oh yea I forgot about the growth hormone. TYSM
idk about the community's overall sentiment towards the show, but i loved every second of it. especially the fact that it is a story on it's own, no jedi, no grand goal, no game changing world warping plots. just dudes. dudes trying to survive
Them having to worry about food and just trying to give Omega a normal life was quite relatable.
Exactly. I loved season 1 finale, hoping the Batch wouldn't be saved by a big cameo character. I just loved it. The Bad Batch was unexpected and a great surprise. I hope they keep it up with the simple storytelling.
I agree. The SW community kept whining about there not being Vader or some other character cameo. But they sememd to not grasp the point
@@SwordsmanMercenary star wars has very much become dominated by characters who are Somebody- that is, characters that play a major role in the major political events in the story
Not only well researched and organized, but also done without all the negative emotion of so many SW obsessed channels. Thanks for faithfully loving this universe without letting its shortcomings ruin your experience :) There are definitely some eps in the Bad Batch that felt slower or unnecessarily "kiddie themed." But it is still a WONDERFUL addition to the lore.
I like being a voice of positivity in the SW community! 👍
I have no idea what kind of 'completely negative' channels you watch, I've never seen a totally red SW video essay
@@derrickstorm6976 well, there are a few channels (not gonna say names) who are rather negative toward the new content, as well as toward content within sw that tries to have more inclusivity for people who are often underrepresented.
@@ArTorrPresents sorry but south Vietnam supported America
@@derrickstorm6976 'completely negative' is not a phrase in my original comment. :)
The scene where Omega discovers sunlight and dirt is the purest thing I've ever seen
She's a Curious little one...
But She's Precious.
Definitely the next Ahsoka type character now in Grand Master Filoni's stable of Fandom favorite characters. I say Grand Master respectfully, because he was once very much the apprentice...Now he is THE Grand Master, In Filoni We Trust!
this moment should clones have had in TCW long before omega! but TCW was too busy showing us pointless shit and filler.... the books did this. but the show is too primitive for that.
@@jwroot There's something Prreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeecious about her.
Anyone else on Team “Omega is trans and I’m here for it”? 🏳️⚧️
Hands down the greatest Star Wars breakdowns ever
Not only well researched and organized, but also done with the right attitude. I'm so tired of The Fandom Menace hating on everything just to get views.
Agreed.
Yep
Agreed I’m on break rn and I’m 100% spending the next few days watching this man’s videos
And some of the most positive ones, too. I don't think I've ever heard a Rebels video essay as praising of the show as his was.
It makes me so happy that there's somebody in the Star Wars fandom making longform Star Wars content that's not negative, spiteful or mostly normal but the occasional jab at anyone who likes say the Sequels or Rebels. Props king, glad to see someone else who appreciates the Bad Batch!
Seeing who the writer is, I think Bad Batch's veteran parallels are definitely intentional. I even got that vibe despite not coming from a military background or family.
My biggest problem with this analysis is that Crosshair didn’t want power, he wanted purpose. But it’s important to remember that it is the individual who brings purpose to what it is they do and Crosshair couldn’t see purpose, thus far, in anything other than be a soldier - even for the empire. If it was about power, he would have sold them out as quickly as possible.
I agree that it's about purpose-- but having power is what fulfills it in the mind of Crosshair. And like any other villain in SW, power is temporary, and not what delivers true fulfillment.
@@ArTorrPresents did you get that through observation or from George Lucas’s speech on pleasure and happiness?
What is purpose but the power to choose one's destiny?
I also got the impression that Crosshair just wanted to survive, and joining the empire was the most realistic way (in his mind) he saw of doing it, less than he necessarily agreed with the empire or the sense of 'purpose' it gave him.
As a retired Vet who also suffers from PTSD… I thank you for this video.
May GOD BLESS and PROTECT you Amen ❤️
As a 50+ year old Star Wars fan, I’ll put this as simply as I can…. I love your work.
It's my pleasure!
During the "A Farewell to Home" segment of the video, you should have mentioned a line mentioned by ES-01 (One of the Stormtroopers in training) from the Bad Batch Episode; "Replacements" (S1E3). The specific quote was:
"With the Empire, I get paid, I get fed and I have a roof over my head. That's more than the Republic ever did for me."
While this relates back to the "A War of Mistruths" segment where you mentioned the Clone Wars was having a negative financial effect on the lives of the lower & middle class people throughout the galaxy, it signifies that for a select few group of people, the change from the Republic to the Empire had a bit of a positive effect.
I thought about including that part for sure. Definitely underlines the appeal for the elite troopers to enlist with the empire.
