Star Wars: The Bad Batch

[Mr. Vee]

Last season was mostly filler as well. I really don't think there's all that much meat on this particular bone.

[Techwright]

5 hours ago, Mr. Vee said:

Last season was mostly filler as well. I really don't think there's all that much meat on this particular bone.

I excused last season's fluff as an unfortunate effect of the scramble in the film industry caused by COVID and the uncertainties it brought.  I mean, even Rhea Perlman's voice acting sounded distinct and separate from the others, like she recorded it in the safety of her basement in a homemade sound cubical.  That's not present this season, and the first 3 episodes were very strong.  I'm puzzled therefore why they're sinking back towards their first season pattern.  Especially as Dave Filoni is helming this.  He had a few toss-away episodes in The Clone Wars, but not many.  This one felt more like an episode of Star Wars: Resistance, an animation I've noticed people are reluctant to bring up again, and for good reason.

 

I'm not tossing the season out for 2 lesser episodes, but they do need to get their drive in gear.

[Mr. Vee]

I expect them to fluff until the last 2 episodes.

Resistance was painful. I think they thought they could get away with mostly fluff then some actual plot movement toward the end of the season. That's not going to work in the sequel movie era setting. I'm glad it failed though, as a success might've hampered their mad dash to distance themselves from the sequel fever dreams.

[WanderingAries]

I wonder why I can watch this series without looking at the clock, but the other animated SW series felt agonizingly slow (I don't think I actually finished them)?

[Techwright]

18 hours ago, WanderingAries said:

I wonder why I can watch this series without looking at the clock, but the other animated SW series felt agonizingly slow (I don't think I actually finished them)?

No idea.  Resistance was painfully slow to me, but it was mostly due to bad writing and highly annoying main characters. 

 

UPDATE:  Okay, I went and watched reactions as they trickled in to YouTube (I've never seen such a slow crawl before), and I now understand that this episode may have had greater depth in the full context of Star Wars than I initially realized.

Spoiler

Apparently the mecha the Batch unleashed is (most likely) Zeffo in its design.  The neck and head are distinctive to the ancient Zeffo empire look, and the use of certain curved design elements as well as puzzle traps are all features of the Zeffo, or at least what is known of the ancient power so far.   If I understand correctly, Zeffo first appeared via architecture and technology in the canon game Jedi: Fallen Order.  While I've not played that game, I have viewed the "movie" of it someone compiled, but had forgotten the scenes with the Zeffo elements in them. 

 

Combined, these two imply that the whole of canon Star Wars might finally be taking a look into the past for more stories.  It's an interesting connective tissue, giving depth and a bit of mystery to a "modern" civilization built on the ruins of other civilizations, and still occasionally influenced by them.  Since Disney still intends (we think) to find a way to shore up its weak "Sequel Trilogy", it might be interesting if in the last days of the Empire or the first days of the First Order, the emperor's forces discover lost Zeffo technology that advances their own via retro-engineering.  It might, for example, explain how an entire planet could be converted to a battlestation, move from orbit, and fire a planet killer ray that can fragment after discharge and accurately target several planets.

 

[biostem]

What bugged me about the most recent episode was:

 

Spoiler

They make a point that they at least have some money problems, so why not try and salvage *something* from the downed walker.  Also, why does removing the key activate the walker, and reinserting it shut it off?  It'd be cool if they made it a point that the key was from some other group who was fighting the walker-builders or something...

 

[Techwright]

19 hours ago, biostem said:

What bugged me about the most recent episode was:

 

  Hide contents

They make a point that they at least have some money problems, so why not try and salvage *something* from the downed walker.  Also, why does removing the key activate the walker, and reinserting it shut it off?  It'd be cool if they made it a point that the key was from some other group who was fighting the walker-builders or something...

 

 

Possible address to the concerns:

Spoiler

1.  While I agree, salvaging the mech remnants seems reasonable, I think the artists went out of their way to show the whole machine was engulfed in fire, probably to indicate there'd be little left but ash.  Also, they still have the matter of the reptile that was stalking them.  While it was thrown from the window, it had survived an assault of blaster fire, and even Wrecker couldn't kill it, only wound it.  It may have been tough enough to survive the fall and even if not, creatures don't just arise in a vacuum.  There's bound to be more of them, and possibly a pack. 

 

That said, they should at least report this to Rex.  He could coordinate sufficient rebel forces to look into the matter, possibly find out something that benefits the Rebels, even if it's small, like a more efficient power source.  The mecha did have power still after surviving longer than the Jedi existed.

