Asajj Ventress returns in The Bad Batch

The surviving members of Clone Force 99 are back in action for an explosive final season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch on Disney+. Lucasfilm has dropped an official trailer for the Emmy-winning Star Wars spin-off series from Dave Filoni (Star Wars Rebels).



Read the official synopsis:

"In the epic final season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, the Batch will have their limits tested in the fight to reunite with Omega as she faces challenges of her own inside a remote Imperial science lab. With the group fractured and facing threats from all directions, they will have to seek out unexpected allies, embark on dangerous missions and muster everything they have learned to free themselves from the Empire."

Star Wars: The Clone Wars fan-favourite Asajj Ventress makes her return as the Bad Batch attempt to rescue Omega from the Empire. “We love Asajj Ventress. She’s a character that we’ve been wanting to tell more stories about,” Brad Rau, supervising director and one of the executive producers of the series, tells StarWars.com. “We don't want to spoil anything, but want fans to know that any new storytelling with Ventress will align with the events of Star Wars: Dark Disciple.”

The third and final season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch premieres with the first three episodes on 21st February exclusively on Disney+.

Season 3 Episode Schedule:

February 21: Episode 1 (“Confined”), 2 (“Paths Unknown”), 3 (“Shadows of Tantiss”)
February 28: Episode 4 ("A Different Approach")
March 6: Episode 5 (“The Return”)
March 13: Episode 6 (“Infiltration”), 7 (“Extraction”)
March 20: Episode 8 (“Bad Territory”)
March 27: Episode 9 (“The Harbinger”)
April 3: Episode 10 (“Identity Crisis”), 11 (“Point of No Return”)
April 10: Episode 12 (“Juggernaut”)
April 17: Episode 13 (“Into the Breach”)
April 24: Episode 14 (“Flash Strike”)
May 1: Episode 15 (“The Cavalry Has Arrived”)

Are you looking forward to the final season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

The Mandalorian channels Game of Thrones

The latest episode of The Mandalorian on Disney+ channels Game of Thrones, and features a surprising redemption arc.

Following last week's Coruscant capers in The Convert, which potentially ties into Emperor Palpatine's (Ian McDiarmid) return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The Foundling briskly explores Grogu's past as Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) go in pursuit of dragons in an adventure worthy of Classic Star Wars comics strips.

Grogu experiences a flashback to Order 66 from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and his surprising saviour is finally revealed. No, it's not Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) saving Baby Yoda from 501st Legion clone troopers, led by Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen), as they storm the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, it's Ahmed Best!

Best is perhaps infamously known for playing Jar Jar Binks in George Lucas' prequel trilogy. Here, Best is playing Jedi Master Kelleran Beq and it's a joy to behold as he valiantly battles clone troopers and escapes from Coruscant with Grogu.

I hope we see Beq again.

The Mandalorian is tantamount to Jon Favreau (Iron Man) and Dave Filoni (Star Wars Rebels) unleashing the contents of a mythological toy box with the power of Epic Games' Unreal Engine. It’s film school for geeks with knowing nods to spaghetti western and tech noir genres.

More galactic joy ride than a deep character-driven rumination on love and loss like Pascal’s other hit television series, The Last of Us. And I’m fine with that.

In related news on Disney+. Star Wars: The Bad Batch season two follows Omega and Clone Force 99 as Filoni's animated spin-off series continues to explore events between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope with the maturity of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.

Are you watching The Mandalorian on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

The Scrapbook of Boba Fett

The Book of Boba Fett has concluded on Disney+ and I've enjoyed my Star Wars Weekly fix as we wait for Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi and the third season of The Mandalorian later this year. There are going to be spicy spoilers.

Once Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) escaped the Sarlacc pit, and the dopamine nostalgia hit wore off, too much time was spent in flashback with the Tusken Raiders (replete with knowing nods to Solo: A Star Wars Story and Dune) to the series' detriment and character development (looking at you Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen)).

This is typified when Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) arrives and steals the show - with his dangerous Darksaber - as Boba Fett naps in a bacta tank. If you snooze, you lose in this galaxy.

Not for the first time, executive producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni make the prequels cool with thrilling callbacks as Din Djarin searches for a new starship to replace the Razor Crest with the aid of Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris), her derp-droids and Jawa allies. Lucasfilm, give Peli Motto her own spin-off series.

When Din Djarin tells Fennec Shand that he has to see a small friend (Grogu) before battling the Pyke Syndicate for control of Tatooine, I assumed we wouldn’t see him again until the season finale of The Book of Boba Fett. Wrong, was I.

