Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 has had its highs and lows, but has been entertaining for the most part. Giving fans their time with the Clones as well as the time to explore how the rest of the galaxy is dealing with the rise of the Empire is a smart storytelling decision. However, we have yet to get a full blown horror Sci-Fi episode – until now.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 episode 11.
Giving True Horror Vibes To Start
This episode of The Bad Batch opens like a horror film. A wrecked ship is floating in space and when we take a look inside, a Shock Trooper is running for his life down destroyed hallways. The only sound we hear is a strange animalistic moan and his breath. Suddenly he trips over something and is sent sprawling across the floor. He looks around anxiously before he is pulled to the ceiling by a silent killer, his screams echoing in the abandoned ship.
It is hard not to have goosebumps during this opener. The score along with the visuals is perfect, giving off an ominous and eerie feeling.
Catching Up With Nala Se
After this opening, we continue the suspenseful music as Dr. Hemlock goes to see a locked up Nala Se. He immediately lays a guilt trip on her, stating that it is a surprise she would rather be behind bars than help the galaxy. She claims that her motivation was lost after the Empire destroyed her civilization on Kamino.
Hemlock tries to convince her to help serve a higher purpose with the Emperor but Nala holds her ground and explains she knows exactly what he wants and she does not want to be any part of it. Before he leaves, he threatens her, claiming he can do much worse than a cell.
As he is leaving, he is told that they have lost communication with a ship, surely the one that kicked off the episode.
Sid and the Clones Have A Strained Relationship
Star Wars: The Bad Batch is sure to weave the Clones into the story this time. Viewers are shown a scene with her talking to Clone Force 99 about some intel she has on a down ship, which means cargo that is there for the taking. Of course, this is going to be the ship that has something unknown lurking onboard.
The Clones are not happy with Sid after she all but left them abandoned on a distant planet – the events of episodes 9 and 10. They talk back to her and go so far as to say they may not return. The Clones discuss severing ties with Sid, but are leary of doing so since she knows a lot about them. They are fugitives after all.
The Suspense Continues
On board the crashed ship, the stakes are raised. Things immediately feel intense and audiences are sure to be left with their hearts pounding every time the Clones turn a corner. They shine their lights on the walls and see deep scratch marks. It is clear that whatever caused this is large and quite terrifying.
Tech leaves the rest of the group in order to see what he can discover from the control room. Ultimately the rest of them find themselves in a chilled room, a lab, filled with Kaminoan equipment. Omega is familiar with this equipment and explains that it is a cloning machine, however the formula entered is not like anything she has seen before.
As if this episode is not scary enough, a full on jump scare occurs when a droid bursts through the wall saying danger over and over. It cannot say anything else though, or answer questions, and just as quickly as it appeared, it dies.
The strange groaning noise from the start of the episode is heard again, and when the clones look up there is a strange creature with a large mouth and a tail above them. It is chewing on some wires and jumps down to attack them, but when they shoot at it, it runs away.
They contact Tech to let him know whatever was being researched on the ship has gotten out and they need to abandon the ship as soon as possible. The creature follows them through the hallways and gets trapped in some of the wiring. The Clones shoot at it and even though there is a large explosion, it survives and runs off into the woods of the planet.
Learning About The Creature
While looking over the files about the creature, Tech discovers it is the same species of animal that attacked Coruscant during the war but has modified armor plating and feeds off energy. He warns it has the capability to get bigger. Much bigger.
He radios Hunter and Wrecker, who is flying overhead searching for the creature, but it is too late. The creature has reached the power grid and is now massive – like a Godzilla creature as big as the buildings. Imperial ships arrive, determined to protect their research, and go after the Marauder.
After a few quick encounters and blaster firing, the Imperials are able to knock out the creature and take it onboard their ship. Clone Force 99 high tails it out of there so that they are not taken prisoner next.
Setting Up For More To Come
The Bad Batch doesn’t often end with an unresolved issue unless it plans to tackle it in the next episode. Which is likely to be what happens with this story. The final few minutes of the episode are spent onboard the Marauder, with Tech explaining everything he discovered in the research files.
They learn that the Zillo Beast was essentially cloned, which was an order from the Supreme Chancellor before he became Emperor. In the hands of the right (or wrong) people, this creature could be an extremely effective and dangerous weapon. Tech believes that Kamino was not destroyed to end cloning, but rather so they could control it. Hunter orders Tech to send the files to Rex and see what they can deduce from them.
Back with the Empire, Dr. Hemlock is told that the creature has been recovered. He learns that a military class ship escaped the planet and orders Troopers to find out who it was. The Former Prime Minister of Kamino is brought to him in the hopes that he will cooperate and force Nala to cooperate.
The Prime Minister says that he knows a weakness of Nala’s and in exchange for his freedom, he will help. He mentions that she has a soft spot for a young girl clone, meaning Omega.
Overall Thoughts
For those who love horror and thrillers, this episode is going to be one of the standouts of The Bad Batch season 2. Not only are we shown a kaiju-sized creature and given one of the best and most intense scores yet, the ending really sets up for a great final few episodes.
With only five episodes left, the Empire is now coming after Omega in an effort to control Nala, and they have a massive beast they can use as a weapon.
The Clones are on to them, at least, which will hopefully allow them to prepare for what is to come. However, with things on edge with Sid, who knows where Clone Force 99 goes from here.
Rating: 10/10 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.