– Spoiler Review –
If I felt like last week’s episode, “Common Ground,” deviated a lot from The Bad Batch‘s routine, then “Devil’s Deal” took the season’s biggest break yet, barely having the titular Batch in it as we see the situation on Ryloth unfold as the Empire tries to bring its particular brand of security and the Syndulla family’s part in how it all goes down.
As a big Star Wars Rebels fan, this was a stellar episode since it featured the full Syndulla family, from Cham, Eleni (we have a name, finally, but I’m still disappointed with its reveal*), and…HERA!!!! Hera has been one of my favorite characters since Rebels and I’ve always wanted more of her story, past, present, and future, though I never expected to see her past here in The Bad Batch, but I’ll so gladly take it! As Hera told elusive shipmaker McQuarrie in season two, she always used to dream of flying, having this pull to be “up there,” and Hera of “Devil’s Deal” is still the dreamer, having yet to really take a flight herself, so it was damn neat for us to basically see her first flight here. There’s a poetic moment of quiet where Hera lays back and looks up at the clouds, watching birds fly-by, weaving her hand through the air as if she was up there with them, music reminiscent of her theme from Rebels playing gently in the background and it about brought me to tears. Without this desire to fly, without this pull to the sky, we’d never have the adventures of Rebels, her found family, and their efforts for the Rebellion, nor could she end up on a career path overseeing a vital aspect of the New Republic’s forces routing out the remains of the Empire after Endor; in a way, we’ve seen the big pieces of her first journey now, from this appearance, A New Dawn and other short stories, Rebels, and Alphabet Squadron Trilogy, which is basically the start of a new beginning for her. During this timeframe, she’s also eager to get away from Ryloth, eager to be a part of something more like her father has been for years instead of essentially locked away in her home. That’s what her Uncle Gobi offers, a chance to be part of something more, to do the flying she so desperately wants to experience, while Cham’s efforts have her best interests at heart too, from a different point of view, hoping to provide her with a future that doesn’t involve fighting, which he was fighting for during the Clone Wars, and if that means working with the Empire, so be it. Hera can’t escape the allure of flying, of making a difference, as we know she’s always eager to do, even when she’s the General of a New Republic armada, but this time, at this age, those feelings get her and the Syndullas in trouble when she continues to help Gobi with his schemes. Alongside Hera through all of this is of course Chopper! That the droid doesn’t have a single kill this episode is quite surprising, but in a way he’s a bit more the voice of reason at the moment, knowing her choice to join Gobi might be a problem, since he’s already the loyal and grumpy astromech we know and love from Rebels. Having Vanessa Marshall back to voice this younger Hera, in full Twi’lek accent, was an absolute delight, as it adds so much more to Hera’s appearance here and scenes in Rebels between her and Cham, especially when she falls back to the accent when she and her father have an emotional conversation aboard her ship, the Ghost. Her scene with Omega, when the Bad Batch make a cameo appearance in their own show, was one of my favorites, as the little one teaches her so much about the make-up of a ship, though Hera teaches her about the heart of the ship, which is the pilot itself, giving Omega a perspective that isn’t so clone-centric for once. I hope their can be a few more scenes between these two, especially since it would mean more Hera, because I have a feeling the show isn’t done with this story.
As a Star Wars Rebels fan, I adored this episode, but for those starting with The Bad Batch, I wonder how those fans felt. I honestly didn’t notice the absence of the group until they showed up, though I’m curious if that’s because I was caught up in the reappearance of Hera and Chopper or if it was simply an entertaining episode on its own (which it was). I also wonder if their absence wasn’t noticeable due to the Batch being fun characters but lacking on substantial character development so far, while these other stories and other characters offer such opportunities, beyond Omega, which is when/where TBB becomes far more compelling and fits more with the thrust of its story up to this point, which has been more about character studies than plot propulsion. To me, “Devil’s Deal” might be the best episode of the season and it had nothing to do with the Batch themselves, and after these two great diverging episodes, I sort of wish the show had been more focused on delivering episodes like this from the beginning. Regardless, using TBB to help explore the galaxy as the Empire tightens its clutches is honestly such a great way to expand its scope and pull in more viewers, as these episodes lately are helping to alleviate some of my original concern about this show and its main characters.
