The Bad Batch Spoiler Recap: Devil's Deal

With only six episodes left in the season, The Bad Batch delivered both a refreshing change of pace and unexpected connections to other Star Wars stories. It also doubled down on themes that were just beginning to be explored last week.

Also, Crosshair was here this week, making it only two episodes since we saw him last. And don’t worry, we’ll circle back to Crosshair in a minute.

The episode opened, as last week did, on a planet newly under Imperial occupation. In this case, the planet is Ryloth and as a result we are greeted with a few familiar faces, like Senator Orn Free Taa and General Cham Syndulla. Also present at this meeting with Imperial representatives is Cham’s wife Eleni - who looks exactly like her daughter will in 20 years time - and a Clone Trooper by the name of Howzer, who seems friendly with the Syndullas. 

The people of Ryloth are not content to lay down their weapons and stop fighting in the face of Imperial occupation, but in a surprising show of cooperation, Cham encourages them all to disarm themselves and embrace the protection of the Clone Army. While most are willing to comply with the charismatic General, not everyone is. There’s trouble brewing on Ryloth, and Crosshair is keeping an eye out. 

Speaking of trouble, and of keeping an eye out, the Ryloth resistance has sent a young operative to monitor the Imperial refinery that was the source of all the tension among the people. The operative in question? None other than a young Hera Syndulla herself! Though she does try to gather intel for current resistance leader Gobi Ghli, as her mother mentioned earlier, Hera’s true interests lie elsewhere. Namely, in the clouds. The girl might play the part of a resistance fighter, but even as a child, she is a pilot through and through. 

Hera is caught and taken home, where Howzer cautions Cham that while he will let this one slide, he won’t be able to do much if it happens again. From there, the episode takes a turn into the kind of story many had hoped for when the show first premiered, but which was difficult to execute given the premise.

We got our first taste of this kind of story last week, with the occupation of Raxus. But where that quickly turned into a Bad Batch mission-centric episode, “Devil’s Deal” makes the bold choice of staying with the Ryloth resistance throughout. In fact, we only spend a handful of minutes with the titular Bad Batch. 

Though Hera has been slightly chastened following her ordeal, all it takes is Gobi promising to teach her to fly for her to sneak off with the resistance once more. Gobi does not agree with Cham’s approach of putting their safety in the hands of the Empire, and heads to a remote location on a nearby moon to purchase weapons from a contact. 

The contact? Cid. The delivery crew? The Bad Batch. Yes, it seems that even though Omega bought their freedom last week, the team is still in need of funds and as a result is still in Cid’s employ. 

In a particularly sweet moment, Omega and Hera bond over piloting and over what it means to be young and living in circumstances that make it difficult to live like a typical child. Omega lives onboard a starship with four soldiers who never know what the next day will bring. Hera lives at the heart of the resistance movement, yet is forbidden from taking part, even if it appears to be the only way she’ll ever get to live her dreams.

Once they complete their supply run and return to Ryloth, things take a turn for the worse. Crosshair, who had planted a tracking device on Gobi’s ship before they left, tracks them to a remote location and shoots the ship down. Though Crosshair notes that resistance spies can see everything they’re doing, Rampart tells him to let them make their report, so word can get back to Cham. Hera, Gobi and crew are apprehended by the Clone Troopers, and found guilty of treason without trial, prompting Cham and Eleni to mount a rescue. 

Though successful, the whole thing is merely a ploy to draw out Cham and get him to commit a crime grievous enough to get him arrested. Rampart allows their convoy to be taken and surrenders, hoping that Cham will execute Orn Free Taa in a fit of anger. When he fails to do so, Rampart’s backup plan kicks in: Crosshair, hidden on a ridge, delivers a single shot to Taa’s head.

I will note, this was a little confusing since I don’t think anyone could survive a shot to the head like that, but Rampart refers to the incident as “attempted murder”. Perhaps we’ll get some clarity on Taa’s status next week. 

The true strength of this episode, beyond showing how the Empire’s reach and influence is steadily growing, is showing the way the new regime affects the Clones who aren’t the Bad Batch (or Rex, of course).

There is Crosshair, who has recovered from his injury enough to now be fully entrenched on the front lines once again. As a friend of the Geeky Waffle, Hannah, pointed out the bulk of the remaining damage on his head seems to be located around where his inhibitor chip would be. It would be interesting to learn that the chip was completely damaged when Crosshair was injured, and his devotion to the Empire is all him, and not something being forced on him. That particular narrative arc has a lot of potential, and I hope it’s explored.

Then there is Howzer, a new Clone Trooper character. Though he is in service to the Empire, and appears to be good at his job, it’s clear he has some objections to the way things are carried out. He is friendly with the Syndullas, and seemingly reluctant to carry out the more aggressive orders. This is quite a contrast from the mindless drones the rest of the Clones appeared to be in the pilot episode, which makes me wonder if the newer generation of Troopers - who would still be stationed on Kamino - were bred to be even more docile than their counterparts already in the field? 

Or perhaps it's something else? The final season of The Clone Wars showed Rex’s reluctance to kill Ahsoka because the two of them had formed an attachment. I wonder if it is that connection to a world and to relationships outside of the army that makes it easier for Clones to break their conditioning?

“Devil’s Deal” ended on a cliffhanger, with the Twi’lek adults arrested and Hera on the run. It’s obvious given the title of the show that the Bad Batch are going to step in and help at some point, but I wonder who will be the one to make that call.

I hope the show doesn’t shy away from episodes like this in the future. In sticking so close to the Batch, the audience doesn’t get much perspective on the struggles of the galaxy at large. But if the Batch have to find a new place for themselves in the changing world, then the show serves its audience well by showing exactly how the world is changing. 

What did you think? Did you miss the Batch this week? Has Crosshair’s chip burned out? Are you also a little in love with Howzer? Did you know Hera’s mom’s name before you read the credits? Join us for Bad Bitches on the Bad Batch, our biweekly livestream to dive in! And for more Star Wars discussion, don’t forget to subscribe to “Space Waffles”, our Star Wars focused podcast!

The Bad Batch is streaming now on Disney+ with new episodes every Friday.