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norraexploradora · 9 days

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I understand that people are going to cope how they are going to cope, and trying to find meaning in the handling of Tech in season three is part of that, but it’s also okay to criticize the show.

I like a good character death. Tech’s departure was not that. My issue is not that he’s presumed dead, my issue is that it and the handling of it is nonsense. So (I once again get very negative about my favorite show under the cut):

1. When you kill off a main character, you really have to kill them off. How you do so can vary from story to story, but you really have to do four things:

One, you need a good reason to kill them off in the first place. (“Stakes” is not a good reason. A secondary character, sure, but not a main one. More on that in a minute.)

Two, you need to make it perfectly clear that the character is, in fact, dead.

Three, you need to show the other characters processing and accepting that death. This is important because doing so will allow the audience to do the same and let the character go. This is especially important if you’re writing for a young audience.

Four, you need to make it explicitly clear that the character cannot come back. This is especially true in sci fi or fantasy. Especially if you’re the Character Resurrection franchise.

And guess what the show didn’t do?

Any of that. Any of it. What it did instead was ambiguously remove Tech from the story (uniquely in a show that loves making us watch characters die on screen; last time we saw Tech for sure he was alive), never gave a good reason for doing so in or out of the show, never showed us any character working through the impact of his loss (even though there was ample opportunity for Omega, especially, to do so), and ripped the “could he come back?” box wide open by parading CX-2 in front of our faces. It is never, at any point, handled like an actual main character death. It’s handled as a plot point from which the narrative moves fairly quickly, and treated by all parties as an absence. By all the rules of storytelling, Tech isn’t dead. He’s just ambiguously gone. And that means the writing team did a terrible job if what they wanted to do was kill him off. We should not be debating this after the show has ended if he’s actually dead.

2. I understand why some fans are trying to find meaning in losing Tech. I am not, because that meaning is not offered by the text itself. And, if the plan was to never bring him back, it should have been.

We are not, for example, offered a lesson about how not everyone comes home from the war. In order for that to have been the case, we would have needed to see someone, probably Omega, working through that. We would have needed to see her refusing to accept that Tech is gone—like we do in Plan 99, by the way—and slowly coming to terms with the idea that her brother isn’t coming home. But we don’t get that, not even as subtext.

Something else we could have gotten that would have worked with all the little visual reminders of Tech, empty chairs, name-drops, and even the CX-2 leading? The batch being so haunted by losing Tech and not really knowing what happened to him for sure that they start seeing him everywhere. But for that to work we would have needed, again, to see that as an explicit subplot where someone, probably Omega, again, gets really invested in the signs that Tech is coming back and even starts assuming that CX-2 is him, only to realize that she’s seeing what she wants to see and having to accept that Tech isn’t coming back, but that she can still keep Tech’s memory alive by following in his footsteps. That’s something you can kind of project onto what we’re given in the epilogue, but you do have to project it, because it’s entirely absent from the rest of the show.

As is, Tech’s sacrifice isn’t given any weight. From a narrative perspective, it was an incredibly contrived set of circumstances that accomplished nothing except punting Tech off a train, and gave Tech no choice but to remove himself from the story—exit, stage down. Losing Tech doesn’t, even sub-textually, serve as anyone’s motivation. It does nothing to move the plot or anyone’s character development forward. The primary motivators of season three were Omega’s kidnapping, Crosshair’s PTSD, and Hemlock needing to get Omega back.

Tech’s absence does nothing to move anything forward and only really serves to slow the plot down and make the others struggle to do anything because he’s not there to carry the team like he did in the first two seasons—and nothing about that would have played out any differently if Tech spent the season in a coma in a bacta tank. The only part of Tech’s sacrifice that has meaning is that he loved his family enough to offer it. And that is profound, but that’s not something that would be negated by a return because the love and the offer remain. As for his presumed death? His return couldn’t have taken meaning away from that, because the show never gave it any meaning in the first place.

And no, Tech “dying” isn’t something I have to accept. Tech isn’t a real person, he’s an idea, and an idea that didn’t come to fruition. I can point out the ways the handling of his departure didn’t work all day if I want.

3. CX-Tech was not an overly online theory. I need people to understand this. It was an assumption made by most of the casual audience. My sister, who has no contact with the fandom and doesn’t like me discussing the show at all until she’s seen it, assumed he was Tech. My brother-in-law, who was a die-hard Tech-has-to-be-dead-shut-up guy for the entire hiatus and the first half of season three, was convinced he was Tech. Every kid I’ve spoken to who watched the show thought he was Tech and is deeply confused that he got speared like that. My brother, who doesn’t even watch the show but who does walk by when I’m watching it sometimes, thought he was Tech. You can’t get more casual and away from the fandom than that.

The thing is, the answer we get isn’t that he’s not Tech. It’s, “We’re not telling.” Which means that as it currently stands, a season-and-a-half of CX buildup amounted to a five minute boss fight and a non-answer. That’s…not something that works! That’s atrocious writing if that was the whole sum of their intent all along.

