The Bad Batch Spoiler Review: Pabu

This review contains spoilers for The Bad Batch episode “Pabu”

Here at The Geeky Waffle, while we are fans of The Bad Batch, we are also in support of the Unwhitewash TBB movement.

This movement is from the Twitter user @unwhitewashtbb and is being led by “fans of color, disabled fans, neurodivergent fans, and Jewish fans.” It’s to bring awareness of the racial discrimination that is baked into the very fabric of this show. The Batch is designed to be “elite clones” and yet their skin tones are very white. All clones are designed after Temuera Morrison, who is a man of color. If the only clones that are perceived as white are considered “elite” and “the best” while regular clones who still appear as people of color are seen as “lesser,” these kinds of design choices have very real consequences on young audiences. @UnwhitewashTBB cites in their title card the hurtful implications this has on minority groups. The card, linked here, goes into great detail about how and why this is a problem. Go read it thoroughly.

It’s important that the creators hear the concerns of fans and work to rectify them. To be clear, whitewashing characters of color should never happen in the first place. It’s a choice that begins in the design phase, which makes it faulty and wrong from the start. We will continue to help hold the creators accountable so mistakes like this don’t happen if we get a season three as well as for future Star Wars projects.

Please follow @UnwhitewashTBB for more information.

After the emotional ride that was “The Outpost,” The Bad Batch brought a much-needed reprieve before barreling straight into the finale episodes of season two. That’s not to say that “Pabu” didn’t have a ton of significance for the series.

The island of Pabu is absolutely everything that Hunter wants for Omega and the future of the Batch. In the first episode of the season, he made it clear to Cid that he wanted to give his clone family a good home. Then in rolls Phee, taking them to this secluded island where refugees can hide from the Empire. It appears this is everything that Hunter has dreamed of.

That’s never going to happen at this point. If Andor proved anything in the episode “Announcement,” as the Empire caught Cassian from him simply walking to the store, the Batch can only run and hide from the Empire for so long. Eventually, a fascist government will catch up with them. It doesn’t matter how much money, power, or status a person has. Anyone below Palpatine is expendable. Also, Doctor Hemlock is hunting the Batch and actively looking for Omega. There is no way this peace is going to last.

This is the point of “Pabu” in the end. It’s almost guaranteed that the Empire will come and destroy this place, no matter how insignificant it is. That will probably be when Hunter wakes up for good and realizes that Echo was right. As long as the Empire is around, Omega will never be safe. When Pabu is destroyed, it will be the turning point (which is the title of the next episode) for the Batch to officially get into the fight for good.

I also want to point out that the leader of Pabu, Shep, and his daughter Lyana have the last name of “Hazard.” It’s a nice touch as a warning to viewers not to get attached to Pabu or its’ people. This place is going to fall.

Phee has truly grown on me as a character. I love the distinction The Bad Batch takes to separate her from Cid. Sure, they might be business partners. But the two women treat the Batch completely differently. While I do love Cid and had hoped they would give her a change of heart at some point to save the Batch, it’s looking more and more likely that she’s going to turn on them for good. It was quite purposeful that Cid’s message to the Batch was far more menacing than ever, distorting into more low tones to intimidate them.

In contrast to Cid, Phee actually cares about the Batch as people. The way I screamed, “THANK YOU,” when she brought up that Omega needed to be around people her age and learn non-soldier social skills. I have been sitting on that thought since the Martez Sisters were in season one, as Trace and Rafa are closer to Omega’s physical age. I have been hoping the sisters would return to fill that role for Omega. The young clone desperately needs friends. It is a point that Phee, who is not a soldier, recognizes that Omega needs that emotional growth that she can’t get in her current life.

Phee sees the Batch as people of worth, unlike Cid, who only sees them as a paycheck. It’s why back in “Retrieval,” the Batch realized that Cid treats them with the same oppressive system Benni and the other kids in the mines suffered under Mokko. It built well on ideas already presented in the season, like how in “Ruins of War,” Omega received a toy and didn’t know what it was for. Phee wants the Batch to find peace. She wants Omega to have a normal life. Cid only wishes to oppress them for her own gain.

I am also starting to enjoy the budding romance between Phee and Tech. At first, I wasn’t digging it because it seemed one-sided with Phee pursuing him. But “Pabu” definitely changed my mind as Tech seemed to open up to her. The little moment that she made him put down his datapad and actually look at the world around him was such a lovely character beat. It felt like another nice character growth for Tech, who has grown so much this season. Also, it’s incredibly refreshing that a character who has all but been confirmed as canonically neurodivergent and coded asexual has a love interest. Usually, that slot would go to someone classically charming, handsome, and neurotypical like Hunter. It’s lovely to have this story for Tech.

That is another theme of “Pabu.” The Batch is seeing firsthand the life they need to fight for. This is a possible future they could have without the Empire around. It’s highlighted in Omega’s talk with Lyana. Omega realizes she’s never thought about what she wants out of life. On Kamino, she was never allowed to play, as we saw in season one with Cut Lawquane’s children. She has little concept of what friends or fun is outside of the people who have come and gone during their missions. Her life with the Batch has been entirely reactionary. They go on missions, and whatever character development comes is a consequence of what occurred then. She’s never had healthy stability or freedom. None of the Batch has, which has been a driving point for Hunter’s actions.

As a side note, this episode was gorgeous. The water animation is stunning, showcasing how far these creators have come since the early days of Clone Wars. The lighting of island life was impeccable. Everything about Pabu was a feast for the eyes. Kevin Kiner and his sons Dean and Sean again shine with the score as they have all season. Visually, this was another homerun for the crew.

It’s also great to sneak in a Steve Blum cameo, as he was the voice of the old man Wrecker saved. I always love hearing Steve Blum pop up in Star Wars.

“Pabu” is the episode presenting the Batch with a what-if scenario of what their lives could be and giving them even more of a reason to fight. It was a nice respite before we dive headfirst into the craziness of the finale. It was also a chance for the characters’ goals and motivations to be rekindled. This is the peace they deserve. This is the life they want.

They just need to stop the Empire first to get it.