#TOTJ spoilers

[indistinctchatt3r]

I love this line so much because it really was that simple. Padme was her friend. Ahsoka never got the chance to say goodbye to Obi-Wan (presumed dead), or Anakin (presumed dead), or Plo Koon (dead), or really even the 501st. Almost all of her close friends were dead, all gone at the same time and so suddenly. But Padme, her dear friend, her main mother figure, even though she died too, Ahsoka had the chance to say goodbye. To see her one last time, to get a shred of closure to this horrific event. She had the chance to say goodbye to at least one person she cared about. And so she goes. Despite the danger, despite the fact she's a wanted being, despite the fact she's being actively hunted, despite the fact she's supposed to be hiding, she goes. She goes to see her. And she does. She sees Padme, pallid skin, hair spread out, flowers everywhere, and beautiful even in death. The world is darker without her. And when Bail asks why she here, when he says it's too dangerous, she gives a simple answer. She was her friend.

How could she not come?

[softsunshinelove]

HER SMILE??? IN THE FIRST PANEL???

with the new lore provided ive decided this is the only way this interaction could have gone

[david-talks-sw]

I think it's interesting that - in order to make his "free-thinking Jedi" characters hold any semblance of rationality in their arguments - Dave Filoni needs to resort to artificially dehumanizing the other Jedi and painting them all with the same "we dogmatically worship protocol" brush.

He does this with Huyang in the recent Ahsoka episode.

"Lolz he's so narrow-minded, preachy and by-the-book, unable to think outside the box, just like the Jedi in the Prequels."

My first reaction was being amused at the fact that Filoni had to resort to making the Jedi Order's ideals and rules be embodied by a literal machine for his anti-Jedi headcanon to start making sense.

But then I remembered: Huyang isn't just any droid.

In The Clone Wars, he had a sassy personality, he had a pep in his step, he had a sense of humor...

This character was human in his behavior, he was fun and whimsical.

But now he's been reduced to, I dunno, "Jedi C-3PO"? Basically?

"Ha! He's blunt and unsympathetic because he's a droid, but it's funny because the Jedi were the same, they were training themselves to be tactless, emotionless droids."

And Filoni does this with Mace Windu too, in Tales of the Jedi.

Mace, who brought a lightsaber to the throat of a planetary leader to defend the endangered Zillo Beast...

... and who went waaay past his mandate by mischievously sneaking around Bardottan authorities and breaking into the Queen's quarters because he felt something bad was afoot...

... was reduced to being an almost droid-like, rule-parotting, protocol purist who sticks to his instructions (and is implied to be willing to let a murder go unsolved so he can get a promotion).

I mentioned this at the end of my first post on Luke in The Last Jedi... while changes in personality do happen overtime and can be explained in-universe... if you don't show us that progression and evolution and just leave us without that context, that'll break the suspension of disbelief, for your audience.

Here, we have two characters with a different (almost caricatural) personality than the one they were originally shown to have.

Now... we could resort to headcanons, to make it all fit together.

We could justify Huyang's tone shift 'cause "Order 66 changed him". And we could make explanations about TotJ's Mace:

Being younger and thus more ambitious and a stickler for the rules, and only really becoming more flexible after getting his seat on the Council and gaining more maturity.

Being such a teacher's pet in the episode because we're seeing him through the eyes of a notorious unreliable narrator, Dooku.

There'd be nothing wrong with opting to go with either of those headcanons to cope with this. After all, Star Wars is meant to help you get creative.

But the problem I encounter is that:

Filoni has an anti-Jedi bias, so the above headcanons clearly wouldn't really track with his intended narrative.

We'd be jumping through hoops to extrapolate and fill in what is, essentially, inconsistent characterization, manufactured to make Ahsoka and Dooku shine under a better light.

And that sours whatever headcanon I come up with.

Edit: Also, yeah, as folks have been saying in the tags... wtf is "Jedi protocol"? The term isn't ever mentioned in the movies, I skimmed through dialog transcripts of TCW, never saw it there.