And you can say, well, that was a clever misdirect! Plot twist! Except, one, misdirects and twists only work if the real answer is more satisfying than the false one, otherwise it just falls flat. Two, if it was a misdirect, it’s not one the creative team is willing to own. No one will touch the Tech-CX-2 parallels with a twenty-foot pole, except the Kiners, who have incredibly meaningful explanations for every musical choice but then say shit like, “that chord just sounds good in brass” about Battle of the Snipers (…before going on to say that the four note lose motif from “Plan 99” is Tech’s leitmotif…which is also all over Battle of the Snipers…and is only there according because the batch is divided in that scene, a scene in which Crosshair’s leitmotif is entirely absent even though he’s just supposed to be fighting his own dark side represented by a guy who’s totally not Tech. Sure. I’m going to go eat drywall.) Because acknowledging that and saying that was supposed to be Tech will just make the audience angrier, and they may not even be allowed to do so, and saying that it is Tech—you can understand why they can’t do that, right? The implications are horrific. But that horrific implication is probably what at least some of the casual audience who will never interact with the fandom or a single interview is going to walk away with.

4. The thing that bothers me most about all of this is the combined toxicity of the fandom and the leading from the marketing and social media. Part of the fandom saying that there were never any signs Tech could have survived (in Star Wars, no less) is starting to feel like gaslighting; and while I don’t think there was any malice in the leading in the marketing and social media—I’m even willing to give a tiny bit of leeway for the creative team maybe knowing something we don’t yet—it was handled badly, expectations for this season should have been set early and clearly, and as of right now it all feels like an incredibly cruel prank at autistic fans expense, whatever the intent may have been or may still be.

5. And finally, here’s the thing: I’m willing to give the writers a bit of leeway on this. I’m willing to grant that some choices may have been out of their hands for unknown reasons. I’m even willing to say that maybe they’re not really done with this story yet, that The Bad Batch could just be the first chapter of a longer show that was split up for stupid business reasons, and that the finale is the way it is because they had to have an ending of sorts without actually resolving anything. I’m willing to grant a lot of grace there. In fact, I actually think there’s a very good chance we’ll still get Tech back alive in canon, and sooner than later, if only because no one (not even the voice actors) seems happy about this, most fans are coping but disappointed at best, the creative team got asked about Tech non-stop for a solid year and a half, and the writers don’t seem at all committed. We know from the rest of the show that they know how to definitively kill a guy, and, frankly, Tech in the first two seasons comes across as something of a writer favorite. They like using him!

But whatever I’m hoping or suspecting, and whatever leeway I’m willing to grant the creative team here, the final product is all we have right now. And I am going to criticize that final product for badly handling a (presumed) character death and straight up breaking the central conceit of the show in doing so.

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norraexploradora · 11 days

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they’re still together in my head :,)

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norraexploradora · 11 days

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:')

also shout out to those lovely anons

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norraexploradora · 13 days

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“Clone Force 99 Died With Tech.” Is that really true? The Answer is Deeper than you Think

In the series Finale of the Bad Batch, Crosshair shouts at Hunter with a harsh but memorable line, “Clone Force 99 Died with Tech.” But was that really true?

The answer could be both yes or no depending on the point of view.

From Crosshair’s perspective, he did believe Clone Force 99 died with Tech. A great deal of time had passed after he chose the Empire over his brothers. Like Omega told him on Pabu, “You’ve missed so much.” Crosshair was unaware all of the changes the squad had been through.

However, Crosshair knew exactly what was waiting for them inside Tantiss and that any attempt to infiltrate the base would be considered a suicide mission.

By sending his brothers elsewhere, Crosshair felt he was saving them. Given that his choice to remain with the Empire was the main source of his guilt, he felt that deserved to be the one to sacrifice himself. Hunter calling out this attempt as “Plan 99,” triggered Crosshair to forcibly reject everything they once were; thus giving us the line in question.

It’s important to note that by the time Tech enacted Plan 99, he had already come to the realization that they were more than a squad; they were a family. Tech sacrificed himself during a mission. So in essence, he saved his squad as a soldier. However, given the narrative of Season 2, there is a greater possibility that Tech quantified his decision as saving both his family and his squad.

Tech never thought he deserved his fate but understood it was the only solution. Plan 99 was implemented as an act of love. In Crosshair’s case, he felt he owed Omega; that sacrificing himself was an adequate punishment for his mistakes. That’s a huge difference.

Crosshair ultimately needed to forgive himself in order feel worthy of being accepted into the his old squad’s established family. We see this moment happen during the defeat of Dr. Hemlock.

During a tense stand-off on the bridge outside Tantiss, Crosshair had the ultimate test of faith. Plagued with doubts, he faced his worst fear; failure. With the encouragement from his brother, Crosshair pushed through his trauma and made a perfect shot to save his sister.

When Omega chooses to hug Crosshair after the battle was over, we clearly see the shock on his face that turns into relief. It was that in that exact moment that he finally forgives himself and is able to accept the love of his family. It’s one of the most touching and meaningful scenes in the entire series.

So, was Crosshair right? Did Clone Force 99 really die with Tech?

In my opinion, no.

Rescuing Omega from the clutches of Dr. Hemlock was their last mission as a squad. Their armor may have been metaphorically stripped of their old identities, but Clone Force 99 is irrevocably a part of them; just as one becomes a college alumni after graduation.

It’s also important to point out that Clone Force 99 was a title given to them by the GAR and the Bad Batch is a name they chose for themselves. A more accurate declaration would be that the concept of Clone Force 99 died when the Republic fell.

The narrative through the story of the Bad Batch is that the past is always a part of you. Your decisions and choices become your legacy.

