Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 episode 8 review: “Truth and Consequences”
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 episode “Truth and Consequences”
After a thrilling episode that exposed some of the political intrigues of the new Empire, “Truth and Consequences” reminds us who is still in control of this galaxy. While the Bad Batch responds to Captain Rex’s call to aid Senator Chuchi, their quest for the truth has unexpected consequences for both the characters and fans.
Captain Rex’s call to Coruscant
While the Bad Batch certainly is well connected to Captain Rex, the request that they come to Coruscant is a partially dangerous one. It is the Imperial homeworld that is crawling with clones, mercenaries, and corrupt officials. Nevertheless, the entire squad is committed to coming, especially Echo. This is probably because Echo feels a sense of loyalty to Rex, as he has the strongest connection to the ‘Regs” when compared to the rest of the Bad Batch.
Rex’s Calls connects the squad to Senator Chuchi, who uses the information that Slip provided her to look for evidence that Admiral Rampart intentionally destroyed Kamino. The team assumes that if they can find this evidence they will be able to turn the tides and protect their brothers from being ‘decommissioned.’ While it has not yet been specified how this process would work, given the actions of those like Admiral Rampart it is unlikely to end well for the clones.
Senator Chuchi’s appeal, and the Master Manipulator
Based on the evidence that Senator Chuchi assumes the Bad Batch will acquire, and testimony from former Kaminoin senator Halle Burtoni we see the senator try to stop the authorization for the creation of the stormtroopers. The team has more than a few fun shenanigans (including more fear of heights) while Omega gets to tour the Senate alongside Chuchi and Bail Organa. This experience is probably something that will be quite influential for Omega as this is probably the only time she will see this process take place.
While it is odd to see a young female clone on the Senate floor, Omega does serve a unique function of reminding Chuchi and the Audience that the clones lack a voice and a future in the Imperial visions for the future. Even after the team successfully finds a holorecording, Palpatine remains us why he was the master manipulator from the very beginning. He turns the argument on its head, blaming Rampart for the destruction of Kamino while questioning the ethics of the clone that allowed such genocide to happen. While it may not be what we wanted to happen, it reminds the audience that the emperor is powerful for a reason, and he doesn’t have to use the Dark Side to win most battles.
Final Thoughts
This episode is a very solid addition to the Star Wars universe that tells us what happens to the clones, in the setting of an interesting battle against evil. Importantly it also changes the make-up of the Bad Batch, with Echo staying behind with Captain Rex to help his brother escape to live better lives. While this may have been a bittersweet moment for fans of Echo, and it was hard to watch its impact on Omega, this makes sense for Echo. He was once a prisoner, and he doesn’t want anyone else to suffer a similar fate at the hands of the Empire.
This episode fully deserves top marks for answering a lot of important questions, giving a symbolic victory in a dark time, and making a painful stride in Echo’s character development.
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.