So it's almost as if - if Filoni wasn't draining characters like Mace and Huyang of all humanity and nuance - his point about "the Jedi were too detached and lost their way, but not free-thinkers like Qui-Gon, Dooku and Ahsoka" wouldn't really hold much water.

[inafieldofstarflowers]

Okay but Anakin making a bunch of training holograms for Ahsoka is so on brand—for what we saw of him in TCW, yeah, but especially for what we saw in Tales of the Jedi

[cuntyfieddemon]

WHEN AHSOKA SAID "LET'S GO AGAIN." AFTER PUTTING SABINE TO THE GROUND THEN FADE TO BLACK AND THE TITLE SEQUENCE I COULD LITERALLY HEAR ANAKIN'S VOICE IN MY HEAD FROM TALES OF THE JEDI IM EATING CONCRETE

[darth-memes]

[clonebrainrot]

A reasonable poll on YouTube? Say it ain’t so. I like all the Tales episodes even if I think the Dooku episodes are some of the best things in animated Star Wars I love them all even if I think some of them have some flaws. Mainly I can’t get over how poorly done that cliffhanger is in the Barriss episodes. Especially when the dialogue was so good.

[writingforfun0714]

Just got fuckin decked by the new Tales of the Empire trailer

What the actual fuck?! I hope this is as good as the trailer makes it seem cuz I feel like my spirit left my body for a moment. Holy shit. Yeah…I’m gonna watch the trailer a few more hundred times

[gayhorrorboy]

another tales of the empire spoiler

the way barriss has such a deep and beautiful understanding and application of the force… the way she abandoned the jedi and now upholds beautifully the values they held dear…

the way tales of the jedi was connecting ahsoka’s rise to dooku’s fall as they each left the jedi order but tales of the empire connects barriss’ relinquishing her anger to morgan’s embracing it…

we better get to see ahsoka and barriss interact again (maybe in dark path, see last post) to recognize how the other has flourished in the force

also i know it makes narrative and thematic sense for barriss to be dead following the last scene but also i do not want to believe it

[iam-lnt]

am rewatching totj cuz im in a mood and got me thinking about tote

i mean, the production is totally great, the animation and music and stuff (that double sickle nightsister weapon is some of the COOLEST shit i've ever seen ngl). but somehow, for some reason, i didn't get the tremor like that when i was watching totj

maybe it was the plot? but i'd say that giving us Morgan and Barriss bask stories are great choices for plotline

maybe it was the characters? we WAS hoping for vader and barriss interactions...

idk i was kinda hoping for an answer but ain't see much that ticks for me

[8beats-per-minute]

‼️‼️AHSOKA EP 5 SPOILERS‼️‼️‼️‼️

You have been warned

I have WAYYY too many feelings about this episode. Like omg??

I will try to make this as comprehensible as possible but it’s 11:30 and I’ve been up since 6 and I’m REALLY EXCITED

Okay RAPID FIRE

Huyang holding Sabines helmet was so sad and it felt like he was kind of mourning her and I swear I almost cried

(Technically last episode) Hera getting there BARELY too late made me so sad

THE WHOLE AHSOKA AND ANAKIN THING

THE BANTER “You look the same” “You look old” “Well that happens”

I LOVE THEMMMMM

Them fighting, Anakin sending her back to their first battle to go through everything

ALL THE CLONES

HER HOLDING THE HAND OF THE CLONE AND HIM HOLDING HER HAND BACK

I saw Rex in the corner of the screen and I was like OH MY GOD ITS REX LET HIM TALK PLEASEEEEE

I retained very little of that scene I was so focused on Rex

He had like 5 words BUT HE TALKED

HE DID IT

He didn’t take his helmet off BUT WE HEARD HIM TALK TO AHSOKA

AND IN THE CREDITS IT WAS CAPTAIN/COMMANDER REX

I actually had such an emotionally reaction to him being called commander. I was for a week but IT STILL HAPPENED

And most importantly Temuera Morrison as Rex FINALLY 😭

I CANNOT get over how young she looks. Like obviously we could tell in the animation in the first few seasons that she was young but she looked soooo much younger live action Mandolore compared to animated Mandolore. It hurt me. She’s so young.

