A/V Star Wars: The Bad Batch Series Discussion Thread

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How is Crosshair redeemed now? He has repented or said what he did was bad. He feels 'betrayed' by the Empire, but its all about how HE got hurt, how HE suffered. He has no empathy (yet?) for others, it's all about HIM. Now maybe he will learn empathy, but at this point he is more "Namek-Android saga" Vegeta, than season 3 Zuko.

 

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As I understand it, Crosshair's true "redemption" can only happen after they save the clones trapped on Tantiss. That's the mission that's "bigger" than Omega that she refers to when she leaves. And I guess in some ways, it would be a redemption for them all -- the Bad Batch have been killing their own clone brothers throughout the series. Striking back by liberating the clones on Tantiss and destroying the plans to treat old clones like test subjects would be a means of redemption. Somewhat.

 

Found this thought you guys would like it spoilers for spoilers and language episode 9 spoilers

Spoiler: Language

 

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That doesn't fly for me. Crosshair is still all about the clones, he murdered innocent people in the 3rd ep of the season, unlike the rest of the BB, he hasn't helped a CIS senator escape, or just helped the normal people of the galaxy. He ONLY care about clones.
As for the rest of the BB, they don't kill many clones in the show.

 

so is Ventress' line about "I have a few lives left" (her last line) a reference to her apparent demise in Dark Disciple? Probably Sith Witch stuff.

 

New episode:

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It was so nice not to have pauses and the action scenes being so bad since I decided to just start watching it on my phone. Disadvantage is small screen and easy distractions.

As to the episode, the Omega storyline drags. I'm annoyed by the mystery now. Hemlock's roundabout way of saying things instead of all out saying "We're trying to make clone bodies of the Emperor that work." Seriously, just say it.

The remaining Batch's storyline was more interesting. Heck, when I found out we were getting Rampart helping I was like: nice! He was more interesting than Hemlock as a villain. And glad Phee came to the rescue. I hope she gets to shoot down CX-2 as revenge for Pabu. And turbo tanks are cool. All the weapons in use hehehe.

 

So...

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I'm also of the view that the Hemlock "mystery" is getting dragged out. I really thought that we were going to get a shot of Snoke in a vat. Omega probably can't learn that they're working to clone the Emperor specifically else if she survives then the word will be getting out that this is what the Empire is doing.

We are also once again veering into Mando S2 territory... rescuing a former enemy from a labor camp, plus the juggernaut sequence. Interesting that Crosshair admits he didn't want to go back to Tantiss, but didn't really get interrogated on why or how he left this one thread dangling for a whole season. Breaking Rampart out could have and probably should have been a plot point very early in the season, and in a set of more polished scripts it could keep in all the drama with Crosshair's PTSD. Unfortunate.

My favorite part of the episode was the action. When the Batch is going on infiltration missions and fighting stormtroopers, that's when they always seem to be in their element. I really liked when Rampart went for the blaster.

Very much looking forward to how Rampart will help them reach Tantiss. I'm also expecting some kind of showdown with Cad Bane, his appearance two episodes ago likely wasn't a one-off. What are the names for the last three episodes?

 

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Was expecting Rampart's "coworker" to escape with him to become a Hondo/Melch-like duo, glad that I guessed wrong.

 

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They finally brought up Tech and Crosshair didn't have much to say besides a lackadasical joke. Almost like "Oh yeah I guess he existed."

I agree it was a good action episode... probably one of the last times we'll see the BB have a fully successful mission. I have a feeling things are going to get dicey in the final episodes.

 

This was a good set up episode

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I wonder what will happen with Rampart, will he turn good? Betray them? Die? interesting to see.

 

I did not need to see that character again (plus I think it’s slightly implausible that he wasn’t just taken out the back and shot) but I got pretty nice laugh at him remembering Crosshair’s CT number.

 

When has been taken out back and shot (or cut in half and dropping into a shaft, smashing against the side each time) stopped multiple characters return?