Isn't this something that neither the Republic or the Empire granted to the clone troopers? I just always get the impression that most people in the galaxy on both sides of the war and long after it was over never gave a damn about the clone troopers whether they were justified or not. One thing that always irks me is that in my mind, the galaxy long after the Rise of Skywalker would still be familiar with battle droids since these things almost last forever. Droids are always going to outlive humans. Meanwhile the other soldiers of the war are eventually going to be forgotten and anybody who bothers to remember them is going to focus just on the fact they were the Empire's first soldiers. Heck, the clones may even be remembered only as a footnote since the Empire replaced most of them so quickly. History books will flash over the combatants and focus on how the war affected the galaxy, but at least the battle droids still exist and the Jedi Order will be resurrected. The clones on the other hand are gone forever. An entire species (yes, they are human but there is still a distinction from them and normal humans like us) is gone, wiped out. Just like the Geonosians and probably just like the Kaminoans in a matter of decades. Nobody will remember their heroics in the Clone Wars. Nobody will ever know the brainwashing that forced them to betray what they were raised to believe in. Nobody will ever know what their lives were like. Nobody will even care. And the worst part of it is since they were the ones who helped establish the Empire that began a long era of darkness in the galaxy, I can't really fault descendants of those who lived under the reign of the Empire only remembering the clones for one thing-Being the Empire's first soldiers.
@@tristankawatsuma8962 I couldn't agree more. The clones are the biggest tragedy in the Star Wars galaxy. They sacrificed so much, and then they were just thrown aside because their puppet master didn't need them anymore. The worst part is that most people probably won't know or care.
@@ArTorrPresents Hi, i would like to ask you a question. You see, i'm from latin america (peru to be specific) and in my university my ethics proffesor gave a speech criticizing George Lucas because he said that his vietnam message is incompatible with the movie, because in real life the Vietcong commited atrocities like the massacre of Hue, while the americans did the same bombing rural town in vietnam. ¿What's your opinion on this? ¿Did george lucas failed because of a bad metaphor or his story doesn't rely on being a metaphor?
@@magdavillafuerte505 The Rebel Alliance is not a direct parallel to the Viet-Cong, at least not yet. Recently, there has been more of a push to show the Rebel Alliance in a morally dubious light.
Absolute masterpiece. I love the positivity you consistency manage to bring to Star Wars analysis, it's a genuine and enduring inspiration. Star Wars has always had an interesting relationship with various unpleasant forms of trauma, but I never thought of it while watching The Bad Batch. I always viewed it through the lens of individuality vs uniformity, of which Clone Force 99 naturally represents the former, but the aspect of PTSD somehow never entered my mind until watching this. You touched on it briefly with your Fallen Order video, but now you've made a full on exploration of trauma and I am so here for it.
As an aside, you've got me listening to the A-Team theme all day long, so good job.
It's a banger of a theme for sure. Thank you for your thoughtful response!!
I wonder if he'll expand this with the batch. And I'm not just talking about how this is affecting the Batch, but affecting Omega as well.
Some of the things she's experienced, no adult should have to endure, let along as 12-13 year old child.
Honestly its so uplifting to hear someone talk about TBB in a positive light, mentioning its flaws yes, but focusing on its good points as well.
I think you made an excellent point about Omega and her representation of hope. And the writers did an amazing job of showing that. I honestly can't stop smiling whenever the show focusses on Omega
The Bad Batch is starting to become my favorite story of Disney's Star Wars, as a veteran myself I cant help but see all the same patterns the Bad Batch are going through with my experiences when the war was over. When you live for your next mission, how do you transition from war to peace and not feel lost and purposeless? You learn that only through processing your emotions and learning to love again can you finally put it behind you.
One thing I didn't see mentioned directly, but I think you hinted at, was the ubiquitous sense that I think is in all veterans, that question of "what do I do now?"
It's not so simple as just picking something to do, then doing it. You've chosen to transform yourself into something that, in a lot of ways, goes against normal human instinct. At the very least, your simian need for community is co-opted and made to serve what you're told is a higher goal. But at a certain point, that's over, and whether you loved or hated it, the ending always seemed abrupt.
This was where the show shined for me, in its portrayal of the range of veteran experiences.
Some become like the Batch: a thorn in the side of the power that remains after that power has extracted its use from them.
Some are like Cut, finding greater meaning outside what they were "made for," and in holding on to that instead, retain as much of their humanity that remains as they can, even while visibly still carrying their former purpose in their bones.
Some are like Howser, seeing the flaws of the system they serve, and bravely exhibiting the courage to stand against it and change it from within...only to find that the system is too big for any one person to change.
It even does what the sequel trilogy said it was going to do in humanizing the TK troopers. Who could forget the squad Crosshair leads to Onderon? They were ordinary people, seemingly hardened and trained for war just like the clones they volunteered to replace, only to find that war and violence were far uglier than the propaganda had led them to believe. I find their brief story to be one of the most compelling in the first season, because like them, I joined the military expecting to find greater purpose, only to discover a job that only oscillated between mind-numbing monotony and the deliverance of brutality, both extremes being just as pointless, accomplishing nothing except the waste of time and lives.
You said at the end that you weren't sure if the portrayal of veterans in the Bad Batch was intentional...and truth be told, I'm not sure either. But whatever the showrunners intended, they were paying attention. That, for me, is why the Bad Batch is a cut above every other portrayal of veterans in media. It doesn't feel like pandering or even a well-intended mistranslation. It feels like it was written by someone who understands what it's like to give their soul to a cause, and have it spit back out to them with pieces missing.
