WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 episode 3 review “The Solitary Clone”
For this episode of the Bad Batch, the main members of the Bad Batch are entirely missing. In spite of this slightly odd creative choice, this episode is an excellent piece of world-building for the post-order-66 world and answers so many questions about some of our favorite clones. We finally get to see what becomes of Commander Cody after Order 66, Crosshair clearly shows his true colors, and the mysterious new clone CT-1226 appears out of thin air.
For those that had seen the trailers for the upcoming season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch Commander Cody’s appearance wasn’t much of a surprise. We had seen him in his ominous grey armor, and we had already seen him execute Order 66 during the events of Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith. Many non-canon stories had mused his fate, with the majority assuming that he stayed loyal to the empire. Throughout the episode it is clear that Cody believed in the purpose he was given, even attempting a peaceful resolution after losing some of his men. He talks about the empire with the same reverence he talked about the Republic and in many ways, this episode seems like it could have been an episode could have been in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
This creative choice gives us a contrasting feeling. We have had seven seasons of supporting clones, especially those like Commander Cody and Crosshair, but in this instance, we know they are the ‘bad guys.’ Despite this fact, it seems hard to be supportive of the battle droids. After all, haven’t they been the enemy the whole time? And weren’t they wrong about the Republic? The governor asks Cody these questions, and we can see him give the propaganda line back, except to him it’s true. But once again we see it’s the Imperials officials, like Vice Admiral Rampart, who are really the treacherous ones. The clones themselves are still the honorable soldiers we knew, but now their commanders are all snakes.
But “The Solitary Clone” is not just a referendum on the Imperial officers, but Crosshair as well. He no longer has his inhibitor chip and is more capable of making his own decisions than virtually any other clone. Yet he still chooses to follow orders they know are wrong. This reminds me of the Umbara Arc when Fives said
"Wait! This is wrong and we all know it! The general is making a mistake, and he needs to be called on it. No clone should have to go out this way! We’re loyal soldiers! We follow orders, but we are not a bunch of unthinking droids! We are men! We must be trusted to make the right decisions! Especially when the orders we are given are wrong!"
It seems that Crosshair has chosen to follow Dogma’s path and blindly trust in his evil superiors. Now that even Commander Cody has stepped away from the Empire, maybe Crosshair will as well.
Overall this episode deserves a nearly perfect score in every category, from its thought-provoking themes, call-backs, and fast-paced action. This episode is exactly what the series needs to become one of the very best pieces of Star Wars that is not only fun to watch but hopefully makes us better people by consuming it.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch is now streaming exclusively on Disney+. Be sure to check out all of our series coverage, including episode recaps, reviews, and more.