Every time an episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch lands, Fantha Tracks will be giving their responses, and here are our initial gut feelings, deep dives and thoughts on episode four of season two, ‘Faster’. Beware of spoilerific elements in here.
Mark Newbold
There’s a very pleasing, chameleonic quality to the second season of The Bad Batch. After last weeks intense emotions of The Solitary Clone, we couldn’t rev up for a more different change of pace than Faster, a side-mission that not only evoked both The Phantom Menace and the classic muddy banger racing days of the 70’s and 80’s but gave Tech the opportunity to step out of the shadows and into the limelight.
The premise is simple; Cid thinks she has a riot race – basically smaller, tougher pod racers blasting around a track that wouldn’t look out of place in Episode 1 Racer – in her pocket until she’s cheated out of the race and instead gets herself into financial difficulties and debt to Grini, a Dowutin associate of hers who quickly claims his prize until Tech and Omega step in to save the day, which Tech does with some aplomb. And that’s pretty much that, but as always the joy of The Bad Batch is the finer details.
Omega, her belief in her clone brothers always evident even in the face of impossible odds. Tay-0, a new droid who we need – badly need – to see again, a salty, sarcastic joy who brightened every scene he was in. Cid, doubts cast on her trustworthiness but for now an ally of Clone Force 99, and the addition to the Star Wars sporting landscape of riot racing, which totally makes me want to start my own team (EA, are you listening? A sequel to Star Wars Demolition based on riot racing feels like it should be a thing).
It’s the second episode that’s focused on Batch members, with The Solitary Clone looking at the life of Crosshair and Faster the very pleasing adoration afforded to Tech. While this is an ensemble show for sure – just imagine how huge this show would be if it were live action – it works when focusing in on the individual members, and going forward that’s only going to be a help. The A-Team vibe of the batch works great, but the investigations of the characters equally allows for thoughtful moments. Here for example, Tech (the ultimate poker player) clearly internally thrilled at the crowd cheering his name after his (spoiler alert) victory. Small moments, but The Bad Batch seems to do that better than any other animated show have done before, and let’s hope this continues as we speed further into the second season, as so far this season has been four for four.
Teresa Delgado
The Bad Batch has been doing a good job at highlighting the skills of its individual members and this episode is no different. I think it is really interesting only seeing 3 of the members of the group together. Also I realize they do not call this podracing (riot racing….) but let’s be honest, it’s PODRACING!
The introduction of the character Tay-0 is really fun, and I LOVE his character. Spectacled Spectator…hahaha. He also cheers for himself! All of this only works because he is a droid.
This is just one of those basic fun episodes. I don’t like to call it a filler episode, because to me it isn’t filler. Episodes like this serve a very special purpose in the story. For example, this shows us growth on Omega’s part, and it shows us more of the true abilities that Tech has. It also shows us that Cid has a past that may come in to the picture in the future. All of these things are so important. I also often find in these episodes small side characters that become favorites.
I like us seeing more aspects of the galaxy as well, and it can’t be super serious all the time. Yes there is a war going on, but for some of the citizens of the galaxy they continue to live ‘normal’ lives. This gives us a little bit of that, and it’s refreshing as a viewer.
Overall I really liked this episode because it was pure fun, and enjoyed it just as much as I love the ‘heavier’ episodes.
Jen Sopchockchai
I’ve always been on Team Tech. In fact, he’s my personal favorite. This love of the overly rational and less demonstratively emotional character probably goes back to my early love of Sherlock Holmes. With Tech specifically, I appreciate that he has both a highly analytical mind and a wry sense of humor to complement it. But for so long Tech has functioned purely as the “guy in the chair” or, more accurately, “the guy with the data pad.” After this episode, I feel a lot more justified in my favoring of Tech because he steps into the spotlight, putting himself out there when he volunteers to enter the riot race to save Cid from gangster Grini Millegi. In doing so, he shines as a hero in his own right and a leader of the team, as opposed to a minor supporting character with only one function. And he’s able to take center stage without sacrificing his identity; in fact, his extremely analytical approach is what enables him to assess the race course and strategize in a way that no one else could, and that’s why he wins. I was cheering him on the entire time, and seeing him win, even if it was predictable, made me so happy.
