1x02 Cut and Run

[7.3/10] This one was a bit of a step down from the opening mini-movie, but there’s still plenty to like here. I especially appreciate the throughline of Hunter learning the ropes as a surrogate parent to Omega, and even deciding whether it’s something he’s fit for. As The Mnadalorian demonstrated, star Wars is often a continuing series of Space Dad stories, so continuing on in that vein with these two (relatively) new characters follows a proud tradition.

I also enjoy the use of Cut here. He was one of my favorite one-off characters from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and so getting to see a little more of what he’s made of his life as a deserter is a treat. He also makes a ton of sense as a first stop and resource that post-Republic Clone Troopers would go to and visit to figure out how to hide and what the hell to do with their lives now that the war is over. (Cut mentioning Rex passing through is a nice touch of continuity on that front).

I also like Cut and Sue as basically couches for Hunter when it comes to being a parent. The show is pretty heavy-handed about all of this, but I like the fact that Hunter treats Omega like a soldier, when she needs a more paternal approach. Sue’s line about kids naturally finding trouble, and it being parents’ job to protect them rings true, and evokes a nice change in Hunter’s perspective, dramatized by him accepting Omega as a surrogate daughter because she wants to be with him and the Bad Batch as a family, rather than sending her off with Cut and his family out of a concern for not being able to provide what she needs.

Omega also gets some nice shading here. I’m especially amused at her being so wowed by dirt and not knowing how to throw and catch a ball. There’s a wide-eyed innocence to her that works for a character who’s been cooped up on a training station her whole life, and it’s infectious. At the same time, her running into one of those beasts from the end of Attack of the Clones, feeling gunshy after her curiosity leads her into danger, and yet still being an irrepressible part of the Bad Batch’s operations makes for some good beats for her.

The only catch is that those operations often had trouble holding my attention. There should be tension in the Bad Batch attempting to scrape together some “chain codes” in order to grant Cut and his family safe passage through an Imperial checkpoint so they can get the hell out of dodge. But I’ve just seen so many of these missions that without more wrinkles or excitement, it’s hard to be too invested when you can be pretty sure everything’s going to work out for our heroes.

Likewise, I was a bit put out by the whole “down with these chain codes! They’re a sign of conformity man!” business. It essentially comes down to a “social security numbers are evil, guys!” message, which scans as really odd. I know the idea connects to the show’s themes in the early going, and there’s something to be said about the Empire trying to time the wild frontier, but the message comes off as particularly oddly calibrated at the present moment, when people grouse about understandable, necessary, sometimes miniscule measures as some kind of Orwellian oppression.

On the whole though, I still liked this episode, which feels of a piece with some past Clone Wars adventures while still advancing the ball in a post-Republic world in interesting ways.