This week, the Bad Batch gains a new since of direction which helps to make it one of the best released. A returning character and location with a new twist also gives the Bad Batch unique challenges that will affect the group going forward. (Warning spoilers ahead).
Firstly however, is the title. This episode is called battle scars, which has the more obvious reference of the scar of the inhibitor chip, but it can also have a deeper meaning, especially relating to Rex.
In the Rebels Star Wars show, one of the main characters has to work with Rex, and explains to another character that battles leave scars, some you can’t see, implying Rex has PTSD. The seeds of this are clearly being sown, from the bar scene to Rex’s comment on the Venator.
Meanwhile, the opening scene is somewhat disappointing. Our heroes are in the midst of a starfighter battle, and a few seconds later they manage to jump away safely. This attracts a small amount of criticism, as it would have been good to have seen the inciting incident of the fight, instead of dialogue to cover it.
The series so far has had very little space battles, which is disappointing. This could have been the right way to include a small space battle and add more dynamic action on screen, but instead this encounter is very brief.
Moving on from this, our team encounter Captain Rex. The brief encounter in the bar is perfect, as when the Bad Batch reveal they have not removed their inhibitor chips, it inspires fear in Rex. This is perfectly in line with where Rex is on his own journey, as he has not long witnessed what the chips could do to his friends but himself as well.
The tension that is driven through the music and the camera panning down to Rex reaching for his pistol was done excellently. Tech’s arrogance is shown, as he confidently assumes that their chips won’t be a problem, which is quickly shown as wrong. Rex announces that he will be in touch with the crew with a way to remove their chips, and this is quickly moved to.
The location Captain Rex asked the Bad Batch to meet him at was none other than Bracca, the planet that the main character of Jedi Fallen Order starts on. This location, which at the time of the series is breaking down ships and vehicles of the Clone Wars.
The shipyard makes perfect sense to visit, and not only are symbols of the Republic being broken down and being replaced with Imperial Star Destroyers, but the ideas of the Republic have been broken down by Palpatine. It is only through our heroes and Rex that the ideas of the Republic still survive. This is echoed in the conversation that Hunter and Rex at the end, where he argues that the values of the Republic are still worth fighting for.
This episode also concludes Wrecker’s subplot. Ever since episode three, he constantly hit his head where his chip was, making the audience ever more scared for its activation. In this episode, Wrecker’s chip goes off, making him a terrifying threat to his squad.
Wrecker’s character shifts from a warm, soft kid, and a close figure to Omega, and then once the chip activates, he becomes a cold, and extremely ruthless. The relationships that he had with his squad make him turning on it somewhat hard to watch, especially when he turns on Omega. This made the scene harder to watch, knowing the fear she and the other members were experiencing.
Finally, at the end, the line delivered by the Scrapper Guild member was awesome. This puts the Empire on a collision course with The Bad Batch, which is great as the Empire and especially Crosshair who has been absent for the past few episodes. A great episode among the series so far.
By Kieran Burt
Feature Image: Disney