Wonderful Art, Thank You Op. This Is Exactly How I've Hypothesized His Survival.

Star Wars The Clone Wars: A Series Like No Other

I don't think I will ever be able to truly put into words just how important The Clone Wars is to me, but I will try. This is, arguably, one of the greatest (if not the greatest) series of all time. The impact that I has had on so many peoples lives is like nothing I’ve ever seen. For myself, its impact on my life is one of strongest. 

I, like many others, grew up with this show and loved it right from the very beginning (yes, even the movie and season 1 & 2). I remember coming home from school every Friday to see each new episode. I remember the devastation I felt when the series was cancelled. I remember the excitement I felt when the series finale was announced. The journey that it has taken me on is like nothing I’ve ever or will ever experience again. I grew up alongside these characters, I felt their joy, their hope, their pain and their suffering. When a character died, it was as if I had lost a loved one. No series has ever been able to evoke such strong emotions from me like that and honestly, I’m low key scarred because of it. I’m haunted by the mere thought of character’s deaths (any and every clone, tbh) or whenever I think about the last two episodes of the series. It’s unbearably tragic and heart-wrenching. Whenever I rewatch certain scenes, it ends with me uncontrollably sobbing (I wish I was joking, but no, this happens every time I do my annual rewatch). I seriously will never recover from some of the stuff that happened in this show, that’s how strongly its affected me.

Star Wars The Clone Wars has shaped who I am today and has taught me so many valuable lessons. At least for me, one of the reasons why I love it so much is because it tackles a lot critical issues that are relevant to our real world; the politics are some of my favourite episodes. Brotherhood, friendship, love, morality, loyalty, ethics, courage, honour, redemption, etc. These are but a few themes throughout this series that are impactful to me. Most importantly, this  is what I think of as the core of Star Wars. I know many folks feel the exact same way I do, and that's one of the reasons why I love this community. 

The world couldn't have asked for a better series, nor I, a better story. 

Tech is King🛐

Miss my boy 🤲

The Bad Batch s2e12 Review and Discussion - The Breaking Point of Crosshair

Massive Spoilers Ahead!

That was by far one of the greatest episodes I think i've ever watched. I don't even know where to begin and I do not say this lightly - I have been thoroughly broken by this show. I am genuinely heartbroken at this point.

First and foremost, the music was on point. It hit every single emotion it wanted to convey and it complimented the themes of this episode perfectly. Kevin Kiner remains to be one of the best composers, in my opinion.

Secondly, the symbolism that was the lone ice vulture flying above Crosshair's head throughout the episode was just poetic. It really got the message across to the viewers that Crosshair is utterly and brutally alone. He is nothing more than something that is “expendable” in the eyes of the Empire. This episode made that evermore clearer to Cross.

Thirdly, the new clone introduced in this episode, Commander Mayday, was a perfect way to SHOW (and not just tell) Crosshair the tragedies, the mistreatment and the injustices that the clones are facing. Throughout the entire episode, both Cross and the viewers were reminded of just how poorly the clones are being treated. Mayday's inevitable death was the final moment for Crosshair; It genuinely broke him (and me, frankly). The lieutenant (I forgot his name because idfc) really rubbed it into Crosshair’s face about what the clones mean to the Empire.

The emotions that we get to see Crosshair experience throughout this episode really show just how broken his spirit is; he has reached his breaking point. He was left both physically and emotionally devastated by the end of his mission; losing yet another companion, another brother. Someone whom he was just beginning to confide in, especially to feel less alone. I also found it quite fascinating to see him express distress when the ship blew up and caused him a sort-of sensory overload. A bit of an ode to the Batches enhanced features.

 I appreciated the little details of him shivering in the cold as he and Mayday made their way back to the outpost; huddling together to survive. on top of that, his facial expressions really showed just how lost, distraught, devastated and broken he has become. Truly, what a masterful episode. Crosshair shooting the lieutenant by the end of the episode was his moment of “going awol,” albeit, in the most devastating and heart wrenching way. 

The ending of this episode was rather concerning. I literally have no idea what that lady poked his neck with nor do I have the faintest idea as to why he's on Tantiss but I'm very nervous about it. I hope he isn't being brainwashed again or [arguably] even worse, becoming the prototype of a dark trooper. Istfg If this happens, You’ll be hearing from my therapist and my lawyer, Filoni. For the love of all things decent in this world, please let him go home to his family. 

This episode, once again, cements exactly why I love Crosshair's character so much. Truly a terribly tragic character and I ate that shit up. I'm shellshocked.

