The last part of the two episode finale of the Bad Batch season 1 is here!, following the fate of Clone Force 99 with the destruction of Tipoca City by the Empire! The series started with the effective, but rogue Bad Batch on Kamino during the Clone Wars. They had spared the life of the Jedi apprentice, Caleb Dume, during Order 66. Admiral Tarkin was monitoring the clones on Tipoca City and the squad takes in the youthful looking clone, Omega. Tarkin puts Vice Admiral Rampart in charge of Project War Mantle. They pick up allies; Saw Guerrera, Cut Lawquane, and Cid whom sends them on missions from their base on Ord Mantell. Also, Rafa and Trace, Hera Syndulla, and Captain Rex. Rex along with Rafa and Trace is their connection to the growing resistance to the Empire. This seems to all set up characters that will be more important in season 2 like The Mandalorian. Omega is revealed as the last clone of Jango Fett, Boba Fett is Alpha, and she had watched the Bad Batch upgraded by Nala Se.
The Bad Batch enemies are endless; Cad Bane, Vice Admiral Rampart and legions of stormtroopers and the new TK troopers, and lastly, their former teammate, Crosshair. Captain Rex had helped Clone Force 99 remove their inhibitor chips. Rex also sent them to rescue the clone trooper, Gregor, at Project War Mantle on Daro. Rampart has Prime Minister Lama Su killed and orders the Star Destroyers to level the Kamino cities! Crosshair has spared the lives of his teammates, but now it is just a game of survival! There is alarm sounding as we get the Star Destroyer bridge with Rampart watching the destruction of Kamino with its stormy clouds. The Venator II-class Star Destroyers open fire on the Kaminoan cities. Within Tipoca City, the Bad Batch is running through the wreckage with AZI-3, Wrecker carries the stunned Crosshair on his shoulder. An explosion sends the squad reeling with the high frequency whine because they were too close to the cannon fire. The Star Destroyers continue firing with their blaster cannons.
Tipoca City was on stilts to rise above the seas, but the Star Destroyers collapse them and the city starts to collapse! The floor starts to slide with Hunter and the rest of squad starting to fall while Omega calls out to him. The burning domes of Tipoca City start to sink into the waves. Hunter tries to cut through to Omega, but a blast door closes! The Star Destroyers are now silent. Rampart asks a trooper to report and he says that all of the cities are destroyed. He orders the Star Destroyers to rejoin the fleet. AZI-3’s photoreceptors activate and he tries to revive Omega. She sees Crosshair trapped under wreckage and contacts Hunter. Tech says the rooms are sealed. Wrecker decides to force open the door with a vibro knife. The city starts to sink as Crosshair wakes up. The water level starts to rise to their necks! Omega tells AZI to use his boosters to free Crosshair while she fires on the wreckage with her energy bow. Crosshair is freed, but the water now reaches their faces.
Wrecker wedges open the door, the bodies are sucked out, and he forces it closed. Hunter updates Crosshair on the situation and they start to run as the last spire of Tipoca City sinks underwater. Explosions rock the corridor and Omega stops to watch explosions at the cloning chambers, the hatcheries where the clone embryos were kept. This is genocide. They continue to run when the dome starts to tilt as it descends down the ocean depths. Tech notes they reached the ocean floor and the facility starts to be breached by sea water. They continue to run and Crosshair reluctantly follows. This is a long sequence, I think it would have more of dramatic impact if we glimpsed across the galaxy at Cid, whom seems to know everything, reacting with Gregor who staying on Ord Mantell, and also Captain Rex since Kamino was also his home. Tech has led them to their old barracks. Crosshair blames Hunter and they get into a fierce debate, impressive work by Dee Bradley Baker voicing both characters.
Omega notices that they landed on the tunnel that led to Nala Se’s lab. AZI-3 cuts a hole through the maintenance deck to the tunnel, the other Bad Batch also have fusion cutters, but AZI says they will need a precise cut to make a seal to the tunnel. AZI checks out the tunnel and the others follow. Crosshair notes the cracks in the tunnel. Wrecker blames Crosshair for not returning to he squad and admits they would have taken him in. They hear the roaring of some underwater beast. I wondered what is the sea lfie of Kamino, we only saw the aiwha, flying air whales, and also the crustacean krill that were seen in The Mandalorian. Omega whispers and asks AZI if there is protection for the tunnels and he says only if there is power, but the power is shut off. The monster shrieks and they start to run. For some reason, this reminds me of the Undersea Kingdom tunnels in Jaws 3D (1983), it is silly, but similiar to Revenge of the Creature (1955) also in 3D. AZI goes to activate the power while we see a glimpse of the toothy beast. It looks kinda like the Sando aqua monster from Phantom Menace (1999), “There’s always a bigger fish”!
The sea beast clamps onto the tunnel and they have climb up it while AZI uses his scomp link to activate the power. It sends out charges that repulse the monster similar to the Nautilus in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. AZI saves the day! They have reached Nala Se’s lab. The rest of the tunnel has collapsed! The group looks around the lab and Omega notices that AZI is running out of power. Crosshair blames Omega, really playing the blame game is psychologically because he expresses helplessness and avoids self-reflection. Hunter brings up Crosshair ignoring the Empire’s actions and says they will only think of him as a number. Crosshair sits by himself, time-out corner! Omega says to him she was alone until she saw the Bad Batch. Crosshair needs to listen to Three Dog Night’s “One Is The Loneliest Number.” Echo finds medical capsules that they can escape in. Crosshair brings up that AZI could take them to the surface. Omega sets charges on the wall. AZI is on reserve power.
Omega activates the thermal detonators, the ocean floods in, and AZI guides the capsules up. The capsule glass starts to crack. Some wreckage strikes Omega’s capsule while the others float up like in Pacific Rim (2013). AZI starts to cut through the wreckage. Hunter checks on Omega while AZI uses his thrusters which start to fail. AZI says his objective is complete and starts to sink! This is a moment out of Big Hero 6 (2014) with Baymax! Omega swims after AZI, but she is still deep in the water. Hunter says he will go after her, but Crosshair takes out his rifle! He actually saves AZI and Omega and then turns over his rifle to Wrecker with other squad members covering him. They paddle over to the platform and finally reach the Havoc Marauder. A short end scene, Nala Se is taken to a mountain base and greeted by an Imperial medical officer (Helen Sadler). Mysteries with who is this medical officer, what are their plans, and will the Bad Batch connect with Captain Rex and his group? The episode is focused on Clone Force 99, but has introduced a cast of characters that are missing at the episode breaks. Bad Batch season one and this finale have a true sense of Star Wars answering questions, giving us new ones, along with new characters!
Four Vibro Knives out of Five!
#BadBatch, #KaminoLost, #DeeBradleyBaker, #MichelleAng, #BenDiskin, #NoshirDalal, #HelenSadler
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