RJ Writing Ink

Hey guys, RJ Writing Ink here. As of today, I’ve decided to do my reviews for The Mandalorian away from my blog. Much like what I did with The Bad Batch and South Park, I will now post them on The Game of Nerds. I’ve been writing reviews for them for a few years now, and I have gained more views on there than I would otherwise. As such, I’ve taken to posting my reviews for those shows on their site rather than here.

So, if you want to see my reviews for any of those shows going forward, please go to The Game of Nerds blog. I appreciate it, and I know the people who run the blog will feel the same. Just be prepared for the reviews to come out later, as they have to space posts out to generate traffic.

I’ve also been writing for D&A Anime Blog as a contributor. They put out a request for more writers a few months back, and I responded. I’ve done a few one-off posts about anime news, fan theories and works, and reviews for shows like Chainsaw Man and Tomo-Chan is a Girl! My Tomo-Chan reviews have proven to be very popular. Go read them if you want my thoughts on one of the best rom-com anime of the Winter 2023 season and 2023 in general. It’s a lot of fun to watch! 

Links to both sites will be provided below!

My Game of Nerds Stuff

My D&A Anime Blog Stuff

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 15 Review

We knew that with the rise of the Empire, the Clone Troopers would be replaced. It was a tragic inevitability of canon that this would happen. However, the last episode saw the Imperials move faster than few could guess. They’re already introducing the Stormtroopers, Kamino got cleaned out, and worst of all, Hunter got captured! Now, the Bad Batch has to return to the one place they swore never to go back to: Kamino. And what happens there will drop the curtain on the age of Clone Troopers, for good.

Return To Kamino

Following Hunter’s capture on Daro, Crosshair uses him as bait to lure the rest of the Bad Batch. Despite knowing it’s an obvious trap, the team goes anyway. However, Hunter’s not on Daro. He’s on Kamino.

Despite promising Omega that they’d never go back, none of the squad hesitates to return to Kamino. Instead of army of Clones and Kaminoans they expect, though, there’s no one there. No one at all. The Empire has moved everyone and everything of value off-planet. The only thing left is an empty, lifeless city.

To see the city on Kamino now empty and quiet is very unsettling. Throughout The Clone Wars, Kamino was a place filled with life, duty, and purpose. Now, it has nothing left to do but wait for the inevitable end. Therefore, it’s only fitting that the Bad Batch plays a starring role in the cloning facility’s final act.

Big Revelation

Throughout The Clone Wars, audiences were repeatedly reminded of the fact that the Clone Troopers were people, not tools. While they mostly looked and sounded the same, they formed their own personalities and world views. And sometimes, they would end up disagreeing on these. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Bad Batch themselves.

At the episode’s climax, the Bad Batch and their former comrade, Crosshair, engage in a tense standoff with each other in the training grounds. Both sides make ovetures to get the other to join them. Crosshair even points out that his brothers left him behind before giving him a chance, and that working as mercenaries is beneath them. Crosshair even kills his new team just to show them he can be trusted. Then a surprise shootout with training droids sees the group team up one last time.

As bad as things have gotten between them, it was nice to see Crosshair fight alongside his brothers once more. However, it also serves as a reminder that things can’t go back to how they once were.

The Awful Truth About Crosshair

Hunter tries one last time to appeal to Crosshair, saying it’s not his fault. It’s the Inhibitor Chip in him that’s making him act like this. However, Crosshair drops a bombshell, revealing he got his chip removed some time ago. Thus, many of his actions have been of his own accord.

I know that this revelation may be controversial. However, I personally find it to be a very good plot twist. All this time, we’ve assumed that the new attitudes of the Clone Troopers were wholly because of the Chips. The fact that Crosshair got his removed and still serves the Empire willingly throws a lot into question. How many other Clones are serving the Imps by choice rather than brainwashing?

Regardless, it’s clear that the Empire doesn’t value Crosshair’s loyalty. Once things go south, they don’t hesitate to fire from orbit on the facility, sending it to the depths of Kamino with the Bad Batch still on it. Though not before giving us one last, haunting shot of how devoid the city has become. A sad, ignominious end to the once great Clone Army.

A Great Cliffhanger

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would see the end of Kamino as we know it. Yet here we are, with the legacy of Kamino sinking into the abyss, with our heroes along with it. With the announcement of the show getting a second season, we know that the Bad Batch will get out of this mess. However, it’s going to be fun seeing how they do so. In addition, there’s still the matter of Crosshair. Can he still be redeemed? Considering how redemption is a big theme in Star Wars, probably. Yet it’s not going to be an easy process. Crosshair may not even want to change.

