Bad Batch 1x02 "Cut and Run" - Reaction & Review
Added 2023-02-06 12:35:12 +0000 UTCHey everyone! Here it is - my reaction to season 1 episode 2 of The Bad Batch!!! OMG YES!!!!!!!!!!!! I always wondered what happened to this guy and his family!
It was a really great touch to bring him back, and how apropos considering our group (Hunter in particular) are dealing with how to raise kids! I almost thought for a second we were gonna lose Omega!!! :O But no, this is where she belongs, even if it is the less stable/safe option, sadly! I'm already loving our little crew!!! Great ep!! Enjoy! ~ MH
Comments
I know! And for real, even dirt got an upgrade lol. Oh that's true, I didn't even realize that about the Nexu! Omg I know, I love the themes of fatherhood throughout! Yeah we're really getting to see the dawn of the Empire and everything that comes with it here.
Melissa Moore
2024-07-23 13:28:59 +0000 UTCSo good seeing Cut again! I was so surprised since he was only in that one episode before. It’s cute seeing Omega’s reaction to dirt, and neat seeing how much they improved on something like dirt compared to Tales of the Empire. It was cool seeing a Nexu, we only ever saw one in Attack of the Clones, the thing that scratched Padme. It’s pretty funny that with both this and Mando we have stories about guys learning to be dads. Pretty ominous seeing the introduction of chain codes as a way to track people.
Cody
2024-07-19 23:32:27 +0000 UTCWell said, it's fun to dissect all the different meanings isn't it!!!
Melissa Moore
2023-02-14 14:17:50 +0000 UTCSaltire: “we can have it fit well into our own head-canon's as to what we think the story should tell, especially when the prequels were so poorly directed and screenplayed” Nick: I do like the Prequels quite a bit, although some bits make me cringe :-). But I also agree that they weren’t particularly well put together in the way you describe, and so this does lead to people being able to interpret the same events portrayed on screen differently - there is room for interpretive manoeuvre. Having said that, whilst in some ways this is a weakness of the films, this is also arguably a strength, as I think it makes the world building more realistic, even if it was an unintended consequence, which I suspect it at least partly was. More realistic because our real world is underdetermined in the sense that the same events/ social phenomena can often be interpreted in different ways, which leads to arguments/ discussions about what social reality actually looks like, and why. I think for fans all this discussion and argument makes the world feel more like the world they actually live in, and so the Star Wars universe takes on a realistic life of its own; and discussing these different interpretations isnt just part of the world building, it’s part of the fun!
Nick
2023-02-13 23:25:06 +0000 UTCYeah, the more Star Wars we get, the more we can reflect on these events in a new light. Clone Wars especially makes us think about the events of the prequels in another way, and even here with Bad Batch, all the fallout of those decisions Anakin made to help Sidious achieve his goal in ruling the galaxy, whilst almost wiping out the Sith's greatest foe in the Jedi.
Saltire
2023-02-13 18:03:44 +0000 UTCThat makes sense about the timing for Cut and the kids! Saltire - no worries!! Ohhhh that's actually a really awful but true point that if the clones weren't sterile, they'd sort of become their own species in a way, not so much the way they were being used disposably during the war. Ick!! I'm curious about the pendant! Oh good point about Omega! I assume she was somewhere off camera getting into trouble lol!!! Probably with AZ!!!!
Melissa Moore
2023-02-12 14:57:31 +0000 UTCOh wow, this is a lot to think about! Honestly, I've never even questioned the scene with Palpatine/Windu/Anakin. But now I wonder!!! Also, it's interesting to dissect the exact circumstances of Order 66. Like I said, a lot to think about!!!
Melissa Moore
2023-02-12 14:55:36 +0000 UTCI've started up Mel's reactions to Clone Wars again, and am early into it, with the Malevolence arc. Something I haven't picked up on before was in episode 1x03 where Greivous is ordered to attack the military hospital holding thousands of clones, that Nala Se was seemingly in charge of the facility. Obviously Omega isn't with her in the episode as she wasn't written yet, but that then begs the question, where was she when Nala Se was here? Since it was established she hadn't been in space before she met the Bad Batch, one may assume she was on Kamino still, and perhaps hanging out with that medical droid AZ.
