The Bad Batch Spoiler Recap: Common Ground

After last week’s status quo shifting episode that had everyone wondering what the future held for projects beyond The Bad Batch, this week brought the focus back to the titular crew with an adventure-of-the-week style episode that ended on the promise of more change to come in future weeks. 

The episode begins on Raxus, a former Separatist world now under Imperial occupation. There, Captain Bragg recites the typical line one usually hears from dictatorial governments: that they wanted a peaceful transition, and all they wanted to do was help the people, but unfortunately the negative reaction to their attempts at assistance has resulted in harsher measures. It’s gaslighting. It’s an oppressor standing above the oppressed and telling them that they brought this on themselves. It was deeply unsettling. 

It was great to see the show actually go there in terms of showing what the early days of Imperial occupation looked like. So far we have only seen it in the context of the military, or as a direct obstacle to something the Batch are trying to do. But this scene has nothing to do with them. This is just a peek into the lives of the billions of galactic citizens now being crushed under Palpatine’s rule. 

One of the citizens struggling with this new development is Senator Avi Singh (voiced by Alexander Siddig, which was an absolute treat). Though it looked at first as though he was going to go along with the whole thing and play puppet for the Empire, by the end of his remarks he goes off-script and condemns the occupation. Naturally, he is detained for his efforts. Fortunately, his droid GS-8 makes a quick getaway and manages to get in touch with someone who can help them. 

That someone is, of course, Cid, who tasks the Batch with going to Raxus and extracting Senator Singh. This mission is a source of strife for the entire crew - except for Tech, who 10 episodes in still doesn’t really react to much. 

Hunter initially balks when he realizes that Raxus is a Separatist world, and doesn’t want to go. It doesn’t matter that there really is no such thing as Republic and Separatist anymore. For the Batch, who have been on the run and in hiding since Order 66, it’s as if the war never really ended. We see this later on in the episode as well, with Echo furious and suspicious at the fact that they are being sent to help the Separatists, and with Wrecker’s mistrust of GS-8. 

Echo’s distrust is particularly striking as he is the Bad Batcher most upset by this development, reminding us all that he is still a Reg in so many ways, and still thinks like them. He still isn’t used to the out of the box approach, and still can’t put his old life behind him. Not that I think he should, but Echo as a character is a longer discussion for another day. 

Cid forces their hand by reminding them that they still have a debt to pay. When Hunter worries about taking Omega on the mission, given that they think two bounty hunters are still after her, Cid tells him to leave Omega with her. 

The actual rescue of Senator Singh is fairly straightforward, with the Batch breaking into his home and fighting off Captain Bragg and her troops to convey him back to Cid. 

What was far more interesting than the action, though, was the look into the early workings of the Empire. 

Take, for instance, the fact that the bulk of the Stormtroopers are still former Clone troopers (according to the subtitles in any case). This might account for why throughout the entire mission, the Batch never actually shoot to kill. For all that their lives are in danger, these are still fellow Clones, and it’s likely they can’t bring themselves to kill their fellows, even if they fight on opposite sides now.

Speaking of sides. It is interesting to see how quickly the battle lines were redrawn after the fall of the Republic. It’s only been a matter of weeks at the most, and for those like Senator Singh, who are in the thick of things - as opposed to the Batch, who live in their own world, really - the old labels of Republic and Separatist don’t matter. Now the galaxy is divided into those who embrace the Empire and those who are willing to oppose it at any cost. There will naturally be more nuance among the citizens as the occupation wears on, but it is worth noting how quickly things shifted for the civilians who have a responsibility to others. 

On a final note before moving on to lighter things, I couldn’t help but wonder where the Empire found their senior military leadership so quickly. I understand life wasn’t optimal for many in wartime, but how are there this many adults with pre-Clone War memories willing to buy the Imperial dogma so quickly? How bad were living conditions in the late Republic that the Empire seems vastly preferable?

On a far lighter note, there was Omega’s story for this episode. She spends it hanging out with Cid on Ord Mantell, having an almighty sulk at being left behind. While Cid’s not exactly the cuddliest person for a kid to confide in, she does light a fire under Omega when she tells her to find a way to be of use to the squad no matter the circumstances.

Omega’s answer comes in the form of a dejarik game that Cid is playing against a couple of patrons - for money, naturally. She is losing badly, until Omega helps turn the game in her favour. She brushes this off as no big deal, claiming she’s just good at strategy, so naturally this would apply to a strategy game. Queen’s Gambit, Star Wars edition anyone?

Cid and Omega strike a bargain. Omega will help Cid win more such bets over dejarik, in exchange for a cut of the winnings. By the time the Batch return to Ord Mantell, Cid’s bar is full of contenders waiting to take on Omega. Though Hunter is initially upset at her drawing so much attention to herself, he calms down significantly when he realizes that Omega used her winnings to pay off the rest of their debt. 

Now that they no longer have to stay on Ord Mantell, and now that Omega has earned the right to accompany them on future missions, the story potential is once again wide open. As we head into the last 6 episodes of the series, I would like to see the Batch struggle a little bit with their constantly shifting team dynamics. I already mentioned how they don’t seem to suffer for not having Crosshair with them, calling into question just how essential he was. This week, we see that their mission was successful even without Omega. I would just like to see it made clearer that she adds something to their team, and that Crosshair added something to the team. I know it’s a children’s show, but that doesn’t mean things have to be so easy for them. Let us feel the weight that each character brings to the group dynamic. 

What did you think? Where will the Batch go now that they’re no longer beholden to Cid? Will we get to see more of the Empire’s rise to complete domination? Who needs a bigger hug right now: Echo or Wrecker? Join us for Bad Bitches on the Bad Batch, our biweekly livestream to dive in! And for more Star Wars discussion, don’t forget to subscribe to “Space Waffles”, our Star Wars focused podcast!

The Bad Batch is streaming now on Disney+ with new episodes every Friday.