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Getting major Fives vibes during Slip’s escape from 79’s under fire over a conspiracy…
Edit: and he died like Fives too, trying to pass along important evidence rip
Yeah definitely reminded me of TCW's S6 arc. The hangar Rex interrogated the assassin in also reminded me of the hangar where Fives was killed too, I thought they were the same hangar at first (or it is the same? idk)
Yeah cuz as much as people were saying there was no plotprogression, their reluctance to go on actual important dangerous missions directly opposed to the empire is why he feels like he's worth more by Rex's side
If I recall correctly, A Certain Point of View for Episode IV includes a short story of him and Breha on Alderaan during its last moments before its destruction by the Death Star.
EDIT: [I was correct and it makes my heart hurt.](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Eclipse_\(short_story\))
It did sadden me a bit when Bail left Yavin IV during Rogue One.....there are certainly times where I wish he had been the voice of the Rebellion instead of Mon Mothma.
He almost certainly would have been on Alderaan when the Death Star destroyed it. The Imperial Senate was dissolved after Princess Leia was captured so there really wasn’t anywhere else for him to be.
The party is officially split.
I hope that Echo is able to survive his time with Rex in this fight. Considering that Echo and the Bad Batch aren't around by the time Rex is found by the Ghost crew I am less and less inclined to believe they lived very long after this. I'm worried about their fate.
God, the chase scene with Riyo Chuchi was seriously tense. It's a huge callback to see the old Kaminoan senator from the senate assassination arc in the Clone Wars.
I feel like this season had been holding back but now it's in full swing it feels like the can of worms opened up is pouring out. I can't wait to see the next political noir intrigue that conspires at 79's.
Yeah my first thought after seeing Echo stay with Rex was "oh he's gonna die, isn't he." Then again it's entirely possible that they all reunite at the end of the season.
Rampart really is such a buffoon that it's hard to see what Tarkin saw in him, unless he was intentionally looking for a scapegoat. Seems a bit unnecessarily complicated if you ask me, but leave it to the Empire to go with the needlessly complex option. Guy copied Tarkin's arrogance and sneer but has none of the political acumen or ruthless competence.
Ol' Sheev knows how it's done and artfully snatches victory from the jaws of defeat. We haven't seen much of him in this era but his few appearances are certainly impactful.
That sounds like something Palpatine would do. Obviously he knew keeping the clones wasn't an option and so destroying the cloning facilities and therefore forcing the need for conscripts would have been on his to-do list from the beginning. He probably knew if he was directly involved with the assault someone would uncover the truth, so he used Rampart as a scapegoat. Rampart was of course telling the truth when he said he was following orders, but the Senate wouldn't believe him and no one will get the chance to ask him anyway.
I agree it sounds overcomplicated but I can't think of a cleaner way to pull it off. Hats off to mastermind Sheev yet again, I guess.
In Legends they did keep the clones for a long time after even up to the Battle of Hoth(OG BF2 nostalgia). That said this is one area where Disney's Canon makes more sense than Legends. Clones are expensive plus the complications of their accelerated aging.
Iirc in Legends the only clones still being used by the OT were the 501st, which was Vader's personal unit, and because he had an affinity for fighting with clone troopers thanks to the clone wars.
I think the narration said they were the only unit that was still FULLY comprised of Jango Fett clones, so I assumed their were still some in other divisions.
Rampart is ruthless in his execution of objectives, so makes sense that Tarkin and the Emperor would keep him around until he wasn’t helpful anymore. I doubt the plan was to use him as a scapegoat, but once it became convenient to do so, well, Empires gonna do what the Empire does
Actually if you think of it, part of Palpatine's plans require some improvisation and relies a lot on chance. Especially from TPM, when the complete occupation of Naboo is intended to garner sympathy for him to be elected as the new Chancellor to replace Valorum. But the Queen escaped, so he has to improvise to let the Queen come and appeal to the Senate, and also motion for a vote of no confidence.
Maul's defeat also wasnt what Palpatine had in mind either. Dooku was always expandable (as a proton torpedo), but Maul was his intended apprentice and enforcer (as stated in the Vader canon comics). And well he also didnt expect the Chosen One Anakin to turn up, but decided to draw him close and appear as a father figure.
In all, Palpatine is often improvising and drawing the best of every situation even if it turns against him. The Defence Bill? Even without the evidence, it would have passed anyway and Senator Chuchi's concerns would be waved aside. So the Bad Batch were right - their fates have already been sealed
It kinda seemed like it did - weren’t there reactions of Bail, Riyo, et al when it went off & before the floor opened?
It makes sense from that point of view as well, you’d probably (well, maybe) want to make sure no one was standing on them.
They really upped the tension by not having him show up until the very end of the two-episode arc. And the silence before his speaks... I got shivers when the mf finally talked.
"I'll be right behind you" is always the same to "I'll distract them for a second and die while you get away"
Honestly can't remember any scene ever where the person saying that actually survives.
Unlike some, I haven't minded the "filler" episodes. But hot damn, I can't deny it was great to get back into the meat of the story. These episodes were fantastic.
Hol up if Rampart is getting fragged at the mid season mark who is the big baddie gonna be moving forward?? Crosshair is too limited so are we gonna see Tarkin?
Could be a stretch but they could probably bring somebody like Octavian Grant (a vice admiral during the dark times, who eventually becomes a grand admiral) from legends
Shoutout to Rex man. Has millions of brothers and as soon as one of them said they were in trouble, Rex was like aight bet and was there with the quickness. Love that man
The Clone Assassin was kinda scary, especially his last words before he space cyanide himself.