Saltire
2023-02-12 02:30:33 +0000 UTCWhich is also why I think it would be bad writing on Lucas's part, to have his greatest villain be taken out in a lightsabre battle from a moderately powerful, but not Obi-Wan or Yoda standard, Jedi. Anyway thats my thoughts on it, and yours may differ Nick, we can have it fit well into our own head-canon's as to what we think the story should tell, especially when the prequels were so poorly directed and screenplayed. I think the scene where he reveals himself to be the hidden Sith Lord to Anakin does make more sense now with what we have seen, especially with the groundwork Clone Wars later did with their relationship. He knows Anakin is losing faith in the Jedi Order, is still headstrong (due to his manipulations and feeding his ego), and knows how to play Anakin as he has been watching him all these years; and is a master manipulator to many others. It might be Palpatine's greatest gift, that he could read people and get them to do what he wants every time. He feels things are coming to a head, that everything is in place for the fall of the Republic, the Jedi and to establish the Empire, and that Anakin is on the verge of becoming his most powerful apprentice, one that would help truly cement his power. It is a gamble, but a calculated one, where the odds are in his favour, like what all the best gamblers do.
Saltire
2023-02-12 02:20:49 +0000 UTCThe pendent interests me. Of course it could just be decoration, but maybe it isn’t just decorative and is to do with something special about Omega.
Nick
2023-02-10 17:25:44 +0000 UTCPersonally I’ve always been a bit uncertain about the fight between Windu and Palpatine but on balance think that Windu did in fact overpower Palpatine until Anakin turned up. Palpatine was very good at taking opportunities when they arose - he needed to be because he could not plan everything of the Clone Wars out in advance. Palpatine couldn’t have known that Anakin would turn up to stop Windu when he did, he just seized the opportunity well when Anakin arrived, and of course had laid a lot of the groundwork before by ‘grooming’ Anakin. But then I am not convinced it was well thought out script-wise; for example, why did Palpatine in effect tell Anakin when he did that he was a Sith? That was a high risk move on his part, and so how was he hoping/ expecting this to play out afterwards? We know how it DID play out, but surely Palpatine could not have predicted this in detail. Your last paragraph sounds very plausible, Saltire.
Nick
2023-02-10 11:03:25 +0000 UTCMy reply was to someone else when bringing up the pendant. I must have pressed the wrong button again as it was meant to be a reply, not a post! However it does make strategic sense for the Kaminoans to make the clones sterile, especially with their advanced ageing. That way they could have a constant supply of troops coming through quickly without having to wait years, and they can bring new ones in over the years, as the older ones age faster. Also they use the clones like droids, they are replaceable and dispensable; and also if they weren't sterile, they'd no longer be tools for them; they'd be a race. I saw a post elsewhere last night after the two episodes that were aired, as those eps raised more questions than answers. Someone made some terrific points about clones generally, Omega and Boba Fett. I've kept it, and as the series carries on, I'll bring it up later, as its revelatory as to their thoughts about life, their own identities, and what this show is really all about.
Saltire
2023-02-10 01:20:09 +0000 UTCOh I've had loads of arguments about that fight in the Chancellor's Office with Mace over the years. There is no doubt that Mace was a skilled swordsman - AND Lucas himself said he won the fight, which always gets thrown back at me when I state otherwise. However, like with what Filoni says about Yoda's line to Luke in Return Of The Jedi about "last of the Jedi you shall be" when clearly there is at least three still out there in Ahsoka, Ezra and Grogu; that its how you interpret that line and whether Yoda knew all the other details of potential Jedi out there yet. Its the same with the fight. Why would George Lucas, have his big bad in Sidious, gamble everything - all those decades of planning - on the outcome of a duel with a Jedi? He was much too smart for any of that, especially when we see he was in no danger of losing to Yoda - a far more skilled and powerful Jedi than Mace - later on. I've always thought it was another ruse, feigning weakness, as he knew Anakin was on his way and was using Windu's aggression ("he's too dangerous to be left alive") against him. Had he wanted to, he'd have slain Windu in a few moves. Thats my opinion anyway, and I feel the same way about stating Ahsoka won her duel with Vader on points, when most others I've seen, act as if he was dominating that fight. You could be right about the order being a recording though Nick. He specifically calls Cody by his name when he gives the order to him, and Obi-Wan would be a big priority to take out, with him having just killed Greivous, so he could kill two birds with one stone. Perhaps later with the others, it was a recording then, that made sure every clone heard it as it got passed down the ranks.