AND THE FACT THAT WE GOT TO SEE LIVE ACTION MANDOLORE AND AHSOKA DESTORYING GROWN WARRIORS AT 17 😭😭

I love her

And the young Ahsoka actress (Ariana Greenblatt) was amazing all the love in the world to her ❤️❤️

THE FUCKING

SWITCHES

BETWEEN ANAKIN AND VADER

THAT LOOKED SO COOL

AND TERRIFYING

And Jacen. Being able to hear Ahsoka fighting??? AMAZING

The fact that Jacen saved her? I will never get over that.

BUT AHSOKA BEING UPSET THAT ANAKIN IS COMPARING HER TO HIM BECAUSE LOOK HOW HE TURNED OUT AND THEN HER HAVING THE YELLOW EYES??? AHHH

I can’t be 100% sure but I’m pretty sure the way she defeated Anakin is very similar to how she defeated the inquisitor in Tales of the Jedi. I could be reaching tho idk

And I have to mention it. Ahsoka without the headband in live action was a massive jump scare. I made like an actual noise and recoiled a bit lmao 😭😭

But her being like Jacen is here?? And the way he ran up to her and hugged her and she hugged him back you KNOW she’s auntie Ahsoka. She spent enough time around that kid to be that cool aunt that’s also a Jedi.

Her being ohhhh you heard me fighting huh? I know she already knew he was force sensitive (I mean come on he’s Kanans son) it she was like 😏😌😃

ALSO THAT KANAN FULL NAME DROP. I LOVE IT. THANK YOU

So the New Republic is like “yo you did a bad thing we’re coming to pick you up” and Hera’s like “aw shit really?”

Then AHSOKAS like “hey what if we used the thing that Ezra used to get IN THIS SITUATION IN THE FIRST PLACE” amd Hera’s like “damn u right” so Ahsoka does her Jedi communication thing

AND JUST GOES IN THE MOUTH OF THE SPACE WHALE??? CAUSE WHY NOT I GUESS???

But yea

I love Carson with my whole heart he is everything to me

He’s like “I’m so ducking done with this but I know it’s the right thing so imma lie even tho I might get fired. Cause this new gov is kiiinda bs but it’s still okay. U go Hera u got this and I’ll always back u up” AND I LOVE THAT ABOUT HIM!! I love Ahsoka but he’s #2 especially in this episode

So he’s like “lol look I wasn’t lying”

And I just have one lil question.

What happened to that whole thing where the purrgil were ship destroyers? Like that’s their whole introduction was in Rebels where everyone’s like “These things are dangerous they just wander and destroy ships don’t go near them that’s all they do”

And then Ezra (I think I don’t exactly remember) is like “actually they’re pretty smart. Also they use hidden hyperspace lanes to travel. So they’re actually pretty cool” and THAT was just a thing in like season 2 or something wayyy before the finale.

But now they’re just weaving their way through the ships??

I guess you could argue that Ahsoka was like “hey could you not” and/or the captains were moving the ships around the purrgil but still they’re known to be super destructive even if the ships try to avoid them?

Idk whatever not that important

I CANNOT PHYSICALLY WAIT FOR NEXT WEEK IM SO HYPED THIS WAS DEFINITELY THE BEST EPISODE SO FAR

I can’t wait to get an update on Sabine thooo

WE STILL HAVE 3 EPISODES LEFT THO THEY BETTER NOT DO THE FINALE EPISODE FLOP THAT KEEPS HAPPENING.

I SWEAR.

