Every time an episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch lands, Fantha Tracks will be giving their responses, and here are our initial gut feelings, deep dives and thoughts on episode fifteen of season three – and the very last episode of The Bad Batch – ‘The Cavalry Has Arrived’. Beware of spoilerific elements in here.
Dan Lo
TV and movie battles often follow a common rule, which is that the defeat of the main villain will perfectly coincide with the end of the larger fight. This was true of the final showdown on Tantiss where Hemlock was killed in dramatic fashion by Hunter and a one-handed Crosshair, who in the very next scene along with Omega boarded the getaway shuttle completely unchallenged. Where did everyone go?
According to the show finale’s title, the cavalry has arrived but it wasn’t much of a cavalry was it? Echo was already inside and now fully assisted by Dr. Karr while Hunter, Crosshair, and an injured Wrecker were still out in the woods at the start of the episode. The argument could probably be made that Omega was part of the cavalry as well, having been responsible for releasing the Zillo beast. Of course, it also didn’t hurt that the rescued prisoners were primarily battle-ready clones. Okay I take it back, that was quite a cavalry.
Who was the main character of the season? The right answer is probably Omega of course, especially when we learn that she goes on to become a Rebel pilot. It’s fun to think that to some capacity she may have been active during the Original Trilogy. But having spent most of the season talking about Crosshair’s importance, I also liked that his story was completed in an interesting way. He lost a hand, but it was also the weakest part of him. And instead of going the obvious (and possibly lazy) route of having Crosshair sacrifice himself, his redemption arc was completed by Omega’s hug.
On the other side of the coin, I have some minor gripes about a few underwhelming characters from the season. The first that jumped to mind was Dr. Scalder. On a few occasions she served as a catalyst for suspense, but ultimately never did anything of consequence. Asajj Ventress was another example. Her appearance seemed to foreshadow something huge, but looking back you could probably cut out her entire episode and it probably wouldn’t have changed much. A dramatic season trailer appearance may have been her biggest contribution to the show. Rampart’s character also seemed underutilized, especially when his eleventh hour decision to realign himself with the Empire proved largely inconsequential aside from facilitating Nala Se’s demise. While I don’t have any particular issue with a Zillo beast playing the role it did, introducing its presence on Tantiss base earlier in the season would have made it seem far less random.
On the whole, I’d say The Bad Batch was a satisfying piece of the ever-growing Star Wars puzzle. We now know why Project Necromancer was still in development several decades later, which makes Omega a precursor of sorts to Grogu. While not all clones would go on to enjoy a bright future as we saw in Obi-Wan Kenobi, it’s good that at least some had the option of living out their days on their own terms. On the other hand, we also know that the Empire is about to grow increasingly more powerful so it was also fitting that our heroes’ triumph directly accelerated plans for the Death Star. The rest, as they say, is history.
Mark Newbold
When a Star Wars TV series ends (something that prior to the Disney era had only happened three times with the mid 80’s animated Droids and Ewoks series and the Tartakovsky Clone Wars in 2003) it’s time for reflection, and while Clone Wars was very much steering us to the opening moments of Revenge of the Sith and the Saturday morning excitment of Ewoks and Droids was viewed in a very different way back then, we’ve experienced a variety of emotions when our more modern shows concluded. Star Wars Rebels gave us a four-season odyssey that left fans bereft when it ended and thrilled when a fifth season arrived in the live action form of Ahsoka season one. Star Wars Resistance had a brief two season run from 2018 to 2020, while The Clone Wars concluded its fifth season in 2013, saw The Lost Missions land in 2014 and following fan pressure a seventh and final season landed in 2020, bringing that epic story (first sketched out in the opening pages of the 1976 novelisation) to a conclusion. Thankfully, season seven brought back Clone Force 99, first seen in public at Celebration Anaheim in 2015 so with the conclusion of The Bad Batch you could argue that the final link to the George Lucas era is at an end.
That is a long-winded way of saying that this reviewer will miss the adventures of Omega and her clone brothers very much, and is relieved that this final episode ticked every box; action, adventure, reveals, emotions, conclusions and hope for a continuation in a different era with characters we’re invested in and care about. The threat of Doctor Hemlock is firmly dealt with as the Batch work in to rescue Omega while she herself figures a way out with her young Force potential friends, and as we see him tumble into the dark of the Mount Tantiss forest it really hits home that this is indeed the end.