Saltire
2023-02-10 00:51:48 +0000 UTCIt took me a while when watching Clone Wars to realise that Cut must have been a stepdad: it had initially puzzled me how his kids could have been his because they were surely to old to be his, given the Clone Wars only lasted about 3 years at most. But I had not realised the Clones were sterile either.
Nick
2023-02-09 19:11:28 +0000 UTCI reckon Zeb would get on with all of the Bad Batch - excluding Crosshair, perhaps.
Nick
2023-02-09 18:25:14 +0000 UTCYes, I’ve wondered about commanders getting a personal order 66 message from Palpatine before. It doesn’t make much sense to do this when you have to kill off 10 000 Jedi almost all at the same time. My guess is that the messages were prerecorded, or something like that. Although, against that, when Palpatine gives the messages he looks the scarred version after his fight with Mace Windu, which seems puzzling if it was a recording. This raises something often discussed about Revenge of the Sith. Did Mace Windu actually win the fight or was Palpatine pretending to loose? And wasn’t it a bit fortuitous for Palpatine that Anakin turned up at just the right moment to save Palpatine? Yes Zeb certainly has more marbles rolling around up top, but I do see them getting on :-)
Nick
2023-02-09 18:20:01 +0000 UTCInteresting! And good thoughts about her reasoning in that scene. I don't think I realized the clones were sterile!!! Or that those were her kids from before. But yeah, they definitely weren't programmed for parenthood....then again, they've done a lot of things against their programming at this point! I think they can learn from each other just like you said. That's amazing, and actually quite necessary I guess! There's so much to keep track of!
Melissa Moore
2023-02-09 15:01:50 +0000 UTCI always kind of thought it might be voice activated? Hmmm! LOL you're totally right, Zeb does have a bit more going on in the intellect department for sure, but something tells me they'd get along well!!! :D
Melissa Moore
2023-02-09 14:59:10 +0000 UTCOhhhh you mean the intro before/after the logo?! Okay, I thought he was in the ep and I missed him lol! That is so cool, he's always with you haha! I know, he made a big impression really fast, right?! Dad Batch!!!! Hmm, that's an interesting point about the genes. And I can absolutely see the influence of her being so sheltered / still being a child as well!
Melissa Moore
2023-02-09 14:58:06 +0000 UTCNala Se has the same pendant. Perhaps she gave it to Omega as a present, and Omega is feeling a bit lost in that scene, hence her break down crying. Its maybe a reminder that was her life, and now she has made a big step and made a new one for herself, and is a bit overwhelmed by it all. The thing with clones as well though, is that they weren't bred for parenthood, only war. They are sterile so don't have a parental instinct, and have to learn that. Cut found a widow and settled down to family life with her and her kids, and that is his objective if talking about it militarily. Hunter has a sense of right and wrong too, so even if he and the others don't know how to look after a kid just now; they can still watch out for her and make sure she grows up with a solid moral compass. She will teach them things too that they never before thought about. Its kind of true about the charts. They do have them for characters at Lucasfilm and how they'll use them for certain stories. Its also a good thing to do, so that canon and the overall story, doesn't quickly become a mess.
