Reviews

This season is much more focused and slowly builds towards what is to come.

It takes its time with the development of the characters and their relationships towards one another while not cutting the action out of it. Ever since Crosshair is back the tensions are high as he keeps running into people he has a not so favorable past with, but Crosshair proves himself and that he shows that he is trustworthy. All the while the intrigue of his character remains. There is still so much we don't know about him and what happened to him on Tantiss, but the show slowly chips away that barrier. Through Omega we learn that Crosshair can care deeply about someone and that he is immensely loyal.

However much I like to gush over Crosshair and how he is written, the other clones get their moments. Through Wolffe we still see that clones that are with the empire still believe it is good, but this also begins to change. Rex is determined to get his brothers out of Tantiss and Hunter still has his squad's safety in mind. But with the empire chasing Omega, he is going to have to learn that perhaps facing them straight on might be the better option.

Overall, these episodes set up the final season wonderfully. It includes more important characters without a cheap ploy for nostalgia, ties past plot lines previously thought 'filler' together and presents fans with an animated epic that hits all the right spots. I hope it continues on like this.

This was more about the reintegration of Crosshair into the Bad Batch.

There is a lot of tension between him and Hunter, while Wrecker seems to be more content and just happy the gang's back together. For the most part, this episode tied together the redemption arc that Crosshair's been on since the last episode of season one. It solidifies his disillusionment with the Empire that was supposed to deliver on its promise of peace and stability but failed.

Still, I feel Crosshair's development, much like the development of the other characters, is nowhere near finished. He still has to adjust and come to terms with his role in all of this. As for the others, Hunter too needs to learn about what exactly it was that made Crosshair leave the Bad Batch in the first place. It wasn't merely the source of different ideologies but one of purpose. The Bad Batch, first and foremost, are soldiers, and what are soldiers without a military or a government to utilize them properly? The others of the Batch, especially Omega, seem to have figured this out about Crosshair. However, Hunter still thinks--at least that's my impression--that because they are a team and brothers, they stick together, not because they are a military unit established by the Republic (that no longer exists) that has given them that purpose for their entire lives. Crosshair wants the stability a government can offer and he doesn't find that (at least he initially didn't find that with the Bad Batch).

In conclusion, this episode did a great job of getting this point across. I can't wait for the next one!

I mean, the show is good enough. It doesn't fail it's fans, sticks to the main story line and at least tries to recreate the charm of the animated version. However, there is a reason why certain stories better translate through animation and not live action. It's about the suspension of disbelief.

Most of the characters come across more like cosplayers, look very distinct from another, each having their defining features much like animated characters would. But in real life it just looks cheap, too pretty. The characters don't feel like lived characters, if that makes sense.

The dialogue can also be very stiff and stale. Sometimes the effects look rather cheap, but I don't really mind. It is only minor things. When the big fights happen and bending is involved, the effects look really good. Also really brutal (esp. During the air temple attack and that one scene in the fire lord's throne room).

I also found most of the actors did a good job: Iroh, Zuko, Suki, Azula. I also found myself chuckle at times when Sokka had some one-liners, but overall, the acting is... meh.

I think it is impossible to view this show apart from the animated series and the live action movie that shall not be named. Compared to the latter it is liquid gold, but next to the original series it kinda just comes across like a fan made project with a big budget.

Still, it was respectful of the fans, shortened or combined the story beats but stuck to the main ones. It doesn't disappoint, but also doesn't prove why it should exist at all.

I don't want to come across as someone who hates this show. I don't. But if I were to decide between rewatching this or the animated version, I will always pick the animated version.

Yes. Next!

Can't wait for the next episode. This show and the characters have grown near and dear to me. The duo consisting of Omega and Crosshair is something you never knew you needed but desperately want more of once they gave you a taste of it. The writing is great, the level of excitement, the menace of the empire, the desperation of the remaining batchers, it just doesn't fail. The situations seem hopeless, their success far out of reach, yet the amount of luck that is involved never feels unrealistic.

I'm trying to keep the spoilers out of this review. But the first three episodes took off and landed perfectly. It leaves you wanting more. Overall, it was just a treat for those who love the show and are waiting for more to come.

How one can create a whole show with no story to tell baffles me. Not only did nothing seemingly happen, I feel like we haven't even gotten past the introduction stage of the story and the characters, yet Filoni pushes them through these supposed arcs that sound good on paper but are badly executed from a line-level perspective.