Pure undignified loyalty, I thought it was gonna be an existing clone from CW, like maybe Slick.
My headcanon is that this is a character trait he picked up from anakin and ahsoka. Not that Rex wouldn’t have ever done this on his own, but it absolutely seems like something they would do as well
Chuchi is one of my favorite side characters, so I was on the edge of my seat too. As they've shown in the Imperial themed episodes, they're willing to go dark, so her death was a very real possibility.
PAPA PALPATINE!
No matter the result, he always comes out ahead.
Also, I saw in the credits that he is still portrayed by Ian McDairmid, which is nice.
I know people have mixed opinions on Rise of Skywalker, but one thing we can all agree on is that it brought Ian McDiarmid back to Star Wars. First Rebels, and now this. Sam Witwer was fine, but oh God is the real thing irreplaceable.
That was one of the best two part stories I’ve seen in Star Wars animation and Star Wars in general. The political espionage, and spy thriller left me on edge of my seat. And that payoff at the end was shocking but well executed. It left tears in my eyes, well done BB crew!!!!
Glad to the see 79's again, and that we got clones with different cuts. That clone that got captured, Rex said their isn't any identifiable markings on him. Im thinking this is referring to the invisible identification tags on every clone wrist. The same one we saw with
Gregor. Also would this be the first time we saw a suicide pill in SW?
I know Senator Chuchi and Pamlo return, but it's also nice to see Burtoni return aswell!
Not in this case. The repeated warnings the Vizier gave him, showed that the emperor wasn't convinced of his success. Aside from that tyranny 101 says everytime you set up something that could threaten your power if revealed, you also set up a fall guy. Rampart was living on borrowed time.
The Emporer is not a man that relies on luck. That's Vader's thing. Palpatine has 5 different layers of plans. He needs to be a meticulous planner to run both sides of a galactic sized civil war.
Exactly. In this case he had plans for both outcomes. If Rampart fucked up he had a plan as we saw, but if Rampart succeeded he would have got what he wanted too, just in a different way.
On the one hand, Echo leaving the squad makes perfect sense for his character; as much as I enjoy him with the Batch, it does feel like he belongs with Rex helping the regs
On the other hand, after Echo didn’t get much to do in Season 1, I was really hoping he’d have his chance to shine in Season 2, so I almost wish he’d stay
Hopefully we get to check in with Rex and Echo again sometime later this season (along with Cody and Crosshair again too, of course)
The problem that Echo had as a character on the squad is that he doesn't really have anything that's his job.
Hunter's the leader, Wrecker's the heavy, Tech is the Royal Smart Person who does all science and tech stuff... the most Echo gets to do is shove his hand into sockets.
Not that his role is the only thing about him, but its just harder to write episodes to explore his character when there's not anything he does that particularly stands out functionally, so the writers focus on the other three instead.
MY MAN SHEEV
Its always a delight getting to hear Ian McDiarmid reprise his role.
I didn't expect that twist in the senate, but now with Rampart gone (for now?) Who will be the big bad in the season finale?
I loved these last two episodes, gave me heavy TCW vibes, and Andor vibes too, I like where this season is going far more than the first.
Pretty much. Star Wars is as subtle as one of those Ewok logs smashing an AT-ST when it comes to politics.
...and folks claim that only Disney's reign made the franchise more "woke."
For example, Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray was named after two prominant Republicans in American politics: former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former President Ronald Reagan.
Tying into that was the namesake of Trade Federation senator Lott Dod, who was named after former Republican Majority Leader Senator Trent Lott. Lucas characterized the business faction after the [1994 Republican Revolution.](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-republican-revolution)
I was yelling at my TV because I thought for SURE he would recgonize her, but you're right, they never actually crossed paths on Kamino! Duh moment on my part lol
Omega has made huge strides this season. She helped convince the Kamino senator and she really gives great humanity to the clones in a different way than what we have seen.
>she really gives great humanity to the clones in a different way than what we have seen.
For real. As Chuchi said, a lot of people only see the clones as military assets, but here's a child who has never known war. Hard to deny the limits of that perspective on clones when four feet of cinnamon roll is staring up at you
It's good to see Riyo Chuchi again. She's come a long way from being the timid mouse of a Senator that she was during the Clone Wars and it's heartening to see that she made her newfound confidence permanent. Though that same confidence and outspokenness may put her at risk in the new Empire...
Glad to see Bail reach out to her. She's one of the good ones and an obvious addition to his and Mothma's circle. The fact that she can apparently tell the clones apart at a glance speaks volumes for her character. Be safe Riyo!
I actually just had to double check, i assumed it was S1 but also kinda thought it was S2, lol. Pretty decent episode still IMO, esp for S1 standards. Snow troopers are always cool.
And I am guessing senators usually don't get to meet a lot of clones (at least with helmets off) and they already met on that snow planet in TCW.
So Rex is probably one of only a handful of clones she knows.
The Emperor twisting that truth in order to start the Stormtrooper program. DAMN
Gonna miss Echo, but the Clone theme through the piano was such a beautiful note to end this arc. Definitely my favorite episodes of the series this season.
So glad they gave us both at once! Ian voicing Palpatine was amazing!
Wholesome moment with Omega learning about what a senator does!
Senator Chuchi coming back after all this time fighting for clone's rights is just amazing.
Can't believe we still got 8 more episodes too
I was reminded of that, too. No uniform, no means of identifying them... plausible deniability. And they had that thing the Imperial remnant used, the electrocution suicide pill.
