The Bad Batch Season Three - Identity Crisis and Point of No Return Episode Reviews 

Seeing crosshair miss the shot was like watching your favorite basketball team miss a game winning shot

I know he’s in it for the money but part of me wonders if Bane really hates kids.

I'm sure Crosshair wouldn't have missed if the stormtroopers hadn't found him in just that moment and forced him into a firefight before he could properly line the shot.

Hunter's plan fails, Wrecker is knocked out, Crosshair misses. All when it mattered most. The whole episode I was thinking, "Oh Hunter will steal the ship," "Wrecker will wake up and knock some people out," "Surely Batcher will come back for the rescue," "Maybe Omega has a secret third tracker under her hat?!?" Nothing. No outs. All their old tricks failed. No location, no ship, nothing. They lost, its over, they're done... but then again, there is Emery....

Episode 10 was the most Andor episode of Star Wars since Andor. The grim, plodding, impersonal, banal evil of the Empire was on display just as much as during the prison arc in Andor. Oof. Brutal.

The shot off the batch looking up to see that Venator looming overhand is 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 I'm convinced I need a show with this animation style specifically about starships

RIP Havoc Marauder

These episodes were amazing. Top tier Star Wars storytelling!

Omega’s return to Tantiss feels like a Jedi trial, but rather than the Force being the star, it is her strategic skill, bravery and complete trust in what’s right that will bring her through. She has a Jedi’s spirit.

Identify Crisis really plucked at the heartstrings. As a parent I just wanted those younglings to escape and find their way back to their families. I felt like they were both quite emotional episodes. I feel bad for Crosshair, you just know that Hunter is going to blame him for Omega getting captured.

I'm absolutely convinced now that the CX trooper is not Tech, and that he's 100% dead. CX-2 had to interrogate Sid to find out about Phi, then sneak onto Phi's ship to find the coordinates for where the batch were hiding. Tech already knew Phi and knew where Pabu was so he wouldn't have had to do any of that, and if he was alive in the empire's custody, it would have been far easier to torture the information out of him than to brainwash him and send him out to hunt his brothers, only to run back into the first issue.

Hopefully the child gets back with his mother. If not I will not survive.

With it in mind that they inadvertently stop project necromancer it's a little poetic that Sideous' plan for power created 10's of thousands of clones to wage a false war and that in less than 20 years his immortality hinges on the life of 1 and and his schemes will be foiled by the actions of a few. So much for omnipotence. So much for unlimited power. Dark side who?

Episode 10 is the most disgusting thing I've seen (in a good way). A random neighbor sharing a tip to a bounty hunter about A KID, then he hastlity picks up the gold thrown at him by Cad Bane like the pig he is. Then you think Hemlock will finally share more details on Project Necromancer while they're entering the vault, just to find a room with force sensitive KIDS. Then the poor souls start looking up to Emerie who doesn't know how to feel, Scorch just shooting (on stun mode) at blank range A KID as if Scorch couldn't have restrained him peacefully, "following protocol" by Hemlock surely. They go to sleep when the lights are turned off and behind bars. This is so screwed up

The thing with Crosshair missing the shot honestly felt a lot more like he only missed because of timing, that if he wasn't interrupted he would have landed the hit. Also I'm almost certain Omega has one of the launchable Trackers in her hat as is waiting to plant it somewhere hidden.

This entire situation is because Sid sold them out AGAIN! I legit wonder if the Cx trooper killed her.

I didn't take that as Crosshair missing the shot. I think he got delayed by the troopers and by the time he made the shot the ship had moved out of range. The tracker didn't fly far enough to have hit no matter what aim he had.

We know by now that the inhibitor chips DO NOT erase the clones entire personality, so what the hell happened to Scorch to make him so vicious? Dude went from comic relief to "Then he'll be less trouble." Anyways, looks like he got a promotion too. Good for him. He really is getting the favorite treatment from the writers.

We don't know for certain that the batch can not track Omega. Crosshair did not like the plan because it had too many variables. And one way to improve odds is to have fallbacks ready. The troopers did not scan Omega again after she handed over that communicator so she may have more than one.

