Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Bad Batch episode 8, “Reunion.”
The Bad Batch episode 8 was an eventful one, full of tense standoffs, a not-so-sweet reunion and the return of a fan-favorite Clone Wars character. Plus, we learned who is sending bounty hunters after Omega and witnessed several chilling scenes evocative of the end of Revenge of the Sith.
The episode closes out with the Bad Batch blasting at Imperial clone troopers and carrying Hunter back onto their ship because he’d just been shot. Omega, unfortunately, is gone — captured by a certain blue-skinned bounty hunter.
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“Reunion” kicks off on Kamino, where we see Crosshair inform Admiral Rampart that Clone Force 99 has been spotted by the Scrapper Guild on Bracca following a power surge on one of the planet’s wrecked Jedi cruisers. While the Kaminoan prime minister argues the value of the Bad Batch returned to Kamino alive, Rampart instructs Crosshair to terminate the troopers if he finds them on Bracca.
Meanwhile, on Bracca, Wrecker is giving Omega a lesson in bomb disassembly. When Echo comes to fetch them, they see they’re being watched by several members of the Scrapper Guild. They go after them, stunning them into unconsciousness and bringing them back to their makeshift base on board the Jedi cruiser. There, they discuss sticking around a bit longer on Bracca to gather some valuable weapons and data so they can be square with Cid.
In weapons storage, they find boxes of various explosives while Tech is up on the bridge bringing the ship’s power back online. Echo questions Hunter about not leaving the planet with Rex and avoiding having to repay Cid. Hunter says Rex “is on a different path.”
“We’re soldiers, what other path is there?” Echo says.
On the bridge, Omega is helping Tech copy data from the system when she sees a red blinking light. Tech tells her it’s a proximity alert, and seconds later they spot several Imperial shuttles flying in. Tech then comms the rest of the Bad Batch: “We’ve got company. It’s the Empire.”
On Kamino, we get a brief scene with Nala Se and Prime Minister Lama Su discussing the crucial importance of getting female clone Omega back to Kamino. It turns out, the Kaminoans are the ones who put out a bounty on the girl. And they’re about to send another one.
Back on Bracca, Crosshair and three groups of Imperial troopers have arrived to find and destroy the Bad Batch. What ensues is a thrilling cat and mouse game with the Bad Batch trying to outsmart and outmaneuver Crosshair, who checkmates them every step of the way because, well, he’s one of them.
At one point, Hunter and Omega try to talk some sense into Crosshair, explaining that he’s being controlled by his inhibitor chip. It doesn’t do any good, as Crosshair commands his troopers to aim for the kid.
The climax of the episode occurs in the Jedi cruiser’s ion engine chamber as the Bad Batch slides and climbs around the massive cavern to escape Crosshair’s clutches. But Crosshair, again, is a step ahead of them, commanding a trooper to get the engine back online while the Bad Batch is still inside. As the engine roars to life with a massive blue flame, the Bad Batch executes their plan to explode part of the chamber and fall from the ship instead of being incinerated.
In the midst of the explosion, the fall engine part ends up directing the ion flame right at Crosshair, nearly killing him. He manages to signal the trooper on the bridge to turn the engine off just in time. When the rest of his crew arrive, they get a medic to bandage his burns and put a breathing mask on him. The imagery used and the sound of Crosshair’s voice through the breathing mask here is a chilling nod to the scenes of a burned Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader being rescued by Emperor Palpatine from the lava bank on Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith.
Also during the explosion, the Bad Batch is separated, with Omega and Hunter being the first ones back at their ship. When they arrive, they see all the Imperial troopers have been knocked out. Western standoff music starts playing, and none other than bounty hunter Cad Bane shows up standing in the doorway of the ship, chewing on his signature toothpick.
The Duros says he’s there for Omega, and Hunter-Cad Bane standoff ensues. Unfortunately, no matter how skilled Hunter is, few can match the speed and efficiency of cowboy hat-wearing Cad Bane. Hunter is shot in the chest plate and Cad Bane stuns Omega, taking him with him and his droid Todo 360.
When the rest of the Bad Batch make it to the ship, Hunter wakes up and we get to see the chaotic scene through his eyes and his helmet — another scene evocative of looking through the eyes of Darth Vader’s helmet in Revenge of the Sith, and the trooper point-of-view displays used in the Republic Commando video game.
Through Hunter’s eyes, we see Wrecker shouting “where’s Omega?” and hear Tech yelling that Hunter was shot in the chest plate and needs to be brought on the ship. We also see Wrecker fighting off incoming troopers. On the ship, Hunter sits up and says a bounty hunter took Omega.
“We have to find her,” he says.
The Bad Batch episode 8, “Reunion,” is now streaming. Episode 9 drops next Friday, June 25, on Disney+.