 

2. The key does seem to be an issue but there are two reasonable explanations: 

-- The mecha was ancient, and the key seems to be more than just a hunk of carved metal in a slot.  There's actually filaments within it that suggest it has a technological component as well.  Perhaps it acted as a circuit breaker.  While in place things were fine but being reinserted after the mecha was up to power reinserting the control key forced it into a wave of energy it could no longer handle ( I'm not an electrician by any stretch, so apologies if my description is poor.)

-- They reinserted the key, but not in a sequence it was supposed to have.  That could be a failsafe in case of enemy takeover of the mecha.  Your machine is compromised, you pull the key.  If the opponents get the key and insert it with the incorrect series of turns, the machine assumes its owners are not at the helm and self-destructs.

 

[Techwright]

Season 2, Episode 6 - "Tribe"

 

Okay, after two mostly stand-alone episodes we're somewhat back on track, maybe not in the overall arc of Bad Batch, but in the greater arc of Star Wars in general.

 

Spoiler

Gungi, the Wookie padawan with a wood-handled light saber, was a fan favorite in the Clone Wars episode featuring David Tennant's voice (which by the way, there's rumors of David's droid character possibly returning to the grand story at some point), and we now get to see that Gungi's aged a few years and survived on his own after Order 66. 

 

Writers are still having Omega dart off on her own, shirking duties, acting like her empathy for others is cause enough for the team to follow her will.  Either their setting her up for a massive sting, or they're being sloppy in the writing.  I'm being gracious by giving an option.  This does not mean that I don't like the character, I just don't like how she's been written of late.

 

We get to see the effects of the taking of force-sensitive kids early in their lives.  Gungi immediately connects with his homeworld, but is lost and has no idea which was his home village.  Presumably this means he also has no idea who his parents were.  Jedi are mostly good, but they've mishandled certain things in a tragic way.

 

We get to see a lot more variety in the Trandosian appearance.  Up until Bad Batch most Trandosians were drawn to look similar to Bosk, the first of that species to be portrayed on screen.  In fact, the Big Bad this episode looked so different that I at first thought him to be another reptilian species.  Cid, of course, is a Trandosian and to my knowledge is the first one to suggest notable height differences based on her appearance.

 

I'm really wondering what that liquid was that Wrecker was scarfing from the serving bowl.  Echo initially turned his nose up at it, suggesting it didn't look appetizing but later changed his mind after agreeing to sample it.  Ent water anyone?

 

Planet Kashyyyk has always had the suggestion of abundant variety in flora and fauna and we got to see a bit more this time, in the process bringing an old opponent creature from the Knights of the Old Republic game into canon lore.  With the results of this episode, I feel that if Disney wanted to, they could have a mini-series, or possibly even a series focused on the adventures of a unique warrior leading their native, tribal species which worship a global Gaia-like intelligence in open opposition of a technologically advanced foreign species that seek to kill the natives and strip the life-abundant planet of resources.  See what I pointed out there?  It's Jedi Gungi leading the Wookies one Kashyyyk, or it's Jake leading the Naavi on Pandora.  Disney's maneuvered their Star Wars into a possible rival (or more realistically, knock-off) of Avatar.

 

Regardless of what was stated in the previous paragraph, Disney's opened up a lot of storytelling potential by the return of Gungi.  I look forwarded to seeing the fulfillment of that, though I do have one concern.  In the original trilogy, Yoda mentioned to force ghost Kenobi that Luke was the last of the Jedi, and Kenobi, now essentially a manifestation of the force, didn't dispute the point.  We've had two loopholes to that "absolute":  Ahsoka is not technically Jedi having left the Order, and Ezra Bridger was hurled to parts unknown, presumably in the uncharted areas of the galaxy, and unable to interact with the Empire worlds, effectively negating his ability to go up against the emperor.  If Disney keeps bringing back Order 66 survivors and making it so that fans refuse to accept the characters' demises, Yoda's statement get trampled.  Gungi will have to die young, or they'll have to come up with an exception reason to keep him away from the Empire leadership, one that will maintain the integrity of Yoda's statement and Kenobi's tacit agreement.

 

 

[Techwright]

Season 2, episode 7 - "The Clone Conspiracy"

 

Back on track with the main storyline (sort of). Disney+ dropped 2 episodes on us today, probably due to the 8th being the mid-season point.  I'm watching the two separately and commenting on each separately as a result.