 20/10. Feelings have been hurt.

My Thoughts on The Bad Batch

Hey guys. So, with the announcement of the third season being the last as well as the interview with Dee Bradley Baker and Michelle Ang, It breaks my heart to say that Tech is probably dead. Despite all of our very plausible theories of his survival, it is apparent that the writers/creators have ended his story. At this point, I think I've kind of accepted it in the same way I learned to accept Fives' death. It still hurts to watch, but I know it's a reality I cannot change. It's just really disappointing to see his story never be finished.

If I'm being completely honest here, while I love Star Wars deeply and I wholeheartedly applaud all the people who have poured their blood, sweat and tears into each project, I feel like the writers have lost a bit of their mojo. This is just my take on this, but The Bad Batch has always felt like it lacked in some way, storywise (in comparison to TCW), like it wasn't ever truly reaching its full potential. The same can be said with The Mandalorian; I love it, but I don't know where the story is going or what the end goal is. Sorry if that was a hot take. It's just how I've felt for a while, and I wanted to express that.

I am (mostly) at peace with Tech's death. I hope the remainder of the batch will be reunited by the end of the series, but I'm not holding out too much hope; I don't want to set myself up for failure.

"The Solitary Clone" is a Masterpiece **MASSIVE SPOILERS!** Episode 3 Discussion PART 1

Today's episode of The Bad Batch was truly a work of art. I wanted to discuss just how well executed of an episode it was, especially because this is my shit as an English major. I love the tragedy and the multiple levels of symbolism in literature. This will be divided into two parts because for some reason, Tumblr isn’t letting me post it in one :/ Okay, first and foremost, they did an excellent job in setting the tone for this episode. From the way that it opened with Crosshair waking up in his drab and dimly lit room (a nice call back to Kallus from Rebels), to him going to eat with other clones that end up leaving when he sits with them, and even when he is called to Ramparts office. Right off the bat, the viewers are immersed in what Crosshair is feeling and thinking. He is very much alone, isolated and conflicted (more on this later). I also wanted to note the importance of the scene were the two clones are discussing the Defence Recruitment bill that would effectively see clones filtered out and replaced by citizens (I'll reference this later on too). When Crosshair goes to speak with Rampart, immediately I'm heartbroken to hear how long he was stranded on Kamino (32 rotations...wtf). Moreover, the way I see it, Rampart is a representative (literally and metaphorically) of the Empires value or lack thereof. His blatant disregard and disrespect to Crosshair, and in turn soldiers in general, could be the breaking point for Cross if this treatment continues (which I'm guessing it will).  The way I understand and interpret it, Crosshair is confused and conflicted about everything. He remains with the Empire because it's easy and because it's the only life he's ever known. Leaving that life behind and deserting it means that he must face himself in order to understand 1) who he is, 2) what he wants and 3) what/who he cares about. He isn't at that stage of his story...yet. But we as the viewers are slowly but surely seeing his resolve begin to break through these interactions and experiences (discussed above). Now, the scene with Crosshair and Cody. Everyone has already analyzed this to death but I'll just reiterate it. Cody and Crosshair meet in front of the clone memorial and they have a brief conversation before going on their mission. This scene is great because we see them testing each other in this conversation and seeing where they stand/how they feel about everything that's happened and is happening. Cody, obviously, is further along in his realizations than Crosshair is. We see this through the ways that Cody looks at the memorial and Crosshair respectively. He is uncertain, sad and also very confused. The scene where Cody mentions the uncertainty of the clones as well as how more and more of them (including the bad batch) are going awol is great. As I mentioned above, this is Cody testing the waters with Crosshair to see where he stands in all this. And when Cross responds by saying that "they are traitors just like the Jedi," it is fantastic because the tension only increases. Cody is visibly distraught by this (probably because he is remembering what he was forced to do) and falls back onto the "good soldiers follow orders." Well played Filoni et al.