Episode 10 is some of the coldest, most evil stuff I have ever seen in anything let alone Star Wars!!

I wonder if that last shot is supposed to hint at Omega going for a wild card and attemptíng to reach out through the force to have Asajj sense her. Finding Tantiss through technology has failed misably, so what else is there but the force? If so, I think the children will eventually aid her in this.

This show is really feeling like the animated equivalent of Andor. It's got the same oppressive tone, it's putting the Empire's tyranical methods in clear focus. So impressed they're telling a story this sinister and mature in animated form.

My guess Omega will sway the Zillo Beast into attacking the Tantiss forces.

It’s great that they incorporated double episode releases every 3 weeks in this season. It’s been a treat looking forward to that extra episode every 3rd week.

this set of episodes has confirmed something for me that i'd been holding off on admitting, and that is that the bad batch really is a masterpiece of star wars storytelling. as such, i also really do think it's a perfect companion piece to star wars's other masterpiece of storytelling, andor. with andor, we get to explore themes of rebellion, revolution, why it's important and how it's done. it explores why the empire must be stopped and CAN be stopped, how it subjugates the people and how those people rise up against such subjugation. with the bad batch, we get something so complimentary about freedom and personhood. unlike andor, this story isn't entirely focused on the why and how of the empire and how to stop them because it's still so early in the empire's reign. instead, this story focuses on the what: what the empire is (evil) and what is at stake (freedom and personhood). together, these two stories illustrate and accentuate some of the most core themes of star wars, and their themes compliment each other very well. i can get a lot more appreciation for the empire's evil because of the bad batch, that it makes the banality of their evil in andor stronger. in andor, i can get why the people want to revolt because i've seen even MORE of the inhumanity they're willing to inflict on people in this show. it truly is remarkable and one of the special things about a universe like star wars, where to completely different shows from two completely different times can elevate each other.

I agree. The series seems to be headed to some type of Battle for Mount Tantiss, or something. But I fear it is not going to end on a positive note for Clone Force 99. Omega leaving Tech’s glasses behind could be a foreshadowing of someone invoking Plan 99 again. I believe we are headed for heroic sacrifices and a scorched earth finale. However, I also find it curious that there are only 15 episodes this season. I would not be surprised to have an Episode 16 “Epilogue”.

I think back on Tantiss they'll transfuse Omega with one of the kids blood, the midichlorians will bind, and bam! Force sensitive clone, proving Hemlock's hypothesis.

I'm hoping either Batcher led Hunter to the CX trooper's ship and he planted a tracker, or I'm hoping Omega had a second tracker on herself and gave up the obvious one to hide the existence of the second (though I know that's a long shot).

I think the cx troopers are prototypes for death troopers

I loved them since theyre where building up to a huge tragedy on all levels. I got heart wrecked when they shoot Marauder just like I was when they shoot Razorchrest in Mando but seeing the clone force 99 fail so misserable at a plan they would have executed with ease in season 1 is heartbreaking. One thing I assume is that episode 11 show us what dramaturgists calls "the fake loose" where the hereos shows what might happen if they fail theyre mission. I also love that each time the team had a setback or loose a member the writer show us how disfunctional the team becomes before they can pick themselves back up. Its the perfect example off "show, dont tell". J.

It's not everyday we see the Empire wins. They showed off the power of having immense resources can do: hiring the best bounty hunters for any price and easily deploying an army that does whatever you want anywhere in the galaxy are just some of the many things they can do. The moment where the mom heard those boots outside the door, I immediately knew those were from Cad Bane. Not the first time he has kidnapped force-sensitive children.

Is no one gonna talk about cx2 perfectly shooting the pilot in the heart??? Is that not something cross hair could do? 😮

While I've never been a fan of downer endings, the placing of Tech's goggles and the Lulu doll would be a fine final shot at the end of the series if it was nearly, or everyone dies sort of ending.

More Mirialans! Vern is comeing, the Mirialassance is upon us!

