3x04 A Different Approach

[7.7/10] I like how this episode dramatizes what’s changed about Omega in the time since she linked up with The Bad Batch, and what hasn’t.

What has is plain -- she’s a much more savvy player than when she started as an isolated ward on Kamino. She’s astute enough to recognize that she and Crosshair need disguises if they’re going to be skulking around the shady, Imp-infested confines of Lau. She’s experienced enough to know how to tempt a local functionary with a bribe in order to get her to bend the rules. And she’s skilled enough to be able to win the money she and Crosshair need to effectuate that bribe by popping into the local cantina and hustling patrons at cards.

Omega is no longer the naive, if capable young naif she was when she joined our heroes. Rather than being led around by the nose by Crosshair, she’s the one making plans and greasing the wheels when necessary. Seeing her seem so capable and assured in a tough environment is heartwarming in a strange way.

But it helps that she’s still the kind-hearted person we met when we started. Her tactics may have changed, but her principles haven't. The way she refuses to abandon Batcher, how she’s inclined to set the other impounded animals free, how she’s reluctant to use Crosshair’s brute force tactics because she doesn’t want to get anybody else hurt reveals the way in which, however more savvy Omega might be now, she hasn’t been corrupted. It’s a nice distillation of the pure qualities she started with and the greater talents and skills she’s internalized from her time with these commandos.

I’m also a fan of the planet Lao in this one. Lord knows Star Wars loves its corrupt backwaters, and the vibe of this one is familiar to anyone who’s seen the “underworld” and faraway places of the franchise in action before. But the addition of Captain Mann, the local Imperial administrator, elevates this one.

Normally Star Wars bad guys are snarling villains, but there’s something chillingly down-to-earth about Captain Mann (aided by a great vocal performance from Harry Lloyd). He scans as someone content to be a big fish in a small pond, taking advantage of his limited domain of authority to feather his own nest at every opportunity, and lean on the locals and visitors alike. I like him as a representation of the sort of everyday evil of the Empire. Not everyone is a megalomaniac striving for ultimate power. Some people are content with their lot to be able to abuse their position and get rich and comfortable on the back of mundane, local corruption and oppression.

His interactions with Omega are great, with the right layer of sliminess and cravenness to their interactions. They do a good job of advancing the larger story, since there’s the inherent tension of Omega and Crosshair trying to earn enough money to get off of Lau without attracting unwanted attention, something Captain Mann’s presence complicates. And him cornering our heroes provides a good excuse for Omega to make good on her “free the animals” impulses, and for Crosshair to give into his “shoot first and ask questions later” approach for a strong action sequence. It’s a little convenient, but Captain Mann getting his karmic comeuppance from one of the animals he imprisoned makes for some tasty just desserts.

The reunion at the end is also touching. In real time, it hasn’t been that long since our heroes have been separated from one another. But given that it’s been a whole year for viewers, and that the show committed to nearly four full episodes with separate adventures for everyone, everyone reuniting feels earned and meaningful. Wrecker and Omega hugging and rekindling their sibling bond is sweet; and Hunter embracing her as well, with his fatherly air, is no less piercing. You get the plain sense of how hard both sides have been fighting to get back to one another, which leads to great catharsis when they do.

The reunion with Crosshair is, naturally, a bit more complicated. But I relish that complication. The appearance of their betrayer, albeit one who helped save Omega, really adds to the mixed emotions of the moment. It’s well-staged and framed too, with the two ships landing on a remote planet, each a mirrored beacon of light across a dark expanse. It helps you symbolize and internalize the distance that Omega and her brothers have traversed to get here, and the emotional distance that still remains between Crosshair and his brothers.

Overall, this was a strong episode of the show that develops a quality new locale for the Star Wars pantheon, uses it to showcase how Omega has grown while hanging onto her best qualities, and earns a touching reunion among the main characters.