Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 Episode 12 spends some much needed time with Crosshair as viewers are able to watch him start to rethink some of the decisions he has made in his life.
While none of Clone Force 99 is seen in this episode, which is a bit irking considering we know they are currently being hunted by the Empire again, this is a turning point in Crosshair’s life and it is nice see it. Fans have been upset with him since he betrayed his brothers and so they will rejoice as they witness him start down the path to redemption.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 episode 12.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch starts off with shining a light on the forced retirement of a group of clones, this is something that has been hinted at and it is no surprise that it has finally arrived. Crosshair looks on, silently, as he awaits orders.
Lieutenant Nolan walks up to him and tells him he is out of uniform (surprisingly Crosshair immediately puts on his helmet, giving no backtalk), before explaining the next mission. They are heading to the Imperial Depot on Barton-4 to secure high-value cargo and keep it out of the hands of local insurgents.
It doesn’t take more than a minute to realize just how much Nolan hates clones. He constantly belittles them and demands respect from them. The clones on Barton-4 aren’t putting up with him, though. To the point where Mayday, their leader, tells him that respect is earned, and he hasn’t earned it yet.
Mystery Cargo
Mayday explains to Crosshair that he has been guarding this cargo for a year now. The clones have no idea what it is in it and have been told it is above their pay grade. Equipment is degrading and failing thanks to the winter-like conditions on the planet but they have been told to protect it at all costs. Mayday warns Crosshair not to go scouting alone or far, explaining that there are creatures in the ice that will kill him.
Their conversation was interrupted by an ambush, in which two of the clones that we just met were killed – Hexx and Veetch. The cargo is also stolen during the attack and Lieutenant Nolan immediately directs Crosshair and Mayday to go recover – no matter how dangerous it is. It must be something pretty important to the Empire.
Along the way they discover a dead body wearing clone armor stolen off of the dead clones. He was left for dead by his comrades, which does not sit well with Mayday. There are grumbles heard which are probably the creatures that live in the ice and the two clones seem a bit on edge.
Crosshair ends up stepping on a trigger plate and since they are stuck in place while Mayday attempts to disarm it, they decide to learn a bit about each other. Crosshair explains that he was part of Clone Force 99, but he says all of them are now “gone.”
A Betrayal From The Empire
Once Crosshair and Mayday make it to the insurgents who attacked them, a battle ensues. There are some great action moments here, but the fight comes to an abrupt halt when Crosshair shoots an explosive. Not only does he knock out the attackers, it causes an avalanche on the mountain. Nothing too bad though, and they both appear unscathed.
The avalanche happened for a reason, however, as it caused the cargo to fall over and open. Inside the clones discover snow gear, except it isn’t the right size for clones. It is specialty gear made for the new military that will be taking over after they force all of the clones to retire. The Empire was forcing Crosshair and Mayday to risk their lives in order to recover gear for their replacements. Talk about a betrayal.
As the two are contemplating this, the avalanche starts up again, and this time it looks far more deadly. The two run as fast as they can, but are ultimately knocked down and covered in snow. After a moment, Crosshair digs himself out, shivering but alive. The same cannot be said for Mayday, who is badly injured. Crosshair, unselfishly, digs Mayday out despite his objections and helps carry him back to the base through miles of treacherous terrain.
The two barely make it back to Lieutenant Nolan, who immediately berates them for failing the mission and not retrieving the crates. Crosshair explains that Mayday needs a medic and will die without aid, but Nolan refuses, stating that it would be a waste of the Empire’s resources.
Moments later Mayday dies and Crosshair is furious that his death could have been avoided. Nolan tells Crosshair that Mayday was expendable, and that Crosshair is too. He warns if he is spoken to that way again, Crosshair will be next. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Crosshair doesn’t appreciate being spoken to like that, and it seems to be the last straw as he pulls out his blaster and kills Nolan.
The last bit of the episode shows Crosshair in restraints. It seems he is being medically examined because he was so beat up in the journey back to base from his mission. A woman tells him that he is being observed and once he is healed the doctor will come for him. She then tells him to cooperate and he might survive.
Overall Thoughts
This episode doesn’t have a ton of action, but it certainly has a lot of key moments which mean a whole lot to the overall story of The Bad Batch. Once again, an episode without the main crew proves to be one of the better ones. Crosshair really is stealing all the thunder this season, isn’t he?
The Bad Batch season 2 episode 12 is where Crosshair starts to question if the decisions he made were the right ones. He left Clone Force 99, men who were like his brothers, so that he could remain loyal to the Empire. The same people who throw clones away like yesterday’s trash.
Seeing all of this finally click in his head is going to be exciting for fans. Although it seems that karma has come to bite him in the butt. Who knows what is going to happen to him. Chances are the next episode will go back to Clone Force 99, so viewers might have to wait a week or two to find out.
Rating: 9/10 SPECS
Star Wars: The Bad Batch drops new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Tessa Smith owns MamasGeeky.com and is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic and a huge geek. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for almost ten years and is a member of several Critics associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association. She grew up watching movies, playing video games, and reading comic books -- and still loves all of those things. She proudly lets her geek flag fly and spreads the word that there is nothing wrong with being a geek.