The big question that has, at times, been addressed this season is the age-old question, what does a warrior do when the war is over? Now, The Bad Batch seems to be asking, what do the warriors do when the warlords have no further use for them?
After taking Hunter last episode, Crosshair and his team return to Kamino (Ah ha! He said it!) which is being evacuated. The remaining clones are going who-knows-where and are being replaced by stormtroopers. The Kaminoans are even being forcibly removed from the premises. It’s the obvious end of an era… the end of the line for the clones, but Crosshair, despite being in the middle of it, doesn’t see it.
Crosshair, you see, hasn’t just been pursuing Clone Troop 99 because he’s evil, he’s been doing it because he’s hurt. He feels like his brothers left him behind and he wants, so very badly, for them to join him on what he sees as the right side. It’s a need that is so strong that he doesn’t even see his own end quickly approaching despite the fact that it’s right in front of him.
The scene between Crosshair and the Bad Batch in the training room is one of the best that this show has ever offered up. There is such a heaviness in the air as all the cards are put on the table and Crosshair bears his soul to his brothers. He’s wrong, of course, but there’s a desperation to his words… he wants to be with his family again and, to be honest, I’m pretty sure that The Bad Batch wants it too.
There aren’t going to be any easy resolutions to this problem… or, at least, if there is it will be a straight up betrayal of this installment.
I really enjoyed this episode. The hopelessness of Crosshair’s situation and his subsequent actions, asking the Bad Batch to join him, gave him stronger characterization than any of the other hero clones have gotten all season with the exception of Omega. Omega, on the other hand, managed to both save the day and mess things up which tracks because, she’s just a kid. Saving everyone without a hitch would have been annoying, messing everything up would have been equally so.
This penultimate episode did what a penultimate episode should do: It’s made me very curious about what’s coming next in the season finale. Personally, I can’t wait. I just hope they don’t blow it.
Jason Gaston 