The Bad Batch Season Premiere Thoughts (Eps 1-3)

Season 3 of the Bad Batch is finally here and I’m so excited!

As you may know, Disney+ dropped the first three episodes together: “Confined,” “Paths Unknown,” and “Shadows of Tantiss.” I’m just going to briefly go over the plot of each and give my thoughts. This one will be a bit longer than usual since there are three episodes to discuss.

So just to be clear: SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It actually starts with a recap of Season 2 and the very first thing we hear is Tech’s words: “When have we ever followed orders?” Yeah, okay, thanks for that, I can see how this is gonna go already, lol. Heartbroken jokes aside, I think it signifies that Tech’s absence will no doubt haunt the entirety of Season 3 (whether or not he “comes back” has been hotly debated since the S2 finale, and though I have thoughts on that, I’m just going to wait and see).

Anyway, “Confined” begins on Tantiss with where Omega and Crosshair are at physically and emotionally. Omega is in a Groundhog’s Day type of existence, helping Emerie everyday with her lab chores, as well as feeding the lurkhounds in their kennels. Emerie tells her she’s not a prisoner, but this just shows how blind she is to her own servitude. It will be interesting to see how Emerie develops over the course of the season. Emerie takes Omega’s blood for testing every day, along with all the other clones, but Nala Se secretly disposes of it. Questions that began in S1 pop up again about Omega and what’s so special about her, questions that have been nagging me all along. But more on that later. She helps and befriends one of the lurkhounds, which she names Batcher, an obvious metaphor for the Batch themselves. Batcher is different and the Imperials conclude she’s useless and slates her for termination; the same could be said of all clones, not just Clone Force 99. You just know that Batcher is going to be important somehow later on.

Crosshair, meanwhile, is quite defeated, slumping along with the other clones, laying morosely on his cot in his cell. He’s totally given up, and he doesn’t care. Omega sneaks down to his cell when she can and talks of escape; he tells her not to bother with him, not to waste her time on “lost causes” like the lurkhound and himself. He tells her he belongs there, obviously punishing himself for all the things he did while with the Empire. Omega tells him that none of them belong there. She’s not going to give up, on escape or on him. It’s not clear if Omega told him about Tech’s death, but I’m going to assume she did until I learn otherwise. If so, maybe he partly blames himself. After all, they were trying to find him (at Tech’s urging), and their plan to get intel on his whereabouts caused Tech’s death (as well Saw Gerrera’s not-very-well-thought-out attack on Eriadu. In fact, I totally blame him. But I digress.)

“Paths Unknown” shifts to Hunter and Wrecker, the only two of the Batch still together, as Echo is off with Rex somewhere. They get some intel on an Imperial lab from Isa Durand and her son, Roland, who we met in S1 when he took over Cid’s parlor. I actually kind of like Roland, lol. His mother, on the other hand, is an icicle.

Echo and Rex can’t meet up with them for two more days and Hunter decides to go without them. Surprisingly, it’s Wrecker who is the voice of reason: he says the last time they infiltrated an Imperial base, not all of them came back. Hunter won’t wait, which further shows his desperation to find Omega. The fact that they messed with the Pykes for the Durand intel shows how far Hunter is willing to go.

So off they go to find this lab, but unfortunately, the intel is outdated: the lab was destroyed by orbital bombardment. They meet up with some young clones who escaped the lab and have been living in the jungle on their own. They surmise Hunter and Wrecker are “99s, defective.” Wrecker’s response, “Defective AND effective!” is perfect, and obvious t-shirt material. Anyway, the young clones explain that the Imperials destroyed the facility when they lost control of one of their experiments, which they face soon after–slithervines that have overrun the lab. They bring them to Mox, a slightly older cadet, who is impressed by their loyalty to Omega, but won’t help them because it’s too dangerous. Deet, one of the younger ones, wants to help, however, and he leads them to the lab. There’s a control panel there that might have some intel that could point the way to where they might have gone. They bring Gonky along for power, and get some intel, but are attacked by an even bigger vine-monster. The other two boys decide to help (after thinking about stealing the Marauder and leaving) and get them out. The intel only gives them a sector to search but it’s better than nothing. Hunter tells the young clones they’ll drop them off on Pabu where they can decide who and what they want to be.

