“The Bad Batch” Season 2, Episode 16 Review: “Plan 99”
The Bad Batch Season 2 is at its close, and the finale was nothing short of amazing.
The creators of the show didn’t hold back and you have to admire them for their boldness in this episode.
WARNING, major spoilers ahead.
The previous episode left off with the Batch being stranded on the cargo rail, with no power thousands of feet in the air. Power has been cut off because of Saw Gerrera’s explosives in the compound they had just escaped from.
Tech climbs out of the car and up to the rail line to try and restore power to the cart, while of course being shot at by stormtroopers in another car close by.
Things don’t go in their favor as imperial air support comes in and starts shooting at the Batch as well.
Tech is able to restore power but once making his way down into the car, shots fired by imperial starfighters cause half of the car to disconnect from the rail line.
Tech tries to climb his way to the rest of the Batch in the intact part of the car. More shots from the starfighters cause Tech to fall off the rail car but he manages to grapple onto the car, which leaves him dangling in the air.
Wrecker and Omega make their way to the back to help him, but as he climbs his way back up, the starfighters always slow his advance and cause him to fall further.
Wrecker holds onto the damaged part of the car, keeping it connected so it doesn’t fall apart.
Tech tells Wrecker to do Plan 99, which Wrecker refuses, and the most heartbreaking line of the series so far comes from Tech, “When did we ever follow orders?” He proceeds to shoot the last connected piece to the car and sacrifices himself for his squad.
With the heat of blaster fire on them, the Batch has nothing left to do but leave. When they get back to solid ground, the car crashes into the ground causing injuries to each squad member.
Omega passes out while being carried onto the Marauder while hearing to go to Ord Mantell, so they can get help from the medical droid AZ.
Omega awakens in the back room of Cid’s parlor, Hunter next to her with his chest wrapped up. Wrecker walks in, relieved she’s awake, with a neck brace on. Omega frantically asks about Tech and Hunter confirms, he didn’t make it.
Echo sits alone in the cockpit, Wrecker sits at the bar drowning in his own thoughts and Hunter stays with Omega and asks her if she’d be willing to put being soldiers behind them and settle on Pabu, which she says she wants to.
The peace is short-lived.
Cid reported the Batch’s arrival to the Empire and Hemlock arrives with a group of commandos to retrieve Omega.
Wrecker is outnumbered, while he fights the commandos in the bar, Hunter has Omega and AZ go into the underground tunnels to find Echo.
Hunter enters the room finding Wrecker captured and Hemlock waiting for him. Hemlock proceeds to throw Tech’s goggles at Hunter’s feet, urging him to drop his weapon. Not wanting to lose another brother, Hunter stands down.
Omega tries to intervene and save Hunter and Wrecker while they're being escorted by Hemlock, but she gets captured instead. Echo finds the two and helps them escape.
Their priority, stop Hemlock from leaving.
When they finally make it to the docking bay, Hemlock’s ship has already taken off. With no other option than to run, they make it to the Marauder and escape, vowing to stop not looking for Omega until they get her back.
Omega is brought to Mount Tantiss where she meets Emerie, a scientist alongside Hemlock, who we’ve met in previous episodes but know nothing about.
Omega finds Crosshair unconscious but alive when Emerie reveals she is Omega’s sister.
No one was expecting this finale, not in the slightest.
The creators of the show took major risks but they paid off. The episode was heartbreaking, and right when you got over the last sad part, another sad plot twist was thrown at you.
With the way the episode ended, it was an unofficial announcement for season 3.
There is no possible way the series would end there. The creators obviously have a lot of different plot points to tie up, but it’s not always a bad thing to do that.
It gives the writers an opportunity to dive deeper into plot lines because they have more time to do it, they have multiple seasons to develop it instead of a few episodes.
This episode was exciting, heartbreaking, suspenseful and ended on an insane cliffhanger that fans will be dying to know the answers to as we wait for season 3.
Though the show had its good and bad episodes, the finale was a spectacular way to end the season.
Rating: 5/5
Kylie Barton is a first-year student majoring in Film Production. To contact her email kmb8141@psu.edu.
