Recap / Star Wars: The Bad Batch S1E16 "Kamino Lost"

The Bad Batch and Crosshair escape the crumbling remains of Tipoca City.

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Tropes:

• An Aesop: Hunter spells it out at the end of the episode.
  Hunter: We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean we have to be enemies.
• Big Little Brother: While heavily hinted at before, this episode has Tech straight out say that Omega is technically older than the rest of the batch, having been present when Nala Se modified them. Given that she ages at the same rate that Boba Fett does, this means that she's far shorter than her younger "brothers".
• Bittersweet Ending: Everyone makes it out of Tipoca City before it completely collapses (including AZI), but Crosshair is still loyal to the Empire and does not rejoin the group, and the Bad Batch continues to have an uncertain future as fugitives of the Empire. Meanwhile, all major cloning technology is now in the hands of the Empire.
• Brick Joke: All the way back in the first episode, Echo complained about the smell of the Bad Batch quarters on Kamino. In this episode, after their quarters have been cleaned out and presumably sanitized for the Elite Squad, Echo comments that the smell is finally gone.
• Call-Forward:
  • Scalder, the medical officer that greets Nala Se wears the same kind of outfit that Doctor Pershing does in The Mandalorian, suggesting that she's part of the same project.
  • Crosshair choosing to remain behind in a desolate location and risk finding another way back to Imperial forces that seem indifferent to his fate instead of leaving with the Bad Batch is similar to the decision of Agent Kallus to do likewise when offered the opportunity to leave with the Ghost Crew by Zeb in Star Wars Rebels (though in the case of Kallus, his experiences in the episode catalyze a Heel Realization that ultimately prompts his defection to the Rebel cause, unlike Crosshair).
  • Elements of Rey's Leitmotif from the Sequel Trilogy play during the final scene. Given that Rey's father, Dathan, was a clone of the Emperor, it's a possible hint that the research being done by Nala Se will be tied to Palpatine's plan for a back-up body, which indirectly led to her existence.
• Canon Immigrant:
  • The planet Nala Se is brought to is Wayland, best known in Legends as the site of Mount Tantiss, home to Palpatine's hidden storehouse where he kept Spaarti cloning cylinders. All There in the Manual confirms the base seen is Mount Tantiss itself.
  • According to the soundtrack names, the Kamoradon that attacks the squad in the tube is also called a saberjowl. In Legends, the Kaminoans genetically modified them from a Colo Claw Fish.
• Commander Contrarian: Crosshair keeps complaining about the escape plans, especially since Omega (a child) is the one suggesting them. Hunter points out that Crosshair isn't exactly offering any better ideas.
• Cue the Sun: At the end, as one of the only times we see what Kamino looks like when it's not storming. Unfortunately, this just highlights the destruction of Tipoca City and the fact that the Bad Batch and all of their Clone Trooper brethren have lost the closest thing they ever had to a home.
• Dire Beast: The squad are attacked by a giant sea monster in the tube on the way out of the city.
• Disney Death: AZI's reserve power goes out and he shuts down, bidding Omega farewell as he begins floating down into the watery abyss. Omega refuses to leave him behind and, with help from Crosshair, goes back to recover his body so they can recharge him back on their ship.
• Drowning Pit: At the beginning of the episode, Crosshair and Omega are trapped by a blast door in a room that's filling with water, with the added wrinkle of Crosshair being pinned by debris. Omega manages to blast him free while Wrecker pries open the blast door from the other side.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones:
  • The clone reporting to Rampart that Tipoca City is sinking sounds really affected, by the tone of his voice and the fact that he is announcing the destruction of the closest thing to a hometown he has. Downplayed, as the clones are more brainwashed than evil.
    • The Season 2 reveal that the clones who participated to the bombing deeply regret the destruction of their own town. To the point that at least two of them, Cade and Slip, become willing to betray Rampart to expose him and bring him to justice for this. It is implied they weren't the only two.
  • Omega reminds Crosshair that, while he may be an Imperial soldier, the Bad Batch, including her, are still his family.
• Foreshadowing:
  • Crosshair mentions that the Empire will bring a better order and peace to the whole Galaxy than the Republic, while telling Hunter that he's going to be a part of it, despite being left for dead by Rampart. Season 2 of the show eventually grants his wish.