Romar told Tech that Serennians existed before the war and the archive was a way to preserve his people’s history. Tech later explained to Omega that their squad existed before Echo and will still exist without him; that change is a fundamental part of life and they must adapt and move on.

Clone Force 99 and the Bad Batch may have been disbanded but their existence didn’t die.

They simply remain part of the Galaxy’s history and their legacy lives on through Omega and all people they’ve aided throughout their lives.

The skull patch on Omega’s jacket during the epilogue proves that.

#tbb #tbb crosshair #tbb tech #the bad batch #the bad batch crosshair #bad batch season 3 #bad batch tech #bad batch omega #bad batch #badbatch #bad batch spoilers #clone force 99 #tbb hunter #hunter bad batch #omega bad batch

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norraexploradora · 15 days

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Whatever timeline this happens in is the one I chose to accept and hold onto. Seriously. This has healed my heart and I cannot thank you enough for giving us a glimpse into what could have been. He’s beautiful 🥹

He's a Disney prince ♕

#i love him #thank you #this is canon #this is cannon now #tech #you can pry tech lives and grows old with his family on pabu au from my cold dead fingers #this is everything

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norraexploradora · 16 days

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The Impact of Tech’s Sacrifice within the Fandom

An analysis of why it sparked so much controversy and possible solutions on how that could have been avoided.

A Disclaimer about this analysis:

Before I go into detail about how Disney handled Tech’s death in both Season 2 and Season 3, I want to clearly state that I love the Bad Batch.

This story and the characters grabbed my heart instantly and S1 got me through the darkest years of my life after my brother passed way. The amount of gratitude I have for those who put this beautifully animated series goes beyond words.

My analysis isn’t an attack on the creators, writers, animators, etc. I believe that many episodes throughout all 3 seasons are some of the best written stories in all of Star Wars. The animation itself is awe inspiring and the soundtrack is a work of art.

However, one can still love a show while also having valid criticisms.

This analysis is strictly concerning the nature of Tech’s sacrifice in the series. The questions of why it happened, when it happened, how it was handled, and what was the detrimental affect on a particular group within the fan base were all factored in.

I have placed my personal feelings aside for the sake of offering a fair assessment of Tech’s sacrifice within the series. With complete neutrality, I have spent a great deal of analytical thought regarding the controversy and it has allowed me to provide a few alternate solutions to how it could have been avoided.

The heart of the debate:

After the conclusion of season 2, Tech’s sacrifice has become one of the most emotionally painful losses in all of Star Wars and started one of the most heated debates within the fandom.

Is he alive or did he really die on Eriadu? After analyzing every scene and dissecting the overall narrative within the Bad Bad Batch, there was plenty of evidence that it could be interpreted either way.

Tech’s sacrifice was undeniably heroic. He gave his life without hesitation in order to save both his squad and his family. It secured their survival and thus their eventual success in season 3. There could be no greater act of love.

Neither side of “Tech is alive or Tech needs to remain dead” would deny this.

However, the fact remains that the circumstances surrounding Tech’s sacrifice did spark debate regardless. Therefore, I’ve come up with a few possible ways that Tech’s sacrifice would have less room for speculation:

If a batch member died (permanently); placing it within in the 3rd act, not the 2nd

Having all Batch remain alive until they were reunited. This allows the fractured family to reconcile and fight together before any member is lost. It heals the wound of the fractured family and gives the catharsis of seeing them finally all on the same side.

Having a canonically neurodivergent character, who also gets an unfinished romantic story with a WOC right before they are killed off, will always cause a deeper introspection to why they were chosen to be sacrificed. Removing all intentional/non intentional aspects of having a sacrifice interpreted as “shock value” would help alleviate that concern

The manner of which Tech died was too ambiguous for many viewers. In real life, Tech would never survive a fall from that height, but this is Star Wars. Characters survive impossible situations all the time. In order to reduce speculation when a main protagonist dies, the death needs to be clearly shown on screen. The fact that there was a huge debate after Plan 99 proves that insufficient evidence was provided

This is not a universal sentiment from all fans, but the lack of sufficient payoff or closure led many of them to believe Tech would return. They were awaiting official confirmation that was yet to be revealed in season 3 that would solidify if he was still alive or really dead

Combining all of these factors, here is how the story may have unfolded:

If the stakes needed to be raised in Season 2, having one of the main protagonists severely injured, enough to cause viewers to fear they may die, would still require the Batch going back to Ord Mantell for help with AZI.

The betrayal by Cid would still happen and Omega would still end up captured; thus leaving us with the same cliffhanger of Omega being ripped away from her family. Having a character still clinging to life and Omega being taken would certainly quantify as raising the stakes for ACT II.

As hard as it is for me to admit this, Wrecker would be the obvious pick if Tech was slated to die later in the series. This would have given Wrecker more focus for season 3 character development should he be hindered in some way after the injury.

Season 3 would start out exactly the same; the Batch hunting for Tantiss’s location and Omega. Omega would have the same time skips and bonding with Crosshair and would still escape and reunite with the Batch, Exactly as shown.

The reunion, however, would allow the entire Batch to reconcile and learn to work as a team again. Tech could have solidified whatever feelings he had for Phee during this time. The Batch would seemingly have won but trouble would still be on the horizon.

