Review: Star Wars The Bad Batch “Return to Kamino”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

In the first part of the season finale, the Bad Batch set out to rescue Hunter from Crosshair. Unfortunately, during their rescue mission, they find themselves in dangerous territory in Kamino.

Our Take:

After a series of filler assignments and lore-heavy guest appearances, we’re finally in the final stretch of Disney+’s latest Star Wars cartoon. Although, there’s very little reason to celebrate. Last week, they accomplished their mission to rescue clone commando Gregor, but Hunter was left behind to be captured by the Empire. The situation prompted the gang to form a rescue mission of their own, but will they be able to save him on time?

“Return to Kamino”, also known as “Finale Part 1”, picks up where “War-Mantle” left off, with Hunter being taken back to Kamino. Crosshair plans to use Hunter’s comm-link to lure the other members to his trap and convince them to join the Empire. The gang will have to stay on their feet to save Hunter and possibly Crosshair and escape Kamino alive.

The first half of the finale brought the series back to its main story arc in a suitable fashion. Not only did it feature plenty of heart-pounding moments in its action and animation, but it also had some revelations that impact the relationship between the Batch and Crosshair. The rescue mission format is still present in the episode, but it’s done in a way that didn’t feel too repetitive.

The episode featured a scene where the Batch enters Kamino through a remote transport system that leads to the research lab, where the characters originated from experiment unit 99. While it was pretty brief, it did showcase a possibility of the writers doing an episode involving their early days. The main highlight was the conflict between Crosshair and the Batch, with the sequence involving the Batch battling the training droids being my second favorite.  

They often clash with one another throughout the season, with Hunter attempting to make Crosshair come to his senses. The episode continued that aspect with solid results. But, more importantly, it did a complete 180 by revealing the shocking truth behind Crosshair’s motivation. It turns out that Crosshair has removed the chip not too long ago, meaning that he stayed with the Empire with his own free will because Hunter wasn’t loyal to him. The writers handled this surprising twist very well because it further developed the characters’ relationship with one another without succumbing to its mind control formula.

I also thought the cliffhanger ending was terrific regarding the direction. With the cloning technology in their possession, the Empire opened fire on Kamino, forcing the Batch to flee with their lives. Thanks to the combination of its animation and Kevin Kiner’s stellar score, the ending became one of my favorite scenes in the entire season. It added enough intensity in its stakes to prompt viewers, including myself, to stick around for next week’s finale. Although, the impact did happen to falter a bit due to Disney+ announcing the show’s renewal for a second season before the episode aired.

Overall, the “Return to Kamino” episode was a riveting beginning of its two-part season finale. With its good use of animation and storytelling, the first half of its conclusion managed to kick the series into overdrive and never lets up until the end. Its mistimed season two announcement affected the episode’s impact, but the writers made an apparent effort to make it thrilling regardless. So how will the characters make it out of this predicament? The answer will be revealed next week, so stay tuned.