Picks up where the Rebels Epilogue ends but set after TBOBF
Finding Ezra isn’t in the finale and he gets a good amount of screentime throughout the season
Redeemed Thrawn (I believe that he does whatever is in his and Csilla’s best interest. The Empire probably thinks he’s dead, not that Palpatine was happy with him the last time they spoke immediately before the Purgill incident. If anything, I think Ezra saved Thrawn’s life and Thrawn probably knows it)
ELI VANTO (with a southern accent!!!)
Chiss vs Grysk conflict and Ezra possibly helping Thrawn
Ghost Crew reunion (hopefully with Zeb and Kallus as well)
Force-sensitive Sabine trained by Ahsoka to use Ezra’s lightsaber (there’s a lot of evidence to support Sabine being force-sensitive: being a descendant of Tarre Vizsla, the Darksaber finding its way to her, her being able to defeat Kanan in a duel when she tapped into her emotions, the force theme playing during her fight with Gar Saxon, Ezra leaving his lightsaber to her and “counting on her”, the loth wolves following her in the Rebels epilogue, etc.)
Force ghost Anakin visiting Ahsoka
Live-action Rex (and hopefully not just for a death scene)
I’ve been thinking about why Pryce chose to stay in the dome and die at the end of Rebels. A lot of people have said that it seemed OOC for her to decline the opportunity to save herself. She doesn’t seem to be ideologically driven, and certainly wouldn’t be willing to die for a cause.
My thought is that Arihnda chose to stay because of her parents:
Her career was in deep trouble, and the Empire almost certainly would’ve stripped her of the governorship had she lived. Thrawn also seemed to want her executed, or at least significantly punished.
Pryce had been using her connections to protect her parents. She got her mother out of jail, helped them immigrate after their mine was seized, evacuated them when Batonn came under attack, and moved them to the governor’s residence on Lothal.
If she lost her political career and reputation, her ability to protect her family would’ve been compromised.
However, if Pryce died a hero of the Empire, the Empire would be unlikely to “correct the record” by telling everyone she was about to be removed and/ or executed. They wouldn’t be able to use her death for propaganda purposes, they’d have to admit to significantly mismanaging the occupation of Lothal, and Tarkin/ Yularen/ etc would look foolish for backing her.
If Arihnda died in the explosion, the Empire would be forced to treat the Pryces as the grieving parents of an Imperial war hero, rather than the parents of a disgraced and executed ex-governor.
I think Arihnda saw her death as the ideal way to shield her parents from the consequences of her fall from grace. Her whole character arc is about how badly she wants to protect herself and her family from being screwed over again. I could see her preferring death to another situation where a huge, unstoppable power comes in and sweeps away everything her family has.
A Kanan Jarrus mention? Huyang giving Ezra an identical lightsaber part that Kanan had? The talk about Mandalore and Sabine's family? Ahsoka talking about Anakin's loyalty to her? A possible nod to “Do or do not. There is no try”? The Talzin's sword? Zombie stormtroopers like the zombie Nightsisters in Jedi: Fallen Order? Sabine finally controlling the Force? Sabine sacrificing her want to be with Ezra to stay with Ahsoka? Sabine and Ezra being separated yet again? Ahsoka seeing her owl? Ezra using a com and putting on stormtrooper armor like they always did in Rebels? Chopper being able to recognize Ezra? Hera finally seeing Ezra again? The Father, Son, and decapitated Daughter statues? Sabine being able to feel Anakin's Force ghost? Ahsoka feeling him? ANAKIN'S FORCE GHOST????
No one from the Batch died, even if there were some scares along the way. (Well, Hemlock and Rampart were killed, but I’m not that sad about it. Nala Se went out in an honorable fashion.)
The surviving clones and the kids are safe and get to live peaceful lives.
The Batch got to settle down and live a happy life on Pabu.
You know Wrecker finally got to fish full-time, like he was meant to do. After being a big bruiser for so long, he’s finally able to be somewhere his strength can be used to build, not destroy.
Crosshair gets to figure out who he is without his shooting hand, which is honestly the healthiest thing for him. He’s able to heal!
Echo is continuing his work for the clones. (Emerie is going with him as his adopted daughter sister and ally.)
We get to see a grown Omega choosing to leave to help the Rebellion, to help people. She’s going to be a pilot, and she took Tech’s goggles with her as a momento and as a token of good luck. (Not me getting teary and happy at her red headband.)
Also, big shoutout to Gonky for still being around and being a delight.
Older Hunter has a beard and a ponytail. (Hunter girlies, go off and thirst! He aged like fine wine.)
Hunter and Omega end this series being the emotional core connection that we’ve seen from the beginning. Yes, it’s sad to see her leave Pabu, but she’s got another fight in her. Hunter respects that.
And Batcher, of course, is always the best dog!
That ending, while bittersweet, was satisfying as fuck.
It also leaves open the possibility that the surviving members of the Batch (Echo included) fought with Rex to overthrow the Empire during the time of the OT. (That fits Sabine’s narration at the end of Rebels when she mentions clones (plural) fighting with Rex. At that point, the only other surviving Seelos Squad member was Wolffe, so the other clones had to come from somewhere.)
Anyway, the Bad Batch ended so well. I’m teary and very satisfied.