Once again, this episode goes straight to the well of “Indiana Jones” inspiration. The ipsium mine looks and operates very much like the mine of children enslaved by the Thugee in “Temple of Doom,” replete with red steaming mist and mysterious music (compliments of Kevin Kiner and co.). Under Mokko’s thumb, the kids barely scrape by, while he takes all of the wealth for himself. The Bad Batch shows up and fills in the role of Indiana Jones, acting as the force that turns the tide on the evil overlord and rescues the children.
The final standoff of the episode even happens on a bridge across a wide-open chasm, just like the end of “Temple of Doom.” Instead of the hero being caught in the middle, though, it’s Mokko himself, beset by everyone. He falls into the mist of the mine, much like Mola Ram in the Indy picture. The kids finally turn on their enslavers much the same way as the kids trapped in Pankot Palace, but instead of returning home to their own village, they seize the means of production and start to work for themselves.
It’s an incredibly positive note for these kids, and reinforces the anti-capitalist Empire sentiment of “Star Wars.”
