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Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 9 Review

When we first met Omega and learned that she was a special clone, fans began to come up with all sorts of theories. The leading theory being that she’s the last genetically pure clone made from Jango Fett’s DNA. With The Bad Batch now past the halfway point, the show’s begun to ramp up on the action and lore dumping, and its in this ninth episode that we get some big revelations. That, and we get to see just how tough Omega really is, even by herself.

Boba is the Alpha, Omega is the…Omega

It’s common knowledge that, besides the massive payment he got for using his DNA as the basis for the Clone Army, Jango Fett wanted one other thing: an unaltered clone to raise as his son. That clone became Boba Fett, who would grow up to surpass his father as the best Bounty Hunter in the Galaxy. In this episode, though, it’s revealed that Boba’s original designation was Alpha. In the Greek alphabet, Alpha is the first letter. In contrast, Omega is the last letter. Boba’s the first, and Omega is the last.

Besides the symbolism behind it, Omega’s name becomes doubly important as of this episode. While trying to locate Omega, Tech reveals that she’s the last, pure source of Jango Fett’s DNA. In other words, she’s the key to them creating any more Clone Troopers. Admittedly, though, it’s not that big a bombshell when most of the fans already put two and two together. Still, it’s entertaining to see that we were right about her. In addition, this makes Omega Jango Fett’s daughter, and thus Boba Fett’s genetic sister. That leads to a lot of possibilities in the future.

Everyone Wants Omega

The Kaminoan’s have proven several times that they’re desperate to get Omega back solely so they can create more Clones and remain valuable to the Empire. Beyond that, their leader, Lama Su, has stated that he doesn’t care if she dies. Which, of course, makes her capture and attempted escape from Cad Bane all the more high-stakes.

Some people might expect Omega to end up being completely helpless and unable to do much against Bane. However, it appears that her experiences with the Bad Batch have taught her very well. As Bane takes her to an abandoned Kaminoan city on another planet, Omega manages to escape not just from Bane, but from Fennec Shand. As the two bounty hunters engage in a blaster fight that would make Red Dead Redemption fans jealous, Omega’s able to get to safety, allowing her to be rescued by the Bad Batch.

The message behind this episode is clear: Omega may still be young, but she’s already turning into a formidable fighter. Given enough time, she may end up rivaling that of her genetic brother, Boba Fett, in skill.

Fennec is Trying to Protect Omega

As for Fennec Shand, this episode reveals that, while she was working for the Kaminoan’s , she wasn’t doing it in the way most expected. Nala Se, the scientist that served as Omega’s mentor and helped the Bad Batch escape, is the one who hired her to keep her safe. As a result, this puts all of her previous actions into a new light. Was Fennec trying to take Omega before because she thought she would be safer with her? Or was that because she was paid to bring her back?

The fact remains, at the time this show takes place, Omega may be the most important being in the Galaxy. And the fight for her future is far from over. I don’t know how this show will end, but I am looking forward to seeing more Omega in the future. She’s got a lot of potential, and I hate to see it wasted!

I Give “Bounty Lost” a 4/5

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Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 8 Review

It goes without saying that Dave Filoni’s just as big a fanboy about Star Wars as the rest of the fans. He wears his love for the franchise on his sleeve in everything he works on. However, as seen in The Mandalorian, Filoni’s also a big fan of old western movies. So, with The Bad Batch reaching the turning point in the series, it makes sense that Filoni pays homage to his other great love. And he does it in by bringing back another character from The Clone Wars. A character that may rightfully be considered the Clint Eastwood of the franchise.

We’ve Got Incoming!

At the end of the last episode, the Scrapper’s Guild spotted the Bad Batch on Bracca and called it in to the Empire. As a result, the Empire sends in Crosshair and a squad of Clone/Stormtroopers to eliminate them. Not capture; eliminate.

This episode marks the first time that Crosshair and his former squad have crossed paths since the premiere, and despite everything, the Bad Batch still cares about Crosshair. They know that he’s only doing this because of the inhibitor chip messing with his mind. However, even if the chip gets removed, will that be enough to salvage Crosshair’s relationship with his brothers at this point?

Think about it. Crosshair has always been the most abrasive of the squad, even before Order 66. How much of his actions are because of the chip and how much are his own choices. It’s an interesting quandary, and if the show’s smart, it will dive more into this.

In the meantime, though, Crosshair and the Bad Batch are enemies, and that leads to him nearly killing them using their own tactics against them. They outsmart him, but it just highlights how much of a threat he is. But not as great a threat as the Clint Eastwood type that comes in during the episode’s final act.

Cad Bane, the Clint Eastwood of the Galaxy, Returns.

I still remember the moment when we were first introduced to Cad Bane in the Season One finale to Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He was smart, deadly, and capable of holding his own against the Jedi. In other words, a total badass straight out of spaghetti westerns. Which makes sense, since he was inspired by the villain from the Clint Eastwood film The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. And until Boba Fett builds up his rep, he’s the best bounty hunter in the Galaxy. Which is why the Kaminoan’s call him in to capture Omega for them.

I won’t lie to you: when I saw Cad Bane standing at the Bad Batch’s ship waiting for them, I almost squealed in excitement. It had been years since we last saw him, and now he just shows up like this? And true to his western inspirations, he maintains the same menace as always. And when he and Hunter have their standoff, it felt like it was something straight out of one of the movies that Dave Filoni loves so much. The suspense, the closeups, the focus on their weapons, it’s a perfect send up to those classic films!

Sadly, Cad Bane wins the standoff and captures Omega, leaving Hunter to be found by his team as they barely escape with their lives. In other words, things are bad.

How Will the Bad Batch Beat Bane

With Cad Bane poised to take Omega back to Kamino, the Bad Batch’s next priority should be to rescue her. But how will they go up against Cad Bane? He’s the Clint Eastwood of the franchise. The only ones who could stop him were the Jedi, and they’re either dead or in hiding.

This episode marks the halfway point in this series, and it does so by ratcheting things up to the highest level of tension possible. From here on out, we can expect the show to get increasingly dark at the Bad Batch is put to the test. I wouldn’t be surprised if not all of them make it out of this before things are done. However, that doesn’t change the fact that I’m looking forward to seeing how things turn out. This is Star Wars at its finest, and I love it.

I Give “Reunion” a 3.5/5

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