“Shadows of Tantiss” goes back to Omega and Crosshair on Tantiss. Turns out that the Emperor is making a visit to the facility to check on Hemlock’s progress with “Project Necromancer.” Hemlock wants Nala Se to be with him, so she can’t dispose of Omega’s blood like before. She warns Omega that she must leave; she tells her to take her datapad and find a shuttle to get off the planet. Omega won’t leave without Crosshair, however; she runs down to his cell and convinces him to distract the guards, which he does. She brings them down to the kennels to escape through Batcher’s empty tunnel to the outside; she plans on finding the shuttle that had crashed in the first episode and using the communications system to contact Hunter and Wrecker. Emerie finds them first, however, and calls for backup before Crosshair stuns her. The flee into the wilderness with lurkhounds and Imperials following. The communications system in the downed ship doesn’t work and Omega begins to despair. But Crosshair tells her they’re not done yet and they execute Order 72, which apparently means split up and surprise the enemy from two sides. Batcher helps out and they commandeer the Imperials’ shuttle.

They’re pursued by fighters and probably wouldn’t have gotten away except for one thing: Omega’s blood count shows that she’s a match for what they’re looking for– a high M (midichlorian)-count with no degradation. This is what they’re looking for in Project Necromancer, which I presume is how the Emperor is trying to achieve immortality–transferring his essence into a Force-sensitive clone of himself, which tracks with what we’ve seen in the Mandalorian and the Sequel Trilogy.

Anyway, Emerie makes the discovery and tells Hemlock to break off pursuit, since they’ll need Omega alive. Omega and Crosshair jump into hyperspace and get away. Hemlock calls it a “minor setback,” as he has all the resources of the Empire behind him.

There’s SO much I loved about these opening episodes, especially the dynamic between Omega and Crosshair. Crosshair’s got a long way to go, but I’m glad to see he’s still got some spark left in him, and that he’s softening toward Omega. Just a little bit.

I’m also gratified to learn about Omega’s high M-count. It doesn’t mean that she’s Force-sensitive, I guess, but maybe she has a strong potential if taught. Certainly more so than Sabine. If Sabine can learn, who presumably has a very low M-count, then Omega has huge potential. I flirted with the idea of Omega being Force-sensitive early on during the first season; I even made a post about it outlining my “evidence.” But then nothing came of it and I gave up on the idea. So I’m loving this interesting turn of events and I’m eager to see where it all leads.

A very satisfying opener for Season 3, and I can’t wait for the next episode!

Oh, and side note: we get a very brief glimpse of the assassin that’s in the trailer, the one similar to the clone assassin in S2 that went after Senator Chuchi. Of course, there’s been a lot of speculation about who this might be: Cody? (I don’t think so). Rampart? (Maybe? But again, I don’t think so). Tech? (Gahh!!!) It could very well be no one special, just another clone, but I have a feeling it’s someone we know, or they wouldn’t have (briefly) called attention to him right now. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see on that, too.

Oh, side note #2: Crosshair’s tremor. This is an interesting development. Not surprising, considering the trauma he’s been through, but it will definitely affect his sharpshooting skills. He’ll have to reconsider his future, what he may want to do or be going forward, like the rest of the Batch has had to do this whole time. A tall order for a man who followed the Empire, in part, because he didn’t know what else he could be besides a soldier. Anyway, no more side notes or I’ll go on forever, lol.

What did you think of these episodes? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Top Five Favorite Episodes of The Bad Batch Season Two

Last week I made a post about my five favorite episodes of Season One of the Bad Batch. Today is all about Season Two. Honestly, I loved all the episodes of S2 and it was hard for me to pick five, so I did cheat a little and listed a few two-parters as one choice. Here they are:

Commander Cody contemplates his choices.

