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 nine of season three, ‘The Harbinger’. Beware of spoilerific elements in here.
Dan Lo
My memory is not the greatest, but I totally know who Asajj Ventress is. She’s a dark force user with two red lightsabers, has fought both against and alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi before, and previously shared some screentime with the Nightsisters. I think that’s about it. Oh, and she used to be bald.
Needless to say, I was not particularly well prepared for the latest episode of The Bad Batch. I admit that I don’t recall the circumstances surrounding Ventress’s last appearance before this so the intended impact of her return was likely lost on me. I could only perceive the obvious: She has hair now, her lightsaber is different, and she no longer behaves like a cartoon villain. Star Wars is filled with redemption arcs and if this is one of them, I’d welcome it.
By all appearances, Ventress did indeed come across as more good than bad in The Harbinger. She could have easily killed the clones in the first fight scene, but didn’t. Saving Omega from the vrathean (thanks, Wookieepedia) also seemed unnecessary. To top it off, Ventress clearly has some mastery over the light side of the force as evidenced by her positive interactions with the sea creatures, which mirrored many examples involving Jedi and various animals in past Star Wars. And of course, we can’t forget the aforementioned lightsaber blade color. Yellow was previously used by Jedi Temple Guards, and later on by Rey with presumably a different meaning. What does it mean “now”?
Regardless, the return of Ventress served to foreshadow something presumably more sinister than her current self. The episode title even suggested as much, for good measure. Would Star Wars bring back such a relatively big name from a past show just to give a simple warning, or will she return again by the end of the season? And if so, which version of her will we get?
It’s important to note that Crosshair still can’t tell whose side she’s on. He may not have seen all the positive hints that we have, but the writers using him to inject some lingering doubt couldn’t have possibly been a random accident. Especially if his character holds as much weight this season as I believe he does.
At the risk of sounding like an afterthought, it felt slightly odd that a master and apprentice dynamic was introduced so abruptly, and with a pairing as unlikely as Asajj Ventress and Omega. I still don’t quite know what to make of it. This development might make more sense by the end of the show, so I’ll stay open-minded for now.
Jen Sopchockchai
So, is Omega Force sensitive or not? I think it depends on the story told around that fact but it’s still smart for The Bad Batch to leave it a little ambiguous and not rush the reveal (if there is a reveal to be made). As I watched Omega go through Asajj Ventress’ tests I kept waiting with bated breath, but when I realized that nothing like that was going to happen I was relieved. Omega has been presented to us as a gifted anomaly, but having her suddenly use the Force so demonstrably without any training or any prior “oopsie, I used the Force without realizing” moments would be a stretch.
Asajj Ventress is intentionally coy about her assessment of Omega. First, she tells Omega she does not have a high M-Count, but then Hunter asks her if she’s lying. This implies that Omega did pass the test but Ventress doesn’t want to tell her. Ventress’ reply is a non-answer: “About which part?” The episode refuses to show us or definitively tell us what Omega’s status is.
If I had to choose I would say this leans towards a positive confirmation that Omega is Force sensitive, we’re just not ready for her to know that yet. I think that it is technically possible that the Empire values Omega’s ability to maintain her M-Count when cloned rather than how high her M-Count is. This would explain why she’s valuable to Project Necromancer but not able to use the Force. That’s pretty technical and I think it’s more likely that Omega is the only clone who could potentially use the Force.
What did we actually learn in this episode? Maybe the point of the episode was not to learn what M-Count was, or why the Empire wants Omega. Maybe it was to expose Omega to The Force more, to give her a taste of what she could become and broaden her sense of what her life could be like. One of the joys of this episode was thinking of Ventress and Omega as potential master and padawan. Just as the grumpy Crosshair/peppy Omega show has been highly entertaining, the odd couple paradigm between seething goth Ventress and bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Omega makes for a really fun dynamic.
It now makes prefect sense that we ended last week’s episode with Omega and Crosshair mediating. The influence Gungi has had on her is just a precursor to the impression that Ventress makes. As Omega comes of age, every corner of the galaxy she encounters will mold and shape her in some way, but after this week’s episode it seems more and more likely that Omega’s development is on a more Jedi-centric trajectory.
