7 Things That Don't Make Sense About The Bad Batch
We are now four episodes into Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Fans have come to know the Bad Batch a little more. Most fans just enjoy the squad’s “the planet of the week” adventures at face value. A few may have unanswered questions concerning our favorite genetically modified clones. These are 7 things that do not make sense about the Bad Batch.
1.) Havoc Marauder
The modified Omicron-class attack shuttle, Havoc Marauder, had been their personal starship for some time. When Admiral Tarkin sent them on a mission to Onderon, the Bad Batch’s standing with the new regime was already on thin ice. Tarkin should have placed some sort of tracking device on their ship as a contingency in case they decided to make a run for it. Even so, Tarkin could have easily installed something later on while they were kept in the makeshift holding cells, especially now that he had decided to try the Bad Batch for treason.
As of episode 4, Echo informed the team (and viewers) that their ship signature is now on the wanted list. Why did the Empire wait so long? They could have easily done this right when they escaped Kamino. Also, why didn’t Tech think to modify the ship signature when they were on Saleucami? One could say that Tech was more concerned with researching the nature of the inhibitor chip instead of handling the ship’s identifier. However, an experienced tracker like Hunter would have had the foresight to remove identification from their personal ship especially after seeing the Imperial presence on Saleucami.
2.) Meeting Padawan Caleb Dume
Where and how did Caleb get in contact with the Bad Batch? Did they happen to be hanging out on Kaller? From the context of episode 1 of The Bad Batch, Caleb left to find any form of reinforcement and just happened to come in contact with the Bad Batch. Should we chalk it up to fate? The will of the Force?
3.) Crosshair In Close Quarters
As an avid player of first-person shooter games, it is distracting to see Crosshair use his blaster rifle scope everywhere, even in close quarters. Any proficient gunner knows that a scope is not efficient in close quarters due to the narrow vision field. He should not need the scope in close quarters anyway with his superior vision and exceptional marksmanship. Perhaps Star Wars sniper rifles have a special setting in the scope to allow for use in close quarters?
4.) Order 66 Transmission
Every clone trooper in commanding position seems to get the Order 66 transmission. On the other hand, in the premiere episode of The Bad Batch, we do not see Hunter receiving the fateful holographic message. Tech was only able to relay “Execute Order 66” to the rest of the squad after cracking into the secure comm channel. Clone Force 99 appears to operate independently with no real direct commander. Did someone just hope that a higher ranking clone trooper would be nearby to relay the message? They could be operating deep behind enemy lines far from everyone like they often do. This is a gross oversight from Palpatine, who would not want a surviving Jedi allied with such an elite force.
5.) Chain of Command
Expanding on the previous point, who is Clone Force 99’s direct commander? We know that Hunter, who holds the rank of sergeant, seems to get called in to specific locations where he would report to the highest ranking field officer there. In a military organization with rigid structure there is always some sort of hierarchy, some sort of a chain of command. The Bad Batch did not seem to report to anyone, not the Jedi council, definitely not the Supreme Chancellor himself. Even the Suicide Squad reports to Amanda Waller. You would think there is someone somewhere overseeing such a volatile group.
6.) Hunter’s Special Ability
“He can put up with the other three.” - Kix
In their first appearance in The Clone Wars, Tech explained that Hunter’s special ability is “feeling” electromagnetic frequencies. However, we have not really seen him utilize this ability. We have no idea how this ability manifests. Does he see different colors? Hear different frequencies? Smell unique scents? This ability was supposedly beneficial when finding bases controlled by the Separatist droid army. However, the team seemed to rely more on Tech for maps and navigation. On the other hand, we do see Hunter use his other skill in tracking down and following the trail of his target much like an actual hunter.
7.) The Inhibitor Chip
Why didn’t the Kaminoans fix the chip malfunction in Bad Batch’s heads? It could have been a part of their quality assurance. In all their meticulous studies, the Kaminoans would have noticed the inhibitor chips not operating in the Bad Batch’s brains. After all, they only needed a quick brain scan. The Kaminoans would have had to run tests to confirm that their modifications were successful. We would not want our special clones to run off into battle and die very quickly because a genetic mutation caused them to not be able to stand for a long period of time. Furthermore, the Bad Batch’s desired mutations were not something that is physically apparent. You cannot tell from first glance that Hunter has the ability to sense electromagnetic fields, Crosshair has exceptional vision, or Tech is very good with technology. All their special powers require extra testing to determine whether their manifested abilities were beneficial to the military.
The inhibitor chip was originally branded as a safeguard against clone troopers becoming too aggressive. Thus, it would have been a part of a healthy soldier checklist. Especially with the Bad Batch’s tendency to go off the book, someone would have constantly checked up on their inhibitor chips to make sure they would not turn against the Republic itself. It was simply too convenient that the Kaminoans did not know of the malfunction until after Order 66 was executed.
Bonus: Omega
Everything about Omega is a mystery. Is she really the clone of Jango Fett? Is she Force-sensitive? Where did she learn to use the blaster so well? Beginner’s luck? Innate abilities? Very keen observation skills? What else can she do?