Tech Is King🛐

I love Crosshair, I really do. He is such a complex and tragic character; he has so much potential. But it's getting increasingly difficult to keep defending him when he keeps making the absolute worst decisions (bordering on crimes against humanity). He needs to get off that Imperial za and get some sense slapped into him.

The irony in all this is that for someone who is supposed to be an enhanced, dare I say superior, clone commando, his ability to analyze his situation and see the bigger picture is next to nonexistent. Moreover, it's even more ironic when he keeps saying "good soldiers follow orders"... like when did he ever follow rules? (As a former member of a group of clones whose whole purpose was to do things differently and that also means not following the rules all the time)

Please...let him be happy with his brothers and sister again...and please let them all survive...I'm begging...I can't take much more of this...

If I think about it for too long, I'll literally burst into tears. Please, for the love of all things good in this world, let Crosshair return to his family. Let them be a happy family again. I'm begging. I cannot take much more of this shit. My mental state is decaying as I speak.

Also, if anyone dies, I'm going off the grid and living in a forest. That will be the 13th reason. I won't emotionally survive. I'll never recover.

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. 

Freefalling From Great Heights - A Discussion & Analysis

Hey guys. So, I lied about getting off socials LOL I really need to go full on film theory here and talk about the fall. I do want to preface though and say that I am not a woman of science (I’m an art girlie), therefore I won’t be able to make any sort of proper calculations. Without further ado, I’m going to break down the whole fall and discuss how Tech could’ve and probably did survive. 

First and foremost, I want to go back and take a look at the most clear shot given to viewers of the height between the tram system and the perceived ground level. In this picture, we get a brief glimpse from Wrecker’s POV of how far down it is from the trams. 

While it looks quite high, considering they are practically in the clouds, it is important to note the amount of foliage this planet has; a vast amount large trees, specifically tall pine trees.

These types of trees are not uncommon in biomes that include bodies of water. Consider the images below.

 While it is not definitive, it can be safe to assume that there could have been a stream or body of water below in that valley. However, even if this was not the case, the trees are large enough that they can dampen a fall, even if it is from a great height. This leads me to my next point: 

How high of a fall can humans survive?

An NCBI article covers the case of a rock climber who had fallen from a total of 300 feet and survived. Though she suffered many severe injuries, she was able to recover after extensive medical care. According to this article, the way in which a person falls is imperative to survival. In particular, if a person is falling vertically, they can survive an average fall height of 23 feet and 7 inches (7.2 meters) with minor to moderate injury. Survivable injuries have a threshold of around 20-25 feet. Yet the rock climber was able to survive at even greater heights. That being said, according to an article by Arnold & Atkin Trial Lawyers, 20 feet and below can still prove to be fatal. Moreover, fatal falls usually are between 21 and 40 feet. Considering all the information thus far, it would seem that Tech is exceptionally fucked. But stay with me folks, I’m not done cooking yet.

While it is not common, humans have, in fact, survived free falls at extreme heights. Take for example Vesna Vulović, a Serbian flight attendant who holds the Guinness world record for surviving the highest freefall without a parachute: 33,330 feet (10,160 meters). She was in a coma for days and spent several months hospitalized. She suffered a fractured skull, three broken vertebrae, broken legs, broken ribs, and a fractured pelvis, leaving her temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. Despite all of this, she made a nearly complete recovery, only continuing to walk with a limp. 

In another case, Nicholas Alkemade, a British tail gunner of the Royal Air Force during World War II, survived a freefall of 18,000 feet (5, 490 meters). His fall was broken by pine trees and a soft snow cover on the ground. 

While the first case can be safely considered as a miracle, it's the second case that is interesting. The pilot survived a freefall from a height he should’ve died from. Yet, due to the large trees and the snow on the floor, his fall was cushioned and allowed for him to survive. 

