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The Bad Batch (animated series) - a general discussion thread - * SPOILERS * — Page 8

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Knight of Kalee said:

I’ve never felt more anxious about headaches in a show.

Yeah, if we didn’t already know, we now know for CERTAIN that something is going to happen to his inhibitor chip. It’s super obvious. And given how strong the bond between Omega and “uncle” Wrecker is now, I’m very worried how she’ll react to… whatever happens to him.

A kinda clickbaity but very good video from Eckhartsladder about how Wrecker’s chip activation could lead to the episode with Rex, plus an episode review touching on the inclusion of Muchi for anyone who’s interested.

“Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.”

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I have a nerd discussion with a neighbor every Thursday. Depending on time of year, drinks around an outdoor fire (I live rural) or cooler drinks at a table on one of our patios. We either discuss the previous week’s Mandalorian, or a Marvel film, or, as has been the case this spring, the previous Friday’s episode of The Bad Batch.

Early on, when Wrecker had a headache and had to stay behind, my neighbor said he suspected something is wrong with the chip and he has some brain issues. I thought it was just an easy plot point to keep him behind on the ship to interact with Omega.

Three weeks later, it’s clear my neighbor was right. Something is wrong with him and it’s going to be a bigger plot point in the coming weeks. I agree, Omega is not going to handle it well.

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I’m really enjoying the show. I made this same point about some of the Mando episodes, but I think I’m really loving how the show so far feels like a DnD campaign. The Bad Batch feel like distinct classes, and each episode feels like a game session. I don’t know how long it will last, but Cid feels like she will be their new quest giver. Seems like if this was a DnD game, it’d be really fun to play.

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Episode 6 Spoilers

I appreciate the chutzpah in bringing Trace and Rafa back despite the backlash (though I suppose this was probably in development before TCW S7 came out) - I do prefer it when Star Wars doesn’t go out of its way to acquiesce to internet moaning. Who could the cloaked hologram man be? Bail? Rex?

Do they have two different R7 droids with distinct paint jobs?

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sade1212 said:

Episode 6 Spoilers

I appreciate the chutzpah in bringing Trace and Rafa back despite the backlash (though I suppose this was probably in development before TCW S7 came out) - I do prefer it when Star Wars doesn’t go out of its way to acquiesce to internet moaning. Who could the cloaked hologram man be? Bail? Rex?

My immediate thought was Bail as well, but after thinking about it a bit I figured Ahsoka makes more sense as she already knows them (and since she’s the fan favourite that Filoni seems to incorporate into nearly everything he makes).

I admittedly got a tad annoyed at first when I recognized Trace and Rafa, but I think they worked really well in this episode. Trace especially seems to have matured a bit as a character, so I don’t really mind if they’ll both return in later episodes. There wasn’t really anything blatantly bad about the two characters, but their arc in TCW season 7 felt a bit too silly and pointless compared to the rest of the season, and the fact that it was the final season of the series and that there were several better unfinished story arcs most fans would rather see completed instead didn’t exactly help.

Star Wars is Surrealism, not Science Fiction (essay)
Original Trilogy Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
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Interesting that they decided to do another job, but I suspect Carla will be less than enthused that they didn’t get the droid head. Since they’re a stand-up group for the most past, I assume they’ll go back instead of just bail on her.

I’m really digging the arc of Omega. She’s fallible and learning. Much more realistic than what we often get. I do think it’s sort of an interesting but also weird deal the way they bring her on mercenary jobs. She’s getting a very interesting education\entrance into the outside world.

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I’m one of the few people who likes the Martez sisters arc in The Clone Wars; outstays its welcome, sure, but I liked the characters of Trace and Rafa. I was both happy and relieved to see them in the episode, because I was getting worried we’d see a young Han cameo. I also loved the brief mentor relationship Trace had with Omega, and the fact that the sisters have learned from Ahsoka to be forever conscious about what cause they’re aiding. A powerful lesson and one which I’m sure will impact the Batch going forward.

I don’t see Trace and Rafa being so friendly towards a senator like Bail. I first thought Rafa saying “patch him through” ruled out Ahsoka, but then I remembered how Sabine assumed Fulcrum was a he when Ahsoka first appeared, in a cloak, in Rebels. However, I don’t know why Ahsoka would hide her identity from Trace and Rafa - and unless EK Johnston’s ‘Ahsoka’ novel is being retconned AGAIN, it’s much too early for Ahsoka to be fulcrum. Given that at the end of ‘Victory and Death’, we see that Rex has collected the broken pieces of R4-A7 - and R7 is then fixed and given to Trace and Rafa - I’m almost certain it’s Rex at the end. Very much looking forward to his appearance.

Oh, and also Wrecker. Oh boy. Oh no.

“Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.”

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Yeah, Wrecker’s condition is getting worse a lot faster than I anticipated. At this rate, I think we’ll see them having to deal with it soon.

