Last week’s episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch concluded with our old friend Commander Wolffee letting the good guys go — including Rex and Howzer. Hunter also realizes that if he’s going to keep Omega safe, he has to figure out why the Empire wants to capture her so badly.
This week, we’re back to another side quest. This time, however, it has major implications for what’s to come.
As always, the recap portion of this review will contain plenty of spoilers along with some brief explorations of Star Wars lore. The order of events has also been streamlined a bit for the sake of clarity.
Unreliable Contractor
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+)
The episode opens on Pabu Island, where Omega is struggling to process so many clones dying because the Empire is looking for her. After Hunter reiterates how important it is for them to lay low, they receive a transmission from Phee, who’s been trying to figure out what this whole M-Count thing is about.
*Side Note: We know it’s (probably) Project Necromancer.
Phee hasn’t found any solid intel except that a bunch of high-level bounty hunters are taking assignments to capture High M-Count targets for the Empire. This leads to the brilliant idea of contacting their old friend Fennec Shand — the same assassin who once tried to kidnap Omega — to see if she knows anything. Omega predictably wants to tag long, but Hunter convinces her to stay and help Crosshair figure out what’s going on with his shaky hand.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+)
Hunter and Wrecker somehow track Shand down to a bar and ask her for information. As expected, she offers to exchange the information for the use of their services. In this case, it’s to help her track down another bounty hunter named Sylar Saris who killed two major crime bosses and stole a large amount of credits.
*Side Note: The syndicate Sylar stole from, the Haxion Brood, probably sounds very familiar to folks who’ve read ‘Jedi: Battle Scars.’
The trio tracks Sylar to the state of Florida a swamp planet that provides him with plenty of ways to hide and evade capture. Their first obstacle is a series of underwater mines under one of the planet’s waterways. Hunter and Wrecker are able to disarm them, but not before getting attacked by a pack of alien alligators. After that harrowing encounter, they finally reach Sylar’s hideout and capture him (but not before a pretty good fight).
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+)
After heading back to their respective ships, Shand reveals that she doesn’t have information about the M-Count bounties YET, but will get it soon. This understandably frustrates Hunter and Wrecker, but they’re left with no choice except to wait/hope for her to make good on her word.
Shand then boards her ship and checks in with an unseen client on a hologram. After reporting on her recent mission with Hunter and Wrecker, she offers to give the client any information she has on them.
*Side Note: The musical theme for Asajj Ventress can be faintly heard during this interaction.
Letting Go
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+)
Back on Pabu, AZI can’t find anything physically wrong with Crosshair’s hand. When Omega and the droid suggest it may be a psychological ailment related to how he was tortured back on Tantiss, he doesn’t want to hear it.
Later, during a subpar round of target practice, Crosshair finally agrees to try Omega’s method of potential healing. This turns out to be meditation, something she learned from the Wookies on Kaskyyyk. When Crosshair expresses surprise she’s been to the planet, Omega points out that he missed a lot during his time with the Imperials.
With a slowly emerging respect (and desperate desire to fix his hand), Crosshair finally decides to buy in and follow Omega’s lead.
The Verdict
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+)
For folks who read my reviews regularly (HI MOM!), it should come as no surprise that I’m not a big fan of side quest episodes like “Bad Territory.” I’ll give this one some credit for being closely related to the series’ main narrative, although that doesn’t keep it from having some major issues.
For starters, the idea that they needed to hit up Fennec Shand for help/advice is absurd — especially after their repeated claims that she can’t be trusted (which turned out to be completely true). While the storyline did give us a couple of cool battle sequences in a fun location, it still felt like a very shoehorned cameo.
Speaking of that, I have zero faith that her return won’t negate one of the best Disney-era Star Wars novels to date. Even with Brad Rau promising that won’t happen, I’m not buying it. Her character arc was amazing and her death was equal parts tragic and heroic. Bringing her back for a cameo role in the final season of Bad Batch feels cheap (and certainly wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened).
Surprisingly, the best parts of the episode involved Crosshair and Omega on Pabu. I love how their relationship is growing without compromising who Crosshair has always been. Conversely, Omega continues to grow as a character — this time as a mentor who is able to break through to help someone who would be the first to tell you he doesn’t deserve it.
Let’s hope future episodes explore this sort of great storytelling more instead of bringing back a character who wasn’t needed to continue the narrative.
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