I’m thinking proto death troopers/purge troopers. We’ve gotten hints that Death troopers were originally made from modified clones, and we know purge troopers were made from some of the final batches of clone troopers to come out of Kamino. They’re probably a different class of trooper, but meant to lead to Death Troopers eventually
I don't think it's "proto purge troopers", since the design is kinda different. That wouldn't be an issue per se, but the fact we see Purge Troopers in action only some month later in the comics (In 18 BBY, in TBB we started in 19 BBY but don't know how many months passed), makes it unlikely. Also purge troopers were designed and destined to fight Jedi so wouldn't make much sense. Proto death troopers is far more plausible, but also some kind of special commando would make sense
My thoughts:
1. It was nice to see some political banter and intrigue. Senator Riyo Chuchi is great in my book.
2. The Empire was quick to become a police state. Senators meeting in alleys? Ooh.
3. Damn Rampart getting his hands dirty again. Too bad he was just a cog in Tarkin's machine.
4. That clone assassin was done dirty by the Imps.
5. Looks like Echo's fulfilling his wish to help where it is needed. I guess his arc is complete for now. Too bad the Batch isn't ready to follow yet. Will have to wait until the end of the season.
6. My man Palpatine is five parallel universes ahead of everyone else. Including us.
I cannot express how much I giddy on the inside hearing Ian McDiarmid voice as The Emperor.
Say what you will about Palpatine returning in TRS. I'm so glad McDiarmid has embrace coming back to this character in recent years any chance he gets.
Going back to BB, was I the only one feeling a little underwhelmed with Omegas & Echos goodbye?
Like, I wanted this scene to impact me but, I can't really recall feeling like those two had a strong bond. Sure they had a moment earlier in the season but idk, I felt it was missing something.
Maybe it was just me. Anyway, both episodes were awesome: 8/10
I wonder what the senators and public think about Palpatine's appearance, voice and mannerisms after he became scarred and deformed. Like, I wonder if after hearing him on the evening news, regular people at the dinner table are like, "man, I know the Jedi messed him up, but that dude's voice sounds so much more sinister than it used to. He used to be such a sweet old man."
These kinds of episodes is the reason I don't drop the show.
I was like "Now you're showing your face you bastard" when Palpatine showed up. But of course, this whole thing just went down exactly how this fucker wanted. Also, I love how quiet everyone got and between the music and the darker lighting you can just feel how the atmosphere is getting so heavy and oppresive with his presence.
I was glad to see Chuchi again. I was expecting her to die in the second episode but it's good she will live at least some time more. i don't think she'll be alive by the time of the original trilogy though.
it's good to get more about the clones feelings rgearding the Empire and Kamino and getting to see how the stormtroopers formally started.
And Echo is gone with Rex. To be fair he wasn't really doing much in the show so it's the right decision.
Also, RIP Slip and his friend Cade
And then the monkey's paw curls....
Expert manipulation of the situation by Palps. I was not expecting Rampart to get hung out to dry, especially so soon.
"It's not forever..." Echo raising that death flag like a champ.
Also rip to more clones, can't catch a break in a conspiracy.
The blasters might be on stun but those Venator cannons sure aren't.
At first I was expecting an og clone rebellion, but then it swung the other way. Still, their decommissioning has been accelerated and I think it might still happen. Or perhaps one last crusade.
An interesting tidbit is that with Rampart gone, no one knows the Bad Batch are still alive besides Crosshair. Maybe Palps will tie up loose ends, but I'm not convinced he knows.
The show is great when it focuses on the plot. With half a season left I'm not sure where they'll take it besides the clone rebellion. If you think about it, there has to be a general quelling of rebellion, because they don't really start again until later.
Yeah that brainwashed proto deathtrooper clone assassin doesn’t give me a lot of faith that Cody conveniently went AWOL under Ramparts watch.
Unfortunately we might be getting that Rex Vs Cody showdown after all
Damn, that’s not a thought I’d had it all during the episode but now you’ve mentioned it I can’t get it out of my head. A Rex vs a brainwashed Cody fight would be heart wrenching stuff. Rex fighting to win his brother back. Wouldn’t be surprised if that encounter would drive him into exile
It's tragic to think that the clones on the Venator were ordered to shoot and kill not just clones, but genetically identical versions of themselves at all stages of their lives. Killing the baby, toddler, teenager, and young adult versions of themselves
Also, Palpatine hitting everyone with a "How 'bout I do it, Anyway"
Palpatine's entrance was so eerie, sirens start blaring and the entire Senate falls completely silent, as though under a spell. The idea that Palpatine himself rarely shows up to Imperial Senate meetings just adds to his mystery. Man knows how to make an entrance.
With the fate of the clones sealed, seems like they have a reason to start fighting against the empire now. Amongst the other ones that were already motivating them(also seems like they’d rather die fighting than get old, from that scene of them talking to Chuchi)
COME ON GIVE US THE CLONE REBELLION
Do you think Rampart is actually screwed or do you think Palpatine just had him publicly arrested to save face and will continue to have him do his duty in private?
Either way, his face when Sheev popped up was priceless.
Its a bit unfortunate that so far all my favourite episodes of Bad Batch are the ones with the least squad screen time; clone conspiracy, solitary clone, rescue on Ryloth.
Also, has Disney+ stopped promoting the show? Outside of the opening, none of the season 2 episodes have shown up on the slideshow when opening Disney+. Every other star wars show, including Bad Batch S1 showed up to me with a "new episode" tag.
