Ryan Shoots First: The Bad Batch (S1 Ep8) “Reunion”

A big “Reunion” is in order this week for The Bad Batch as we reach the halfway point of the season. We open on Kamino with Crosshair and his team reporting the presence of the Batch on Bracca, he is sent to take them out. We see the scrapper guild is still watching closely but Wrecker and Echo are aware of them. They manage to stun a few scouts and stun another driving away in a speeder which does not go well for the driver. Wrecker thinks it is time to get off the planet but Hunter mentions they need money and this offers a great chance to salvage some valuable assets. The team splits up to salvage tech and weapons before making a break for it. As they are in the middle of their op the Empire arrives. 

Back on Kamino the Prime Minister is discussing needing to move their plan forward as the Op on Bracca messes with their contingency plan. We learn it was the Kaminoians that put the bounty out on Omega. Back at the cruiser Crosshair corners the Batch in the armory after he anticipates them hacking their comms. Tech though manages to fire up the artillery cannons which causes the whole platform to collapse from the aftershock. The Batch escapes through the giant engine but once again Crosshair heads them off and actually begins to fire up the engine with the Batch inside. The Batch decide to use the explosives they salvaged to disable the engine before it cooks them alive. Backup troops arrive to help Crosshair and he has them radio the team at their ship but the team is already taken out, but from who??? Hunter and Omega arrive at the ship and discover the downed team. It’s Cad Bane! He is here for Omega. After an intense standoff Bane wins and takes out Hunter and captures Omega. Back at Crosshair they are tending to his injuries but he wants to finish the mission. Hunter is woken up by the team as they escape but Omega is gone. 

Really great episode, probably the best since the opening and now with the team focused on retrieving Omega it feels like the season is focused on now. This is why you trust Dave through what seemed like the meaningless side episodes. Those are building up the characters and attaching you to them and Omega so this moment hits harder. It doesn’t seem the Batch are even aware of Cad Bane in name so they are really at square one in tracking him down. 

Observations

• This is good dad stuff, kinda like when my dad taught me to drive a stick by parking me on a boat ramp…you know minus the explosives. 
• Question, is it worth using a stun shot when the driver is moving at high speeds in a speeder?
• Shot of the week goes to Crosshair and the troopers coming off their transport. 
• The Marauder! Correct me if I’m wrong but I feel like that is the first time we get the ship’s name. 
• The back and forth of The Batch and Crosshair knowing how the other will think and changing was pretty excellent. Really sells how all these guys are just a step above. 
• Hell yea Omega!!! 
• Ok can we officially retire the Wilhelm scream and replace it with whatever that troopers scream was when Wrecker threw him out the bay? 
• That flamethrower was close to killing all of them but Wrecker just throwing it at the trooper was pretty good. 
• Again super clever, we’ve never seen an engine started up with people inside it. Love the Batch and Crosshair using their knowledge of the ship and it’s layout to escape/cut off the other. 
• Of course that training Omega had earlier is gonna play into this. 
• Remember when I keep saying the kid may also need a helmet… this is why. 
• HOOOO-LYYYYY. SHIT It’s Cad Bane!!! 
• And he has Todo 360 with him which still appears to be voiced by Seth Green. 
• This standoff with the music is really good. 
• Dang some Bad Ass scarred Crosshair is coming isn’t it… Call Hot Toys!
• Cool first person view from Hunter, not sure we have seen that before.