The Force moves in mysterious ways.

On an enigmatic forest planet, R2-D2 greets Din Djarin and I’m an ugly mess. Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni bring a young Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) back after his surprise cameo in The Mandalorian second season finale. Jedi Masters aren't just for Christmas.

Seeing Luke Skywalker teaching Grogu the ways of the Force, in a reprise of the training scenes in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, is overwhelming. How I wished my mum was alive to see it, she would have adored Baby Yoda. Not only does Luke Skywalker return but Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), too. Seeing the fan-favourites side-by-side is the stuff of sword and sorcery.

The arrival of Jabba the Hutt's twin cousins promised a fun clash with the titular bounty hunter only for the spice-hungry duo to hastily leave Tatooine due to the Pyke Syndicate. These Hutts aren't galactic gangsters worthy of Jabba's family tree.

In the original Star Wars trilogy, Boba Fett would have gunned down the teenage Tatooine biker gang instead of enlisting them as nothing beats a pet rancor, a parting gift from the retreating Hutt twins, channelling King Kong! The cringeworthy Power Ranger rejects added nothing beyond the slowest speeder chase in the franchise's storied history and Marty McFly would have had no problem outrunning them in Back to the Future.

Grogu forsakes Jedi training. As Din Djarin and Grogu fly into an uncertain future aboard a customised Naboo Starfighter, there's a sense of impending tragedy for the survivor of Order 66 and his father figure.

The Book of Boba Fett, dog-eared and frayed around the edges like any well-read comic book should be, begins to weave the connective tissue together. Despite being a scrappier version of The Mandalorian, it was a love letter to fans of George Lucas' space opera on the big and small screen. If you've seen the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: The Clones Wars, Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Bad Batch, you were in seventh heaven. I know I was.

Deepfake technology is making such rapid progress, a live-action adaptation of Star Wars: Dark Empire feels closer, but may never be. Because reasons.

In a few weeks, we’ll be back on Tatooine for Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+. I'm ready to spend more time in a galaxy far, far away… Are you? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch renewed on Disney+

Lucasfilm announced Star Wars: The Bad Batch, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars spin-off following Clone Force 99, has been renewed for a second season ahead of the two-part finale beginning on Disney+ today.

“Fans have enthusiastically embraced the action and drama of ‘Star Wars: The Bad Batch,’ and we are excited to see the Star Wars animated universe continue to expand on Disney Plus,” said Michael Paull, president of Disney+ and ESPN+. “As the dedicated streaming home for the Star Wars franchise, we can’t wait for the second season of this fan-favorite animated series.”

Commenting on the second season renewal, executive producer Dave Filoni said, “The entire Lucasfilm Animation team and I would like to thank Disney Plus and our fans for the opportunity to continue telling the story of the Bad Batch.”

New episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch premiere every Friday exclusively on Disney+.

Are you looking forward to the second season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch in 2022 on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch mid-season peek

Star Wars: The Bad Batch, a spin-off from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, reaches its mid-season with Clone Force 99 and Omega pursued by an emergent Empire aided by fellow clone and former comrade, Crosshair.



The animated series doesn't shy away from darker themes in the wake of Emperor Palpatine's Order 66 in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

"It's exciting that I get to continue that story and tell a little bit more about what happens to the clones," series head writer and executive producer Jennifer Corbett told StarWars.com. "That's why I feel bad for Crosshair and all the clones. He didn’t have a choice. The chip was planted and none of them have a say in what they did. He's an interesting character. I can't wait for you to see where it goes."

New episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch premiere every Friday exclusively on Disney+.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Vintage Collection

As part of its Star Wars Fan Celebration, Hasbro has revealed Star Wars: The Vintage Collection: The Bad Batch in stunning retro-inspired packaging.

Emily Cantelupe (Senior Product Designer, Hasbro Star Wars) said this about the Kenner-branded vintage collection: “The Vintage Collection is a great line for celebrating troop building, so we built this pack to bring in the new clones coming to the Disney+ animated series, Star Wars: The Bad Batch!”

The Pawtucket-based company's Photo Real Technology impresses with Captain Rex, Captain Grey, Captain Ballast and an Elite Squad Trooper.

