‘Star Wars: The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Episode 14 “Tipping Point” – What We Noticed
This week on The Bad Batch we returned to a Legends location for a clue as to what’s going to happen next in the galaxy.
As the season finale gets closer and closer, The Bad Batch really seems to be gearing up toward a big finish. This was another great episode that felt like part of a bigger story as all of the various plot threads seem to be coming together finally.
In order to break down this week’s episode of The Bad Batch, I will have to spoil large portions of the episode. If you haven’t watched yet, proceed at your own risk.
Tantiss
This week’s episode brings us to Mount Tantiss on Weyland where Crosshair and a few other clones are being held prisoner and where Doctor Hemlock seems to be running his science programs out. We still don’t know exactly what he’s up to aside from that he’s a little too interested in clones, and especially Omega. But perhaps the setting can offer a few clues.
In Legends lore, Mount Tantiss was the secret location for one of Emperor Palpatine’s secret storehouses. But more importantly, it housed a cloning lab that Palpatine and later Thrawn would use for their own purposes in the Heir to the Empire novels by Timothy Zahn. Considering the nature of Hemlock’s work, it’s likely that this location is being used for cloning once more. And perhaps even as a way to explain how “somehow” Palpatine will still be around by sequel time.
Clone “Retirement”
We see a few clones being sent on prison ships to Tantiss, and then later spend some time with Senator Chuchi as she tries to figure out how to further help the clones. We also hear Hemlock refer to clones as “imperial property” as opposed to people.
A few episodes ago we saw Chuchi fight for Clone rights and a retirement package from them as they are discharged from now-imperial-former-republic service. But it seems that for almost no reason, clones can find themselves shipped to the experimental cloning mountain instead. This made me very aware of the three clones we saw being discharged last week. Did they make it out into the galaxy as “free” or “retired” clones? Or were they unknowingly headed for a prison ship?
Gregor
Luckily, the episode opens with a few such clones being rescued by Echo, Rex, Gregor, and Fireball. They’re grabbing these clones, returning to their safehouse on Coruscant, and going again.
We know that Rex and Gregor grow old and are eventually recurring characters on Rebels. I’m sure this will bode just fine but Fireball and the lack of him in the future shouldn’t be worrisome at all
Tipping Point
This episode was titled “Tipping Point,” and for many characters, it was. This is the episode where we finally see the Crosshair regrets parting ways with his brothers and trying to protect them. He refuses to give up any information about them or Omega, even under torture and even makes a very risky run to send them a warning message.
We also see that Hemlock’s assistant, Emerie, doesn’t seem totally sure about her role in all of this. Her treatment of Crosshair looks apprehensive at the episode’s conclusion.
Meanwhile, the Bad Batch are deciding between staying put on Pabu forever and living a life of peace, or going back out on the run.
Everyone is on the precipice of making big moves or in the process of changing alliances. But we will have to see how it all plays out next week.
What did you think of this week’s episode of The Bad Batch? Do you think Crosshair will be able to redeem himself? Did you recognize Mount Tantiss from the Legends books? Let us know in the comments!
May the Force be with you, adventurers!
