2x05 Entombed

[7.8/10] I really liked this one. I’ll admit, I wasn't relishing our first Phee episode. And in truth, while Wanda Sykes is fine here, she hasn’t fully adjusted to the different demands of voice acting. But I’m increasingly on board with Phee. The idea of a treasure hunter/pirate, one focused on old legends and interested in taking jaunts to uncharted worlds, is a good ingredient to toss in the stew of The Bad Batch. Her cocksure attitude, Hondo-like pirate’s pride in plunder, and voice of experience and confidence makes her a good match for the comparatively straight and narrow Clone Force 99. (There’s a few shades of Mika Grey from Star Wars Resistance there too.)

The setup is also just plain cool here. Omega finding a random compass on a dump world that leads them to a set of coordinates and what seems to be an ancient dungeon holding a legendary treasure is a thrilling plot. Appropriate for a Lucasfilm production, there’s an Indiana Jones quality to this here, with our heroes spelunking through a cave with puzzles and booby traps with the chance to pluck some ballyhooed artifact in the process. Likewise, it also recalls Jedi: Fallen Order, with the creative puzzle-solving in an ancient underground cave, to the point that I started to wonder if this would turn out to be some sort of Zeffo enclave.

I actually appreciate the fact that, to my knowledge at least, the cave they found isn’t from the Zeffo or the old republic or anything like that, but is instead an original planet, maze, and treasure. While the pacing here can be a little slow in places, that lets the tension build as our heroes get separated and have to make their way through plenty of tricky and potentially deadly challenges.

I love the twist, though! The fact that the mysterious “heart of the mountain” isn’t just some bauble, but a lock keeping in place a deadly colossus is weird and unexpected in the best way. The way it rises from the ground and starts destroying the countryside like some malevolent quadruped is jaw-dropping. Nothing sells the sense of, “Despite seeming sure of herself, Phee and everyone who follows her is in over their head right now” than such a wild development that throws everyone out of whack. The imagery and stakes are huge, and augmented by the cave-dwelling creature who chooses that moment to attack them as well.

Everything, of course, turns out alright. The air of intrigue is great, but also comes with the emotional undercurrent of Hunter’s skepticism of Phee, while Omega seems increasingly admiring of the pirate professional. That makes it meaningful when Phee is in danger trying to retrieve the heart of the mountain, only for Hunter to reach out the hand to save her. And Omega’s shine and Hunter’s doubts about her are at least partly quelled and vindicated by her giving up the jewel, no matter how lucrative it is, so that the lock can be put in place again.

Overall, this episode has some of the best atmosphere, and also the most awe-inspiring imagery of The Bad Batch so far. I can’t deny that I, like Hunter, was skeptical about Phee walking in, but after an adventure like this one, I’m much more optimistic about her presence on the show.