Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Rescue on Ryloth review S1 E12
After a 14-day hiatus from much TV recapping thanks to the Olympics, it’s time to catch up on my shows. I figured I’d start with the Bad Batch since I’m well and truly far behind on it. With the news that it’s been renewed for a second season, I definitely needed to get back on track.
And maybe I’ll find Omega a lot less insufferable too?
Rescue on Ryloth picks up right where the series’ first two-parter left off. Hera avoided getting put into custody with her parents and managed to get ahold of a communication device to call the only person capable of rescuing her — Omega.
It’s still weird hearing Vanessa Marshall suddenly give Hera an accent that’s not at all consistent with her Rebels’ speech pattern. That felt like an unnecessary twist unless we’re going to get some explanation in Bad Batch Season 3 that Hera decided to ditch the royal tone to fit in more with the common rebels?
Hunter wants no parts of risking the Batch to help free Hera’s folks. Omega wants to help her friend so there’s little drama as to how this debate is going to turn out. One overarching flaw with the series is Hunter is portrayed so rudderless. Without the war, he has no instincts and constantly needs prodding and guidance from Omega to do anything.
That wouldn’t be so bad if Hunter took just the slightest initiative to do the right thing every so often, but he almost comes off afraid, Given the Empire’s track record in giving them exactly zero trouble, their threat seems minimal at best.
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Back on Ryloth, clone commander Howzer is conflicted with his loyalty to the Syndulla family and being a good, obedient clone. This is a dynamic that should be explored more. It’s still hard to see why the switch collectively switched for most of the clones to just be full on villains and forcefully attack and bully the same people they protected.
Order 66 seemed like it was just about the Jedi and Crosshair needed special reprogramming to explain his heel turn. That hasn’t been the case for the clone army as a whole however.
The Ryloth Rescue operation goes off largely without a hitch despite Vice Admiral Rampart and Crosshair fully anticipating the Bad Batch to try a rescue attempt. Howzer does help Hunter and company avoid Crosshair’s ambush to get off planet safely. When Hauser started trying to rally his fellow clones against the Empire’s occupation, it seemed like a sniper shot from Crosshair was imminent. For some reason, Crosshair held off and Hauser was simply imprisoned.
That probably indicates Howzer has a big role left to play in this season (or series).
Slightly perturbed that the Bad Batch easily broke through his defenses, Crosshair (finally) asks Rampart for permission to actually hunt them down. This felt long overdue and should raise the stakes for the crew as they try to stay one step ahead of Crosshair.
Up to this point, Crosshair has been an amazingly ineffective bad guy incapable of posing much of a threat to the team. Hopefully this shift will allow him to be more menacing and make the Bad Batch have to work to avoid getting nabbed by the Empire.
Rescue on Ryloth was a serviceable episode of The Bad Batch, but it’s well past time that the villains become more than the bumbling idiots always shaking their fists in the air as Hunter and crew get away.
Rating: 7 out of 10
Photo Credit: Starwars.com
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