The most recent episode of The Bad Batch, “Bad Territory”, brings back a familiar face as the crew attempts to find out answers to the Empire’s interest in Omega.
It’s probably the slowest episode of the season so far, but it connects to the larger story in some significant ways and also includes one of the show’s very best moments, proving that slow and quiet isn’t bad but can lead to some tremendous storytelling. Let’s dive in to the review of the episode, and of course, full spoilers are ahead!
Fresh off of the dramatic incidents on Teth we saw last week, where the Bad Batch learned that the Empire was still after Omega, Hunter decides to take Rex’s advice and investigate why she’s so valuable to them and what they want with her. He enlists the help of Phee Genoa, an ally from season two, to learn more about the mysterious “m count” being thrown around. Phee can’t find much info, but does learn that the Empire has been employing bounty hunters to bring in targets with a high m count. So Hunter turns to a bounty hunter they’re somewhat acquainted with, tracking down Fennec Shand.
The whole ordeal with the m count is a case of us as the audience knowing more than the characters in the story do, as we know that it refers to the midichlorian count. We’re told the Empire is rounding up people strong in this, which is also nothing new to us, since we’ve known the Empire has an interest in Force sensitive individuals. But we do learn that they’re mostly outsourcing this role to bounty hunters. While Darth Vader and the Inquisitors will handle Jedi survivors, it seems that the Empire is ok with bounty hunters doing the ‘easier’ work of taking Force sensitives who aren’t trained and can’t put up as much of a fight. But it also sounds like this is a job reserved only for certain high profile clients (we saw Cad Bane in the trailer, so I wonder if this is something he’s involved in?), even more so than Fennec. She’s heard about this, but not been involved with it directly.
Before she gives them the information, however, she makes Hunter and Wrecker go on a hunt with her, which takes us to the swamps in the bayou. Here the crew must work together to traverse booby traps and capture the extremely dangerous and versatile target. We first were introduced to Fennec in The Mandalorian, and this episode felt very much like it was taking a page out of that series’ playbook, having the main characters complete a ‘bounty of the week’ quest to gather more information pertinent to the quest to protect the child in their care. It’s entertaining enough, and the showdown with the target is well done, but it’s mostly par for the course in an episode like this. It does demonstrate the lengths to which Hunter is willing to go for Omega, and that even means aligning himself with and trusting people who probably aren’t worthy of that much trust.
Fennec leaves, promising to get them the information they’re after, but the episode ends with her contacting a mysterious other figure and telling them about this group of clones asking about the m count and telling them that she’ll transmit what she knows. I’m very much guessing that this person is Asajj Ventress, and it would make a lot of sense for it to be her. (1) We know she appears in this show, as she was glimpsed in the trailer, and with us being past the halfway point now we’ve covered most of what’s been in the trailers, so it’s about time for her to show up. (2) She’s been known to work as a bounty hunter, which would place her in this line of work. (3) She might have an interest not in turning Force sensitives over to the Empire, but helping them. This would especially be true if she’s working with Quinlan Vos (which would be awesome). The two of them have a significant history, and we know that Quinlan was working with The Path (as seen in Obi-Wan Kenobi) to help Force sensitives on the run. Fennec doesn’t reveal whether this person is working with or against the Empire, so this all seems plausible.
While all of this is happening, Omega and Crosshair are back on Pabu, and before he leaves Hunter tells Omega to make sure Crosshair gets his hand checked out. He does, but AZ1 says that there’s nothing medically wrong that is discernible, suggesting that it’s in Crosshair’s head. We are reminded that he still hasn’t fully disclosed what happened to him on Tantiss, and what the Empire did to him. Omega, however, seeks to help him by teaching him meditation that she learned from Gungi on Kashyyyk. It’s a beautiful scene, as the two sit quietly along the shores of the peaceful Pabu, and it’s one of the most touching and tender moments in the entire series. Omega is helping Crosshair to heal. He is clearly struggling with his place as a sniper who can’t really be as precise of a shot any more, and she’s helping him to see that there is still a path forward.
This episode was probably the weakest of the season, but it still serves important purposes: it shows the lengths to which Hunter and Wrecker are willing to go to get to the bottom of the situation, it gets them closer to finding out more information, it (probably) brings them into contact with Asajj Ventress, and it allows Omega and Crosshair more time to bond as Crosshair continues to try to find healing. The relationship between the two of them that has emerged this season is perhaps the single best element to come from the show in its third season, and it’s really sweet to see it continue to develop week-by-week.
Star Wars Thoughts 