The Solitary Clone. Episode 3 is the first time we see Crosshair this season, and it’s excellent. We find out that the Empire left Crosshair on that platform on Kamino for 32 rotations. Even Rampart wonders why he remains loyal. But he’s been medically cleared for duty (though not for a command position), and he’s been paired up with Commander Cody, the first time we’ve seen that character after Order 66 in canon. They’re sent to Desix, where an Imperially-assigned governor has been taken hostage by that world’s self-proclaimed governor, Tawny Ames. Their assignment is to free the Imperial governor at all costs. The action-sequence as the clones make their way into the compound is awesome; Kevin Kiner’s soundtrack is just fantastic here. Working together, Cody and Crosshair finally make it to the top of the compound (that stairwell scene!), destroy the tactical droid, and confront Tawny Ames. Cody negotiates with her, promising a peaceful resolution and getting her to release Groton. Once free, Groton demands that Cody execute her. Cody hesitates, but then Crosshair shoots her instead. Many think that Crosshair did it to spare Cody from having to do it when he clearly didn’t want to and to save him from an insubordination charge. There’s no clear answer, but I think this rings true. Cody is disillusioned, and watches as more stormtroopers arrive on Desix. Back on Coruscant, it’s clear Cody is doubting he’s on the right side; this is confirmed when Rampart tells Crosshair that Cody has gone AWOL. And so just when Crosshair begins to feel that he’s part of a team again, he’s not. He’s alone. Again. Such an excellent episode, and I truly hope we get to see Cody again in Season 3.

The Clone Conspiracy/Truth and Consequences. Episodes 7&8 are a two-parter I’m counting as one. The Clone Conspiracy doesn’t have the Batch in it at all; it focuses on Senator Riyo Chuchi, who has decided that she is going to fight for clone rights, as it seems no one else will. Her main antagonist is General Rampart, who has no intention of giving the clones anything, particularly when the Emperor, through Mas Amedda, is pressuring him to push a bill through the Senate that would create a new Imperial army. A clone named Slip tells Chuchi that Kamino wasn’t destroyed by a storm; it was destroyed by Rampart. She wants him to testify, but he tells her she doesn’t need him; the information she wants is in the databanks on Rampart’s Venator. Slip is killed, by a strange assassin who kills himself after being captured by Rex.

In Truth and Consequences, Rex asks the Batch for help. They need to get the information about Kamino off Rampart’s Venator. While they infiltrate the ship to retrieve the data, Omega stays with Chuchi while she consults with Bail Organa. He tells her to “follow the money,” and directs her to the former Senator of Kamino, Halli Bertoni. After some persuasion, she’s willing to testify, but Chuchi needs hard evidence. She finally gets it, and the Senate watches in horror as Kamino is shown destroyed. Their plan backfires, however; the Emperor shows up and throws Rampart under the bus. He claims the clones’ willingness to follow orders without question means they need a new military, made up of recruits that fight for the people (the irony is galling). The recruitment bill is passed, and Sidious wins. These two episodes have great political thriller vibes, and I’m here for it.

At the end of the episode, we find out along with Omega that Echo is going to stay with Rex, at least for a while, to help him fight for the clones. This is deeply upsetting to Omega, as we see more fully in the next episode, The Crossing.

The Crossing. Episode 9 sees the Batch on a mission from Cid, to retrieve an explosive mineral called Ipsium from a mine she purchased on a desolate-looking planet. Things go wrong almost immediately. While in the mine, the Marauder is stolen by a young thief, stranding them. Tech and Wrecker begin to bicker, as it was Wrecker’s responsibility to be the lookout. They start walking to a settlement a long way off but are nearly trampled by a stampede of animals. Then a dust storm blows in, and while they find another mine to take cover in, they lose the Ipsium. It explodes and causes a cave in, and they’re trapped. More bickering ensues, which is upsetting to Omega, who is already upset about Echo leaving. She’s worried about losing the Marauder, too, which has become her home. Tech says something hurtful, and she storms off. This is the most irritated we’ve seen the usually unflappable Tech. Hunter tells him to go after her and make things right. When he finds her, she’s drilling for more Ipsium she found, which she hopes they can use to blast their way out. Tech helps, but then she falls off the ledge into an abyss. Tech immediately follows, not knowing what awaits them at the bottom. It happens to be water, and they’re swept through a tunnel system, over a waterfall, and into another cavern. There’s a way out, but they need the Ipsium to blow a way through. While they wait for Hunter and Wrecker, Tech and Omega have a heart-to-heart talk, which is really the highlight of the entire episode.

