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This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3 episode 15.
After a rollercoaster journey of three seasons and 47 episodes, Star Wars: The Bad Batch has finally come to an end. The beloved Clone Force 99 have hung up their helmets in an epic 50-minute finale that rounds off their stories while also setting up the future of the galaxy far, far away. Things come to a head in the aptly named “The Cavalry Has Arrived,” which serves as an emotional swansong for our titular troupe of outcast clones.
The Zillo Beasts Returns and Tech Doesn’t
All roads lead to Mount Tantiss, and following last week’s cliffhanger ending, Crosshair, Hunter, and Wrecker (all voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) launch a rescue mission alongside former Imperial Vice Admiral Rampart (Noshir Dalal). Meanwhile, Echo (Baker) finds himself inside the base and working with Dr. Emerie Karr (Keisha Castle-Hughes), who’s had a change of heart.
Everything ties back to Project Necromancer, which is the Empire’s plan to clone Emperor Sheev Palpatine ahead of his impending death in Return of the Jedi. At the core of this is Omega (Michelle Ang), who is planning her own daring escape from Tantiss’ vault with the other M-count rich test subjects. It doesn’t set them up for their own spinoff, but we can imagine a more mature Young Jedi Adventures.
Going full Jurassic Park, Omega and her crew of escapees free the giant Zillo Beast, making its welcome return from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and earlier in The Bad Batch. Although the Zillo Beast runs amok on Tantiss Base, we were wrong that villainous Dr. Hemlock (Jimmi Simpson) would meet his maker at its jaws.
Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair are detained by Hemlock, who prepares the Bad Batch for reconditioning. While we know this didn’t work on Crosshair, Hemlock activating his CX assassins makes it clear that not all the clones were as lucky. Unfortunately, after weeks of speculation that CX-2 was a brainwashed version of their fallen brother, there was no shocking reveal that the clone assassin is actually Tech. Instead, Hunter easily dispatches CX-2 with a spear to the chest.
Speaking of underwhelming farewells, there’s plenty of fan fury that Delta Squad’s Scorch was gunned down like a common droid. These aren’t the only deaths, and when the seemingly reformed Rampart betrays our heroes to get back in good with the Empire, Nala Se (Gwendoline Yeo) takes him out in a fiery sacrifice.
What Is Project Stardust?
With the Empire’s forces dwindling, Hemlock tries to escape with Omega but is stopped by Hunter and Crosshair in a final showdown. Despite Crosshair’s shakes, he takes out Hemlock in a hail of bullets. The Project Necromancer research is destroyed, and so is the Emperor’s knowledge of how important Omega could be to his cause…for now.
Things end with a last-minute cameo from Governor Tarkin (Stephen Stanton), who says that Hemlock has already wasted enough of the Empire’s money. The Necromancer funding is redistributed to Project Stardust, which, following Andor’s post-credit scene, is the second recent Star Wars series to mention the construction of the Death Star.
Where Does The Bad Batch Leave the Team?
Despite some ominous opening titles, the remaining members of the Bad Batch scrape through with their lives and seemingly get one of those rare happy endings in Star Wars. The team regroups on Pabu and looks toward a brighter future.
Echo and Emerie are off to Pantora to help Senator Chuchi settle the former clones into their new lives while Omega and the rest of the Tantiss kids make a new home on Pabu. With Crosshair, Hunter, and Wrecker staying here while Echo dashes off on another adventure, it’s sad to see the Bad Batch split once again
Then again, after waving goodbye to Tech in the season 2 finale, Crosshair’s finale musings that Clone Force 99 died with him ring true. There’s an emotional mention of the group being able to choose their own path, leading to a skip into the future around 20 years after the Bad Batch parted ways. It’s here that we catch up with a much older Omega and Hunter by the Marauder 2.0.
The end of The Bad Batch ties neatly into the original trilogy, with Omerga wanting to fight for the Rebel Alliance as a hotshot pilot. As Omega flies off into the distance with Gonky, Tech’s smashed glasses make one last appearance before the final credits roll. It shows just how far the little clone has come and what she’s learned from her brothers.
Will There Be a Bad Batch Season 4 or Another Spinoff?
Despite there being no word on an official Bad Batch continuation or any rumbles of another animated series being in the works, there are more opportunities here than clones themselves. In particular, it feels like Echo’s arc is leading toward a clone uprising series that could bring in Captain Rex and pick up with the fan-favorite Domino Squad.
As for Omega, her lack of appearances beyond this point in the timeline had many worried The Bad Batch finale was going to go full Rogue One and kill them all. Given Omega’s ambitions to join the Rebel Alliance, we’re guessing she’ll appear further down the line in either animated or live-action form, and much like Rebels’ Ghost appearing in Episode IX, Omega might’ve been with us this entire time.
We know Project Necromancer will eventually pick up steam in the New Republic timeline of The Mandalorian season 3, but with this coming after the destruction of both Death Stars and the deaths of Tarkin and Palpatine, it’s over to the Shadow Council and Commandant Brendol Hux (Brian Gleeson) to revisit it much further down the line.
There are just too many tantalizing plot threads to leave the story here, although what form the Bad Batch continues in remains unclear. We’re still no closer to finding out whether that’s Captain Rex in Return of the Jedi, there’s no last-minute appearance of Asajj Ventress to cue her franchise future, and there’s now a rogue Zillo Beast out there in the stars. Still, The Bad Batch ends on a poignant high that finally lets those ‘defective’ clones enjoy a well-earned break.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch is streaming now on Disney+.
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