Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 1 Episodes 8 and 9 - 'Reunion' & 'Bounty Lost' Spoiler Review

 The ending to episode eight utterly shocked me, I was at a loss for words after my first viewing.  Out of all the characters that I think could make an appearance in The Bad Batch Cad (freaking) Bane was not one of them, and I couldn't be happier about his appearance.  With Clone Force 99 (CF99) so busy with the Empire, Cad Bane was able to surprise Hunter and take Omega back to Kamino (I assume he was hired by the Kaminoans).  The Cad Bane reveal has me so unsettled that I forgot what else happened in this episode.  Episode eight was titled Reunion, as in the reunion between Crosshair and the other members of CF99.  The Empire-controlled Crosshair was able to outsmart his former team and had them cornered until they came up with a crazy idea to escape.  Reunion was the second-best episode of the season so far; until I watch episode 9 which was titled 'Bounty Lost'.  The main reason why I wanted to wait to publish the review was I felt episodes eight and nine might be tied together.  My hunch was rewarded as both episodes should be watch together, the two newest episodes tell a tense story that also finally gives fans some answers.  

The Bad Batch has so far focused on Omega, and that at times has worked for me, it has also led to moments where I felt she was overshadowing CF99.  Cad Bane's appearance totally shocked, in my review of episode seven I predicted that Crosshair would be reunited with CF99, I never would have thought that Cad Bane was going to show up.  Cad Bane is a character who appeared in The Clone Wars, and he was surprisingly charismatic considering he was a villain.  Cad Bane is a bounty hunter in the mold of Clint Eastwood in his Sergio Leone western films.  The choice in episode eight to have Cad Bane square off with Fennec Shand rather than CF99 was much appreciated.  The fight between Bane and Fennec was a fantastic change compared to what I was expecting.  Fennec's appearance on The Bad Batch has made me appreciate the character even more than I already did.       

RECAP OF 'REUNION' AND 'BOUNTY LOST'

The episode opens with CF99 still on Bracca; however, they are being watched by scrappers who are reporting back to the Empire.  Wrecker is teaching Omega how to disable a bomb; Omega cannot do it and they need to run for cover.  Wrecker though played a joke on Omega by using a smoke bomb, so nothing happened.  Echo detects that they are being watched, CF99 chases after the scrappers, and they successfully take all of them out.  However, it is too late as the Empire has already discovered their location and Crosshair and his unit are dispatched to take down CF99.  Crosshair and the Empire arrive and start searching for CF99, they locate CF99's ship.  Crosshair locates CF99 and corners them, but Tech is able to cause a diversion that allows them to escape.  They get cornered again, and this time they turn on the engine before the Empire is prepared and Crosshair is injured.  CF99 are forced to separate and when Hunter and Omega makes it back to the Havoc Marauder, they find Stormtroopers who have been taken out.  The troops were taken out by none other then legendary Bounty Hunter Cad Bane.  Cad Bane was hired to take Omega, Hunter and Bane have a standoff that ends with Hunter being shot and left for dead by Cad Bane who takes Omega.  The remaining members of CF99 arrive and help Hunter onto the ship so they can escape the Empire as the episode begins.

Bounty Lost picks up right where Reunion ended, CF99 is trying to escape the Empire.  Hunter must make the tough decision to jump to lightspeed in order to escape Crosshair, by jumping to lightspeed Hunter is accepting that Omega is beyond their reach in that moment.  Bane has placed Omega in a cell inside his ship, Bane then contacts his employer who is revealed to be the Kaminoan Prime Minister Lama Su.  Lama Su then tells Taun We to meet with Cad Bane, while Nala Se is told to extract the necessary genetic material from Omega and then terminate her.  Todo, Cad Bane's droid is in need of repairs and Omega convinces him to release her so she can help with the repairs.  Omega repairs Todo and then turns him off so she can escape.  Tech notifies Hunter on why he thinks Omega was taken, Tech analyzed Omega's DNA and noticed that she is first generation.  There were only two first generation clones made, Omega and Boba Fett and since they cannot locate Boba the Kaminoans are trying to reacquire Omega.  Cad Bane arrives at an old Kaminoan facility to meet Taun We; Bane learns that Omega has escaped the ship and is trying to contact Hunter.  Omega is tasked with trying to cause a power surge so Tech can pinpoint her position, Cad bane arrives and destroys Omega's communication device.  Cad Bane takes Omega to Taun We and we see that Taun We has been killed; Fennec Shand is after Omega too.  A shootout ensues between Bane and Fennec allowing Omega to run away from both of them.  Fennec finds Omega, and tries to convince Omega to trust her, but Omega does not and gets away again.  As Fennec and Cad Bane fight, Omega is able to escape onto a flight pod and leave.  The flightpod is about to crash when it is saved by CF99, Hunter and the team are reunited with Omega who promises her that she will never go back to Kamino.  As the episode ends, we learn that Nala Se hired Fennec and she instructs Fennec to let Omega go with CF99, Nala just wants Omega to be safe from Lama Su.    

THOUGHTS ON EPISODES EIGHT & NINE

There is definitely some intrigue happening on Kamino, we learn that Nala Se was the one who hired Fennec Shand and that all she wants is for Omega to be safe.  I was surprised that Nala Se has such an attachment to Omega, though the ending of episode one gave us a hint that she is very fond of Omega.  The reveal that Omega is a female version of Boba Fett was very interesting, and I wonder if she will cross paths with at some point in this season.  This episode also felt that it might be the last time we Fennec Shand for awhile, her mission was accomplished.  I could see Nala Se revealing her intentions to CF99 in order to keep Omega safe, I could see Nala Se hiring Fennec to work with CF99 to fend off whoever else Lama Su sends after Omega.  Crosshair was hurt during his attempt to capture/kill CF99, he seemed obsessed with catching them.  I am thinking that if CF99 wanted to help Crosshair they will need to lure him into a trap, something that will allow them to have the time and freedom to remove his chip without interference from the Empire.  

We are now past the halfway point of season one, the show has thus far done a great job in balancing the needs of the story with the needs of character building.  I have a better understanding of each of the members of CF99 and Omega, but there were some really slow episodes earlier on.  I am sure the next episode or two will slow down again, I cannot imagine another high paced episode next week.  With the show being animated there is a lot of story telling options, I would not mind seeing a flashback episode with CF99 on a mission that is relevant to what is happening with them in the present.  I do think we will see more of Cad Bane, and I hope we will see Captain Rex again too.  I hope you enjoyed my review of episodes eight and nine.  Join me next week as I review episode ten, stay tuned for my reviews of episode three of Loki and episode one of Rick and Morty season five.