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Next episode I reckon. If not, I think they might be moving the story along too slowly. This episode was really nice, but it didn’t progress things that much. I hope we check in with Crosshair in the next episode too.

“Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.”

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Man, I was getting worried as I got the return of the Martez sisters spoiled for me, but fortunately they were much better executed in this episode than their overlong TCW arc. They seemed way more competent this time, and yeah I wouldn’t mind if they return or become recurring characters.

Overall I really liked this episode, more than the previous two or three since it finally pushes the plot a bit forward. I was very happy to see Corellia. The only aspect I’m sorely missing is Crosshair and the developments at Kamino.

My first guess for the sisters’ mysterious employer was Ahsoka because of the cloak, until I remembered about the pronoun thing. I considered other candidates like Bail Organa or Saw Gerrera, but the fact they’ve got R7 makes me confident its Rex, setting up his future appearance in the show as we’ve seen in the trailer.

Cid was fun the few seconds she was onscreen. I like her role as the quest giver 😄

The way they’re developing Omega has been really good. I really liked how this time the Batch trust her enough to let her actively help on their mission rather than confining her to the ship. The bow training moments were endearing and maybe felt as a way of intentionally downplaying any Mary Sue aspects some people may have issues with (though I haven’t found Omega to be a MS at all) and the pay-off was good if a bit rushed.

And I was really clamoring aloud for Wrecker to get better 😢

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The visuals for Corellia were so good. Their environmental artists are very good at their jobs.

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Very very good episode today. It’s a shame there wasn’t more spotlight on Echo, because Rex was there, nor more meaningful mentions of Fives because his discovery was the most relevant in this episode, but they wanted to keep the emotional focus of the episode on Wrecker and I think it paid off. I was very relieved that the mysterious figure was Rex - as I said last week, it would have been weird if it was Bail and retcon-y if it was Ahsoka.

Great location, very well crafted tense sequences and touching moments - like Omega and Wrecker sharing food together and Rex staring at his helmet to contemplate how its meaning has changed for him. I really thought this might be a good episode to include a Crosshair scene in, but it’s fine. Now the Empire knows the Batch are on Bracca, I’m certain he’ll be in the next one!

“Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.”

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It’s certainly one of my favorite episodes so far. That Wrecker scene was emotionally charged and for a moment I even considered the possibility of him dying or being left behind for his own sake. The Wrecker-Omega relationship was also great. Wrecker’s like that one easy-going, funny uncle who always gave you treats behind your parents’s backs and took you out on fun activities.

I was glad to see Bracca again. It’s been a while since I last played Fallen Order so can anybody confirm if this “Scrapper guild” is the same one Cal joins in the game?

I concur Rex and Echo should have had more screentime together.

And finally, I wonder who was Rex talking to before he left. I really hope it’s not Ahsoka in order to avoid further retcons to her own novel, though honestly I wouldn’t be surprised.

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I also really enjoyed this episode. A lot of nice little moments, like Rex looking at his helmet (like jedi_bendu mentioned), or Omega realizing how big Star Destroyers really are.

This is me being nit picky, but I do wish that there would’ve been a little more consequences by the end of the episode. I thought the inhibitor chips created a nice conflict for the Bad Batch. I feel like they were able to remove that conflict with very little consequence. Yeah, Wrecker went berserk, which was very fun and dramatic, but by the end it seems that problem is good and everyone is hunky dory.

I’m not suggesting someone should’ve died, but it would’ve been dramatic if Omega actually had to shoot Wrecker, and then they would have had to quickly save him using that medical device. How would have that affected Omega?

Maybe he could’ve still been stunned at the last minute, but it would have been interesting if Hunter talked to Omega about how if she were ever in a similar situation, she would need to take the shot if it meant protecting herself.

I also think the procedure itself could’ve potentially had a bit more consequences as well. After all, they’re basically “winging” neurosurgery in a rusting, broken starship. What if after the surgery, we discover that removing the chip hurt their skills in some minor way. Like, it could have negatively affected Tech’s memory or intelligence. He begins to notice he makes more mistakes. It would be interesting to see how Tech wrestled with that, since his identity is wrapped up so much in his intelligence.

I mentioned this before, but I do wish there was more differentiation between Tech and Echo. Like, Tech is exclusively the “hardware” guy, while Echo is the “software” guy. Or Echo could have still been struggling to embrace this cybernetic side of himself, and Tech could have helped him unlock his potential more over the course of the season. I think because of their similarities, it makes them both stand out less.

Again, this is all really nit picky stuff. I still really enjoyed it, I just wish there had been a bit more cost or consequence for the Bad Batch getting their chips removed.

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Knight of Kalee said:

And finally, I wonder who was Rex talking to before he left. I really hope it’s not Ahsoka in order to avoid further retcons to her own novel, though honestly I wouldn’t be surprised.