The ending to this season was so terribly underwhelming, if it wasn't Star Wars this show would never be picked up for a second season.

The pacing has been off the entire season. What was an eight episode season could've been four-five episodes and the last episodes could've been a satisfying conclusion of the fight against Thrawn, but instead we got standing, moping, vagueness, key jangling: hey, just a reminder that you are watching Star Wars.

I am so terribly disappointed with this series because after Mandalorian, Kenobi, Fett I thought that with Ahsoka they'd turn it around, but the show is just as poorly executed as the other three shows.

All the characters were completely wasted and lack any meaningful development all in the name of vagueness and then just briefly mentioning their backstory in the last episode.

At the end of the day, this episode concludes a pretty forgettable season of just another Star Wars show.

I usually don't write a series review if not all episodes are released yet, but with Ahsoka, I feel like I have to. So, just as a warning, this review gets a little ranty.

I keep seeing these amazing reviews of people praising this show to be some masterpiece and I honestly don't get it.

I have been a fan of Ahsoka's character since I was a child. I grew up with her and I am so nostalgic about her, especially because she is practically what introduced me to Star Wars, and I appreciate Filoni's handling of her character in Clone Wars and Rebels as much as anyone else. She began as an immature student and grew to be a very wise and independent person. I was thrilled when they announced her live-action show. The cherry on top was that Thrawn would be the antagonist. That being said, I do know her character and liked her from moment one.

And now, with this show, I feel incredibly gaslit by fans who claim this show (especially episodes 4 and 5) is Christ's second coming and praise Filoni for his genius. But I also feel gaslit by Filoni and the show itself. I am certainly confronted with a character I know nothing about whatsoever. Sabine is a different character; Hera is a different character. I get that animation and live-action are different, but naming this difference as an excuse for stale and emotionless characters is just a cheap ploy. All of these strong female characters that were written so well in the animated shows are now blank, emotionless slates with a history Filoni keeps hinting at but never fully explains and it honestly annoys me so much.

With the live-action show, Filoni's lack of writing skill on a line-level becomes painfully apparent, and to distract from that he keeps jangling shiny keys in front of the viewer with these callbacks and nostalgic moments like the Clone Wars or Anakin wanting to teach her one last lesson, which I still don't know what that was supposed to be. When I watched some YouTube videos of fans breaking the episode down and theorising what the lesson could be, I found myself painfully laughing at myself (in a sad way). How come the writing in this show is so bad and opaque that they have to rely on the fans to pull at loose strings and tie them together and hope that everyone then ends up thinking that this was what Filoni had intended from day one? When I tried to think of a possible explanation of what Anakin's lesson was supposed to be about, I couldn't think of any answer that matched what other people were thinking. It is not only that, but I feel like everybody has different answers and not in a way where a writer writes didactically to leave it for free interpretation but in a way where the writer had no idea what they even wanted the lesson to be.

So far, in this show, I have only seen bad writing, bad dialogue, stale acting, characters that are intriguing (Skoll and Shin) but are left so vague for so long that by the end I don't even care where they came from. You can't leave the mystery open for so long and then explain it at the end of the season (if their character will even be explained at all). If there is nothing for me to get emotionally attached to at a certain point, I will not care for the rest of it, even if it does end up being explained. The same is true with the history between Sabine and Ahsoka. What is it? Why aren't we seeing it? Why are the characters just talking about it like it is general knowledge the viewer already knows? (Again, if it is supposed to be written to keep it open for interpretation, it has sorely failed.) There are only two more episodes left and if it does end up being explained in the LAST TWO EPISODES the pacing will be off so freaking bad!! Why wait so long?

The issue I have is the writing. And the writing in a show is everything, so I have an issue with the show. And with everyone pretending this is "the best Star Wars since..." If this is the best Star Wars since the Disney area, then it's pretty bad to begin with.

I don't want to tell anyone that they are supposed to dislike this show. If you enjoy it, great. But I feel so sorely misrepresented in my opinion of this show. It seems like everyone keeps falling for these cheap callbacks and nostalgia bait moments and cheap execution of some character arc I wasn't even sure Ahsoka was on, because, again, nothing about the writing has led me to think that! I get that a lot of things about a story are supposed to be shrouded in mystery to keep the viewers' interest, but at one point, when everything is just plain vague and so unsatisfyingly touched upon and then poorly executed, I really have to ask myself if anyone working on this show had any idea about what they wanted this show to be!