 

Episode 7 marks a strong comeback to the main storyline, and it is notably more intense than the previous three episodes.  It features the return of a fan-favorite character from The Clone Wars, more dialog from a certain villain character than I can ever remember them having, and short appearances by a couple of long-standing favorites.  Oddly, they apparently decided to take a page from The Book of Boba Fett, and what the episode does not have are the title characters.  It does appear to be telling a long set-up story for their next action, however.

 

Spoiler talk:

Spoiler

We get the return of Senator Chuchi of Pantora, long-time friend and ally of Padme Amidala (slightly younger than Padme would have been).  We also have extensive use of her first name, Riyo, the first time I can remember hearing it.  She apparently attends the same hair stylist as Padme and Leah.  Pantora, you may recall, is the settled winter moon that George Lucas and family's own live action characters, Baron Papanoida and family, come from.  Despite warnings, Chuchi seems to not have Padme's instincts, and takes to "bearding the lion in his den" asking a not-so-subtle question of Admiral Rampart.  I've not seen episode 8 yet, but I do hope Chuchi survives to become a leader in the Rebel Alliance, and an architect of the New Republic.

 

Vice Chairman Mas Amedda has more dialog in one scene than I can ever remember the character speaking, and from it, we realize that he's on par with Grand Moff Tarkin, wielding clear threats to a high-ranked admiral backed by the authority and power of the throne.  We've never had a canonical explanation for what happened to Mas Amedda during the Empire years, and what his ultimate fate was (unless covered in canon books or comics, neither of which I've read). Considering he is arguably the 3rd or 4th most powerful being in the Empire, it is a story that I hope they plan on telling.  Did he survive to initiate his emperor's First Order, perhaps? Or does he, too, perish at the orders of upstart Admiral Rampart for having crossed him?

 

I suppose there are some that might have thought early on that the sniper was Crosshairs in different armor, but the number of missed shots made it clear Crosshairs was not present. 

 

Rex, Bail Organa, and of course series villain Rampart are all back this episode.  If it were not for them, I'd question this being called a Bad Batch episode.  Rampart is by now clearly showing that his power comes from ambition and murder, not from any real skill he wields, unlike Tarkin who has all three.  Rampart is also showing that he is sloppy in his efforts, creating lies to hide his actions but doing a terrible job of cleaning up his messes before spinning lies.  As a result, the truth is squeezing through.  What's interesting to me is that Rampart is so set against the use of clones, that he doesn't even consider using them until their forces are completely exhausted.  Some of the clones, in talking with Chuchi, even state that they'd rather be soldiers doing the Empire's business putting down the outlying insurgencies (the proto-Rebellion).  It would make sense in an evil way, to use what the Empire already has, the clone army, and send them in to the last clone wearing down the Empire's enemies while building up a conscription army, but Rampart has no use for good sense.  I think what we're seeing is a crafted explanation about why the Empire's stormtroopers were so bad: the Empire listened to Rampart's speech about conscription loyalty and cost savings, and reduced its own power as a result.

 

The back alley scene with Bail Organa and Riyo Chuchi: the two were close allies, along with Padme, in the days of the Clone Wars, when dealings and trust were more open.  It is therefore very interesting that Bail's descriptions of the insurgencies suggest to the audience that he has not brought Chuchi into confidence, and is not quite ready to trust Chuchi with the truth that he is one of the major backers of the insurgencies.  I suspect this is because Organa is beying portrayed as having picked up on the fact that Chuchi is still young, still making mistakes, and might not handle full-confidence of Rebel action yet. 

 

Concerning the missing Bad Batch:  this, following in the footsteps of certain episodes of The Book of Boba Fett, is the beginnings of a trend that I hope Disney Star Wars does not continue.  Using secondary characters, like the series villain, are not sustainable enough to give the series' label to an episode missing all of the main characters.  I do understand the need to spend a chapter setting up the next major action of characters, and I'm grateful the storytellers didn't rush it, but at least put the Batch in, even in minor roles for the episode, to add better context.  Had we seen Rex take the call alongside "the boys" and perhaps decline their petition to be his escort to meet with his contact, it would have at least anchored the episode into the series somewhat better.

 

EDIT:  Forgot to mention possibly the most important point of the episode: the revelation of clone "believers".  This is an interesting twist:  clones so dedicate to a man that despises their kind that they exhibit Hydra-like loyalty to the cause.  What drives this?  Do they have a new control chip?  Have they been subjected to some other form of indoctrination, and if so, why, seeing as Rampart would just as much like to kick them to the curb?  At least with Crosshairs there's the suspicion that the repeated "treatments" he underwent to forceably heighten the control of his chip might have had lasting effects on his brain even after the chip is (allegedly) removed.   I'm wondering if this revelation will play into one of the current big mysteries of Star Wars:  how did Rex, at the moment a dedicated insurgent, and positioned to be a major player in the future Rebellion, end up away from it all and on a backwater planet trying to keep a low profile with two of his clone brothers?  Something bad is coming, I suspect, something that negates all that Rex has worked for and drives him to the desert world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 8, 2023 by Techwright

[Techwright]

Season 2, episode 8 - "Truth & Consequences" (mid-season episode)

 

Wow.  Major main storyline episode taking the Bad Batch storyline into several unexpected directions, and changing the Batch probably forever.

