‘The Bad Batch’ Season 3, Episode 8 Review – Tensions Rise as the Batch Inch Toward Answers
Today’s The Bad Batch release, episode 8 “Bad Territory” finds Hunter and Wrecker searching for any information on the meaning of the cryptic M-Count. The action that ensues during these exploits is juxtaposed against a battle of a different sort on Pabu as Crosshair attempts to heal his injured hand. Both groups struggle, but measure progress as they enter into hitherto unfamiliar territory of bounty hunter collaboration and mindfulness. I told you these themes were juxtaposed, didn’t I?
Along the way, we visit new locations and some potentially familiar ones. And although we learn nothing of substance, tension continues to rise as the hunt for M-Count answers and the tragic mystery of Crosshair’s experimentation on Mount Tantiss remain unexplained.
SPOILERS AHEAD…
We begin the episode on Pabu, where I audibly uttered an “uh oh,” but this charming oasis is saved for another day. Omega is concerned about the whereabouts of Echo and the rest of his freedom-fighting clone squad and clutches her comlink. Crosshair’s blunt pragmatism combined with Hunter’s more gentle explanation serve to remind Omega that in her current state as a high-target Imperial bounty, the best way she can support her brothers is to stay low. Soon, they’re contacted by Phee and it’s revealed that certain class one bounty hunters are being given M-Count targets for the Empire. Quickly connecting this information to Fennec Shand, the circuitous journey to M-Count meaning is kicked off.
I was happy to see here that Hunter learned from his previous mistakes and tasked Omega with a similarly important mission, knowing that if he left her to her own devices she would likely not, in fact, lay low. As Hunter and Wrecker jet off to an unnamed space station/trading post (which looks pretty similar to The Ring of Kafrene from Rogue One, although this one may be a bit smaller) Omega appeals to Crosshair’s desire to resolve his hand injury and this issue finally gets unpacked…a bit.
I always enjoy a seedy, underworld location in Star Wars and this space station doesn’t disappoint. Even small elements, like the pop music in the background at the bar serve to make the setting feel at once dangerous and alien, and dive-y and familiar. In a fun nod to the cantina scene in A New Hope, a rowdy Pantoran patron shoots a fellow bargoer over a bottle of liquor, but is then promptly incapacitated by the modified pit droid bartender.
Fennec, of course, has no information on M-Counts beyond what Phee already shared, but is quick to cut a deal with Hunter and Wrecker by enlisting their help in bringing in a particularly slippery bounty. I found it really odd that a bounty hunter of Fennec’s caliber (“class one” or no) would be aware that the guild was accepting M-Count targets and yet have no other information about what makes these targets “M-Count.” The logic that she knows enough to reach out to presumably either Cad Bane or Ventress (more likely Bane) and yet can’t connect the two most defining qualities of these individuals? In The Clone Wars, Cad Bane gains notoriety for his success in hunting Jedi, and I’m pretty sure everyone is aware that Ventress is Force-sensitive.
Back on Pabu, AZI exhausts the medical treatment options within his power and suggests to Crosshair and Omega that this injury might be a result of mental obstacles. We already knew that Crosshair appears to suffer from PTSD and given the show’s careful attention to the veteran experience, I’m not surprised to see we’re exploring this further. Crosshair’s trauma seems to go beyond the bounds of normal traumatic experience. By the way, there is no such thing as a normal traumatic experience. Trauma comes in many forms and is entirely personal. However, stepping out of the real world for a moment…within the parameters of Star Wars animation, where every character experiences enough trauma to cause behavioral health concerns almost every episode, I have to assume what Crosshair experienced on Mount Tantiss must have been very serious indeed.
Fennec, Hunter and Wrecker arrive on a marsh-filled planet, which reminds me a lot of Nal Hutta to hunt the bounty Sylar Saris nicknamed the “Slayer of Ordo Eris.” He apparently stole some credits from top bosses within the Haxion Brood. This may all sound familiar to you if you’ve played Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. In the game, Cal Kestis is captured and brought to Ordo Eris by the Haxion Brood to fight in a gladiatorial game and absolve Greez of his debts.
The hunt for Saris goes about how you would expect. They encounter bombs, hostile fauna and eventually find Saris’ hideout. Fennec takes a somewhat lazy stab at manipulating Hunter and Wrecker into revealing information about Omega. In the process, she reminds viewers that despite her record of working for Nala Se to protect Omega, she is just as callous and financially-driven as the next bounty hunter. This will come into play later.
The much more interesting narrative here, in my opinion, is what’s happening on Pabu. Frustrated by his lack of progress, Crosshair is dejected and fears his days as a sniper are over. Omega continues to show emotional intelligence well beyond her age and convinces Crosshair to consider the possibility that this injury may be related to his mental health. In a touching callback to her time with Gungi in season 2, she teaches Crosshair to meditate. This is a beautiful moment. I also particularly enjoy the similarity in brotherly affections between Crosshair (“You’ve been to Kashyyyk?”) and Anakin in season 7, episode 9 of The Clone Wars (“What were you doing on Oba Diah?”) Illustrating to both characters their younger “sisters” are off blazing their own paths and taking their own risks. Omega reminds Crosshair–”you’ve missed a lot” to which he responds “I know” and all our hearts break. Still, the fact that Crosshair understands he missed a lot is huge progress and clearly, he’s all in now.
By the time Hunter and Wrecker return to the space station with Fennec and the captured bounty, it’s unclear whether Fennec is going to come through with the information, which she says she has to go out and find. Hunter and Wrecker are forced to trust her. In the end, Fennec contacts a mysterious individual and gives them Hunter and Wrecker’s location. It appears Fennec has decided it’s monetarily in her favor to betray the batch. We just can’t catch a break.
This episode did a great job building suspense regarding both the mystery of M-Counts and Crosshair’s experimentation on Mount Tantiss. It can be hard as a committed fan to distance myself from the M-Count storyline and just enjoy the ride. At times, it feels like we’re really shoehorning this mystery into the plot when it should be rather easy to find this answer. That said, I enjoy that they’re bravely incorporating midi-chlorians into the narrative at all after they’ve being so derisively dismissed for many years as part of the great prequel backlash. As for Crosshair, I believe we’ll find out more about his time on Mount Tantiss and how that may or may not connect to the CX assassins. Although, I don’t think we necessarily need this. Crosshair’s courageous investigation of his own mistakes, trauma and hopefully recovery is a story worth telling all its own.
If you somehow missed all of yesterday’s news following the release of the first trailer for The Acolyte, catch up with our recap story and get excited!
When she isn't watching her friends and family's eyes glaze over at the mention of The Clone Wars, she's at the park with her dog, Melvin, or on the couch with a book in one hand and a drink in the other. Physically, she lives in Ohio; spiritually, she lives in Naboo.
