Ever since 'Game of Thrones' set the standard for big spectacle in their penultimate episode to their season finales, nothing really has topped the bombastic heights of "The Battle of the Bastards" or other memorable moments. However, the standard had been set. Lucasfilm, not one to be outdone, delivered a truly awesome penultimate episode of their own for season 1 of 'The Bad Batch'. No, it doesn't match the nearly unreachable levels of production that GoT achieved, but it does take this series in a new direction and closes the book on a long loved chapter of Star Wars, all with it's own levels of bombast. Everything between Hunter and Crosshair worked. From the well written dialogue to the small animated facial tics and vocal performances, their interactions are really the core of the episode. But what really stood out this week was watching Lucasfilm say farewell to 'The Clone Wars' as we watched Imperials lay waste to Tapoka City, a location synonymous with one of the most interesting eras of Star Wars. It worked both as an element of this series as well as a nod to long time fans, and though it ends on a dour note, we know season 2 is on the way. We can look forward to the final episode of this season on Friday and more adventures with this dysfunctional squad next year.

Apologies on the delay for this episode. Technical difficulties prevented us from being able to upload yesterday.

'The Bad Batch' returns to Ryloth this week, picking up not long after the shocking events that lead to Cham being framed and arrested. However, the show returns to a more traditional structure after somewhat breaking the mold last episode. Hera calls for help from her new friend Omega and her brothers, which results in an exciting, action packed, rescue mission. But it's the crises of conscious going on with our newest favourite clone, Howzer, that is most compelling. His actions may have wider reaching repercussions for the clone army than maybe anyone expected. Julian and Rachel discuss this and much more as they break down the episode scene by scene.

What a delightful surprise! 'The Bad Batch' turned its formula on its head this week and basically ignored the titular characters in exchange for a compelling political drama on Ryloth. A changeup that delivers one of, if not the best episode of the season yet. Not having seen the Ryloth or the Twi'lek since 'The Clone Wars', we return to the planet as the corpulent senator Orn Free Taa, and General Cham Syndulla, along with his family (hey it's Hera and Chopper!), help to sheppard in an age of peace with The Empire. But as the title of the episode suggests, the cost for peace may be too high. This episode also introduces us to a new clone, Captain Howzer, who is immediately likable and reminiscent of clones pre-order-66, which is a fascinating inclusion and raises many questions that Julian and Rachel ponder in this week's recap/review.

It's all business this week for 'The Bad Batch', as it wraps up a few lingering plot threads as we move into the second act of the season. Captain Rex also makes a return this week, with a fresh battle scar all his own, as he helps the squad remove their inhibitor chips with a visit to a familiar planet. You might wonder, how much more can they really mine from Order 66? And the answer seems to be, quite a bit actually. This episode uses the backdrop of order 66 to frame it an a whole new way as we get to live out a version of the horrifying moment through the eyes of Omega. It also nicely sets the stage for the return of Crosshair, making it easily one of the best episodes of the season so far.