This episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch truly delivered and made up for last week’s episode tenfold.
The Plot
“Devil’s Deal” focuses primarily on the Syndulla family. Yes, that Syndulla family: Cham, originally introduced in The Clone Wars, whose daughter, Hera, is one of the protagonists in Star Wars: Rebels. Viewers also meet Hera’s mother on screen for the first time, Eleni.
In “Devil’s Deal,” Hera Syndulla is just a child, dreaming of flying the skies, leaving Ryloth, while Cham supports Senator Orn Free Taa and the Imperial initiative to bring “peace” to their world. The Twi’lek are asked to give up their weapons and work in an Imperial refinery that looks more like a military outpost.
Cham’s lieutenant, Uncle Gobie, already knows the Imperials do not offer peace. He plans to smuggle weapons so the Twi’leks are not completely defenseless. Cham, eager for Hera to grow up without fighting a war, is hoping the fighting can end.
Hera joins Gobie in his ship, even though she knows she shouldn’t as she was caught earlier spying on the refinery and warned by the Imperials that it couldn’t happen again. However, Gobie bribes her with the promise of flying, and she joins the mission.
Crosshair tracks Gobie’s ship and attacks as they return with weapons purchased from the Bad Batch. They arrest Gobie and Hera. Gobie’s soldiers alert Cham and Eleni Syndulla, and they launch a rescue mission. Though they succeed in rescuing Hera, they are themselves captured and framed for the attempted assassination of Senator Orn Free Taa.
The Good
It is a real treat to see Hera Syndulla again. Vanessa Marshall returns as her voice actress, and it was wonderful to hear the affected Rylothian accent, which brings even more depth to Hera’s character in Rebels.
Hera is a child here. She still dreams of flying. Chopper, as in Rebels, is her companion, and their first moments on screen are spying on the Imperial refinery. Some things never change.
A shining moment is Hera and Omega meeting. They are both children. They are both unaware they are in trouble as Hera expresses concern that Omega and the Bad Batch are running from someone, and Omega observes that the Twi’lek are in trouble since they’re purchasing munitions. Hera, impressed with Omega’s knowledge of their ship, asks if Omega knew how to fly. Omega doesn’t because she needs to be able to recite the ship’s specs by heart before Tech will teach her. When Hera hears this, she launches into in an explanation of how flying is about feeling, plotting your own course with the instruments to guide, being free.
The ache is understated. They are children, thrust into various kinds of war and violence. Cham’s desire to find peace, even at such a steep cost, makes sense.
In Rebels, Hera’s mother is present with her absence. Seeing Eleni on screen as a rebel, as a wife, as a mother is satisfying. I know the inevitable approaches: Eleni is eventually killed by the Empire, which will serve to push Cham deeper into his rebellion. It’s unfortunate because it is a misogynist trope, but I’m very pleased they chose to bring Eleni to the screen, so the viewers can glimpse into the Syndullas’ past.
Structurally speaking, “Devil’s Deal” departs from their familiar format as it focuses primarily on the Syndulla family, with the Bad Batch appearing only for a handful of minutes to sell the munitions to Gobie. Though Crosshair did appear in this episode, there is nothing truly compelling about his presence. This de-emphasis of the Bad Batch as the protagonists of their own show works because there’s a good chance people watching “Devil’s Deal” already know and love Hera.
There will be some, I’m sure, who will bemoan the Bad Batch taking a back seat in their own show, but Star Wars is all about connection. This isn’t the first time The Bad Batch has reached out to another series to establish its connection to the larger canon of the universe.
I know part of the reason I’m okay with this narrative choice is because I’m biased. The Twi’leks have always been one of my favorite Star Wars species, but I remember watching the original and prequel series as a kid and being uncomfortable with the roles Twi’leks played. Hera’s character, all the episodes taking place on Ryloth, seem to be an acknowledgement that the older canon was not at its best when making these decisions.
The Bad
I can’t think of anything I disliked about this episode specifically.
In Conclusion
“Devil’s Deal” will appeal to Rebels fans with the Syndulla family taking center stage. I’m very excited to see the rest of this arc and am counting down the days until next Friday.