Cantelupe goes on to say: “Fans will notice that The Vintage Collection Star Wars: The Bad Batch Figure 4-pack brings some brand new sculpted portrait heads to The Vintage Collection. Each comes with unique details like Captain Ballast's unique hair sculpt with the shaved sides. We hope that these new portraits will bring some variety to collector’s shelves!“

In related news. The Black Series continues to commemorate the first 50 years of Lucasfilm with Power of the Force-themed packaging featuring fan-favourites Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Greedo from Star Wars: A New Hope. I remember avidly collecting the 'muscular' toy line, at inflated import prices from a defunct local comic book store, in the mid-nineties.

The exclusive 4-pack can be pre-ordered at Amazon.com (affiliate link) and will be released in the fall.

New episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch premiere every Friday exclusively on Disney+.

Will you be adding Star Wars: The Bad Batch to your vintage collection? Let me know in the comments below.

LEGO Star Wars: The Bad Batch Attack Shuttle

Star Wars: The Bad Batch premiered on Star Wars Day on Disney+, and LEGO has announced a new set coming to your galaxy this August.

The Bad Batch Attack Shuttle set includes Clone Force 99 members Tech, Echo, Hunter, Wrecker and Crosshair. Plus, two speeders and a Gonk droid! Gonk... Gonk...

Jens Kronvold Frederiksen, Lego Star Wars creative lead said: "I’m thrilled that we can finally reveal this great new model that celebrates the launch of the new animated series. Star Wars: The Bad Batch characters are so unique and deserve an awesome ride, which they definitely got in the Attack Shuttle.

Really enjoying Star Wars: The Bad Batch on Disney+!

"We hope it inspires many young fans to relive their favourite scenes from the new series, as well as to come up with their own storylines."

The Bad Batch Attack Shuttle set is available from LEGO AU, UK and US (affiliate links).

New episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch premiere every Friday exclusively on Disney+.

Will you be adding LEGO Star Wars: The Bad Batch Attack Shuttle to your collection? Let me know in the comments below.

Fan-favourite Fennec in Star Wars: The Bad Batch

The Mandalorian's Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) showed up in Star Wars: The Bad Batch on Disney+ and the ruthless assassin spells trouble for Omega and Clone Force 99.

Whilst I won't go into any story-specific spoilers, the latest Star Wars spin-off series typifies (for me at least) there's no distinction between the live-action and animated series. They weave a cohesive galaxy-spanning tapestry much like stablemate the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Star Wars: The Bad Batch producer Jennifer Corbett discussed Fennec Shand's inclusion in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars spin-off. "This is a younger Fennec, she's new to the bounty hunting scene and it's an interesting introduction for her," she told the Radio Times. "She definitely comes in with a bang and proves to be a formidable force. It's been amazing to see her progression. The action that comes with that particular episode… it's really incredible."

Fennec Shand will be back alongside bounty hunter Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) in The Book of Boba Fett this December on Disney+.

What did you think of Fennec Shand's Star Wars: The Bad Batch debut and who do you think hired her to hunt down Omega? Let me know in the comments below.

Rosario Dawson uses the Force over Zoom

Rosario Dawson, who plays the live-action Ahsoka Tano in The Mandalorian on Disney+, appeared on Jimmy Kimmy Live to celebrate Star Wars Day.



"Rosario talks about Star Wars Day, her significant other Cory Booker posing with a lightsaber, keeping spoilers from him, revealing Baby Yoda’s name, her new movie The Water Man, her new Star Wars series for Disney+, and she shows Jimmy how she has learned to harness the Force over Zoom."

Rosario Dawson will be back as Ahsoka Tano in her own live-action Star Wars spin-off series on Disney+.

Celebrate Star Wars Day with The Bad Batch

Happy Star Wars Day! I'll be watching Star Wars: The Bad Batch on Disney+ following the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

Disney+ has shared a helpful recap of Clone Force 99's story so far as seen in the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. If you haven't watched Star Wars: The Clone Wars, you're missing out on one of the greatest spin-offs ever made.



""Star Wars: The Bad Batch" follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in “The Clone Wars”) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army—each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew."

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance) and Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance, NCIS) with Carrie Beck (The Mandalorian, Star Wars Rebels) as co-executive producer and Josh Rimes as producer (Star Wars Resistance). Rau is also serving as supervising director with Corbett as head writer.

How are you celebrating Star Wars Day? Let me know in the comments below.

May the Fourth be with you.

Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Bad Batch?

Star Wars: The Bad Batch premieres on 4th May AKA Star Wars Day on Disney+.

Matt Lanter played Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Clone Wars for seven seasons and has teased the character's return in an upcoming animated spin-off series.

