Every time an episode of The Bad Batch lands, Fantha Tracks will be giving their responses, and here are our initial gut feelings, deep dives and thoughts on the thirteenth episode of season 1 of The Bad Batch – Infested. Beware of spoilerific elements in here.
Carl Bayliss
In a slight curveball from what I was expecting, we didn’t plunge headlong into Crosshair’s pursuit of the Bad Batch, but instead we get a sidestep to a story centered on Ord Mantell, with Cid’s control having been snatched away by Roland Durand, a junior crimelord trying to impress his family.
Cid is aware that he has set up a deal to deliver several crates of spice to the Pykes, and decides the best way to get her cantina back, and regain control is to engineer this deal going awry. Using some secret underground tunnels that lead directly into Cid’s office, the crew make it through a cavern that is home to ‘the hive’ – despite Wrecker losing his torch and an array of spooky noises.
However the diversion which has distracted Durand an his guards doesn’t last long enough and they are chased back through the cavern with the predictable outcome of waking the light sensitive insects that live within it – at this stage I was thinking Geonosis meets any Batman origin story – and lose the spice crates.
Upon returning to the cantina to reclaim it they find the Pykes have made short work of the majority of Durand’s guards, but he had convinced them that Cid had the spice so they decide to hold Omega whilst the crew retrieve the missing crates. Cid And Wrecker descend from the Havoc Marauder and make short work of locating the crates, but as they return to the ship the insect awake again, but Tech has been busily rigging a light bomb to counter them.
Whilst the episode doesn’t really advance the overall story (watch this one come back to bite me later), we are starting to see Omega’s compassion for others come to the fore, and despite initial reservations, Hunter going along with her – similar to last week’s episode where Omega and Hera influenced the decision to rescue her parents.
Another good, but slightly underwhelming episode for me.
Ross Hollebon
For a transition episode, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this seeming one-off adventure for the Bad Batch. Whether taking the “Infested” title at face value with the hive of vicious Irlings lurking in the old mining tunnels of Ord Mantell or recognizing it as a way to call out the growing criminal underworld expanding under the Empire, an unchecked threat is brewing in the galaxy.
Seeing more of the grimy alleyways packed with the nefarious characters of Ord Mantell City is exciting enough but then traveling to the literal underworld of this criminal underworld was fun and allowed for more nods to famous fantasy films. Filoni returns us to Peter Jackson’s “The Fellowship of the Ring” as Wrecker drops his flashlight into the seemingly endless dark abyss, clanking off of rocks as it plunges, sending back chilling echoes. And the Bad Batch’s mode of transportation, with Cid at the helm, seems equal parts mining carts from “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and the carts beneath Gringott’s Wizard Bank in multiple Harry Potter films.
No matter what the action or risks are to overcome, the important aspects of the story always come back to the characters and how they grow or cement who they actually are.
Omega continues to be the brave conscience of the crew and anyone they encounter, never afraid to stand up for what is right. She even finds a way to not only forgive but help Roland Durant, son of crime boss Isa Durand, after he takes Cid’s parlor to set up his own criminal base and partner with the dangerous Pyke Syndicate. Omega’s empathy is unmatched, even finding good in Roland, who escaped the Pyke’s wrath by losing only one of his Devaronian horns and a warning not to cross paths again.
After watching the situation with Roland and the Pykes unfold, Hunter is perplexed as to why Omega would defend the wannabe crime lord, ending the episode by asking her, “Why did you stick up for him after what he did?” She innocently responds that she doesn’t know and that maybe he isn’t all bad (hello Darth Vader/Anakin).
All of this is after the beginning of the episode when Hunter reaffirms his adopted approach and phrase of “not our problem.” Once again looking at the bigger picture—and what this episode stresses prior to leading us into what will likely be an epic final three episodes—the theme of the greater good is at hand. If something bad is happening to others it will eventually become the problem of others. This is the beginning of recruiting dissenters to join the rebellion to combat what the Empire is doing—and allowing in the criminal underworld.
Eric Onkenhout
Not a lot happens in Infested. There’s nothing significant at stake, but again like Common Ground (which indirectly focuses on Omega), Infested is about Omega and Ruby and their instincts on people. It’s about how Omega does what’s right because she is still a child and doesn’t think beyond what’s the right thing to do. Omega hasn’t become a jaded adult yet. She doesn’t think about self-preservation or “that’s not my problem.” Animals, like Ruby, also have instincts that tell them when a person is good or not. Ruby clearly likes Roland and Omega sees that. Omega even says, “Ruby likes him. He can’t be all bad.” Some might take Omega’s willingness to trust as naivete, but I’d rather be a little naive than jaded.
Sneaking into Cid’s office and going back to retrieve the spice goes relatively well. There isn’t much of a threat besides some giant flying bugs. With the webs below, I was expecting a scene from The Mandalorian. Yea, that scene with the creepy crawlers. I thought when Wrecker and Cid went back in to retrieve the spice that one of them wasn’t coming out. The episode was going a little too smoothly, and it needed to be shaken up. And they were so casual about it all. But nope, in and out without a hitch. Yes, there was a blaster fight with Roland’s guys, but still nothing the Bad Batch couldn’t handle.
Typically when there are episodes that seem like nothing is happening, subtle character-building occurs. And it’s these episodes that get referred back to when the story climaxes later on. Then the lightbulb turns on. Remember when Omega did that thing? Oh, yea! That makes total sense now.
I continue enjoying the Bad Batch’s dealings with the criminal underworld because it leads me to believe that it’s laying the groundwork for connections with The Book of Boba Fett or the War of the Bounty Hunters. Just a hunch.
An episode like this would’ve been a perfect opportunity to explore more of Cid’s backstory. For example, when Ronan takes over Cid’s establishment, Cid could’ve explained that this was all she had. How did she obtain the place, to begin with? Perhaps in doing so, Hunter and the rest would see Cid through a different perspective and vice versa.
I personally hope we see Ronan again. He reminded me of Lando; not a great guy but also not the worst. Could you trust him not to swindle you? No. But at least he’ll do it to your face.
With only two episodes left, I don’t see how they can wrap everything up so quickly. I’m fully expecting a second season. Crosshair is about to hunt the hunter, so these last two episodes should be wild.
Yes, Infested hit the brakes after a few outstanding episodes, but every episode serves its purpose. In a way, I think this is a type of episode George would’ve made to remind us what it’s like to look at experiences through a child’s mind. And everyone would give George a hard time because it wasn’t gritty enough, only to later realize the genius of it all. Although I know there will be loads of people infesting the interwebs calling this episode “filler,” in my experience, there is no such thing as filler.
Mark Mulcaster and Mark Newbold discuss Infested on Episode 101 of Making Tracks
