3x08 Bad Territory

[8.0/10] Look, I’m in the tank for Ming-Na Wen as a performer for her work in everything from Mulan to Agents of Shield, so I’m probably not the most objective person to review this episode. That said, I do think it’s a stand out for the Bad Batch, especially for an outing that is not a “special event” like a season premiere/finale or a departure from the usual format.

Fennec Shand is a hell of a player to link Hunter and Wrecker with. She’s a genuine neutral here, willing to work for whomever gives her the biggest payday, and literally mercenary about it. There’s a Manichean, good guys vs. bad guys dichotomy to Star Wars most of the time, so it’s nice to include someone like Shand who doesn’t really fit into either camp. She has her own interests, chiefly money, and she’s willing to side with whoever can provide the most of it. That makes her a genuine wildcard, and the compare and contrast game the show plays between pragmatic, self-centered Shand and our altruistic clone duo is extra interesting for it.

That said, I appreciate that amid all of this, the show picks up the hint that she harbors a soft spot for “the kid” just like Hunter and Wrecker do. The trio verbally spar over their respective prowess and interaction with Omega, as you do. And Shand’s cutting barb toward the clone twosome -- that they let Omega get away as much as she did -- rubs salt in a wound both of them are still nursing. The character work over where the former clone troopers stand in relation to the lucre-minded bounty hunter is subtle but strong.

Their misadventures in hunting down a target who upset the Haxion Brood (hello Fallen Order fans!) is also sound and exciting on its own terms. On a pure craft level, the show invoking some Apocalypse Now/Deliverance vibes for the trio’s trip down the river to collar their quarry is music to my ears. So many of these standalone quest episodes blend together, so distinguishing them through atmosphere and aesthetic is crucial. The creepiness of floating down a boobytrapped waterway, the grimy gold hue everything comes with, and a scurrying, anthropomorphized mantis target all give this one a visual distinctiveness and unnerving vibe that helps to make “Bad Territory” memorable.

The strong practical dynamic between Shand and Hunter/Wrecker helps too. She has something they need -- info on the bounty hunter who knows about the Empire hiring mercenaries to wrangle “m-count” bounties. So while it’s not exactly fun, the way she basically orders our heroes to do her dirty work if they want to get what they’re after puts Hunter and Wrecker on their back foot in a way we don’t typically see. Someone else having leverage over them like that, where they can't really resist lest they lose their best lead, makes this mission different from their usual quests, in a good way.

I also appreciated the B-story with Omega and Crosshair. We’ve confirmed (maybe?) that Crosshair’s hand issue is a mental one, more than a physical one. The two of them meditating, using techniques she learned on Kashyyyk no less, is a nice beat. Crosshair pushing himself outside of his comfort zone speaks well of his growth, and his recognition that Omega has been through a lot herself and grown from it is nice too.

Overall, another strong episode, and the one with my favorite action sequences of the season so far.