I won’t repeat that conversation verbatim here, but it really gives some insight into Tech’s character, and brings the two closer together. Basically he says, I react to things differently than others, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care. It’s a very sweet and touching moment, and this episode is one of my favorites.

The Outpost. Episode 12 brings us back to another amazing Crosshair episode. He’s sent on a mission to a wintry planet called Barton IV with the awful Lt. Nolan, to pick up some cargo that is described as vital to the Empire. There they meet clone trooper Mayday and what’s left of his unit. The outpost is in bad shape, as the Empire has ignored Mayday’s many requests for supplies and help. Which he explains to Nolan, who responds with contempt. The outpost is attacked by native insurgents and some cargo is stolen. Nolan orders Crosshair and Mayday to find them and bring back the cargo. They track the insurgents back to their hideout and destroy it. They find out that the cargo Mayday has been guarding for so long is stormtrooper gear, while the clone troopers have to patch up their old gear. “We were good soldiers. We followed orders. And for what?” he asks Crosshair. The explosions cause an avalanche, and they get caught in it. Mayday is injured, and despite Crosshair’s earlier comment about not wanting to carry “dead weight,” he picks up Mayday and half-carries, half-drags him through the freezing cold and snow. When they get back to the outpost, instead of helping them, Nolan sneers and scolds. Crosshair nearly begs him to help Mayday, but Nolan refuses and Mayday dies. “He was expendable. As are you,” he tells Crosshair. As he walks away, you can see the turmoil in Crosshair, the despair, the dawning realization of his colossal mistake. He shoots Nolan dead, and then collapses. He wakes to find himself on Tantiss, in Hemlock’s clutches, though he doesn’t know it yet.

I thought The Solitary Clone was a great Crosshair episode; when I watched this one I thought, Wow. Just wow. Watching the end of this one, with the screaming bird monster circling above, reminded me of how I felt at the end of Clone Wars, as Vader watched Morai circling above a different wintry planet: haunted, bereft, unutterably sad. Damn, these “cartoons” are killing me, lol.

Crosshair is so done with Nolan and the Empire.

The Summit/Plan 99. And we’re not done with the tragedy yet. These last two episodes of the season culminate in the unraveling of everything Hunter has fought for: keeping his squad safe and together. The Batch head for Eriadu, where the mysterious Dr. Hemlock is meeting Tarkin and other Imperial bigwigs. Their goal is to plant a tracker on Hemlock’s ship and follow him back to his base, where ostensibly Crosshair and other clones are being held. But they’re not the only ones infiltrating the summit; Saw Gerrera and his crew are there planting explosives to blow the place up. The explosions cause the railcar they’re on to stop in midair and hang dangerously above an abyss, while Imperials attack them, leaving them literally hanging on a cliffhanger.

Plan 99 picks right up where they left off, as sitting ducks for the Imperials. Tech thinks he can get the railcar moving again, but he needs to get to the terminal, which of course is not nearby. He goes to the top of the car, runs along the line and jumps to the terminal, does what he needs to do, and runs back, all while the Batch try to fend off the attacking Imperials. Blaster bolts cause the car to unhitch from the cable even more, throwing Tech off of it, leaving him hanging. We all know what happens next: Tech knows there’s no time to haul him up and shoots the cable that holds him to the railcar; he plummets into the abyss, to the horror of his friends. The car hitches up to the cable again, they go careening into the station at the other end and are injured. They make it back to the Marauder and Hunter tells them to go to Ord Mantell so AZ can help them.