The title of the episode is “The Harbinger.” That seems very clearly to be Ventress, who arrives and leaves in this one episode. I’ve seen some reactions online that indicate that she is the harbinger of Pabu’s doom. I interpret the title more to mean that Asajj Ventress is the harbinger of Omega’s fate. That she is going to be faced with a choice: to say goodbye to her brothers in order to learn the ways of The Force or stay with them and fail to realize her full potential.
Ventress empathetically tells Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair that if Omega were to harness her powers she would need to leave them behind. This wouldn’t be the first time a child would be faced with the impossible choice of abandoning their family or committing themselves to Jedi training. We saw this play out in The Book of Boba Fett, and while Grogu chose the Mandalorian Way over his Jedi training, perhaps Omega would choose to go with Ventress or another Force user who could train her. Considering the history Omega has with the Batch, I have a time picturing her making that choice, but maybe that’s just the heartbreak intrinsic in growing up and letting go.
(This is condensed and edited – with permission – from Jen’s The Long Take review, which you can subscribe to here)
Ross Hollebon
“Fennec sent me.”
These three words, paired with the visual of Asajj Ventress returning to the Star Wars galaxy, have my fandom in a dizzying space of what ifs and whens. Somewhat spoiled by her appearance in The Bad Batch Season 3 trailer, it was still a thrill to see the Force-using, Nightsister, who had died in the Dark Disciple novel by Christie Golden, haunting the Bad Batch on their believed-to-be haven of Pabu, with her sarcasm, wits, strategic skills, and fighting ability.
The previous quote was exciting, but her most important turn of phrase during episode 9 is “I am many things, but I am not your enemy.”
It is yet another example of a one-off outsider explaining to Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, and Omega that the current reality is more complicated than “good vs. bad.” The Empire has changed the game and no one who stands in their way, or has what they want, is safe. Explaining that her Separatist assassin days are behind her, Ventress shares, “We were pawns in the same war. And we all lost. The Empire is more dangerous than you could possibly fathom.”
The episode embraces moments of humor but primarily serves as a reminder that the enemy of your enemy can be your ally, regardless of history. Ventress proves she is still formidable and confident but also appears to hold a soft spot for Omega and her M-Count situation with the Empire. The yellow lightsaber-wielding anti-hero earns a level of trust and respect from the Batch, exemplified best by Crosshair offering his arm to welcome her aboard The Marauder. But she also appears to not be sharing everything she knows—even if she is warning them they are not as safe as they think they are.
Ventrress’ appearance helps answer some questions, but in the grand scheme of things, probably creates even more—like how did she return and what is her current cause? She ends the episode by saying, “But I’ve got a few lives left,” and now six episodes are remaining to see if we learn more about her lives as well as the ultimate fate of Omega, Dr. Hemlock and Project Necromancer, the rest of the Bad Batch, and the burgeoning Rebel Alliance.
Eric Onkenhout
Back on Pabu, Hunter, Crosshair, and Wrecker are visited by a stranger on behalf of Fennec Shand. She has come to deliver the intel on M-count research, explaining that it’s a measure of one’s potential in the Force. Omega talks her into testing her ability to use the Force. She begins to test the young clone in the ways of the Force, though the rest of the squad does not trust their guest. Indeed, their suspicions are confirmed when they discover her to be Asajj Ventress, a former Separatist assassin. Unsure of Ventress’ intentions, tensions quickly rise — though Omega believes there may be more to Asajj than her past.
The Harbinger saw the much-anticipated return of Asajj Ventress after she was presumed dead in Dark Disciple, the 2015 novel written by Christie Golden. We’re so used to seeing Ventress with her shaved head and spicy attitude. She seemed much calmer these days. I guess growing older does that to a person. Though it hasn’t been a super long time since the events of Dark Disciple, since that was based on unused Clone Wars scripts.
It threw me off at first when Ventress said she could test Omega’s M-count by testing her abilities. Maybe I misunderstood? But I guess balancing on one foot and floating objects worked for Yoda so I guess it’ll work for Ventress too. Her appearance in this episode seemed a little abrupt, she sort of came and went without much reason. Later, writer Jennifer Corbett stated her background would be fully explained in later episodes. Nothing happens without a reason.
