eriexplosion

[eriexplosion]

[eriexplosion]

Is there actually any precedent for main characters dying in Star Wars finales? There's so much panic for the main batch members, and it seems like people are going in absolutely certain that one or all of them are going to die but I don't know that series finales are typically all that fatal for Star Wars protagonists. It's very likely we lose secondary characters, but mains?

Anyway the characters I'm most concerned for in this finale are: Emerie and, if he appears, Howzer. I think that one of the batchers is going to ALMOST die but Omega will be able to save them like she couldn't do in seasons 1 and 2 to demonstrate her growth.

#the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers

[eriexplosion]

it obviously makes sense, but one of my friend’s kids is going into swim class, and all the parents got an email today going, “when little ones are scared, they cling on to instructors. PLEASE trim their nails.” 

i don’t know why that’s so funny to me, but just. the idea of this poor, scratched swim instructor having to make sure to email before each class as a reminder to please declaw the children SENT me. 

[eriexplosion]

AV cable dragon i drew a few months ago

#art

[eriexplosion]

did you know? if you do your laundry you can get your clothes back

[eriexplosion]

lmao

#the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers #i do hope he gets to though just a little treat

[eriexplosion]

[eriexplosion]

Something I haven't seen mentioned much since the episode they came up in - The Return was all about unlocking Nala Se's datapad full of medical records, which Echo took with them and we have not heard back on those. We're down to the finale, and I don't think Nala Se's medical records have come up at ALL.

So. What's on those that it was so important we spent a whole episode on it? Does it have something to do with the CX program? Is Tech's information in there?

Anyway theory that this is how we get the tracker out of a CX at some point, hopefully CX-2. We've already set up that they know how to remove the zapper, the tracker is the only other barrier.

#the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers

[eriexplosion]

tumblr are you telling me something

[eriexplosion]

Echo & Unshakeable Trust

If we really want to talk about how Echo and trust are intertwined then I think we need to start at The Bad Batch arc of The Clone Wars in season 7. We see pretty clearly that the batch doesn’t trust him, even before they know him. They make snide remarks, doubt him, and are ready to take him down if he crosses them. Hell, they’re sure he’s a traitor. One of the earliest examples of this is when Hunter first claims it’s a trap. He even says they’ll tag along with the mission even just to say ‘I told you so.’ Oh how wrong he was. How wrong they all were.

They venture into Skako to save Echo, following Rex’s intuition and going along with it even if they don’t agree. They go, they’re not trusting about it, but they go. What they find is Echo, being used as the algorithm for the Separatists. Rex has no reason to doubt that this is against Echo’s will but the batch… they’re not so sure. 

Echo’s plan to escape through the vents is what saves them from Wat Tambor. They have no choice but to follow his plan, even if they aren’t sure if they can trust him yet. But following along and going with it is what gets them out of there. That doesn’t mean it fixes the doubt. The batch even hesitates before walking across the pipe to escape. They’re still sure he’s screwing them over. They have no idea why Anakin and Rex follow Echo’s plans blindly, even when they’re objectively ridiculous. 

Rex trusts him. Always. Every time. When Rex hears Echo’s voice he doesn’t ever doubt that Echo is still alive and on their side. Even in the bad batch season 3 when he’s questioned about whether or not Crosshair gave them all of the information Rex doesn’t doubt that Echo handled it and they have no reason to question that. It’s such a beautiful thing to watch. His faith in Echo has always been unshakable. Just as unshakable as Echo’s faith in himself. At first Rex isn’t sure Echo is battle ready after being rescued; it's never about distrusting Echo, it’s about not being sure he’s ready yet. Has he healed enough? Is he stable enough to pull this off? It’s care, caution, not doubt. 

Echo even points that out: ‘I’m not a liability, Rex.’ Mace Windu really had me cheering when he says if Echo has a plan then he’d like to hear it. When Mace asks if Echo is certain he even responds with ‘Absolutely.’ Echo doesn’t doubt himself and he isn’t about to start now. This confidence is something we see from him a lot. From how he plans, how he moves, what he says. He knows he’s good at what he does. It’s so refreshing to watch him be so confident and grow in that confidence as time moves forward. 

It’s here we start to really see the batch mistrust Echo. Tech voices this most often, followed by Hunter. Tech isn’t sure of Echo’s plan. He even goes as far as to say that ‘We don’t really know where his loyalties lie.’ You know what’s incredible about this? Rex follows it up with ‘Well, I know.’ Because he does. He doesn’t doubt Echo, has no reason to. The batch, however, isn’t ready for that yet. 

When Echo sends all the droids to the assembly complex and successfully shuts them all down is when both Hunter and Tech - the two who were the most vocal about their doubt in him - are ready to accept that Echo is on their side. He isn’t fighting against them, he never has been. They’re ready. Echo has proven himself without ever even really trying to.

Echo: ‘Was there ever any doubt?’ Tech: ‘Some.’