With the announcement of The Bad Batch getting a second season, the second part of the finale next week may start Crosshair’s redemption arc. It would certainly be interesting to see. Until then, though, I hope to see how the squad escapes from Kamino once more.

I Give “Escape From Kamino” a 4/5

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Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 14 Review

Last week, The Bad Batch dropped the ball with a filler episode. However, this week, the show returns firing on all cylinders! With only three episodes left, the show’s headed towards its endgame with a lot left up in the air. Besides telling the story of Omega and the Bad Batch, the show gives us insight into the early days of the Empire. And this week, we got a surprise that few could’ve seen coming. This week, we got to see the very first Stormtroopers!!

No, seriously. The early Stormtroopers appear in this episode.

An Unexpected Rescue

While on yet another job for Cid, the Bad Batch gets a surprise call from Captain Rex. Another Clone Trooper’s trying to desert the Empire, but got captured doing so. Thus, Rex wants them to bust him out, something that Echo persuades the others into. It’s not just any Clone that they’re rescuing, though. It’s none other than Clone Commando Gregor.

Fans of The Clone Wars and Rebels may remember seeing Gregor in the past. In The Clone Wars, he was an amnesiac Clone who went MIA after being found by Republic droids. Years later, he’s living with Rex and Wolfe on an old AT-TE in retirement, and his sanity has taken a hit or two. In this episode, though, we get to see what he’s like in that transitional period of his life. He’s already displaying some of his craziness in Rebels, and he’s not happy with how his life’s going.

The reason’s simple: Stormtroopers. While it’s not made clear how much time’s passed since the Clone Wars ended, it’s likely only been a few months. A few months, and already Darth Sidious’ begun replacing the Clones with their largely inferior successors. And it is glorious! In a great tribute to their designer, the late Ralph McQuarrie , the early stormtroopers wear armor based on his original concept art. The rugged and rough nature of this new armor serves as a great transition between the Clones and the Stormtroopers. The message is clear: the days of the Clones are done.

The End of the Clone Troopers

In another inevitable development that reinforces the end to the days of the Clone Troopers, this episode reveals that the Empire’s cancelled their contracts with Kamino. In other words, no more Clone Troopers will be created, and the future of the ones remaining is in doubt.

It’s common knowledge that within a few years, the Clones were largely phased out in favor of the Stormtroopers. While there were a few still serving the Empire by the time of the classic films, most of them seemed to have vanished. Now the answer may be far clearer than it once was. With the coming of the Stormtroopers, the Empire couldn’t have an army of elite Clones running around. Thus, they may have decided to wipe most of them out.

The events of this episode bring further credence to this idea. The Empire starts moving Clones off Kamino, and when their Prime Minister tries to cut and run, the Empire arrests and executes him. In other words, they’re tying up loose ends, and the Clones could be next.

Set for the Endgame

While the Bad Batch gets Gregor out of prison, it comes at a cost: Hunter gets captured. The last we see of him, he’s being met in his cell by Crosshair.

Just like that, the stage becomes set for a final confrontation between Crosshair and his former squad. And there’s no guarantee if any of them will make it out of this fight alive. With only two episodes left, the stakes are high, both in-universe and in a meta sense. If The Bad Batch pulls this off well, then fans can chalk this series up as a success. If not, then the Bad Batch will likely be forgotten as fans move on. I’m hoping that it will be a success though, as there’s plenty more stories to tell in this era of Star Wars.

I Give “War-Mantle” a 4.5/5. Bonus Points for Delta Squad Member Scorch Appearing!

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Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 13 Review

Well, it’s official: the Bad Batch finally had an episode that I don’t give two cents about. Last week, it looked like The Bad Batch was getting ready for its endgame. Crosshair was sanctioned to hunt down his former team, so it looked like things were about to get crazy. Instead, this week sees us deal with a filler episode that just reiterates a lesson that the cast has already learned: that they need to be more open to helping people. As of now, “Infested” is my least favorite episode of the show.

Taking Back Cid’s Bar

Despite Omega paying off the team’s debt to Cid, the Bad Batch continues to work for her with no explanation as to why. More than likely, it’s to pay for gear and keep the Empire off their back. However, there’s a snag to this. Out of nowhere, this upcoming crime boss takes the bar and drives Cid out. The Bad Batch doesn’t take this lying down, though, and they team up with Cid to get her bar back.

