Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 3: Episodes 1-3 Review

By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)

This review is spoiler-free.

After the heartbreaking Season Two finale, it has taken me some time to recover after losing my beloved Tech! Over the past several weeks, I have rewatched the entire series with a close friend, who was watching for the first time. So losing Tech again didn’t get easier, it was probably worse!

The Batch is fragmented, Omega is captured and the rising Empire continues to push down with its boot on the throats of the people of the Galaxy… but if things looked grim in Season Two, the tone of Season Three, based on these first few episodes, is set to go even darker!

The final season of The Bad Batch arrives with three episodes, “Confined”, “Paths Unkown” and “Shadows of Tantiss”. Once you get through this trilogy of episodes, you realise why they were released like this – It’s almost a full “Act One”. We are brought up to speed with our characters and the state of play in the galaxy, with each episode serving its unique purpose in this opening arc.

Before getting into the episodes, I need to say that the show has never looked better and Kevin Kiner is already landing some big hits early doors with his score – likewise for all the Kiners involved! I’m very excited to see what they have in store for us this season!

Ok, the episodes…

Episode 1: Confined

I LOVED this episode! It was a brave move to open with, as it was very isolated in nature, but it set a mature tone right from the off, something the following episodes would follow. It set a lot of wheels in motion concerning some key plot points and showcased a level of maturity in its visuals and storytelling. There were some great emotional beats involving Omega and these reinforced why she is such a fantastic character and vehicle in which to drive the story through.

Episode 2: Paths Unkown

Moving on from Omega’s episode, we move on to finding out what Hunter and Wrecker have been up to – hunting down whatever lead they can to rescue Omega! This journey picks up with a previous storyline involving the Durand crime family, with Tom Taylorson returning as Roland Durand. In an even more exciting development, the menacing Isa Durand makes an appearance and is voiced by Anjelica Huston! So for me, this indicates that we’ll be back with the Durand’s very soon! You don’t hire Huston for a one-and-done brief cameo! The Durands would point The Batch off-world and to a very intriguing and deadly environment! This would also see the re-introduction of Daniel Logan, so that is always a welcome addition! Again, a very mature approach and more focused on the action rather than the drama of the first episode, so both episodes balanced each other perfectly!

Episode 3: 

Jimmi Simpson’s Doctor Hemlock has quickly become one of my favourite new Star Wars villains, and he was particularly menacing in this final episode of the three! When you add a certain Iam Mcdiarmid into the mix, things get even more intense! This was a fantastic story-heavy way to see out this first arc and it leaves Omega and Crosshair in an intriguing, albeit precarious situation! There were a few well-worked payoff moments from the first episode and they pushed a key plot beat that was previously teased in the most recent season of The Mandalorian…

There was a nice reference to Tech in this episode that hit me hard and given the context, was very poignant. There is also a new addition to the crew, albeit a four-legged one, yet still voiced by Dee Bradley Baker – naturally!

Overall, these three episodes were an outstanding way to start this final season and they truly complement each other, elevating them with key character and story moments. This felt like the beginning of the end, and as enjoyable as it was, knowing that this is the final season brings with it a wave of sadness as well.

Mature tones and themes coupled with exceptional storytelling and stunning visuals… If these first three episodes, of the final Season of The Bad Batch, are anything to go by, we are in for an incredible final ride!

What did you think about the first three episodes of the final season of The Bad Batch? Let us know in the comments!