With this double-episode release, the third and final season only has eight episodes left. The Bad Batch is slowly but surely gathering all the information needed to storm Mount Tantiss while also reuniting with some old allies.
Recap of the Story So far
The plan to rescue all the clones in Mount Tantiss is more serious than ever. In an attempt to obtain information that could help their mission to free the prisoners, the Bad Batch headed to Barton IV, the planet where Crosshair killed an Imperial Officer.
For obvious reasons, Hunter didn’t trust Crosshair but after some talk, he understood that the brother who was once a loyal soldier of the Galactic Empire is no more. Their two main goals now are to protect Omega and to rescue their brothers.
Everyone’s A Target
Senator Riyo Chuchi is one of the few Imperial Senators who are trying to undermine Palpatine’s efforts to completely take over. Because of this, one of the mysterious clone assassins already tried to take the Senator’s life. If it wasn’t for Rex, she’d be long gone.
This time, it was Senator Singh whom the Empire tried to silence. Luckily, both the Senators were unharmed and Rex’s team captured the assassin. Even if it’s just a small scene, it shows that not even Imperial Senators are safe. Despite being individuals who gather a lot of political power.
This reminds me of Mon Mothma during her appearance in Andor’s first season. She portrayed herself as a politician with “annoying” ideals while secretly conducting activities to hurt the Galactic Empire actively.
She understood how dangerous it is to raise your voice against the Empire and the price to pay for it. So far, we’ve seen a few Senators trying to create an alliance and it looks like Chuchi is trying to bring more on board.
Considering that she doesn’t appear in Star Wars Rebels I think it’s safe to assume that this third season will feature her last appearance in any Star Wars show.
Complete Brainwash
It’s intriguing and disturbing to think about what kind of conditioning clones on Tantiss have been subjected to. It’s not like they erase their memories, these clones remember their brothers and what the Empire did to them. And yet, they carry out orders like the most loyal soldiers.
I find it interesting that The Empire must mess with the soldiers’ minds to become one of these shadow operatives. Clone Troopers were engineered pre-disponed to obey any orders no matter how tough they were. The best example of this is obviously, Order 66 and the occasions when they were ordered to arrest or shoot other fellow clones.
While it’s true that all clones have different personalities and not everyone would obey such tall orders without a second thought, we can’t deny that they are one of the most, if not the most obedient soldiers in galactic history.
Then why would the Empire need to conduct these experiments on them? My only guess is that they are developing a method to brainwash non-clone troopers. If it works on highly-trained soldiers then the chances of success with a less difficult population would be significantly high.
It’s well-known that some years in the future, the Empire will abduct children from all corners of the galaxy to incorporate them into the Stormtrooper program. They had to start testing their conditioning programs on someone, and who’s better for that than dozens of expendable soldiers from an era that is a thing of the past?
There Goes Half The Squadron
During Season 2, Rex mentioned that he was helping as many clones as he could. I thought that the next time we would see them, their numbers would have increased significantly, but it was certainly not the case. A single operative managed to eliminate half of their forces, Greer, Nemec, Fireball, and more were gone in a matter of minutes.
Sure, he had the element of surprise, the proper equipment, and the training to do so but I just can’t help but wonder how are they even going to get close to Tantiss before being obliterated. Rex is a smart man and has more experience than anyone when it comes to extremely tough missions, but there’s a limit to what these attributes can achieve.
There’s a chance that many of Rex’s men are deployed on different planets, it would be dumb to have all of them located in a single place. But it still sucks that some of the closest men to Rex are gone.
Commander Cody has been missing since his appearance in Season 2, we know that he and other clones went rogue after realizing what the Empire is capable of doing. My biggest hope is that he’s in charge of a much larger force than what was stationed at Rex’s base.
As Rex said, they will need to hit Mount Tantiss very hard if there’s any chance of getting the clones out. Considering that the place is guarded by Clone Commandos, Lurca Hounds, and dozens of regular troopers, it’s going to take more than just a few soldiers to make it happen.
Wolfpack Leader
I can’t express how happy I am to see Commander Wolffe back, even if he’s currently helping the Empire. Clone Commander Wolffe is known for leading the “Wolfpack”, a subunit of the 104th Batallion that served under the orders of Jedi Master Plo Koon during the Clone Wars.
Though, it’s a little disappointing to see that none of his men are wearing the Wolfpack uniform. It would have been amazing to see so many armors with the distinctive marks. I can’t help but wonder if all of them are dead, reassigned, or if the Empire planned something more sinister for those soldiers.
A few decades after the events of this episode, Wolffe, Gregor, and Rex will live on Seelos and a few months after that, help Ezra, Hera, and the other Specters fight in a battle to liberate Lothal from the Empire’s grip.
The story of how the three clones managed to end up on Seelos has remained a mystery but this season is going to answer this question and hopefully more.
Honor Amongst Brothers
I love how Wolffe immediately shows restraint after he learns that one of his enemies is Captain Rex. They fought side by side when the mission required Anakin Skywalker and Plo Koon to work together, there’s undoubtedly a huge amount of respect between the two.