After that, the rest of the episode follows the standard formula we’ve come to expect. The Bad Batch has a mission to fulfill, Omega’s empathy powers help her connect with the guy who should be their enemy. Like I said, there’s not a lot of substance to this episode. Not even the infestation that gives the episode it’s name, “Infested”. Apparently, they have to go through a cave that’s infested with these giant moth monsters that I could barely see.

Infested Was Not Very Interesting

I will completely upfront and honest: this episode was one that I could barely pay attention to. There are only three episodes left in a show that has no confirmed second season. Now should be the time when the show ramps things up and gets ready for the big finale. We should see the Empire starting to put the squeeze on the Bad Batch and Kamino, not this filler episode.

The only possible explanation I can think of is that this is the calm before the storm. After this week, we should expect the rest of the show to be a rollercoaster until the end. If that’s the case, then I might look back on this episode better. Until then, this was a very forgettable episode.

I Give “Infested” a 2/5

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Last week, the Bad Batch took a surprising backseat on their show. Instead, the show focused on the origins of Hera Syndulla, a key leader in the future Rebellion against the Empire. While she and her famous father want nothing more than to lay down their blasters and embrace the so-called “peace” the Empire’s offering, events force their hand. As a result, Senator Taa of Ryloth got shot by the Empire, Hera’s parents were framed for it, and Hera had to go on the run. Which inevitably leads to her enlisting the help of the Bad Batch to free her family. Let the Rebellion begin!

There’s just one problem: the Bad Batch doesn’t want anything to do with the Rebellion.

The Bad Batch Doesn’t Want to Fight Anymore…But Omega Does

As they have made clear plenty of times during the show’s run, the Bad Batch doesn’t want to fight anymore. At least they don’t want to pick a fight with the Empire. Hunter’s primary concern is keeping Omega safe and under the radar. Considering how the Empire wants them dead and the Kaminoan’s want to use Omega to create more Clones, this seems like the most sensible decision. However, there are two problems with this mindset. Firstly, as long as the Empire’s in charge, no one is safe anywhere. Secondly, Omega can’t ignore others in need of help.

Omega’s role in the Bad Batch is two-fold. Two episodes ago, she established herself as the squad’s budding strategist. First and foremost, though, she’s the group’s empath. She’s able to connect with people in a way the others can’t and brings out the best in them. That’s a very powerful ability to have, but it can be a double-edged sword. 

Omega’s always looking to help out others, even when it’s to her possible detriment. While she does convince the Bad Batch to help free Hera’s parents (and show that she and Hera work great together), they also put themselves back on the Empire’s radar. Fed up with their constant interference, Admiral Rampart gives Crosshair permission to hunt down his old squad. 

This plot point’s somewhat hampered by the fact that we knew this moment was coming. No matter how much Hunter may want, the Bad Batch can’t hide from the Empire forever. No one can. The only way Omega will be safe is when the Empire falls.

Rebellion Begins in Full on Ryloth

Those who’ve seen Star Wars: Rebels know the foregone conclusion for the Syndulla family and for Ryloth. Cham, Eleni, and Hera have to go on the run after the former two get rescued. However, and this may sound macabre, I’m a little disappointed that Eleni didn’t die this episode. It seemed like the show was setting us up for her inevitable death, cementing Cham as a fighter for Ryloth once more. That said, I have faith in Filoni and his team knowing what they’re doing.

What surprised me even more, though, we’re the actions of Captain Howzer this episode. Since Order 66 went into effect, almost all the Clone Troopers have become very robotic and less individualistic, no doubt due to the inhibitor chips. However, Howzer remained different, possessing a moral compass and only following his orders out of loyalty to his men and commanders. This episode, though, sees Howzer decide to do the right thing over following orders, and let’s the Bad Batch escape with the Syndulla’s. He then talks to his men about what they’re becoming, and how what they’re doing is wrong. He still gets arrested, but several Clones side with him.

This is a game-changing moment for the Clones. Until now, we feared that the majority of them would remain brainwashed by Order 66. However, either the effects of the Inhibitor Chips aren’t as powerful as we thought, or they’re starting to wear off. That would explain why Sidious ultimately replaced the Clones in the end. While far better soldiers than the average Stormtrooper, the Clones were still free-thinking people who could make their own decisions. Thus, Sidious saw it better to use indoctrinated conscripts, as they were easier to control.

