Star Wars the Bad Batch Season 1 Episode 10, DEVIL’S DEAL has finally been released,
and with it we return to the home of the Twi’lek People, Ryloth.
This episode gives us an absolute ton of connections to the Star Wars TV shows, books and comics,
So, lets break down everything that went down in the episode, and how they will affect the
series going forward.
Before we get into it, make sure you’re subscribed for more awesome Bad Batch content!
So the story begins on the Twi’Lek homeworld of Ryloth.
Right away we get a flurry of awesome character appearances, beginning with Gobi, who first
appeared in the Clone Wars and later in Star Wars Rebels as one of Cham Syndulla’s right
hand men in the Ryloth Resistance movement.
After that, we are introduced to the mother of Hera Syndulla Eleni, who is standing by
her husband Cham Syndulla, who has been fighting for Ryloth’s freedom since the Clone Wars
kicked off.
For those of you who don’t know, Hera Syndulla was the pilot of the Ghost, and became a very
influential member of the Early Rebel alliance, even having her name called over the Intercom
in Rogue One.
The empire is promising Cham Syndulla that this is the peace he has fought for all of
these years, but of course we know from Rebels he has a very different view on things.
And after that, we are introduced to a brand new, original Clone Trooper for the Bad Batch
series, Captain HOWZER.
His color scheme is a teal color, different from the 501st, and he actually has a toy
package with the name Captain Ballast on it, which means that either his name was changed
after the toy line was made, or gets the name Ballast later, or it could even just be a
nickname given to him by Cham Syndulla later on.
Following that, the massive senator for Ryloth, Orn Free Taa makes a speech to his people,
urging them to give up their resistance as the Clone Wars are now over, and the Imperials
has arrived to bring peace, freedom, justice and security to their new empire.
Orn Free Taa has been the pompous senator for this planet since the Phantom Menace appearing
in The Phantom Menace Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, As well as The Clone
Wars and the Lords of the Sith Novel.
And I’ll get into that small controversy later in the video.
After this, Admiral Rampart, the man behind Project War Mantle asks Hera’s mother where
her daughter is, but she tells him that Hera has other interests.
We then cut to a mountain peak, where Hera Syndulla herself is joined by Chopper, who
you will of course also Remember from Star Wars: Rebels.
Chopper is the very murderous astromech droid who served in the Phoenix Squadron as Hera
Syndulla’s droid, and just like her, he was also featured in Rogue one at the Rebel
base on Yavin.
Both Chopper and Syndulla fought at the Battle of Scarif to steal the Death Star plans for
the Rebel alliance, and not to mention he also became one of the Galaxy’s biggest
war criminals in the time before Yavin...
Unfortunately for the two, they are in an imperial restricted zone and are quickly caught
by Howzer and the other clones, before being brought back to Cham and her mother at their
house.
This is also the same house compound that was captured by Grand Admiral Thrawn in Star
Wars Rebels, where he turned it into his base of operations while occupying Ryloth.
Once Howzer brings Hera back to her father, the Clone tells Cham that he won’t report
this little incident, but it really can’t happen again because things are tight between
the Clones and the Empire right now.
This is a sign towards Howzer possibly having a damaged inhibitor chip, or a higher level
of independence that the other Clones after Order 66.
As Hera’s mother is walking her back inside, we can see a crashed Y-Wing in the background.
This is likely the same Y-Wing that Hera pulled Chopper out of during the Clone Wars, and
rescued him after he crashed, thus beginning their long friendship.
From star wars: rebels, we know that Chopper served the REpublic aboard a Y-Wing but was
shot down over the planes of Ryloth, before his rescue by Hera.
Back with Cham Syndulla, Gobi, his close ally admits that he sent Hera out to spy on the
imperial refinery nearby, which angers Cham, because he knows that this transition period
from the Republic to the Empire is a very delicate point.
Following this, Orn Free Taa once again screws the people of Ryloth by putting doubt on Cham
Syndulla’s loyalty to the Empire, which Crosshair and Rampart take very close note
of.
While this is happening, Hera gazes up the skies, dreaming of being a pilot, as she explained
in Rebels, but her father wants to give her a prosperous life on Ryloth.