The series still goes on as originally planned, Omega would still want to free the clones they left behind on Tantiss. Since Omega and Crosshair both have knowledge of Tantiss, the Batch would all be summoned to Teth in order to aid Rex with this shadow operative. Unfortunately, this would once again place Omega and the Batch on the radar again because CX-2 would still be dispatched to Teth…etc etc.

The Batch would realize Omega was being targeted and therefore, the plot of Ventress could also carry on. (Though I’m pretty certain Tech would have known what an M-count was).

So now we get to the mid point of Season 3 where a sacrifice would have built up to a larger payoff.

The Point of No Return would be a perfect place for this option. It was the turning point to when everything goes wrong for the Batch in Season3.

By this time, the viewer has been led into a false sense of security. Having a main character death here would have proven just as shocking and emotional as it did at the season finale of season 2.

Tech and Phee would have already solidified their relationship and would have had the kind of emotional moment Kanan had with Hera had in Rebels. Tech’s death could have been just as unexpected and shocking as Kanan’s, as well as having a similar completion of his story arc.

Also, creating a Plan99 type sacrifice while on Pabu may have been able to clearly define his death unlike how he disappeared into the clouds. Omega would have still witnessed his sacrifice and the viewer would be left with zero ambiguity of whether or not he survived.

Continuing down this path, we would also see Omega’s reaction to Tech’s sacrifice just like Plan 99 and could have immediately set her towards the decision to give herself up in order protect her family and the island inhabitants. Basically two huge sacrifices happen. Stakes would have definitely be raised.

In the episode that follows, Tech would be given proper mourning; perhaps a funeral of sorts on Pabu.

Even though Omega had unfortunately returned to Tantiss, the closure in Tech’s death would have been equal to the weight of his character importance. Having his story arc with Phee resolved and seeing the Batch fight together against the Empire, may have lessened the sting of a neurodivergent character being the only one who didn’t survive after the finale.

This alternate direction in the story, would also mean that CX-2 wouldn’t be a mystery box. One would be led to believe that the shadow operative was clearly a metaphor for “What Crosshair would have Become” without having the the possibility that CX-2 could be Tech.

One could even argue that it would have created more emotional impact on the mental struggle of crosshair when the mystery box element is removed from the equation.

The rest of the season continues on as normal. No changes; not even the beautiful epilogue.

What if Plan 99 stays the same in Season 2? What other directions could be taken to avoid viewers from speculating?

How would one maintain Tech’s sacrifice; only adding slight differences that may have enhanced the narrative?

The mission at the summit could have either been a success to increase the payoff or have been given more time to ensure proper closure. This could happen in a few ways:

Tech sacrificed himself to save his family but the mission itself failed. Not having a successful payoff allows viewers to draw a conclusion that all the character buildup for Tech and the entire plot of the finale was to kill off a character to “raise the stakes.” Whether it was the intentional not to do so is irrelevant. Many in the fandom interpreted it as such.

Having some part of the “mission gone wrong” still ending with some success allows the thought of “at least this good thing happened” and the audience experiences the relief of knowing that something came from it beyond Tech’s sacrifice.

Think of Cassian and Jyn in Rogue One. Even though their sacrifice was heart wrenching, Cassian and Jyn’s sacrifice immediately led to the Death Star plans reaching Princess Leia.

Tech saved his family in Plan 99, which was heroic no doubt, but the failed mission had the viewer go through an entire third season in order to experience the payoff that the survival of his family eventually led to them defeating Hemlock and retiring on Pabu.

The second option is that if Plan 99 and the rest season 3’s plot is keep exactly as it is, to include more clear and concise emphasis on the characters grief and mourning from the remaining members. It would allow the viewers to also process the loss and grieve.

As it stood, after a few tears from Omega and a drink from Wrecker at a bar, the Batch was immediately rushed into being found by Hemlock and Omega being captured. Many complaints online stated that Tech’s death seemed like an afterthought by the end of the episode; especially after Emerie’s bombshell reveal was introduced.

Another direction one could take to alleviate any hope or confusion over Tech’s death was to remove the ambiguity. In Star Wars, having any character “fall out of sight” without being clearly dead first; especially in Star Wars, will always lead to speculation.

If Tech had experienced an ending more like Fives, the viewer witnesses his last breath and it removes all doubt that he has died.

How would any of those options look applied to the story:

Starting season 3, avoid moving straight into a time skip. This would include showing Omega telling Crosshair about Tech as well as Hunter and Wrecker telling Phee. Seeing the reactions of important people in Tech’s life, who wasn’t present during Plan 99, would allow the viewer to know how much he was missed by everyone.

Another possible scenario is a reflection scene, much like Crosshair’s moment with placing Mayday’s helmet on a makeshift memorial.

Perhaps the entire Batch standing behind Omega as she placed his Goggles in the Archium. Many in the neurodivergent community have expressed that Tech was only mentioned whenever his skills were missed. Having a few words about Tech’s character and not just his skills, may have resonated more with people who related to him. If anything, just to take some of the edge off for the families and young children watching.

Wrapping up:

This assessment was to examine how Tech’s death was handled within the season and how other directions within the story could have alleviated some of the speculation and dissonance within the fandom surrounding Tech’s sacrifice.

I’m not trying to persuade anyone to change their opinions on whether if Tech should be alive or stay dead. My hope was to offer a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding Tech’s sacrifice and how that fueled heated debate.

It is completely possible to watch Season 3 and see CX-2 as a misdirection. It is also completely understandable to see CX-2 as as a mystery box reveal that he could be Tech with the clues given.