The Solitary Clone is a Masterpiece **MASSIVE SPOILERS!** Episode 3 Discussion PART 2

I absolutely loved that we got more discussion in regards to the politics of it all, especially with the Separatists and the clever callback to TCW with Mina Bonteri. The final scenes where the Separatist governor, Tawni, discusses the failed efforts that they made to put an end to the war, and how "peace was never an option" was masterful. And the cherry on top was when Cody attempts to negotiate with her and successfully convinces her, only for Grotton to order her execution. The continued use of symbolism with un-helmeted clones to show those that they are freethinkers rebelling is subtle yet brilliant. Cody's agency and resolve stops him from doing what he knows is wrong, and the final straw for him is when Tawni is ultimately shot by Crosshair. And I'll be honest, I really did not expect this. I was somewhat disappointed in Crosshair's decision, yet I also understand that he as a character must get worse before he can get better. He is also not at the same stage that Cody is at (as stated before), so he is still following orders blindly and without a second thought about the consequences or repercussions of his actions. When Crosshair and Cody are boarding the ship, as I referenced earlier to the discussion of the Defence Recruitment bill, Cody witnesses this first-hand when a ship arrives with TK troopers. The clones are doing the dirty work, while we actively see the Empire not only replace them, but moving in to occupy more sovereign worlds. The expansion of Palpatine's iron grip continues to grow. The conclusion to this episode was devastating, to say the least. Cody and Crosshair speak, once again in front of the clone memorial. this time, Cody says a few very important words that show the viewers that he has made his decision, and that [I believe] will stick with Cross, "You know what makes us different from battle droids? We make our own decisions. Our own choices. And...We have to live with them too." I loved this scene for a few reasons. Firstly, because wow, that hit me right in the feels and secondly, because Cody is planting the seeds for Crosshair to really reflect on what he has done and what he will do. Crosshair has been given two opportunities to get out this situation, both times have been squandered. Now more than ever, Crosshair will have to face the consequences of his actions and, moreover, will have an even harder time getting out of this. He is, once again, alone. To conclude, this episode ends with Crosshair waking up in a similar way to how the episode started. The use of visual repetition shows how bleak and depressing Crosshair's life has become. Going to eat alone, and getting called to Rampart's office and going to speak with Rampart once again. The part that really hammered home the fact that the clones are just numbers to the Empire was when Cross asks what about Cody (in regards to his next mission), and Rampart doesn't care to recognize who he is talking about until Cross says Cody's CT number. Again, they are just numbers; this fact could very well be a tipping point for Crosshair if it continues to occur. Cody is declared to have gone "awol" and Crosshair, while it is subtle, appears distraught and confused. And the part that really hits the nail in the coffin is when Rampart makes the crude statement about how all the clones around Cross seem to be going awol and that their loyalty is becoming increasingly hard to come by. Again, another important moment because loyalty is a big part of Crosshair's story arc and if he correlates loyalty to the clones, something (the clones) that is slowly but surely being phased out, then he is losing his grip on what is keeping him with the Empire in the first place. Sorry for how long this was, but I really just needed to completely dissect this episode because it was genuinely a masterpiece. It was literature and art and everything I love in stories. 

The Unseen Tragedy of the Clones

Alright folks, I am back once again with another Star Wars discussion. And yes, I could be putting my time towards actual school work yet here I am…we live with the choices we make….anyways! 

MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for both The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch! 

CONTENT WARNING! Mentions of torture, eugenics, and slavery. If any of these topics are sensitive or triggering to you, please do not proceed.  Mental Health first, take care of yourselves!

With out further ado, enjoy!

I’ve been thinking about this for a really long time and it has finally reached a point where I need to formulate my thoughts. Basically (as you can probably tell from the title), I wanted to discuss the tragedy that is the clones. I know this is not a new concept whatsoever, and that most if not all people have thought and/or talked about this by now, but I wanted to post about it regardless. 

The clones, right from the moment of their creation, were tragic. They were bred to fight in a war they had no choice in, and in turn, were never given the opportunity to think about what they were truly fighting for. Their opinions, thoughts and feelings simply never mattered. By design, literally right down to their DNA, they were made to be subservient and obedient child soldiers. Moreover, they were subjected to cruel and unjust treatment at the hands of the Kaminoan’s, undergoing inhumane procedures from the [standardized] accelerated growth of all clones, to random biopsies and other enhancement operations. Yet, when a clone failed to meet Kaminoan expectations, they are “decommissioned;” in other words, eugenics. However, it can be argued that the whole Kaminoan cloning operation is eugenics (selecting desirable traits, etc.), but that’s a topic for another time. 

Referring back to the clones disposition of accelerated growth is another point of concern. Sure, it was a “necessity” in order to get an army ready as fast as possible, but when you take a step back and look at what’s really going on, you have an army of clone children (chronologically); albeit, they are physically and mentally adults. Irregardless, it is an extremely fine line and depending on who you ask, it can be acceptable or unacceptable.

