The Bad Batch has given Clone Force 99 a rough go of things as they navigate the Galaxy. Despite their bravery and service to the Republic, they have had to endure being hunted and had to cope with a new status quo that seeks to discard the Clone Troopers. The squad even lost Crosshair to the Empire of his own volition. But with the show's second season finale, the Bad Batch has been handed a no holds barred defeat like none other.
In a shocking development, Clone Force 99 witnessed the death of Tech and lost Omega thanks to a betrayal from Cid. The Bad Batch's crushing loss is devastating, with the group having little to no silver linings to soften their defeat. Clone Force 99 has ended the season at a crippling disadvantage with more significant challenges ahead beyond the threat of Dr. Hemlock. The show's dark ending is quite striking, for it presents a level of cynicism and loss rarely seen in Star Wars.
Clone Force 99's Survivors Have To Deal With A Clone Hating Empire On The Run
The stakes are high for the Bad Batch as they navigate a rather unkind Galaxy. They are now firmly on the run, with Saw Gerrera's botched attack on Eriadu alerting the Empire's top brass of the crew's survival. Cid's betrayal also ensures they cannot return to Ord Mantell, which has come under Imperial control and deprived them of one of their former income methods. Their earlier attempts to dispose of Admiral Rampart only resulted in the Emperor managing to turn public opinion against the already mistreated Clone Troopers. Even the idyllic Pabu is not a safe option for the Bad Batch to escape to, as the Empire gunning for them means they could risk endangering the lives of everyone there should they hide out with Phee and the local population.
It cannot be understated just how much the Bad Batch has lost at this point. Tech's death has deprived the crew of a great source of intel and a pilot. And given Phee's seeming infatuation with him, the crew will have a heartbreaking bit of news to share once they reunite with her. Even worse, Omega's capture has resulted in the Empire advancing further in their efforts to understand Kaminoan cloning science as she and Crosshair are held at the mercy of Dr. Hemlock. Simply put, the Bad Batch has reached their darkest hour, with no clear salvation in sight as the Empire asserts its victory over them
The Bad Batch Presents Star Wars At Its Most Grim
What's unique about The Bad Batch's second season finale is not the fact the heroes have lost but just how grim their loss is. The Empire Strikes Back, The Last Jedi and Revenge of the Sith all had the heroes lose but contained glimmers of hope that they survived and that the villains would eventually lose. Andor, for all its grayness, ended with Cassian managing to save his closest friends and join a now strengthened Rebel Alliance soon to be flooding with recruits. The Bad Batch's second season finale stands out because it's clear nothing can offset what the heroes lost, and the lack of a means to find Omega means they are powerless to do anything about it. Clone Force 99 has nothing to cling to for hope as things get worse for clones in the future.
The shocking finale to the Bad Batch's current adventures pulled no punches. Clone Force 99 has lost a member and suffered several setbacks they cannot repair. It is the heroes' inability to change things easily that makes it so heartbreaking, as Star Wars is a franchise known for clinging to hope even at the darkest times. This makes The Bad Batch's choice to end its second season in such a harrowing fashion all the more impactful, for it shows the audience in devastating detail what despair in the franchise really looks like.