Finale Review: Star Wars: The Bad Batch ends with a bang

The season 1 finale of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, “Kamino Lost,” is flashy and action-packed, but does it do a good job of wrapping up the story so far?

After 16 weeks of inconsistent-but-fun episodes, Star Wars: The Bad Batch ends on a high note! “Kamino Lost” picks up right where last week left off, as Clone Force 99 tries to escape Tipoca City as the Empire bombards it. Crosshair reluctantly works with his brothers and Omega again to escape the cloning facility before they drown.

While it isn’t the best episode of the show so far, this is a great final chapter for the first act. The Batch is finally working together, but the lingering friction between them provides a ton of tension. Crosshair is the problem child in this episode, as he still sides with the Empire even though they tried to kill him. He questions why the other members let Omega call the shots, and bouts between him and Hunter were enjoyable.

Since the start of the show, and even as far back as the Bad Batch’s first appearance in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Crosshair was an intriguing character who questioned whether the clones had free will. If Crosshair is to be believed, his conscious betrayal of his teammates gives agency back to the clones, proving that their inhibitor chips don’t define them.

The complexity of Crosshair’s character is reinforced by his decision to save Omega and AZI toward the end of the episode. He even looks like he wants to join his former team at the end, but he hesitates. While he could return as the main adversary in season 2, I think there’s more to him than just being a villain.

“Kamino Lost” is an exciting episode from start to finish. It opens with eight minutes of non-stop, edge-of-your seat action as the characters try to save themselves from the flooding facility. Omega and Crosshair are separated from the others at the start, and watching them struggle to escape was thrilling.

After getting to safety, the group enters the underwater tunnel they used to sneak into the cloning facility. This tunnel scene was effective because it gave the characters a chance to talk. Wrecker gives Crosshair a piece of his mind, while Tech reminds everyone of Crosshair’s nature. While there isn’t much character development in this episode — although you could make a case for Crosshair — this quieter moment between characters was appreciated. The only problem with this bit is a tacked-on sea monster attack. The episode is already filled with heart-pumping action, so just let this scene stand apart as a calm, character-driven moment that breaks up the action.

In fact, I wish the episode had more moments like this. It’s the finale, but we’re still being told information we already know and there’s no tangible character growth, what with Crosshair going back to the Empire. It’s possible his former teammates and Omega did break through his rough exterior a bit, though. It’ll be interesting to see how their relationships develop in upcoming seasons and whether Crosshair gets his redemption arc.

While “Kamino Lost” offers some of the best scenes scenes in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, it sadly lacks in the character department. It doesn’t really feel like a finale as there are no real lessons learned nor clear character growth. But it was suspenseful and fun and ended the first season of this average Star Wars show with a bang!

Grade: A-

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