"There's some new Lucasfilm Animation going on. I've been a part of some things I can't talk about yet. You'll see Anakin again," Lanter told Entertainment Weekly (EW). "I never quite put Anakin down, whether I'm doing a video game or something new for Lucasfilm Animation."

In related news. Hayden Christensen reprises the role of Anakin Skywalker in the upcoming live-action special event series Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch begins with a 70-minute special on 4th May. New episodes drop weekly exclusively on Disney+ from Friday 7th May.

Do you think Anakin Skywalker will appear in Star Wars: The Bad Batch? Let me know in the comments below.

The Bad Batch assemble in Disney+ poster

It's Force Friday so to speak, fellow Star Wars fans!

Star Wars: The Bad Batch begins streaming on 4th May AKA Star Wars Day on Disney+. A new poster has been released to celebrate the upcoming animated spin-off series.



Read the official synopsis for Star Wars: The Bad Batch:

""Star Wars: The Bad Batch" follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in “The Clone Wars”) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army—each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew."

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance) and Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance, NCIS) with Carrie Beck (The Mandalorian, Star Wars Rebels) as co-executive producer and Josh Rimes as producer (Star Wars Resistance). Rau is also serving as supervising director with Corbett as head writer.

The misfit band of clones will be joined on their adventure by fan-favourite Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) who appears in The Mandalorian and upcoming The Book of Boba Fett.

The Star Wars spin-off begins with a 70-minute special on 4th May. New episodes drop weekly exclusively on Disney+ from Friday 7th May.

Are you looking forward to Star Wars: The Bad Batch? Let me know in the comments below.

The Bad Batch strike back Star Wars Day

Clone Force 99, AKA The Bad Batch, are back in action following their explosive debut in the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Disney+.

Today, Lucasfilm dropped a trailer for Star Wars: The Bad Batch that sees the band of misfits on the run from Grand Moff Tarkin in the wake of The Clone Wars.



Here's the official synopsis:

""Star Wars: The Bad Batch" follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in “The Clone Wars”) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army—each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew."

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance) and Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance, NCIS) with Carrie Beck (The Mandalorian, Star Wars Rebels) as co-executive producer and Josh Rimes as producer (Star Wars Resistance). Rau is also serving as supervising director with Corbett as head writer.

The Star Wars spin-off begins May Fourth AKA Star Wars Day with a 70-minute special. New episodes drop weekly exclusively on Disney+ from Friday 7th May.

Are you looking forward to Star Wars: The Bad Batch? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch launches May Fourth

Star Wars: The Clone Wars spin-off The Bad Batch launches May Fourth AKA Star Wars Day on Disney+.

From StarWars.com:

“The series follows the elite and experimental troopers of Clone Force 99 (first introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch, as they prefer to be called — a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army — each possess a singular exceptional skill, which makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew.”

Nick Smith was impressed by the band of misfit clones in his review of The Clone Wars final season.

“Giving new and existing fans the final chapter of Star Wars: The Clone Wars has been our honor at Disney+, and we are overjoyed by the global response to this landmark series,” Agnes Chu, senior vice president of content at Disney+, shared in a statement when the series was announced. “While The Clone Wars may have come to its conclusion, our partnership with the groundbreaking storytellers and artists at Lucasfilm Animation is only beginning. We are thrilled to bring Dave Filoni’s vision to life through the next adventures of the Bad Batch.”

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance) and Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance, NCIS) with Carrie Beck (The Mandalorian, Star Wars Rebels) as co-executive producer and Josh Rimes as producer (Star Wars Resistance). Rau is also serving as supervising director with Corbett as head writer.

Are you looking forward to the new Star Wars spin-off series? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch coming to Disney+

There's a new Star Wars spin-off coming to your galaxy in 2021. The Bad Batch, a unique squad of clones first seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, are getting their own animated series on Disney+.

“Giving new and existing fans the final chapter of Star Wars: The Clone Wars has been our honor at Disney+, and we are overjoyed by the global response to this landmark series,” said Agnes Chu, senior vice president, Content, Disney+. “While The Clone Wars may have come to its conclusion, our partnership with the groundbreaking storytellers and artists at Lucasfilm Animation is only beginning. We are thrilled to bring Dave Filoni’s vision to life through the next adventures of the Bad Batch.”

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels).

Are you excited for The Bad Batch or would you prefer an Ahsoka Tano spin-off series? Let me know in the comments below.