Either way, it remained a debate and distraction after the finale of season 2 and all the way to the end of season 3.

Tech said it best, “Understanding you doesn’t mean I agree with you.” People will always see the world differently. No matter how Tech’s sacrifice was presented, there will always be those who feel it was the wrong decision because Tech meant more to them than the majority of the fandom. Their grief and feelings are just as valid as those who disagree.

No one’s grief or sadness should be made into a joke, ever. You may not understand it, or agree with it; but like Tech said we should always “respect their decision.”

Star Wars is about hope and the stories found within touch us all in different ways. We bring our own unique life experiences and connect to the story in ways that are deeply personal. Fictional characters do hold weight into the real world because of this.

A personal note:

I will always love Tech. He will remain one of the best and bravest characters in the entire Star Wars Universe.

However, I do wish that there had more clear and direct confirmation regarding Tech’s sacrifice. Being neurodivergent and “processing moments and thoughts differently,” made me see parallels and patterns that kept conflicting; driving a mystery that my brain desperately needed to solve.

Now that the Bad Batch is over, I’m relieved to have that mystery officially closed; even if I had to say goodbye to the one Star Wars character that I connected to the most.

Ironically I lost my brother, (who was my only sibling), on the same day Plan 99 aired. Now that Tech’s death is officially confirmed, it’s hard to know that March 29th is also the day Omega lost her brother too. We both have had to carry the weight of having a brother whose life ended too soon.

I have yet to reach that feeling of acceptance with losing both my brother and Tech but I’m sure I’ll get there. Tech lives on through Omega. My brother lives on through me. I still wish they both survived long enough to grow old and share more moments with their families. Still, I’m thankful for the precious time we were given with them.

So to everyone…

Be kind to each other. Reach out often and tell those you care about how much they mean to you. Try hard to remember that we are doing our best to survive in this world together, so be kind and compassionate to those who are struggling.

And as always.. May the Force be with you.

#the bad batch #tbb #bad batch tech #plan 99 #tbb tech #Badbatch #bad batch season 3 #bad batch spoilers

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norraexploradora · 19 days

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The irony for me here is, I maintained that Tech couldn't be CX-2 because it made no sense in an overall plot angle, CX-2 seemed to me to obviously be meant to be evil Crosshair. But then we got ep 11 and I felt like the parallels were too strong.

But no. It was all red herrings, I was right. He was just meant to be a foil of Crosshair. Which I liked, but I also liked the idea of him saving this person in the way he couldn't save himself or Mayday, and I'm sad they didn't go that route.

I'm also sad, though, that they did Tech's death so poorly, marketed it so badly, messaged it so insensitively. I've always maintained parasocial interactions with cast and crew are a bad idea and I'm convinced of this more than ever at this point. They could have, at any time, stepped in and said no he's dead and not coming back, there will be mourning. They didn't, they weasel worded their way through a year and then they proceeded to be coy online when a massive portion of their fanbase was sitting here saying, 'So he's still alive? Somehow?'

I don't think I'll ever understand why they didn't think to be more clear like they were with Cross's chip. Unless it was because they knew a lot of us would stop watching. Which... I suspect is maybe the case, and well, good work. I'm definitely not going to engage with SW content as readily anymore.

Not when an autistic MoC is killed for stakes and consequences and then given a worse send off than numerous one off characters.

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norraexploradora · 19 days

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Remember in Season 1, Episode 1 Aftermath, Tech says "I am merely stating a theoretical hypothesis based on factual data?" Well, that's what I did, I made a "logical conclusion." From Lama Su coming back when we thought he was dead to the infamous "domicile," it was all factual evidence that was meant to push us in a direction of hoping that Tech would return and that CX-2 could be the way he does it. I'm not stupid, and neither are you. There's an underlying reason that I love Tech not based on just his handsome looks. I don't claim to have an exceptional mind like him and I don't intend to convince anyone that CX-2 was Tech, but I do want to explain how it could be construed through the way that character was presented that he could have been and none of us were wrong or "losers" to think so.

45 54 Reasons and more well on the way, lol...

General reasons: *Tech is never seen actually dying. *Hemlock being untrustworthy source of death certificate. *The return of many thought to be dead characters in past Star Wars from Darth Maul who was sliced in half to Lama Su - the door closed on him and we thought he was getting shot by troopers only to show up alive later and this happened in The Bad Batch itself. *CX-2 is shown walking toward the 'light' after dropping off Omega, symbolically toward a future redemption. @astrovoidy *Height change on starwars.com *The word 'dead' danced around on official sites and by BB employees *the similarities to Winter soldier @on-a-quest *the cryptic tweets that showcased reborn characters like Gandalf *The official poster of CX-2 shows him in 'good' light. @eriexplosion *other people in professional settings like New Rock Stars on youtube thought the same exact thing *the large focus on CX-2, over multiple episodes *misleading title of last episode "The Cavalry Has Arrived" *Tech being smart enough to find a solution *If Season 2 could be compared to Empire Strikes Back, Tech was taken from us the way Han Solo was, but Han Solo was returned so surely Tech would be as well *no one expected a main ensemble character permadeath

