Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Season 2 Episode 8: Truth and Consequences
What is it ? : The Bad Batch are resting between missions, when they are contacted by Rex who has a data retrieval mission for them, if they meet him on Coruscant. They aren't happy about heading into the most secure system in the Empire, but Rex gives them secure landing co-ordinates.
Arriving on Coruscant, they land and meet with Rex and Senator Chuchi, who update them on the previous episode, showing them the Clone Sniper and revealing that he has had all identity numbers removed, something they thought not possible.
Rex tells them that he needs the data from the flight logs of Admiral Ramparts Venator Class Star Destroyer, but fortunately it is in dock for upgrades at the moment. Rex will go with the Batch, but Omega needs identity codes to go with Chuchi, something Tech is able to provide easily.
Chuchi speaks to the former Senator of Kamino, the disgraced Halle Burtoni, who shows no interest in endangering herself to reveal Ramparts misuse of funds for cloning. Until Omega reveals she is a clone, and witnessed Ramparts attack on Kamino, something that Burtoni agrees to speak out about.
The Batch sneak into the Venator with some ease, but Tech reveals that to access the computers he will need to power up the bridge, which will set off alarms. This they do, and troopers come immediately to their location, so they activate the ships engines, which causes chaos and devastation, allowing them to escape with the data.
Chuchi addresses the Senate, but Burtoni's statement isn't taken seriously due to her previous crimes, but as the vote is about to go in Ramparts way, they get the data to Senator Organa and it is played for the senate showing Ramparts Venator bombarding Tipoca City. As Rampart blusters, Palpatine's seat rises from his chambers and he addresses the Senate, having Rampart arrested, and telling them that this crime will not go unpunished, but it is a worry that so many Clone Troopers went along with this. So perhaps it is time to have a recruitment drive to replace the Clone Army, with a new order of Imperial Stormtroopers, to which the senate erupts in applause.
Later as the Batch prepare to leave Coruscant, they speak about Palpatine always being steps ahead of everyone else, and how he played them once again. Chuchi swears to fight for the Clones in the Senate, and Echo decides to stay with Rex to help the numerous Clones which now need help escaping the clutches of the Empire. Hunter, Tech and Wrecker wish him well, but Omega is heartbroken. He tells he to keep up her training, as this is only temporary and he will be back . . . .
High Points : In my opinion, Palpatines plan isn't as the Batch and Rex saw it, where he was manipulating Rampart ahead of time to get the Stormtroopers he wants, but instead I think it was a brilliant reaction to how things were turning out. He never foresaw the Batch getting Ramparts logs, but instead turned Ramparts betrayal (as it was) against the Clone Troopers, to get his way.
We also get a very nice exit for Echo, a character who I like, but one who doesn't really have a defined role within the Batch. His computer probe arm is easily mimicked by Tech's pure skill, and he isn't as efficient in combat as the others. So he always fit into an awkward role, but did allow them to split the team into groups and still have all roles covered. But the need to split the group was mainly only ever because the group is so large, so his removal kind of avoids that anyway.
Low Points : So the Batch break into an Imperial shipyard, steal some data, and crash a Star Destroyer into the docks causing chaos. But there's no mention of it elsewhere. I expected footage of them to be used against the Clone Troopers, as further proof that the Clones are out of control and need replacing. Or at least for tightened security to cause problems further through the story, but alas no, cause destruction on the Capital world of the Empire, and there's no mention of if anywhere.
And a tiny point. When Rampart is arrested in the Senate, it is by ordinary Troopers (Clone or Storm, I couldn't really tell), rather than by Senate Guards, who presumably are responsible for security and arrests in the Senate?
So what do you really think ? : A pretty good episode, the action is there, seeming only for it's own sake, and is the low point of the episode in my opinion. But we get some nice Star Wars politics, which is usually nice. We get an appearance by Palpatine, showing his manipulative skills are still on point. And we get a nice sign off for Echo.
Final Words : It'll be interesting to see where the series goes from here, as the obvious elements which I keep expecting never show up. I've long waited to see Rex, but expected to see him helping Wolffe and Gregor, as we know he ends up with them in Rebels.
Something I've started wondering is, that we seem to be seeing the start of a Rebellion against the Empire, as Rex builds a number of Clone Troopers, and Chuchi is working with Bail Organa politically. But this is only in the year after the declaration of the Empire, and the real Rebellion only comes together in Andor, around 17-18 years later. So are we going to see the failure of a Rebellion, are we going to see a Clone Army formed and then defeated by the Empire, the arrest of some Senators for conspiring against the Empire?
It'd be an interesting direction for the series to go, as we obviously don't know the final fates of the Batch or of Chuchi, but one I don't think the series is brave enough to explore.
Score : 8/10
Comments made about this Article!
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10/Feb/2023 19:31:15
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Posted by catsi563
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agreed Palpatines foresight isnt as flawless as he likes to think, its clouded by his own arrogance. But he is very good at thinking on his feet and using the turn in situation to his advantage.
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