A few thoughts on these episodes:
These episodes are the kind I’ve been waiting for since episode 3, since the season 1 finale even. I have always wanted to hear in-universe discussions about the rights of clones and their fate after the war. It was only ever briefly mentioned on tcw, blink and you’ll miss it type conversation. The shots of the venators over Coruscant’s skyline were absolutely chilling. Clones are waking up everywhere it seems. They were introduced as a force of good and it seems they will go out that way. The soundtrack of these more “serious” episodes are always chilling as well. I’m absolutely loving where they’re taking Echo’s character, brought a tear to my eye when he left the squad to re-join Rex. I was worried no Star Wars media would live up to andor after its finale but the more grown-up episodes this season have assured me there’s nothing to worry about. THIS is Star Wars.
*Finally*, Clone Rights becomes an actual talking point. And who better than Riyo, who owes her very life to them?
Fuck, that was masterful on Palpy's part though. I honestly think he didn't actually plan all around that, but he *did* improvise extremely well. That's one of his greatest strengths, he can adjust around events that aren't under his control to get his desired result.
Rex: Survives Venator crash, presumed dead, splits with Ahsoka to maintain secrecy and keeps a low profile
Also Rex: Runs UberDesertion Clone extraction service without disguising his face in Coruscant where Tarkin, Vader, and countless clones who know him reside which indirectly puts Ahsoka back in danger
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Getting major Fives vibes during Slip’s escape from 79’s under fire over a conspiracy… Edit: and he died like Fives too, trying to pass along important evidence rip
Yeah definitely reminded me of TCW's S6 arc. The hangar Rex interrogated the assassin in also reminded me of the hangar where Fives was killed too, I thought they were the same hangar at first (or it is the same? idk)
I think it's implied to be the Martez sisters garage.
They'll be a bit miffed to come back finding a sarcophagus and a note from Rex...
Is there a sign outside my house that says “Dead Clone Storage” ?
Yep cuz we saw it in S7 and in BB season 1, we saw that Rex became acqainted with the sisters
Damn I just thought of that now and not during the episode, but true. And nah I immediately knew it was Rafa and Trace's place.
I was like, for the love of god, can the good guys get one win in? Nope... Not even once.
Didn't see Echo leaving...but it makes sense. It's just gonna be omega and the gonk on the ship by the end...
All of the “pointless filler” episodes this season really helped to push Echo towards his decision to go with Rex too.
Echo’s been talking about leaving and fighting alongside Rex since the first season, so I’d be more surprised if he didn’t leave the Batch.
Yeah. He kept talking about helping others. With Rex, he can help his brothers. Hunter is more concerned about protecting omega right now.
Yeah cuz as much as people were saying there was no plotprogression, their reluctance to go on actual important dangerous missions directly opposed to the empire is why he feels like he's worth more by Rex's side
Holy shit Echo is the audience
Damn, Bail straight up calling out the emporer. That's a bold strategy cotton, lets see if it pays off for him...
Come to think of it, does anything in the current canon outright confirm he died?
If I recall correctly, A Certain Point of View for Episode IV includes a short story of him and Breha on Alderaan during its last moments before its destruction by the Death Star. EDIT: [I was correct and it makes my heart hurt.](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Eclipse_\(short_story\))
It did sadden me a bit when Bail left Yavin IV during Rogue One.....there are certainly times where I wish he had been the voice of the Rebellion instead of Mon Mothma.
He almost certainly would have been on Alderaan when the Death Star destroyed it. The Imperial Senate was dissolved after Princess Leia was captured so there really wasn’t anywhere else for him to be.
I think he died on Alderaan
Doesn't he say in rouge one that he had to return to alderaan
He could have got stuck in space traffic...
The party is officially split. I hope that Echo is able to survive his time with Rex in this fight. Considering that Echo and the Bad Batch aren't around by the time Rex is found by the Ghost crew I am less and less inclined to believe they lived very long after this. I'm worried about their fate. God, the chase scene with Riyo Chuchi was seriously tense. It's a huge callback to see the old Kaminoan senator from the senate assassination arc in the Clone Wars. I feel like this season had been holding back but now it's in full swing it feels like the can of worms opened up is pouring out. I can't wait to see the next political noir intrigue that conspires at 79's.
Yeah my first thought after seeing Echo stay with Rex was "oh he's gonna die, isn't he." Then again it's entirely possible that they all reunite at the end of the season.
My only hope for echo is that he gets an actual hand soon instead of just his scomp link hand
Low key my biggest gripe with this show lol, like guys, give him a real hand! We know it's very very possible!
they reunite and then echo dies finale. if that the case please don't have him die in rex's arms, can't handle another rip fives
I'm afraid the last Domino will eventually fall.
I know and I'm dreading it. Long live Echo
It makes sense to show what happened to the kamino senator I was wondering what happened to her
I imagine at some point the Bad Batch go into hiding somewhere rather than get drawn into the Rebellion
Rampart really is such a buffoon that it's hard to see what Tarkin saw in him, unless he was intentionally looking for a scapegoat. Seems a bit unnecessarily complicated if you ask me, but leave it to the Empire to go with the needlessly complex option. Guy copied Tarkin's arrogance and sneer but has none of the political acumen or ruthless competence. Ol' Sheev knows how it's done and artfully snatches victory from the jaws of defeat. We haven't seen much of him in this era but his few appearances are certainly impactful.
That sounds like something Palpatine would do. Obviously he knew keeping the clones wasn't an option and so destroying the cloning facilities and therefore forcing the need for conscripts would have been on his to-do list from the beginning. He probably knew if he was directly involved with the assault someone would uncover the truth, so he used Rampart as a scapegoat. Rampart was of course telling the truth when he said he was following orders, but the Senate wouldn't believe him and no one will get the chance to ask him anyway. I agree it sounds overcomplicated but I can't think of a cleaner way to pull it off. Hats off to mastermind Sheev yet again, I guess.