Physical and character similarities: *the shrimp posture *the kick in the fight similar to droid kick in S1E1 *the similar hand to hand combat style *the shooting accuracy- ipsium cave/ plan 99 *the elegant deliberate movement especially of hands and fingers *the animated head and body when speaking *the helmet – even has his hairline @jorolle *the viewfinder similar to Tech's and utilized just as often *the pouches(!!!) *the limberness and agility *the confident capability *the crouching/getting on one knee - Tech is an infamous croucher! *the deviant nature – ignoring orders *the technology know how *the flying – some say the turn on Teth was a Tech Turn *the extraness of tool/weapon twirl *armpad like Tech's datapad @wolveria *CX-2's ship has similarities to the Marauder @wolveria *Tech CC-9902 / CX-2 - both end in 2 @wolveria

The 'British' accent, speech inflection, pronunciation. and vocabulary (this alone is enough to onvince anyone...): 'You better get back HERE." - "I know the girl is HERE." "The fifth IS Omega." - "The girl IS alive." "Who are you?" - "Who are you?" "Naveecomputah." - "Neveecomputah." "DOMICILE." - "DOMICLE."

Cinematic framing similarities: *the limping *the coming out of the water @lilacjunimo *hooking the rappel hook rappelling down was like dangling off the rail car *the boulder moving *helmet viewpoint from CX-2 in finale, only BB members ever had that

Conjectural situations of suspicion: *the beef with Crosshair *the constant surviving *the pausing when choking Crosshair *the pausing to look at Phee Foreshadowing lines: *More machine than man, percentage wise at least. *Better late than dead. *See you around, Brown Eyes. *Tech's not gone. *The operative's gone rogue. *Romar saying he's a survivor and Tech's look at him.

Abandoned storyline reasons: *The romance with Phee, surely it wouldn't be abandoned!? 🙄😡 *CX-2's death being anticlimactic *The finale seeming rushed and incomplete *Actors saying there were script changes

@wolveria made a great analysis here with her Tech-Genda !

Having said that, here are some reasons it may not have been him: *Too many characters coming back from the dead. *The way he says 'clones' in Infiltration was more reg accent. *Tech's line in the cave to Omega which "was a big one to me” in retrospect: "I am aware that you miss him, but we have to adapt and move on." As for the intentions of the writers to either have been forced to change the script, but can't admit it due to NDAs or if they truly meant for CX-2 to be Crosshair's foil which to me was unnecessary and unclear, especially with all of the evidence above, at least they could have made him talk and move like a reg. Making him talk and walk like Tech was, to be frank, cruel on top of a cruel we already experienced in Plan 99. I think this is the last time I'll personally address Season 3 or the finale unless to support other commentators/creators and for my own fix-it and art and writing. And I look forward to seeing everyone else's works as well and hope no one gives up this beautiful Batch or fandom as I almost did. Canon seems done with him, he belongs to us now. 💜 And if anyone has anything I missed (I'm sure I'll think of more myself), feel free to comment or reblog with that addition or a link to your own post and/or I can edit the OP to include. Also, don't feel like you can't make your own post about this subject! But I do hope this maybe helped anyone still dealing with the 'aftermath' like me, to know you're not alone, and you did not read too much into it. (In retrospect, I can't believe they killed him though, lol. What the kriff were they thinking!?! #too handsome to die #too awesome to die)

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norraexploradora · 3 months

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Commission for @niobiumao3

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norraexploradora · 4 months

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While we are all oh so patiently waiting for news on s3 of TBB, here is a Tech painting that I've had in the works for quite some time, commissioned by the wonderful @norraexploradora <3

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norraexploradora · 7 months

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THIS IS CANON! 😭😭

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norraexploradora · 1 year

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“I may process moments and thoughts differently, but it does not mean that I feel any less than you.” This episode was so, so special to me for that moment alone. ;u; Thank you, TBB crew!

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norraexploradora · 2 years

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Being left alone on my Hyperfixaton Island Sucks

No man is an island; but a hyperfixation sure is.

I hate it when friends that share my hyperfixation start slipping away before I do; leaving me all alone to desperately cling to what’s been keeping me together for months/years.

It feels like your plane crashed on a deserted island and everyone is rescued but you.

You send messages out in a bottle… “Come Back! Don’t leave me.” You write S.O.S. in the sand; but you eventually realize that you will spend the remainder of your hyperfixation alone until you too drift away hoping to find another island (a.k.a. hyperfixation) to cling to.

The longer you stay adrift, searching for the next comfort island, the more depressed you become. Inevitably, you find that new island; excitement throws you into a frenzy of joy and hope. New people find your island and together you bond over this shared space. Sadly resources begin to dwindle, people lose focus, they leave, and the cycle continues.

My anxiety coping mechanism has basically consisted of me continuously “island” hopping on hyperfixations. Some lasting months, some years, and a few that have remained with me through my entire life.

They are what I call lifer hyperfixations. I see them as ratty old security blankets I’ve had since childhood. They still give me comfort and support but unfortunately, there are too many stains, holes, and worn edges to keep all the monsters from finding me.

So if you hyper fixate like I do and you find yourself adrift in that lonely ocean, I hope you find your next oasis soon.

Who knows, a new interest could set me out in your direction and I find myself washed up ashore next to you. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

It’s always a relief to find a way to survive together.