 Now for the rancor in the room: the clones are literally slaves. They were unpaid (chronologically) child soldiers who were not viewed as humans by the general public, they did not have rights whatsoever, they were not allowed to make any decisions for their own lives (have a life beyond being a soldier of the GAR) and most importantly, they were viewed as replaceable cogs apart of the ever-turning wheel that is the war. This looks extremely bad on its own, but when you apply the fact that this army is the army of the Republic? It’s far worse, let me explain. The Republic, a government that not only preaches but actively advocates for peace and liberty, has an army made of soldiers who do not have liberty. The hypocrisy is unrivalled. And sure, you could argue that this is due to Palpatine and his master plan to destroy the Jedi and the Republic. But when you remove him from the equation, the hypocrisy remains. The “Great” Republic isn’t as great as its made out to be. As all things are, there are a lot of grey areas here. What remains though, is the fact that not many, if any, senators or civilians advocated for clone rights. Only Senator Padmé Amidala had ever advocated for them when she was trying to stop their needless production. And we all remember how that turned out. Sure Palpatine was the devil on the shoulder of a lot of senators, egging them on to one direction over another. But the fact is, those senators and those civilians never bothered to consider any of this. They remained complacent and were happy to accept an army of expendable soldiers. 

Even with all of these disadvantages in their lives, the clones made the best of it with what they were given. Not all people were against them. They made strong bonds among their brothers and found friendship in their Jedi generals. They also found a way to be unique, through different hair styles to tattoos and even armour paint. They made their lives bearable. But what really cemented the fact that they meant nothing to the people they protected was during order 66. This is not the fault of the people but rather their failure as a people to question the unethical operations of the Kaminoan’s and protest against it. Had they done something small like that, it would’ve put a lot more into question, like what were the ethics of the clone production, what did they do or didn’t do to them, etc. It is the job of the people to constantly challenge the politics of their government in order to keep it in check and to always strive for an even better democracy. Where the Republic had failed, the people of the Republic failed as well. The clones were merely the physical embodiment of the failure of a democracy that had died long before episode 1. And the clones, along with many others (civilians, sovereign planets, etc.) were the victims. That is the unseen tragedy of the clones.

Zuko Crosshair Alone

Spoiler Warning: TBB season 2 episode 3

Content Warning: discussion of depression

Im not going to lie, Crosshair sitting by himself was a bit too real for me. Like, I'll be in a lecture and no one wants to sit with me (to be fair though, everyone avoids everyone).

I also just wanted to say that, regardless of whether or not you like him, you have to feel for Crosshair because he is so alone. Sure, you can say that these are the consequences of his actions and yes, I agree. But it doesn't negate the fact that it is a very sad state to see someone be in. He is turning out to be quite the tragic character and it reminds me of a few other characters from other series; specifically Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Sasuke from Naruto, and Red Hood from DC Comics. Moreover, this episode (at least to me) really embodied what depression can look like. He's a shell of who he once was, he doesn't know what he wants, what/who he cares about or what to do with himself. The days seem to blur together and most importantly, he's completely and utterly alone. No one to rely on, no one to fall back onto. And that really just spoke to me on a personal level.

I go into a lot more detail about this episode and how I personally think it's a masterpiece so if you're interested, go check that out. It's divided into two parts:

Part 1

Part 2

So anyways, yeah. Me too bro, me too.

The Bad Batch s2ep 15 & 16 - Season Finale

I will not be reviewing these two episodes, at least not for a while. I apologize to those who cared to read this week's review and discussion.

I have not felt this much emotional distress and pain in such a long time. Frankly, I am not okay. In order to preserve my mental health, I will be stepping away from this platform for an undisclosed amount of time.I encourage all folks to take care of themselves as well. Please reach out to family/friends/health providers if you need support. 🫶

these two episodes were rough. This was the very last thing I ever expected to happen, but honestly, I should've known better. The foreshadow was right in my face, and I was foolish to ever be hopeful.

The Crossing - TBB s2e9 Review and Thoughts

Spoilers Ahead!

Okay, so this episode was absolutely fantastic. The character development for Tech was just wonderful and I honestly felt so seen as a fellow neurodivergent person. I also really appreciated the bonding between big little brother Tech and little big sister Omega.

But let me be real for a second. If the reason why Tech is getting so much screen time and development is because he's going to die by the end of this season, I'm going to be mortified. I know many folks fear this, as do I, but looking at it from a literary standpoint, I find that it would be highly illogical for the writers to kill any of the main cast...at least in this season. I'm also so devastated that the marauder was stolen, I hope they get it back because Lula and Gonky are on there!!!

Anyways, great episode. 9/10☆