Spoilers The Bad Batch - Season 1 Discussion [cue A-Team theme music]

Is this the first time we've ever seen Ord Mantell?

 

That planet has been in some comics and games.

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ord_Mantell
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ord_Mantell/Legends

Ord Mantell City however was first seen in 'Darth Maul - Son of Dathomir', which was adapted from Clone Wars scripts.

 

The newest episode really pushed the envelope with the animation. The lighting in particular was spectacular. Could they be using ray-tracing? It's Pixar that pioneered it long before video games started adopting it.

 

Nice little episode that continues to push Omega's expertise and integration within the Bad Bunch. Sooner or later, Hunter is going to realize Omega's worth and actually include her in missions, regardless of her wide-eye naiveté. Although this time around it actually benefited them that she remained behind.

I actually recognized the Rancor right away which is saying something considering I'm not nearly as well versed with the Star Wars universe as I am say Star Trek, Doctor Who, Futurama, or Farscape. However, I didn't actually think it would be the same Rancor until Bib showed up at the end.

Lastly, I loved hearing Rhea Perlman as Cid! I hope we see plenty more of her.

Cuz not all of us know his voice right away. I certainly didn't. *shrug*

 

You seem to think that strengthens your point but, for me at least, it's even less likely to be noticed. Only Klingon and Judoon stand out, everything else gibberish.

 

Whenever I see the word "Judoon," in my mind I hear it in David Tennant's voice. Jadoooon. LOL

 

"A platoon of Judoon up on the moon."

 

I didn't clock that it was Matt Wood's voice either until I saw it was Bib. To be fair, we've only actually *heard* him as Bib once before, ad fairly briefly at that. I don't know about anyone else but I still think of Erik Bauersfeld's delivery when I think of that character.
As for the language; of course it was obviously Huttese, but that doesn't narrow it down in Star Wars since it's by far the most common non-basic language in the galaxy.

Overall I thought it was another solid episode. Oddly light given the subject matter and another step towards Omega becoming an active member of the team (she even has a weapon now of her own!) The only thing I wasn't wild about was how easily this crack commando team with a flawless success record was captured but a mere handful of slavers and an overgrown lizard. Though I suppose in the past they generally had a lot more intel to go on and have become a little overconfident. Still I thought that aspect could have been staged better.

Nice to finally see Ord Mantel. I think I said a few weeks back that they might start using some locations they designed for the unfinished TCW episodes, and sure enough, here we are. Though it's not just a simple asset dust-off as while the centre of the city looks the same as it did in the old concept art, they've clearly added a LOT more sprawl to the outskirts.

Interestingly, this episode may have quietly retconned 'Son of Dathomir' a little as in that story, the main spaceport city that we see here that was flattened in a battle between Maul's forces and Grevious/Dooku. Though it now seems basically undamaged (if the usual level of dilapidated) despite less than a year having passed, however the introduction of a ruined city of Old Ord Mantel complete with fresh signs of battle (impact craters and carbon scoring.)
So does this mean that THIS is where that fight actually took place? Maybe. But why? Well there's been rumour floating around for over a year that there's several animation projects in active development at LF. This turned out to be one, but what if they're also adapting the likes as 'Son of Dathomir' and 'Dark Disciple' as standalone Clone Wars "movies"? A bit of a longshot I know, especially from such scant evidence, but one can always hope...

 

The guy the rancor knocked off the tower made a squish sound when he fell out view.

 

Yeah, I also had it predicted. During the first conversation with Bib Fortuna, when his identity was being obscured, I thought I spotted a head tail and assumed he was supposed to be a Twi'lek. Then when Muchi is revealed to be a Rancor, I had it pieced together right there, the Twi'lek is Bib Fortuna and this is an origin story for Jabba's Rancor. Otherwise, an enjoyable if not particularly spectacular episode.

And I guess Cid's now going to be the Batch's "boss"? In that, she'll had give the Batch their missions which they'll go and complete and get paid by her?

 

I sure hope so if that's what it takes to get more Rhea Perlman!

 

It would seem Jabba has owned more than one Rancor over the years. The Rancor that Luke killed was named Pateesa and was male (Aftermath: Life Debt). Muchi is female.

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Pateesa

 

Well this wouldn't be the first time that book series was retconned, but then a lot can happen in 20 years and who knows how long rancors even live, so it could be either/or.

 

All fine and good...except you said you didn't understand why they tried to hide Bib until the end.

 

Not everyone is as observant.

I thought it might have been Bib, but I wasn't 100% sure until I saw the Rancor.

 

I don't understand how anyone would recognize that's Bib Fortuna, or how anyone would know who Bib Fortuna is.