Anyways overall amazing episode I love seeing Ahsoka and Anakin banter and also fight and Jacen being force sensitive and Huyang and Carson AND HERA OF COURSE!! LOVE HER

Can’t wait for next week aaaaaaa

[galacticvampire]

the star wars experience is being surprised something seems to be both good and enjoyable

[scratchmyrash]

Jesse was one of the oldest clones to be involved with the 501st so it hit me right in the chest when I realised that he was one of Rex’s men in helping Anakin train Ahsoka to fight off their enemies earlier in the war, and Jesse was there trying to kill her under the chip’s orders at the end of S7, where she and Rex were fighting for their lives before they were able to escape in the end. Jesse helped her escape from himself, even if he didn’t know it in the beginning. and ohhhhhh I cannot do this, fellas

[antianakin]

Hey, I have a question to ask, and I'm gonna ask this to a few others cause I'm not a huge Star Wars expert on this.

Ever since The Acolyte aired, the jedi have been portrayed more as space cops. But, since when were they space cops? I thought they weren't like that. Am I wrong?

They AREN'T space cops, you're entirely correct, it's Leslye Headland who is wrong.

Here's the thing you have to understand about Leslye Headland and fans like her: they will claim to their dying day that they love the Jedi while sitting there talking about how the PREQUELS Jedi specifically were awful failures who doomed themselves by being heartless assholes who failed and/or abused Anakin and helped bring about the destruction of the Republic because they were simultaneously too political and not political enough.

When the Prequels first came out, they were received... poorly... by a large chunk of the adult audience. And it became a THING to hate the Prequel trilogy for a long time. After a while, people started deciding they didn't want to hate the Prequel trilogy, but they didn't actually LIKE some of the things in the films that were different from the legends canon that had already existed for years (primarily the way the Jedi had been interpreted), and so they chose to come up with interpretations that allowed them to "like" the Prequels better. The primary one that's become so popular as to basically end up considered the actual real intended message of the films is that the Jedi had become corrupt by the time of the Prequels, they were too old-fashioned and strict and stuck in their ways (specifically in that they forbid their members to love and were beholden to the Senate) and that this allowed Palpatine to win and Anakin to be seduced to the dark side, so they're the REAL villains of the entire story and the audience is SUPPOSED to dislike them.

In fairness to these fans, there IS a theme in the Prequels of an institute that's supposed to stand for peace and goodness being corrupted into an organization that is run by fear and greed. It's just that the institution in question is the SENATE, not the Jedi. And we spend a LOT more time with main characters who are Jedi, going out and doing cool fun Jedi adventures, than we do in the Senate with any of the known Senate characters doing political things. The only Senate character who could be considered a main character in the Prequels is Padme and a LOT of her more political scenes got cut from the films in order to focus on Anakin's story instead. Even in TCW, most of Padme's "political" episodes and storylines just devolve into action adventure plots instead. So it isn't hard to understand why people focused in on the Jedi and assumed that the story was ABOUT the Jedi rather than the politicians and picked up on a theme about corruption that was very much THERE and just misapplied it. But it's still wrong.

Leslye Headland appears to be one of those fans. A LOT of Star Wars fans of a certain age tend to follow this particular headcanon. Dave Filoni is another one of them, despite his reputation as George Lucas's "padawan" and the person who understands Star Wars the best after Lucas (spoiler alert: he's not).

So what we're getting in the Acolyte is a VERY intentional critique of the Jedi becoming more political I guess, more beholden to the Senate, and therefore becoming more like "space cops" instead of... I don't know... space Knights of the Round Table maybe? I think there's this concept that the Jedi should be more free spirited like... fairy god parents wandering the galaxy just handing out random miracles to worthy people and smiting the unworthy or some shit instead of being intergalactic ambassadors for the Republic, helping to resolve conflicts with legal backing and power.

