Two "Bad Batch" episodes in one week was an excellent "May the 4th" gift from Star Wars HQ,
and the second installment of the Disney+ series is full of fun references from the galaxy far,
far away. Here are the small details you may have missed in Episode 2: "Cut and Run"
In many ways, the "Star Wars" universe is actually pretty small.
While there's an entire galaxy's worth of star systems out there,
"Star Wars" stories tend to revisit the same worlds over and over. The Saleucami system,
the setting for the second episode of "The Bad Batch," is no exception.
Diehard "Star Wars" fans probably knew that the Bad Batch was headed to Saleucami before the
episode even aired. At the end of the "Bad Batch" pilot, Hunter tells Tech to plot a course for
J-19. That's the designation for the sector which contains Saleucami, as revealed in the "Star Wars:
The Clone Wars" episode "Grievous Intrigue." In that episode, the commander of the Separatists'
droid army, General Grievous, captures Jedi Master Eeth Koth and takes him to Saleucami,
forcing Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywaker, and Master Adi Gallia to mount a rescue mission.
The Jedi save Koth, but Grievous crash-lands on Saleucami, setting up the events of the
next episode, "The Deserter," in which we meet Cut and Suu for the first time. It's not the last time
we'll see Saleucami in the "Star Wars" timeline, either. In "Revenge of the Sith," Saleucami is
where the Jedi Stass Allie is killed while on her speeder bike following the issuing of Order 66.
So Cut, Suu, and their family aren't new characters, but their family farm
has a new look. In "The Deserter," Captain Rex, injured in an attack,
shelters with the clone deserter and his wife. In exchange for their hospitality,
Rex promises not to rat Cut out, and leaves them to live their lives once he's healthy.
Clearly, that happened a while ago, because when "The Bad Batch" reunites viewers with the
Lawquane farm, things look very different. Cut now has a gray streak in his hair,
indicating how much he's aged. His children have grown as well.
The farm itself is now surrounded by a wire fence and other security measures, including
battle droid sentries likely cobbled together from pieces of those destroyed during "The Deserter."
Say what you will about the Empire, but if nothing else, it's very efficient. Presumably,
"Cut and Run" takes place right after Palpatine issued Order 66 and transformed the Republic into
the Galactic Empire — Jedi bodies were still being hauled out of Kamino when the Bad Batch returned,
and they fled almost immediately afterwards — but by the time the clones get to Saleucami,
the Imperial machine is already up and running.
You can see this best when Cut and Hunter head into town to get the lay of the land.
Instead of the eight-pointed Emblem of the Galactic Republic, all government buildings now
sport the six-spoked Imperial crest. The language has been updated, too. The kiosk where the clone
troopers issue chain codes and shuttle tickets has been re-named the "Imperial Information Station."
"Those credits won't do you any good without a chain code. New galactic policy."
The Imperial chain codes that cause Cut, Suu, and the Bad Batch so much trouble are pretty new
additions to "Star Wars" canon, too. They were first mentioned in the pilot episode of "The
Mandalorian," and have only actually popped up on screen once: In episode 14 of "The Mandalorian,"
Boba Fett shares his chain code with Din Djarin in order to prove ownership of his beskar armor.
The Bad Batch aren't the only clones who escaped Order 66. In the final episodes of
"The Clone Wars" series finale, Ahsoka Tano disables Clone Captain Rex's inhibitor chip,
freeing him from Emperor Palpatine's mind control. In turn, Rex helps Ahsoka escape the clone army
and fake her death, paving the way for her return in "Star Wars Rebels" and "The Mandalorian."
That's why, when Rex gets name-dropped in "Cut and Run," it's a big deal.
Rex is a major figure in "Star Wars" lore: Not only was he Anakin Skywalker's
second-in-command during the Clone Wars, but he ended up fighting for the Rebellion
thanks to the heroes of "Star Wars Rebels." He even fought on the forest moon of Endor,
helping the Rebels destroy the second Death Star and bringing the Empire to its knees.
However, we know absolutely nothing about what Rex was up to between "The Clone Wars" and "Star
Wars Rebels," leaving a huge gap in his history — one that "The Bad Batch" looks like it's going to
fill. Not only has Rex been sighted in trailers for "The Bad Batch," but Cut and Suu mention that
the Bad Batch are only a day or so behind him. Expect Rex to show up sooner rather than later.
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