Clone Force 99 is BACK in The Bad Batch Season 2! After almost two years without new episodes, the Batch has returned to Disney+ with new adventures. Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Echo, and Omega return in the season premiere double-parter, ‘Spoils of War’ and ‘Ruins of War’.
Months have passed since the team’s narrow escape from the destruction of Topoca City on Kamino. They’re still working for Cid, the lady Trandoshan, who has been sending them on freelance missions. Upon their return to Ord Mantell, they meet her human ally Phee Genoa who manages to insult them upon their first meeting in true Wanda Sykes style.
Spoils Of War: The Mission To Serreno
Cid gives the Batch a new mission; retrieve a war chest from Serreno, the home planet of the late Count Dooku (see Revenge of the Sith for his fate). The chest was one of many owned by the former Jedi, turned Sith Lord. While the team who he was, Omega doesn’t and has to be caught up in the shortest explanation you can give without becoming graphic.
Echo and Hunter talk before returning to Ord Mantell about how much more dangerous their lives have become since they ‘adopted’ Omega, who happens to overhear them. This is bought up in ‘Ruins of War’ when she becomes overly determined to retrieve the war chest after she, Echo, and Tech lose it when their escape plan derails.
The natural spoils of war in the first episode are the hope the crew have in what having the war chest could mean for them. Then, finally, Cid would be paid off, and the Batch could live without worrying about whether they will eat.
Ruins of War: Escape Might Be Difficult
‘Ruins of War’ gives us more context into what has been going on since the end of Season 1 regarding what the Empire knows about the incident with Topoca City. It is established that they were given a falsified report about the Bad Batch’s survival, and we can venture a guess who lied; Crosshair.
While not mentioned in the episodes once, it is apparent he protected his former friends by claiming they perished on Topoca City. It looks like the clones that now work for the Empire are beginning to defy their superiors. So, could Crosshair be starting to wake up to the truth? Quite possible. We’ll have to wait and see what happens there.
The captain of the clones on Serreno, Wilco, tells Admiral Rampart that he won’t lie in an official report to Tarkin. This results in the Admiral terminating him to keep his own reputation intact.
Separating The Batch
One of the most exciting aspects of ‘Spoils of War’ and ‘Ruins of War’ is how Clone Force 99 was mostly separated. Having them group off shows what they’re like with different members. Having Hunter and Wrecker team up was an interesting combination. Also, seeing Omega use her newfound knowledge of the Imperial fleet to help in the escape was fascinating to watch.
Seeing Tech in a vulnerable position after being injured in the shipping container’s descent shows that everything would have fallen apart without the operation’s brain. Luckily he wasn’t knocked unconscious or more seriously hurt.
It shows what he could do without the others. One example is when he helps Romar. Omega using her brain to help Tech find a way off the storage ship was fascinating to watch. The teachings about the Imperial fleet she had came in handy.
The New Friend And Overall Verdict
Echo, Tech and Omega meet a man named Romar during their wayward escape. He is one of the survivors of Serreno’s partial destruction. that resembles what happened to Kamino. He hates what Dooku helped reduce their planet to in his quest for wealth and power.
Whether he shows up again or is, a one-off character is anyone’s guess. He may become like Cid is or what Phee will be this season.
The premiere was promising, but we feel like it was missing something. We’re not sure what, though we hope this does not continue. We love The Bad Batch and cannot wait to see how this season continues to unfold.
The Bad Batch continues next week with episode three only on Disney+.
