They say all good things have to come to an end.
And with The Bad Batch, it is no different.
After Season 2 left audiences with a bit of a cliffhanger everyone was wondering what was going to happen next, and just what exactly are Dr. Hemlock's plans with Omega?
Well, we find out this season.
It turns out that the scientist we met at the end of last season is named Emerie Karr, who is also a clone and by extension Omega and Clone Force 99's sister. It turns out she has been tasked with collecting blood samples from the clones brought to what is now known as Mount Tantiss. Though for what reason is unknown.
For Nala Se, it seems that she is still alive and working at the facility as well but we find that she seems to be withholding the blood samples she obtains from Omega and discarding them.
Meanwhile Clone Force 99 is practically searching through every nook and cranny to try and find Omega but with no success. Until Omega manages to escape with help from Crosshair, who already has a twitchy hand from the experimentation that was done to him.
But even with the reunion Crosshair is still on shaky ground with his brethren due to how things were left between them. But the events of what happened in Season 2 and with what happened on Tantiss have shown Crosshair that he is as expendable as any other clone regardless of skills/loyalty.
So then comes the question of why the Empire is interested in Omega's blood anyway, and the only word they can come up with is "M-Count".
So after doing some more digging the group discovers that M-Count is something that can measure a person's potential to be a Jedi. And after a rocky encounter with Asajj Ventress they discover that Omega doesn't have Jedi potential yet the Empire is still interested in her.
An interest that comes to a head when modified clones called "Clone-X" manage to track the Batch to the planet of Pabu and capture Omega once again.
Though Omega is already familiar with the compound on Tantiss, there's a new twist thrown into her situation for it turns out the Empire has been kidnapping children and experimenting on them for something called "Project Necromancer", of which Hemlock is heading up.
With time running out The Bad Batch pull out all the stops in trying to find Omega, even going so far as to bust the now-former Admiral Rampart out of prison to find Tantiss, which is successful.
But they find that it's no walk in the park, for along with their captured clone brethren the team learns of the captured children and in the attempt to rescue everyone they encounter the Clone-X troops.
After a long and trying battle the team succeeds in rescuing most of their clone brothers, Omega and the kidnapped children. With Hemlock defeated and Project Necromancer shut down to boot, The Bad Batch is finally able to lay down their arms and retire in peace.
So does this final season live up to the hype of being a true end to Clone-Force 99? In my opinion, yes. While Clone Wars ended on a sad note - which was by design - this show is able to deliver a story that ends on a hopeful one. For three seasons we as the audience have been able to see these characters grow and develop, and ultimately come to realize that they are more than just a squad, they are family. And with Omega being a part of said family they go from trying to survive in a galaxy that has changed from what they knew, to finding a place to belong, especially once they get their inhibitor chips removed. Once they learn what's been happening to some of their own brethren Echo sets out to help Rex put together a team to try and fight the Empire for their freedom while still trying to help The Bad Batch where he can. Of course as Star Wars Rebels reveals, whenever that future Clone War battle transpires, it isn't going to go in Rex and Echo's favor.
I have to admit, I almost thought - like many fans out there - that things would culminate in a giant battle with squads of clones coming to the rescue. However, keeping it small-scale was a better idea because it allowed the stakes to still be high enough to where audiences would wonder if the Batch would make it, or if there would be more casualties besides Tech. Fortunately Hunter, Omega, Crosshair, Echo and Wrecker managed to pull off the rescue mission well, and they were able to rescue the captured kids with a hint of them being reunited with their respective families again. In all, after a battle like that along with everything, I would say CF-99 more than deserved a victory in their favor, and to be able to retire peacefully with lighter hearts - namely on Crosshair's end - makes the ending feel earned.
And even with that, the epilogue scene was another nice touch, because it shows that while CF-99's story has concluded, Omega's has not, and with what she sets out to do more than indicates that there will be other adventures to be had for her. The fact that she does join the Rebel Alliance shows just how much all the Batch members have impacted her, and she is now going out into the galaxy and applying what she has learned from her older brothers/father figures. Naturally this isn't going to stop Hunter from worrying, as any parent can attest to. However, he also knows that he and his brothers have taught Omega everything she'll need to know to survive.
Enjoy your retirement Clone-Force 99, it's well-deserved. And to Omega - may the force with you, and wherever your adventures lead you, may they be great ones!
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