It has to be said that the first thing I gleefully thought of when I heard the announcer and saw the riot racers zooming around and sabotaging each other was podracing from The Phantom Menace (1999). I was a Prequel Trilogy kid, so, again, this made me very happy. There was also, in presumably an attempt to update podracing to riot racing, a cyberpunk flare to the tunnels, with their flashing neon billboard-esque signs. The story beats of the race more broadly reminded me of something like Ford vs. Ferrari (2019) or any underdog sports movie, for that matter. The team is in a tight spot, and has no choice but to enter the race when it seems like there’s no way they can win, only to be grossly underestimated and…well, win. This fits very neatly into the sports movie genre. The chips are down, but Tech steps up! It looks like he’s in last place, which makes his friends nervous, but then, to everyone’s surprise, he wins. Then they all — even Cid — get to go home and snack on some Mantell Mix. The crowd even cheers Tech’s name after he wins. The story checks every box.
I don’t know how to smoothly segue to a discussion of how much I enjoyed the racing droid, Tay-0, but I can’t wrap up this review without saying that he was utterly hilarious. That’s mostly because he’s voiced by Ben Schwartz, best known for playing the endearingly cocky and narcissistic Jean Ralphio in Parks and Recreation. I recognized his voice immediately and said, “Could it be?” I love that we’re continuing the tradition of great comedians becoming funny droids. Matt Berry was great as the macabre and droll 8D8 in The Book of Boba Fett. His IT Crowd costar, Richard Ayoade, voiced Zero or Q9-0 in The Mandalorian. Alan Tudyk gives an indelible performance in Rogue One (2016) as K-2SO. And, of course, before he was Tay-O, Schwartz helped Bill Hader of Barry fame develop sounds and a personality for BB-8. Tay-O is so funny because he’s so self-assured, so confident and yet a total goof. The shade he’s throwing at Tech and the others is also top notch. I love a rude droid.
The episode wasn’t entirely feel good fun and games, though. Just as I was surprised by the absence of Hunter and Echo, I was also surprised that we learned more about Cid and added more depth and complexity to her character. At this point, after a season of her making a snide comment and then sending the squad off on another mission, I had become comfortable with Cid’s role as the boss who doesn’t usually get too involved in the larger story. She’s often a device — a funny device, but a device nonetheless — for the plot of the week and not much more. Rhea Perlman’s voice delivery makes her a delightful and intriguing character, but at no point have I felt that I really need to know who Cid is.
Until now. Here, there’s a lot more mystery to her character as we learn that she has a dark history with an imposing figure from the underworld. Grini, who is a Dowutin, a species you might recognize from Maz Kanata’s castle in The Force Awakens, very clearly conveys that Cid may be hiding who she really is from her crew. He says, “That loyalty is admirable, but with Cid it doesn’t always go both ways. Watch your backs.” I am suspicious of Grini’s motivations for saying this. It can’t be altruistic. And yet, there’s something genuine about his warning. Maybe misery wants company and he wants to group himself with Cid.
Cid, obviously, does not agree. Earlier, in a conversation that Tech, Wrecker, and Omega were not privy to, Cid tries to dismiss Grini, saying that she’s changed since they last saw each other. But he says, “Hustlers like us never change. Sooner or later, those outcasts you’re hanging out with will get to know the real Cid.” Why is she so ashamed of what she used to be? What Grini thinks she still is? These ominous lines also set up some suspense as to whether or not Cid will betray The Bad Batch for her own personal gain later on in the season. Omega especially seems to have adopted her into their family, and so that will be devastating when it happens.
(This is condensed and edited – with permission – from Jen’s The Long Take review, which you can subscribe to here)
- Hardcover Book
- Horton, Cole (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 160 Pages - 03/21/2023 (Publication Date) - Insight Editions (Publisher)