That said, there are moments that are slightly confounding. Tarkin, while clearly galloping up the career ladder in his way to Moffhood and history as the unifying mind behind the Death Star, would appear to have incredible sway within the Empire, and while it’s explained that all information of Project Necromancer was destroyed when Nala Se sacrificed herself, taking out Rampart in the process (no face turn for the Admiral after all) Tarkin having the scope to mothball Tantiss (leaving the door open for some kind of Heir to the Empire adpatation perhaps) and divert all funding to Project Stardust feels like it’s WAY above his paygrade. Palpatine needs Necromancer to work, his Sith ambitions demanding a solution to the eternal life he teased / promised Anakin in the Galaxies Opera House. Certainly, Stardust is incredibly important, a project brought to Palpatine by Count Dooku at the end of Attack of the Clones, and Necromancer feels like on of a number of story spines that run from the prequel era right through to Exegol. Perhaps Palpatine had a change of heart, or maybe it’s a case of the Imperial war machine needing to have some element of autonomy in running the galaxy rather than being the tool of the Sith (in much the same way the Jedi were regarded as tools of the Republic). Either way, that leaves tantalising threads to delve into, something an Adam Christopher or James Luceno would have a field day with.
However, at the end of the day we’re signing off from a series that has consistently delivered high quality action and adventure with more heart than a show of its kind might be expected to, giving us a look at the post Order 66 galaxy and leaving us with a coda that absolutely begs to be explored further. Hats off to all involved, and once again the bar is raised.
Eric Onkenhout
The series finale of The Bad Batch had a different opening title sequence which always means stressful times ahead. On Weyland, as Imperial shuttles continue to search the jungle for the batch, Hunter, Crosshair, and an injured Wrecker slowly make their way toward Tantiss Base. Rampart, meanwhile, was captured and spoke briefly with Hemlock about his current situation. Emerie Karr and Echo work together on getting Omega out of the Vault while Omega and the four other child prisoners put their escape plan into motion.
The way Wrecker is injured, the storytellers do a great job of making you think this is how he’s going to go out. A slight bit of misdirection by Lucasfilm. It’s what makes good storytelling great. Using the Zillo beast as a distraction was ingenious on Omega’s part. Although having the Zillo beast in their back pocket for so many years only to let it escape was disappointing. As much as I loved the destructive menace, I really would’ve preferred to see how Palpatine was using it.
Crosshair volunteering to go in and retrieve Omega was another misdirection making us think he’s going to sacrifice himself to save Omega. Let’s face it, no one had everyone surviving this episode so every possibility that someone could die seemed certain. It was also a great opportunity for Crosshair to fully embrace his return to the batch. On the flip side, Hemlock has to be one of the most feared Imperials ever. He released four clone assassins to capture the batch, and they nearly succeeded. These guys were some of the toughest Imperial soldiers I’ve ever seen. Things got pretty dire for the batch, climaxing when Crosshair had his shooting hand involuntarily removed from his body.
The deeper the batch got within Tantiss Base, the more it seemed like they weren’t going to make it out. Rampart shoots and kills Nala Se, and then he is killed when a thermo detonator explodes at his feet, destroying the clone lab as a result. Hemlock then handcuffs Omega to himself, but in a standoff with Crosshair and Hunter, Omega gets free and Hemlock is killed and falls over the side of the bridge. Meanwhile, it’s pouring rain which reminded me of Eadu in Rogue One. Omega then runs up to Hunter and Crosshair who glance at each other which seems like an inclination that Wrecker and maybe Echo didn’t make it. She then hugs them both and lets out a gasp. The music crescendos and the three walk off which, again, feels like they’re all that’s left.
Tantiss Base is now in ruins—all the cloning technology is destroyed when Tarkin arrives to survey the losses. Upon hearing of the damage sustained, he orders all funding redirected towards Project Stardust (speaking of Rogue One), aka the Death Star project.