What I learned most from the Filoniverse is that the creator of a narrative isn't always the best one to expand on it. They are not infallible, they do not deserve the final say. Once they put the spark of inspiration out into the universe, people may and will do with it as they please (and copyright can't completely stop it- the more it tightens its grip, the more stories slip through their fingers). Sometimes you get someone so inspired by and understanding of what the narrative is about, they can do more and better with it than the creator arguably ever did.
I found Bad Batch very enjoyable. At first I was a little meh on Omega, but she grew on me as the series went on. The revelation that she's their older sister was funny to me. Reminds us that the clones dont live long, etc. Great work again. Looking forward to your Mandalorian breakdown.
I hated everything about Omega, we know what a perfect clone of Jango looks like, because we have Boba and we're supposed to believe Omega is a lossless clone of Jango when she shares literally none of his features.
@@Yodalemos She's a modified clone, like the rest of the 'bad batch'. Who knows what modification she has. Plus she wasnt programmed to age fast. I'm wiling to put some faith in the same people that gave us Clone Wars that it'll turn out good in the end.
@@merlyworm except that the series makes a point of claiming she's a natural clone. Why would they say that if she was modified to this extent.
@@Yodalemos Think by natural, they meant not aging fast. Natural lifespan. Tho, it could easily be they changed her chromosomes to XX, and a couple minor appearance changes to mask she was a clone to the casual observer.
@@merlyworm She just feels out of place considering Boba still exists, 100% copy of Jango and a natural lifespan. Either Omega has some wierd/advanced modification or she was added for the sake of simply creating a mission for the Bad Batch.
The Bad Batch felt like a Hideo Kojima production, where even if the plot wasn't always moving forward, the characters and world were constantly fleshed out in small but meaningful degrees. I personally disagree with the sentiment that most of the batch is underdeveloped, as character development is rarely as straightforward as encountering and understanding an Aesop, followed by completely altering one's identity for the next episode. As a whole, the Batch are all fundamentally more compassionate and more sure of themselves at the finale than they were at the premiere, and have a deeper understanding of what it means to stand on their own feet and live when they otherwise were expected to die. I loved getting to see a moral quagmire fully embracing how complex the concepts of identity, duty, and betrayal can be, especially when juxtaposed in the hyper-real mirror that Star Wars subtly casts back on us. It's one of my favorite pieces of Star Wars media and I genuinely cannot wait to see where they can take this show.
Your video was fantastic and brought a new lens I hadn't previously considered to the product, something that I find happens every time I watch a new Artorr original. I can't wait to see what else you've got, and don't stress about "low content production". My favorite channels make six or seven videos a year, and I do count you among those. Can't wait for your takes on ME2!
I agree strongly with your take that TBB felt like Kojima production. I got heavy Metal Gear vibes early on with TBB. Some of it was admittedly superficial with Hunter and Snake (or Big Boss) sharing a pretty strong resemblance and just generally having a similar energy. But the things you pointed out showed it was more than just superficial resemblance the video reinforces it.
As a huge MGS fan, I must say that you are a genius for spotting that.
@@Jodaku Cad Bane vs Revolver Ocelot?
As an OTH veteran it was extremely hard to transition back civilian life without getting any help from the government. I’m extremely lucky that I had my family and friends to help me out.
The message you were trying to spread was really clear and was really impactful even for someone who doesn't live in america.
Every hair on my body was standing up through out this entire video. I agree with everyone else, this is hands down the best SW breakdown video ever. I flippen love it. The intro, the explanations and just an awesome wholesome video over all. Really helps to drag the core issues going on in the SW universe, out into full view and done in a way that was well explained. What a lot of us hardcore SW fans have been trying to explain that there is bigger issue for years, you were able to do in a well fluid way. Love it
Glad you enjoyed it!!
Raising awareness about veteran associations amongst at least your closest ones is the best first step in helping veterans to recover.
Every country has a war it rather not talk about. To Russia, these are the 1st and the 2nd Chechen Campaigns. Those were conflicts relatable to such as Vietnam or Gulf War. Atrocities, commited by both separatists and Russian army were unthinkable. When the Campaigns were over, we've had hundreds of thousands servicemen with PTSD and other disorders, who came back home, just to find themselves in a downfall of alcoholism, heroin addiction, and criminal organisations. They quickly became branded by society as "people you should avoid". It's chilling now, how ruthless people were to them. Nobody even tried to help, and I, as a kid, was just afraid of them. I've carried that fear throughout a big part of my life. It took me years to refine my contradictory feelings towards them, into something of awareness and compassion. Because this is the way.
Dear ArTorr, you did a truly great job. This must be outspoken, and in some cases even constantly reminded about: they are us. No more, no less. They need help, but they are of that kind that rarely seeks it. So that's up to me, you, and all of us.
And this refers not only to US military veterans, but to any veteran of any conflict in any country all over the world. Please, at least try to be compassionate to them.
I wonder if I should delete this comment after what happened in Ukraine. I wrote this before February 24th.
@snowflake You are absolutely correct. Things are going to be be even worse.
It's commonly known that PTSD hits a hundred times harder on those troops who are of the attacking side. Ukrainian people are just defending their motherland from invaders, it's a righteous war to them, they didn't start it. Killing invaders in the process doesn't mean dealing with conscience, and it's absolutely okay. People get KIA/MIA at war, y'know.
