Yeah I’m in no way using filler as in a negative sense per se. I actually have kind of a soft spot for slower-paced episodes, I defended the third episode of Loki when the rest of my family didn’t like it for the very same reason.

Indeed the more negative association to “filler” episodes is a more recent issue, given that as audiences we’ve grown more accustomed to modern TV series that keep the plot going in every episode. Because of this any chapter that doesn’t significantly move the plot along or doesn’t land a huge bombshell revelation at the end often stands out from the rest and is tipically dismissed as pointless or filler.

I liked the anthology feel of TCW and Rebels that was kind of evoked by The Mandalorian and I’m glad it has been recovered in some way by the Bad Batch.