#hyperfocus #im hyperfixating again #hyperfixation #let me hyperfixate in peace #hyperfixiating #hyper fixated

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norraexploradora · 4 years

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After listening to the beautifully made What the Force/ Charles Soule interview, it inspired me to sit down and finally put my feelings on TROS into words. Just ***PLEASE remember that this post has absolutely no reflection on the answers of that interview and is nothing more than an inspiration point to finally express what I’ve always felt in my heart in regards to the film.

My feelings regarding Ben’s death and why I am on the side of the “Easy Out-lazy” storytelling device argument is a whole essay on its own. Beyond that, that feeling of why lazy writing failed the story goes much deeper. Ben Solo and how his story was handled in the movie was a huge chunk of the iceberg that sunk the Titanic but not all of it.

So I will avoid getting myself angry and depressed by reliving the fate of Ben Solo through words. This blog post will just be me focusing on the “overall” aspect of why I found the story in TROS sorely lacking. *sigh*..... so here we go..

Being over 40, I was part of the OT Generation. My childhood heroes were Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, etc. I didn’t hate the PT, but I definitely had a disconnect from it compared to the OT. It wasn’t until the Clone Wars animated series that I really fell in love with the PT characters just as much as my favorite OT characters.

In addition, it wasn’t until I joined the online collected fandom; where I was able to interact and speak with a younger generation, that I realized that the PT spoke to them like the OT spoke to me. Hearing their stories opened my eyes to why it is important to have children at the heart of Star Wars and completely changed how I viewed its cultural impact.

By doing so, I let go of my past and went into the Force Awakens already thinking this “isn’t my Star Wars.” My hope and excitement was seeing kids go on their own epic journey like mine. I was thrilled to see how the previous 6 films shaped a new story and inspires a new generation of fans.

However..... and here we go.. after watching TROS, I’ve never- ever felt so depressed and disappointed in a film. After 40 years, I thought it all would lead to something bigger; that the final message would have been clear and meaningful. Alas, no... for me it failed spectacularly.

So why? Why did it break my heart? I’m going to try to break it down:

A major part is knowing TROS singles out OT fans as the most important. The film failed to end the saga or complete the arcs of these new ST characters in sacrifice to the OT characters. It also had no desire to even acknowledge the PT. TROS retcons the ST characters destined purpose to completing the arcs of the OT characters.

By making this narrative choice to please one small group, the filmmakers alienated more than half of its fans. The ST story can no longer thrive on its own. The ST characters arcs are left incomplete, the sacrifice of Ben Solo lacks meaning or purpose, Rey becomes a vessel to Leia and Luke’s story and thus I’m left saying “why??? Why did we even need these films? What was being said that we haven’t heard before”???

To clarify, I don’t mind that the ST character‘s “destiny” to be linked to the successes and mistakes of the characters before them. However, it irritates me to see that their own depth and arcs are ritualistically sacrificed for what basically boils down to fan service. This upsets me on two major levels.

One: It makes sacred moments of the OT weaker.

Here is just “ONE” example of this (and there were many to choose from): the whole horribly edited, thrown together scene of Luke lifting his X-Wing out of the water on Ahch-to.

In ESB, when Yoda lifts Luke’s X-wing out of the swamp on Dagobah it served as a key plot device by teaching Luke an important lesson in the force; one he needed to hear to complete his journey. In contrast, Luke lifting the X-wing in TROS serves no purpose to Rey’s arc. She would have no knowledge of that moment between Yoda and Luke or what the symbolism meant behind it. This scene also makes Luke’s choice to literally “scuttle” that part of his life as a symbolic plot device in TLJ meaningless. This scene is more than just his failure at Dagobah but represents his failure to Ben which both cause him to lose faith in himself. By saving his sister, Rey, the Rebellion, and Ben Solo (by keeping him from physically striking him down) , Luke saves hope in the galaxy. This was bigger and better than an X-Wing; surpassing his Jedi master. Luke completed his arc; the twin suns set on his story.

Therefore, this moment served no purpose besides appeasing a small group of fans that were still upset that their favorite toy was discarded for the sake of these new characters they fiercely hated. That beautiful moment of seeing Yoda’s lesson to Luke becomes nothing more than a “cheap move” for nostalgia.

Two: That’s this generation of kids were left out of the equation. There is good reason the toys and marketing was weak for TROS. It wasn’t made for kids but as a throwback/ remake movie for older generations. I doubt that children (ones get to see the previous films before episode 7), could completely understand the purpose and resolution of the ST characters story arcs the way we understood the characters who were introduced during our childhood.

I’ve mentioned to some of my friends that if I were a kid again, how could I sit down and play with the toys made from TROS? What on Earth could I pull from that movie to imagine with my toys more than lightsabers and “pew pew!”

I grew up with ROTJ as “my” ending film. I replayed scenes like rescuing Han from Jabba, the Sarlacc pit, Leia freeing herself from Jabba , the Ewok village, the speeder chase, the Death Star battle fight, and Luke saving Vader. The way the movie ended, I was able to imagine a happy ever after with my toys. It left a hopeful feeling that my heroes will find love and happiness; that all the sacrifices meant that they get to live on. The princess and the scoundrel found love, the sister and brother connected, the wounds between the father and son was healed, and balance was restored.

This generation’s version Luke and Leia are NOT supposed to be my Luke and Leia and I’m 100% on board with that. These characters, like me- grew up and made mistakes along the way. Their role and place in the story has changed as we all do when he have children and become adults. Kids today are going to relate to and play with the toys of Rey, kylo/Ben, Finn, Poe, and Rose. Luke and Leia are now their Obi-wan and Yoda toys; the guides- teachers- mentors- parental figures that pass on wisdom to the next generation.

