Friday, July 2, 2021

Bad Batch, “Common Ground”, Review!

Last episode had Omega trying to get away from bounty hunters Cad Bane and Fennec Shand.  Omega escapes Fennec and looks down at a landing platform and sees flight pods.  Bane has his blaster drawn on Omega, but bolos strike his blaster from his hand.  Fennec engages in hand to hand combat with Bane!  He headbutts Fennec and the metal plate on his forehead is revealed!  This hints at the unproduced Clone Wars episode where Boba Fett gets in a duel with Bane, possibly the Book of Boba Fett will cover what happened.  Omega finds a long ladder down to the platform while the bounty hunters fight.  Todo 360 tries to take hold of Omega, but she ends up riding him down to the platform.  Omega enters the flight pod, Todo tries to look in from the cockpit window, but she blasts off and sends him down to the city.  Bane kicks Fennec and Todo reports that their target is escaping.  He uses flame units on his wrists, but bolos wrap around Bane’s arms and he is kicked off the city.  Still, Bane uses the rockets in his boots to get to the city’s railing. Omega finds the flight pod is running out of fuel and it starts to plummet! 


There is a collison sound and the hatch opens, it’s Wrecker!  Omega cries and asks Hunter why the Kaminoans want her.  Cad Bane reaches the Finalizer, but finds that the ship has been sabotaged!  He watches as Fennec Shand’s ship, no name at this point, flies away.  A victory for the young bounty hunter!  She is contacted by Lala Se and reports that the clones took Omega.  Fennec says she can track them, but Lala Se declines, she just wanted Omega safe from Lama Su.  Omega joins Hunter at the pilot seats of the Havoc Marauder, he promises to keep her away from Kamino.  On Raxus Secundus in the Outer Rim, a crowd gathers at a palace, an Imperial officer, Captain Bragg (Shelby Young), gives her speech at the balcony.  The planet first appeared in the Clone Wars episode, “Heroes on Both Sides” (2010).  We actually see the Separatist Parliament and that not every planet agrees with the Confederacy of Independent Systems.  She asks this former Separatist world for loyalty.  A senator, Avi Singh (Alexander Siddig), with beard and monocle doesn’t want to continue with the plan.  Siddig is known for playing Dr. Bashir in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  


His droid aide, GS-8 (Sian Clifford), says there is no other option.  Clifford is an actress from Fleabag.  She quickly became one of my favorite droids.  Bragg says there will be mandatory curfew for everyone’s protection.  Senator Singh is about to give his speech, the crowd cheers, and mid-speech says that he doesn’t approve of the Imperial occupation.  Bragg has clone troopers take him aside.  The crowd is dispersed by walkers, several All Terrain Tactical Enforcers, GS-8 walks away and delievers a message that the senator is in danger.  An important intro sequence without any familiar characters, great set-up to Separatist worlds under the Empire.  The Bad Batch are on the streets of the Ord Mantell city, Omega on Wrecker’s shoulder has the Mantell Mix.  Hunter tells Wrecker that Omega needs a break.  Cid has a mission for them, the rescue of Senator Singh!, Hunter refuses the mission. Tech points out the former center of the Separatist governmen is now an Imperial outpost.  Cid says that she will watch over Omega.  Hunter tells Omega to stay with Cid, good soldiers follow orders, they leave and Cid’s mission for Omega is to “get scrubbing!”, very funny.  



Tech says they are landing outside of the capital, Raxilion.  Two V-wing fighters (early models for the TIE fighter) flank the Havoc Marauder, Cid has given codes by the contact, and they are able to get clearance and land.  The squad is distrustful of Separtist, but they are no longer Separatists, Raxus is now part of the Empire.  Cid talks with Omega just circling the scrubber on the bar top.  She upsets Omega calling her “helpless.”  On Raxus, GS-8 has taken them to a building guarded and patroled by clone troopers and AT-TEs.  Hunter sends G-8 as a distraction and they take down the clone trooper guards.  Tech disables the security systems on a data pad outside a door.  Hunter sees two guards posted and tells Tech to go with Omega. She is so familiar to the squad, he forgot!  GS-8 walks out getting the attention of the guards, a grenade rolls out and shocks the two clone troopers!  A clone trooper opens the door and bashed around by Wrecker, GS-8 manages to catch a vase that was a gift to the senator.  The Quarren, Ketch (Sam Riegel) is playing dejarik, the hologram game, with Cid.  His Ithorian buddy is Bolo (Liam O’Brien).  Omega advises against Cid’s move.  She plays it anyway and loses.  So Cid asks Omega to help and she defeats all of the holo opponents and wins!  


Cid wants her to play dejarik and Omega asks for a 60% cut.  Clone troopers enter with an interrogation droid, the floating, black globe.  Bragg says that Senator Singh has incited an insurrection.  The droid approaches the senator with menacing needle.  A smoke detonator hops down the steps.  Two clone troopers are stunned, Captain Brag takes out her blaster, but is stunned.  The senator’s binders are removed, but Tech notes that an alarm was set off.  Clone troopers rush into the compound.  Wrecker shoots a grappling line at an AT-TE, the Bad Batch stun the trooper in the rear, then take out the driver and throw more shock detonators!  Tech drives the AT-TE, Captain Bragg sees that they have commandeered it, and has them “pinned down.”  The other walker blasts the rear of the Bad Batch’s AT-TE.  Tech has to repair the rear axle while the others take on the Imperial walker.  They disable it, but another AT-TE climbs over it.  They continue the walker battle, a hit shuts down the walker, the Bad Batch get out to open fire with blasters set to stun.  The squad is surrounded, but Senator Singh knocks one trooper out with the vase!  It is interesting to see how the Separtists would work with clone troopers!  Another Bad Batch episode that has interesting character dynamics, clone troopers working with Separatists, and an intense battle against clone troopers!  


Five Vibro Knives out of Five!  


#StarWars, #BadBatch, #CommonGround, #CaptainBragg, #ShelbyYoung, #SenatorAviSingh, #AlexanderSingh, #GS8, #SianClifford 

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