Star Wars: The Bad Batch: The Crossing

February 15, 2023 2:37 AM - Season 2, Episode 9

The team tackles a risky mission (yes, another one) on a hostile world.

This is the third use of "risky" in an episode blurb in 9 episodes, someone get Disney Plus a thesaurus.

posted by EndsOfInvention (9 comments total)

I'm neurotypical so it's not my place to comment on it but I'm seeing a lot of people appreciating the neurodivergent representation in Tech.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 6:17 AM on February 15, 2023 [8 favorites]

There was a lot to like in this episode. I'm glad they didn't just ignore Echo leaving the way they did Crosshair. It's also clear how much of a buffer Echo was among all of them.

Also, I am sick with worry over Gonky. Is he safe?? Is he all right?
posted by orrnyereg at 6:22 AM on February 15, 2023 [4 favorites]

Feels like so many cave-ins this season!
posted by snofoam at 3:47 AM on February 16, 2023 [2 favorites]

"Risssskyyyy!"

Agreed about the sense of repetition at this point. The Batch needs fewer wilderness adventures going forward this season. I mean, it makes sense  geopolitically  astropolitically, so, not NONE…just fewer.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 3:58 AM on February 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

Something that occurred to me while Tech and Omega were having their little talk is that, not only is Tech neurodivergent, he also has no experience of quote-endquote "real" family; he's a clone, and even though he's a variant clone, he's still someone who's been created to be essentially disposable. For that matter, so is Omega, but she's still imprinted on the Beebs and is angry and hurt that one of her dads just sort of took off, even though she's got four of them. (Five, but We Don't Talk About BrunoCrosshair.) I like the bits when Omega is shown just being a kid, which is really easy to forget sometime.

As for the overall trend of the series, yeah, I think (and hope) that we can get a bit more direction in the trend of things than "the Beebs do yet another shitty job and don't do particularly well in it." I was a bit surprised to learn that there are seven more episodes in this season, and am hoping that things pick up a bit more in the upcoming ones.
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:23 AM on February 16, 2023 [2 favorites]

I definitely was not expecting the heart to heart coming from Tech, and I thought it made the necessary scene (necessary in helping Omega process Echo's departure) more interesting than had it come from Hunter. Wrecker's attempt outside was...as weak as he was strong. Oof.

Thoughts on this episode:

* They brought up the whole trust and relying on Cid thing again. Though, I'm starting to feel like it isn't going to pivot on Cid betraying them in the future, so much as Cid trusting them and letting them into her heart - so to speak. She's grudgingly being pulled into the family and I don't think she likes that.

* Hondo. It has to be Hondo Ohnaka who stole their ship. Which I have a love/hate relationship with Hondo. He went from absolute villain to kind of loveable rogue (after his pirate gang turned on him, the Empire crushed piracy, and he was left with almost nothing). I say it has to be Hondo, but a lot of what I just described seems to be ahead of him in this current timeline - so I could be wrong. But, Filoni loves Hondo. I can't shake this feeling it's Hondo. Or perhaps, a pirate working for Hondo.

* Herd. This may be the biggest herd of animals LFL has ever animated in a show. Again, the animation, particularly its use of lighting (the studio's hallmark) was pretty incredible.

They haven't posted the episode guide yet, so I'll follow up here with that info if I don't forget, when they do.
posted by Atreides at 7:46 AM on February 16, 2023 [3 favorites]

I'd like to add that there was some first-rate acting from Dee Bradley Baker in this episode. Tech's discomfort with the conversation was palpable. It's easy to forget there's one guy voicing all the (dude) clones.
posted by orrnyereg at 10:28 AM on February 16, 2023 [8 favorites]

And the losing continues: first Echo, and now the Marauder. Ouch. I do not understand why they didn't lock the ipsium inside Cid's mine before starting the trek. I also don't understand why they didn't tell Cid "we've got a big score and you will get a cut if you provide the transport."

The planet was gorgeous, Wrecker has no taste.

I'm with Atriedes: that was Hondo. I don't know anything about Hondo's career between Clone Wars and Rebels, but it sure looked like him. (Plus, a recurring character is their best hope of getting that ship back.)
posted by mersen at 5:26 PM on February 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

Welp, nearing a week from the show and still no episode guide. This is so weird compared to past animated shows, which dropped them same day even. Meh.
posted by Atreides at 12:22 PM on February 20, 2023