The second season of The Bad Batch set up quite a bit for what is to follow in this third. With Tech dead and Omega captured, things weren’t looking the best for Clone Force 99. There were questions to be answered on just how this final season would resolve the current building conflict of a clone rebellion vs the Empire. And how would Omega and Crosshair factor into such?

The first episode neatly continues from that final scene of the second season, where Omega is brought to Mount Tantiss. Things are very formal around this Imperial base, with the typical grey hallways and white lights being everywhere. Small cells where the clones are being held, with Omega in roughly the same situation. That situation is what is explored in the first episode.

The routine nature of Omega’s daily life is a stark contrast to her life with Clone Force 99. The first episode makes a big show of that, with a day in the life of Omega shown from being called to her duties to being dismissed from them. Within her cell, she wishes of being back out in the galaxy, marking off another day she has spent within this facility.

To highlight the mundane life one leads in this facility, a fade to black happens as Omega lies down on her bed. But the episode isn’t finished. Instead, we’re treated to another day far removed from the one we’ve just experienced. Many weeks have now gone by, with many more marks on the wall of Omega’s cell. With the same routine as before, she deals with what she is given.

When the third episode arrives, the routine is pretty much the same. Except for the fact the Emperor has come to inspect a project he has a deep interest in. And Omega now has to make an escape as Nala Se can no longer keep her secrets from spilling. That escape, with Crosshair in tow, is constructed to always keep the tension at full. Reinforced with the blood sample machine acting as a clock ticking to doom.

The second episode takes a break from Mount Tantiss to show what Hunter and Wrecker are doing on their quest to find Omega. That hunt leads them to a facility that Doctor Hemlock used to inhabit. A facility that has been overrun with the experiments the facility were performing. There’s a very creepy vibe to this place, with darkness, toxic pools, and overgrown plant life providing that atmosphere.

Speaking of Doctor Hemlock, his actions throughout the Mount Tantiss episodes show him as a great fit within the Imperial hierarchy. Ruthless, uncaring about others except for when they can do something for him, and power-hungry. At the end of the first episode, upon finding Omega causing trouble to free one of the creatures she has an affinity for, he gives her an ultimatum. One that Omega cannot refuse.

One other link between the two groups of Clone Force 99 and Omega is the tooka doll Omega had inherited from Wrecker in the first season. Using what she was able to sneak away, Omega had constructed herself a version of that tooka doll. Meanwhile, on the ship of Clone Force 99, that tooka doll lies alone in the makeshift den Omega had on it. Plenty of shots show either of these dolls, highlighting the strong bond that had been built between Omega and Clone Force 99.

A bond that is pretty much the lifeblood of all three of these episodes, and likely into future episodes. Omega’s kindness in helping the creature, in not wanting to leave without Crosshair, speaks to everything she has experienced with Clone Force 99. With that in turn mirrored by Clone Force 99’s hunt taking them to extreme situations. Both sides will do anything to be reunited.

These first three episodes of season three of The Bad Batch have been strong. A great sense of intrigue, some lovely character moments, and a few tense action scenes all come together to make them so. If the rest of the season can keep these elements, it’s sure to be a brilliant end for the series. With how the third episode ended, I’m interested in seeing how these events continue.

Images Taken From:
Star Wars: The Bad Batch Final Season | ‘Confined’ Official Clip | Star Wars
Star Wars: The Bad Batch Final Season | ‘Paths Unknown’ Official Clip | Star Wars