I agree with this, although I love Ahsoka I really don’t think she should be in this series. I would have said Wolffe or Gregor - perhaps Rex is working with them to stage a clone rebellion or something similar (which would line up with Rebels nicely, because the rebellion would fail and the three of them would simply retire) - but at one point Rex says of the chip removal procedure, “I’ve never been on this end of it” which means he hasn’t helped Wolffe or Gregor to get theirs removed yet. Maybe the line is simply an oversight, maybe Wolffe and Gregor have removed their chips independently, I guess we’ll see.

RogueLeader said:

This is me being nit picky, but I do wish that there would’ve been a little more consequences by the end of the episode. I thought the inhibitor chips created a nice conflict for the Bad Batch. I feel like they were able to remove that conflict with very little consequence. Yeah, Wrecker went berserk, which was very fun and dramatic, but by the end it seems that problem is good and everyone is hunky dory.

I’m not suggesting someone should’ve died, but it would’ve been dramatic if Omega actually had to shoot Wrecker, and then they would have had to quickly save him using that medical device. How would have that affected Omega?

I’m agreed with this. It occurred to me that Omega could have shot Wrecker and that would have a lasting effect on her, but I do like that Omega couldn’t bring herself to do it in time - and didn’t compromise her moral integrity at all. Very interesting thought about the lasting effect the chip could leave on characters like Tech (and I would love some sort of development for Tech). If I had to guess though, we’ll be looking at a more action-packed second half of the season rather than a character-focused one.

“Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.”

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Heavy dislike on the idea of nerfing/punishing characters just to advance the plot.

I’m just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe.

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JackNapier said:

Heavy dislike on the idea of nerfing/punishing characters just to advance the plot.

I’m not quite sure what you mean. Isn’t that kinda the point of all types of storytelling? I mean punishing a character just for the hell of it would be bad, but if it served the plot then that’s simply the logical thing to do.

Star Wars is Surrealism, not Science Fiction (essay)
Original Trilogy Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Beyond the OT Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Amazon link to my novel; Dawn of the Karabu.

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Yeah, I’m not suggesting to punish the characters for the hell of it. Just spitballing ways that the show could develop the characters more. It’s fun when things don’t go perfectly as planned. Yeah, Wrecker went berserk momentarily, but it gets resolved with no lasting consequences on the characters or their relationships. Of course things can work out perfectly for our heroes sometimes. And it does look like things may take a turn for the worse in the next episode.

Despite everything I’ve said, there could be a really great benefit for things working out well for them in this episode. All of their procedures being successful might lead them to believe they could do the same thing to Crosshair and he will go back to “normal” after the procedure, just like Wrecker did. What would be great is if they somehow incapacitate Crosshair and remove his chip, but once he comes to, he is still loyal to the Empire.

If they go that route, I will take back my critiques! And again, there not really complaints. I’m still enjoying the show!

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RogueLeader said:

Despite everything I’ve said, there could be a really great benefit for things working out well for them in this episode. All of their procedures being successful might lead them to believe they could do the same thing to Crosshair and he will go back to “normal” after the procedure, just like Wrecker did. What would be great is if they somehow incapacitate Crosshair and remove his chip, but once he comes to, he is still loyal to the Empire.

That’s a really cool idea that would definitely shake up the Batch a fair bit, and it would be a pretty interesting exploration of the clones and their individuality and sense of free will.

Now I don’t kind the show keeping it simple and resolving things quickly, but I was a little surprised at how few consequences there was to Wrecker’s inhibitor chip moment. It worked, so I’m not really complaining, but I had expected a bit more. Though there’s still a lot they can do with it overall, and for all we know this could simply be a false sense of security, especially since we’re due another Crosshair episode soon. Overall I think this show has struck a great a balance between the classic episodic style of TV series while also having an overarching narrative.

Star Wars is Surrealism, not Science Fiction (essay)
Original Trilogy Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Beyond the OT Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Amazon link to my novel; Dawn of the Karabu.

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Now that Cad Bane has showed up it seems very likely to me that the Fett vs Cane story-arc might be repurposed for this series. I haven’t read up on the details of the unfinished episode(s) but I would assume they wouldn’t have to change too much lore-wise. Also we now pretty much have confirmation that it’s the Caminoans who sent the bounty hunters after Omega, so I’m thinking it’s very likely that Omega is force sensitive or at the very least that she has some attributes that they need for a potential uprising. The Stormtroopers vs Clone Troopers uprising from the original Battlefront II was a pretty cool idea, and Filoni does seem to like to borrow ideas from various Legends stories, so I’m hoping we’ll see something similar play out in this series at some point.

Star Wars is Surrealism, not Science Fiction (essay)
Original Trilogy Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Beyond the OT Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Amazon link to my novel; Dawn of the Karabu.

