The Bad Batch S3 E6 & 7 Breakdown: “Infiltration” & “Extraction” Invoke the Clone Wars
Reuniting with multiple old friends and lots of action make these episodes feel like The Clone Wars in the best way.
These two episodes of The Bad Batch ground the show in what feels a lot like a The Clone Wars storyline. This whole season has stepped it up from the previous one so far, but these episodes especially feel a lot more like the show that made us all love clones and the Bad Batch specifically.
In order to break down this episode, I will need to spoil large portions of what happened this week. If you haven’t watched yet, proceed at your own risk.
Captain Rex
The fandom’s favorite clone is back! This episode opened with Separatist senator Avi Singh- you may remember him from previous Bad Batch seasons- traveling with his droid and a mysterious hooded figure… who turns out to be Rex!
They’re on their way to meet with Senator Riyo Chuchi- another face you should recognize from previous Bad Batch episodes as well as The Clone Wars. She’s long been an ally of Rex and the clones and championed legislation to help the clones. But the Empire isn’t terribly receptive.
Speaking of the Empire…
Shadow Clone
Throughout all of this, an Imperial clone trooper is spying on Rex and co. through a scope and then sneaking through sewers to get the jump on them. They manage to protect the Senator and avoid serious injury, and eventually capture him to interrogate him.
While many clones are being forced into retirement or mistreated to the point of disillusion with the Empire, the shadow clones are being reprogrammed and brainwashed to be perfect soldiers. More perfect than Crosshair when he wanted to be there? Perhaps. But Crosshair points out that after his betrayal the Empire attempted to reprogram him as well. His defective nature as a Bad Batch clone made that impossible.
But these new Shadow Clones are good at what they do.
ANOTHER Shadow Clone
While the first is being held and questioned, a second Shadow Clone shows up, planting explosives and sneaking around in the shadows. He sneaks around so well that he goes completely unnoticed by Rex and the batch until it’s too late, the explosives go off, and the Imperial backup begins to arrive.
Wolffe
As the Batch and Rex’s team try to get to safety, Imperial ships arrive with Clone Wars favorite, Wolffe. We know from Rebels that he will join Rex and the resistance eventually, but for now, he is still with the Empire. And he immediately realizes that they’re hunting down clones. And throughout the entire episode, he seems somewhat at odds with the Shadow Clone and the rest of the Empire.
By the end of the episode, Wolffe and Rex are just talking it out. Rex doesn’t want to fight against clones but against an Empire that hurts clones. And Wolffe’s loyalty is shaken. But in the end, Rex is right and he tells his men to stand down and lets his fellow clones go. From this point it’s uncertain what will happen to Wolffe and if there will be an Imperial price to pay. But we do know he’ll eventually be back with Rex.
Crosshair is Still Earning Trust Back
While the Batch may (tentatively) welcome Crosshair back into the family, not every clone is so forgiving. Including Howzer, whose squad was killed directly because of Crosshair during his time with the Empire. And despite explaining, again, why it was he quit Imperial service, it’s how he acts towards Omega and his eventual fight against the Shadow Clone while protecting the rest of the batch that ultimately (mostly) wins Howzer over.
Crosshair crossed paths with and wronged many, many clones in the first two seasons. And while he is slowly earning all of their acceptance back, it seems like a running theme of this season is going to be Crosshair’s apology tour.
What did you think of these two episodes of The Bad Batch? What do you think is next for Wolffe? Let us know in the comments!
May the Force be with you, adventurers!
