Full Series The Bad Batch 2.09 - The Crossing - Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

Boba Fett

'Brother' of Omega

 

The woman they went on the other boring Indiana Jones' side quest with. She said she was super great at stuff and important for reasons and then in this episode, when the Batch spoke with Cid, they implied they rid Ord Mantel from that boring lady's control, so maybe this was payback. I don't know and don't really care, I want to get back to the clone story of the last two eps.

 

I hadn't thought about this angle, but now I am seriously hoping that this is the narrative. If Cid was to do this, then I'm all on board with her character remaining static because it still gives me something.

What it gives me is her character doubling down on characterisation of being a really *****y and selfish person. After all of the missions these guys (and girl) have done for her, after all of the money that they have earnt for her in the rare time they have actually succeeded in a mission, after all of the money they've spent in her bar, after saving her life, after the somewhat friendship, if she were to still **** them over by stealing and selling their ship, then this is worth just as much to me as a character progression of change. And the reason why is that it's not fairy floss characterisation and there is no cliche happy fairy tale ending where a character, who has been a bad person (from points of view), suddenly realised the error of their ways and changes to be good........agh....vomit. That trope is carried out all too often. Give me something more. Let her be a *****y person if that's the way she feels inside.

It's like Episode 5 of The Last Of Us with Kathleen's little speech about her brother dying and telling Kathleen to forgive. But then Kathleen basically says "I'm not that kind of person". She was even prepared to kill the kid to avenge her brother's death. Basically she is doubling down on characterisation.

 

Cid doesn't even have to have sold the ship to screw the Bad Batch over here. She said she'd get them in a few days. They were wanted fugitives. That's a pretty big window of time with ships that can fly all over the place through hyperspace. One problem I had with the episode and forgot about is I thought the boys should have been worried about what would happen if the Marauder fell into the really wrong hands. Sure the Bad Batch is supposed to be dead but what if the poor bastard who stole the Marauder lands it out in the open on Coruscant now?

Wouldn't someone other than Echo or Crosshair recognizes it? Also what if Palpatine got paranoid or whoever supersedes Rampart gets curious and goes digging to see if there are any other hidden records on Rampart's ship? They find the report Wilco didn't want to alter. I also recall Burtoni looking at Omega when she introduced herself like she had three heads. You can see the lightbulb turn on. She could factor in here. Maybe she has contact with Nala Se. There are many possibilities.

If the Empire gets ahold of that ship or someone like Cad Bane does when a bounty is put on it that's not going to be good. They are going to know where to Ambush the Bad Batch. Remember when Anakin demonstrated "Children of the Force" he could triagulate where she ship had traveled even if the navicomputer crap is erased? I have thought Cid's true colors will (And maybe she'll have a change of heart plus heroic sacrifice) really come out when the Empire or another big threat comes knocking. We know from a seemingly throwaway line in Andor which is a series with very few of those that Ord Mantell fell under the Empire at some stage.

I do wonder who the idiot who stole the ship was. A few episodes ago they felt Phee needed a spotlight but she's got a ship. That would make no sense.

 

This episode was better than most this season. It continued some narrative momentum from the last couple of episodes, and showed us the effects losing Echo has had on the team. "Crossing" also implies to me we may be finally on the point of losing Cid (god can only hope), which would be a great boon for the show if it means continuing to follow more of a traditional cause and effect plot.

 

Hey, it's a bottle episode! Mostly, anyway. Also, wonderful animation.

 

For a second there I actually felt something about the Bad Batch as characters with interpersonal relationships which was a pleasant surprise as I wasn’t sure that was even possible, let alone from a random Cid mission. 9/10.

 

Very much appreciated the interaction between Omega and Tech. I know he’s an enhanced clone who can come across as very robotic etc, but I think this episode did wonders for portraying his ‘apparent lack of emotions’ in a similar way to that of some people who are on the autistic spectrum.

While he may have similar feelings to what Omega is experiencing, he doesn’t necessarily know how to process or display them. While this can seem cold and harsh, by discussing with Omega he now has somebody who can understand his emotional complexities

Other than that. a pretty dull episode again. Getting quite tired of the whole Cid sends them off for a mission, something goes wrong, rinse and repeat. What I’m struggling with the most is that both in S1 and S2 they’ve shown that this show is capable of delivering some fantastic episodes and storytelling, but it’s so inconsistent from episode to episode

 

This is true. And if some "random" stole the ship and it ends up over Coruscant as you mentioned and TBB are captured because of it, it could, in all of the potentials god forbid, have Cid as some sort of unlikely saviour. The narrative could potentially play out like this in some sort of long shot scenario.

But I'd prefer if she just *****d over TBB.

 

6/10. Good character development for Omega and to a lesser extent Tech, but yet another side quest ignoring the far more interesting early Empire storyline. The lion king parallels during the stampede were funny. It seems like the creators of this show really want it to be Indiana Jones in space, but it just isn’t coming across as well as they’d hoped. Not bad per se, just not particularly memorable

 

Meh, m-e-h, meh. To each their own; this show doesn't do it for me. I'm close to cutting bait, but I'm hearing things pick up near season's end so I suppose I'm still on the line.