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I think this was my favourite Bad Batch episode yet. So much of it was tense and there were a whole LOAD of fantastic scenes, like Crosshair’s first standoff with the Batch in the artillery chamber, igniting the engine, and the very western style shootout with Bane. Those were amazing. I love TCW and Rebels, but in both of them, regular separatist droids and stormtroopers respectively rarely feel like a threat. One of the highlights of TBB so far - and this episode in particular - is that the Empire (or at least, Crosshair) is really on top of things. The Batch were being blocked at every turn until finally they managed to turn Crosshair’s strategy against him.

Omega being captured is another similarity with Mando to add to the list, but I genuinely feel it was done better here than it was in chapter 14. I felt more. And I can’t wait for next week.

“Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.”

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jedi_bendu said:

I think this was my favourite Bad Batch episode yet. So much of it was tense and there were a whole LOAD of fantastic scenes, like Crosshair’s first standoff with the Batch in the artillery chamber, igniting the engine, and the very western style shootout with Bane. Those were amazing. I love TCW and Rebels, but in both of them, regular separatist droids and stormtroopers respectively rarely feel like a threat. One of the highlights of TBB so far - and this episode in particular - is that the Empire (or at least, Crosshair) is really on top of things. The Batch were being blocked at every turn until finally they managed to turn Crosshair’s strategy against him.

Omega being captured is another similarity with Mando to add to the list, but I genuinely feel it was done better here than it was in chapter 14. I felt more. And I can’t wait for next week.

I have preferred TBB over Mandalorian regarding both the menace value of the Empire and the kidnapping. The Stormtroopers are so useless in Mando they look almost lifted from Rebels (particularly in S2), and Omega’s capture felt less contrived than Grogu’s.

This is also one of my favorite episodes so far along with the pilot, chapter 3 and chapter 7. It was very pleasant to see Crosshair again, and Cad Bane showing up is a welcome fan-service.

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ZkinandBonez said:

Now that Cad Bane has showed up it seems very likely to me that the Fett vs Cane story-arc might be repurposed for this series. I haven’t read up on the details of the unfinished episode(s) but I would assume they wouldn’t have to change too much lore-wise.

From what I recall, the unfinished Bounty Hunter arc had Bane and Boba team up to rescue a child kidnapped by Tusken Raiders. Then Bane and Boba later duel over some ethical dilemma, I think Boba was leading a town insurrection for some reason on Tatooine. I doubt much of this being carried over to Bad Batch, but I would LOVE if we got that Boba vs Bane stand-off.

I actually think Bane’s duel with Hunter sets it up. The audience is reintroduced to the audience as a formidable duelist. Bane saying, “I’ve taken down so many clones over the years. Once you figure out one, the rest are easy” would be a great set-up for a duel with another clone: Boba.

With the War of the Bounty Hunters arc going on in the comics right now, it almost feels like we could get a similar “war” between bounty hunters over Omega. At the very least, I could see Boba dueling Cad Bane for money or moral reasons. I would be so stoked if we get to hear Cade Bane say in his signature voice, “It’s just you and me now, Boba Fett.”

Speaking of War of the Bounty Hunters, I know it has been compared a lot to Shadows of the Empire since it is covering Boba’s struggle to get Han to Jabba and the general events between ESB and ROTJ, but I kinda see another similarity too. Although it isn’t exactly the same, I feel like we’re basically getting a multimedia exploration into the life of Boba Fett.

War of the Bounty Hunters covers what Boba was up to in-between his two OT appearances. The Book of Boba Fett seems to be exploring different parts of his life, like what happened to him after ROTJ, and then what he is doing after Mando Season 2. If we do end up seeing Boba in the Bad Batch, we could possibly see a snippet of him becoming that feared bounty hunter we first met in the OT.

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RogueLeader said:

From what I recall, the unfinished Bounty Hunter arc had Bane and Boba team up to rescue a child kidnapped by Tusken Raiders. Then Bane and Boba later duel over some ethical dilemma, I think Boba was leading a town insurrection for some reason on Tatooine.

Cad Bane’s introduction to TBB was brilliant, with amazing music by Kevin Kiner and a tense shootout scene… but damn, I didn’t know the details of this unfinished arc before but it sounds awesome. It’ll have been said a million times before, but I wish we’d got this.

https://youtu.be/SZzVaZPhaWg

On the topic, Kevin Kiner took this Cad Bane theme by Takeshi Furukawa (at 0:06 of this video from 'Hostage Crisis) and slowed it down to make the great western music from the latest episode.

“Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.”

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Cad Bane is amazing in this! His style is neat! Certainly a great addition to the series.

I’m just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe.

Star Wars has 3 eras: The eras are 1977-1983(pre Expanded Universe), (1983-2014) expanded universe, or (2014- now) Disney-bought version. Each are valid.

Important voice tool:
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