Max Nocerino 
The Bad Batch Episode 6 is a really fun adventure and I can’t wait for the next job Cid has for our clone team
The Bad Batch Episode 6 begins right where 5 left off. Clone Force 99 is in Cid’s cantina, teaching Omega how to use her laser arrow. It’s quite an elegant weapon but like many real bow and arrows, takes enormous strength to wield properly. Cid is a funny Trandoshan woman, as even Wrecker isn’t tough enough to intimidate her. She wants to use Clone Force 99 as her personal mercenary team, no ifs or buts.
DESTINATION CORELLIA
Hunter reluctantly agrees. And their first official mission is to retrieve the head of an old tactical droid from a decommissioning factory on Corellia. The head contains valuable data that many suddenly want because it’s the key to defeating the clones. Lots to unpack here.
Everyone is already trying to fight the Empire and it’s only a few months old! Tactical droids were a common enemy in The Clone Wars, and I was delighted that Clone Force 99 was going to Corellia. Corellia is a major Core world, known for being the homeworld of the loveable scoundrel, Han Solo. There is a factory on this planet that is melting down old Clone Wars battle droids, and Clone Force 99 has to infiltrate it to get the Tactical droid head. Unfortunately, the factory is lousy with police droids, and even though they stink, there are quite a lot of them.
A SURPRISE RETURN
While trying to get the head, we get a wondrous surprise. Other people are infiltrating the factory to get the intel as well. Rafa and Chase from the last season of The Clone Wars! Yes, they are back and Rafa is still super sassy and Trace still has a soft spot. They want the head for unknown reasons. And they are forced to work with The Bad Batch to get out of there alive. The conveyer belt/ smelting lave pit scene where Omega gets stuck is a three-way hybrid of other media that I have enjoyed throughout my life. It reminds me of Padme almost getting liquified in the Geonosian factory in Episode II, the toys about to be incinerator in Toy Story 3, and finally Stewie trapped on a conveyer belt about to be deposited in a molten pit from Family Guy.
While some may say that because of this, the plot is unoriginal, you have to remember that there are only so many story plots for writers to come up with. And I personally find it fun to draw parallels. However, one of the most poignant moments was when Wrecker banged his head really bad and started losing consciousness and muttering the “Good soldiers follow orders” mantra that many clones seem to say in a hypnotized Order 66 state.
MAN DOWN!
This is an excellent foreshadowing for the future, as even though the clones of Clone Force 99 seem to be immune to the biochips; they still have them in their brains. And if Crosshair could succumb, Wrecker could too. That blow to the head may have reactivated the chip. And Force knows how dangerous it will be if Wrecker becomes a foe later in the series. I like Wrecker. He is funny, and his acrophobia (which is very relatable to me) is showcased heavily in this episode. I also couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the Abbott and Costello-Esque bit where Trace asks if there is an echo in here. And Echo responds with “Yes, I am Echo.” That’s the kind of comedy I like to see in sci-fi.
VERDICT
The mission wraps up nicely. And there is a big mystery at the end as to who Rafa and Trace are working for. However, it is so refreshing to see that these two have moved from shady, selfish business deals to instead making a difference in a rapidly changing totalitarian galaxy. This show is really fun and I can’t wait for the next job Cid has for our clone team.
The Bad Batch is streaming exclusively on Disney Plus NOW!
Max Nocerino is a regular Staff Writer for The Future of the Force. He is a passionate Star Wars fan and loves the literature of the galaxy far, far away. Follow him on Twitter where he shares his love of the Force frequently!
