Every time an episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch lands, Fantha Tracks will be giving their responses, and here are our initial gut feelings, deep dives and thoughts on episode thirteen of season three, ‘Into The Breach. Beware of spoilerific elements in here.
Dan Lo
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it”. The statement sounds harmless enough at first, until we realize that only someone in a total state of hopelessness would make such a declaration. It was the only consolation that the force-sensitive kids could muster up for Omega at the start of Into the Breach, but fortunately the young clone does not share in their despondency.
In the previous review, I blurted out that it so far didn’t really matter that the captive was Rampart beyond serving as a necessarily reluctant source of information in the story. I said this in part because I didn’t have much recollection of what he had done earlier on the show, and therefore had no dots to connect. Well, it didn’t take long for his character to matter a whole lot more. If there was any doubt before, we can confirm that Rampart very much enjoys being in a position of authority with his “I’ve missed this” line. The partnership appears to be a good enough fit so far: Rampart helped the clones navigate the Imperial environment before passing off the baton to our heroes, with just enough doubt injected into the story to keep us on our toes. How many documented cases of stolen shuttles and clearance codes do we have now?
I’m not sure I have a whole lot more to say about the episode. Aside from a few inconsequential close calls experienced by Omega and Echo, everything more or less went according to plan. Well, that might be the problem: Will Hunter and company be breaking into Tantiss as Omega is sneaking out with the younglings? I will say though, that was one of the coolest endings of an episode.
Mark Newbold
Who knew when season three began that not only would Rampart be an unlikely hero, but also be instrumental in finding the location of Mount Tantiss and finding Omega, but that’s where we find ourselves in the 13th episode Into The Breach. Of course, we’re not out of the woods yet; there’s plenty of time for the former Vice Admiral to turn on Clone Force 99 and betray them, but throughout this episode while he’s complaining and grumbling all the way you do get the sense that he’s quietly enjoying it. That said, the gamble he’s taking with the Batch is incredibly bold, taking them into the depths of Imperial space to a Station 003 high above Coruscant – literally the vipers nest – to steal the co-ordinates for Tantiss.
However, there’s a twist (when isn’t there) when we learn the co-ordinates are fed to the vessel right before leaping to hyperspace, so it takes some incredible flying from Hunter and the boldest of manoeuvers to latch on to the underside of the Imperial vessel as it jumps away. For action, this episode doesn’t scrimp one iota.
The object of their efforts is having a similarly tough time, though not in a physical way. Her challenges are far more psychological, but in true Omega style she sees an angle and also decides to gamble, telling her fellow inmates that she’s going to get them out of their confinement in the Vault. We know she’s sneaky (fearless and inventive) and lifting an implement from one of the staff she pops a panel from the wall, seeing that it leads up and away from their cell. Knowing how she works, she’ll find a way even as her brothers are now on their way to find her.
She’s not the only star of the episode, with Rampart and especially Echo having key moments along with Hunter. Due to his size (which would stand out like a sore Nunb) Wrecker is less present, though he does help keep Imperial eyes shielded as they wait about the station, and as we head out of the episode and on to the 14th and penultimate episode of the series we’re as invested and intrigued as ever. The balance of action, suspense, foreboding and dread is absolutely gripping, and just like I felt reading the final few issues of Bounty Hunters, I’m missing this show already.
Eric Onkenhout
In Into the Breach, episode 13 of the 15 episode third and final season, the former Vice Admiral reiterates that Hemlock keeps Tantiss Base a closely guarded secret. Any ship going there must first dock at Imperial Station 003, which orbits Coruscant. There, the coordinates are transmitted directly to the navigation computer. Studying a hologram of the station, Hunter proposes traveling to the station and finding a ship departing for Tantiss and pulling its coordinates. The Batch use Rampart to disguise as an Imperial Captain to sneak aboard the Imperial Station while the Batch are his security detail.
Meanwhile with Wrecker waiting at the shuttle the docking bay Lieutenant decides to ask Wrecker about some inconsistencies. I loved how Wrecker is just hanging out looking at a device like a phone while his feet are bouncing. Wrecker “sidelines” him. Echo learns that the science vessel is scheduled to depart from Bay 8. Unfortunately, the vessel is tagged for direct uplink after it launches so pulling the coordinates from the navicomputer is impossible.
