Bad Batch Season 3 Episode 1-3 Review

Bad Batch Season 3 Episode 1 is uneventful, but in a really good way.

Mount Tantiss. The tone is set, and it is just so dark. The background score is sad and ominous. The lighting is dark and depressing. Nala Se’s voice in particular is so soft and drippy that it’s almost inaudible. Everyone looks so miserable, plodding around slowly with hunched backs and drawn faces. We are getting a glimpse of the dark side of the dark side

The human experimenting that’s going on is really some of the most disturbing Star Wars content we’ve seen, and it’s in an animated show! Very intense. We’ve seen these horrors in books and live action shows, of course, but not in animation, and not like this.

The mystery of what Dr. Hemlock is working on in this facility is building up in a scary and intense kind of way. It’s laying the groundwork for what we see in the Mandalorian, and the Rise of Skywalker. What did Nala Se and Dr Hemlock go examine in that laser beam Vault? I assume it’s captive Jedi, perhaps some that are in suspended animation like at the fortress inquisitorious. We’ll see. 

Throughout it all, however, Omega remains positive. As a character, she has grown on me from season one to season two, and now on to season 3.  That said, the stage is set for what is going to be a very dark season; this is just the beginning of the Empire. We know what happens in the galaxy over the next 19 years and it’s not pretty.

Episode 2 was a classic Bad Batch episode.

They go on a mission. There is a lot of danger. They find their quarry, which in this case was Intel of Omega’s whereabouts, and they make a daring escape. We also learned more about the Empire’s bioengineering programs. It’s interesting that they were still making clones. Not much more to say. Good episode. We get a little backstory. Really just filler though. Take us back to Mount Tantiss.

Episode 3 continues to show us the dark side of the dark side.

We peer deeper into Hemlock’s vault but we don't get a look at exactly what his experiments are.  He mentions project necromancer, which we heard about during Mandalorian season 3. So, we continue to get good connective tissue that is starting to give validity to the sequel trilogy, and…gulp… dare I even say The Last Jedi???

Possibly.

If Rey is not a clone herself but the child of a high M-count Palpatine clone her dark side vision on Ach-To is quite meaningful; she looks into a dark mirror and all she sees is herself repeating and repeating and repeating, like a cloning operation. That’s your dark-side Rey; you’re a Sith clone. Could that be why Assajj Ventress is back? Was she cloned?

I think the path is there to legitimize the sequel trilogy if the higher ups at Disney and Lucasfilm agree to Filoni and Favreau's visions. Only time will tell but I really hope they do. 

Back to the Episode. To end the episode, we got a reveal that many people had speculated on. Omega has a high midichlorians count. Does this mean that her father, Jango Fett, did as well? If so, does that mean that Boba Fett does? And it all begs the question: Why would Palpatine think to look amongst the clones for force sensitive beings? Was this part of Plagueis' and even Tenebrous' plan all along? Was planning their immortality through the cloning program the main reason of implementing it? Number one to get rid of the Jedi but #2 and the real reason to achieve immortality?

Closing thoughts

I think this show has gotten better as the years have gone on. It is kind of sad to see it going away after only three seasons, but with what we know of the trailers, I think we can expect a spin off that continues this very fascinating time in the history of the Star Wars Galaxy, that showcases the rise of the Empire.

The biggest critique I have of these three episodes is that I would like to have seen this ominous build-up to the action stretched out. I think episode one was the best of the three just because of how dark and mysterious and ominous it was. Episode 3 continued that tone, but obviously the action picked up as Omega and Crosshair make their escape.

Predictions

I do think we will see Dr. Hemlock meet his end this season, and I think his end will come directly or indirectly at the hands of the Emperor. Just as in Rogue One, Darth Vader warned Director Krennic not to choke on his own ambitions, Palpatine gave Hemlock -  I wouldn’t say warnings - but some subtle yellow flags. They were essentially meant to say, “Slow your roll. Stay in your lane. Stay focused on what I need you to do. Don’t get impatient.” He told him very clearly that the facility must remain a secret.

Palpatine values patience above all else. But Hemlock is a very ambitious man. I would not say that hubris is his fatal flaw, but overzealousness is. I don’t think he’s as proud of himself as he is proud of his work, and I don’t think that working in the shadows is something that Dr Hemlock will tolerate for too long. He wants the galaxy to see his work.

I think episode three’s foreshadowing will come to fruition either by accident or by mistake. Either the Tantiss facility will gain some exposure, or Hemlock will wind up presuming that the emperor needs him to do things he has not been explicitly instructed to do. If the Imperial Senate becomes aware of Tantiss, then the emperor will most definitely throw Hemlock under the bus. That is, unless Vader doesn’t force choke him to death first.

On a totally side note, I'm very curious to see when the V-wings will be replaced by Tie fighters. It will be very interesting to see how Seinar systems bullies Kuat drive yards out of the way to get such a massive Imperial military contract.