Warning: The following article contains spoilers for episode fifteen of Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 3.
This is it. Star Wars: The Bad Batch is officially over. And credit where credit is due, the series wrapped up nicely, though not without its flaws. After two inconsistent seasons, Season 3 of The Bad Batch succeeded because the showrunners finally understood what worked the most – and what didn’t. The character relationships between the Batch and Omega (Michelle Ang) are at the forefront of each episode, and when the show would fully lean into that premise instead of sending them on listless side quests so the studio could find a quick excuse to jangle some keys, the series worked. When it did the opposite, the show failed miserably.
I was surprised that no legacy character appeared in the series finale, not even Asajj Ventress (Nika Futterman), who I was sure would show up again. But she didn’t – and the show is all the better for it in the process. This show has always been about Clone Force 99, and it’s imperative that the finale focuses on them attempting to break out Omega from Dr. Royce Hemlock’s (Jimmi Simpson) shackles on Tantiss. Perhaps there are a couple of storytelling flaws, but the finale is pretty much note-perfect, giving Clone Force 99 the sendoff they deserve after two bad seasons of what could’ve been an incredible three-part saga.
The finale contains a few bravura moments that feel exhilarating to watch, including a Zillo Beast attack so cinematically striking it should’ve been seen on the largest possible screen. But the most incredible aspect of the finale is seeing Hemlock’s Clone X troopers further and putting them in the heat of the battle between Clone Force 99 and the X troopers in a sequence that directly parallels the first episode’s training simulator scene. Directors Saul Ruiz, Steward Lee, and Brad Rau are a bit subtle with it, but attentive viewers will immediately spot the reference (even I, who thought the show was largely forgettable, remember this potent moment in its history).
Perhaps the Clone X troopers could’ve been more fleshed out, but when they’re responsible for one of the show’s best action scenes, it almost doesn’t matter. But what I appreciated the most about the finale is how it deftly balanced high-stakes action with intimate, character-driven moments between Omega and the Clones, as she realizes that she cannot leave a single member of the Bad Batch behind, especially in the wake of Tech’s (Dee Bradley Baker) sacrifice.
This gives Hemlock the opportunity to recapture the Clones, but the Batch assemble to take him down swiftly, in the most satisfying villain death I’ve seen this side of the galaxy in a long time. While we didn’t get to spend enough time with Hemlock to understand his villainous plot, his reckoning has been a long time coming, and it sure feels satisfying seeing Hunter (Dee Bradley Baker) and Crosshair (Dee Bradley Baker) take him down as he attempts to kidnap Omega (again) against her will.
What didn’t work in the finale occurs near the end, as Admiral Rampart (Noshir Dalal) finds the data Nala Se (Gwendoline Yeo) has stored on Omega’s M-Count. Since we didn’t spend as much time as we should’ve in exploring Omega’s force-sensitivity or why Hemlock felt it important to use midichlorians in his Clone X program, everything revolving around the project feels empty and not as fully explored as it should.
The episode also haphazardly ends with a conversation between Omega and the remaining players of Clone Force 99…until it goes forward in time, with an adult version of Omega and an older Hunter parting ways, as she’s ready for more than what she has been doing before fighting the Empire in joining the Rebel Alliance. This scene in and of itself is a beautiful moment that nicely wrapped up the series, and might have just made sitting through the two past seasons worth it. No, really. It’s that good and a reminder of just how powerful Star Wars can be when it wants to. Here’s hoping The Acolyte will live up to its potential.
All episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 3 are now available to stream on Disney+.
