– Spoiler Review –
Plans to get to Tantiss and free Omega escalate quickly, while Omega puts her own ideas into motion in the often tense and exciting The Bad Batch season three episode, “Into the Breach.”
Clone Force 99 decides to act on Edmon Rampart’s intel about how to get to Tantiss, with him in tow of course until they can confirm he isn’t lying, and “Into the Breach” never quite slows down once everything is set in motion. After Phea Genoa dropped them off, Echo arrives at the start of the episode with a stolen Imperial shuttle, which they intend to use to follow what Rampart told them: get to the space station above Coruscant (as we saw in “Identity Crisis”) and steal the coordinates to Tantiss it transmits to departing ships. Of course things go awry along the way, but the tension of the plan’s escalation is well balanced with some light humor, specifically in something I was hoping for after last episode: Rampart’s interaction with the group. He’s not lost his haughty attitude, which comes in handy as he impersonates an Imperial officer as they make their way through the station, and while he proves to be helpful and non-deceptive the entire way through, his distain for the clones never abates, so overall I sort of loved to hate him even more than I already did. And a lot comes from Noshir Dalal’s performance, hitting that air of pompous superiority perfectly, which the animation team plays into with his constant brushing off his stolen uniform or fixing of his hair. The Bad Batch doesn’t trust him and their cold, snarky-filled way of dealing with him is satisfying more for them than it is for us to hear (though it is satisfying), as they constantly put him in his place or remind him who holds his fate in their hands. Crosshair makes a great point on how they don’t trust him, just as much as he doesn’t trust them, yet they’ll have to put it aside if they all want to get out of it alive. What Rampart does going forward should be interesting, especially given how things go by the end of “Into the Breach.”
As the Bad Batch eagerly attempts to get information on Tantiss’ location, Omega isn’t taking her new lot in life sitting down. Emboldened by her escape once before, and her skills and confidence only growing stronger since then, she’s already scheming for ways to get out. What’s different this time is the fellow children she’s locked up with in the Project Necromancer vault, who are timid and mostly broken by the recent escape attempt by Jax, but they certainly perk up at the chance of hope she offers them with her confidence. Given what Dr. Emerie Karr knows and her choice to give Eva Omega’s old doll (which I loved how Omega doesn’t reveal it was hers when she sees it), it seems she still hasn’t made the full jump into doing anything different for the children, though it seems she believes she is. Her and Scalder, the other female scientist we’ve met, get into it briefly, as Scalder is concerned about Omega’s presence and Emerie isn’t, saying the kids are safe and simply will go about playing their games as required to keep them engaged. Is Emerie purposefully being ignorant of how Omega can influence those around her, given Omega inspired her to offer sympathy by giving that doll to Eva? It doesn’t seem she’s purposeful since her chat with Omega this episode is her repeating how the kids are safest here, much like she believes herself to be, instead of out in the galaxy where they could be killed; if they are only getting their blood drawn and the Empire needs them alive for it, then to her they are out of harm’s way. Hopefully she’ll come to change her mind, especially once Omega puts her plan in motion, as after stealing a tool on Emerie’s tray, she’s able to break open the panels in her room and give them a way out of the vault by following the blood sample’s path. How they’ll manage to do this unseen, and when Omega will lead the escape, is left for another episode, but maybe a certain distraction on its way could help.
As Hunter, Echo, Crosshair (all the clones scrubbed the paint from their armor), and Rampart make their way to the comm center in the space station, hoping to intercept the coordinates, it turns out the ex-Imperial’s info wasn’t completely correct…though by no fault of his own. Turns out they can’t intercept and can only get the coordinates from a ship leaving for Tantiss itself, which conveniently a science ship is leaving in only a few minutes! Wrecker’s dealt with a snoopy Imperial in the mean time, so their window is getting tighter on being caught and to get to the shuttle in time. Echo’s back and in a big way this episode, showing off his slicing and athletic skills, managing to evade detection and get on the science ship while the rest of the group gets back to the stolen shuttle and follows. There’s a tense sequence which follows, as Hunter has to time it right and Echo has to take care of something as quickly as possible: disabling the science ship’s proximity sensors so Hunter can attach their shuttle to it and hitch a ride! What went from being an opportunity to gather intel on Tantiss’ location becomes a mad rush to hopefully take a ride to get there, with no backup, no plan, and no intel other than what Omega, Crosshair, and Rampart can tell them. Echo and Hunter both do their jobs well, the science ship jumping to hyperspace unaware it’s carrying a load of clones, and the episode ends with us wondering what the heck will all come next. There’s only two episodes left after this and I’m hoping the final one isn’t the typical length, either closer to the premiere’s hour-plus run-time or at least 40 some minutes or so, as it seems like a lot to wrap up in only two 20-minute episodes, but maybe the final two are basically the finale together. We’ll see in the coming weeks!
Here are a few other things:
- The cute little Bayrn whom Cad Bane captured a few episodes ago? His species was finally named: Tarlafar!
- In case you somehow missed it, the next Star Wars animation show was announced: Tales of the Empire, complete with a trailer! It’ll focus on Morgan Elsbeth and Barriss Offee, playing out much like Tales of the Jedi. That means there’s still something out there, yet to be announced, showing us Asajj Ventress’ next step on her journey…
- Remaining season three release schedule: April 24: Episode 14 (“Flash Strike”) | May 1: Episode 15 (“The Cavalry Has Arrived”)
- As always, our per episode reminder of the Unwhitewash The Bad Batch campaign, which I hope it they’ll consider going forward with any more clones in animation.
The Bad Batch’s “Into the Breach” leaves no question on what comes next, as all the pieces are set for the final two episodes.
+ Rampart’s rapport with the Batch
+ Escalation is tense
+ Omega’s confidence
– Unwhitewash the Bad Batch
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Bluesky, Twitter @MynockManor, and Instagram @mynockmanor.
THE BAD BATCH REVIEWS
Season Three: 3.1/3.2/3.3 Confined & Paths Unknown & Shadows of Tantiss | 3.4 A Different Approach | 3.5 The Return | 3.6/3.7 Infiltration & Extraction | 3.8 Bad Territory | 3.9 The Harbinger | 3.10/3.11 Identity Crisis & Point of No Return | 3.12 Juggernaut
Season Two: 1.1/1.2 Spoils of War & Ruins of War | 1.3 The Solitary Clone | 1.4 Faster | 1.5 Entombed | 1.6 Tribe | 1.7/1.8 The Clone Conspiracy & Truth and Consequences | 1.9 The Crossing | 1. 10 Retrieval | 1.11 Metamorphosis | 1.12 The Outpost | 1.13 Pabu (by Katie) | 1.14 Tipping Point | 1.15/1.16 The Summit & Plan 99
Season One: 1.1 Aftermath | 1.2 Cut and Run | 1.3 Replacements | 1.4 Cornered | 1.5 Rampage | 1.6 Decommissioned | 1.7 Battle Scars | 1.8 Reunion | 1.9 Bounty Lost | 1.10 Common Ground | 1.11 Devil’s Deal | 1.12 Rescue on Ryloth | 1.13 Infested | 1.14 War-Mantle | 1.15 Return to Kamino | 1.16 Kamino Lost