But hundreds of thousands of Russian troops (who are NOT volunteers, btw) are going to deal with the same devastating psychological aftereffects as Reich soldiers did after WWII. The flimsy ideological basis explaining the legitimacy of the invasion will inevitably crumble in time (as Nazis' ideology did) and we'll have yet another pile of retired soldiers trying so hard to understand _why the hell they did what they did, and how to live with it now_.
Sadly, one's brain may be easily tricked with propaganda in a short term, but as soon as delusion fades, it (such wow!) appears extremely difficult to get along with the fact that one is nobody else, but a murderer, and a war criminal. Such an overwhelming controversy fries one's brains, and takes years to process.
--
P.S. What's even more horrible, they are all drafted. Evasion is prosecuted by the law: refusing to go will eventually get you behind the bars, wherefrom you'll get drafted anyway, but to penalty battalion now. However, it applies only to those, who did military training (which is more or less obligatory for all men from 18 to 27 yo).
--
P. P. S. I thank God I somehow avoided it legally (due to health issues). Still I'm afraid as f.. because, well, who knows what else may pop into our _beloved leader's_ head. He's running out of military personnel already. Nobody's safe here. Would have fled the country already, but I simply can't. Every day I pray for it all to end.
“Omega embodies the reality of raising a family after war, and the Havoc Marauder, their trusty ship, is the car that family lives out of.”
speechless.
Some of my hopes for Bad Batch Season 2 is that they try to incorporate the scrapped "Kashyyyk Arc" from the Clone Wars. There are various ways the show could appropriate the arc; either make it a series of flashback episodes or update the arc to match with the setting (think along the lines of what they did with the "Ahsoka Walkabout Arc" by replacing Nix with Trace & Rafa)?
I've mentioned this before but I'm hoping that Season 2 has more "original" episode & less that rely of the return of characters/locations from previous Star Wars Media. If past elements do return, I'd love to see either Hondo Ohnaka, Zeb Orelius, Boba Fett, etc. & their interactions with the Bad Batch as well.
Season 2 should also answer what happened to the young clones; the ones who were still in the early phases of their training & had yet to experience combat of any form (practice or the real thing)?
Whether or not Omega may be force sensitive...to an extent should also be answered in Season 2.
What about Cody and Wolffe would you like for them to come back for season 2?
@@diegomendez3943 Yes
The young clones became Purge Troopers for the Inquisitors. It briefly covers this in the 2017 Darth Vader comic
How about they show up in rots with clone wars style for a bit and then are sent to assist depa?
Well, Hondo Ohnaka is the best way for Boba to learn about Omega and The Bad Batch, and it probably wouldn't be that hard to bring him into the show for an episode, or even part of an episode, and have Boba cameo at the end, learning about Clone Force 99 and especially Omega
" They treat combat like Dungeons & Dragons." XD
In all seriousness, though, you're absolutely right about everything here. I love Bad Batch. The shift in the Galaxy from the Republic to the Empire is a story we've long needed and been missing. The story of the Veterans. It hurts how much our veterans get forgotten. I know so many, most of them left with permanent scars (both physical and mental). We need to do better.
I like the addition of Omega as the Hope that we constantly see resonating through all of Star Wars, though. That's what I love so much about Star Wars. Hope is always there.
Such an amazing channel, few take the time to study the cultural and historical context like you do. Kudos, can't imagine how much work goes into making such a video. You're truly underrated.
Appreciate the thoughtfulness, thank you for checking this out!!
Thank you for this. As a veteran I've often related to the clones, and especially trying to readjust to post-military life. I think you did an excellent job touching on those points.
40:39
"You did that on Skako Minor when you rescued me. I'd still be trapped in that place if you hadn't. If there's a chance that trooper is being held against his will, then we have to try and get him out." - Echo
*CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*
Such a great analysis! I'm really sick of people bashing on this show without even thinking more about it.
It's sad really. Bad Batch is honestly a really fun show on its surface. Beneath that, there are layers and layers of thought, imo. So I'll always stick up for this show!
@@ArTorrPresents glad to see it!! Great work
I like how you connect fiction and real life events to expand on the surface level story of the bad batch
Captain Howzer; A man who has found purpose not in becoming a loyal soldier, but loyal to the good he can achieve shows us the way.
And he just so happens to have a _magnificent_ head of hair! 😍
#HotHowzer 🔥
#Fashionista
He's the best. I really hope we get to see him again.
As 40k has proven, the better your hair, the better your morality.
@@spartanalex9006 Fulgrim ring any bells?
@@riddell26 He's the exception, not the rule.
An honorable leader and soldier who refused to follow what he believed to be an unlawful order, and he was not alone in his beliefs.
Before the release of the Bad Batch I was worried the morality of Star Wars animation might go away because of different changes around our world and compassionate themes in stories becoming less likely to be in these types of shows or as prominent as it was in Star Wars. But I am grateful I was wrong and am glad Star Wars animation is still what it was before. I believe Star Wars is one of the last media franchises that puts teaching people on morality and compassion before other things.