Now, taking what we discussed and applying it to the Star Wars universe, the chances of Tech surviving is definitely in our favour. Firstly, we know there is a lot of foliage (bushes, grass, etc.), and there are also massive trees. But we must remember that this isn’t just some random, unprepared person that is falling. This is Tech, a highly skilled, highly intelligent, and well equipped clone trooper. It is also important to mention that he is wearing a helmet and a chest plate, which provides protection to critical body parts. Knowing him, Tech could have very well put his gear to use and used a grappling hook to attach to a tree and create momentum from his fall to swing onto the ground. He could have also gotten into the falling tram and found a way to cushion his fall. But let’s say he does neither of these things (perhaps due to the speed at which he was falling), Tech can still survive if he falls vertically into the pine trees and foliage, which will cushion his fall, just like Nicholas Alkemade and the rock climber, respectively.

Furthermore, based on all that has been discussed and considered, the chances of survival of a freefall from that height, while seemingly impossible, is in fact, possible and likely. 

Sources:

PubMed Central (PMC)

Survival following a vertical free fall from 300 feet: The crucial role of body position to impact surface

We report the case of a 28-year old rock climber who survived an "unsurvivable" injury consisting of a vertical free fall from 300 feet onto

Arnold & Itkin LLP

How Far of a Fall Is Fatal?

Falls are one of the deadliest and most common work accidents. Read more on our blog.

Guinness World Records

How Vesna Vulović survived the highest fall ever with no parachute

On 26 January 1972, Vesna Vulović accidentally achieved the highest fall survived without a parachute world record, after the plane she was

en.wikipedia.org

Nicholas Alkemade - Wikipedia

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 Bad Batch Season 3 - A New Theory and the future for Tech

Spoilers ahead!

Hey you guys! So I've previously discussed how I believe that the operative character could be Tech and how that affirms my winter soldier theory. However, I am here to retract that statement as I do not believe that it makes sense narratively, as it would either copy Crosshair's story or Echo's story. I propose a new theory: the operative is not Tech, but rather Cody. Let me explain why.

Firstly, we now know (via Crosshair's confirmation) that the program Hemlock is running does not work on defective clones, as they attempted and failed to integrate Cross into said program. This would rule out Tech as he was also a defective clone.

Secondly, and more prevalently, we know (from Rebels) that some event needs to push Rex over the edge and make him quit his efforts of saving other clones. I suspect that this event could be an encounter with a brainwashed Cody, and perhaps a botched operation to Tantiss resulting in a lot of casualties.

Thirdly, why do I think it's Cody? While it's true that we were told in season two how he went "awol" (albeit by an unreliable source), that doesn't necessarily mean he escaped, it just means that he defied the Empire. We also know that this operative program is designed to repurpose defiant clones. I also want to point out how the operatives voice, while warped through a modulator, sounded like a reg, instead of a higher pitched, vaguely English accent.

Lastly, Tech has been mentioned only once in this season, briefly in conversation. Yes, Cody isn't mentioned at all but I'll get to that. The end of season two, in my opinion, felt like a lazy write off of Tech's character (in an attempt to elicit reactions from fans), that essentially served as a "wrap up" of his story (more on this in a moment). Cody's story is still a loose end though. It's also important to mention that in the EU, Cody was used as the template for the dark troopers.

Now onto the discussion of where this leaves Tech. Well...I think he's dead for good. Trust me when I say that deeply hurts me beyond words. I have related to and deeply bonded with Tech's character, so to me, his death was very real and painful, and I'm honestly still having a hard time with it (I was literally sobbing about it the other day). Unfortunately, I just do not believe that the writers of this show are capable of what the writers of Lucasfilm era Clone Wars were capable of (please dkm, this is just my personal opinion). I'm sorry but I just don't have faith in Disney, not after the sequels and most (if not all) of the live action shows they've put out. Yes, Tech should, logically, 100% be alive...if they were good writers. He has a potential love interest, a family and a potential peaceful life to live on Pabuu to return to. There are so many plot holes that would remain unanswered, and would be extremely disappointing. Tech's story is largely unfinished. Should he be dead for good, it will show the utter lack of writing talent that Disney possesses and a lack of care or respect for fans.

