– Spoiler Review –
The Bad Batch’s third episode, “Replacements,” has a rewarding story for Omega, some surprisingly dark moments, and intriguing new aspects to the evolving situation of the Empire’s designs for Kamino and their clones.
After the premiere, I was a little worried how often we’d visit Kamino and its storyline with Tarkin assessing the clones and if the Empire had any further need of them, so I’m glad not only did “Replacements” return to it, but it brought some intriguing new wrinkles and developments that make me eager for The Bad Batch to return more often. Vice Admiral Rampart, briefly seen in Ep. 2 “Cut and Run” talking about the new chain code system, which it’s revealed here he invented and we first learned about in The Mandalorian, arrives on Kamino to assist in Tarkin’s work on behalf of the Empire assessing the necessity of clones. Rampart hasn’t come empty-handed, instead he’s brought with him an elite squad of warriors (a diverse one, at that!), hoping to show how using Crosshair’s compliance to train them will be a cheaper and more effective army for the Empire going forward, codenamed War-Mantle .* While it seems like Rampart and Tarkin meet here for the first time, the first mission Tarkin sends this new squad on makes it feel like somehow these two were in cahoots before this, or at least Tarkin laid the seeds to give this new project the success it needed to get them out of the contract with Kaminoans: obliterate Saw Gerrera’s camp on Onderon, which the Bad Batch didn’t do in “Aftermath.” I have no doubt Tarkin knew what he was doing when he sent the Bad Batch there, likely assuming they wouldn’t follow-through once they found out who the targets were, and while he uses that dereliction of duty to add a knock against the clones, their choice further leads to ammo he can use.
This is where “Replacements” takes a dark, brilliant, though chilling spin, as the new soldiers, with Crosshair in the lead, arrive on Onderon and ambush the few remaining members. Once they whittle them down and prevent their escape, the very few fighters and some civilians left surrender, but once Crosshair finds out they have no information on where Saw went, he kills the unarmed prisoners. The most talkative of the elite squad says they won’t kill the rest of the prisoners, so Crosshair kills him and offers the same choice to the remaining squad, so they turn their weapons on the prisoners. Kevin Kiner’s score really adds a whole other layer to this scene with its tension-building sounds while also making it feel incorrect and wrong, while Dee Bradley Baker’s Crosshair is creepy-good. I’ll be very curious to see how this constant refreshment on Crosshair’s chip will continue to alter him or harm him, as he seemed weary getting out of the chamber already, while the memories of his old comrades are still all around him as he takes up residence in their old room with the new squad. As Omega keeps telling the group, who are still not comfortable talking much about Crosshair, it’s not his fault or theirs, and it’s just a natural part of the inhibitor chip process. Tech has been spending time on a device to check out their chips, and why they weren’t affected, and I’m curious if he’ll be able to use it to deactivate theirs…and Crosshair’s when the time comes. Regardless, I’m hoping we’ll get to meet more of the elite squad, which included some diversity to the show with Black and Asian female soldiers, and how they feel about the whole process of switching over to recruitment over clones, something they talk very very briefly on here.
With the “success” of Rampart’s elite squad trained by a clone, not only does he get a promotion, but the Kaminoans understand their profitable time making clones could be coming to an end. In the premiere, Nala Se and Lama Su having an intriguing conversation about being ready for something like this and now in “Replacements” they take it to whole other level. Nala Se reveals Jango Fett’s genetic code is degrading and Lama Su says they must start the next phase, but the clones they need for the project won’t willingly return. I don’t think this means the Bad Batch, because if they have Crosshair then they’d okay, unless they need the material from the entire batch to make their next version of clones, while Nala wouldn’t have let Omega go then either, so I have some other thoughts in mind. What clones might not return willingly and have been given a little more leeway than others that we’ve already met, albeit briefly in canon? How about Delta Squad, the clone commandos!! It certainly wouldn’t be coincidence then that their cult classic Republic Commando video game was remastered and released only a month before the premiere of the show, and if the events there largely hold true in canon, then they wouldn’t be willing to return because they are still out there looking for Sev (their sniper, ironically enough); they are also likely to not be affected by the inhibitor chip either, hence the lack of returning as well, considering they’re specially made in their own way too. Plus being the subject of a few Legends books (of which YMMV) that dipped into Mandalorian culture, and considering Dave Filoni is heavily involved in The Mandalorian-era shows and helped create this one and there’s already been a small reference to it, they could be used to add a few more details to the saga of the Mandalorian peoples Filoni has slowly been covering over the past decade. Otherwise, my other thought would turn to the young Boba Fett, as he obviously would never return willingly nor could they compel him too, so he’s the least likely choice, followed by Bad Batch, and my most likely guess being Delta Squad. No matter the outcome, it’s clear I’ve found this part of the show very compelling and by this review along it would almost seem if they episode didn’t include Omega and the rest of the Bad Batch! But thankfully it still had them, especially her, in their own fun story.