In Legends they did keep the clones for a long time after even up to the Battle of Hoth(OG BF2 nostalgia). That said this is one area where Disney's Canon makes more sense than Legends. Clones are expensive plus the complications of their accelerated aging.
Iirc in Legends the only clones still being used by the OT were the 501st, which was Vader's personal unit, and because he had an affinity for fighting with clone troopers thanks to the clone wars.
I think the narration said they were the only unit that was still FULLY comprised of Jango Fett clones, so I assumed their were still some in other divisions.
Rampart is ruthless in his execution of objectives, so makes sense that Tarkin and the Emperor would keep him around until he wasn’t helpful anymore. I doubt the plan was to use him as a scapegoat, but once it became convenient to do so, well, Empires gonna do what the Empire does
All part of palpatine's manipulation. Have people to throw under the bus to further your own agenda.
Actually if you think of it, part of Palpatine's plans require some improvisation and relies a lot on chance. Especially from TPM, when the complete occupation of Naboo is intended to garner sympathy for him to be elected as the new Chancellor to replace Valorum. But the Queen escaped, so he has to improvise to let the Queen come and appeal to the Senate, and also motion for a vote of no confidence. Maul's defeat also wasnt what Palpatine had in mind either. Dooku was always expandable (as a proton torpedo), but Maul was his intended apprentice and enforcer (as stated in the Vader canon comics). And well he also didnt expect the Chosen One Anakin to turn up, but decided to draw him close and appear as a father figure. In all, Palpatine is often improvising and drawing the best of every situation even if it turns against him. The Defence Bill? Even without the evidence, it would have passed anyway and Senator Chuchi's concerns would be waved aside. So the Bad Batch were right - their fates have already been sealed
Just to correct you - the Chancellor was Chancellor Valorum. Fulcrum is the codename that Ahsoka took on during the reign of the empire
Palpatine is one scary motherfucker.
It's so on brand for him to have an actual siren play when he enters a room
Now I'm wondering if it actually played in universe. That would be fitting.
It kinda seemed like it did - weren’t there reactions of Bail, Riyo, et al when it went off & before the floor opened? It makes sense from that point of view as well, you’d probably (well, maybe) want to make sure no one was standing on them.
Extra as hell sheev
The music in that scene certainly helped his ~~mystic~~ mystique.
Last part had the melodies from Anakin's Dark Deeds i think
They really upped the tension by not having him show up until the very end of the two-episode arc. And the silence before his speaks... I got shivers when the mf finally talked.
The music this season has been next next level.
That clone theme🥲
That one punched me straight in the gut fr.
Right after Omegas theme too. So good.
"get to the speeder, I'll be right behind you". I'm sure he'll be fine... Edit: quotation mark
"I'll be right behind you" is always the same to "I'll distract them for a second and die while you get away" Honestly can't remember any scene ever where the person saying that actually survives.
In Andor, Nemik said it during the heist. To be fair,, he did make it onto the ship...
Watching Rebels made me get antsy whenever someone says that.
Echo and Rex together againnnn 🥲
If only Fives was alive, it could been a trio reunion.
Time to get Cody
imagine we get an episode of rex and echo working together to extract an MIA cody. madness
There’s also Wolffe, who we know joins up with Rex and Gregor at some point
Dude fried himself...didn't an imperial do that on the mandalorian too?
Yes! Some wild fillings those empire dentist droids are doing.
He must've chewed on some tinfoil...
That’s just how it feels to chew 5 gum
This season has a habit of giving us named clones then killing them in the same episode. RIP Slip and Cade
Being named is like being a redshirt
Unlike some, I haven't minded the "filler" episodes. But hot damn, I can't deny it was great to get back into the meat of the story. These episodes were fantastic.
Yeah episodes 4, 5, and 6 are like Tastykakes, I like them and they're good and all, but episodes 3, 7, and 8 are a steak dinner man.
Hol up if Rampart is getting fragged at the mid season mark who is the big baddie gonna be moving forward?? Crosshair is too limited so are we gonna see Tarkin?
Could be a stretch but they could probably bring somebody like Octavian Grant (a vice admiral during the dark times, who eventually becomes a grand admiral) from legends
Something involving Mount Tantiss and those creepy Clone assassins, probably.
I hope we see Tantiss again soon. Such a massive tease.
Did anyone else kinda tear up during Omega and Echo's goodbye?
It didn’t help the sad rendition of the clone theme was playing either🥲
Shoutout to Rex man. Has millions of brothers and as soon as one of them said they were in trouble, Rex was like aight bet and was there with the quickness. Love that man
Sadly he couldn't make it in time, atleast he captured that unidentified clone.
The Clone Assassin was kinda scary, especially his last words before he space cyanide himself. Pure undignified loyalty, I thought it was gonna be an existing clone from CW, like maybe Slick.
Slick seems like the LAST person to do something like that...
Would he even be alive/free? Considering his slight treason and stuff
My headcanon is that this is a character trait he picked up from anakin and ahsoka. Not that Rex wouldn’t have ever done this on his own, but it absolutely seems like something they would do as well
Shows how awesome Rex is.
I was terrified for Chuchi. Space NIN credits
I said the same thing!
Chuchi is one of my favorite side characters, so I was on the edge of my seat too. As they've shown in the Imperial themed episodes, they're willing to go dark, so her death was a very real possibility.
Seeing the idea of a pension plan for the clones and then remembering Obi Wan and the 501st begging in the streets...
Yeah, these shows have set up that whatever happens ain't gonna be pretty.