 

Spoiler talk:

Spoiler

1.  Opening shot - based on dialog from Wrecker, this appears to be Cid's base-of-operations city on Ord Mantell.  I'm not sure we've ever seen this city from above before. I'm a little puzzled because it appears to be a mountainous, desert world.  Ord Mantell in other interpretations was part ocean.  Of course, it could be both, though Star Wars, like many other sci-fi franchises, tends to have single biom worlds.

 

2. The gonk droid is back.  Some fans wondered if it's use for emergency power from it's defective battery cells fried the droid.  If so, Tech clearly got it operational.

 

3. Omega took beginner lessons in meditation from Gungi.  I suppose this is just to add a little flavor to the story, but I'm wondering if it will serve a greater purpose.  One thing to note is that she does not benefit from the meditations like Gungi does, which Echo chalks up to Gungi being Jedi.  It's possible this was included to nix the rumors that Omega is secretly force-sensitive.

 

3.  Echo has a more humanizing moment talking with Omega, and commenting that his time imprisoned as a human computer has left him not liking solitude.  It's a nice departure from the stereotypical grouch behavior they've previously written for him.

 

4. It's telling that it is Echo who accepts the mission assignment from Rex for the team.  He basically overrides Hunter, his commanding officer, and Hunter notices that.  I chalk this up to Echo's previous passionate statements about doing what they were created for: doing vital soldier work, rather than just subsisting as occasional mercenaries. That and it reinforces his absolute trust and loyalty to Rex.

 

5. Coruscant, as usual, has some magnificent shots of its Art Deco/Streamline architecture.

 

6. The Bad Batch designers apparently have forgotten that people change wardrobe daily, or at least wealthy people do.  Both episodes 7 and 8, spread over multiple days, show Chuchi in the exact same outfit.

 

7.  Clone ID wiping technology is previously unknown to Tech.  Not sure why this point was made, unless it might figure into what ultimately becomes of any surviving Bad Batch members.

 

8.  Really bizarre that Admiral Rampart doesn't recognize Omega when he speaks to Chuchi.  One would have thought her ID would be in the files on the Batch, as they are a thorn in his side.  While he wouldn't know her as a clone, nor what she represents, she would be a known associate, likely reported as such by Crosshair.

 

9.  Puzzled as to why Rampart states to Mas Ammeda that he's taken care of the situation to see that Senator Chuchi is not a problem.  Either he grossly underestimated his efforts, or there's going to be a delayed action beyond this episode.

 

10.  Really puzzled why Omega allowed herself to be seen by the Kaminoan senator, Halle Burtoni, and even worse, reveal herself as a clone.  Burtoni was highly placed in Kaminoan society and may have heard of the female clone of Jango Fett.  If so, she undoubtedly knew of the purity of Omega's DNA, and this could create complications down the road.  Halle Burtoni was generally portrayed in a negative light in The Clone Wars, so being willing to testify to Rampart's illegal appropriation of funding and the genocide of her people is a remarkable step of her character.

 

11.  Puzzled why it was necessary to restore power to retrieve the data (and trigger an alarm in the process).  Why not find and pull the backup hard drives? Of course, if they're the size of furniture or bigger, that might be a problem.

 

And then the big moments:

 

1.  The truth of the Kaminoan genocide comes out.  Good of them to include an explanation that the Kaminoan cities were designed to submerge in storms and therefore the information of a destruction by a catastrophic storm doesn't hold water (pun intended).

 

2. The brilliant double-play by the Emperor.  Again they show us how cunning Darth Sidious is.  By throwing Rampart to the wolves, it leaves Palpatine in the clear to accuse the clones of complicity with Rampart's genocide bringing all clones into question as a viable force going forward.

 

3. Rampart denounced, accused, and taken prisoner.  I didn't see this one coming.  I thought Rampart would be the Big Bad for the entire series.  While this may yet be, it will not happen in the manner previously assumed.  Rampart will either have to escape and become a loose cannon, or the Emperor will have to make Rampart "disappear" either by faked escape or faked death, in order for Rampart to continue Palpatine's bidding.  A third option seems less likely: that Rampart will recognize that he was just a tool, and it will convert him to an insurgent, or at least an aid to the insurgents just to spite Darth Sidious.