A Star Wars animation classic happens with the Bad Batch: they crash land on a uninhabited, or so they think, planet due to damage on their ship, which has been in Star Wars Rebels (Zeb and Kallus stuck on a moon together, anyone?), The Clone Wars (from Mortis to too many crashes to count), etc. While it’s a familiar tale, this is a unique set of characters to be in it, like Omega and Hunter that it offers something new, entertaining, and character-focused to be more than worth it. The capacitor they need to install to repair their ship is stolen by a local Ordo Moon Dragon (which looked like a komodo dragon with a mammalian face) and Hunter, with an insistent Omega that none of the Dad Batch (which I can’t take credit for) know how to say no to yet, head out to get it back. When Hunter passes out from lack of oxygen after a scuffle with the dragon knocks off his mask, Omega stabilizes him and takes initiative, diving into its lair to get the capacitor back. Considering the size of the dragon’s lair, it was always going to come down to Omega having to go in, but I loved how it played out here, where she can’t get ahold of everyone and makes the choice to dive in and help out. In its lair she finds a non-lethal solution, giving up her flashlight to secure the capacitor, and gets out without much trouble, showing her ingenuity and value to the team all at once. The episode starts with her sleeping against Wrecker’s weight droid, Gonky, and being willing to give up her rations to a starved Wrecker, who decides against taking hers after a talk from Hunter, where the big lovable guy attempts he’s not good at having a kid around, but none of them are, just yet. When Hunter and Omega return, Wreck reveals something he worked on in the meantime: a little room for Omega! It’s an adorable, cute, and heart-breaking scene, as Omega gains acceptance from the team and something to call her own for once, showing the Dad Batch is growing into their role. As much as I loved the moment and scene, part of me is worried the show will use it against us later, breaking out hearts someway, somehow with Omega and the Bad Batch…finger’s crossed they don’t, though!
With another The Bad Batch episode comes another reminder of the need for the show to do better with its problematic whitewashing. ES-2, aka the Elite Squad soldier who’s a Black woman, might be the most visibly Black skin-toned animation yet on the show, but it’s still too light. They can say what they want to about lighting and whatnot, but it’s still a conscious choice not to do better or not simply darken the skin-tone regardless of retaining lighting fidelity. For a great resource on the whitewashing controversy, compiling arguments and counter arguments to offer the full picture, head here.
Here are a few other things:
- *War-Mantle is one of the many projects rattled off in the Scarif vault sequence of Rogue One! Sure, it’s a generic enough name they could’ve picked it at random to use here, though it’s possible they were laying the groundwork already, but regardless it’s a great little reference.
- Kevin Kiner’s score will be on its way to stream and purchase later this year: June 25 with Volume 1 (Ep. 1-8) and August 20 for Volume 2 (Ep. 9-16). But for now, there’s one song so far on Spotify!
- There’s been some killer fan art going around but this precious scene of a young Bad Batch is to die for!
The Bad Batch offers another compelling episode with “Replacements,” digging into the story behind how the Empire changes from clones to recruits and giving Omega a great moment of acceptance in her new family.
+ Empire’s plans for future of soldiers
+ Potential with Kaminoan’s response to Empire’s desires
+ Omega finding and given a home with her batch
– Skin-tone problem persists, though I don’t know if it’ll change
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
THE BAD BATCH REVIEWS
Season One: 1.1 Aftermath | 1.2 Cut and Run