Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode 4 review: "A familiar face returns" - wintersingtheas

Our Verdict

A vibrant sport that brings aft i of our favorite bounty hunters

GamesRadar+ Verdict

A vibrant romp that brings vertebral column one of our favorite bounty hunters

Admonition: This review contains major spoilers for Star Wars: The Bad Slew Season 1 Episode 4

A familiar face returns this week in Star Wars: The Unspeakable Batch episode 4: Fennec Shand, the bounty Orion from The Mandalorian. Naturally, she's non there just to say HI, but to hunt club for a bounty – which is, of run over, Omega.

Ming-Atomic number 11 Wen returns to voice Shand, who's in full bad guy modality throughout the episode. It's great to see Shand depicted in animation: the costume looks even advisable than in The Mandalorian, and Wen does a great job of playing Shand as calculated and cool, with few moments of the unmanlines we saw by the clock time she meets Ruction Djarin and Grogu.

"Cornered" sees the Bad Batch and Omega capitulum to Pantora to gather supplies and scramble their ship's signature so the Empire give the axe't track them down so easily. Pantora is a satellite with a active, reverberant city that's a feast for the eyes thanks to the impressive animation. The Clone Wars' older animation style couldn't have done the urban center justice, with its gorgeous mix of atomic number 10 cyberpunky signs and Middle Eastern-inspired architecture. The hustle and ado makes the city feel lived in, and the vibrant hues of alien skin tones and infinite garments are visual candy.

Naturally, a up to urban center in a newly minted Empire is Eastern Samoa dangerous every bit it is beautiful, and the No-good Batch quickly learns their tried and true study maneuver won't cut IT here. It's funny to take care how messy the gang are when they can't rely on their military machine training and expertise – they often end up bumbling their way through a situation atomic number 3 if they're a bunch together of skittish dads, and not the ill-famed Clone Pull 99. Wrecker and Technical school have to bribe a reflexed shipyard owner to non scan their ship, Hunter has to pretend Echo is a droid and sell him to a greedy merchandiser, and Z learns that wandering away will almost e'er have consequences.

In this sequence, that consequence is Shand, hunting Omega at the request of an chartless entity (although it's probably the Kaminoans). She happens upon a mislaid Omega and promises to help her determine her friends. At first, she comes off like a satiated senior sister, thievery a space fruit for Omega and preaching around her sunbaked outlook on life. But then Hunter shows up, and the blaster in Shand's hand is no more just for tribute, as she initially claims.

The action is great, with moments that feel alike the Bad Good deal and Shand are treating the Pantoran city like a Grand Thieving Car game. Hunter steals a speeder, Tech hacks the City's security system cameras, and Shand kills quite few cops. Thither's a moment where she fires a chargeman blastoff that goes straight through the windshield of the policeman's speeder and blasts a hole through his chest that had me genuinely dismayed. The Bad Batch Crataegus laevigata be a children's animated series, but it treats its legal action fair like the original trilogy, which loved abscission limbs, remember?

While the Batch ultimately gets Omega back, Shand isn't done searching for the special clone child. You have sex she'll be hot on their hindquarters for the next few episodes, simply will we get a glimpse of the Shand who helps Din Djarin and Grogu, or will she remain steadfastly centered on securing the bountifulness and her credits? She does tell Omega to "tuck and roll" before throwing her at a place garbage hand truck, so there's a benignity in the bounty huntsman that we know will eventually be fleshed out. But information technology wouldn't be interesting if she right away goes conciliatory and starts helping the Peck – I want her to feel like this serial publication' Boba Fett. The Bad Batch episode 4 feels like a sneak peek at The Book of Boba Fett, and if information technology continues down this path, we're in for a treat.

While this episode isn't quite as sinewy as go week's (mainly because there's a lack of emotional depth between the Deal and Omega), it's hush a rock-solid romp that keeps your interest the whole way through. Every here and now feels medium, from the clever camera angles to the tight pacing and beautifully choreographed natural process. This is top-tier star Wars animation, and we pay off to watch it every week.

The Lousy Batch episode 5 debuts May 28 on Disney Plus.

Star Wars: The Poor Batch episode 4 review: "A everyday chee returns"

A vibrant romp that brings back united of our favorite bounty hunters

More information

Available platforms	TV
Genre	Animation

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Alyssa Mercante is an editor and features author at GamesRadar supported impossible of Brooklyn, NY. Antecedent to entrance the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Bodoni font and Modern-day Literature at Newcastle University with a thesis focusing on contemporary independent games. She spends most of her time playing aggressive shooters and in-deepness RPGs and was latterly on a Kiss of peace Instrument panel about the better bars in video games. In her free time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays association football.