I hope the last two episodes will prove me wrong, but I doubt it. You can't rely on the last two episodes to remedy an entire season of bad writing.

This episode is the best example of what this show overall is so far. While I flipped when seeing the clone wars in live-action and the fights between Ahsoka and Anakin was great, the lesson Anikan wanted Ahsoka to learn was unclear and convoluted.

Filoni admires and respects Star Wars; this much is clear, but when it comes to the quality of the writing on a line-level, it is rather lacking. I hope this changes once Thrawn shows up.

I think in this episode we got the most emotions Ahsoka expressed so far. I get that Filoni tries to transforms her into into this Gandalf-esque character (which on its own is like... I mean I don't see it at all beneath a surface level comparison to Gandalf and it is kind of ballsy of Filoni to put Ahsoka up there with a character like Gandalf), but stoic and wise does not mean stale and apathetic. But in this episode, we got a little bit of personality.

I enjoyed the episode and I appreciated Kanan's mention as well as Jacen using his ability to help Ahsoka.

I don't want to call this show nostalgia bait because many things surrounding Ahsoka have to do with the Clone Wars and Anakin/Vader (the kind of star wars most of the fans like best), but when the character work and dialogue still lacks quality, Filoni will soon hit a wall.

I hope, from this point on, the series will pick up and dive further into the threat Thrawn poses, now that Ahsoka has progressed as a character after fighting Anakin. Filoni needs to be aware that nostalgia will only get him so far and that the focus should be to implement a well-written story that fits into the overall narrative of Star Wars outside of nostalgia.

I doubt that a new audience that isn't familiar with Ahsoka and the ghost crew will have an easy time getting into it, not because it is complicated necessarily, just vague when it comes to the characters and their history. It kind of expects you to know a lot of things. But for the fans of Ahsoka, who followed her from moment one, it was a real treat. Still, there are some things I want to talk about.

This review is for the first two episodes.

I love Ahsoka's character and her journey. The jump from animation to live-action was alright. I gave the handling of her appearances in the Mandalorian/Book of Boba a pass because she only had limited screen time and wasn't really at the centre of the story. But now that she has her own show, she still feels like a secondary character in a certain way.

The first two episodes of Ahsoka were rather boring and predictable. Perhaps it is because the promotion and trailers relied heavily on showing the footage before the episodes were released and caused these key moments to be less impactful. But it isn't necessarily the action that I found lacking.

The dialogue was extremely stiff, and I found most of the acting stale, especially Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka. I loved Sabine, though.

After Andor, Star Wars will have a difficult time living up to that level of quality, and as of now, it is difficult to tell if Ahsoka will get close. So far, the story setup is rather average and a safe play (how come there are always convenient maps leading to places where major characters are; like how?). I hope it gets more interesting and engaging (at least by the time Thrawn appears).

It could've definitely been better in terms of dialogue and chemistry between the characters, which in my opinion, was virtually almost non-existent.

Overall, I found the entry to Ahsoka to be average. Entertaining. Nothing special.

To point out the positive: the score was great, the visuals were so good and cinematic. Baylan Skoll and his apprentice can make for two interesting antagonists and I can't wait for the story to dive into their characters more.

I really love Ahsoka and I want this show to be good!! I hope/think it will get better.

I am convinced that the last two episodes are going to be insane.

We see the Bad Batch integrating themselves into Pabu's society but they will never be able to settle and they know it. If it isn't them in danger and having to fight for themselves, then they need to fight for all the other clones eventually.

This episode eases us into the finale and I am convinced Filoni will throw it out of the ball park. Whether the Batch will join Rex operation or whether they'll find their quiet spot... However the Batch will end up, it will be narratively deserved, and I honestly can't wait for the conclusion of the second season.

(This is more of a season review) This season feels like a fever dream, something that could happen in an alternate universe. It's not that completely new things are introduced. Most of the decisions the characters make are at least considered in the book (if that makes sense). For example, Mal realizes in the book and in the show that his only purpose of his existence was technically just Alina. And in the show he acts on it by the end wants to find his way. He gets to be an interesting character (at least somewhat).