The Endgame Begins

There are only four episodes left in The Bad Batch, and no guarantee of a second season. In other words, we’re nearing the endgame for the Bad Batch. At least I’m the timeframe of the show. I have no doubt that we’ll see more of Omega in the future, but with Crosshair now after his former squad, their future remains up in the air.

I’m personally hoping that the show will end with the Bad Batch returning to Kamino to settle things. It would be a great way to bring their journey full circle, as well as explain what happens to most of the Clone Troopers. A Clone Rebellion may be brewing on the horizon, and I look forward to seeing what happens.

I Give “Rescue on Ryloth” a 4/5

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Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 11 Review

Ever since Disney took over the Star Wars franchise, they’ve been trying to run a tight ship. It’s not just axing most of the Expanded Universe. They’re trying to make sure that all Star Wars content is connected to each other in some way. As someone who was a fan of the EU, this strategy seems like a double-edged sword. Yes, it means less contradictions, but it also makes Star Wars not as big as it once was. Case in point, this week’s episode of The Bad Batch barely features them. Instead, it focuses on the origins of a future rebel leader, Hera Syndulla.

Hera and The Clone Wars-Rebels Connection

Those who watched The Clone Wars and Rebels will be very familiar with the characters Hera and Cham Syndulla. Cham Syndulla was introduced back in season one of The Clone Wars as the leader of the resistance against the Separatists on Ryloth, and later against the Empire. And his daughter, Hera, continued in her father’s footsteps as one of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance. As for how Cham and Hera got to the point where we saw them in Rebels, though, that was a mystery. Until now.

With the Clone Wars now over, the Empire’s trying to do everything it can to win over the people of Ryloth. Senator Taa tries his best, but he predictably fails. It’s only when Cham voices his support for peace that the Twilek’s hesitantly decide to accept the Empire. This is in stark contrast to the Cham Syndulla we saw in The Clone Wars and Rebels, who was determined for Ryloth to be free on its own terms. Yet here, he’s ready to lay down his blasters? It’s clear why: he’s see enough fighting in his lifetime, and he wants to rest. In addition, he wants Hera to grow up not knowing of the sacrifices that war brings.

In contrast, young Hera (who already has Chopper) is at crossroads in life. On the one hand, she wants to follow her parent’s example and do what’s right. On the other hand, she desperately wants to become a pilot and leave Ryloth behind. Sooner or later, she’ll have to choose. Unfortunately, forces outside her control decide for her.

The Straw That Breaks the Camel’s Back

Despite her parents wanting to keep Hera out of their fight, canon pushes her towards her role as a rebel leader. Cham’s lieutenant talks her into going on a “supply run” with him with the promise of learning how to fly. This supply run is getting weapons delivered by the Bad Batch. Besides giving us a chance to see Omega and Hera interact with each other, this moment only solidifies the latter’s desire to see the Galaxy.

Unfortunately, the Empire and Taa knew about this from the start, and arrest the whole group, forcing her parents to break her out. Then, just to make things worse, Cham and his wife get framed for attempting to kill Senator Taa, who gets shot through the lekku by Crosshair. As a result, all the adults are arrested while Hera escapes by herself.

Drive Towards the Future

I think that we all know what’s going to happen next. Hera is going to turn to the Bad Batch and Omega to rescue her family, the Bad Batch is going to fight Crosshair again, and this moment will set Cham and Hera Syndulla on their paths as full-on rebels. And Hera’s mom, Eleni, may or may not die in the process, leading to a wedge between father and daughter.

It’s a very predictable outcome to this story on Ryloth, one that I saw from a mile away. In addition, it also seems to take away focus from the Bad Batch, who are supposed to be the focus of the show. However, The Bad Batch is a part of a much larger narrative, and this episode reminds us of that. The Bad Batch may just be trying to survive and raise Omega, but someday, the Rebellion will rise. We’re already seeing the first stages of it rise on The Bad Batch.

I wasn’t that big a fan of Rebels, so while I did enjoy seeing Hera and Chopper, I didn’t let it cloud my judgement. As far as episodes go, this wasn’t the strongest one that The Bad Batch has given us. However, I’m hoping that it’s setting us up for a much cooler episode next week.

I Give “Devil’s Deal” a 3/5

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