Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Season 2 Episode 16: Plan 99
What is it ? : With the Cable car disabled, and incoming fire from Stormtroopers in the other disabled car on the upcoming wire, the Bad Batch need to reactivate their car. So while the others engage the Stormtroopers, Tech climbs up the car onto the roof and across to the controls on one of the supporting towers. He fixes the power, but Starfighters scrambled from a nearby base join the fight damaging the Cable Car, so when he clambers back onto the read section it collapses. While Wrecker struggles to reach and rescue him, Tech makes the calculation that they don't have the time, so shoots releasing the read section, allowing the front section with his friends aboard to speed off down the line, while he and the read section drop into the valleys far below.
The Cable Car speeds into the station at the bottom, smashing through without slowing, leaving Omega struggling for consciousness and alarmed at the apparent death of her friend. Hunter helps her to the Havok Marauder and the Batch flee from Eriadu.
Omega awakens in a room under the care of AZI-3, and asks after Tech, demanding that they return, that they should be searching for him, but Hunter tells her there is no point. The Batch have relocated to Ord Mantell, returning to the bar of Cid, where she offers them a drink, commiserating with them over the loss of Tech.
Back at the Havok Marauder Echo is working on the ship, and Gonky alerts him to the presence of a Venator Star Destroyer in the sky overhead, he tries to contact the rest of the Batch, but the signal is jammed.
Back at the bar, Hunter realises that Cid is acting oddly and asks her what is wrong, and she apologises telling him that they brought trouble to her bar and she had no choice, as Clone Commandos burst in and open fire. Omega and Azi escape into the ventilation, but Hunter and Wrecker are captured, and witness Royce Hemlock paying off Cid and letting her leave. Hemlock then passes Tech's goggles to Hunter as proof of his death on Eriadu, telling them that only they remained of their friend.
Omega witnesses this, and escapes from the building sending Azi to get Echo, before using her bow to attack the group holding Wrecker and Hunter as they leave the bar, but she is ambushed by a Clone Commando and captured.
Meanwhile Echo and Azi seize an Imperial AT-AC walker, and use it to ambush Hemlocks forces, but the walker gets damaged, and they flee back to the Havok Marauder, Wrecker, Hunter, Echo and Azi escaping as they watch the shuttle with Hemlock and Omega aboard leave. Hunter swears that he will get Omega back, no matter what it takes.
On Tantiss, Hemlock arrives with Omega, showing her to Nala Se to force her cooperation, before sending Omega away. Omega finds herself in a lab where Clones are strapped to tables, and she recognises Crosshair. The scientist who has in previous episodes been experimenting on Crosshair enters, and Omega demands to know what they've done to Crosshair and to speak to Nala Se.
The scientist, Emerie Karr, says she finds it odd that Omega trusts a Kaminoan but not her. To which Omega responds that she doesn't know here, Karr removes her goggles revealing her to be an older version of Omega, telling her that she is her sister. . . .
High Points : I'm actually liking that there is a lot more going on with the Clones than we're really aware of, there now appear to be Clones which aren't part of the original batches (such as the sniper assassin) and female Clones (such as Emerie Karr). It's a nice mystery going on beyond the normal, Bad Guys are after the heroes, and I think if it becomes the major part of the overarching storyline it's going to lead to some interesting stuff as well as some nice new material for the early Imperial period.
The story moves quickly, and apart from a couple of points I'll make below makes for a satisfying end to the season and a good (if predictable (see my review 2 weeks ago)) resolution to the season. The Bad Batch now have a future they desire, living on Pabu and letting Omega grow up as a child rather than a soldier, and there is some major power directed against them and a conspiracy to defeat. Looks like future seasons could be really interesting.
Low Points : Now first of all, I've got to say it! Tech's not dead, no one has seen a body, so he's alive somewhere. And I feel it's kind of a cheap shot to make us feel for the loss of the only character to have had any growth this season. I make no secret of me thinking he's the best character, but this season in many ways he's been the main character as well, so there seems no way they could continue without him.
Secondly, why the heck did they go to Cid? They've got an entire world where the people know and trust them who'll help them no matter what, so they go to the person who has been hinting in recent episodes that she's only too happy to betray them. And surprise surprise, she does. Now there are a number of BS excuses they could give, maybe Ord Mantell is closer and Omega needed medical care for her concussion? Maybe they thought that Azi was the only droid who knew Omega's medical needs and he was being wasted as a waiter in a bar? Maybe Hunter thought that he just couldn't bare to tell Phee of the loss of Tech?
Whatever reason it is, it just doesn't seem to balance the scales to make going back to the person who has told them she might betray them and they've been warned by others that she'd betray they at the drop of a hat! It just makes them look dumb, but then again, they have just lost the only intelligent member of the group.
So what do you really think ? : Apart from being a bit obvious (Omega getting captured, Tech not being dead), and the idiocy of them returning to Cid, the episode is fast moving and enjoyable enough with a decent cliff-hanger and the hint of loads more interesting storylines to come.
Final Words : Well, that's a second season to The Bad Batch, and it's been pretty darn good, and I'm very keen on seeing what they've got to offer us in Season 3, whenever it arrives.
Score : 9/10
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