I was glad when Ventress determined that Omega doesn’t have a high M-count. Not everyone needs to be Force-sensitive. Making Sabine Force-sensitive is still a thorn in my side. It’s fine, but let’s just chill with Force stuff. I got Kanan/Ezra vibes when watching Ventress train Omega. The adult training the kid with so-so abilities (yes, I know Ezra grew into his own later on).
The Harbinger was a good episode. I’m definitely looking forward to hearing more about Ventress’ other 9 lives. Now the Batch knows why the Empire is after them so they can prepare appropriately. But if her count isn’t that high why does the Empire care so much? Shouldn’t they be more concerned with finding Jedi? I’m personally interested in what the Emperor is doing with all the cloning technology and how it ties into The Mandalorian and the sequel trilogy.
Mark Newbold
As we continue to delve deeper and deeper into the waters between trilogies, there’s always the risk that the reach for a special moment leads to more and more unlikely scenerios and situations. In some cases that means characters once believed to be dead and buried make ‘surprise’ returns, and while the return of Asajj Ventress was revealed before the start of the third and final season of Three Men and a Little Lady (aka The Bad Batch), her resurrection has certainly given the fandom plenty to talk about. After her sacrifice at the end of Dark Disciple appeared to end the journey for Ventress, she makes a welcome return here, revealing that not only is she an ally of Fennec Shand (a relationship that by association elevates Shand in our eyes) but also that she is prepared to help the young Omega determine the scope of her potential abilities.
It’s a tricky balance – not only have we brought back a once-thought-dead character (Maul, Boba Fett, Palpatine) but in recent times we appear to have dulled the devastating effects of the lightsaber blade. There’s a risk that – if handled wrong – we’re turning the saga into an episode of The A-Team, where spectacular events are folowed by dazed but ultimately unharmed combatants shaking off the effects and carying on like nothing happened. A concern, but one that if handled properly shouldn’t be a problem.
We’re on the paradise island of Pabu and watch as Omega meets Ventress for the first time. Clone Force 99 are instantly and understandably on high alert, and we see Ventress keep them at bay. It doesn’t take much to remember how in days past she would have dealt with such an attack, and having gained just enough trust we watch as she tests Omega, who is uncharacteristically distracted. We know how capable she is, but in this realm she’s way out of her depth, so when she revealed that Omega’s M-Count (finally explained to our characters in a galaxy that clearly doesn’t have access to Google) was low it came as somewhat of a relief. Omega is at her best with her brothers, just as Grogu is at his with Din Djarin. However, for the purposes of Project Necromancer (which we now know via the Mandoverse and the Skywalker Saga is an increasingly key spine to these stories) she is clearly essential, and so keeping her talents hidden with the Batch protecting her rather than on the run with Ventress as her master (though wouldn’t that be a fascinating story to tell) would seem to be a wise choice. Ventress even appears to believe that, vague as she is with Hunter about Omega’s potential.
A recent rewatch of The Book of Boba Fett, Kenobi and season three of The Mandalorian not only underlined what well-made and interesting shows they are, but also made very clear the scope of this project. We still have a way to go with season three of The Bad Batch, with Hemlock no doubt increasing his efforts to capture Omega, but a key scene in the penultimate episode of Mando The Spies – the meeting of the Shadow Council – was the most illuminating. Not only did it pre-empt Ahsoka by referring to ‘citizens loyal to the Empire on every planet in this galaxy‘ but also positioned Commodant Hux as the man behind Project Necromancer, a link forward to the sequels where it finally comes to fruition. That throughline is being firmed up at all points to Exegol, something Star Wars storytelling has done often in recent years (see Maz Kanatas castle, Black Spire Outpost, the Halcyon etc) but we have to hope that it’s not at the expense of these fantastic clone characters. Ventress was a bonus, who I’m sure we’ll see again before the end of the season, but the focus remains on Omega and her brothers, who understandably took a backseat in this episode.