Star Wars Just Made The Infamous Trooper Head Bump Better
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode 2, "Cut and Run."
Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 1, episode 2, "Cut and Run" contains a reference to the infamous Stormtrooper head bump from the original Star Wars. The episode covers Clone Force 99 fleeing their former base and meeting up with clone trooper deserter Cut Lawquane, before once again having to escape detection and capture.
Though a relatively minor moment from the film, the first Star Wars contained one particular blunder that became infamous among audiences. Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, when Stormtroopers were first sent to try and find the interlopers on the first Death Star, one unfortunate clone trooper found himself with an unusual enemy. As the clones stormed into the security control center over Docking Station 327, one clumsy trooper smashes their head off the top of a just-opened sliding door. The moment was seemingly a mistake made by an actor that was kept in, but quickly became a prime example of the clumsiness and less-than-stellar instincts of the clone troopers in general.
And The Bad Batch appears to only make this interpretation even more insulting. As the team is setting up its second attempt at escaping from the Empire's clutches, the in-disguise Wrecker also smashes his head into a metal bar in a moment that seems to have too much emphasis on it to be a coincidence. With this in mind, it seems purpose-made to be a reference to the infamous initial moment. Only it carries a further implication as, since Wrecker is the least intelligent of Clone Force 99, there is the suggestion that the initial Star Wars clone was also less intelligent than the average clone trooper, and this is why he too lacked spatial awareness.
While this could still appear to many as a coincidence, the infamous scene has been referenced previously in the franchise, adding credence to the idea this is intentional. In another nod to this clone's moment of clumsiness, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones saw Jango Fett similarly bump his head into the closing door of Slave I - with George Lucas mentioning on the film's DVD commentary that this was a nod to the previous blunder.
In the big scheme of the franchise, these are some decidedly small moments compared to the events of various epic space wars. But this arguably makes references to the infamous head bump all the more special, as they show both an appreciation of fine details, and an understanding that these small head nods and jokes also serve to add a further sense of cohesion to the franchise. Much in the same vein as The Mandalorian, this is one of the major strengths of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, as Star Wars shows often have far more opportunities to make these small but integral references.