There is a lot of narrative whiplash and clunkiness. One plot point jumps to the other and the viewer is dragged along with little time to breathe. This happens throughout the whole season.

That being said, I get that this show is technically 'based on' the books of Leigh Bardugo, but half way through it does change quite a bit. A new McGuffin is introduced, which I don't mind. It is a way to introduce Shu Han earlier in the story and gives the crows something to do, but like the other things in the season, it is rushed.

There are nods to the books that I enjoyed (elements of dialogue and character interaction) but some of them felt misplaced, especially certain lines that were seemingly just picked from the books and thrown into the show without the intended context and that removed the meaning entirely.

Obviously the books are a presence and something for the show to fall back on, but I feel like the show would have difficulty standing on its own-if there weren't any books to read up on. I mean the show draws from moments of the book so heavily (not story-wise) that it forgets that there might be viewers that haven't read the books.

For example the show often assumes that character dynamics are already known by the viewer before it bothers to introduce those dynamics which is not good. It never dives deeper into those characters. Inej and Kaz for example: I know what their deal is and why they mean so much to each other because I read the books, but I can imagine that for an average viewer their relationship might just come off as weird. And that is kind of what I'm getting at. This show isn't for the 'average viewer' but for those who read the books, which is sad because the point of an adaptation is to draw in more potential fans (without them necessarily having to read up on everything).

The new dynamics we get-between Inej and Tolya for example-is something I enjoy and I imagine the average viewer enjoys as well, because I feel like this was the only dynamic that doesn't assume anything already established in the books because it is new.

An example of a relationship dynamic that is rushed would be Zoya and Alina, Nina and Inej, Waylan and Inej (I found it weird that he was concerned after she got hurt when he didn't really interact with her in a way before that made me think that he'd be concerned about her).

In the end, the story diverts a lot from the books and I didn't mind it. I think the show will dive into Alina's hunger for power that was merely brushed upon in the books. I also like how Mal gets to be an actual character in the end.

But the problems i had with the first season are also present in the second: rushing the story, weird dialogue, plot convinces and clunky action scenes and sequences (sorry, but the fight Nikolai and company against Kirigan's minions was ridiculous). There are once again many convinces (the crows showing up at the final moment, Inej with superhuman-like abilities, Nina sorta sticking around in case she is needed and than taken out and then returning again (if you've seen the last episode, I think you get what I'm on about)).

The set design and costumes were great. The score as well and this season is enjoyable, but I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't able to gain more fans outside of those who read the books and can appreciate the characters being thrown into all kinds of situations.

Rating of second season: 7/10.

... knowing Star Wars it probably will never be. But it is nice to see a calmer episode with a threat that isn't the empire or a direct result of one of Cid's missions. In this episode we get to see more of Phee and get to know her a little better. We get to see the opportunities the Bad Batch has outside of being soldiers but we also know that in the Star Wars universe, the quiet never lasts, whether it is disrupted by the might of the empire or a natural disaster. Even if the Batch wants the quiet life, the circumstances of the galaxy will inevitably force them to a decision and to stand and fight. It is still good to see that they went through their options in finding who they are and what their purpose is going to be. I assume the last episodes will dive deeper in to that and will conclude this season nicely. This episode feels a bit like the calm before the storm.

I appreciate that Echo leaving wasn't just discarded and forgotten. The group appears a little tense after Echo's departure and it is interesting to see the effect Omega dealing with Echo leaving has on the members of the bad batch.

I enjoyed the screen time Tech got and not just the technical, analytical stuff but also a bit of emotional development. Omega is the heart of the group and I think that because of her, the rest of the squad, especially Tech are able to grow emotionally and realize that they don't have to be these soldiers anymore that have to bury their feelings. With Omega they are able to embrace the family they have.

But Omega also learns from Tech to respect the choices of others, whether they choose to leave or process their feelings differently.

The dynamics between Omega and the rest of the squad are hugely different. Everyone of them have a different influence on Omega and given her empathy, it only makes sense that she would clash with Tech's more analytical approach. But at the end of the day Tech shows her that her feelings and how she processes them is just as valid as his process.

I also liked the way Tech has so much trust in his squad that no matter what situation they are in, he is confident that they will come out on the other side of it.

Overall, this was a character episode with a little less action and a bit more focus on Tech. And I enjoyed it a lot.