This is something that's been around for DECADES now. It's in plenty of other books and comics that have come out during and since the Prequels, it's in TLJ, it's in TOTJ and TOTE, it's in the Ahsoka show, and now it's in The Acolyte. And it's obviously floated its way around fanfiction plenty, too. It's almost impossible to avoid if you talk to any other Star Wars fans from that age group (and even honestly fans YOUNGER than that age group because a lot of the older fans basically taught their children and younger siblings to hate the Prequels or that the Prequels were about the corruption of the Jedi, or younger fans just picked it up via osmosis if they spent almost any time within fandom the way I did). But it's becoming a thing that newer shows are really hammering in as if it's real canon. Headland genuinely believes that it is and we know that to be true because she's flat out SAID THIS in an interview she gave before the show aired. She 100% believes that the point of the Prequels, George Lucas's intended message in those films, was that the Jedi were corrupt and had fallen from grace. Her show is written with this misinterpretation of the films as a foundation for how she portrays the Jedi.

And that's how you get the Jedi suddenly feeling like "space cops" when that's so very clearly not what they are in anything Lucas ever created.

[icelynia]

TBB FINALE SPOILERS

Tech, Other Characters, and Death

Speaking about Tech, I’ve heard a lot of people saying about how at least we now have a death in Star Wars and specifically the animation that sticks.

We’ve already had so many of them! For the Clones: Hardcase, Jesse, Fives, Tup, Waxer, Gregor (Rebels) (notable clones who appeared in more than one episode and I can remember at this time.)

Other Characters: Satine, Darth Maul (Rebels), Savage Oppress, Kanan Jarus, Yaddle (TotJ), Nala Se, Rampart, and probably more that I’m forgetting.

The point of this is to say that just counting Star Wars Animated shows, we have permanent death. Why add Tech to that list? (Minus the fact that he might have been too smart for the plot they wanted to happen). Almost all of the characters mentioned above were given plot time to deal with their deaths.

If Tech really is dead and not coming back in another show, he was done a major disservice by the writers. The whole cast was. No scenes about his death, really? Honestly, up until CX-2 getting the stab/electricity combo I was on team Tech Lives and is CX-2. Nothing makes sense otherwise, unless we go with the sinister baiting of fans.

From the framing of his “death” (falling into a cloud barrier; never learned what was on the other side), how the news was delivered (from the series villain with only Tech falling and the flimsy evidence that could’ve even been faked of Tech’s broken goggles), the advertising not clearing things up (not much about Tech in trailers and the only scene we see in trailers was Tech falling in ✨Sepia✨), using foreshadowing devices we’ve been taught to recognize since elementary school, to introducing a new character who reasonably could be Tech and who also has the same mannerisms (Pockets, “Domicile”, speak patterns, lots of technology, and scenes/framing that seem to intentionally parallel stuff Tech lived through). Let’s not forget about the creators’ cryptic and misleading posts and FOR SOME REASON CHANGING TECH’S CANONICAL HEIGHT AFTER HE “DIED”?!

I love this show, the creators did an otherwise great job, but this one point ruins it. Since Tech was never confirmed dead, we still don’t have closure.

[yukipri]

The Bad Batch Season 2 Wrap Up Thoughts

I never ended up sharing my thoughts on the Bad Batch S2 finale. Since we're hopefully getting news of S3 tomorrow, this seemed like a good time?

First, to be clear, I love so much about the show. This is not meant to be a complaint thread. But I'm also critical of certain aspects. You're warned.

This is also a compiled Twitter thread!

Spoilers through the end of Season 2!

First off, I can't understate how beautiful the show was, just as an experience. The cinematography, the visual designs, the music. The unique worlds and unique characters. There were so many shots that were breathtaking, haunting. When a scene hits, it HITS.

I love both TCW & Rebels dearly, but cumulative skills + experience as well as new technology clearly shows. TBB, TotJ (and of course TCW S7) are just so captivating to watch as works of art. These shows are, frankly, worth it for that alone. But of course that's not all.

One of TBB's strengths is the depth it gives the worlds the characters visit, as well as the side/guest characters. Perhaps due to the nature of many of the episodes being more of an exploration than straight up war like TCW, but we can see more of these places. TCW also had so many neat planets/aliens/cultures, but due to the constantly pressing war, we were only ever allowed a glimpse and I constantly wished there was more. TBB really scratched that itch. I'm thinking specifically of Kashyyyk, with its fauna and wookiee traditions.