 

4. Echo's decision to stay with Rex.  The Batch suffers its second loss to the team, though Echo insists it is temporary.  This has the potential to expand the Captain Rex/insurgents storyline under the Bad Batch label, as Echo would still be seen as a branch of the team. It also means the team will have to function in a reduced capacity going forward, having lost its fourth staffed position.  I don't count Omega.  Though she's willing, she's also still in training.  I wonder if the core team will try to go forward as is, or if they will recruit another.  Might be interesting if Tech were to rewrite a KX-series security droid, for example.

 

[Mr. Vee]

I continue to find my enjoyment of the episodes to be in inverse proportion to the screen time of the main characters. Ep 7 was ideal for me.

[Techwright]

22 hours ago, Mr. Vee said:

I continue to find my enjoyment of the episodes to be in inverse proportion to the screen time of the main characters. Ep 7 was ideal for me.

To each his or her own, I guess.

[Techwright]

Season 2 Episode 9: "The Crossing"

 

Mixed-bag episode.  This started out poorly, but improved towards the end and appears to have some input into the major story arc.

 

Spoiler

Getting the negatives out of the way first:

 

1.  It is very poor writing to suggest that the Maurader was stolen without the team being alerted.  You have, arguably, the greatest mind in the clone army piloting and doing maintenance on the craft, and he doesn't put in a simple key? or proximity sensor with wireless relay to the team? or stun defenses?  or... or...?  Even pulling and pocketing a key fuse to the ignition is better than nothing.  If you're part of an elite stealth mission team, you're going to want to secure your ship. 

 

2.  The team is standing in front of a vault-door for a mine ladened with very unstable explosives, the Maurader is taken, the nearest town is 40 klicks, and there's a nasty, violent storm moving in.  So of course they strike out to walk 40 klicks in unknown territory rather than waiting out the storm in the vault-safe mine.

 

3.  Wrecker has previously been shown to hold his own against a young rancor, and to hold back the foot of a storm trooper walker, so let's show him quickly wearing out lifting piano-sized boulders.

 

4. Omega has the last vial, the next vein is just out of safe reach, and she doesn't ask Tech for a rope, or even to hold her.

 

5.  No one thought to point out to Cid that they've stumbled across an abandoned mine and opened a huge new, very valuable vein area? Cid would have a rescue craft there in 2 hours just to get the information on where the goods are, and probably pocket enough illegally to buy the mine legally.  The vein was shown to be rich enough that the team could probably free themselves from Cid, but currently, no such discussion.

 

 

 

 

Okay, the flaws aside, I like that the team is down a man, their ship is gone, the spaceport, the only town they know of, is deserted, help is not coming for days, and there's a bizarre and dangerous storm in the area.  It's the kind of thing Star Trek: Voyager should have been: pure survival mode.  Hopefully we'll get to see Hunter in his element, something that's only been hinted at before.

 

The episode took the time to call the storm "weird" and kept referencing it ominously, including an ongoing rumble after the animation stopped.  Unless this is something crazy like a force storm (which viewers of Star Wars: Rebels have seen) I'm going to guess that the storm is triggered by a mineral imbalance in the planet due to the mining.  The planet may even be getting ready to blow.  It's an old sci-fi trope (see Klingon moon Praxis), though I actually hope it doesn't go this way.  It would negate any chance of strength the episode had.  That said, it would explain the abandoned mines and spaceport town.

 

If they need to survive there's always that space antelope herd that nearly trampled them.  Send Hunter to hunt.  The cave has already provided water, though Tech may need to improvise a still to purify the water.  Probably not, since they all practically drowned in it already.

 

It looks like the show is beginning to investigate that warning to the team that Cid will not be trustworthy.  While I'd rather see she's had character growth, if she slips back into her alleged ways of betraying allies, that definitely stirs the pot.

 

There's also the matter of the stolen ship.  Something about the one who stole it doesn't seem to imply cutthroat piracy, more like dire necessity.  We'll see.  The gutsy move would be to take a page from The Mandalorian and Star Trek III and forever lose the ship, replacing it with another eventually.  More toys to sell that way.

 

The longshot the story might bring (emphasize longshot) is that, with the planet deserted and with plenty of explosive material, the deserter clones helped by Captain Rex might just find a new home and base of operations here, away from the Empire's attentions since it already believes the planet to be deserted.  Gotta figure out that storm first, though.