I don't mind a little side-track, not if the episodes themselves are enjoyable and still carry some relevance to the story, if only a little.

I feel like Tech, alongside Echo, will push Hunter to make a decision about the squad's future soon. They know that their skillset is vastly underutilized with Cid. They began to work for her to gain their footing in the new galaxy, but now they are used to it and potentially want to do more.

We got to see more of Tech's side of this problem in this episode, which I enjoyed. It added to the different dynamic each character has with the world they live in. First Crosshair, then Echo and now Tech.

It would be an interesting conflict to see the Bad Batch argue over what they should do next and it will be interesting to see how Omega fits into all of this.

I enjoyed the first two episodes of the second season. It introduced us back to all the characters and the heart of the show.

But even for an animated show with approx. Twenty minutes, it was fairly fast paced. I think they could've combined the first two episodes and make it a bit longer like the did with the first episode in the first season.

The heist arc was very rushed and I felt that if the writing had slowed down a bit and made some effort into showing us a moment where the group is planning the heist (as opposed to them just swoop in and expecting it to work) the stakes would've been higher. But perhaps I expect too much of an animated show with short episodes.

But despite the pacing (it being a little too fast), the episode was very enjoyable and exciting. The character relationships between the bad batch and Omega (especially Echo and Omega) is also worth mentioning.

I can't wait to see what character arcs the show has planned for them all.

The writing of this show is impeccable. Andor is Star Wars at its best. The empire feels like a real threat. The people trying to fight it make cruel sacrifices.

I was a bit worried that Aldhani and that climactic episode of the heist was difficult to follow up on but the climax of the prison arc did not at all disappoint. Andor is outdoing itself with every episode.

The writing is of such high quality and the way they tell the story ... they manage to make every minor character matter in just a few camera beats and lines and manage to make the audience mourn when Cassian parts ways with them.

I cannot say it enough. Andor is one of the best Star Wars projects!

All this build up and character development, all leading up to a climactic episode. I was at the edge of my seat the entire time! The tension was on point. At every turn I suspected something to go wrong and I was not disappointed.

The visuals are phenomenal! The score literal perfection. The heist itself was flawlessly executed. Nothing felt undeserved and easily acquired.

The stakes were high and the humanity was never lost in a sleek rebel vs empire fight we get in most star wars stories.

The previous episodes were all leading to one hell of a climax and I cannot wait how it goes from there. I cared so much for characters I hardly spent any time with just because the development was amazing. I was shocked and conflicted by the end.

I cannot stress this enough how much of a fan I am of this show!

After this episode I truly believe that Andor is one of the best story tellings in the entire Star Wars universe (only movies and shows; not games and books).

The writing relies heavily on show don't tell. The stakes feel real. In just one episode the show managed to make me care about a group of entirely new characters, made me interested in where they came from and what their motivations are.

This show diverts entirely from the Star Wars we know and focuses on the little people. We get to see the workings of the empire and not just have them as a luring evil that functions mostly in the background or appears when our heroes need a bit of resistance. They are people doing their jobs and believing in what they do. They, just like the rebells, are driven and have their motivations. We rarely get to see that side of the empire and it is so fascinating to see it.

Andor is (and probably will remain as) one of my favorite story from the Star Wars universe. The story telling is masterful and I cannot wait for more.

This is so far from the Star Wars I know. No jedi stuff, no force, no sith... nothing of that.

This is just about how regular people make their way in a galaxy under a cruel regime and I am 100% here for it.

I was hoping for something different, for a star wars story without the reliance of callbacks and cameos.

These three episode are just that and it is amazing. We are introduced to a whole new world within a world we are already so familiar with. This felt so entirely new and fresh.

These first episodes exceeded my expectations. I loved all the characters and their complexity. I cannot wait to see more of the world around Andor.

I need to see that movie.

She-Hulk is just entertaining. It gets a couple of unexpected laughs out of me but not much more. I don't have any expectations for it. It's a fun watch.

It's okay that marvel doesn't always deliver at a hundred percent and I don't think the show is particularly bad. I like the characters.

What I had hoped we would get to see how the law works in the mc universe with all these super-powered people and not just cases like they show in the previous episodes. I guess they could focus a bit more on that.

I hope they do in future episodes.

All in all I had a good time but it's not something I would necessarily rewatch or remember by tomorrow, soo...

Madisynn amd Wong was a fun pair up.