The Bad Batch Season 2 Finale is out and it left many of us speechless. What started as a standard mission quickly turned into something that will change The Bad Batch forever. For the first time in many episodes, the stakes are very high!
Recap of the story so far
With the help of Rex and Senator Riyo Chuchi, Echo continues to liberate clones that are being arrested and sent to unknown locations. In the process, critical information is retrieved from an Imperial transport.
Crosshair finally turned on the Empire, but it’s almost too late. He’s already being held at Mount Tantiss.
Dr. Hemlock reveals that he’s after Omega, Crosshair temporarily frees himself and uses that time to send a message to his former squadmates, warning them about getting targeted.
Hunter, Echo, Wrecker, Omega and Tech have to decide what are they going to do about it.
This review contains spoilers.
No One Is Left Behind
One of my favorite things about clones is their sense of brotherhood. They grew and trained together for many years before becoming the soldiers we all know and love.
Some of the stronger bonds we’ve seen in Star Wars are formed by the Clone Troopers, they call each other brother not only because they were created after the DNA of the same man, but because of their relationships with the other clones.
There are many examples of this: The 501st Legion, Delta Squad, and The Wolfpack are my favorite ones. Clones are excellent combatants, there’s no doubt about it. I think what makes them extraordinaire is not their good training or the fact that they’re led by Jedi commanders, these things obviously make a difference but what makes them push their limits is the fact that they’re fighting alongside their only family.
We’ve seen so many troopers sacrifice themselves so that their squads, civilians, and Jedi commanders could live another day.
Defending the Galactic Republic is why they were created, it is the main reason for their existence but clones aren’t mindless droids. Fighting for someone you care about can be the strongest motive for any soldier, and this also applies to clones.
Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair have been together since the beginning of the war. Their mutations made other clones look frown upon them, it never seemed like they cared too much about it but being segregated by their brothers made them even closer to each other.
Omega’s arrival only made the connection between them get stronger. Hunter immediately assumed the father role, while Tech, Wrecker, and Echo felt more like big brothers to Omega.
None of them asked for it, but they still welcomed Omega and tried to make her feel as comfortable as possible even though they were being hunted by one of their own.
Crosshair has always been a cold-blooded soldier, he didn’t hesitate to betray them in favor of the Empire. Despite this, Omega risked her life to save him. Since that moment, Crosshair started to have doubts about what being a good soldier means.
The former sniper from Clone Force 99 has been through a lot, but in the end, he paid the price for remaining loyal to a government that couldn’t care less about him. In a desperate attempt, he warns his former squadmates about the fact that someone is after them.
Hunter, Omega, Echo, Wrecker, and Tech receive their message and Hunter has his doubts but the rest of them make it very clear that they can’t leave his brother behind. It’s heartwarming to see that even after Crosshair turned against them, they’re still going to risk everything to rescue him.
Imperial Plans
Grand Moff Tarkin answers only to the Emperor himself, not even Darth Vader can overrule Tarkin’s commands. There’s no need to say that wherever Tarkin goes, big things are happening.
There are some important points discussed at the summit. The decommissioned Clones are a problem since some senators demanded that they be guaranteed fair treatment.
Hemlock mentions how he can use the clones for his experiments, and one of the other Imperials questions if this is the right decision. It almost looks like he cares about them but Tarkin dismisses his opinion and he’s the one with the final word.
This scene is short but it gives us a glimpse of how the Empire is managed. Every big and important decision is made by a few people in a room. These decisions affect the lives of trillions of beings and none of them has a say in it.
The Senate is too divided to pose a real threat to the Empire’s interests. Palpatine is a master manipulator and even the small wins that politicians like Riyo Chuchi or Bail Organa have is because he allows it. It’s scary to think that few people have so much power and it’s even scarier that this is a parallel of how the “real world” works.
The Greater Good
Everything looks like a standard mission until they notice an anomaly in the security, one that they didn’t cause. To my surprise, the man behind it is none other than Saw Gerrera.
Saw Gerrera is a rebel fighter that is the coin. The Bad Batch tries to keep casualties as low as possible and is focused on obtaining info that will allow them to sabotage Imperial operations or occupations. On the other hand, Saw Gerrera wants to cause as much damage as possible, killing anyone that happens to be in the area regardless if they’re Imperials or not.
Saw repeats that his methods are for the greater good and that sacrifices must be done but more often than not it is him deciding to sacrifice others to fulfill his plans.
Revolutionaries that fall into extremism are one victory away from becoming dictators. In his fight against oppression, Saw Gerrera is slowly becoming the thing that he despises the most.