Saltire
2023-02-08 23:54:59 +0000 UTCThe command for Order 66 is interesting. We saw Palpatine personally contact many of the Clone Commanders and Captains who served under Jedi Generals. Why couldn't he activate it remotely? Did they have to hear his voice to trigger the action? If so then with Cut being long out of the picture, he wouldn't have a comm-link to military command, especially with him being off the grid being a deserter. We can come back to this later as there is also another time we have to wonder what happened during the order elsewhere. I take slight offence about Zeb being similar to Wrecker though, Zeb has a few more marbles rolling around upstairs than Wrecker!! :P
Saltire
2023-02-08 23:41:10 +0000 UTCYeah Chopper is highlighted along with plenty of other familiar faces. I'm sure Bo-Katan's helmet is in there too. I always shout out his name when I see him, and same when I boot up my pc as I have him as my lock screen, as well as avatar here! Who would have thought that another astromech would rival R2 for my affections, after 46 years of watching this franchise! :D As for Omega's decision to stay with the 'Dad Batch!', which also gets covered later; I wonder with her being of Jango Fett's genes like the rest, there is some innate instinct that draws almost all clones, to action? And also with her being a kid, she doesn't want a quiet life after being cooped up on Kamino for years, so wants to be involved in adventures with the others.
Saltire
2023-02-08 23:33:19 +0000 UTCOh no, I'm sorry you're sick - feel better soon! Who knew germs could get across the screen like that :P Thanks for the info on the names, and yes, this was the "deserter" clone Rex ran into during Clone Wars. That's such a good point, it takes a lot to be a parent! And yeah, kids and trouble go together like peanut butter and jelly lol. True about the creative designs! LOL the troopers just never learn about those secret comparments!!! Oh yeah, good question about the pendant. Good point about the similarities to occurrences in WWII. I know, I know....at this time, I'm sure it all sounded like a good idea! I can't help my eye rolls though! Lol those troopers need to learn about leaving their posts too! Omg, I'd love to see Dave Filoni's chart!!!! He's definitely committed!!!
Melissa Moore
2023-02-08 15:05:05 +0000 UTCIt's so nice to see them again! Love that Rex stopped by too! Yeah, they belong together in a way, right? There's a really big contrast between our crew and the imperial clones. Yeah that's what I was thinking about Cut - maybe it's voice activated or there's some kind of range? He didn't mention having it taken out, so I'm not sure! Yeah I was wondering the same thing about when the Bad Batch got to know Cut, it obviously happened off screen, but maybe we'll get more later! I'd love to know why Rex stopped by! Yeah it's interesting seeing how everything unfolds in this very early phase of the Empire. Omg same, I think Wrecker and Zeb are cut from the same cloth!!!
Melissa Moore
2023-02-08 15:01:59 +0000 UTCOMG no way, Chopper was there!? I gotta go back and look! Dee Bradley Baker is a legend! Omega's childlike wonder is so fun! Cut is really sweet and awesome, and NO WAY that's the same VA as Ventress voicing the little girl! Wow, talk about a range! Oh good call about the chain code. Yeah, this is how it all starts for sure...the visual of the storm was appropriate. Lol Hunter really was done wasn't he! I know, Omega would have had a much simpler life and a happy one, but this is where she wants to be! The Dad Batch, omg!!!!!!!!! Whoa, I didn't notice that about the lethal rounds! They're not playing around!!