Echo trusts himself totally. He’s been trusted by his squads, by Fives, by Rex, by Cody. Hell, even Anakin, Mace, and Obi-Wan trust him. He’s been surrounded by people who are convinced of his skills. Being confronted by the batch who doesn’t trust him doesn’t even really faze him. He knows his intentions, he doesn’t need to fight their doubt. He just does what he’s always done and he proves himself in his actions. This confidence he has in himself is what carries him through everything and we only see that grow over time. (This post by @phantom-of-the-501st demonstrates how much he’s grown perfectly. Please go read it. It's amazing.) 

The batch saw him in action when they first met him, they had their time to doubt, and once Echo had proven to them that he was trustworthy and skilled they’ve trusted him fully ever since then. Hunter trusts him to be his second in command - the mission where they save Gregor comes to mind. He always hears Echo out and usually follows him into nearly certain death even if he doesn’t agree. Hunter trusts his word and he knows he wants only good things for them even when they don’t agree on how to get those good things. I think it’s especially important to note that they do disagree often but that is never cause to accuse the other of something in bad faith. The batch even trusts him to lead them into Kamino, right into enemy territory, when Hunter gets taken at the end of season 1. They follow his lead, listen to him, and know he’s got this. They’d never doubt him. Not for a second. Not now. Not when it’s Echo.

And of course we have this most recent episode, the thing that spurred this all on for me. This episode only solidifies for me that trust is a main thread in Echo’s story. He gets them a ship, has a disguise for Rampart, and he is ready to take on the brunt of their mission when things start to get dicey. Crosshair does say something about how Echo can’t infiltrate the ship alone which I am certain is more about worrying for him than it is doubt in his skillset. Letting Echo go into enemy territory without anyone else is difficult for them but they know he can do it. They always know he can pull it off, even if it’s absolutely ridiculous. When Rampart starts to bad mouth the plan Crosshair is right there with ‘Relax. Echo’s on it.’ I am still absolutely losing it over this line. To see Crosshair go from ‘besides, he’s just a reg’ to his hand on Echo’s shoulder in their first mission after they meet to ‘relax. Echo’s on it.’ That… That makes me so emotional. Of course the plan will work. It’s Echo. He’s got this. He knows exactly what he’s doing and he’s quick on his feet. It’ll work out. It’s Echo.

To follow that line with Hunter’s ‘Echo will come through. He just needs more time.’ just further solidifies that they wouldn’t doubt him, not anymore. He’s proved time and time again that he’s got this. They’re prepared to go with whatever scheme he proposes. He’s just as bad as them but he’s also got the skillset to back up his chaos. He fits in well. 

Echo is a skilled man. He’s an excellent strategist and he gets shit done. The batch has learned to trust him with their lives, as quickly and as unshakable as Rex’s faith in him. I think this is a beautiful thing to have seen over the course of our time with the batch. The batch puts their lives in Echo’s hands more than once and they don’t doubt him. Just like how he doesn’t doubt himself. The people around him trust him because he owns what he says, because he can back his shit up. 

It’s rather fitting that the intro quote in the last episode of The Bad Batch arc in The Clone Wars (S7 E4 Unfinished Business) is: Trust placed in another is trust earned. They learned a lot by watching Rex’s unshakeable faith in Echo and they knew that’s something they could do too by the end of their mission together. He proved his chaos, his strategies, and his intellect were invaluable. So much so that they wanted him with them, whatever that was going to look like. 

#the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers

[eriexplosion]

Unmute !

#'its like his toy!' well that's one way to look at it #anyway best wishes to the happy couple

[eriexplosion]

'mamaray,' 2020 in wangechi mutu - adrienne edwards, courtney j. martin, kellie jones + chike okeke-agulu (2022)

#art

[eriexplosion]

[eriexplosion]

they are Cancelling me for dealing with my grief as best i can . also for the vicious war Crimes

#Crosshair Behavior

[eriexplosion]

Hm I might have to bow out a little for this last week. So many people preemptively mourning over a finale we know NOTHING about because "they definitely won't have time for X so-" and just. I actually think that they've set things up that A LOT can be resolved in this last episode, very quickly, and that the things that won't be resolved are things like Rex and Cody who are likely to show up elsewhere. Maybe they'll whiff it and drop a major ball, but I'm not going to panic over an episode no one has seen because MAYBE it won't do enough.

#eri talks #fandom salt #i just don't have the energy to see people doomposting #i have a very good feeling about the finale! i think it will be good! #i also think people have whipped themselves up into this bizarre frenzy where they think the show is out to hurt them personally #and that they'll leave things unfinished just to be... mean i guess?

[eriexplosion]

[eriexplosion]

The same site also says episode 14 would be 24-25 minutes, they seem to just be throwing out an estimate based on previous episode lengths not actual information. Right now if it doesn't come from an official Star Wars source or one of the crew I wouldn't pay attention to it.

Well, I don't think we'll get that final one-hour episode, folks. Some people are already talking about it on Instagram.

#the bad batch