 

 

[Techwright]

Season 2, Episode 11: "Metamorphosis"

 

Finally got back to main storyline stuff and man was this good.    Dark, creepy, and black ops Empire evil with a new villain.  To top it all, it answers a mystery left hanging for years from The Clone Wars.

[Techwright]

Season 2, Episodes 12 The Outpost & 13 Pabu

 

With these two episodes, the main storyline both advances and changes, probably forever.

 

Spoiler

Episode 12 The Outpost

 

• Reactors have been praising this episode. 
• It brings in a clone never seen before (pun intended) and in a few short minutes makes us care about him. 
• It gives a one-dimensional villain, which may be the only part I hate as I hate one-dimensional characters in major roles.  I think they should be reserved solely for background roles, but I can see the reasons for it here. 
• It introduces us to a new alien race, or perhaps, since they're completely covered, a new alien culture of a species already know (likely human).  Reactors have been referring to them as "the snow version of the Tusken Raiders/Sand People."
• More importantly, it begins to show Crosshair starting to show signs of his old heart.  Why that is has not yet been explained.  Perhaps the turbo-charged Empire loyalty forced upon him early in the series has begun to wear off, whether he actually did remove his inhibitor chip as he claims or not.  But finding another clone, different in nature but with the same attitude ("Good soldiers follow orders") gives him something to gravitate to.
• Most importantly, the episode finally pushes Crosshair beyond his programming, ending the life of one who with extreme prejudice ignores the obvious need for medical care, and instead shows repeated contempt for clones as less that low-grade storm trooper armor.  Crosshair can no longer go back to his old position.
• Possibly even more important, the show is beginning to pull its strings together.  Crosshair isn't killed or imprisoned, per se, but is instead taken to the cloning facility being established by the Empire, one that is extremely interested in bringing Omega in as leverage against Nala Se, Omega's creator and benefactor.  I have a strong feeling Crosshair's days as an Empire stooge are far from over.  The rumor among reactors and other fans is that Crosshair might be targeted for reprogramming yet again, to be made a key member of the second generation of Death Troopers.

Episode 13 Pabu

 

This episode shows change in several ways. 

 

• To the best of my remembrance, it is the first episode of the series where there is not a "man vs. man" story element.  It is strictly "man vs. nature". 
• This episode reveals the real reason the pirate Phee has been brought into the series: to replace Cid, for however long the story demands, as the generator of income-providing missions for the Bad Batch.
• The episode also seems to be taking a repeated friendly dig from Phee towards "Brown Eyes" Tech, and growing it through a mutual respect into something more.  While at first I rolled my brown eyes, I started to realize this actually is progress in the series: the Batch have only known conflict and a soldier's life. As unlikely a romantic that Tech might be, the idea of any of the original Batch members forming relationships, or even eventually families of their own, like clone brother Cut, is an interesting development and shows character growth.  Tech is learning to move beyond his genetic nature and embrace a wider view of existence.
• This also shows Phee in a new light.  She's exhibiting a warmth and selflessness that belies her label of "pirate".  Part of her character development comes with the revelation that she knows how cold and ruthless Cid can be, and yet still maintains at least a working relationship with her. Another part comes with the realization that the treasures she's acquiring are actually for the benefit of many people whose cultures have been uprooted by one means or another, and now by the Empire.
• We get another cute creature for Disney to market plushies of: the green, big eyed monkey-like moonyos of Pabu.

• We also get the new base of operations, Pabu, though for a time there I thought it was going to be a one-episode appearance.  Knowing the Empire has Crosshair and is actively hunting Omega, I fear the island as base is a short-term arrangement at best.  I fully believe it is foreshadowing with the mayor's comment that they'll adapt if the Empire comes knocking.
• We're now getting strong vibes that Cid will reveal what she knows of the Batch to the Empire in exchange for credits.  I'm actually a little hostile to that story concept: the Batch has saved Cid's hide repeatedly at great risk to themselves, and at one point Cid seemed to appreciate that.  That she's completely changed on that understanding is a bit weird, unless the show is trying to show her as truly reptilian in nature.  So far, the only alien species completely untrustworthy in Star Wars are the sea-based Quarren.
• The episode is pretty standard despite its different opponent and its introduction of changes.  It was predictable as far as storyline goes.  As soon as I saw the island had a lower city built up to the sea, my first thought was "what about tsunami safety"?  I was not off-target.  And I'm still left wondering if the island supposedly has limited resources, which, based on the size and population density it does, how they can provide great feasts for guest with all manner of fruits.  I have a desire to see the island population using ships or airships to harvest or trade at other islands or possibly even a mainland somewhere. My big complaint this episode is how characters repeatedly would say something and it would immediately happen.  Hunter declaring something was coming, and the instant afterwards an earthquake starts.  The mayor saying the tsunami sirens haven't sounded and that instant they do.  The writers and director need to give attention to a little "breathing room" between mentions and fulfillment. At least it doesn't feel insipidly stupid as a few other episodes have, and it gave us at least a brief refrain of some beautiful island views and culture.