The same with side/guest characters. They all had such great flavor, with fun designs and motives. Phee was a standout among the non-clones. I also loved how it gave us such a personal exploration of characters we knew and loved before, like Riyo.

The thing about TBB is that it's set in such a fascinating time period that we don't have too much media of, at least in new canon. The formation of the Empire is a time where we know all these other characters must be alive and working hard, but we haven't seen it before.

This leads me to the writing. Oh, the writing...

How do I say this. The writing in this show gave me whiplash. Some of the episodes were beyond brilliant, giving us deeply personal character moments, layered metaphors, and context in how it affects the greater SW universe.

Others...not so much.

I understand this is not the case for everyone, but for me personally to enjoy a story, when there are any stakes involved, I need the characters to show some awareness of them, and for these to affect their actions. There are a limited number of episodes and that time must be spent wisely. I don't mean this at all to say that I didn't enjoy the lighter fun adventure missions with the Batch, nor do I think these episodes can't be used productively.

But TBB S1 started off with Crosshair siding with the Empire.

I kept waiting for them to *show* that the others cared. It could be they were troubled, it could be they missed him, it could have been shown in so many ways. I kept expecting these brief moments in the Fun Times episodes, which would have given me some emotional continuity.

The writers are absolutely capable of it! After Plan 99, when Echo glances at the co-pilot seat—stuff like that, I was personally expecting it through all of S1 and S2. I get that the Batch feel they have to do other things and Crosshair made his own choice, but I thought the point was they care about their brother regardless.

Mind you, I'm not the biggest fan of Crosshair, but I do find him interesting. And I felt that in the two episodes most centered around him, he had such tangible growth that was depicted so well. He went from stating that the Batch are superior to regs in S1 finale, to having clear doubts after working with Cody, to shooting a natborn officer because he didn't help a "reg" he'd just met. We see Crosshair being included by the clones he disdains, we see how it compares to the Empire he thought he wanted to be a part of. The writing in Crosshair's episodes were tight, and he went far within them, few as they were.

In comparison, the rest of the Batch...with their far greater number of episodes...what were they doing??

I love character-centric eps, but even on a personal level, I wasn't sure what the charas gained. Tech is the sole exception; he was given many introspective moments, from Sorenno, to Phee, to the cave talk with Omega. Not sure how much he changed, but he expressed himself.

To also be clear, I'm also not including Echo in any of this. He has been the voice of trying to get the Batch to do things, to *change*, since S1. I felt his frustration keenly. Which is why I felt that when he left to go with Rex...I sort of left the Batch with him.

I mean this in the sense that Echo didn't *want* to leave the Batch, not necessarily. He wanted, and he *did* try to get Hunter to care about what their brothers are suffering, and he has been since S1. Echo can't stand to leave them chipped when he could do something.

He wanted the Batch to feel the same. *I* wanted the Batch to feel the same. But they didn't. I see Echo breaking with them less as him leaving, and more as they (or at least Hunter) firmly telling him that that's not their fight, and they're not going to do it.

This isn't the Batch going out of their way to help, or not knowing how. Echo and Rex have given them an open invitation. The Batch know how to help, who needs it, and why. They know their "reg" brothers don't have many if any others fighting for them. The Batch (Hunter) have these opportunities to help and know they are among the few positioned to offer it...and they still walk away.

The Batch (Hunter) sees the other clones fates as none of their business. On one hand, I get that they never fit in, were called names and weren't allowed to sit with the cool kids at lunch. On the other, "they were mean" and "therefore they should be mind-controlled slaves" is grossly disproportional. Likewise it's not as though this fight doesn't concern them. Even if they can't find it in themselves to care about "regs," it's Rex who told them to remove their chips and went out of his way to make sure they did based on info that Fives gathered, without which Wrecker would have killed Omega. Perhaps I wouldn't go as far as to say they *owe* other clones, but my opinion of them certainly continued to drop as they made explicitly clear that they're fine with this being the fate of other clones.

