The Bad Batch: “Kamino Lost”

Hello there!

Welcome to my first episode review for The Bad Batch. My reviews will follow my usual format: an overview of the plot (so be aware, there will be spoilers!), my review of the show, then a few “Moments in canon” – references that link to other media and the galaxy as a whole. Today, we’ll be looking at episode 16, the finale: “Kamino Lost”.

Plot Summary

From the bridge of his Venator, Rampart oversees the bombardment of Tipoca City. Satisfied that the city is destroyed, he orders the end of the bombardment and the 3 Venators leave to re-join the rest of the fleet.

In Tipoca City, the Bad Batch and AZI-3 are trying to find some way to escape the city as it is destroyed and sinks into the ocean. As they make their way down a hallway, a series of explosions cause the hall to start filling with water, which trips the blast doors into automatically sealing, separating Omega, AZI-3 and a still unconscious Crosshair from the rest of the team. As Wrecker tries to force the blast doors open, Crosshair comes round to find himself trapped under debris as the water level rises, but Omega and AZI-3 successfully free him and Wrecker manages to open the blast door just long enough for the 3 to escape the flooding hall.

“Don’t fool yourself. All you’ll ever be to them is a number.”

With the city now resting at the bottom of the ocean, the group eventually make it to Clone Force 99’s old barracks, which they realise lies just above one of the secret tubes to Nala Se’s lab. AZI-3 cuts through into the tube and the group begin making their way to the lab, however their torches attract the attention of a large carnivorous creature in the ocean, which attacks the tube, causing it to begin flooding. AZI-3 successfully restores power long enough for the city’s defences to force off the creature, and the group make it to the lab, where Hunter and Crosshair are told that this is where their mutations were enhanced, and Crosshair is told that mega is a clone, older than them. Hunter and Crosshair argue again as Crosshair reaffirms his commitment to the Empire.

The secret tube from the lab to the platform the Havoc Marauder is on has been destroyed, but the group eventually devise a plan to blow out the window in the lab, allowing the ocean water in, and using the watertight medical capsules as a way to reach the surface, directed by AZI-3, who can function underwater. The plan is initially successful and the capsules’ buoyancy allows them to rise towards the surface, but some falling debris catches Omega’s capsule and begins pulling it back towards the seabed. AZI-3 successfully frees Omega’s capsule, but he runs out of power as he is directing her back to the surface, and he begins falling back to the depths as Omega’s capsule rises up. Refusing to leave her friend behind, Omega breaks out of her capsule and swims down to grab AZI-3, but he is too heavy for her and she is dragged down by the weight. The rest of the Bad Batch are on the surface and, realising what has happened, Hunter prepares to dive into the water, but Crosshair fires a grappling hook into the sea, which attaches to AZI-3 and pulls him and Omega up to the surface.

“You’re still their brother, Crosshair. You’re my brother too.”

The group make their way across the ocean surface to the landing platform and look back at the smoking remains of Tipoca City. The group prepare to leave in the Marauder, and Wrecker asks Crosshair if he is coming with them. Crosshair says that this has changed nothing and reaffirms his loyalty to the Empire. As the group board the Marauder, Omega stops to thank Crosshair for saving AZI-3, and tells him that he is still their brother. With everyone but Crosshair on board, the Bad Batch leave.

On another planet, a shuttle arrives at a military installation. Nala Se is escorted off under a clone commando escort to begin her new role working for the Empire.

Review

So this is going to be a bit of an odd one to review, because while I felt that 75% of the episode was wonderful, the other 25% was crucial to my feelings on the episode and left me rather disappointed. 

After last week’s thriller, this episode started so strongly with the escaping through the hallways and encountering danger as the city was destroyed around them. Similarly, the final escape in the medical capsules was absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately, the escape felt a bit too elongated with the unnecessary creature attack, and I feel that this time could have been better used giving some more depth to the characters. Meanwhile, the finale of the episode felt like a damp squib as nothing really happened. Crosshair continues to remain loyal to an Empire that has abandoned him and the Bad Batch once again leave him. As season finales go, this felt extremely lacking and left a sur note on what had been a largely decent episode. While we are getting a season 2 to continue storylines, it felt like some storyline should be getting closure here, but it doesn’t feel like any did. It feels like Crosshair has taken steps towards his redemption (from the amount he was rubbing his head, I still believe his chip is active) but it feels like by the end of this season he should have either been redeemed, been proved irredeemable or potentially even died. Ultimately this whole season could be summed up in this episode: fantastic score, fantastic visuals, the makings of a great series let down by a lack of character development and cohesive story. The only thing it was missing to sum up the series was another cameo of questionable need.

What more is there really to say about this episode? Much of the dialogue was just repeating what we heard last week with Hunter and Crosshair’s back and forth, while the revelations at Nala Se’s secret lab were just telling Hunter and Crosshair what we already knew. Would this have worked better joined to last week’s episode as a double-length finale episode? I think so, but I still think that I’d have been left with a tinge of disappointment. Truth be told, I found it hard to even bring myself to write this one today, something I last found in the middle of Resistance season 2. There is a very good series somewhere in there, but I think that the focus has been on the wrong things, to the detriment of the main characters and the story as a whole.

A few final thoughts on the episode:

• Fire… water… smoke…lighting… this episode was a great way to highlight the quality of animation. It’s amazing how far everything has come since those early seasons of The Clone Wars
• The fact nobody even thanked Crosshair for saving Omega seems ridiculous to me

Moments in Canon

• While the regular clones appear to be getting phased out with TKs, it looks like clone commandos are still playing an important role

What did you think of the episode?

Thanks for reading. Good soldiers follow orders….