Star Wars: The Bad Batch - Episode Ten review

Nothing good comes from “healing” and “unity” at the point of a sword or a blaster, even against people you disagree with.

In Episode Ten, “Common Ground,” that’s what audiences find out.

 

The Empire is expanding its control over the planets within the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS), the “Separatists” as they were known as during the Clone Wars.

 

The Separatists fought against the Old Republic in the war. They formed the CIS as a rebellion against the Old Republic’s corrupt bureaucratic government. Their goal was to form a new independent government in order to govern themselves, although the Separatists relied on corrupt corporations like the Trade Federation in order to fight the Clone Wars.

 

If the Separatists wanted to be free and self-reliant, they shouldn’t have tied themselves to evil and greedy corporations looking to expand their own influence.

 

Since the Republic became the Empire, the CIS citizens don’t take kindly to their enemies ruling over them.

 

Imperial forces on Raxus, a Separatist planet, issue a call to unity, claiming that the Empire wishes to be fair in governing over the former Separatist systems.

 

Since Raxus acted as the former center of the Separatist government, it is a priority target for the Empire to establish an outpost on that planet.

 

However, the Empire’s “unity” comes with the threat of violence against political enemies.

 

Those Separatists who don’t accept the Empire’s rule will be arrested.

 

Or worse.

 

Avi Singh, the Raxus Senator can’t bring himself to be a pawn in the Empire’s efforts to enact complete absolute power. But if he doesn’t, he will also be arrested.

 

This is just like Joe Biden and the Democrats’ efforts to enact “healing” and “unity” in the United States once they came to power in 2021.

 

While Biden claims to want “unity,” his administration and his allies are working to shut down their political rivals and American citizens who don’t support their Socialist goals of absolute power.

 

For example, Biden’s military leaders are trying to root out conservatives and other Trump supporters in the United States Military.

 

Meanwhile, Biden’s FBI and Intelligence Community claim “white supremacy” is the greatest threat to the United States.

 

As we’ve seen for the last five years, anyone who supports President Donald Trump and his America First agenda is labeled a “racist,” “fascist,” “Nazi” or “white supremacist.”

 

Those words lose all meaning when a political party lumps good everyday people into those categories.

 

Biden’s government also uses RINOs like Liz Cheney and Mitt Romney as “puppets” in order to manipulate normal conservative Americans to them, although Cheney and Romney are willing participants in the Empire’s power grab.

 

Just like Biden, the Democrats and their allies in Big Tech and Legacy Media, the Galactic Empire uses “the rise in incursions” as an excuse to enact tyrannical lockdown measures over regular Separatist citizens, including curfews.

 

Of course, the Empire claims this is all for the citizens’ “protection” and preach “cooperation” (“unity”) in an attempt to legitimize their complete and absolute power grab as the Empire tries to “build a unified galaxy.”

 

These actions are no different than the Democrats’ efforts to associate all Trump supporters as “insurrectionists” following the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot, even though the few hundred people at the Capitol didn’t carry weapons or burn down the Capitol Building (unlike the left-wing BLM and AntiFa thugs who burned down cities during the 2020 “Summer of Rage”).

 

It is why they tried unsuccessfully to create a “9/11-style” commission to investigate the Capitol Riot: they wanted to investigate and arrest all of their political rivals — from President Trump, to pro-Trump Republican lawmakers and regular, everyday Trump supporters and conservative Republicans.

 

They blame President Trump and Trump supporters because they hate them and hate America.

 

Anyone who opposes the Democrats’ actions are labeled by the Democrats and the Media as “extremists” or “white supremacists” who don’t want what’s best for America.

 

No doubt the Empire views Separatist citizens with the same hostility that Democrats view all Trump supporters. They won’t stand their anyone opposing their efforts to gain complete control and “build a unified galaxy.”

 

I’d be interesting if series creator Dave Filoni had those messages in mind when he created “The Bad Batch,” given our current events.

 

Obviously, it won’t be easy for the Separatist citizens to take back the freedoms they enjoyed.

 

Naturally, the Separatist citizens don’t take kindly to the Republic/Empire working to control their lives and take away their freedoms.

 

Senator Singh has a change of heart and can’t bring himself to support the Empire. He knows he must act in the best interests of his people and follows that path. He condemned the Empire’s “occupation” of Raxus, calling out the Empire’s intimidation tactics and “acts of aggression” to silence his people.

 

Singh is then arrested by the Imperial forces, who enact their “unity” with blasters and armored vehicles. Singh’s droid, following his instructions, sends a distress message to anyone who can help him.

 

Returning to Sid, Hunter and the Bad Batch try to lay low now given the heat they are under from the Empire and bounty hunters.

 

However, Sid hires the Bad Batch to rescue Senator Singh from the Imperials.

 

Hunter is dead set against helping a Separatist. After all, he and his Clone brothers fought against them during the Clone Wars. His fellow Bad Batch teammates don’t trust Separatists either.

 

It is hard for him to help former enemies.

 

Hunter also doesn’t want to bring Omega to a planet full of Imperial soldiers, so he leaves her with Sid. He teaches Omega that since she’s part of the squad, it’s important for good soldiers to follow orders.

 

And so, Omega stays behind doing manual chores (per Sid’s orders) while Hunter and the others head for Raxus.

 

The Bad Batch is suspicious of the Separatists, especially since their client is Singh’s droid, but Hunter tells them to put politics aside in order to complete the job. That proves difficult as they attempt to rescue Senator Singh.

 

After stealing a tank, the Bad Batch make their escape with Senator Singh. They learn to trust Singh even though he’s a Separatist because he helped them evade the Imperial forces.

 

Omega also gets a lesson on life. She’s upset because she didn’t go on the mission, but Sid hits her with some hard truth: life isn’t fair.

 

Sid tells Omega she should stop pouting and do something about it. That’s the only way she can go through life.

 

Omega and Sid are able to bond by playing a strategy game. They team up in order to earn money, and Omega’s success allows her to pay off the debt the Bad Batch owes Sid.

 

Hunter is amazed at Omega’s abilities. He then makes a bet with her by playing the game against her. He trusts her enough to let her come on missions if she wins the game.