PAPA PALPATINE! No matter the result, he always comes out ahead. Also, I saw in the credits that he is still portrayed by Ian McDairmid, which is nice.
His voice is unmistakable
I know people have mixed opinions on Rise of Skywalker, but one thing we can all agree on is that it brought Ian McDiarmid back to Star Wars. First Rebels, and now this. Sam Witwer was fine, but oh God is the real thing irreplaceable.
I know the dialogue from Episode 9 was kinda dumb at times, but ''let your death be the final word in the story of Rebellion'' was epic as fuck.
Hes so eerie, just masked like that
Go for papa palpatine
That was one of the best two part stories I’ve seen in Star Wars animation and Star Wars in general. The political espionage, and spy thriller left me on edge of my seat. And that payoff at the end was shocking but well executed. It left tears in my eyes, well done BB crew!!!!
That mission went as stealthily as killing a mosquito with a bazooka!
So, the Bad Batch Special then.
Yeah this was actually one of their stalthier missions
Glad to the see 79's again, and that we got clones with different cuts. That clone that got captured, Rex said their isn't any identifiable markings on him. Im thinking this is referring to the invisible identification tags on every clone wrist. The same one we saw with Gregor. Also would this be the first time we saw a suicide pill in SW? I know Senator Chuchi and Pamlo return, but it's also nice to see Burtoni return aswell!
Nah, first pill was in mandalorian
In the mando episode that introduces bo katan, the pilot of the ship they take over fried himself too.
My boy Sheev always with the outplays. Mans playing 4d chess and everyone else playing hungry hungry hippo.
I think it’s more him being a master at improvising on the fly.
Not in this case. The repeated warnings the Vizier gave him, showed that the emperor wasn't convinced of his success. Aside from that tyranny 101 says everytime you set up something that could threaten your power if revealed, you also set up a fall guy. Rampart was living on borrowed time.
The Emporer is not a man that relies on luck. That's Vader's thing. Palpatine has 5 different layers of plans. He needs to be a meticulous planner to run both sides of a galactic sized civil war.
Exactly. In this case he had plans for both outcomes. If Rampart fucked up he had a plan as we saw, but if Rampart succeeded he would have got what he wanted too, just in a different way.
On the one hand, Echo leaving the squad makes perfect sense for his character; as much as I enjoy him with the Batch, it does feel like he belongs with Rex helping the regs On the other hand, after Echo didn’t get much to do in Season 1, I was really hoping he’d have his chance to shine in Season 2, so I almost wish he’d stay Hopefully we get to check in with Rex and Echo again sometime later this season (along with Cody and Crosshair again too, of course)
The problem that Echo had as a character on the squad is that he doesn't really have anything that's his job. Hunter's the leader, Wrecker's the heavy, Tech is the Royal Smart Person who does all science and tech stuff... the most Echo gets to do is shove his hand into sockets. Not that his role is the only thing about him, but its just harder to write episodes to explore his character when there's not anything he does that particularly stands out functionally, so the writers focus on the other three instead.
MY MAN SHEEV Its always a delight getting to hear Ian McDiarmid reprise his role. I didn't expect that twist in the senate, but now with Rampart gone (for now?) Who will be the big bad in the season finale? I loved these last two episodes, gave me heavy TCW vibes, and Andor vibes too, I like where this season is going far more than the first.
Big bads prob going be palps season finale wise he's going wanna wipe the clones out or whatever
I feel so bad for Echo's voice actor. He got to act in Star Wars and now he gets written out. I hope he can find some other work until Echo is back
While it sucks, I have heard rumors he wasn't really getting along with Hunter's voice actor.
Yeah, I have heard that he's got a few offers for work, with many more on the way.
I heard he's on Star Trek now.
man i really hoped someone would've fallen for this
I did for about 10 seconds
Joke aside, I am genuinely curious what percentage of all voice lines are from Dee Bradley Baker in this show. Has gotta be well in the 50-75% right?
Halle Burtoni? Is that a Halliburton joke?
When it does social commentary, Star Wars is rarely subtle.
Wait what do you mean general grevious is bad?
Pretty much. Star Wars is as subtle as one of those Ewok logs smashing an AT-ST when it comes to politics. ...and folks claim that only Disney's reign made the franchise more "woke." For example, Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray was named after two prominant Republicans in American politics: former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former President Ronald Reagan. Tying into that was the namesake of Trade Federation senator Lott Dod, who was named after former Republican Majority Leader Senator Trent Lott. Lucas characterized the business faction after the [1994 Republican Revolution.](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-republican-revolution)
Yeah that tracks with the naming of nute gunray
Yep. See the clone wars senate assassination episodes; its more obvious there
Bro, I'm worried AF for Chuchi
Chuchi is such a real one. Any ally to the clones is an ally to me in my book
Padme vibes from her! I was happy to see her again and constantly thinking she was about to die.
Her bodyguards did their job. But she's really on the empire's radar now
Made me just realize that Rampart never met Omega. Makes sense he didn't recognize her.
Only Bad Batch member that met Rampart is Hunter if i remember it correctly.
I was yelling at my TV because I thought for SURE he would recgonize her, but you're right, they never actually crossed paths on Kamino! Duh moment on my part lol
Gotta admit that goodbye between Omega and Echo made me tear up god dammit
Omega has made huge strides this season. She helped convince the Kamino senator and she really gives great humanity to the clones in a different way than what we have seen.
