The Bad Batch season 2 episodes 7 and 8 recaps & review

In episodes 7 and 8 of The Bad Batch, the future of the clones takes center stage as Admiral Rampart puts forth his new Defense Recruitment Bill in the Imperial Senate. The episodes are streaming on Disney+.

Episode 7 recap: The Clone Conspiracy

Two clones, Slip and Cade, discuss the clones’ involvement in the destruction of Kamino. Cade says that he wants to expose Admiral Rampart’s lies in front of the Senate but Slip asks him to reconsider.

As they walk out onto the street, Cade is killed by a sniper while Slip manages to escape. Inside the senate, the senators debate Rampart’s Defense Recruitment Bill as they weigh up the future of the clones and their viability.

The bill is temporarily tabled as Senator Riyo Chuchi stands up for the rights of the clones who have no representation in the Senate. Senator Chuchi visits the clones to find out more about their needs so that she can advocate for them in the next session.

Slip sneaks up to her and tells her that Rampart cannot be trusted as he was responsible for the destruction on Kamino. She asks her guards with trying to find Slip as she meets with Rampart to get a vibe off of him.

Following her meeting with Rampart, she is contacted by Bail Organa, who tells her that she is on the right track with her suspicions. Rampart contacts the assassin to get an update on Slip’s location. He tells him to follow the senator who is also searching for Slip.

Meanwhile, Slip contacts someone to help him get off-world, and when he reaches the rendezvous point he encounters Senator Chuchi. She asks him to testify in the senate against Rampart but Slip says he just wants to disappear.

He does tell her that she can get the proof she needs aboard Rampart’s Venator but is soon shot down by the assassin. The assassin then shifts his attention to the senator and kills her guards.

He is about to kill her but she is saved by Slip’s contact who was supposed to help him escape, Captain Rex. They grab the unconscious assassin and take him to a secure location so that they can question him.

It turns out to be a clone but one that Rex does not recognize. The clone tells Rex that he’s fighting on the wrong side before calling himself a believer and killing himself.

Episode 8 recap: Truth and Consequences

Rex contacts the Bad Batch and tells them he’s got a mission for them on Coruscant. They are a bit uncertain but agree to help him out.

When they arrive at Coruscant, Rex shows them the body of the assassin and tells them that the mission involves data extraction from Rampart’s Venator which is being retrofitted in the Imperial shipyard.

Omega volunteers to accompany Senator Chuchi and make sure she is safe. She finds out more about what a senator does as they encounter Rampart in the senate hallway. Rampart meets with Mas Amedda and ensures that Chuchi will not be a problem.

Senator Chuchi is once again summoned by Bail Organa who tells her that she must get in touch with the former Kaminoan senator, Halle Burtoni. Senator Chuchi and Omega meet with Halle Burtoni and bring up the missing Senate appropriation funds.

After some initial hesitation, she admits to being aware of Rampart’s actions and the fact that he’s the one who has been siphoning off funds for an unknown project.

Senator Chuchi pleads with Halle to testify in the Senate while she tries to get proof to back up the claims. The Bad Batch sneaks onto the shipyard along with Rex and makes it all the way to the bridge of the Venator.

They have to reveal their presence to complete the data transfer but they succeed in getting the information they need before escaping the ship without a trace.

Rampart is trying to get his bill passed in the Senate but Senator Chuchi insists that Rampart cannot be trusted and accuses him of misappropriating Senate funds.

The evidence is delivered in time and Rampart’s actions are revealed in front of the entire Senate. Emperor Palpatine entered the Senate as Mas Amedda accuses Rampart of acting on his own to further his career and has him arrested.

Palpatine then claims that the fact that many clones blindly followed Rampart and carried out the horrendous attack on Kamino proves the need for a new army of the people.

He twists the truth to his favor and convinces the Senate to accept his new Imperial Stormtrooper program and begin phasing out the clones.

The Bad Batch and Rex are disappointed by the fact that they did the right thing and exposed the truth but it was used against them to seal the fate of their brothers. They let Rex know that they’re ready to help whenever he needs them again.

Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker then say goodbye to Echo as Omega wonders why. Echo tells her that he’s going along with Rex to help with the rebellion as the other clones need them now more than ever.

Review

• This series continues to showcase a maturity beyond its PG rating. The story has a depth to it that is consistent throughout and the maintains the tone as not just another animated series.
• This pair of episodes covers a key moment in the growth of the Empire as it officially switches from clones to Imperial stormtroopers and it adds a great bit of context to the existing canon of the Star Wars universe.
• The writers continue to make plotlines significant despite the existence of titles set in the future. The politics of the senate still feels like it matters and the actions of each and every character play into the eventual outcome.
• Echo’s decision to stick with Rex and help with the Rebel efforts makes complete sense and is another major step in the character’s journey. Unlike the original members of the Bad Batch, Echo has always been concerned with the bigger picture and seeing how Rex required help, he decides to split from his team.

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Also Read: The Bad Batch season 2 episode 6 recap & review: Tribe