So okay, fine. TBB isn't a story about the Batch discovering they have more alike with other clones than they first thought (other than Crosshair, who actually does get that story). That's what I wanted, alright, I know I'm not getting that at this point.

But then, where does that leave them? What do they care about, what do they fight for?

Their brother...right?

Except...they don't really do that either??? (points at earlier in this rant) At least, until the very last episodes, where an opportunity presents itself, and most of the Batch jumps on it...except Hunter.

The way he's written just *baffles* me. I can't say anything about his personality other than "he cares about Omega," but even that, when at the expense of his other brothers, is tiring. Immediately after Tech gives his life on a mission he wanted to go on to try to save Crosshair, he suggests they all hide away on Pabu (even with the knowledge that Omega is wanted and they're being hunted). I get that he wanted to hide from the pain, but in that context?? Even then, he can't care about Cross??

And then when Omega is kidnapped, the difference in his reaction between that and what happened with Crosshair...it was, frankly, painful.

I feel like by the end of the series, Tech would have been more open to joining Echo/the clones' fight. Wrecker will just go along. Echo has already plunged headfirst into helping others, Crosshair got character growth and defected from the Empire. And Omega has always wanted to help even strangers, but only doesn't when Hunter tells her no.

I feel that Hunter's the one dragging his heels for the Batch to progress, and he's supposed to be the leader.

All of this to say, I've been trying so hard to like the Batch since S1, and they didn't really click for me (other than Echo, who I don't count since I loved him from long before, and still consistently have). But by the end of S2, I think I've concluded that I'd like the others perfectly fine if they were under different leadership that encouraged them to care, to act.

I don't want to say I *dislike* him, but man...I'm super disappointed in Hunter, and I'm not sure if/how that might change.

This leads me to my final thought, which is: I would strongly prefer if "the Clone Story" be told from a different lens than Hunter-centric TBB.

What I mean is, throughout the show, there have been multiple pivotal events that affect all clones, not just the Batch.

The fall of Kamino, the failure of the clones' rights bill are the big ones. But even without those, through the glimpses of the "regs" like Howzer, Gregor, Wilco, Cody, Slip, Cade, and Mayday, we see how the Empire is treating the rest of them as a group.

I'm deeply invested in these boys and their stories, and frankly, all of these boys instantly became my faves in their few moments of screen time. I want more of these, and it feels deeply unfair that they've done so much to tell compelling stories but have so little time.

They are an extension of the clones I love from TCW in a way that the Batch just aren't, and don't seem to be interested in becoming.

Not even that, but we know from Hunter's rejection of Echo that the Batch (Hunter) don't *care.*

Fine, they don't care. But I'm admittedly deeply concerned about how S3 will go, because even if the Batch doesn't care about the Clone Story, they (Hunter) don't seem to be doing a great job progressing their internal story either (Crosshair).

I understand Omega has some crucial background we're *finally* getting to. I want to know why she's special, why she's unaltered. I want to know what she has that Boba doesn't, or if she's just Nala Se's favorite. Maybe that's relevant to the Clone Story.

But frankly, personally, I would prefer if TBB S3 goes full in focussing on building Hunter and Wrecker up emotionally, and just going full in on what it means for them as a Batch to be there for each other. They need that, desperately, without distractions.

I would prefer if the Clone Story (frankly, the story I'm far more invested in) is told through Rex and other clones, who passionately care and are in the fight. If Echo jumps between the 2 groups and links them, great! I think the Batch would make excellent guest characters. But NOT protagonists of a story where they don't care while everyone else does.

I guess all of this to say, it's sad that I think I liked the Batch the most in TCW S7, and my impression of them as a group (which I recognize is largely due to Hunter) has only gone downhill since.

Again, to be clear, I did enjoy the show.

I LOVED eps 3, 7, 8, 12, 14, to the point I'd say they're possibly my favorite eps of any SW show. These eps are conspicuously non Batch-centric. I loved many *parts* of other episodes.

The *show* has given me so much to love. Unfortunately, none of those things are Hunter.