Review: “Battle Scars” is the best episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch yet

“Battle Scars” is the best episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch yet. It’s tense, dark, and moves the plot along in an interesting direction.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch has gained momentum in recent weeks as more story elements were revealed and characters developed. However, the latest episode, “Battle Scars,” might be the best episode of the series yet. The seventh entry starts with a bang as Clone Force 99 is pursued by the Rhokai after stealing a special lizard from them. We haven’t seen many space battles on the show, so this was a great switch-up. Later, the squad reunites with an old friend who warns them of the dangers of the inhibitor chip.

And who is this old friend? It’s Captain Rex! Apparently he’s been in contact with the Martez sisters. We knew from the trailer that Rex would reunite with the Bad Batch, but I didn’t think he’d show up so soon. I honestly had no idea who it was underneath the cloak, and I was happy to see one of my favorite Star Wars: The Clone Wars characters again.

“Battle Scars” really kicks off when Rex notices Wrecker’s painful headaches. The show has been focusing on this the past few weeks, and with Crosshair’s turn, we’ve been on the edge of our seats. Traumatized by Order 66, Rex is ready to pull his pistols on Wrecker to prevent more pain and destruction.

However, the others convince him to stand down and he offers an alternative solution: go to Bracca, a junkyard planet littered with Old Republic Venator-class cruisers where Rex had his chip removed. After they make their way inside a cruiser and find its medical bay, the squad preps Wrecker for chip removal.

Things start to go awry when his chip is activated, however. Wrecker starts attacking everyone and tells them they are traitors for violating Order 66. He even delivers Crosshair’s signature line, “Good soldiers follow orders,” and it is bone-chilling. This was the tensest moment of the episode and probably the best of the series so far.

It was shocking to see Wrecker pin Hunter against a wall and almost choke the life out of him. It was a very dark scene made worse by Hunter’s useless struggling. Lucky for him, Omega was there to distract Wrecker. The larger clone starts chasing after the girl in one of the most terrifying sequences the show has given us.

We’ve seen the friendship between Omega and Wrecker’s develop, so it was devastating to see Wrecker turn on her. The horrified look on her face and the hurt and desperation in Michelle Ang’s voice really sold this scene for me. In addition, the lighting and camera work sells the claustrophobic tension of the scene as Omega hides in tight spaces.

Thankfully, Rex comes in at the last minute and stuns Wrecker. Once Wrecker wakes up, he apologizes to Omega and everything is back to normal.

I wish the episode delved more into how the inhibitor chips work, as Wrecker says he tried to fight it off but couldn’t. Anyway, now that the squad’s inhibitor chips are dealt with, they have another thing to worry about: at the end of the episode, two patrolling scrappers find Clone Force 99 and alert the Empire to their whereabouts. Does this mean a reunion with Crosshair will happen sooner than expected? Will the rebellion comes to their aid? Rex did tease the Rebel Alliance.

This was an exciting turning point in the series. “Battle Scars” explored some dark themes and advanced the overall plot. Of course, I don’t want the show to be too dark as I like my lighthearted moments, but this was satisfying. The next hurdle the show needs to overcome is deepening its characters. But all in all, I’m a happy Star Wars fan right now.

Grade: A –

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