“Decommissioned” is a fun, harmless episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch

This week’s episode of Star Wars: Omega And Her Adventures With The Bad Batch is full of fun moments while also building on some intriguing mysteries.

Are you ready for another slow burn episode that barely contributes to the overall plot of Star Wars: The Bad Batch? That may sound negative, and yes, we are dealing with another filler episode, but this one isn’t that bad.

“Decommissioned” picks up soon after the events of last week’s episode. The Bad Batch is still at Ord Mantell teaching Omega how to use the energy bow she received last week when Cid walks in with a new job.

I figured we would see Cid again, but we didn’t think it would be this soon. She sends the squad to Corellia to retrieve a decommissioned tactical droid — that’s where the episode’s name comes from — and they almost succeed, if not for a pair of familiar faces ruining everything.

Before we get to the surprise cameo, it was nice to see the rest of the squad teaching Omega how to defend herself. Echo yet again spends time with her as he sets up a makeshift target so she can practice her aim. Despite the show glossing over her emotional connections to the rest of the team, these small moments are cute and show the character’s developing attachments with one another.

Now we need to see some moments between Tech and Omega, who I don’t think have exchanged more than two lines with each other. It would be great to see Tech show Omega some of his skills. As for Hunter, he hasn’t been in the forefront for quite some time, which is unfortunate since they spent the first couple of episodes building him up.

So we saw more of Echo but less of Hunter. It’s strange that the show seems to spend more time developing Omega than the other characters. She’s been getting more lines and screen time than the members of the Bad Batch. The show should be called Star Wars: Omega or Star Wars: The Adventures of Omega with the Bad Batch. The series is definitely building to something big involving Omega, so I understand why so much attention is given to her, but at least give us a few more Bad Batch moments. This is something that I’ve been complaining about since the second episode, and while I have gotten used to it, it’s still a huge issue.

There is a strong squad dynamic in this episode, however, which I enjoyed. Much like the last episode, the Bad Batch works with Omega’s support to complete their mission, but are foiled by the Martez sisters. Yes, that’s right: the characters that inspired so much controversy in the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars are back, and they cause havoc for the clones.

I never fully understood the backlash against these characters. I mean, yes, Trace was a bit naive in The Clone Wars, but wasn’t that the point? While they cause a bit of trouble, the episode ends by revealing they are working with the Rebellion and communicating with a mysterious figure. Did we see robes? Are they talking to a Jedi? Maybe Ahsoka? Or Bail Organa?

Almost every episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch ends with a cliffhanger or a teaser about a greater storyline, and there are lots of places this first season could go. For instance, at one point Wrecker hit his head…hard. So hard that he starts reciting, “Good soldiers follow orders,” a phrase associated with the rogue Crosshair. It’d be upsetting to see Wrecker turn to the dark side like his brother, but the show is trying to prepare us for this possibility. We also have the inevitable reunion between the Bad Batch and Crosshair. Fennec Shand and Grand Moff Tarkin are waiting in the wings, and we’ll definitely get something about Omega’s true capabilities. The show has so many storylines that it needs to conclude, and with each passing episode the tension becomes more palpable.

“Decommissioned” is not a bad filler episode. On the contrary, it builds on the previous episodes’ mysteries and storylines, and it excites me to think of the direction Star Wars: The Bad Batch could go. The show could take its characters to some pretty dark places, and we need to be ready for it. While this was a fun and somewhat harmless episode, I have a bad feeling the good times won’t last.

Grade: B+

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