The Batch reunites with an ally in need.
Tropes:
- All There in the Manual: The credits identify the "shadows" as "Clone X Troopers".
- Ambiguous Situation: Crosshair admits that Hemlock tried to put him through the reconditioning process to create X Troopers, though he claims it didn't work, suggesting that his already "defective" nature is the reason. However, the captive X Trooper, CX-1, suddenly speaks up at the sight of Crosshair, addressing him as "brother" and immediately putting Howzer on edge. The episode ends (and the captive is killed) before it can be confirmed if the captive is lying to sow discord or if Crosshair may have been more affected by the process than he thinks.
- Assassination Attempt: Dr. Hemlock placed a hit on Senator Singh, which Rex and the others barely survive.
- The Bus Came Back:
- Captain Rex, Captain Howzer, Senator Avi Singh and Senator Ryo Chuchi all return. Commander Wolffe returns at the end of the episode.
- Teth reappears for the first time since the pilot movie of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
- Call-Forward: The central room of Rex’s camp on Teth visually calls forward to the Rebel Alliance HQ on Yavin-4.
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with the infiltrator's explosives being accidentally being set off, triggering a cave-in that endangers everyone in the base.
- Connected All Along: The mysterious X Troopers, one of whom was previously seen working for Admiral Rampart, are revealed to be a product of Dr. Hemlock's work at Mount Tantiss.
- Continuity Nod:
- Senator Avi Singh went underground after fleeing his planet’s Imperial occupation in "Common Ground".
- After capturing the X Trooper who tried to assassinate Senator Singh, Rex alludes to his previous encounter with one in "The Clone Conspiracy". Remembering how that assassin took his own life, Rex makes sure to remove the suicide device from his current captive.
- Howzer still resents Crosshair over the loss of his men on Ryloth in "Rescue on Ryloth."
- Howzer was rescued and recruited into Rex and Chuchi’s clone network in "Tipping Point". Chuchi came to form it after learning how the Empire’s justice system was a farce in "Truth and Consequences."
- Omega is shown emulating Crosshair’s character tics like she did with Hunter in the pilot episode.
- Rex and his men have set up a base in the abandoned monastery on Teth from the Clone Wars pilot movie.
- Crosshair says the tracker in the X troopers cannot be detected by normal scans, presumably deeply hidden like the inhibitor chips which Ahsoka (and Rex by extension) had to use the Force to be able to help their medbay locate.
- Crazy-Prepared: In addition to equipping the X Troopers with suicide implants in case of capture, Hemlock also implanted them with trackers invisible to most forms of detection that sends a signal if the Trooper is still alive; thus, if a captive can't take their own life, another X Trooper can simply be dispatched to dispose of them.
- Dramatic Irony:
- Rex and the other clones don’t know what an "M-count" is (though Rex clearly has an idea), but audiences familiar with even basic Star Wars lore are well aware of it.
- The audience knows how much danger the heroes are in from CX-1, but the heroes aren't even aware of the infiltration until it's too late.
- Enemy Mine: Discussed by Singh, who is surprised to team up with Chuchi given they were on opposite sides of the Clone Wars.
- Exactly What I Aimed At: The Shadow infiltrating the base, after making his presence known, fires into the room where Rex, Hunter, Crosshair, and Howzer are, with the heroes narrowly dodging the blast... which hits the captive Shadow, killing him and fulfilling the infiltrator's original mission.
- Face Death with Dignity: CX-1 has sensed another assassin having arrived, and accepts his upcoming termination, but not without telling the clones the inevitable danger they’re all in.
- Good Cannot Comprehend Evil: Rex seeks to liberate all the Clones on Tantiss, and even tries to help the clone assassin he captured. However, as revealed by Crosshair, the X Clones are too far gone and cannot be saved.
- Internal Reveal: Omega informs Rex and Howzer of Hemlock's research into clones' M-counts, though they don't have enough information to work out why that's important or exactly what Hemlock is up to.
- It's Personal: Howzer really has it out for Crosshair after his service to the Empire saw most of his men on Ryloth slaughtered.
- Midseason Upgrade: Echo gifts Omega a modified energy crossbow, which is smaller and less bulky than the energy bow she had been carrying prior to her capture.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Not only did Rex leave the first Shadow alive, but he compromised the base by taking him there.
- Oh, Crap!: Crosshair is deeply alarmed to learn Rex has captured a Shadow, since the Empire uses tracking systems to monitor their agents that are subtle enough to avoid normal scans. Sure enough, a new Shadow is infiltrating the base as they speak.
- Poor Communication Kills: Rex waited too long to mention to the Bad Batch that he captured an X Trooper, which Crosshair knows is a bad idea. Had Rex told them before they arrived, Crosshair would’ve warned them sooner before the base got compromised.
- Red Shirt: Greer is the clone trooper killed on guard duty.
- The Reveal: The X Troopers, like the one who tried to kill Senator Chuchi for Admiral Rampart, are clones brainwashed and trained to be unflinching assassins by Dr. Hemlock.
- Saved by Canon: The infiltrator zeroes in on Rex, whom the audience knows will survive to appear in Star Wars Rebels. Naturally, Fireball intervenes before the infiltrator can take the shot.
- Shoot the Shaggy Dog: Rex capturing the assassin doesn’t produce any intel, not even the coordinates to Tantiss, and Howzer is against the idea of bringing in Crosshair due to not trusting him. Not only does Crosshair end up giving the group the intel on the shadows they’ve been seeking, he also breaks the news that the Empire would be able to track the assassin, meaning all the capture did was uncover the base. All they’ve gotten was his data puck which made it clear that Omega is in danger.
- Stealth Expert:
- The X Trooper sent to assassinate Singh manages to slip past Rex's defenses and is only stopped (seconds away from killing Singh) because a guard he killed failed to call in.
- The infiltrating X Trooper slips around the Clone network's base completely unnoticed, even when he's in the same room as the heroes. Even Batcher fails to notice his presence until after he already left the room. The only reason the infiltrator doesn't kill them all is because he noticed Omega, whom Hemlock wants taken alive.
- Spark of the Rebellion: Chuchi meets with Singh to begin discussing a potential alliance to oppose the Emperor’s rule.
- Taught by Experience: After the first X Trooper he encountered took his own life, Rex makes sure to remove the suicide device from the one he captures. Unfortunately, Hemlock anticipated that possibility and fitted them with nearly undetectable trackers so other operatives could be sent to eliminate those unable to terminate themselves.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Thanks to their history, Howzer is not pleased to be working alongside Crosshair, and reaches for his sidearm as soon as the captive X Trooper implies that Crosshair may be untrustworthy.
- Training from Hell: Crosshair says most clones don’t make it through Hemlock’s training.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Howzer is much more willing to use force while interrogating his enemies.
- Wham Shot: The leader of Hemlock's reclamation team is shown to be none other than Commander Wolffe, who was last seen living with Rex and Gregor fifteen years from this point.