Melissa Moore
2023-02-08 14:59:16 +0000 UTCWell, I think this might be partially your fault but I got sick today so I’m relying on you to help entertain me while I’m laid up, it’s the least you can do… 😅 First off, the name of the parents are Cut and Suu - it’s why the title is Cut and Run. Now I might be slightly hazy but that’s the same guy who took Rex in after he got separated, right? Anyway, I think it’s probably good for Hunter to see Cut working with the kids. I’ve said this to people on countless occasions but anyone is physically capable of having a child… but it takes a special kind of person to be able to be a parent. Hunter obviously is a little rough around the edges still, there are times you have to scold and times to comfort. Suu is right - trouble has a way of finding kids. They’re like magnets. Speaking of trouble, we don’t focus on the beasts too much, but there’s some pretty creative designs in the universe, especially the dangerous ones. Have you noticed the troopers just walk into the regular area of the ship when checking it, but they never bother looking for hidden compartments? You think they’d get a clue on that… it’s been going on since 1977! 😂 Two good questions regarding Omega: what is she designed for, and what is that pendant she’s got on her forehead? The Empire worked fairly fast getting their infrastructure up and running - obviously the purpose of the chain codes is to ID everyone, it hearkens back to an idea the Nazis used in WW2. Just on a far greater scale. I know you’re rolling your eyes when you see the Imperial propaganda, but keep in mind - most people were just happy the war was over and didn’t think too much of a few security measures. Although I do find it interesting that the kids are the first ones to get the impression something is off. Speaking of troopers, they seem to leave their posts whenever the plot needs them to, doesn’t it? I’m pretty sure Dave Filoni has a chart in his office tracking every character he’s created and figuring out if he’s got a way to use them every time he makes a series. He’s got too much investment not to at this point. Welp, there’s two more to go today, so off I go!
Tyler Stobbe
2023-02-07 01:18:30 +0000 UTCThis is one of my favourite Bad Batch episodes in season 1. Love seeing Cut and family again, and that episode with them in Clone Wars has always stood out as very memorable for all sorts of reasons. It’s also great to hear of Rex passing through just before. Also love Omega as a character but also her interaction with the force 99 crew. I think you are right, Mel: her staying with them was somehow right: they are good for each other. At this point her special ability is a mystery, but Hunter is right that whatever it is maybe doesn’t matter, at least for now. Here we see the stark contrast between Cut and the Clone Force 99 crew, who all clearly have individual personality’s, thoughts and looks, and the now dehumanised (all looking the same and with no personality or individual thinking) clones working for the Empire. But here is an intriguing question: surely Cut had a chip/ implant, so what happened to him during order 66 and why does the chip apparently have no effect on him here? Perhaps hearing Palpatine’s voice was needed to activate order 66 in a clone, and Cut obviously would not have heard the order. And why did Rex come to see Cut? Also, how come the Bad Batch know Cut and family? At least Hunter did. Lots of intriguing questions but the answers are not central to the story as it stands now. One of the best things about Bad Batch is seeing how things pan out after order 66. More to say on this another time! I can’t help but feel that Wrecker and Zeb would get on well :-).
Nick
2023-02-06 22:04:51 +0000 UTCOn the intro, notice that little madman Chopper is there! :D This whole show hangs on Dee Bradley Baker delivering. Good on Filoni and co for having faith in him; and it works. Omega being amazed by everything is great. She has been stuck in labs on Kamino all these years and now she will see some of the galaxy with her brothers. Cut is a great dad to his adoptive kids, he is one clone that found some happiness at least. I'm always amazed that the girl kid of Cut's, is played by the same VA as Ventress. The chain code stuff comes into play later in the likes of Mando, as a tool to track bounties. The Empire were efficient in coding almost everybody. Note when Admiral Rampart is talking about Imperial Credits, it cuts to another view of him, where on the right in the sky there is a storm brewing, indicative of the darkness that is coming. I like the line from Echo about clones wanting to be given names, and now people are being given numbers, in effect robbing them of their individuality already. Its how it all starts... Hunter is done with Tech's shenanigans this episode! Tech is a fun character, though he's emotionless and totally logical, his abrasive nature and confidence in his abilities, make for some fun moments. What I do like about him too, is that it doesn't always work, so needs adapting as seen here when Omega was the only one to be able to carry out the mission. Omega would have had a good life with Cut's family, but she wants to stay with our crew. Its going to be dangerous for her to do so, but its her decision and one she feels is right. Btw this show is sometimes named across the fanbase as the Dad Batch! :P Note when Omega is grabbed by the clone, Hunter and co use lethal rounds to take them out, no stunning on their fellow clones here!
Saltire
2023-02-06 15:32:09 +0000 UTC