Later on Pabu, a much more serene setting. Echo and Dr. Karr discuss her redemption plan, and Omega and Hunter can finally relax. Then we see Wrecker and Crosshair sit beside them under a tree happily ever after. Not something this series saw much of. Fast forward a decade or so, and Omega is a young adult now. Hunter’s facial markings are also renewed. The Rebellion continues the fight against the Empire and, Omega wants to join the Rebellion as a pilot, which is a nice touch. This could lead to further stories down the road, I hope. A bit of me was hoping this was a preview of a new series starring Omega as a rebel, but nothing so far. But we still have the Mark Omega reference in Rogue One so she’s not entirely gone.
Gosh darn, this series was tough on the emotions, but at least the ending was hopeful which is what George always preferred. When The Bad Batch was announced it wasn’t what I was expecting, nor would it have been my first choice. But goes to show what I know. The Bad Batch was consistently good from start to finish, and the three seasons make it not a huge undertaking if you want to do a rewatch. I thought the way it explored Palpatine’s cloning project (Project Necromancer), was good but when it all was destroyed it made me think what’s the point? It all gets revisited in The Mandalorian. If all the data was destroyed, how does the Empire know what to do with Grogu? I assume they had backup files somewhere. I would’ve liked to see a thread leading to future stories including the sequel trilogy, unless I missed something. We have a firm look at how evil the Empire is in The Bad Batch, probably more so than any other series. Soon Tales of the Empire will continue that examination.
Ross Hollebon
From the first luscious shot of Tantiss paired with a brooding score and the magical Lucasfilm sounds of ships screaming by—thank you to all of the animators, the Kiner’s, and everyone else involved for bringing The Bad Batch to life and elevating the viewing experience during each of the three impactful seasons.
As for the season finale, the battle of light versus dark and themes of found family and alignment are summed up so well in the lab for Project Necromancer. It starts with an exchange between Echo and Dr. Emerie, when the infiltrator Clone asks the scientist why she is helping him. Emerie responds, “Because I was wrong about this place. And…I’m trying to do the right thing.” She stays true to her word and is rewarded for her newfound loyalty.
Nala Se is not so fortunate. But when her chance comes to help Omega escape and sabotage the Empire’s Project Necromancer she makes the heroic sacrifice I thought might have been more necessary, and Rogue One-ish, for even more of the heroes. But no, it is the Kaminoan, potentially the last of her race, who sacrifices herself after coming to realize there can be more important things than the science. Her selfless sacrifice becomes a hero moment in more than one way. Nala Se blows up herself and Rampart, who had snuck up behind her with a blaster, forcing her to tell him everything about the research before shooting her. The pair perish as the cloning lab and all of the research done at Tantiss was destroyed.
Elsewhere, found family works back in as Omega leads the kid crew to free the Zillo Beast, wrecking havoc on the entire base. Emerie promises Omega she’ll keep the children safe and, with help from Echo and Omega, escapes on a shuttle with the other children.
Even though the imprisoned Clones are released, they keep fighting to assist Echo and Omega in saving the Batch, who have since been captured by Hemlock’s assassin operatives. When Omega frees Hunter, Crosshair, and Wrecker, Hemlock finally becomes unhinged. As his world falls around him, he is shot by Crosshair and appears to plunge to his death (yes, we’ve all heard that one before).
Omega, Echo, Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair escape just as Governor Tarkin arrives with his Star Destroyers, deems Tantiss a failure, and reroutes its funding to Project Stardust. Leading to the kindest and most hopeful of endings, the story jumps forward a number of years and introduces an older Omega and Hunter.
Omega is leaving to become a pilot for the Rebellion, disregarding Hunter’s request to stay. The moment infuses hope to found family as Hunter explains, “You’re our kid, Omega. You always will be.” Even though he accepts her argument that it is her fight now and she’s ready, he admits he’s not ready for her to leave and they share a beautiful embrace in the moonlight.
Omega situates herself in the cockpit of the shuttle, with Gonky in tow, she adjusts Tech’s goggles on the dash, and the triumphant, heroic farewell ensues as she leaves the paradise of Pabu and her brothers for wherever we might see her next in the Filoniverse. Unlike Hunter, I am ready.
- Hardcover Book
- Mann, George (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 512 Pages - 09/24/2024 (Publication Date) - Random House/Star Wars (Publisher)
