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 tenth episode of season 1 of The Bad Batch – Common Ground. Beware of spoilerific elements in here.
Eric Onkenhout
Out of all of the episodes so far in The Bad Batch, Common Ground was the most Clone Wars-esque. There were ex-Separatist planets, clone troopers, and politics. What struck me right away was how the episode began. Most of the episodes started with The Bad Batch in the first scene, if I remember correctly. Common Ground had a gradual opening. First impressions are it was a slower episode than previous ones, and even though she wasn’t in it much, the focus was on Omega. This leaves the guys with a relatively straightforward plot to explore. This is how it went down.
Common Ground opens with a beautiful wide-angle shot of a government building on Raxus Secundus (more commonly known as Raxus). The Empire is now in control, but the people of Raxus aren’t quite as happy with the post-war political situation or occupation. Raxus first appeared in season 3, episode 10 of The Clone Wars, Heroes on Both Sides, which aired on 10 November 2010, at which time Raxus was the capital planet of the Confederate of Independent Systems. Raxus was also home to senator Mina Bonteri, a friend of senator Padme Amidala of the Republic.
From the balcony of the government building, Imperial Captain Bragg speaks of the Empire’s intentions and how lucky Raxus is to have the Empire maintain peace on their planet. Former separatist senator of Raxus, Avi Singh, is threatened to support the Empire’s occupation or risk imprisonment. As he begins speaking, he quickly decides he cannot betray his people and denounces the Imperial occupation. Bragg gives the nod to the awaiting troopers, a sign to take him away. The crowd, who was cheering Singh, becomes unruly. Soldiers stationed nearby use force to quiet the uprising. It’s interesting how the Empire speaks of peace but is quick to use violence to silence those who speak against them.
What is the price for peace? The Empire uses assault walkers to suppress its citizens. AT-TE’s are weapons of war, equipped with artillery meant to destroy large droid vehicles. Bragg sighs when she gives the nod. Clearly, she doesn’t understand why people choose to disobey rather than accepting the circumstances. Meanwhile, Singh’s protocol droid, an RA-7 droid called GS-8, contacts Cid for help. I’m curious how they knew each other.
I’d consider this to be the prologue. Now the episode really begins. On Ord Mantell, Cid tells the guys that she has an extraction mission on Raxus. I’ve gotten a bit tired of Cid’s poor treatment of the guys. They’ve performed their tasks with high success rates, but she continues to treat them as if they’re low-level droid help. Hunter isn’t thrilled about helping a former Separatist or bringing Omega to an Imperial occupied planet.
Cid and Hunter agree to leave Omega with Cid for the duration of the mission. As an increasingly important member of the squad, Omega is disappointed with being left behind but takes the news like a trooper. Hunter, Tech, Echo, and Wrecker leave for Raxus, which I’ll say is a beautiful planet. Much nicer than the Raxus Prime from the 2002 The Clone Wars video game, which was covered in toxic waste.
Tech and Echo have differing opinions on helping a former Separatist, and no one is thrilled with helping a droid. The clones have lingering negative feelings towards droids since the end of the war. Back on Ord Mantell, Omega learns some life lessons from Cid. She definitely has a way with people.
When I said Common Ground was Clone Wars-esque, it’s because as the squad infiltrates the compound, they move about like clone troopers on a droid-controlled based. Yes, they are clones, but they take out stormtroopers like they were battle droids. Stealth, trickery, smoke bombs, EMP’s all of which were used against droids, are now used against stormtroopers. And a little too quickly, in my opinion. I liked how they only used stunned blasts to subdue the stormtroopers. How very considerate.
Speaking of Omega, Hunter orders Tech and Omega (who isn’t on the mission) to loop around. Obviously, Hunter is concerned about her well-being and probably feels a little guilty for leaving her behind with Cid. Hunter is also probably feeling a little extra over-protective after getting Omega back from Cad Bane. Understandable, but Omega has far proven herself capable and an essential part of the squad.
Like I said, Common Ground‘s plot is pretty predictable. Clone Force 99 rescues senator Avi Singh who leaves with the squad as they return to Cid’s. By now, Omega is relieving everyone one of the credits at dejarik. With the debt owed to Cid paid off, Omega proves herself once again a vital member. As I was saying, Common Ground may have taken place on Raxus, but the primary focus was on Omega and how she proved her importance by contributing without actually going on the mission. Brilliant! I just wish we could’ve seen the outcome of her match with Hunter. My guess is she won.
Common Ground snuck in some Clone Wars, but underneath was the real story. There’s no question in my mind that Omega is The Bad Batch‘s Grogu. And I’m confident that Omega will appear in more seasons of The Bad Batch and maybe even other media down the road. After all, she is the Omega.
Becca Benjamin
In episode 10 of The Bad Batch, Common Ground, the squad is hired to rescue a Separatist Senator. And once again, clone force 99 is made to reconcile their traditional Clone War political views for a job, which is a job to pay off their ever-growing debt to Cid.
