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?
The article contains major spoilers from this episode and references events from previous episodes.
Recap of the story so far
Hunter, Crosshair, and Wrecker crashed in the jungle. They tried to sneak past the Imperial troops but Rampart’s clumsiness had them all running. The former Vice Admiral was captured by the TK Troopers.
Omega started developing a plan for her and the other kids to escape the vault. Echo has managed to infiltrate the base disguised as a TK Trooper. He found Emerie and it looks like she is willing to help him.
Meanwhile, Hemlock and Scorch are busy trying to find and neutralize the only threat that they perceive. The assault on Mount Tantiss begins now, it’s victory or death, for both parties.
We have reviews and breakdowns of each episode of The Bad Batch. Check them out to make sure you are not missing any hidden details or easter eggs.
Escape from Tantiss
There are many things that I enjoyed about this last episode but not everything is perfect, it’s disappointing that the Zillo Beast had so little protagonism. It’s understandable that as a captive beast, it wanted to escape more than it wanted to hurt those who imprisoned it. But it could have done much more even if the outcome had been the same.
It’s unlikely that we’ll ever see a Zillo Beast again so it’s a bummer that they missed this opportunity to make it look like the unstoppable force it is.
Omega behaved like a true leader, as expected. She made a solid plan, told everyone how to proceed, and gave confidence to the kids. It was so cool to see how they always stayed calm despite never doing anything close to this.
Reprogramming the droid to attack Dr. Scalder was a very satisfying moment. However, I wanted to see the Zillo Beast eat her or something similar.
Emerie showed many signs of regret in the past episodes but she finally took action to save all the children inside Mount Tantiss. She didn’t hesitate to offer her help, perfectly knowing what would happen if the Empire captured her.
While all of this was very satisfactory to watch, I still have mixed feelings about how “easy” it was to escape without the help of Captain Rex or any other ally.
Broken but not defeated
Hunter, Crosshair, and Wrecker have to go through so much to get Omega: Rescue Rampart, infiltrate the Imperial Station, find a way to get to Tantiss, survive the crash, and navigate through the jungle. That’s not even after getting into Mount Tantiss.
By the time they got to the base, they were all in pretty bad shape. Even doing something as simple as walking required a lot of effort from Wrecker. They didn’t stand a chance against that many TK Troopers and the special operatives that Hemlock activated.
Crosshair’s hand was a great price to pay, but getting captured led them to Omega and Hemlock’s location which was their objective.
Speaking of Hemlock, he always appeared to be two steps ahead but that trait disappeared the moment the Zillo Beast escaped. We slowly saw the doctor lose his cool and make mistakes that eventually led to his downfall. I overestimated his competence and the backup plan that he could have.
Unlike Hemlock, the Bad Batch thrives when under pressure, but this doesn’t mean that everything went flawless. I was incredibly nervous for a good portion of the episode. One of my predictions for this episode was that only Hunter and Omega would survive this mission, I’m so glad to be wrong.
A proper end for Rampart and Nala-Se
One of the highlights of the episode is the last scene of Nala-Se and Edmon Rampart. She spent her entire life perfecting the art of cloning, to the point of becoming indispensable to the Empire, at least temporarily. Even if her work was used from something twisted, we can’t deny the effort she put into it.
Rampart, on the other hand, is someone who doesn’t believe, trust, or support anyone but himself. He’s a great example of how a lot of Imperials are enrolled not because they believe in what it represents, but to gain personal benefits.
Even after being betrayed by the Empire, Rampart was still thinking of finding a way to get compensated by them. Despite having the opportunity to flee and maybe start a new life, he decided to stay and backstab Nala-Se.
Thankfully she was prepared for it, and even if she died, Nala-Se managed to protect Omega by eliminating the data. It might have not been her intention, but I see Rampart’s death as payback for what he did to Tipoca City.
Nala-Se went down protecting the last thing that remained from her work while Rampart died because of his own greed. I could not think of a better ending for these two characters.
The only death that I consider to be lackluster is Scorch’s, he’s such a beloved character by Republic Commando fans, that he should have had a more dramatic final.
The former member of Delta Squad was the most dangerous soldier in Mount Tantiss and he went down without being able to fight back. A little disappointing but I can live with that.
Watching Hemlock panic and lose control of everything was super fun. After hurting so many people he absolutely deserved a more painful death but I really liked how it was done.
Those last moments of tension showed how much Hunter, Omega, and Crosshair trust each other. Hunter could have made the shot, but he let Crosshair do it despite his condition. Both knew what would happen if he missed, but that only gave Crosshair more determination to hit the target.
Omega hugging Crosshair first after being rescued speaks a lot about how close they have gotten. From being a cold, isolated soldier to becoming a caring brother. Omega impacted almost anyone who talked to her, but no one changed as much as Crosshair.
Closure
I think that the best part about this series finale is the fact that it provides a good closure but with a possibility for a spinoff series.
Hunter, Crosshair, and Wrecker can live peacefully until their final days without worrying about being hunted down by the Empire. Omega becomes an adult and is more than capable of making her own decisions.
Just because the Empire isn’t targeting her doesn’t mean that the galaxy is safe. Her brothers have earned a peaceful retirement, but the fight against the Galactic Empire isn’t over and Omega knows that even a single person can make a difference.
Even if she joins the Rebel Alliance, that doesn’t mean we’ll hear about her again. Maybe she is part of the Battle of Endor or perhaps she perishes before that even happens but that is completely fine.
The story of Omega, Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, Echo, and Tech doesn’t have to continue indefinitely for many more years. The purpose of this series was to add more context to the infamous resurrection of Palpatine and I am satisfied with how it did it.
To me, it’s not a bad thing that this might have been the last time that we saw Clone Force 99. It would be a lie to say that I don’t want to see more of them, but if that doesn’t happen I’m more than happy that it ends like this.
Their story, while brief, is fantastic and each character has earned a very special place in my heart. The following image is a perfect representation of how I felt after the final scene; relieved, and grateful for experiencing the story of Clone Force 99.
Easter eggs and references
Project Stardust
Tarkin orders to re-direct the funds of Tantiss to Project Stardust, this project is the construction of the first Death Star. Rogue One reveals that it is named after Jyn Erso, the daughter of Galen Erso.
Imperial Operatives
The four operatives that Hemlock activates have different weapons and armor. In that sense, they are very similar to the Purge Troopers that appear in Jedi Survivor. Since all have different types of weapons I wonder if one of their purposes is to hunt down Jedi.
Imperial Destroyer and Venator next to each other
Right after escaping Tantiss, Tarkin arrives in his Imperial Star Destroyer. The interesting thing about it is that the two other ships are Venator Cruisers, ships used prominently during the Clone Wars by the Galactic Republic. I believe this is the first time that we see these two ships flying next to each other.
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