Star Wars: The Bad Batch S2, Eps. 15 & 16 Review
There is no easy way to say this: I was barely able to watch the season finale of The Bad Batch. It was too painful for me to end up watching it in its entirety. I saw the spoilers for the finale, and what I read broke my heart. I feared that things were going to get bad after Pabu, but…I never expected them to get this bad. Nor did I expect it to end up hurting so much. This week, the Bad Batch hits rock bottom.
A Botched Mission Thanks to Saw Gererra
After getting word about Crosshair being held prisoner at the Weyland facility by Dr. Hemlock, the Bad Batch’s first instinct is that they need to rescue him. The problem is they don’t know where the facility even is. What they do know is that Hemlock’s attending an important summit at Tarkin’s compound on Eraidu, giving them the window they need to plant a tracking beacon on his ship. It’s a difficult mission, but it shouldn’t be too hard for the Bad Batch.
They couldn’t have been more wrong. While they get inside the compound undetected, they’re met by a familiar face: Saw Garrera and his Partisans. Unlike them, they’re just here to destroy the whole thing. Thanks to Saw’s stupidity, the alarm’s raised, and the Empire is hot on the squad’s tail. They don’t even get to plant the beacon.
What happened next broke me.
Plan 99: Sacrifice of Tech
The Bad Batch isn’t the actual name of the squad. Officially, its designation in the GAR was Clone Force 99, named in honor of Clone CT-99. Like the Bad Batch, he was a defective Clone, albeit he was merely deformed and lacked useful mutations. Fans of The Clone Wars might remember how 99 gave his life defending his home in the Battle of Kamino. However, 99’s legacy doesn’t just extend to the Squad’s name but to a plan. Plan 99: to save the Squad in an impossible scenario, one of them sacrifices themselves. And when that same scenario happens as they try to flee…Tech makes that choice. He seemingly gives his life so the Squad may live.
In hindsight, a lot of the character development Tech went through this season wasn’t just for growth; they were death flags. And they flew right past me. This is why I was barely able to watch what happened to Tech, and neither could the Bad Batch.
Betrayed and Losing Omega
The loss of Tech is enough to shake the Bad Batch to its core. Hunter plans to walk away from it all and retire to live their days on Pabu. They don’t want to lose any more than they already have. However, just when they’re left reeling, it gets worse. They make the mistake of taking refuge at Cid’s bar. And with the heat on them too much for her to handle…Cid sells them out to the Empire.
In the end, the remaining Squad escapes, but only because Omega gets herself captured by Dr. Hemlock in their place. Thus, the Bad Batch hits rock bottom. Tech’s likely KIA, Cid betrayed them, and Omega’s now a hostage of Hemlock along with Crosshair and the other Clones he’s using as test subjects, ending the season.
Cliffhangers are the worst.
All Is Not Lost
As depressing as the finale is, and how frustrating it might be having to wait for months or years for Season 3, I don’t think things are hopeless. There’s still a chance to make things better.
Firstly, even though the chances of him surviving are almost nil, I don’t believe Tech is dead. Unless we see a body or confirmation from Disney, there’s a chance he’s still alive. It wouldn’t be the first time Star Wars proved us wrong about a character being dead. And if he’s alive, he’ll find his way back to his brothers.
Secondly, the episode ends with a surprising revelation. It turns out that Omega’s not the only female Clone of Jango Fett out there. Dr. Hemlock’s assistant is secretly a Fett Clone, like Omega. So the fact that she’s working under Hemlock could mean she’s secretly trying to help the Clones. And with Tarkin and the Empire ready to declare them property to be disposed of, they need it.
While the season doesn’t see a full Clone Rebellion occur, the seeds are being sewn for it. I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I do know that the Bad Batch isn’t going to take any of this lying down. When they find Hemlock, and they will, they will make him pay.
I just wish we didn’t have to wait to find out what happens. Cliffhangers are not fun.
