The Bad Batch picks up right where they left things at the end of episode six, continuing to run intergalactic errands for Cid, but the bad payout and work conditions are secondary elements in a new outing that sees the gang meet another Clone Wars veteran and undergo some unplanned medical procedures that make for the show’s tensest episode so far.
“Battle Scars” is a somewhat enigmatic title for what unfolds in episode seven, because unlike their past reunion with Cut Lawquane in episode two, there’s very little reminiscing of the past and how the fall of the Republic has reshaped the Star Wars universe. Instead of relying on ties audiences are supposed to believe The Bad Batch built in their previous lives as soldiers, what strings along that tension in the bond the squad have developed with one another and especially with Omega.
This is obvious from the very start since upon collecting their measly payout for last week’s mission the Batch is quickly told by Cid just how much they owe her just to be allowed to work for her once accommodation, docking fees, and Omega and Wrecker’s snacks tab are all factored in. It’s then that we learn that Omega and Wrecker have been treating themselves to some Mantell mix to celebrate each completed task, all while putting each serving on Cid’s tab.
Although initially meant as more of a joke to Wrecker’s playful and childish nature, the image serves to remind viewers that the Batch is growing as a family, that they have a motive to care about these characters, and that they themselves have lived through an increasing number of experiences together that only draws them closer to one another.
Things then cut to a shot showing an unknown stranger, nevertheless, before one can conjure up a theory of just who is on the Batch’s trail now, the perfectly tanned Captain Rex from Clone Wars reveals himself as the mysterious stranger. The man keenly identified by Omega as an older clone from the early batches put out by the Republic basically tells the Batch a story they’re all too familiar with and why he decided to track them down.
It’s here when viewers are again reminded of the elephant in the room (or rather microchip in the brain) that is Wrecker’s constant headaches which were triggered by the unhealthy amount of blows to the head he’s been getting every week in the last month. Captain Rex is very much aware of the threat posed by having a squad member that can go full Galactic Empire fanatic at any moment and execute Order 66 on the rest of the crew, so after being calmed down and dissuaded from blowing Wrecker’s head off, Rex comes up with a plan.
For reason unbeknownst to everyone, The Bad Batch’s resident science expert Tech had not considered the possibility of extracting the inhibitor chips from the squad but Captain Rex claims the procedure is 100% safe and they need to treat Wrecker right away. Even if Rex is a friendly face from Clone Wars, the general distrust that exists in Palpatine's Empire makes the situation a bit “too good to be true” and really sets up what’s about to happen.
The medical gear the Batch needs is in an abandoned Jedi cruiser, and after skipping past a Dianoga kraken, it’s for Wrecker to jump on the operating table. Here The Bad Batch delivers perhaps its best moment yet as Order 66 gets the worst out of Wrecker and he snaps against the entire squad in a sequence that’s greatly strengthened by the choice of music for it, because it really drives the feeling that everything can be lost to this hulking mind-controlled Empire minion.
Naturally, the rest of the team and Rex have problems containing their most formidable member, ultimately leading to Omega getting cornered, right before she’s saved by a last gasp blaster shot. The surgery proves to be successful not only for Wrecker, but the entire Batch and the final payoff for the entire episode is Omega treating her towering friend to the same Mantell Mix from before to close out the scene in the most wholesome manner possible.
The episode ends with a couple of scrappers in the desolate shipyard spotting the Bad Batch and informing the Empire of their whereabouts, which will surely lead to some nasty consequences next week, however, that feels unimportant after witnessing the Squad almost fall apart a few minutes ago. Despite no longer having the inhibitor chip subplot present, Wrecker’s salvation leaves an excellent taste for viewers after a terrifying buildup in the weeks prior to it that definitely raised the stakes to set up one of the series best episodes yet. Now the Batch only has to find a way to pay their dues to Cid before Fennec Shand comes back knocking at their doorstep.