Apologies for the spicy takes at the end. Again these are just my personal opinions and experiences. No hate to anyone who enjoys any of those shows/movies.

THIS! Very well said.

Regarding Tech and one reason I think we’re all reeling:

So, we’re all pretty hurt right now. Even if you’re firmly in the “Tech lived” camp, which I am, it still hurts—it still feels like a death, and something that needs to be mourned, even if or when he makes it back. I’ve seen a lot of people say it feels like they’re grieving a friend, not a fictional character. And one reason for that, beyond Tech being a well-developed, beloved character, beyond him being a fantastic piece of representation, even beyond the way that our brains can react to fictional characters the same way they do to real people, is that Tech’s story is so unfinished.

He’s developing this amazing relationship with Omega. He has the chance of staying on Pabu in peace and being something other than a soldier. He maybe discovered a passion for racing. He’s branching out and appreciating the galaxy beyond the war, the republic, the separatists, the Jedi, and being allowed to appreciate how broad it is in ways he hadn’t before. He’s falling in love with someone who’s falling for him. He’s pushing to get his brother back and reunite his family. And then—

His story gets derailed. The batch’s story gets derailed—by something none of them could have accounted for. No one expected there to be someone else infiltrating Eriadu. But there was, and it sends the whole trajectory of his life, all of their lives, figuratively and literally—they’re on a train when this happens, guys—off the tracks. Suddenly Tech has to let himself fall to give his family a chance. It’s fast, it’s brutal, and it’s almost nonsensical. It shouldn’t need to happen—but it does. And that’s how loss happens in real life, a lot of the time.

Sometimes there’s closure, and sometimes the people we lose get to live out their whole full lives, but not always. A lot of the time, they had plans. They were just going about and being themselves. The walk out the door and you think nothing of it and then—they’re gone. And now there’s so much left to do, so much unsaid, so many things that will never happen because they’re gone. You come home after hearing the news and their room is empty. There’s a half eaten bowl of cereal they left on the table. Their favorite chair is empty. There’s no satisfying conclusion or narrative closure—it’s just life, interrupted, suddenly and brutally, in a way that’s impossible to understand. That’s often how it is. And right now, for the batch characters, and for us, that’s Tech. He has everything to live for—and then he’s ripped away.

Now, this is something that rarely happens in fiction, because it’s incredibly unsatisfying. Maybe because loss is so sudden and cruel in the real world, we want our fictional deaths to come with purpose and feel like a natural conclusion. And while the unsatisfactory nature of Tech’s “death” is one of the many (many) (seriously there are so many) reasons why I don’t think this is permanent, it does (for now) put us on the same emotional footing as the characters in a way it wouldn’t if it had happened in a narratively satisfying way. We’re not just sad, we’re grieving him right alongside them. It feels unfair and wrong because it is. It wasn’t supposed to be like this! This wasn’t supposed to happen! And no, it wasn’t. But things got derailed on Eriadu.

Guys, I think we've seen all the trailer clips, which means we'll be going in blind now. I'm feeling like it'll be rough from here on out. Buckle up, It's about to get traumatizing 🤕😷

Edit: Most, not all trailer clips

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☆

Thank you ♡

Now that The Bad Batch has come to a close, I wanted to make a little appreciation post.

It has been such an honour to be apart of this beautiful community. The past 3 years have been truly wonderful. Through all of the ups and downs, the happy and sad, the exciting and tragic moments. I have so much fun and have deeply loved the camaraderie, the discussions, the memes and the absolutely stunning art works. Thank you to everyone who have been apart of this journey. I will miss this show and its characters, but I’m also grateful to have experienced their story. While I still wish certain parts of the show had ended differently, I will forever miss them, especially our goggle nerd. And lastly, thank you to the amazing and talented folks who worked on this show, Especially Dee Bradley Baker and Michelle Ang.

Thank you everyone, I’m sending all my love and gratitude to you! ♡