The hate that he has for the Empire doesn’t allow him to see the bigger picture. Explosions and the massive murder of Imperial soldiers are bold but futile tactics, the Empire’s hull is way too thick for such attacks to do any real damage.
If anyone wants to really hurt the Empire then precise operations are the key. No one with half a brain would think that challenging the Empire in a contest of strength is how you beat them.
Tech tries to use logic to make Gerrera see how detrimental his operation could be but he doesn’t care. All he wants is to create as much chaos as possible, the sad thing is that this time it is the Bad Batch who pay the price of his stupidity.
Sacrifice
As a result of the explosion caused by Saw Gerrera, the power is cut down from the rail line. This is their only way out and there’s no one else that can help them.
Their best chance is for Tech to get up and manually reboot the system. Tarkin doesn’t take this attack lightly and he sends V-Wings to destroy the carts and the people inside them.
Hunter manages to take two ships with a single shot, an impressive feat but not enough. The third V-Wing shoots the rail line and one of the two carts is severed from the rail, preventing the other cart moves.
The explosion causes Tech to fall but he manages to throw a hook, he can’t climb fast enough and no one can help him because this part of the cart is barely holding. As soon as anyone steps into that side of the cart it’s going to fall.
Tech understands that there’s only one thing left to do. His eyes are full of determination, there is only one thing left to do.
So, he shoots the connection hinge, falling to his death and saving his brothers from certain death.
This was such a difficult scene to watch, The Bad Batch overall remained a light-hearted series. The stakes can be high but most of the time is something you can watch to relieve the stress from your day-to-day life.
I haven’t been this speechless since Star Wars Rebels episode 10 of the fourth season. If you already saw Rebels you know what I’m talking about. Tech was my favorite character in the Bad Batch, his daily life struggles are what made him feel like the “most real” out of all of them.
If there’s one character that this season developed it is Tech. Seeing a different side of him during the speeder race and him getting involved with Phee (in his own way) made me excited about this character.
As hard as it is to accept, I completely understand Tech’s decision. He fought for a brighter future where he and the other members of the Bad Batch could live without the shadow of the Empire haunting them. If there’s a good way to leave this life, it is certainly by sacrificing yourself for those you love.
I’ve rewatched this last episode multiple times and it doesn’t get easier. It’ll probably take me some time to digest Tech’s death. However, I must say that I don’t entirely lose hope that somehow he survived.
Star Wars has taught us that unless we actually see the body, we’ll never be one hundred percent sure. But even if he died, I just hope that we get to confirm it in the next season so that my soul (and millions of others) can rest.
Betrayed
With Omega injured, they have no choice but to go where AZI is located. This also means that they have to return to Cid’s whereabouts. All of them are injured, but stable. When Omega wakes up, Hunter breaks down the news for her. It’s so sad to see Omega learn that she has lost another member of her family. The Empire has destroyed her home and now Tech is gone.
Hunter gives her the option to abandon the life of soldiers and settle down; I completely understand them wanting to change their way of life after everything that has happened. Though, it makes me sad that they give up on Crosshair.
Their plans to find a peaceful place to live don’t last more than five minutes, Imperials are on Ord Mantell and they’re coming to get them. I’ve always disliked Cid, Trandoshans are rarely trustworthy but I wanted to be wrong about her.
Wrecker gets stunned by the Clone Commandos and is used as a hostage to make Hunter surrender. He tries to give Omega a chance to escape but due to the recent events, she refuses to let Hemlock take Wrecker and Hunter away.
In a brave but stupid move, Omega threatens Hemlock. The Dr. distracts her, allowing Scorch to sneak from behind and stun her. I’m a little disappointed at how Omega executed her plan, there were other ways she could have done that.
Maybe I’m being too harsh, the kid just lost a brother and the possibility of losing more is terrifying. The only “positive” thing about her being captured is that Hunter, Wrecker, and Echo have more chances of rescuing her rather than the other way around. Of course, that is if they manage to get to her on time before Hemlock does anything irreparable to her.
Family Ties
Dr. Emerie Karr reveals that she’s also a clone. This was teased in a very subtle way in previous episodes when she called Crosshair by his name rather than his designation number. In the Galactic Empire, only clones call each other by their names, for everyone else they’re just a number.
This raises many questions: Why is she sided with Hemlock? Is Emerie Karr altered in any way? What are they going to do with Omega?
I don’t have the impression that Karr being Omega’s sister will play in the child’s favor. She has been experimenting with her brothers for a lot of time, probably even killing a few with horrible experimental procedures. My best guess is that Dr. Karr will use the fact that they’re sisters to gain Omega’s trust (or at least try) and use her as leverage.
