2x07 The Clone Conspiracy (1)

[8.2/10] Politics and intrigue -- what more can you ask for?

It’s funny liking Prequel era politics. When The Phantom Menace came out, most fans dozed our way through the Senate scenes. But the member of the Galactic Senate debating the fate of the clones seems more personal and real. We know how this turns out, of course. We know that Clone Troopers are (seemingly) not in use by the Empire around the time of the Original Trilogy, with strong indications there’s a conscript army instead. So we know Vice Admiral Rampart’s bill goes through at some point.

Still, the debate here comes with a certain charge given the subject matter. And the fact that, as one of the clones proclaims, they just want to keep fighting rather than be rendered obsolete, makes the tragedy of that fate all the more potent.

I’ll confess, I don’t necessarily understand why a conscript army is better for the Emperor than a clone army. Maybe the idea is that too many clones have been going AWOL or questioning orders, to where Palpatine and Vader are worried about unleashing wave after wave of highly trained soldiers who might choose to turn against them and join that rash of insurgencies. The pretextual arguments made on the floor of the Senate have the patina of plausibility and respectability. Either way, though, the bad guys pushing through the bill in the Senate, while saying all the right things but stalling on actually taking care of the clones after the end of their service is downright despicable.

I think that's the thing I appreciate most about “Clone Conspiracy”. The political angles here are interesting, and the intrigue of hidden assassins and none other than Captain Rex rescuing rogue clones is very cool. But I’m most compelled by the idea of how the Empire treats the clone troopers now that they ‘ve served their purpose.

On an in-universe level, it pays off the many times in The Clone Wars various clone troopers wondered what they would do after the war. The question of what rapidly-aging men bred for battle will do with themselves when the conflict ends in an undeniably fascinating and pathos-ridden one. Seeing the animated corner of Star Wars confront the question head on, with clones wanting to keep fulfilling their purpose, or struggling to imagine a life with a pension and the freedom to do whatever they want, feels like a moving continuation of themes the franchise has been batting around for a while now.

Out-of-universe though, it reflects how we treat veterans in the real world, with genuine, even more potent questions of how we put fellow human beings through war zones and then expect them to come home and go back to normal life. Debates over funding, questions of who represents the troopers, the political cudgel the issue becomes all have resonance for real life issues.

“Clone Conspiracy” is smart to focus its story on one clone, named Slip, as our perspective character. He represents someone willing to just go along with the way of things, until his pal is killed for threatening to speak out. His desire to get out, willingness to challenge the status quo and the treatment of his brothers, and inevitable but tragic death, make him a good fulcrum for the tale (no pun intended).

This is also a good time to bring back Senator Chuchi. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to see Bail Organa, and even Senator Pamlo again. But returning more political allies who have roots in the series’ predecessor, fighting for the rights of the clones within the system, starting to realize the rot that's set in within the political apparatus, and suddenly discovering the web of murder and malfeasance afoot builds on what we know about her and resets it for the Imperial era. She’s a little naive, but noble and brave, which are good character traits for someone in her role in the story.

The mysteries and reveals “Clone Conspiracy” has to offer are tops as well. I appreciate seeing Rex again, and the turn that he’s helping rogue clones escape unscathed, which is on brand. (And him presumably hanging at the Martez sisters’ garage is a nice touch.) The mystery of the sniper taking out clone agitators is a good one. For the record, my money was on Fennec Shand, but I like the idea that Rampart is employing a new line of off-the-books clones to do his dirty work, which opens up more mysteries to come. The cloak and dagger elements of this one are just as good.

Overall, this is The Bad Batch at its narrative peak, weaving together the personal, the political, and the paranoid thriller elements into one thematically potent and narratively exciting installment. I enjoy the episodic adventures of the series, and the parts that center squarely on the titular crew of unique clone troopers. But it’s also nice when the show gets broader in scope, touching on the highest of political rungs, the first wisps of the rebellion, the backroom misdealings and terrible murders that fuel the Empire, and at the center of all of it, the living souls, treated as obsolete technology, who suffer the most after giving so much.