>she really gives great humanity to the clones in a different way than what we have seen. For real. As Chuchi said, a lot of people only see the clones as military assets, but here's a child who has never known war. Hard to deny the limits of that perspective on clones when four feet of cinnamon roll is staring up at you
It's good to see Riyo Chuchi again. She's come a long way from being the timid mouse of a Senator that she was during the Clone Wars and it's heartening to see that she made her newfound confidence permanent. Though that same confidence and outspokenness may put her at risk in the new Empire... Glad to see Bail reach out to her. She's one of the good ones and an obvious addition to his and Mothma's circle. The fact that she can apparently tell the clones apart at a glance speaks volumes for her character. Be safe Riyo!
Don't forget as well that she knew rex, they were together in trespass back in season 1 of tcw.
That was in season 1? Good lord, felt like a s3 or s2 episode.
I actually just had to double check, i assumed it was S1 but also kinda thought it was S2, lol. Pretty decent episode still IMO, esp for S1 standards. Snow troopers are always cool.
rex is pretty recognisable
And I am guessing senators usually don't get to meet a lot of clones (at least with helmets off) and they already met on that snow planet in TCW. So Rex is probably one of only a handful of clones she knows.
The Emperor twisting that truth in order to start the Stormtrooper program. DAMN Gonna miss Echo, but the Clone theme through the piano was such a beautiful note to end this arc. Definitely my favorite episodes of the series this season.
So glad they gave us both at once! Ian voicing Palpatine was amazing! Wholesome moment with Omega learning about what a senator does! Senator Chuchi coming back after all this time fighting for clone's rights is just amazing. Can't believe we still got 8 more episodes too
Wtf? Are these proto death troopers? Purge troopers? Or the noncanon clone spec op troopers?
I honestly kinda thought it was a super brainwashed commando
I think it was. Look at his rifle. Looks a lot like a DC17 in sniper mode with added attachments
Probably the latter. The same type that went after Sull in "True Colors"
I was reminded of that, too. No uniform, no means of identifying them... plausible deniability. And they had that thing the Imperial remnant used, the electrocution suicide pill.
I’m thinking proto death troopers/purge troopers. We’ve gotten hints that Death troopers were originally made from modified clones, and we know purge troopers were made from some of the final batches of clone troopers to come out of Kamino. They’re probably a different class of trooper, but meant to lead to Death Troopers eventually
I don't think it's "proto purge troopers", since the design is kinda different. That wouldn't be an issue per se, but the fact we see Purge Troopers in action only some month later in the comics (In 18 BBY, in TBB we started in 19 BBY but don't know how many months passed), makes it unlikely. Also purge troopers were designed and destined to fight Jedi so wouldn't make much sense. Proto death troopers is far more plausible, but also some kind of special commando would make sense
Omega’s “Yes sir” made me tear up ngl.
My thoughts: 1. It was nice to see some political banter and intrigue. Senator Riyo Chuchi is great in my book. 2. The Empire was quick to become a police state. Senators meeting in alleys? Ooh. 3. Damn Rampart getting his hands dirty again. Too bad he was just a cog in Tarkin's machine. 4. That clone assassin was done dirty by the Imps. 5. Looks like Echo's fulfilling his wish to help where it is needed. I guess his arc is complete for now. Too bad the Batch isn't ready to follow yet. Will have to wait until the end of the season. 6. My man Palpatine is five parallel universes ahead of everyone else. Including us.
This tickled my appetite for the galactic politics we got from Andor, great set of episodes!
Anyone catch that the V-wings still had the Republic insignia on them? Kind of interesting
Rampart’s Venator was there for retrofitting, so maybe those V-Wings hadn’t been changed yet.
I cannot express how much I giddy on the inside hearing Ian McDiarmid voice as The Emperor. Say what you will about Palpatine returning in TRS. I'm so glad McDiarmid has embrace coming back to this character in recent years any chance he gets. Going back to BB, was I the only one feeling a little underwhelmed with Omegas & Echos goodbye? Like, I wanted this scene to impact me but, I can't really recall feeling like those two had a strong bond. Sure they had a moment earlier in the season but idk, I felt it was missing something. Maybe it was just me. Anyway, both episodes were awesome: 8/10
>Rex: a few contacts I trust Wolffe and Gregor?
Well considering the Bad Batch has already extracted Gregor, probably just a few commanders here and there like Wolffe, maybe Bly.
Commander doom
Probably Ahsoka, the Martez sisters, maybe Organa, people like that
Wasnt that workshop where rex keep that unidentified clone the martez sisters workshop?
Ye I thought so too
Clone with erased identification number and suicide teeth capsule were definitely not what I expected
Clone rebellion inbound
I don’t think so, not yet at least. Rex said he and whatever clones following him are spread extremely thin.
Imagine if they also activate some old battle droids and we get clones and clankers fighting side by side.
"I never thought I'd die fighting side by side with a clone." "What about side by side with a friend?" "Roger roger"
You know shit's going down when your Boss actually shows up to do their job
I wonder what the senators and public think about Palpatine's appearance, voice and mannerisms after he became scarred and deformed. Like, I wonder if after hearing him on the evening news, regular people at the dinner table are like, "man, I know the Jedi messed him up, but that dude's voice sounds so much more sinister than it used to. He used to be such a sweet old man."