This big revelation, on top of the death of Tech, made this episode the best one of the series by far. It’s been a couple of days and I’m still processing everything. It’s too soon to make any kind of guess about what will happen in the next season but I’m sure it’s going to be nerve-wracking now that we know that no character is safe.
Easter Eggs in The Bad Batch Season 2 Finale
Name-dropping can be pretty impactful and exciting when done properly. The season finale of The Bad Batch does it in a subtle but cool way that connects the Clone Wars with Rogue One and the Original Trilogy.
Eriadu
Eriadu, the place where the summit happens is none other than Tarkin’s homeworld. It was first introduced in the novel “Tarkin” by James Luceno. Eriadu was later mentioned in the Thrawn Novels and the Inferno Squad book.
Imperial Leadership
Grand Moff Tarkin is in presence of top Imperial Officers, some are more familiar than others but all of them have previously appeared in Star Wars media.
Barton Coburn served under Jedi Master Plo Koon during the Clone Wars.
Hurst Romodi worked directly with Tarkin during the events of Rogue One.
And last but not least, Director Orson Callan Krennic. The man in charge of the development of “Project Stardust” also known as the Death Star. Project Stardust was named after Jyn Erso, daughter of Galen Erso.
Plan 99
I believe that Plan 99 is a reference to “99”. A defective clone that used to do the maintenance on Kamino. Due to his condition, many dismissed him or treated him poorly but when Kamino was invaded by separatists it was his sacrifice that saved many. Therefore, Plan 99 is sacrificing yourself to save your companions.
Star Wars The Bad Batch Season 2 Episodes Reviews
Reviews of each individual episode of Star Wars The Bad Batch Season 2. Each article breaks down a single episode and analyses its story, digs for secrets and easter eggs and explains how the events of the episode and scenes featured in it relate to and reference the rest of the Star Wars franchise!
The Bad Batch Season 2 Premiere Episodes 1 and 2 Review and Breakdown
Review and analysis of The Bad Batch Season 2 Episodes 1 and 2. Find out how much Clone Force 99 has changed and what are their new goals.
The Bad Batch S2 Episode 3 Review and Breakdown
Review of Episode 3 from the second season of The Bad Batch Star Wars Animated TV Show. Breakdown of scenes, events, references and secrets!
The Bad Batch S2 Episode 4 Review and Breakdown: Faster
Episode 4 of Star Wars The Bad Batch Season 2 lacks any planetary-level threats. Instead, it focuses on developing an unexpected character!
The Bad Batch S2 Episode 5 Review and Breakdown: Entombed
The Bad Batch’s S2 Episopde 5, is an enjoyable episode but one that raises many questions about the direction this series is going!
The Bad Batch S2 Episode 6 Review and Breakdown: Tribe
The sixth episode of The Bad Batch’s season 2, Tribe, is out on Disney Plus. This has been my favorite episode of the current season so far!
The Bad Batch S2 Episodes 7 and 8 Review and Breakdown
The Mid-Season Review of The Bad Batch’s second season includes episode 7 "The Clone Conspiracy" and episode 8 "Truth and Consequences".
The Bad Batch S2 Episode 9 Review and Breakdown: The Crossing
After last week’s intense Mid-Season, The Bad Batch Season 2’s ninth episode “The Crossing”, which focuses on Character development!
The Bad Batch S2 Episode 10 Review and Breakdown: Retrieval
In The Bad Batch Season 2 Episode 10 "Retrieval" the team recovers their ship and learns that the Empire is not the only evil in the galaxy!
The Bad Batch S2 Episode 11 Review and Breakdown: Metamorphosis
The Bad Batch Episode 11 of season 2 is surprisingly dark and answers two questions that have haunted Star Wars fans for over ten years!
The Bad Batch S2 Episode 13 Review and Breakdown: Pabu
The Bad Batch S2 Episode 13, Pabu, is the most relaxed so far. Animation can be exceptionally beautiful and this one is a testament to it!
The Bad Batch S2 Episode 14 Review and Breakdown: Tipping Point
The Bad Batch S2 Episode 14 “Tipping Point” shows what Echo has been doing with an Imperial Senator’s help and an update on Chrosshair’s fate.
The Bad Batch Season 2 Recap and Review
The Bad Batch has come to an end and there are a lot of things to discuss: What happened, how it made us feel, and what's next for the Bad Batch.
The Bad Batch Season 3 Episodes 10 and 11 Breakdown and Easter Eggs
These two episodes, Identity Crisis and Point Of No Return are the prelude of the final arc of the season. Dr. Emerie Karr learns what's inside the Vault while Omega makes a choice that could change everything, for better or worse. The Bad Batch face their toughest moment, so far.
