So That’s What Happened to All the Battle Droids!
Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 6
Say what you will about the Battle Droids, and there’s a lot to say about them. They’re clumsy, idiotic, and for the better part of twenty years, they’ve served as comic relief/cannon fodder in Star Wars. However, it’s because they’re usually so inept that the Battle Droids remain some of my favorite characters in Star Wars. When the Clone Wars ended, though, the vast majority of them got shut down. Some got reactivated or repurposed in the decades that followed, but the rest just dropped off the face of the Galaxy. Which begs the question: what did the Empire do with all the Battle Droids? We finally get to see what happened onscreen in the new episode of The Bad Batch.
Enemies Become Unwitting Allies
After the events of the last episode, it would seem that the Bad Batch has settled into the life of working as mercenaries for Cid. Well, “settled” might be stretching it, as Cid doesn’t give them a choice on the matter. Case in point, she gives them their next mission: go to a smelting plant on Corellia where Separatist Battle Droids are being melted down, find a tactical droid’s head, and bring it back. The intel it has will be valuable against the Empire.
The irony of the Bad Batch having to rely on their old enemies to fight their former comrades is not lost on anyone. However, I think that this is a smart choice for the show to take. Until now, the only knowledge we’ve gotten regarding the Separatist’s Droid Army after the Clone Wars is that they either a.) got deactivated, b.) remained active in scattered pockets, or c.) wound up on the black market. Getting to see how the Empire melted them all down provides a bit of closure on the story of most of the Battle Droids. They may have been unwitting pawns of evil, but it’s still sad to see them get melted.
However, not all of them got melted. After the Bad Batch got discovered, Tech resorts to using the Tactical Droid’s head to turn all the Droids back on and sic them on the police droids. So, that was pretty cool to watch.
Wrecker May Be On A Dark Path
Last week, I made it a point to voice my concerns regarding Wrecker. For the past several episodes, he’d been suffering from headaches, much like Crosshair did. Thus, it was safe to conclude that his Inhibitor Chip was beginning to activate. After this week’s episode, though, any remaining ambiguity has been resolved. During the fire fight at the smelting plant, Wrecker hits his head pretty hard. As a result, he begins to repeat the mantra that Crosshair did regarding “good soldiers.”
We have seen firsthand how it’s nearly impossible for Clone Troopers to resist the Inhibitor Chips, even mutated ones. If Wrecker’s chip is activating now, then the Bad Batch has to find a way to remove it. They need to remove all their chips, or else they’ll become slaves of the Empire. And no one wants that!
The Martez Sisters Return
In an unexpected move, this episode saw the return of Trace and Rafa Martez, the smuggling sisters befriended by Ashoka in the final season of The Clone Wars. However, it seems that they’ve moved from smuggling to freedom fighting. While attempting to steal the tactical droid head for themselves, they end up fighting, then working alongside, the Bad Batch. By the time the credits roll, the two part ways as allies, thanks in no small part to Omega’s ability to win everyone over.
It’s then that we get the big bombshell, as they spend the episode’s final moments contacting someone. Someone who’s very interested in hearing about a group of renegade Clones. While fans are speculating on who it may be, I’m only focused on one thing: a resistance is already brewing. The Empire’s only a few months old, and already the embers of rebellion are spreading across the Galaxy. Hopefully, the Bad Batch will end up becoming a big part in the early rebellion against the Empire.
The Bad Batch Has Gotten its Footing
It’s taken longer than I would’ve wanted it to, but it seems like The Bad Batch is starting to cement its identity as a show. It may never reach the high-end battles of The Clone Wars, but it’s more than capable of delivering on the action when needed. As the show continues to progress even further, I hope to see more of what the Galaxy’s like under this new Empire. Also, I hope we see more Battle Droids. I like them too much to see them go away forever.
I Give “Decommissioned” a 4.5/5
Click here for some of my Star Wars stuff.
Click here to see my other animation stuff.
Categories
Animation, Disney TV, General Sci-Fi, Star Wars, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, TV Shows
The Battle Droids were pretty funny to watch- I can’t tell you how many times I’ve responded to someone “Roger Roger,” how much I just laughed at their voices. They were pretty fun to watch get destroyed, too.
Those inhibitor chips need to go ASAP. But I feel like it won’t be that easy to get rid of. Best Case Scenario: it’ll temporarily impair them. WORST case: Permanent Damage or even clinical death. They’re going to have to be careful going forward.
The early Rebellion interested in the Bad Batch? Believable- very probable. That said; I’m curious how this series end and where the Bad Batch ends up by the end of it. If they live; we’ll most assuredly see them again.