Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 16 “Kamino Lost” Finale Part II – Review by by Adam D. Slobodzian
What a great season!
I had high hopes for this series, and it truly exceeded my expectations! This series was a fun ride from the outset, and this episode was great way to wrap up Season 1 and keep us interested for Season 2 with a very exciting cliff-hanger and connection to The Mandalorian. While I don’t get the Bad Batch reunion I was hoping for, the rift between Crosshair and the Batch will make for great future stories and an interesting dynamic between them when they do eventually meet again. While Kamino may be gone, the cloning isn’t over, as we see the Empire has special plans for Nala Se. This series took us on an amazing deep dive into the actions of the Empire following Order 66, and I am definitely excited to see what Dave Filoni and company have in store for season two.
Episode 16 “Kamino Lost” REVIEW:
We begin in the middle of the destruction of Kamino with the Bad Batch frantically trying to escape the collapsing structures. Amid the destruction, the group gets separated by malfunctioning blast doors. Omega, AZI, and Crosshair are stuck together in a flooding room while the Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, and Echo struggle to get the blast door open. Omega truly shines under pressure and is able to free Crosshair with her quick thinking. There is more amazing imagery as during their escape, the Bad Batch stop to look in disbelief as the cloning facility sinks into the Kamioan water.
In this episode, while Crosshair is fixed in his ways, it seems that he could be struggling with internal conflict, not being able to come to terms with the Empire destroying Kamino while still blaming Hunter and the squad for abandoning him. Wrecker also gets a chance to confront Crosshair about not attempting to rejoin the squad, and we get an amazing display of calculated empathy from Tech.
Fortunately for the squad, their old barracks which they managed to escape to has landed on the underwater tunnel system that can take them back to the Marauder; unfortunately, the tunnels are severely damaged, and we get a glimpse of the true horrors that lurks beneath the waters of Kamino. In a sequence that resembles underwater horror scenes from movies such as The Meg, or Deep Blue Sea, we see an underwater creature, similar to the creatures of Naboo, attack the fragile tube system that the Batch is inside of. AZI is able to restore some power to “discourage” the creature from attacking the tunnels.
The squad makes it back to Nala Se’s secret lab where it is revealed to Crosshair that this was the lab where they were born, and that Omega witnessed their creation. From this exchange it is clear Crosshair doesn’t know the extent of Omega’s background, and the Kaminoans kept this information very secret from the Empire.
Crosshair is still steadfast in his beliefs about the Empire being the future of the Galaxy, and we get an interesting exchange between him and Omega where Omega admits that she was wrong about Crosshair’s behavior, thinking that it was the inhibitor chip manipulating him into what he did. Thinking about this further in relation to what he did throughout this season is even more concerning because this means his actions to eliminate his former brothers were done intentionally rather than being manipulated by the Empire.
Though trapped once again in Nala Se’s lab, the Batch has devised a plan to use medical tubes to float to the surface guided by AZI, who’s running on reserve power. While the Batch is able to make it to the surface OK, Omega’s tube is obstructed, causing AZI to use the last of his power to help get her free. Omega risks her own life as she opens her tube to go after AZI, and as Hunter is prepared to jump in after her, we see Crosshair point his weapon seemingly at Hunter’s head, in what I thought was his way of questioning Hunter’s leadership choices; but, he shoots a cable onto AZI and is able to rescue both Omega and AZI.
As the Bad Batch make their way to the Marauder, they take one last look at the wreckage of Kamino. On the platform Hunter offers Crosshair a choice to rejoin them, to which Crosshair refuses saying that he has already made his decision. And the Bad Batch leave Kamino for what is possibly the final time, leaving Crosshair, their brother, behind.
Stand Out Scenes:
An Underwater Wreckage – Seeing the Bad Batch take a moment to watch as the cloning tubes sink into destruction was a great scene and shows the impact that the destruction of their home world has on them, even Crosshair.
The Reunion I Didn’t Get – While this whole season I was hoping for Crosshair to eventually come back and reunite with the Bad Batch, that isn’t what ended up happening, as Crosshair chose to side with the Empire. I am weirdly OK with his choice, I find myself being more engaged and interested in Season Two knowing that everything is not ok with the original members of Clone Force 99, and that we may see a future conflict arise between Crosshair and the Batch.
WHAT AN ENDING!
The season ends with the Empire escorting Kaminoan scientist Nala Se to a secret imperial facility built into a mountain (possibly Daro?). Upon landing in the facility, Nala Se is greeted by and Imperial Scientist, who reveals they have big plans for her “Scientific Talents.” In an amazing surprise connection to The Mandalorian, the Imperial scientist is in fact wearing the same uniform and glasses as Pershing wears in The Mandalorian, which may indicate that Nala Se is at the centre of the Empire’s future cloning plans. Does this mean we may get at hint into the Empire’s plans for Grogu in Season Two or that Nala Se is partially responsible for the keeping Palpatine alive, or even creating Snoke? Only time will tell.
Adam D. Slobodzian
Not only is Adam, aka Darth Slobo, a lifelong Star Wars fan, he is also PhD a Candidate in Marketing at Smith School of Business. Researching Family Consumption and Brand Meaning. Big time Raptors, Marvel, and Star Wars fan. Proud Dad