It’s difficult to watch their grief as Tech’s death sinks in, especially with Omega. But they’re not out of danger–Hemlock shows up at Cid’s, and it’s clear she betrayed them. She probably didn’t have a choice, but it still stings. Hemlock captures Wrecker and Hunter and throws them Tech’s shattered goggles, which twists the knife in our hearts. He wants Omega in order to coerce Nala Se into working on Sidious’ cloning agenda. Omega tries to stop them, but she’s stunned and taken to Hemlock’s ship; meanwhile Echo and AZ help free Hunter and Wrecker from Hemlock’s clutches. Hunter can only watch helplessly as Hemlock’s ship lifts off with Omega on it. There’s no way to know where they’ve gone. Omega is brought to Tantiss and finds an unconscious Crosshair; Emerie reveals that she’s Omega’s “sister.”

And that’s where we are at the end of Season Two. Again, I loved all of this season’s episodes, and would have added Faster and Pabu to the list, but this post has gone on long enough, lol. The three-episode premiere of Season 3 is only days away, and it can’t come fast enough!

What are your favorite episodes of Season Two? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

The Bad Batch Fan Art

In anticipation of Season Three of The Bad Batch premiering February 21st, I thought I’d get us hyped up with a few BB posts leading up to it. (All right, I’m already hyped up, lol). A good fan art post is always fun.

Here’s a Tech piece that’s new to me. I don’t think his goggles ever glow like that, but it’s cool!

Howzer of the fabulous hair.

I think this one of Crosshair is really interesting. Who does Crosshair see when he looks in the mirror? Looks like he shot the mirror, so maybe that’s your answer, lol.

I like this one of Fennec Shand; the coloring matches a part of her helmet.

Another imagining of grown-up Omega.

This black and white of Hunter is intense.

What do you think of these images? Who do you hope to see in Season 3? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars The Bad Batch: Episode Two–Cut and Run

Welp, it looks like we’ve got another space dad on our hands, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

As soon as I knew the Bad Batch we’re going to visit Cut Lawquane, I had a feeling Hunter would try to leave Omega there. It’s the whole Mandalorian thing all over again, when Din Djarin wanted to leave Grogu with the pretty lady on the nice planet. The would-be father doesn’t believe he can–or should–take care of a child, so he wants to leave said child with another who has children. Problem is, the kid doesn’t want to leave, and in fact they and the child are meant to be together. Just as Din was the only person that could lead Grogu to his proper destiny, Hunter and his crew are the only ones who can lead Omega to her own special destiny. Both Din and Grogu are orphans; both the BB and Omega are modified clones. Makes sense for them to be together.

That’s the main idea of Episode Two, and I’m glad they got it out of the way early on. Other than that, it was fun to see Cut and his family again (I just loved how tender he was with Omega after the Nexu attack; I hope Hunter was taking notes, lol). Interesting that Rex had just been there, and that he, too, sought out the only clone deserter he knew. Clearly the BB will be running into Rex soon, and I can’t wait!

Initially I had questions about Cut and his chip and Order 66–if he ran into a Jedi, would he immediately want to kill them? But after reading a bit about it on some fan groups, it seems the answer is that Cut would need to hear the actual Order to initiate it, which he did not. So I guess any wayward Jedi is safe from him.

The idea of the chain codes was interesting. The only time I’d heard of it was in The Mandalorian, when Boba showed his chain code in his Mandalorian armor. I’m not sure if such a thing had ever been mentioned before, but I suppose it makes sense–kind of like a galactic social security number. The people of the galaxy–like the clones–are being reduced to a number, one that can be tracked. Sounds pretty Imperial to me.

I’m still wondering about Omega’s jewel piece–in the episode, during a sad moment on the ship, she takes the jewel off her head and doesn’t put it back on. I’m wondering if she’s simply missing the only home she’d ever known (although I loved her reaction to the planet’s dirt, lol) or if it’s something else. Burning questions!

The Bad Batch continue to endear themselves to me, and I’m looking forward to what’s going to happen next, where they’ll go, who they’ll meet, and what they find out about Omega and themselves on their journey.