The Season 2-3 video essay will truly be as insightful as the ending was emotional
Everyone wants to to have a Star War but no one knows how to deal with the damn Star Peace.
Knowing that the writers have real army experience makes me happier now that I know the subtext I felt I was reading was intentional.
The fact that they parent Omega by using After-Action-Reports instead nondefined rule changes, the seamless way they take posts or shift responsibility back and forth between them without words and even the tiny ways they find privacy while being crammed into a single hallway of a ship.
Even a lot of the character development is done through subtle gestures or expressions which feels very genuine. Poor Echo has had to completely rewrite his self identity and moral code this season and practically nobody noticed.
The destruction of Kamino is one of my favorite scenes in all of Star Wars and animation, the music and imagery is so emotional and overwhelming as someone that grew up with the prequels and clone wars
As a vet thank you for highlighting many of the struggles veterans in American society face
I was never really interested in Star Wars until The Bad Batch. The show is great and I can see it will become something greater in the future(hopefully) Thank you for the amazing video, it always feels like I'm watching a movie :D
Thank you for checking it out!!
Glad you're interested. The Clone Wars series was just as good.
@@steelresilience Yes!! Thanks to TBB I watched it too ^^ It is also great 🙏
@@MooniFrog I'm glad to hear it. Rebels is good too. Resistance is okay but nowhere as good as TCW and TBB.
@@steelresilience Planning to check out Rebels too, soon :D
Thank you for a superb analysis of one of my favorite animation shows, the bad batch. I really appreciate your respectful analogy with today's veterans, in general. My brother who was a Vietnam veteran was proud of his service. But, it also altered his life trajectory in a bad way. He suffered from PTSD all his life. He did not meet his full potential because of it. Your criticism of the VA is spot on, but I have to say that he was lucky to have had access to a great facility in Long Beach, CA. He got excellent care there that every veteran in the US should get. Thank you for your hard work in creating such excellent work. Please don't stop.
You're the first person I've seen do a proper, deep look at this series. Most people's reviews (out of the ones I've seen, anyway) seem to start and end with those complaints you listed about filler episodes and no charcter development. This defintely raised my opinion of the show.
bro you are killing it with these chapter names
👍
Army Grunt here. I think I can speak for myself and all the other dudes and gals that served when I say, thank you. Thank you for using your platform as a way to spread awareness to all our brothers and sisters suffering. One of my NCOs lost the fight in his head 5 years ago, so many things you said truly struck a cord. Not in a positive or negative way, but in a needed way. Keep doing what you do ArTorr. You excel at this shit.
Recon!
Wow. The A-Team theme playing over Bad Batch hits just right.
Right?!
Can't wait for the Season 2-3 video essay
I like that you brought up Rey and Kylo because Crosshair's scene with the Batch in the Kamino training room reminded me of Snoke's throne room in TLJ and I had the same sinking feeling in my chest in both scenes.
ArTorr, I commented before but I have to say it again: your videos are on a level of quality I haven't seen in a long time. Your audio editing is top notch, and I've not seen people use it to emphasize their points as well as you have. Your writing is as solid as ever too. I had the initial thought while watching the show that this was touching on topics of Veterans, but this analysis just solidified that as something I need to rewatch the show with in mind. But more than that, I ended up losing myself in this video, something I rarely find with TH-cam nowadays.
It's funny, my father watched this show with me. He grew up on the Prequels, I grew up on Clone Wars, and I think we both had very different but meaningful reactions to it. To him, seeing Kamino destroyed was this sense of closure to years of questions about the Empire. For me, it was almost like the end of an era, like I was watching something I'd seen grow up with me be taken from me. To him, Kamino was part of the Prequels and the story Lucas told with them; for me, it was part of the Star Wars show that got me into the entire universe, the connection to it I had grown with in such a short amount of time yet was no less strong. For him it was relief, for me it was uncertainty. And I think that's what he Clone Wars and Bad Batch really excel at, hitting all generations of Star Wars with such a fine-toothed edge.
Thank you as well for your discussion of Veteran services at the end as well. It was such a sincere way to end the video and really shows how much the topic means to both you and the show overall.
Thank you for the kindness and thoughtfulness. I try to do everything here with a purpose 👍
I know it’s a huge ask, but really hope you’re considering making a follow-up to this that covers season 2 and 3. Thank you again for all of your incredible work.
Not a big ask, just a matter of fitting it into my schedule this year! I'd certainly like to do a follow-up. Stay tuned!
@@ArTorrPresentsThat’s awesome, glad to hear it. Thanks for the reply.
Dude your videos are the greatest Star Wars videos on this platform. So beautifully edited, and most of all, the messages behind them are phenomenal, you really hit us in the feels. You're a great writer, and I can't wait to see what you do next!
Thank you so much!!
@@ArTorrPresents Anytime bro!!!
“Totalitarianism is never content to rule by external means, namely, through the state and a machinery of violence; thanks to its peculiar ideology and the role assigned to it in this apparatus of coercion, Totalitarianism has discovered a means of dominating and terrorizing human beings from within.” Hannah Arendt, Origins of Totalitarianism
Quickly becoming my favorite TH-camr, rarely does anyone else continually register with my emotions and have such high quality editing and narration. Keep up the good work
Thank you so much!
