– Spoiler Review –
Nothing good ever comes from a “Reunion,” though for us viewers, The Bad Batch made it thoroughly enjoyable with a tense, eye-catching episode ending in a cliffhanger which makes the wait for next week unbearable.
After the Bracca Scrappers noticed Hunter and altered the Empire last episode, it was clear it wouldn’t be long before the Empire came knocking. What I was surprised by was the almost flippant disregard for Clone Force 99 by Admiral Rampart, basically waving them off and ordering Crosshair and his team to kill them, so they wouldn’t be a bother anymore. With the Empire looking for a case against continuing with the clones, I figured they’d be eager to use the Special Forces team to take them down and prove a point, but I guess Rampart is more concerned with training them and sending them out on other missions to prove their effectiveness. Lama Su is in the room where this happens (sorry not sorry if that triggered a Hamilton ear-worm for you) and he later calls in Nala Se to discuss the Empire’s kill-order on Clone Force 99, knowing it means Omega could be caught in the crossfire. A few episodes back in “Replacements,” the two discussed the degrading genetic material of Jango Fett, saying they needed to consider their contingency plans to keep the clones viable, which they said were clones unwilling to return. I didn’t think Omega was part of such a plan considering Nala Se helped her leave, while I still don’t suspect it’s Clone Force 99 they were referring to, instead theorizing they meant the Republic Commandos of Delta Squad, but it turns out Omega is one part of the plan as Lama Su has already called in another bounty hunter to return her to them. Well, that answers why Fennec Shand was after them in “Cornered,” but I don’t think Nala Se wants the contingency plan relying on Omega, as she’s obviously not happy with Lama Su’s actions and was the one who helped Omega flee, so I’m both curious what she’ll do if she’s returned and I wonder if they’ll go after those ‘unwilling’ clones which could mean something like Delta Squad is still on the table; because really, if the return of another The Clone Wars character is anything to go by at the end of this episode, anyone from that era/show seems to be on the table.
“Reunion” was a great showcase of pacing and the show’s expanded, more detailed animation, as the episode starts with a funny, albeit dangerous moment of Wrecker teaching Omega how to disarm explosives but it quickly ramps up from there, as the Batch finds Scrappers watching them and an engaging chase scene ensues. This forces the Batch to pick up their pace, grabbing what they can from the Jedi Cruiser for a profit. I get Hunter is the leader, but he made the choice for the team by denying Rex’s offer without consulting everyone else, and I love how Echo decides to confront him now, pointing out paying back Cid wouldn’t even be part of the equation had they left with Rex, as they’re soldiers, not arms dealers. As a “reg” or regular, non-Bad Batch clone, Echo’s the one more used to being simply a soldier and fighting a war, unlike the rest of the Batch which are used to less unorthodox missions and orders, so he’s the best one to make the point Hunter and the rest need to hear: they’re soldiers and why not fight for what was lost, instead of taking missions with unknown benefactors and reasons behind them. What happens at the end of the episode delays the Batch’s decision on their future, but I’m sure we’ll get an answer on what they plan to do next before the season is over.
Just as the group gathers a rather hefty sum of armaments to sell to Cid, though Wrecker kisses a proton torpedo so not everything is up for sale, the Empire arrives with Crosshair at the lead. As I expected, he’s a formidable opponent for his ex-squad, as he knows all their tricks and corners them without much effort. Hunter and Crosshair chat for a moment, with Omega trying to reach through to Crosshair and remind him what she told him in the brig in “Aftermath,” but it’s clear they can’t reason with him due to how the Empire keeps reinvigorating his inhibitor chip. Surrounded, Clone Force 99 takes the risky route out, having Echo revive the giant ship-to-ship guns around them and Tech blasts them, bringing the rickety ship down around them and causing utter chaos (and Wrecker has to get rid of his prized torpedo to help them escape, in a hilarious moment). They attempt to escape via the ship’s engine, but of course Crosshair is already waiting for them, with someone turning the engines on to fry his old comrades. Crosshair is a dangerous threat and I love how much he pushes the team to think outside their already outside the box approach, as they decide to blow up part of the engine to tumble away inside of it. The engine’s flair scars the Imperial Batch member but he doesn’t let it stop him from ordering around his troops to try stopping them still. I was hoping it would mess with his chip, but instead it’s just made him angry, and I imagine he’ll be even more ruthless when the crew runs into him again. But for now, they have far bigger problems to deal with…
Separated due to the engine part they all fall away in splitting up, Hunter and Omega arrive at their ship first, only to find the Empire’s clones already dead. The next bounty hunter the Kaminoans hired has arrived and he does not mess around: Cad Bane!! And what a freaking entrance he has!! From him decked out in a snazzier, though familiar outfit, the heavy Western-inspired theme that screams Bane, to the only sign the relentless hunter has aged is his voice, it’s a memorable reveal, but what he does next is even more unforgettable: he’s still one of the quickest hands in the galaxy, taking down Hunter in a standoff and stealing away Omega! When you put Omega in danger, you give me unending apprehension and the wait for next wait is going to be excruciating! It was such an effective return for Bane while also showing new viewers what type of threat he poses, even if he still has the Seth Green voiced droid alongside him. We last saw Cad Bane in S4 of The Clone Wars in prison, though some of the subsequent Clone Wars Legacy panels at Celebrations revealed more stories for him the show never got to explore, including one where he takes the teenaged Boba Fett under his hat’s brim and the two get into a similar standoff as he does here, which results in him giving Fett’s helmet its distinctive dent (and left’s Bane’s fate in question). Will we see a similar scene play out between an older Fett and Bane, this time resulting in Bane’s death? What would Boba think about Omega, a younger sister? And what would he do with her, return her to the Kaminoans or the clones? Be it the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover in comics, the potential for Boba here in The Bad Batch, and his and Fennec’s upcoming The Book of Boba Fett show, it’s turning out to be the year of the Fett, whether one likes it or not. Until/if he shows up here, it’s all about Cad Bane again for now, who’s a favorite of mine I’m glad to see back, as much as I hate him right now for taking Omega.
The scene in the gun room and the one in the ship’s engine towards the end reminded me a lot of action set-pieces from games like the Uncharted series, with tons of moving parts, debris, and chaos unfolding around our heroes as they barely get away from utter destruction at the hands of the environment around them or the bad guys chasing them. The quality of the animation really makes these scenes stand out and feel like big cinema-style moments, while the sound effects and music add that extra special touch to put the series alongside its film/TV counterparts. I really loved the part at the end when the show went first person view, through Hunter’s eyes as he’s waking up after Cad Bane shot him, as it was a thrilling way to show their escape and, if my theory about Delta Squad above is correct, a potential fun little tease of what’s to come on the show. Otherwise, as we talk about the animation, I’d like to once again point your attention to the Unwhitewash The Bad Batch site.
Here are a few other things:
- Was that the first time the dianoga’s name has ever been said out loud in Star Wars? Just took 40+ years!
- Kevin Kiner, alongside his sons, are composing the music for the show and they’ve been a fun follow on Twitter, especially since they teased Cad Bane’s appearance!
The Bad Batch’s “Reunion” goes about as one would expect, Crosshair nearly matching his brothers’ every move and leading to disaster, but it’s a total blast for viewers, while the cliffhanger thanks to Cad Bane leaves us all begging for next Friday.
+ Cad Bane returns in a BIG way
+ Crosshair is a formidable match for the Batch
+ Stellar animation, set-pieces, and sound effects/score
– WE HAVE TO WAIT A WEEK
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 | 1.3 Replacements | 1.4 Cornered | 1.5 Rampage | 1.6 Decommissioned