Friday’s episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch is a satisfying end to its Hera-centric arc. “Rescue on Ryloth” delivered fully on its action and thematic undertones.
The Plot
Hera immediately reaches out to the Bad Batch for assistance in rescuing her parents. At first reluctant, Hunter eventually agrees once Hera and Omega present a strategic plan for the rescue. True to the title, the Syndulla family are reunited and resolve to continue fighting for their planet.
The Imperials, anxious to solidify their occupation of Ryloth, begin to arrest Cham Syndulla’s supporters, much to Captain Howser’s disapproval. At the very end, Captain Howser chooses Ryloth over the Empire and is arrested for his actions.
The Good
Omega and Hera stole this episode. Their friendship, brief as it was, transformed into the episode’s emotional center.
It begins, of course, with trust. Omega trusts Hera enough to give her access to the Bad Batch’s private comm channel. Hera returns that trust in turn when she calls for help, even though a group of mercenaries could just have easily revealed her location to the Empire in exchange for a ransom.
Omega trusts Hera enough to vouch for her and extends this circle beyond just Hera. When Tech muses that children are prone to be overdramatic and the situation may not be as serious as Hera claims, Omega shuts that down by saying, No we don’t. The Bad Batch has always been consistent in validating children, especially their emotions and their experiences. Though Tech’s first instinct is to doubt, they do decide to see if they can help.
Omega takes Hera’s side each step of the way. She assures Hera that Hunter will come around and shows Hera how he can be persuaded to help. In some ways, you can see the beginning of Hera the rebel commander take root here. This is probably Hera’s first time developing a strategic retrieval mission.
Hera’s final words to Omega, “Thanks for believing in me,” is bittersweet. Though these two episodes in Bad Batch do a great job establishing that Hera yearns to be a pilot, people who know her from Rebels understand how deep that connection goes, and it’s Omega who shares key moments with her in this journey to becoming the best pilot in the Rebel fleet. It’s Omega who’s with Hera when she lifts off, when she lands, when she maneuvers their shuttle in an extremely dangerous skirmish.
It’s unlikely Omega was conceived as a character before Rebels so viewers don’t know if there’s a chance that Omega and Hera will meet again, but I hope they do.
The tension between Captain Howser and the Syndullas also anchor the episode. The clones have clearly betrayed the Syndullas’ trust, a fact made all the more tragic as they don’t know about the chip. Still, Howser chooses to let the Syndullas go. He takes a huge risk walking into the trap set for the Syndullas. Instead of firing, he begs his brothers to join him in no longer occupying Ryloth.
I was really glad this storyline happened. Stories that utilize mind control sometimes struggle navigating around the concept of free will. I would say that Star Wars definitely struggles with this, but I was glad to see that Howser is able to make his choice, and not just him, but several of the other troopers. It doesn’t necessarily take into account the other side of the coin–the part where Howser didn’t choose to be stationed on Ryloth to liberate it from the Separatists, but it is still a relief to see Howser choosing chip or no chip.
Even Crosshair makes an interesting choice in this episode. It’s well established that Crosshair won’t hesitate to shoot a traitor, but here he says to arrest them. Is Crosshair approaching a crossroads of his own? Only time will tell, especially since Crosshair procures permission to pursue the Bad Batch.
In my post for “Devil’s Deal,” I expressed concern that the viewers would witness Eleni’s death in this episode. I am very happy to report this doesn’t happen. Cham and Eleni are both reunited with Hera.
The Bad
It’s interesting, sometimes, Star Wars doublethink. The narrative can indicate that Imperial occupation is bad, but then have Omega turn around and say, “Isn’t that what soldiers do” when Hunter advises they can’t put themselves “on the line every time someone’s in trouble.”
Palpatine’s Empire doesn’t hide what it’s about, and parallels can easily be drawn to the imperial expansion that created the United States and fuels our own various wars. Historically speaking (both in the USA’s real life history and in Star Wars canon), soldiers haven’t been so much about helping people as occupying land that isn’t theirs to occupy (all in the name of safety and order, of course).
It’s not soldiers who help people — it’s the community, and this can be seen over and over in Star Wars. True, one can argue that Hera and her Ghost crew are soldiers fighting against the Empire, but it rings hollow when compared to an army dedicated to enforcing the will of a government. The real counterargument to the proposition Bad Batch puts forward can be seen in the Jedi themselves. They were not supposed to be soldiers. They were not supposed to be Generals. Choosing to become a military organization is partly what led them to the dark side.
Omega’s comment also stands in stark contrast to Captain Howser who walked away from his role as a soldier the minute he decided to help the Syndullas escape.
Am I putting too much focus and emphasis on one little line? Probably, but what else are reviews for?
In Conclusion
“Devil’s Deal” and “Rescue on Ryloth” are great together. I cannot wait to see what The Bad Batch has in store for next week.