I know that the intro started off with a rightfully-so serious tone, but I cannot tell you how stupidly happy it made me to have you use The A-Team theme (one of my favorite shows growing up) with clips of the Bad Batch to make that a new possible reality in my head.
I’ve never sat down for a video longer than 20 minutes and actually stay for the whole thing, especially if it’s longer than that, but your editing, voice, review, and analysis of Season 1 was absolutely mesmerizing! You brought to light things about the Bad Batch I never knew, like that a veteran helped create this masterpiece of a show, and how alike Star Wars is with wars in America! (I already knew that the Empire was definitely based on Nazis, but I never knew how deep the franchise actually went at representing the American History of War. Thank you for bringing all this information to light for Star Wars noobies like me! 😆
The reason I grew such a fondness for Bad Batch-was how much it focused on family and the bonds each of the brothers (And sister) have with each other. I myself grew up being the only sister in a family of seven the others being my parents and four brothers: so a series based around a young girl growing up around her brothers was definitely something I can emotionally relate to. What’s funny though as I watched the show-I found myself relating to a lot of the other characters besides Omega. As I first started watching the Bad Batch I found most of my attention always going to Tech. Now… I’m no genius by far and don’t have awesome goggles like him, but I can say that many scenes with Tech and many lines he said in the show stuck out to me as relatable like these two for example-“Just because I understand you, doesn’t mean I agree with you.” From Season 1 in Kamino Lost.
And
“I may process thoughts and emotions differently, but that does not mean I care any less than you.”
From Season 2 in The Crossing.
Those two quotes from Tech hold so much meaning, and they really hit home for people out there who also struggle with looking at the world through a logical lens more than an emotional one. I also saw similarities with the main characters to my own family members, which have helped me better understand them from a perspective I did not have before.
I’ve become quite fond of the Star Wars franchise and their shows like Bad Batch, Clone Wars, and others: I really hope the creators of Star Wars make more shows and movies similar to them.
Publicly subscribing! Can’t wait for more videos like this! 😁👍
great video! can't wait to see one on season 2 and 3 ;)
I loved the bad batch all throughout while watching
I did not expect to be touched by a Star wars review. It’s not often somebody shows they care with their actions, it’s usually empty words. I love the bad batch for many of the themes mentioned but I didn’t expect this. Thank you.
Love the bit about clones and military families. My dad was navy and never the biggest prequel fan but whenever he was home I made him watch clone wars with me, and he loves the clones
I have a brother who was a Vietnam veteran who never found home when he came back. He died a couple years ago still hunting the home he went to war to protect.
Something I noticed about the scene where captain Howzer surrenders is that some the clones that side with him thrown down their weapons and shields with force, with defiance shining bright. While others, take a softer approach being gentle with their weapons and shields, potentially unsure or doubting of what they are doing but eventually coming to the conclusion that what Howzer says is right. Another detail I noticed is that the ones who follow the imperial line don't look around when the captain says to, they basically don't even react to his speech at all. Despite the faceless helmets, I feel like this underpins the individuality of the clones. The fact that among a group of clones, half chose to follow their commander's example and the other half chose to turn against them
I loved the bad batch season one. While Crosshair's story is a breath of fresh air from Starwars' redemption themes, I really do hope that this isn't the end of it. I remember being mildly upset during the season finale p2 at Tech's comment on how Crosshair couldn't change. I felt this way because after I got over my initial dislike of him (I honestly cheered when Rex punched him haha), I saw the potential his character had to evolve based on the events that happened to him in the first few episodes. My biggest hope for season two is that the writers continue to pull at the string in Crosshair that had him save Omega (without victimizing him) if we are to get a happy ending. Of course, there's always the possibility *we won't* but that's something I prefer not to think about. I'm also hoping for more of Rex, and more Echo-centric episodes for no other reason than I like him and want to know so bad how he found out about FIves. Here I am still awaiting Rampart's death whoops.
I haven't been able to fully watch the bad batch yet, but now with your video, I feel like I will be able to see a new clarity, when watching the episodes.
Thanks for the heart. 💖
You easily have some of the best and most nuanced star wars video essays on TH-cam. It'll be interesting to see how you interpret the aftermath of a civil war in The Mandalorian and an apathetic galaxy learning to care about each other in the Sequel trilogy.
Excited to touch on the world in the Mandalorian for sure!
Damn this video aged super well with season 2 of Bad Batch.
Also, I'm a vet myself, got out around the same time this show first came out. Love your analyst.
Gotta admit I wasn’t huge on the Bad Batch. But I’m always excited whenever ArTorr uploads a Star Wars video…
The analysis is all in all great but the A Team theme (which was something I've never even considered to be fitting for the Batch until now) makes the video worth it to have checked out, made my day!
Thank you for this...Clone Wars and Bad Batch is a reflection of my reality as a combat Vet serving during the post Vietnam era 1989 thru 2010..THANK YOU!