  • The clone being sad when he confirms the destruction of Tipoca to Rampart. In Season 2, some of the clones trooper who participated to this event regret it to the point they try to betray their admiral in order to expose him and bring him to justice.
• Hard Truth Aesop: In the case of Crosshair, there are jerks in the world whom you can’t force to look past their negative behavior. Especially if they don’t want to. Sometimes, you have to respect their choices even if they potentially endanger those around them, just as they respect your choice to do what you think is right. Even Tech points that, while it sucks and you might wish to change it, it’s a harsh reality you have to simply accept.
• Heroic Sacrifice: AZI depletes the last of his power to cut Omega's tube free so she can float to the surface, even though he won't have the power to make it back. He doesn't care as his "mission" is to ensure her safety and protection. However, Omega leaves her tube to save him, nearly getting herself killed in the process, but Crosshair manages to snag both of them with a grapple and pull them to the surface.
• Hypocrite: Despite complaining bitterly about being left behind by the squad, it is pointed out by Wrecker that Crosshair never tried to make his own way back to them if he was so desperate to reunite and when he is explicitly offered a place back among them at the end, he throws it back in their faces in favour of remaining loyal to the Empire.
• I Choose to Stay: Crosshair refuses to leave Kamino with the Bad Batch at the end of the episode, preferring to stay behind and return to the Empire.
• Internal Reveal: Hunter and Crosshair learn about Nala Se's lab and how they were created there, as they have to backtrack through it to reach the Marauder.
• Makes Us Even: Crosshair tells Omega to consider them "even" when she thanks him for saving AZI, since she rescued him from drowning.
• New Era Speech: Crosshair makes one to the squad, explaining why he's still loyal to the Empire, even after they left him for dead.
  Crosshair: Kamino, Regs, the Republic. That time is over. The Empire will control the entire galaxy, and I am going to be a part of it.
• Pet the Dog: Though Crosshair insists that it was to even his life debt to Omega, he saves her and AZI with precise efficiency when he could have allowed Hunter to dive in and save her instead. It shows that despite being a jerk still loyal to the Empire, he does have redeemable traits.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Crosshair gets four of these from Hunter, Wrecker, Tech and Omega, each of them being subtle but nonetheless blunt and cutting. It's especially notable coming from Tech and Omega, who are the nicest of the team and generally refrain from harsh words.
• Redemption Rejection: Even after being betrayed and nearly killed by the Empire, Crosshair insists that as long as they have the power to rule the galaxy, he intends to have a place in it.
  • Even so, Omega insists on giving him one last Hope Spot before they fly away.
    Omega: You're still their brother, Crosshair. You're my brother, too.
• Scenery Porn: The destruction of Kamino is horrible, but beautifully rendered. You can see the physical weight of the massive structures falling into the water.
• Sea Monster: A Kamoradon, an armored pilosaur-like sea creature, attempts to eat the Bad Batch as they cross through the underwater tunnel back to the Marauder. It's ultimately driven off when AZI directs the facility's power supply to emit an electrical surge as it bites down on the tube.
• Sequel Hook: Nala Se is brought to Wayland, where the Empire has "big plans" for her cloning expertise.
• Trash the Set: Following the end of last episode, Tipoca City is no more. This place was a vital part of the entire Clone Wars saga (in all medias) and, like all clones, was the starting point for the Bad Batch, including Omega.
• Ungrateful Bastard: Even after Omega risks drowning to save Crosshair in the opening, he still spends most of the episode insulting and mocking her. He eventually warms up to her when he returns the favor and Omega thanks him for saving AZI, however.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Even the kindhearted Wrecker gives this to Crosshair when he keeps going on about their betrayal of not going back for him. If he cared so much about reuniting with them as he claims, why didn't he ever try to come back to them or attempt to contact them for help? If he had, they would have taken him back immediately. And poor Omega, who once thought it was the inhibitor chip, tells him how badly she wanted to believe the good in him. But now even she has been forced to accept that he really is just a selfish jerk.

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