Identity crisis was so sad and depressing

These episodes did such a good job of making the Empire feel a threat. As much as I like Rebels, they don’t do anything to help the image of the Empire missing shots and being throwaway fodder

Something I haven't seen anyone mention yet is the implications of Crosshair missing the last shot. Hunter has no reason to trust Crosshair now. I'ts just going to look like Crosshair turned in Omega and sent her back to Tantiss, and obviously Omega can't clear Crosshair's name now...

When Crosshair whiffed that shot, i really felt that weight and the deflation afterwards. However, I don't interpret that as a result of his mental state & lower accuracy. Instead, I interpret that scene as he was overwhelmed and pinned down for a few precious moments... Moments that didn't allow him to set up the shot until the ship was out of range of his tracker's effective firing arc. If he fired the tracker and it went wide, too high/low whatever, that's one thing. But in this case, it falls off and drops into the water like it simply ran out of momentum before it reaches the ship.

Interesting how Dr. Carr had no problem holding and testing Omega, but she finds doing the same to a bunch of other children to be so wrong.

**SPOILER WARNING** WHY!?! Why the Marauder?!? 😭 It’s not fair!!

I love your review of these episodes. I always love your videos. But one thing you forgot to mention is that TODO, Bane’s droid had such a cute moment with the force sensitive baby when he gave him his doll so he’d calm down. It makes want to see Todo reform and help our heroes defeat the evil empire.

I feel the build up and I really can’t wait! These two episodes felt very personal and emotional. Smaller detail but I am highly appreciative that the writers officially acknowledged Scorch in the dialogue before going to get the force-sensitive child. The community has silently agreed that the commando is Scorch, but it feels really good that the writers are making Scorch’s name canon!

Potentially my favorite episodes thus far of the season. These were so good. You know it’s incredibly well made when they can make you feel the you do (mostly talking about episode 10). I don’t know if this is me hearing what I want to hear, because I’d rather CX2 be Cody if it’s someone we know, but CX2 somewhat sounded like Crosshair to me with the cadence of their voice through the helmet.

We are in the endgame now people… 4 episodes to go and these two set up that finale very well. We learn more about that big project and I think we also see that that clone rebellion will come once they learn of where Tantis is to go rescue Omega and the clones. I can’t believe we’ve reached this point already but I am ready for whatever comes.🙏🏻

Really thought omega would be the one having an identity crisis They are setting up the finale well. Hopefully we will learn more in the next episodes "Juggernaut" and "Into the Breach" Also Hemlock giving CX2 a second chance feels very odd. That probably hints the true identity of CX2

I think that hunter and batcher may have snuck onboard cx-2's ship since the last time we see them they are on the beach which might be near the ship, at least I hope they did.

my gosh this little girl has grown so much, i may be young myself, but this series is having me in some weird way almost feel a maternal connection to this child i’ve watched grow these past few years - the bad batch’s end is going to have me streaming with tears and i know it

One thing that was pretty big imo is scorch actually gets referred to by name meaning this is now 100% him so whatever happens to him now is canon they better not mess this guy up

Small easter egg I spotted: when they're running and Omega says it's all her fault, you can see adult Kanan and Hera running by in the background, or at least two people who look a lot like them. I'm pretty sure they're both fairly young at this point in the timeline.

with how the episode was going i sat here thinking: OMG they might actually start executing civilians or the dog to get what they want. and i am sure they would have if torching the houses would not have been enough to draw omega out. its so cool to have such a scary threat in star wars. reminded me of the dread you could feel whenever thrawn was hunting

I predict Omega has a second tracker hidden on her somewhere. They scanned her looking for a tracker and found one. She figured that once they found the one tracker they were expecting they would not scan her again, and the Troopers did not.

The destruction of _The Marauder_ was on my bingo card but they spoilt that by including it in the teaser. Why?

When Crosshair missed and Omega was calm, I knew something was up. Crosshair's missing is not the end-all-be-all of their plan. He mentions a lot of variables, and he knew his aim was different from what it was. They have a secondary way of tracking outside of the com and the beacon, possibly relating to Gungee and the force but also possibly being something else Omega has cooked up her sleeve. I am a firm believer in Occam's Razor, but this feels like there's something to the plan that we don't know.