I'm here for the star wars videos, but from the analysis, video quality, intellect, and articulate manner of speaking on meaningful topics affecting the real world, i have to say your videos are absolutely brilliant
Thank you. I try my best 🙏
A very sobering discussion, for sure. While you mostly discussed how it relates to our past, it really does describe our current present rather well, too. There are so many lies everywhere, and a staggering amount of people are more interested in picking a side than putting in the effort to find the truth themselves. These are not times when you can trust everything you're told, and that's true for both parties.
You can't find the truth yourself... that's why all these issues are happening. Because of the internet we live in a post-truth age. Nothing anyone says can be taken as objective fact online, everything has a bias and lens to it. And it goes deeper then left vs right, that's just the easiest line to draw.
@@iamunamed5800 it seems like everyone forgot the goal was to root out corruption
This made me tear up. When you were talking about vets i couldnt stop thinking about my dad. At every turn the military screws him over and that section was a powerful reminder of the help that the govt and people should be providing to our vets. Great video!
“I’ve been looking forward to this”
I was a SGT in the 82nd Airborne in 2003 and in August I pulled a Howzer. I refused to indiscriminately raid civilian homes without warrants or cause and made an moral appeal. I got lucky, my BC knew me and my character and agreed, but he didn't have the power to stop a Corps lvl decision. I was given redeployment orders and my stoploss was lifted. I was given an honorable discharge and a medal for good measure to shut me up (If I am cynical). That discharge was a blessing because the last 20 years have been horrid. An out cast in an apathetic society and a Casandra, at least I have healthcare, at least until the US's chickens come home to roost. I try to help and advocate, but Hunter's disassociation and confusion is very relatable. But there is a force. Realizing that is everything.
Omega's theme is one of the best themes in star wars.
Agreed!
I thought it was obvious
I love how you bring so much positivity to the less appreciated Rebels and The Bad Batch, I like most have my issues with them but I still overall love both series and wish more love was given to them. My favorite part is how you tie in the shows to themes and outside events to help set the tone and establish their influences
There was a time I would've celebrated the destruction of the Kamino, that heart of evil where so much was done to ensure the destruction of the Jedi Order and the rise of the Empire. And yet, when it finally happened, I felt sadness instead. And I remembered the episodes during the Clone Wars when the clones fought in Kamino's defense declaring, "Today, we fight for more than the Republic! Today, we fight for our home and brothers!" And I suddenly realized that the end of Kamino doesn't symbolize justice for all the evils that were committed there; it symbolizes everything the clones fought for being in vain, both here and across the galaxy. And I cried.
This genuinely made me cry, it put all my feelings about this show into words!
Thank you for checking it out :)
OH YESSS I DIDNT KNOW WHAT TO WATCH TONIGHT AND THIS POPS UP AT THE PERFECT TIME
Fan talk aside, the amount of work you put in these and the clone wars and rebels videos is amazing and i always enjoy (re)watching them.
May the force be with you
Agreed
Agreed.
Hi, military historian here. The hessians were not mercenaries during the American War of Independence, but they are still a great real world example of what the clones were. Hesse-Kassel was a feudal kingdom, unlike England. Hessians were duty bound to both the feudal nobility and the crown. They were not citizens of a country, they were subjects of a ruling class, basically property. Hessian regiments were not mercenaries because they were not enlisting voluntarily, but being actually drafted under the obligation of their lordships. They didn’t have a say in the matter. King George III basically struck a deal with Hesse to basically rent their army, Hesse was leasing its property, soldiers, to an allied Kingdom. The soldiers themselves could not decide if going to fight or not, but were forced to. I think this is a very interesting parallel to what clones are in Star Wars.
The recent episode of Palpatine showing up in the senate before arresting Admiral Rampart for the destruction of Kamiko shows a similar situation. You mentioned that clones are not individually scrutinized despite their divide with the people, not to the level the Jedi were, I think it’s the same reason George III could simply lease hessians without their consent, because just like Hessian feudal subjects, Clones are not subjects of law, they do not have rights as individuals, they are property.
I appreciate your insight. Evidently the Hessians were not a topic I researched too deeply for the video, so thank you for sharing!
This was lovely and well done. I totally loved this first season, and it was great to connect the dots. Your emphasis on compassion is very appreciated.
This channel deserves so much more attention and so many more views
Amazing job, actually had to fight off some tears.. I love Star Wars but making even more connections with real world events then I originally knew made it that much more deeper. And honestly helps me understand why I’m so drawn to it. Great research and an amazing video!
This was the greatest video essay I have ever watched. I mean wow.
Phenomenal. Absolutely wonderful. I cannot recommend this video enough. You've crafted a fine video essay here, and you should be very proud.
I don't think enough people watched the Bad Batch to appreciate how beautiful the animation is. I thought the last 4 episodes of Season 7 of the Clone Wars was beautiful but this show somehow managed to take it up another notch. I've never seen anything like it.
When I first heard this show was getting made, I was like, 'Okay, really?' I felt like I had already finished with the Clone Wars Era with the amazing last season.
But I am so delighted to have been wrong. I have loved The Bad Batch. The way it explores the struggle the clones have had to find meaning is so cathartic, and this video did a good job of helping address the real-world issues of caring for war veterans, which at first I didn't even think about.