 

Eh, this isn’t a Maul or Boba Fett thing.

 

Also Crosshair knew exactly in which prison he was taken in, probably spent some time to figure this out (while most likely using illegal ways to find this information). Those two have a fun dynamic.

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Can be an interesting variant for Rampart to survive via becoming a reluctant consultant for an early Rebellion.

 

Personally I always thought that the Emperor was just to going to wait for the senate to be distracted/dispowered some more before bringing Rampart back with a pardon. He was a useful tool after all.

It is kind of funny seeing characters refer to clones by number - I get it is supposed to emphasize how characters like Rampart and Krell* dehumanize the clones, but it is so clunkier and harder to remember the characters have to work a lot harder to remember those number strings than simple nicknames, to say nothing about convenience and clarity in battle. There is a reason real pilots use callsigns instead of squadron numbers in battle after all.

*As an aside, I headcanon that Rampart was an aide to Krell like Yularen was to Skywalker.

 

To be fair, referring to clones by their numbers is also protocol. They use names only between themselves and those they trust. It is quite personal and informal. Rampart is fairly by-the-book person, so I don't find it odd that he would memorize and refer to the clones by their numbers. Perhaps, he did not even try to dehumanize them, at least not intentionally. I legitimately believe he did not know Cody's name, for example. And he had no reason to: Cody was not his friend, and I doubt that Cody trusted him enough to give him his name, and in the official Imperial military records, Cody is probably simply named "CC-2224." And I honestly don't remember anyone introducing Crosshair as "Crosshair" to him, and not CT-9904.

Although it is funny that Sidious called Cody specifically by his name in Revenge of the Sith. Whereas in the script, he called Bacara by his number, "Commander 1138".

 

I think because, as we’ve seen in real world autocracies, when people within those organisations screw up publicly they tend to get a couple of bullets in the back of the head or have an unfortunate case of being thrown out windows rather than getting reassigned. I expected as much for Rampart, so it’s a verisimilitude thing for me.

 

If Rampart really does give up the location of Tantiss and screws up Palpatine's cloning program, I doubt he'll be getting a pardon.

 

The thing that always gets me about that moment is... did he call each clone commander individually? Or did he just pick Cody to start things off since he was assigned to Obi-Wan, and then sent copies to the rest of the commanders? Because that's still a lot of clones.

"Commander Cody, the time has come... Commander Bacara, the time has come... Commander Bly, the time has come... Commander--agh, I don't remember your name. Neo? Neyo? The time has come...."

 

While it makes for a cool moment in the film, it's admittedly an... inefficient way to communicate Order 66 across the entirety of the clone army. My personal headcanon is that Palpatine only spoke directly with the clone commanders attached to Jedi Council members, with the clones themselves then propagating the triggering transmission from there (there's probably a story out there that contradicts that, but eh).

 

I think he called Cody and he copied his messages to all other Clone Commanders.

 

I figure he called the important one's he wanted dead first, Cody, probably Gree, maybe Bacara and Jag. The rest was definitely a mass transmission.

 

That's true, good points.

And yeah, one does have to wonder where Sidious got that name. Overheard it when Obi-wan and Anikan were speaking perhaps?

Eh, sometimes autocracy is about giving your buddies breaks. Loyalty tends to be rewarded over competence, though Rampart had both, and while he had to be thrown under the bus because Palpatine isn't fully in control yet, but someone with his talents and an obvious hook to manipulate, a desire to return to his career, could be a useful tool later.

Oh yeah, definitely. Whatever use Palpatine might have had in mind for the guy went out the window the moment he escaped I am sure.

Good question. Hmmm....I think -

Yeah, that. There are probably key jedi he wanted extra dead and called up their Clone Commanders individually while leaving the bulk of the order to a recording.

 

I could see that kind of leeway given to the likes of maybe Mas Amedda, but I never got the sense that Rampart was anything more than a competent middle of the ladder guy. IRL someone of his standing would probably be hung out to dry and not given a second thought.

 

Fair enough.