The Bad Batch: A Different Approach Thoughts
Omega and Crosshair continue to learn to work together and listen to each other as they find themselves stranded on an Imperial-infested planet.
Corrupt Imperials could be considered an oxymoron, but some Imperials care about the everyman. But none inhabit the planet Lau, where Omega, Crosshair, and Batcher find themselves in “A Different Approach.”
Hemlock calling off the attack allowed Omega to jump to hyperspace, but the ship sustained enough damage to pull them out of hyperspace and crash towards the planet Lau. The shuttle is beyond repair, so they must go to the nearest port town to find another way to safety.
Many Different Approaches
The episode title is “A Different Approach,” but there are many different approaches in this brisk 25 minutes. Omega and Crosshair are almost instantly at odds in agreeing on next steps once they crash: Omega wants to go back to Tantiss to free the other prisoners, and Crosshair disagrees, stressing that the Empire will be looking for them, so they have to find a way off planet as soon as possible. Crosshair is right in this case.
When the two and Batcher arrive at the spaceport, the town is crawling with Imperial Stormtroopers. Omega suggests they change clothes and find a way out that does not involve ambushing Imperials with blaster fire. Trying to bribe a ticketing agent leads Omega to gamble for 30,000 credits for passage for all three. Luckily, she is skilled at Sabacc and beats a Trandoshan for nearly the amount. Unfortunately, a corrupt Imperial Captain, Mann, enters the establishment and challenges Omega to a game. While Imperial involvement almost ensures that losing gracefully will not be a factor, Mann at least congratulates Omega on beating him for 20,000 credits. Then, he promptly threatens to arrest them if they don’t pay a fine (gambling is illegal apparently for everyone but Mann) of 10,000 credits. They still have enough for all three, so Omega’s gamble (ha!) has paid off.
But Crosshair also loses sight of Batcher, who gets taken by Mann as bait. Even though he is corrupt, Mann is still an Imperial who sees the opportunity to get his credits back while raising his profile by turning over Crosshair and Omega. It secures his horrible fate at the hands of a Rathtar.
Mann immediately recognizes Omega’s attachment to Batcher and exploits it, as well as Omega’s willingness to concede to avoid conflict. He tells Omega during their game that she’s “not bad, but you seem to have misunderstood your enemy.” Although Mann is referring to the Sabacc hand, his words can apply to the episode in general. Omega wins the hand but still gets strung along by Mann until she and Crosshair have no choice but to fight.
And it’s here where Crosshair’s strengths benefit them. Conflict and fighting are what he knows, so when things get to that point, he is ready and willing. To her credit, Omega also knows this about her brother and acknowledges his strengths directly, something the Empire never did.
In the end, Omega and Crosshair meet each other halfway. Crosshair continues to let Omega take the lead but also makes his case for doing some things his way. Omega listens and concedes when the time comes to shoot their way out of trouble.
The Batcher Effect
Batcher is a character that lurks in the background of the first half of this episode but becomes an essential part of the back half. It’s easy to disregard an animal as an accessory, but to Omega, Batcher is a part of their crew. She also appears to respect the group dynamic enough to take Omega’s lead and follow Crosshair. There is no doubt that the Lurcas, specifically being called hounds, is a nod to the long history of dogs in warfare dating back to the 7th Century BC. The decision by series head writer Jennifer Corbitt to add a space dog to the team will make for unique tactical fights later in the season. Until then, Batcher’s place (at least between Omega and Crosshair) has been cemented. We will see where Hunter and Wrecker stand, though I cannot imagine either of them having a problem with a Lurca hound.
It will be exciting to see how Crosshair and Batcher’s relationship develops because there are parallels between their journeys. Even though Batcher has been in a cage most of her life, she was bred for patrol work without regard for her well-being. Omega is the first to show her kindness and earn the hound’s loyalty. Batcher has also been domesticated, yet, despite Hemlock’s insistence, survived the harsh Tantiss environment.
While Crosshair has just recently broken away from the idea of being an “Imperial soldier,” he still assigns his value to “soldier duties.” His skills are shooting and killing people, but his shooting is declining, represented by his shaky aim. He is still deadly, but not as lethal as he was before. It’s like he’s lost his purpose. Omega’s insistence that there are other ways of getting out of a situation will have to factor into Crosshair’s growth this season. And Batcher’s presence can be a part of that development.
A Different Kind of Villain
With Hemlock and now Mann, these are two different kinds of Imperials. Mann acts more like a cartel leader, having his cake and eating it. Both have reshaped their environments in their image: Hemlock with his science labs of uneasy silence and Mann with a spaceport where the primary language is bribery.
Star Wars animation has done a great job of providing interesting villains to counter the more mustache-twirling Palpatine. With Hemlock not being front and center every episode, this will be important moving forward as Imperial resources are deployed to find Omega.
The Bridge to Cross
When Omega sends a retrieval signal to the Marauder to meet them on a remote planet, she is hopeful they will show, versus Crosshair’s doubt (or perhaps fear). They arrive, and Big Brother Wrecker is first to embrace Omega, tearing up. Hunter, who had felt the weight of her absence and was desperate to find Omega, is next and looks upon her with pride that SHE was the one who found them. Hunter and Omega have always had a different dynamic, more father/daughter than the rest of the team (remember Omega copying Hunter’s posture and mannerisms in the premiere episode?). Contrast this to when Hunter tried to leave her with Cut Lawquane for her safety; it all feels like a complete cycle. The Family will always find a way back to each other-so how will Crosshair find his way back to Hunter and Wrecker’s good graces?
The wide shot of Crosshair stepping off the Imperial cargo shuttle and the distance between him and the others shows that he is closer than ever but might still have some distance to go.
Originally published at http://creditsandcanon.com on March 3, 2024.