I still have some hope for Crosshair. Like Omega said, he's their brother too. And its such a great true way to say goodbye to the prequel era of Star Wars.
And it's amazing that they are taking it slow with him, people don't change very fast for the most part so it's great they are taking it slow.
This is genuinely something special Thankyou so much for making this
This video is even more relevant now with season 2 concluding. Great show with good nuance
The best part of this show for me despite some of its shortcomings was the main theme. Easily became one of the most recognizable pieces of music for me, right up there with Luke’s/Force theme and Duel of the Fates. The way it swells with a sense of wonderment and adventure with twinges of hope captures the soul of Star Wars. A proud addition to the franchise.
And you sir are criminally underrated. This was an amazing video essay. Well edited, well researched, well understood, and well respected. You handled it with care and passion, and for that you have my sub. We will watch your career with great interest.
Yet another fantastic video. I always think I understand Star Wars, but with almost every video, you point out the actual depth. Thank you for helping me scratch a little deeper under the surface.
watching this prior to bad batch season three coming out, this was amazing! i loved your comparison, and it was fascinating as my favorite show was put into a new light i haven’t heard it in before. i’m excited to see where the story heads in the third season, and i hope you decide to make a video about it!
I am hooked on your Star Wars video essays. I love your style and how you break everything down so well. I too picked up on the US veteran mstreatment message in the show but had no Idea that Jennifer Corbet was in the Navy, now it all makes sense and I salute her. She and the others working on this show have made something truly special that I believe will stand the test of time
This was an AMAZING Video. I appreciate the section on veterans issues. Love your work my friend keep doing your thing, man #LOVEANDRESPE CT
Suggested edit. Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy both sent (Eisenhower) and expanded (Kennedy) American's involvement in the Vietnam war. Lindon Johnson expanded America's role in Vietnam. Nixon did continue to expand Amerca's role, however his administration did get the United States out of Vietnam.
I can't say how much I loved this. I appreciate the discussion of the different points of history that influences Star Wars, and the real life issues that are addressed or alluded to. I also loved the way you described crosshair, because you're right. He clearly wants to be with his brothers again (in that he literally tried to recruit them because he sees being in the empire as the best choice for them, where their "weirdness" and "differentness" suddenly makes them "special", plus others.) I think it's also safe to say he cares about Omega too, because from the first episode, she already believed in him. Also, his plan for her was to get her a stable home where she didn't have to be on the run.
I loved the last two episodes for a lot of reasons, but the first was that the show allowed Crosshair to have his time to explain his hurts and defend his choices and even make them seem reasonable. But from then on, it constantly pointed out how wrong he was.
I think he's a great villain because he is realistic. He's actively choose to do horrible things (because it gets him power and respect, because he feels like his family abandoned him, because he wants to be right, because he does hold himself seperate and wants to jump at a chance to be special), but ultimately it's most painful because he has a family that he wants with him, and his family wants him back too. The divide isn't "just politics", but morality and choice. It hurts good.
Your video just reminded me of how excited I am for the second season. This really was amazing, thank you very much!
This was so wonderful to watch. I absolutely L O V E D this show, to me it felt like it was trying to say something different. The characters didn’t have the most depth, but I completely adored all of them anyway. To me the show was about a family trying to find their way in a broken galaxy. Before their purpose was just the mission, but now it’s to simply take care of one another. Hunter has a really strong moral compass that’s constantly challenged, and when he starts losing sight of it, it’s Omega who reminds him not to lose his compassion. Everyone looks to him for answers, but he doesn’t always have them, and it important that he doesn’t always make the right call. However I’d argue Hunter is probably one of the most objectively “good” characters in Star Wars.
He’s just a war veteran trying to get by alongside this hodgepodge family he sort of pulled together. He took in Omega without hesitation, and when he doubted his ability to give her the stability she needed, he tried to send her with the Laquaynes. But when she assures him that she wants to stay with them, he tries to be the best parent he can be to her, and she builds her own unique relationships with each of her brothers.
TLDR the show was smaller than what people are used to, but I think that’s a good thing. It’s just really cute and really sweet.
I’ve seen a lot of pretty bad takes on The Bad Batch. I almost didn’t click this video because I was ready to hear another person rip into something great for not living up to their unrealistic expectations. This show is a personal comfort of mine, and I am counting the days until season 2.
Aside: i’ve been saying that Crosshair is your racist uncle since August
wow...so much material that I've missed. much respect
This was the greatest veteran awareness video I've ever watched.
Currently In the military and recently found your channel and I just wasn’t ready for this video as much as I am a Star Wars nerd I appreciate this video so much
First, well done. I appreciate, as a veteran who deals with mental health issues, the factual yet supportive way that you brought it all around. One criticism, though, is that nobody can "do what they need to do" to make Crosshair change. Crosshair has to see a need and then want the change he would have to work on. Nobody else can define that for him, or force him into it, and any efforts to do so will only push him farther into the hole he has dug. What his brothers and sister CAN do, however, is provide the support he'll need once he makes that decision, if he ever does. Perhaps that's where you were going, and it just came out poorly, or I misunderstood your message at that particular moment in the video. All in all, though, well researched and written overall. Thank you.