 

A slow episode compared to the last few, but I appreciated its emotional complexity. I think the show handled the departure of the Echo and its affect on the squad rather well.
And as people have been saying, I wouldn't be surprised if Cid betrays the Batch in some way. A recurring theme of this season has been how Clone Force 99 haven't been securing her a lot of credits.

As somebody on the spectrum, I also really appreciated that.

 

Next week: Cid sends a team to save the Bad Batch from the mine. Elon Musk makes wild allegations about Cid.

 

I don’t think these are just random filler episodes. A subplot is forming where the Bad Batch can’t really trust Cid. The big guy warned them about her in the racing episode and now here she basically leaves them hanging. I think we may see her betray them completely which could then lead them to joining Echo and Rex and perhaps the beginning of the clone uprising.

 

This is the hope, I’d just be nice if they stopped spinning wheels though and started to push go on it.

 

This is probably the beginning of that.

 

To me this is the furthest thing from spinning wheels. This is laying the foundation of great character work so that we actually care when the **** hits the fan. For the first time Tech felt like an actual person with thoughts and feelings. This is just as important as the overarching plot details that the past two episodes hit.

 

So for the first time…one and a half seasons in…one of the main characters in almost all episodes felt like a person with thoughts and feelings…like nine hours into a story…and that’s good? Also, do you care at all about Cid? I sure don’t and while I hope they go down the route of her turning on them or whatever, I genuinely couldn’t care less if we never see her again and she is also the most prominent secondary character across said nine or whatever hours of story telling. There’s no emotional investment because nothing really has happened other than the Batch’s relationship with Cid is rocky…which it has been since the start. This is the definition of wheel spinning to this point.

 

I think what they are doing is building a setup for The Empire or a Bounty Hunter to get back on The Bad Batch's trail. They aren't going to be able to count on Cid and she may outright betray them. Phee got the spotlight because she is going to be in the Parlor when things go down and help The Bad Batch. I think she is ultimately going to become a love interest for Hunter (unfortunately). Echo and Rex have been positioned to pull a Big Damn Heroes and come to the rescue. The planet that isn't on the charts where they encountered the Tallneck thing is a recycled idea from Rebels. It'll be the Clone/ proto-Rebellion version of Atollon. They will take refuge on it and use it as a base. If I recall correctly that planet was also deleted from the charts.

 

Tech may be a member of the Bad Batch but he has not been a main character in any sense of the word. He’s been at most a supporting character. But now it seems like they’re trying to build him up into more than that and so yes I think that’s good.

I care about the Bad Batch so yes I care about Cid since she’s a part of their story. I generally think she’s been a fun character. She’s by no means my favorite but I don’t have an issue with her at all.

 

Or Echo and Rex will get involved after Omega is abducted again during all this. That's how we will get to Mount Tantiss(?).

I would say Omega is the protagonist and we've got rotating Deuteragonists. I think the biggest wild card is where Crosshair will fit in. I think he's is going to have to rethink his life choices. Or can he? Maybe he is different from everybody else and more like the numberless sniper believe clone.

To add. Cid warned the Batchers there is no where to hide from the Empire early season. I also recall last season Cid seemed scared of Cad Bane. She told them to cut their losses and let Omega go when he took her last season. I know fans want Boba but I don't know if he has that credibility. Fennec was just a new Bounty Hunter last season who else would Cid really be that scared of other than someone coming out of nowhere? I do care about Cid. I expect redemption and maybe Heroic sacrifice after the betrayal.

 

I really loved how Tech didn't even hesitate to jump to go after/save Omega!

 

That would be hilarious to happen

 

I originally thought the one who stole the ship was Hondo but on second view it looks like a woman may be Ashoka may be Sids Friend the pirate? I liked the episode even if it felt a little filler but I do believe there building up a story line. So you guys think the bad batch break up completely break up? I always thought it weird Omega didn't have her Inhibitor chip removed she must have had one. May be when she is an adult warrior clone Omega turns on the bad batch and kills them or the bad batch are all just killed off in the end otherwise why are they not in future star wars movies TV or books?

 

It seems like everyone is convinced that Cid is going to be proven evil and the Bad Batch will break with her, and fair, I can see that, especially after what she did this episode.

But it makes me wonder - we had that scene of Cid and Millegi talking while she was his hostage, and he talks about how the Bad Batch will inevitably leave her when they find out the truth of her past, and she seems kind of disturbed about the possibility, while defensively arguing she can change. Notably, the Bad Batch wasn't there to see, so it wasn't like she was putting on a show to placate them. And narrative wise, what is the purpose of that scene - since Millegi directly warns the Batch about her in the end, this didn't give the audience any information that scene wouldn't, except her reaction.

I dunno, I could still see it go either way. Maybe pull a Lando.