Not only is this episode full of connective tissue for Rebels, it is a continuation of The Clone Wars themes and characters too, exploring Cham Syndulla’s hold on the people of Ryloth over Senator Orn Free Taa’s leadership in name only, as his grubby actions and dealings with the Empire have soured on the people. In a way, this was explored a bit in the 2015 canon novel Lords of the Sith, where Eleni Syndulla has unfortunately passed and Cham is running from the Empire, leading his Free Ryloth Movement, so that means “Devil’s Deal” acts as a prequel to those moments. Taa invites the people of Ryloth to welcome the Empire, Admiral Rampart at his side, much like Senator Singh in “Common Ground,” but whereas Singh stood up for his people and what he believed in, Taa has no such compulsions, hoping instead to stay alive and in power. The people call for Cham and he parrots Taa, for the most part, hyping the people up for the Empire’s potential peace. He’s been fighting for so long, and wants a stable future for his daughter Hera, he sees this as his chance to stop fighting, even if he has his misgivings. It’s not until Hera is arrested by the Empire after joining Gobi on a weapon supply run, and Taa charges her with treason, that this deal with the Empire turns sour quickly in Cham’s mind, hopping back into his fighting days and rescuing Hera, Gobi, and Serin from the Empire. Understandably pissed, Cham nearly kills Taa, but Eleni talks him out of it, as she doesn’t just think with her heart like Cham does, but Rampart has his own plans in motion to use the situation to rid them of Cham’s influence on the people. Crosshair is waiting high above, shooting Taa’s lekku, so while he’s only hurt, it’s enough for Rampart to charge Cham and Eleni with an attempted assassination, the Empire swooping in to arrest them and Hera whisked away by Chopper.
“Devil’s Deal” doesn’t feel like the last time we’ll visit Ryloth, as I don’t think they can end this story at such a cliffhanger, so I’m curious if the Batch will be recruited by Rex or someone to help with breaking Cham and Eleni out of Imperial clutches. There’s some interesting aspects to the clone Captain Howzer too that should/likely will be explored, as he doesn’t seem effected by Order 66. He’s not as obedient or mono-tone as most clones after the inhibitor chips kicks into high gear, he’s lenient with Hera’s first infraction and hesitates when Rampart requests he hunt down Hera at the episode’s end. When Rex showed up in “Battle Scars,” he mentions few clones were immune to the Order, so it hinted at the possibility other clones weren’t following orders and now here we are with Howzer. How he might react during a rescue attempt by the Batch would be very interesting to see, as I feel like he’d make a sacrifice to save her, though maybe his act could lead to the unfortunate and inevitable death of Eleni Syndulla. Will this be the series’ last immune clone? Will we find the Batch going around the galaxy, trying to rescue the clones who weren’t affected by the inhibitor chip and ask them to help in the fight against the Empire? It would be a neat premise for TBB going forward so I hope they do something with the thread.
Eleni Syndulla was sort of how I imagined after all these years: calm, wise, and a little roguish herself, scolding Hera one moment and asking her daughter all the details on her little recon mission the next. She tempers Cham’s fiery spirit but challenges his willingness for the Empire’s rule, while she’s willing and able to join in the action if needed, all qualities Hera inherits and uses to her own devices throughout her tenure in her own war, hence her being the best Space Mom in the galaxy. It’s a shame we don’t have more time with her this episode and it’s part of why I want another set on Ryloth, so we can have more of her, though as I mentioned about this being a prequel to that novel, the next episode could include her death. I also wanted more time with her because I’d love it if her name would finally be uttered aloud. In Star Wars Rebels, Hera nor Cham ever mention Eleni’s name when talking about her, and unfortunately with so many fathers in the focus in the Saga at large and the mothers usually forgotten or regulated to the background, it didn’t look good she couldn’t even be named back then, especially with Dave Filoni admitting he knew her name at one point. So to have her finally appear in animation, in an important speaking role even, and her name STILL ISN’T MENTIONED BY ANYONE was absolutely aggravating; even if it was to sort of ‘honor’ the method in Rebels, it’s not something worth honoring. Thanks to the credits, we finally learn Hera’s mother’s name is Eleni and…was it that hard?! It’s not a revealing or surprising name. Cham and Gobi get their names mentioned countless times…why could no one say Eleni? Another reason I hope TBB returns to Ryloth and this situation is so someone can finally, actually, literally SAY HER NAME. If it doesn’t happen before her death, which as I mentioned before would occur in the next episode to feature them, it would be a terrible shame. But Eleni isn’t the only one who gets this treatment, and despite this episode written by a woman, Gobi’s fellow fighter Serin doesn’t have her name mentioned at all either, besides the credits. Why does this seemingly only ever happen to female characters? Do better, Star Wars.
Here are a few other things:
- Don’t forget, the soundtrack for The Bad Batch’s first half of season 1 is out on Spotify and it has 37 (!) tracks!
The Bad Batch’s “Devil’s Deal” is an excellent episode featuring Hera, Cham, and Eleni Syndulla and their struggles on Ryloth as the Empire offers its version of stability to the galaxy.
+ HERA SYNDULLA!!!!
+ The whole Syndulla family and their problems on Ryloth
+ Plenty of things the show can explore
– Why is it so hard to say a female character’s name?!
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 | 1.7 Battle Scars | 1.8 Reunion | 1.9 Bounty Lost