After this, Admiral Rampart takes the Syndulla’s to the local imperial refinery where we learn
they are mining and refining Doonium.
This substance features in the Thrawn Books, the Rogue one Prequel novels, and others,
and is primarily used in the construction of Imperial Starships.
Without this resource, the Empire cannot grow it’s military and project it’s strength
across the galaxy, one of the core pillars of Palpatine’s rule.
Immediately after this happens, Gobi is about to take a ship off world to do a supply run
for weapons, with his contact and convinces Hera to come along by letting her fly the
ship, which of course is her dream.
Unfortunately however, Crosshair manages to shoot a tracker onto their ship, monitoring
their every move.
Upon landing, Gobi is met by his contact, which happens to be the Bad Batch.
Hera and Omega quickly become friends, as Omega shows her around the ship, and Hera
teaches her about the feeling of flying.
Not long after though, they leave and Crosshair immediately shoots their ship down, leaving
them in a pretty dangerous spot.
As the ship crashes down onto the surface of Ryloth, Crosshair and his elite squad,
flanked by Kamino-born clones rush onto the scene to investigate, seizing all of the weapons
and sadly arresting the three Twi’Leks.
While standing at blaster-point, Admiral Rampart arrives on a Clone Turbo tank from Revenge
of the Sith, and declares that Hera, along with Gobi and the other Twi’Lek are guilty
of treason against the Empire, before shuttling them back to the Capital.
Clone Captain Howzer objects to this, because she’s only a child, again possibly hinting
that his chip has malfunctioned or been damaged.
Rex did actually say that a few other clones were able to resist Order 66 while on Bracca,
so maybe the same thing is happening to Howzer and causing him to show some unlikely sympathy.
Upon hearing this news from Chopper, Cham and Hera’s mother immediately know they
have to act fast or their daughter will be executed, along with Gobi and anyone else
who speaks up.
During Hera’s transport back to the capital, members of the Free Ryloth movement are posted
nearby, and ride Blurrgs to chase down the transport.
Blurrgs were of course seen being ridden on Ryloth by the Twi’Leks in the Clone Wars
and Rebels, as well as featuring in the Mandalorian.
After this, the Ryloth resistance manages to swoop in on the Transport and take out
the driver, before opening up the Vessel.
Rampart immediately surrenders as he wants to keep them alive, which deeply offends the
huge Orn Free Taa, who of course only thinks of himself and does not want to surrender.
After capturing Rampart, Orn Free Taa and Howzer, Eleni sends Hera away with Chopper,
while Cham descends into a fit of rage and holds his blaster to the chest of Orn Free
Taa, ready to kill him on the spot for what he’s done to the people of Ryloth and his
lack of care for their suffering.
Eleni however stops her husband from killing Orn Free Taa, and instead Crosshair takes
a pinpoint shot from above, grazing the Senator’s head in show to his Lekku.
Now there is currently a huge debate over whether or not he is dead, because his death
would be an obvious and blatant retcon to the Canon Lords of the Sith Novel, featuring
Darth Vader and Darth Sidious.
According to Rampart however, this was an “attempted assasination”, and you can
see Orn Free Taa breathing and twitching on the stretcher, moving his arms and legs slightly,
so it looks like he’s alive.
Either way, we’ll be given a definite answer in the next episode, as we’re likely returning
for a small story arc.
Unfortunately, we’re also very likely to see the Death of Hera’s mother in the next
few episodes, because we know she dies in this time period from Rebels, and we don’t
see her in any other content apart from that.
That will be sad to see, but unfortunately it’s almost inevitable at this point.
And to end the episode, Hera is left terrified as she is taken away from the scene of the
arrests, and Gobi, Cham, Eleni and the others are taken in by Rampart, read for a return
next episode where we likely see the Ryloth rebels rise up and begin open acts of rebellion
and defiance against Admiral Rampart’s rule of Ryloth.
It’s definitely going to be interesting to watch captain Howzer going forward, as
he could be a major plot point, if his chip is actually damaged.
So that was my full breakdown of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, season 1 Episode 11 Devil’s
deal, featuring the Return of Hera Syndulla, Cham Syndulla, her mother and the Free Ryloth
Movement.
Thanks so much for watching, really hope you enjoyed the video.
Cheers guys, hope to see you in the next one!