The fact that animated adaptations of the majority of fictional lore will always turn out to be superior to any other form of media presentation has been proven to be universal by now, and the tales of a galaxy far, far away are some of the best examples in that regard. Star Wars as a franchise has found some of its best storytelling opportunities when the medium is animation and the focus is not on the force-sensitive rival orders of Jedi or Siths; instead, the grounded, human side of the lore is highlighted. The Galactic Empire’s early days, which spanned between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, have been established as the perfect backdrop for such narrative treatment, as seen since the first Clone Wars series. Which is why it is little wonder that Dave Filoni’s decision to make a series based on renegade Clone troopers with Bad Batch turned out to be a masterstroke.
Revolving around a group of enhanced Clone troopers (Hunter, Echo, Crosshair, Wrecker, and Tech) who, by circumstances or choice, refused to follow the infamous Order 66 (which marked the mass genocide of Jedi Knights and the rise of the Galactic Empire) and, along with another unique defector clone named Omega, try to find the true meaning of life and freedom, Bad Batch has received much love and praise for its mature handling of themes like identity, morality, brotherhood, and redemption. After the conclusion of the previous two seasons, the series had garnered classic status, understandably making fans feel expectant and heavy-hearted at the same time as the third and final season of the series was recently released. Aside from Tech’s death, among some of the major developments that took place in the last season, Omega’s abduction by the Imperial scientist, Royce Hemlock, to force Nala Se to participate in secretive experimentation was of significant importance, and the first three episodes of the third season focus on that plot thread right off.
Spoilers Ahead
What Happened To Omega And Crosshair?
Just like Boba Fett, Omega was unique for being a ‘pure clone’ of Jango Fett and also for being the only female member among the Clone troopers. Previously, Hemlock had arrested Kaminoan scientist Nala Se and brought her to Mount Tantiss in order to force her to do some particular experiment involving clones, and as she refused, Hemlock decided to emotionally manipulate her. As a result, Omega, with whom the scientist shared an almost maternal bond, was abducted and brought to Tantiss, imploring Nala to obey the Imperial commands. Crosshair, who chose to side with the Empire, had tried to warn his brothers about Omega’s fate and was regarded as a traitor, which led to him being a captive on Tantiss as well. In captivity, Omega had met scientist Emerie Karr, another female clone, therefore supposedly a sister figure to her. At the beginning of the third season, we follow Omega, who gets guided by Emerie across the Tantiss Imperial outpost. Emerie collects blood samples from captive clones and Omega and sends them to Nala Se to run tests for the said experimentation, which we later know to be a part of Project Necromancer. On the order of the evil Sith Lord/Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine, Hemlock is trying to reproduce the genetic Midi-chlorian count, or M-count, on particular specimens by testing them with the blood sample of the captive clones, which hasn’t produced satisfactory results up until now. However, Nala Se continuously discards Omega’s blood sample before it gets tested, as she wants to protect her from the potentially troublesome ordeal she might find herself in if her blood sample proves to yield a positive result in M-count transfer.
Alone in captivity, Omega grows anxious thinking about her brothers and finds some respite from the mundane, depressing routine by befriending a young Lurca Hound, whom she names Batcher. Omega tries her best to motivate Crosshair, as she wishes to escape the facility and take him back to his brothers, but a weary, guilt-ridden, troubled Crosshair is too absorbed in self-loathing to care. Emerie, on the other hand, shows a bit of kindness to Omega by returning her Lula and Wrecker’s Tooka doll, which he had given her.
Who Are The Regs Whom Hunter And Wrecker Save?
On the other hand, the second episode focuses on Hunter and Wrecker, who, being desperate (Hunter refuses to wait for Echo and Captain Rex) to search for Omega, make a bargain with the Devaronian crime syndicate to obtain the possible location of the place where Omega is being held. Instead, they reach a planet covered in treacherous wilderness where the Empire/Hemlock had a facility earlier, which was abandoned and bombarded later to maintain secrecy, and come across the trio of young Regs, or regular clones: Mox, Deke, and Stak. From being bright-eyed clones with dreams to join the good fight to being ordained to be replaced by Stormtroopers, experimented with by Hemlock and his crew, and surviving all on their own in a godforsaken corner of the galaxy, these Regs have seen the worst of it all, and the keen sense of futility that entails their existence is truly tragic. After battling against mutant plant organisms with the help of Deke, Hunter and Wrecker gather intel from the planet, which denotes Hemlock’s current base to be on another sector, and they take the three Regs to the planet Pabu to give them a chance to start afresh and to find a life outside of soldiering.
How Is Omega Integral To Project Necromancer?
In the previous season, seasoned fans had rightly assumed the true objective of the secretive Project Necromancer, as it was hinted that it was all done to clone Emperor Palpatine. This is a major plot point that retroactively (release timeline) connects with The Rise of Skywalker, where the Emperor had inexplicably returned again after dying in Return of the Jedi. In the movie, it seemed like a botched excuse for poor writing, and Bad Batch is trying to make it appear to be part of the larger plan all along. Canonically, Palpatine has died and returned a number of times, but that can be discussed some other time.
In the third episode, as Palpatine makes a surprise visit to Tantiss, Nala Se isn’t able to discard Omega’s blood sample after getting summoned by Hemlock. Desperate, she asks Omega to flee using her datapad, and along with Crosshair, Omega attempts to escape from the facility. As they are chased through the wilderness by Stormtroopers sent by Hemlock, Emerie finds out that Omega’s blood sample satisfies the conditions for M-count transfer perfectly. Taking Batcher with them, Omega and Crosshair hijack the Stormtrooper shuttle and try to flee, but Hemlock’s troops almost manage to nab them. Just in the nick of time, Emerie informs Hemlock about her findings, emphasizing why it is important to keep Omega alive, which leads to the sinister scientist calling off the attack. As the episode ends and Omega and co. slip into hyperspace, the future of the batch seems shrouded in uncertainty.
