DUBAI: For “Star Wars” fans with an “Andor”-shaped hole in their hearts, the arrival of the sophomore season of animated series “The Bad Batch,” which began Jan. 4 on Disney+, will be some consolation.
“The Bad Batch” follows the adventures of an elite experimental Imperial military unit-gone-rogue called Clone Force 99 and their latest addition, young Omega. The first series, which dropped in May 2021, proved a hit among fans of the seminal sci-fi franchise.
Set in a post-Order 66 world (the order that designated all Jedi traitors), season one saw Clone Force 99 and Omega go on the run when it became apparent that the Galactic Empire was set on destroying the Jedi and their sympathizers.
While season one was about survival, season two — which debuted with a double-episode feature on Disney+ on Jan. 4 — will see the group come into its own and question their place and purpose in a conflict-ridden world, “The Bad Batch” head writer and executive producer Jennifer Corbett told Arab News.
“By the end of season one, after the fall of Kamino, the Empire thinks the Bad Batch fell along with it and that they are no longer a problem. So the group has been laying low, staying under the radar and experiencing relative peace,” she said. “But then the missions that they start to go on, and the things that they see as the Empire is growing, sort of pull them back in. And they lead to more discussions within the group like, ‘How much longer can we sit back?’ and ‘Should we be doing more?’”
Longtime “Star Wars” voice actor Dee Bradley Baker returns to bring the Bad Batch members — Hunter, Echo, Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair — to life. But season one proved that the heart of the show is the youngest and newest member Omega, voiced by New Zealand native Michelle Ang.
Supervising director Brad Rau said watching the two voice actors come together was a treat. “They are so great together. And the interesting thing is, they’re sort of like Omega and the Bad Batch — the rookie and the veterans. But Michelle is so talented that it’s a disservice to call her a rookie. To see them play off of each other is incredible. And the way that Dee portrays all the different characters live, right in front of us, as though they’re different characters, is wild,” said Rau.
For Ang, who got to keep her distinctive New Zealand accent for Omega’s character, 2021 was also about acquainting herself with the “Star Wars” fan base.
“Earlier this year, I got to attend the celebration in Los Angeles, which was mind blowing. And the thing that really struck me was how universal and how intergenerational our fan base — especially for ‘Bad Batch’ — is,” said Ang. “The best thing was parents saying, ‘I’ve really wanted to find a thing that I could watch with my child and show them what I grew up with.’ And so a lot of parents enjoy watching ‘Bad Batch’ with their children.”
The animated series’ second season takes Clone Force 99 deeper into danger. (Walt Disney Studios)
In season two, fans will find that Omega has become a “real asset” to the Bad Batch team, according to Ang.
“I think she’s feeling very, very comfortable. She’s come to terms with the fact that she is wanted and has things to offer. It’s really exciting with the time jump, because you’ll see an advancement of her knowledge of how to act on missions and in moments of danger. And you can see how much her thinking has evolved to become like her brothers,” she said.
At the end of season one, it was revealed that Omega is technically older than her clone brothers. And while this is sure to throw an interesting wrench into group dynamics going forward, Ang said Omega still has much to learn about the larger world.
“She’s older in terms of actual years, but her naivety is still something we continue to explore in season two. In season one, we established that she has only ever lived her life on Kamino. So her wonder is very much about the vastness of the universe,” explained Ang.
“In season two, Omega is learning some darker themes, like politics and power and the way different communities are run with either good or troubling leaders. But her brothers — who are technically younger — have so much more world experience and life experience that we see Omega having to do a bit of a catch-up,” she added.