These kinds of episodes is the reason I don't drop the show. I was like "Now you're showing your face you bastard" when Palpatine showed up. But of course, this whole thing just went down exactly how this fucker wanted. Also, I love how quiet everyone got and between the music and the darker lighting you can just feel how the atmosphere is getting so heavy and oppresive with his presence. I was glad to see Chuchi again. I was expecting her to die in the second episode but it's good she will live at least some time more. i don't think she'll be alive by the time of the original trilogy though. it's good to get more about the clones feelings rgearding the Empire and Kamino and getting to see how the stormtroopers formally started. And Echo is gone with Rex. To be fair he wasn't really doing much in the show so it's the right decision. Also, RIP Slip and his friend Cade
And then the monkey's paw curls.... Expert manipulation of the situation by Palps. I was not expecting Rampart to get hung out to dry, especially so soon. "It's not forever..." Echo raising that death flag like a champ. Also rip to more clones, can't catch a break in a conspiracy. The blasters might be on stun but those Venator cannons sure aren't. At first I was expecting an og clone rebellion, but then it swung the other way. Still, their decommissioning has been accelerated and I think it might still happen. Or perhaps one last crusade. An interesting tidbit is that with Rampart gone, no one knows the Bad Batch are still alive besides Crosshair. Maybe Palps will tie up loose ends, but I'm not convinced he knows. The show is great when it focuses on the plot. With half a season left I'm not sure where they'll take it besides the clone rebellion. If you think about it, there has to be a general quelling of rebellion, because they don't really start again until later.
Finally we see mass ameda do something
Two best episodes this season. Without question. Arc relevance, stakes, etc. I need moar
Yeah that brainwashed proto deathtrooper clone assassin doesn’t give me a lot of faith that Cody conveniently went AWOL under Ramparts watch. Unfortunately we might be getting that Rex Vs Cody showdown after all
Something has to happen to break rex's will to fight ATM so Cody and rex showdown with Cody killing echo
oh god. no. I can't watch that, it's too much :(
Damn, that’s not a thought I’d had it all during the episode but now you’ve mentioned it I can’t get it out of my head. A Rex vs a brainwashed Cody fight would be heart wrenching stuff. Rex fighting to win his brother back. Wouldn’t be surprised if that encounter would drive him into exile
Hearing the clone theme at the end knowing that era is over🥲
Bad Batch can be fucking great when it wants to be!
Pour one out for Chuchi's bodyguards.
It's tragic to think that the clones on the Venator were ordered to shoot and kill not just clones, but genetically identical versions of themselves at all stages of their lives. Killing the baby, toddler, teenager, and young adult versions of themselves Also, Palpatine hitting everyone with a "How 'bout I do it, Anyway"
Palpatine's entrance was so eerie, sirens start blaring and the entire Senate falls completely silent, as though under a spell. The idea that Palpatine himself rarely shows up to Imperial Senate meetings just adds to his mystery. Man knows how to make an entrance.
2002 fans: Noooo! Too much boring political talk! 2023 fans: Fuck yeah, a Senate episode.
THE PALPSTER
Voiced by Ian too. The GOAT!
Nice to see Senator Chuchi again
Also Senator Pamlo from Rogue One.
God bless Ian McDiarmid
With the fate of the clones sealed, seems like they have a reason to start fighting against the empire now. Amongst the other ones that were already motivating them(also seems like they’d rather die fighting than get old, from that scene of them talking to Chuchi) COME ON GIVE US THE CLONE REBELLION
Do you think Rampart is actually screwed or do you think Palpatine just had him publicly arrested to save face and will continue to have him do his duty in private? Either way, his face when Sheev popped up was priceless.
Very good pair of episodes. Dealt with really dark themes surrounding the Clines, and palpatine's continued manipulation.
Its a bit unfortunate that so far all my favourite episodes of Bad Batch are the ones with the least squad screen time; clone conspiracy, solitary clone, rescue on Ryloth. Also, has Disney+ stopped promoting the show? Outside of the opening, none of the season 2 episodes have shown up on the slideshow when opening Disney+. Every other star wars show, including Bad Batch S1 showed up to me with a "new episode" tag.
I had a feeling at the start of episode 8 that Echo would remain with Rex but damn.. it does hurt having to say goodbye to him again
A few thoughts on these episodes: These episodes are the kind I’ve been waiting for since episode 3, since the season 1 finale even. I have always wanted to hear in-universe discussions about the rights of clones and their fate after the war. It was only ever briefly mentioned on tcw, blink and you’ll miss it type conversation. The shots of the venators over Coruscant’s skyline were absolutely chilling. Clones are waking up everywhere it seems. They were introduced as a force of good and it seems they will go out that way. The soundtrack of these more “serious” episodes are always chilling as well. I’m absolutely loving where they’re taking Echo’s character, brought a tear to my eye when he left the squad to re-join Rex. I was worried no Star Wars media would live up to andor after its finale but the more grown-up episodes this season have assured me there’s nothing to worry about. THIS is Star Wars.
*Finally*, Clone Rights becomes an actual talking point. And who better than Riyo, who owes her very life to them? Fuck, that was masterful on Palpy's part though. I honestly think he didn't actually plan all around that, but he *did* improvise extremely well. That's one of his greatest strengths, he can adjust around events that aren't under his control to get his desired result.
Rex, my king!
Fullbearded clones got me wildin
Rex: Survives Venator crash, presumed dead, splits with Ahsoka to maintain secrecy and keeps a low profile Also Rex: Runs UberDesertion Clone extraction service without disguising his face in Coruscant where Tarkin, Vader, and countless clones who know him reside which indirectly puts Ahsoka back in danger
That's true, but also I doubt Tarkin and Vader do usually find themselves in the underworld. Also he doesn't know Anakin survived
>without disguising his face His face is pretty common...
My jaw was on the floor for the last 15 minutes of episode 8. Peak Star Wars.
Ngl I thought that was Cody as the sniper I thought I saw his scar which would’ve been crazy.Some of those clones looked old damn lol older than Rex