So why why why- did TROS take the focus off this generation’s heroes? Just try to imagine an 8 year old trying to wrap their head around the TROS’s convene convoluted story in order to recreate scenarios with action figures.

Rey and Ben did not get a happy ending. Finn didn’t get to become the leader of his own story. Poe resorted to the fly boy he was in the first film and not the strategic general that Leia and Holdo gave him the lessons and wisdom to become. Poor Rose was completely cut and her time given to a character that was placed in because of a bet by JJ Abrams. Rey having to “earn Luke’s saber (which was really ANAKIN’s saber) was ridiculous at that point in her story arc; (and personally for me- downright insulting). Even the end celebration felt rushed and hollow unlike the one in ROTJ and I’m not exactly sure if a child would understand exactly how the “good guys” won.

What can kids glean from the ending of having Rey end up alone in a place connected to Luke but no connection to Rey; a place that kids would understand why it was important to begin with. What hope is derived from a Romeo and Juliet ending and returning the heroine to a childlike, monk state? One could say “subjective” implications. But I stress again- this is a movie for KIDS. Have small subjective points they can grow into sure... but the “overall” message in Star Wars needs to be clear and cohesive.

For example, will the average 8 year old even know why C-3PO couldn’t translate a forbidden Sith language? They may love Babu Frik and care that C-3PO was going to have to erase his memory, but because the previous ST films lacked a set-up to this plot device, the reason behind it makes no sense in the ST story. The weight and purpose of that scene featuring a cute and amazing character that kids should LOVE playing with as a toy- can’t easily be acted out from a child’s perspective.

These characters simply become toys that are cool to look at but not to interact with. And that’s why I’m upset. That’s why I’m sad. The entirety of TROS is nothing but a nostalgic action figure that stays in the box because the end product was designed for the people who collect things and not for the kids who would play with them.

Ugh.... I don’t know who had their hands in allowing TROS to happen... was it executives, Chris and JJ, board members, stock holders.... all of the above? Who knows for sure why it was such a mess. Whatever the reason, the creators of TROS used quick, formulaic conclusions that didn’t inspire the imagination.

Yoda said in TLJ, “The greatest teacher failure is”. Maybe TROS’s greatest achievement is to teach a future generation of writers and filmmakers on “what not to do”. That in itself gives me hope that the future of Star Wars cinema can still “grow beyond” the tragedy of what we got in TROS.

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norraexploradora · 5 years

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Phan giveaway

So uh, I’ve been collecting Phan merch for a long time now with the intention of giving it away when this blog hit 2k, but I have too much cool stuff already and nearly 200 followers to go and I’m too excited so I’m doing it NOW, dangit.

Apologies to any creators who were not included, but I’ve run out of funds for the time being. Hoping I’ll get to do this again in the future. :) (Also sorry for the crappy photo quality; that’s tumblr’s fault.)

Prize 1: “Christine”

“Wishing Blue” pouch by @rjdaae [shop]

“Christine Daaés” spiral notebook by Rapunzette

Christine sticker by @honeybee-bzz [shop]

“Point of No Return” indie glitter nail polish by MDJ Creations

Engraved wooden bookmark from TheBookishDen

Prize 2: “Erik”

“Erik’s Wallpaper” pouch by @rjdaae [shop]

Red Death lined notebook by @ofbeautsandbeasts [shop]

“Dark and light” mini art print by @ilustrariane [shop]

Mer-Cherik charm by @epwhales

Persian robe sticker by @aliceheart247 [shop]

Assorted Erik/Cherik stickers by @epwhales

Prize 3: Book & Film

Phantom of the Opera issue of Rue Morgue magazine (Nov. 2011)

Thrift-store copy of the 1988 Phantom of the Soap Opera by Judi Miller

“Leroux’s opera” mini art print by @klausscrimshaw [shop]

Red Death enamel pin by @therosenpants [shop]

Glow-in-the-dark enamel Lon Chaney pin by hopesick

Assorted Phantom film buttons from ViciousDelights

Rules

1. I don’t really care whether you’re following me, but in fairness to the people who are, I’d ask that only those who follow this blog or one of my sideblogs (@wheel-of-fics and @everythingismonsters) enter the giveaway.

2. You must be 18 or older, or have your parents’ permission to receive mail.

3. You must have private messaging enabled so I can contact you if you win.

4. Artists whose items are included in the giveaway are still eligible to enter!

To enter:

1. Reblog this post by August 31, 2019. You’ll be entered to win all three prizes unless you specify a preference in your tags. (If you’d like to signal boost but not enter, you can also specify that in the tags.) Multiple reblogs are fine, but your name will only be entered once.

2. Not required, but please consider paying the good will forward and engaging with other fans. I know there’s a widespread fic/art burnout, but other options include recommending a blog, starting or participating in a challenge, attending a stream, sending asks, headcanoning…however you’d prefer to fan. Heck, plug your own blog in the reblogs/comments if you’d like.

3. On Sept. 1, I’ll use a random generator to select three winners and will notify them via private message. Each will have 48 hours to respond with a shipping name/address before a replacement name is selected.

4. If you don’t win but are coveting any of the above items, maybe check out the creators’ shops? :)

That’s all! Yay! Good luck!

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