Summary (TL;DR)
The season 3 premiere follows Heavy, Fives, Echo, Cutup, and Droidbait as they struggle to pass their final test, so they can graduate. Their failures are because they don’t work together as a team. Their instructors fear these clones are a “bad batch” and question what should be done about them. Eventually, the clones learn how to work together and complete their training on Kamino, graduating from cadets to clone troopers.
Moral of this episode: Brothers in arms are brothers for life.
As the war between the Republic and the Separatists rages on, clone troopers are an essential part of the Republic’s defense. The clones are created on the planet Kamino, where Jedi Master General Shaak Ti oversees their training alongside contracted bounty hunters Bric and El-Les.
Struggles and Trials
Clone cadets Echo, CT-4040, Fives, CT-782 aka Hevy, and Droidbait are in the midst of a practice test, with the objective to take over a citadel guarded by training battle droids. Due to their inability to work together, constant arguing, and failure to follow orders, the clones fail the training exercise. This leads to them being nicknamed Domino Squad, as they tend to fall one by one. Furious about their failed performance, Bric threatens to mark Domino Squad as a failure and send them to maintenance alongside defective clone 99.
Back in their living quarters, Echo tries to remind his brothers of the importance of following orders, but this leads to a fight with 782. Bric breaks it up, but 782 states he’d rather train under a Jedi instead of a bounty hunter. In response, Bric expresses his disappointment in how little Domino Squad has advanced and dismisses them as a waste of his time.
Meanwhile, Shaak Ti meets with Lama Su to discuss Domino Squad. Since Jango Fett’s death, Kamino has had to stretch his DNA to produce the Republic’s clone army.
“As you know, there is no one way to make a clone,” Lama Su explains. “Sometimes our efforts are…less than successful.”
Shaak Ti does not like the implication that Domino Squad should be cast off. “They’re living beings, not objects,” she says. Lama Su states that since she’s head of training, the unit’s fate is in her hands.
The Citadel Course
The next day, a group of ARC Troopers, including Commander Colt, arrive at the training facility to observe the cadets taking their final test. Bravo Squad is the first to take the citadel course, and they pass with flying colors. Domino Squad is up next, and while they progress farther than before, things go awry when Droidbait is hit. 782 decides to leave him — a decision that immediately ends the test. Commander Colt chews Domino Squad out for abandoning a fallen soldier and disobeying orders. ‘This is an automatic failure,’ Colt says.
What Is The Fate Of Domino Squad?
Bric and El-Les argue over what should be done with Domino Squad. El-Les still believes in the unit and has asked General Shaak Ti to allow the clones to retake the final test. Bric, however, only cares about getting paid and has already requested Domino Squad to be moved to clean up and maintenance.
Meanwhile, Echo and Fives meet with Shaak Ti to request a transfer to Bravo Squad. Shaak Ti denies their request, stating their right where they need to be. She reminds Echo and Fives that as clones, the individual, and the group are one and the same. Domino Squad will be allowed to retake the test the next day. Later in the day, CT-4040 is summoned by Bric, where the bounty hunter blames Domino Squad’s failures on the clone’s carefree attitude. He then proceeds to physically attack 4040, attempting to provoke a response. It’s clear Bric is looking for an excuse to kick Domino Squad to the curb, but 4040 refuses to give in. In fact, he even thanks Bric for the assault because it gave him a new nickname: Cutup.
That night, 99 catches 782 trying to leave the facility. 99 calls him Hevy due to his tendency to do everything on his own, which only angers him. 99 points out that he never had a team or even a chance to prove himself. But Hevy has both of those things, and he shouldn’t throw that away. By morning, Hevy has embraced both his nickname and his leadership role in Domino Squad.
A Second Chance
As they retake the final test, the unit shows improved teamwork, impressing Shaak Ti and El-Les. After destroying all the training battle droids, Domino Squad finally reaches the citadel. Unfortunately, they can’t find their ascension cables, causing the clones to panic.
When El-Les asks where their ascension cables are, Bric implies he took them to put Domino Squad’s skills to the test — or watch them fail again. El-Les asks Shaak Ti to cancel the test, but she calmly reminds him that the enemy wouldn’t play fair either. Domino Squad decides to deactivate the wall turrets with their guns and use the turrets to scale the wall. Finally reaching the top of the citadel, Hevy captures the flag, and Domino Squad passes their test. Shaak Ti congratulates Bric on his success, while Bric admits that El-Les was right about Domino Squad’s potential.
During their graduation ceremony, Domino Squad receives their badges and is promoted to clone troopers. Hevy thanks 99 for his kind words. 99 is sad to see Hevy leave, so Hevy gives him his badge with the promise that they’ll see each other again. The episode ends with Domino Squad joining the rest of their brothers as the troopers are shipped out to fight against the Separatists.