Just as their debt seems to be growing, so is the danger per each job assigned by Cid. And this time around, they decide (specifically Hunter) that it’s just too dangerous to bring Omega along with them. Instead, Omega finds herself staying behind in the care of Cid on Ord Mantell doing cleanup duty like the losing team on Gordon Ramsey’s “Hell’s Kitchen.”
Coincidentally, Omega overhears Cid playing a game of holochess (yes, the same game we first were introduced to in Star Wars: A New Hope) and advises Cid to rethink her strategy. It’s this moment that becomes a silver lining for not just Omega but Cid as well. See, it doesn’t take long for someone as shady as Cid to spot a money making talent and exploit it. Hmmm, makes one wonder, could gambling professionally be in the cards for a grownup Omega? If so, I think Lando better be the one buckling up for that ride.
Anyway, moving on, while Miss Prodigy herself is kicking butt and taking names and making money, too, the boys seem to have gone back in time to the Clone Wars on Raxus for one last battle. Only, their mission is to rescue an old enemy, make an alliance, and at the very least, find some common ground. While that may be a short synopsis of this week’s episode, the imagery and the music in The Bad Batch continues to be larger than life when it comes to animation; it’s mind-blowingly cinematic!
All in all, it’s a great episode that plants some intriguing seeds for what’s yet to come. Especially seeing as they’re now debt-free with some extra credits in their pockets and a budding gambler in their ranks to boot, I’d say the galaxy is now their oyster.
Again, time will tell. Until next week, “the mission is over.”
Ross Hollebon
The Bad Batch continues having a hard time, at the micro and macro level, understanding how the Empire is impacting their new reality. This week we are taken aboard the Havoc Marauder to Raxus’ capital city of Raxulon, the former center of the Separatist government originally introduced in the third season of The Clone Wars.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is very real and no one may suffer from it more, in this series, than Echo. Tortured and altered by Minister Wat Tambor for the Techno Union—Echo has battled his way back but understandably holds a deep-rooted grudge against anyone associated with the Separatists. But it is now the Empire that is the true foe and Echo needs to focus on the task at hand for the greater good benefit. But the former ARC Trooper isn’t the only member of the crew managing a battle between his ears.
It is wonderful to see Clone Force 99 in action once again—doing what they do best on secret missions without worrying about the newest, and youngest, member of the crew—but it continues the learning experience for Hunter. The leader commands Omega to stay behind with Cid on Ord Mantell City so she can remain safe. At this point Hunter doesn’t realize the value the young clone can provide to the squad, primarily because he is so concerned with protecting her from bounty hunters.
Omega, stuck in Cid’s Cantina, tasked with scrubbing down the bar, once again finds a way to grow and prove her value and skills. This time it is thriving in the world of gambling after Cid recognizes the young clone’s gift of strategy at the game of dejarik. Games are arranged, with Omega keeping 60% of the winnings and earning enough to get the Bad Batch out of debt to Cid.
At first Hunter is upset that so much attention was brought to Omega and he voices it. Then it dawns on him, after a shoulder brush from Wrecker and a moment to reflect what he just did, that he needs to nurture and guide his young charge—not lock her away.
The rescue on Raxulon was excellent action but it’s more important for these characters to keep learning that they need each other and to let the past be the past as new versions of evil are constantly sprouting up in front of them. Bigger challenges lie ahead so it is a good time to sort out all of these issues.
Carl Bayliss
And so, with Omega being reunited with Clone Force 99 at the end of the last episode, we rejoin the team debating their next move. Whilst Hunter thinks they should lay low for a while, Cid is still after them to clear their debts and sends them on a mission which should pay it off. The mission takes the form of liberating a Separatist senator on Raxus, following his imprisonment for speaking out against the Empire. Naturally our clones have mixed feelings about this having been on opposite sides during the Clone Wars, and the early scenes on Raxus give us more insight in to how worlds react to the promises being made by the new Empire.
Fearful that taking Omega along is a risk with two bounty hunters on her trail, she is left with Cid whilst the rest of the team meet the contact, a protocol droid of the same type as the good old Death Star Droid.
The Bad Batch manage to rescue the senator, despite being attacked by several walkers and squadrons of troopers. Meanwhile, Omega displays an uncanny grasp of holochess and Cid offers to cut her in on a deal to further help pay off the debts by playing against some of the regulars, which after negotiating she agrees to.
We see Cid seemingly warming to Omega, and she has nicknames for the rest of the crew which gives the impression that she likes having them around, although doesn’t want to seem too grateful and give them the upper hand.
After last week, this was a great action-packed episode, although it felt like we were being given a side step before some major plot arc in coming episodes – a little bit of clam before the storm?
Again, a couple of the scenes were near impossible to tell from live action footage, especially if you compare to the mostly CG Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and the music as ever was right on point – emphasising the action and emotions, as all good Star Wars soundtracks should do.
Brian Cameron and Mark Mulcaster discuss Common Ground on Good Morning Tatooine
Mark Mulcaster and Mark Newbold discuss Common Ground on Episode 98 of Making Tracks
- Hardcover Book
- Horton, Cole (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 256 Pages - 11/02/2021 (Publication Date) - DK (Publisher)