Even if his orders are to eliminate everyone but Omega, he doesn’t hesitate to lower his guard and listen to what Rex has to say. After many years of fighting the Clone Wars, Wolfee knows that Rex’s heart tends to be in the right place.
Defying the orders of one of the top figures in the Empire isn’t something that many would do, regardless of their personal feelings. Not only because of loyalty, but because of the consequences that such defiance would have in said person’s life.
My guess is that Dr. Hemlock will punish and make an example of Wolffe, if not for the fact that he appears in Star Wars Rebels, I wouldn’t even believe that the leader of the Wolfpack would survive the remaining episodes.
I can’t wait to see the moment Wolffe (and hopefully more clones) join Rex and the other members of The Bad Batch in their attempt to release the Clones imprisoned at Mount Tantiss.
Easter Eggs and References
Clone Wars Movie
The location that Rex adopted as a base looks very similar to the fort where Asajj Ventress is holding Jabba’s son during the Clone Wars movie. This movie is where Ahsoka was first introduced to the audience.
Just Like Old Times
Wrecker mentions that Rex and Howzer don’t look happy to see them, like in the old times. When they first met, Rex and the members of Clone Force 99 had a rough start. This is because even among clones, everyone frowned upon them due to their “defective nature”.
The famous Wilhelm scream
When the shuttle is taken down by Crosshair, a trooper can be heard doing the well-known Wilhelm scream. This stock sound is hilarious and has been used for decades in the TV and movie industry. The first time it appears in Star Wars is in A New Hope when Luke and Leia can’t cross to the other side of the bridge.
“You went down aboard an attack Cruiser”
This thing that Wolffe mentions to Rex is a reference to the final season of The Clone Wars, where Ahsoka and Rex managed to escape the Republic Cruiser right after Order 66 was issued and everyone on board tried to shoot Ahsoka.
Star Wars The Bad Batch Season 3 Episode Breakdowns
Each article in this list breaks down an episode from The Bad Batch Season 3 and analyses its story, digs for secrets and easter eggs, and explains how the events of the episode relate to and reference the rest of the Star Wars franchise!
The Bad Batch Season 2 Recap and Review
The Bad Batch Season 2 has come to an end and there are a lot of things to discuss: What happened, how it made us feel, and what’s next!
The Bad Batch Season 3 Premiere Breakdown and Easter Eggs
This is a review of the premiere of The Bad Batch Season 3 which includes – Episode 1: “Confined”, Episode 2: “Paths Unknown”, and Episode 3: “Shadows of Tantiss”. It includes a breakdown of the key moments, easter eggs, and references!
The Bad Batch Season 3 Episode 4 Breakdown and Easter Eggs
The fourth episode of the third season of The Bad Batch shows how capable Omega has become since her first appearance in Star Wars. This episode ends with a reunion that many thought would happen later in the series.
The Bad Batch Season 3 Episode 5 Breakdown and Easter Eggs
The fifth episode of this third and last season of The Bad Batch is very "chill "relaxed" compared to the previous ones but it sets up the rest of the series. Clone Force 99 will attempt something that seems impossible, to rescue all the clones in Mount Tantiss.
The Bad Batch Season 3 Episode 8 Breakdown and Easter Eggs
The Bad Batch brings back the less chaotic side-quest aspect of the show. Fennec Shand's return sets us up for an interesting things to come.
The Bad Batch Season 3 Episode 9 Breakdown and Easter Eggs
We're slowly getting to the point of no return. This week's episode, The Harbinger, shows how The Bad Batch continues to seek explanations, but everything gets more intense when their answers arrive in the form of Asajj Ventress!
The Bad Batch Season 3 Episodes 10 and 11 Breakdown and Easter Eggs
These two episodes, Identity Crisis and Point Of No Return are the prelude of the final arc of the season. Dr. Emerie Karr learns what’s inside the Vault while Omega makes a choice that could change everything, for better or worse. The Bad Batch face their toughest moment, so far…
The Bad Batch Season 3 Episode 12 Breakdown and Easter Eggs
We are getting close to the end of the series. Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair venture into an Imperial-controlled system to rescue the only man who can lead them to Tantiss, former Admiral Rampart.
The Bad Batch Season 3 Episode 13 Breakdown and Easter Eggs
In episode Thirteen "Into the Breach", Hunter, Crosshair, Wrecker, and Echo finally begin the first phase of the plan to rescue Omega from Mount Tantiss. But even with the help of Edmon Rampart, things will not go as planned.
The Bad Batch Season 3 Episode 14 Breakdown and Easter Eggs
Flash Strike is the second to last episode of the series. The Bad Batch has finally found Mount Tantiss but from now on it will only get more dangerous. How will they manage to rescue Omega and everyone else?
The Bad Batch Season 3 Finale Breakdown and Easter Eggs
The Cavalry Has Arrived is not only the final episode of the third season but the last one of the entire series. Will Clone Force 99 be able to rescue Omega and escape Tantiss without casualties?