Echo offers to sneak aboard the science vessel and disable the proximity sensors, allowing Hunter and Crosshair to attach their shuttle to the vessel before it leaves for Tantiss. The plan is diabolic! Complicated but easy to follow. Echo successfully sneaks aboard the vessel and deactivates the proximity sensor after it takes off. Hunter docks the shuttle just before they leave for Tantiss. It got a bit tense but the plan is going well so far. The one thing I considered was when a ship enters hyperspace it compensates for G-forces. But a ship attached to a ship entering hyperspace wouldn’t do that because its navicomputer isn’t set for that. So does that mean the shuttle Hunter, Crosshair, Wrecker, and, Rampart are in is pulling high G-forces? I know there isn’t science in Star Wars but we have cloning and science doctors. I’m curious if this is explored in the next episode.
Into the Breach was one of my favorite episodes this season. Really great stuff in this one. I loved seeing the Imperial station, which looked very A New Hope-ish. Wrecker’s side comments were totally unnecessary but fit perfectly. That’s when you know the writing is free and natural. It was tense but really pulled me in from start to finish. The scenes with Omega planning her escape were okay. It reminded me of Shawshank Redemption. There is only one way out for Omega.
Ross Hollebon
Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, Echo, and Rampart are living dangerously, trying to find Omega’s location at Tantiss Base. In the meantime, Omega is the new boss of the prison yard in the Vault.. We see her cunning bravado, rallying her younger troop of fellow specimens (Eva, Jax, Sami, and the baby Bayrn), stealing tools for a potential breakout, and mapping out their location. This impresses the children and their hope is elevated, but it is the other crew I’m most interested in this week.
The current edition of The Bad Batch is desperate yet determined. The rebellion creatively acquires an Imperial ship that Echo brings to the crew, complete with codes to get through checkpoints. Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair each play their role in preparation and planning, and then there is the wild card, Rampart.
Rampart: Defined as a protective barrier. In fortification architecture, it is a length of embankment or wall forming part of the defensive boundary of a castle, hillfort, settlement, or other fortified site.
Is he the final line of defense for Dr. Hemlock and the hidden, fortified Tantiss Base? Or does Rampart’s role, after being liberated by the Batch from the Imperial labor camp, begin to favor the Empire’s enemies? On the orbital station, he is brilliant in his tasks of subterfuge, easily coming into character as an uppity Imperial leader, bossing around subordinates. Rampart is intimidating and bullies to get what he wants—and elevates himself as a source of wonderful, dry, comic relief for the show.
And Rampart is a key element in everyone’s Russian roulette game of trust. Crosshair explains it to him bluntly, “You’re going to have to trust us. Just like we have to trust you.” Rampart isn’t a fan of not having ultimate control, but he’s witnessed plenty of examples of the Bad Batch trusting one another in critical situations, including the final harrowing moments of tense activity. Hunter, piloting the stolen Imperial ship, is giving Echo, aboard the science ship headed for Tantiss Base, until the literal last moment to disable the proximity sensors.
This is their “into the breach” moment, with everything on the line to rescue Omega and the imprisoned Clones. Rampart desperately calls to abort the mission, but Crosshair, again, steps up to enlighten his former commanding officer by explaining, “Relax, Echo’s on it.” Without a second to spare Echo disables the sensor and Hunter attaches to the ship—which immediately enters hyperspace, apparently intended for Tantiss. Will they indeed reach Tantiss, and what impact will this immersion into the antics of Clone Force 99 have on Rampart? Will it even matter? The penultimate episode of the series awaits.
- THE HOLOCOMM COLLECTION: Receive transmissions from the dark side with The Black Series Holocomm collection, featuring light-up holopucks
- PREMIUM DESIGN AND ARTICULATION: Fans can display this Darth Vader 6 inch action figure (15 cm) – with hologram-style deco, and multiple articulation points -- in their collections
- UNIQUE ACCESSORIES: This collectible figure includes 3 accessories, including the holopuck and chip -- a great gift for fans and collectors ages 4 and up
- LIGHT-UP DISPLAY: Press the button on the puck to light up the bottom and illuminate the figure. Press and hold for a 30-minute light display!
- WINDOW BOX PACKAGING: Display the figure in or out of box with packaging featuring Aurebesh writing and hologram-style character art