 

[Mr. Vee]

New ep of this didn't drag either. Banner week for star wars pacing 😄

[Techwright]

On 3/22/2023 at 9:10 PM, Mr. Vee said:

New ep of this didn't drag either. Banner week for star wars pacing 😄

 

Yep!

 

I suspect they'll drop the last two episodes of the season as a 2-for-1, and if last season is an indication, these last two will be strong as well.

 

Speaking of this episode, what's up with...

Spoiler

...Emerie Karr?  There's a fan theory going around that Karr may be another female Jango Fett clone, speed-grown like the Batch.  She has some of the features of the clones: similar skin tone, a face that might be Omega's in a few years, and a Down Under accent.  She also seems to be doing little bits here and there to show a little dignity to Crosshair, including using his nickname, rather than his number.  He apparently sensed this, as he switched to stun when he shot her during his escape, but only her.  All others, before and after her, took live fire.  It is this last bit, the camera's focus on her, and her bearing that seems to say she wants to make things more tolerable for Crosshair, that has actually got the fans' interest.

 

Working against this is that the voice actor is not Michelle Ang, Omega's actor, and is an Australian, not a New Zealander.  There's an accent difference, though I'm guessing many of those pitching the theory aren't interested in distinguishing the accents.

 

[Mr. Vee]

38 minutes ago, Techwright said:

 

I suspect they'll drop the last two episodes of the season as a 2-for-1, and if last season is an indication, these last two will be strong as well.

 

 

My tv tracker confirms your suspicion. As to your spoiler bit, shrugs. 

Spoiler

I just figured she was a normal empathetic person stuck working with a mad scientist in a totalitarian regime. But of course I can hardly blame the innertubes for creating an elaborate theory around anyone with a speaking part in a filoni joint.

 

[Mr. Vee]

Score one for the innertubes i guess. 

Spoiler

it's like the whole galaxy is conspiring against wanda sykeswalker's skinny mr. peabody type fetish.

 

[Techwright]

Episode 14 "The Summit" and Episode 15 "Plan 99", or as I like to think of them:  "Why can't all episodes be this good?"

 

These... hit hard.  I truly hope this invigorates the series in people's thinking.  Looking forward to season 3, and hate that it is going to probably be a year or more until then.

 

Spoiler

The Summit

 

This episode seems to have been inspired in part by the Richard Burton/Clint Eastwood classic Where Eagles Dare which had a prominent cable car-to-fortress access just like this episode.  I may have to re-watch that movie to see if finer details are mirrored.  It's on my list of probably 100 top favorites, and it's been several years since I last watched it.

 

I get the impression that all those times the junior members of the team pushed to go into a dangerous situation with little preparation are actually designed to set the stage for these two blockbuster episodes.  To show a payoff, of sorts, for rash action.

 

Tech's awkwardness around Phee seems to be a departure from what was building in the tsunami episode.  Not sure why that was handled that way.  I'm not saying he should have been a gushy romantic, but a little relaxed attitude from him would have been in keeping with what was previously shown.

 

I find the Summit itself to be unusual.  Why would the head of a deep-science biological unit be in the same meeting discussing secret workings with the head of Project Stardust which has seemingly no connection to biology?  Even if the fan theory of clone Dark Troopers is taking shape, other than just housing and feeding them, something that would be done to all personnel onboard the Death Star anyway, I don't really see the need for spreading secrets around.  Compartmentalizing of information would seem to be a better safety and control tactic for the Empire.

 

As to the Summit members, there are two there I do not recognize.  I recognize Hemlock, Krennick, and of course, Tarkin.  Of the remaining two, I thought at first that the one who spoke up, mentioning clone loyalty and competent thinking, might have been Yularin, who under the Empire left the Admiralty and took the lead at the Imperial Security Bureau.  However, the close-up that followed seemed to show a different man.  I'm wondering who these two are, what their roles might be, and how that may affect the future of Star Wars stories.