I heard the spurs when bane walked up to the door and I’m not going to lie a small part of me was kind of hoping it was going to wind up being Boba even though I deep down knew it was probably going to wind up being bane (also side note, this is the first time in the entire series scorch is referred to by name)

I can totally see wrecker dying to save the kids on tantis and maybe echo for the regs

How unfortunate, how ironic 😂😂😂. Kills Jedi, yet needs Jedi to save Palpatine.

I wonder if Omega had a second tracker on her? The Trooper didn’t bother to check to see if she had another one on her.

These two episodes were a different kind of grueling. Great stuff.

Pretty sure the opening of ep10 was Zeffo

Watching Crosshair whiff that shot at the end with Tech’s death music hurt my soul.

I like how Tarkin sounds so pissed every scene he’s in lol

I don't know why these two episodes were paired together since there's only the one link between them, it's not like there was a narrative so big that it needed to be told across both, but I think that thematically, they are related. They show just how evil the Empire truly is. They're kidnapping children for experiments, they're indoctrinating people into work they cannot escape from, they're destroying people's homes with no means to escape or defend themselves. However, they do show a bit of vulnerability, even in these early days. Hemlock and Tarkin debating about funds and the CX Trooper shooting down the Gunship show that there really is no loyalty among them. You even mentioned that the Empire wiped out so much of the resources Palpatine would have found valuable, but despite all his planning and backup planning, his goals are being slowed down by his own hand. These two episodes were great, but I think the better of the two is the second purely because we get to see just how much the Bad Batch were unprepared. I thought for sure Crosshair was going to make that shot, and I don't think we were given a definitive answer to whether or not his hand is free of the tremors. They put him in a position where he was too busy fighting off TK Troopers that he lost his ideal location to shoot the tracker, but once the ship started moving too far away, he just had to take the shot and he wasn't able to really steady himself in time. I also was shocked that the Marauder was destroyed! That's just nuts! That actually got the proper reaction from me instead of when the Razor Crest blew up because that thing was drug through the mud in Mando Season 2 and then it was blown up right after getting everything back up to its original glory, but the Marauder was trusty, they did everything in that ship, and everything they were gearing up to take on the road was in there, too. I know that the Razo Crest was also Din's home, but this ship felt more like it was because of all the things we saw it do and we spent so much more time with it, too. Still, that first episode was also good. It's one of the darkest things we've seen in Star Wars animation because it is about these kids, but there's no romance to it with Jedi swooping in to save the day at the last second, these kids are thoroughly stuck in a vault in the middle of a mountain, and they get poked and prodded. It's awful to see, but I like that the showrunners were willing to go there, and I like to see that stories like this are able to be told. Thinking back as to why these two episodes were paired together, I think part of it was also to show just what Omega was about to get herself into because instead of waiting a week, we just learned what else is happening, and that's likely where Omega's going next. But there's no more room for futzing around, it's go time. These next four episodes better be the best this show ever gave us because we've likely gotten all our cameos out of the way, all our side missions, it's time to start assembling the Avengers and forming a plan to bust down Tantiss... Once they find out where it is. Ugh, I can't believe they did that to us, but I love it!

I loved both episodes they're great

I really liked these episodes. for me episode 10 "Identity Crisis" was my fave this week as we got more of the 'why' this is all happening. Plus we got a direct answer on why Omega was so important

Did anyone notice the couple times, during Ep 11, where we could hear the First Order's theme? What if we're witnessing the actual birth of the proto-FirstOrder? After all, in Mando S03 we know that Brendol Hux was in charge of Project Necromancer...

Some people have the blood type that makes them a universal *donor*, "O Negative". Omega has the blood type that makes her the universal *cloner*, "Omegative".

Waaaaay off shore, but what if cx2 is sev? Good sharpshooter, and really "cruel". Fits the stereotype.

