Battle Scars of the Clone Wars Haunt the Bad Batch in New Episode

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 7 Review

Every war leaves its battle scars on those who fought it. But as bad as physical battle scars can seem, they may pale in comparison to the ones inside the mind. They psychological scars can haunt a person, even years after the war ended. In this week’s episode of The Bad Batch, “Battle Scars”, we see the squad and an old friend face the legacy of the Clone Wars head in a fight to save Wrecker.

Captain Rex, Reporting for Duty

After coming back from another mission for Cid, the Bad Batch’s greeted by a surprise visitor. It’s everyone’s favorite Clone Trooper, Captain Rex! It turns out, he was the one the Martez sisters contacted last episode, and he’s come to meet his old friends. However, this reunion nearly takes a dark turn when he learns that the Squad hasn’t gotten their inhibitor chips out. In addition, there’s the fact that Wrecker’s growing headaches are due to his chip coming online!

The first thing that struck me about Rex’s appearance in this episode wasn’t his inclusion itself. We all knew he’d appear thanks to the trailers. However, it’s the way that he acts throughout the episode that deserves mentioning more. This is not the Rex we knew during The Clone Wars, despite how he acts. Nor is he the cool old war veteran that we know during Rebels. Rather, we see Rex still dealing with the aftermath of Order 66, and from the way he acts, it’s clear he’s got some serious battle scars from it.

A Very Aggressive Rex

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From the moment that Rex learns that the Bad Batch never got their chips removed, he becomes very hostile, keeping his hands on his blasters. The last time he did this, he kept his weapons on stun while escaping the brainwashed Clones. However, it’s clear that this time, he’s more than willing to kill his brothers if necessary. Even though he says that the thought of doing so sickens him.

As the group meets him on Bracca (yes, that Bracca,) to get their chips removed, Rex remains evasive about how he escaped Order 66. Viewers already know why, but to hear him being so reluctant to speak of this is a very somber sight. He never had time to think about what was going on during Order 66, but now that it’s over, it’s clear that the events left a heavy impact. I’d go so far as to say he’s displaying minor symptoms of PTSD. It’s a very painful reminder of just evil Darth Sidious’ plans to wipe out the Jedi were.

No Strings, But Battle Scars Must Heal

In the middle of the episode, everyone’s worst fears come true, with Wrecker’s inhibitor chip coming online. As a result, he turns on the others and nearly kills them before they can stun him long enough to remove the chip. No one holds it against him, though, especially not Omega. However, I doubt the scars will fade away anytime soon.

In the end, the Bad Batch and Rex part ways, with it heavily implied that Rex is working with the early rebellion. Odds are, we will likely see him again in the show. And if not, this leaves the door open to tell more stories about his life between The Clone Wars and Rebels. However, in more immediate concerns, the Bad Batch got spotted by the Scrapper’s Guild. Which means they’re going to tell the Empire.

The show writers said that things are going to be picking up in the back half of the season. Given how this sets us up for the inevitable reunion of the Bad Batch and Crosshair, I can see why. This is going to be good, people! I have no idea how things will end, but I’m looking forward to enjoying the ride! This may be my new favorite episode of the show!

I Give “Battle Scars” a 4/5

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