 

One thing that's been bugging me for a while in Star Wars animation:  Tarkin is always portrayed as incredibly irritated and glowering.  If you view his original appearance, and that of Rogue One, he sometimes expresses a smile and some humor.  Granted it is smug, dark, twisted humor, but he doesn't always look like he's sucking on a bag of lemons.

 

As soon as they mentioned other sensors had gone offline, my thoughts said "Saw Gerrera".  Glad to see him back, though he can be a real pain when it comes to getting things done properly.

 

Puzzled why the Batch didn't have a ranged delivery system for the tracker.  Crosshairs actually used one via his sniper rife to place a tracer on a moving vessel once.  Granted, they don't have Crosshairs but Hunter is a good shot, and Tech could have likely arranged some sort of ranged firing mechanism.  Whatever the story requires, I guess.

 

Plan 99

 

Fans are going to hate this episode for one reason, but love it for the quality.

 

So, we finally lose a member of the Bad Batch.  Or did we?  No body was ever shown, just a pair of broken goggles, along with a statement from a snake I don't trust.  There's an outside chance that Tech is alive, recovered from the wreckage, and being put through Dr. Hemlock's tortures.  Will he be made into a Dark Trooper, perhaps, due to injuries, a cyborg like Echo?  Will there be another scene between Tech and Phee eventually?

 

Tech's "demise" raises some interesting problems.  One external to the story are the fans.  Several reactors and their fans in the comments have stated that Tech has become their favorite Batch member.  Angering this fanbase might not be the best move, especially as several weak episodes over 2 seasons have driven many away, or at least into an apathetic mood.  Internal to the story is that Tech was seemingly indispensable to the team in many vital roles:  translator, ship engineer, tech engineer, slicer (Star Wars' term for hacking), primary pilot, de facto secondary commander...I'm sure I could think of more.  Many of these skills cannot be replaced on the team.  It leads me to wonder what the dynamic will look like going forward without him, even if it is for a time.  He's probably the worst loss the team could suffer. 

 

I'd been wonder about Azi, the medical droid.  I'm surprised the Batch didn't keep him with them.  Having a field medic would have been a good thing.

 

Little surprise, but Cid sells the team out.  This is entirely their fault, and largely because they didn't take Azi with them.  They'd been warned, though admittedly Wrecker was the only one present during the warning who was both awake and alive when the choice was made to go to Ord Mantell.  I am disappointed, however.  Cid had the potential to change, even showed signs of moving in that direction, but didn't.   Whatever composition of the Batch happens going forward, I'm wondering if there will be either a redemptive arc for Cid, or if the team will seek to destroy her and her operations.  Poetic justice might be returning to her at some point, giving her a chance to turn them in again, but staging it so that they're not present when an angry Empire confronts an empty-handed Cid.

 

We finally get a pay off for Omega's frequent impulsive behavior. She charges in emotionally and gets captured.  I'm sure there'll be an escape at some point.  I'd like to hope the writing team will grow her thinking to be more cautious.

 

Interesting that Nala Se says absolutely nothing to Omega.  She's clearly used to playing her cards close to her vest.  Even her eyes don't betray much more than a recognition of Omega.  I wonder if Dr. Hemlock has been told how special Omega's DNA is, or just that she's important to Nala Se?  The fact that Omega is not strapped to a table suggests that Hemlock was not told everything.

 

Omega now knows where Crosshair is, and more than likely will be in a position to do something about it.  This makes me wonder if the inevitable escape will bring Crosshair back to the team, but leave Tech as the antagonist going forward, assuming of course, that he survived and is rebuilt and reprogrammed by Dr. Hemlock.

 

And finally we have Emerie Karr, which has now revealed herself as a Jango Fett clone, sister to Omega.  This raises some interesting questions such as how did Omega not know about her, seeing as Omega lived in Nala Se's lab and watched the whole process of improving the Bad Batch.  Is it possible that Emerie Karr is actually the 5th imperfect clone that Nala Se mentioned to Tarkin way back in season 1, rather than Omega, which everyone assumed?  It would explain things, as I never gelled with the idea of Omega being an imperfect clone.  Her only difference to Boba was a double XX chromosome.  Omega has often been refer to as a pure DNA.  So maybe it's Emerie?  Clearly Emerie was aged like every clone except Boba and Omega.  She has brown hair, so there is a difference between her and Omega.  How did she end up as an assistant to Dr. Hemlock, and is he aware of what she is?  I find it curious that they got a different actress to voice her.  Is that to show her imperfections, like the difference of Tech's voice from Echo's?  Or were they just afraid that it would be a dead give-away if Michelle Ang voiced Emerie as well as Omega?