I hope the kids are able to be rescued along with the clones maybe the hidden path can help the children hide

How is no one talking about Hunter absolutely wrecking those TK troopers? We haven’t seen him fight like this since Season 1 and it was so awesome to see. Hoping for more feral Hunter the rest of the season.

Your description of "failure" gave me the same feeling in the pit of my gut I get when I tell people: "I'd rather lose by a few points at Battlefront 2 then stomp the other team. It's more exciting." then proceed to get completely destroyed.

When I saw Tarkin I noticed how ironic it is that the galaxy has fantastic systems of engineering and transportation through space, but their visual communications imagery always looks terrible. Tarkin would have looked better on Face Time!

Crosshair has got a lot of explaining to do next week. Also let's pay our respects to the Havoc Marauder, R.I.P. 2-something BBY - 18/17 BBY

This is the best Star Wars channel on RU-vid. You have my undying respect.

THE CX TROOPER BEAT UP SID LET'S GOOOOOO

Nice consices review, I'll subscribe. Again, good job, thanks

I was surprised to see the name Jax used. I know it’s not a return of Jax Pavan, but for someone who loved the books, it was a great Easter egg.

CX-2 os deffo a clone of crosshair. Even the name suggests it. "C" crosshair X the shape of a crosshair and "2" speaks for its self. Even sounds liek his voice

These episodes made me realize the CX2 trooper isn't Tech. Wouldn't he already know they were on that planet or at least that is where they were living between missions?

I think it would be interesting that if it was Boba who called in to find the force sensitive child, we'd get to see him interact with his "brothers and sister"

Great review

I haven't cried like that other a star wars episode for aaaages. Absolutely heartbreaking

great ones!!!!

These two episodes were fantastic and I am so excited for the next episode!

that baby carriage is definitely a grogu easter egg

Top episodes! I was on the edge of my seat.

Thank you, Alex! 💠

The musical score of the episode was very good.

When Star Wars meets Sound of Freedom

Idk if it’s just me, but crosshair looks healthier? Like he’s gotten some Pabu sun on his skin, and his hair is starting to grow back - and his face looks more relaxed. Either way, I can’t believe how far the animation has come with these shows.

Ok the only possible way (for the time being unless the remaining episodes found a new way) for them to find Mt Tantis planet now is going to be highly risking and unenthnical/ questions their moral? So they know they are after people with high M count and they know Gungi. They also know Fennic, bounty hunters that after M count targets. They cound persuade the two or Ventress if Fenec refuse to help them. Either put a tracker on Gengi or follow Fennic/ Ventress and Gungi in the dropoff location and put a tracker on the Empire ship?

Another great breakdown. These were pretty dark episodes, a bit tough to watch. The reveal that the project is on kids was tough to see. And, we started the season in captivity, so ending up back there, along with the terror and destruction on the safe space island was all difficult to see. I know the empire is evil, but this seemed to ramp up the evil-ness a bit.

Star Wars, please be kind to us and give us a happy ending. I know it’s unlikely but Clone Wars and Rebels ended so emotionally and I just don’t think I can take another

They do show the Empire using a flamethrower to burn homes though.

I think is not only this Star Wars series Giving us answer how palpatine returns in eopisode IX. In the trailer of the mandalorian film they say that the empire, or what is left of the empire,doing the same project in the bad batch.

what i constantly think watching the bad bad but these episodes especially is this: god the clones are so incredibly efficient. it makes them soo scary when they are one the other side. like seperatists and imperials bar a few exeptions were kinda incompitent but these clones are soo good at their job omg

I hope Emery turns on Dr. Hemlock and liberates the children to safety. I’m afraid it may cost her life, but it would be an honorable way to go out.

Is it just me or the writing team has upped their game significantly this season? These are all awesome

Seriously, get some security devices on that cave!!!

I need an animation series in the style of The Bad Batch, showing Luke building the Jedi Temple and teaching the younglings and padawans until it would be destroyed by Snoke.

My one gripe is that there is now way the Batch wouldn't have put sensors in that cave if it was indeed the same one