In Season 3, Episode 4 of the Disney Plus series The Bad Batch, titled “A Different Approach,” the narrative unfolds with Omega (Michelle Ang) and Crosshair (Dee Bradley Baker) as they crash land on the planet Lau due to the damage sustained on their shuttle following their escape from Weyland. Following the crash, the two and Batcher head to a city in Lau to find a shuttle to leave the planet before the Empire tracks them down.
At the Weyland Facility in Mount Tantiss, Dr. Hemlock (Jimmi Simpson) confronts Nala Se (Gwendoline Yeo) regarding Omega and Crosshair’s escape. Hemlock explains his confusion with Nala Se’s attachment to the young clone considering how the stereotype of Kaminoans is that they are cold scientists who value logic over morality. Yet, Nala Se saved Omega as a mother would do for her daughter. Hemlock continues, stating how Nala Se’s blood sample tests for a positive Midi-Chlorian Count transfer for Omega was negative, but when Emerie performed the test, Omega is a positive subject whose blood and genetics can be used for Project Necromancer. Nala Se counters that false positives are expected considering how machines and computers cannot always be reliable at times. Despite this, Hemlock affirms his decision to recapture Omega and confirm the test’s validity but also threatens Nala Se that her treasonous action will not go unpunished in the future.
Back at Lau, Omega and Crosshair have a difficult situation moving through the city because it is under Imperial occupation with patrols of TK-stormtroopers everywhere. The two then discuss how they should escape Lau: Crosshair thinks about stealing a shuttle while Omega wants to earn money to buy a shuttle. Crosshair disagrees since it will take a long time until the Empire discovers their presence. Despite this, Omega finds a solution by becoming a player in a gambling game, which helped her earn the thousands of monetary credits needed to buy a shuttle off-world to escape Lau. However, in one of Omega’s games, the corrupt Captain Mann (Harry Lloyd) joins, and this is a problem because Mann leads the Imperial patrols in Lau. Despite this, Mann and Omega gamble, and Omega wins with Mann fairly conceding to his defeat.
As Captain Mann is about to leave with his loss, a TK stormtrooper reports that they found a crashed Imperial vessel on the outskirts of the town. Mann immediately deduces Omega is not from Lau since he does not recognize her at all. Due to this, Captain Mann orders Omega to pay him a fine of ten thousand credits so he won’t arrest her for gambling (an illegal game), a hypocritical statement because Mann himself is a gambler who just lost to the young clone. As a result, Omega pays Mann ten thousand credits, and the Imperial captain thanks her before leaving to capture Batcher and take the lurca to a cargo dock holding animal captives in an effort to bait Omega and Crosshair to be arrested in a non-public location. To his credit, Captain Mann is a brilliant strategist who knows nearly everyone in Lau and is perceptive enough to know Omega and Crosshair are not from Lau. This is added with Batcher not being a native creature to the planet. When Omega and Crosshair enter the cargo dock, Captain Mann is surrounded with stormtroopers and Lau’s police force with the intention of taking all of Omega’s money and delivering the two clones to Dr. Hemlock.
However, Captain Mann is too arrogant to recognize the two clones he confronted are brilliant tacticians and fighters in their own right: Omega releases the animal captives while Crosshair mows down many stormtroopers and Lau police officers with his blaster. The released animals create chaos in the cargo dock with one creature, presumably a Rathtar with one of its tentacles, drags Mann into its cage, locking it shut in a “Jurassic Park dinosaur cage conflict” fashion. After saving Batcher, Omega and Crosshair hijack a cargo ship and escape Lau while sending a signal to meet Hunter (Dee Bradley Baker) and Wrecker (Dee Bradley Baker) in a specific unknown location. In the aftermath, Hemlock and a squadron of stormtroopers, led by Scorch (Dee Bradley Baker), find the crashed Imperial shuttle Omega and Crosshair used to escape Mount Tantiss in the outskirts of Lau, but were notified that the two clones escaped on a stolen cargo ship. Hemlock orders Scorch to track the ship and notify all their Imperial operatives to capture Omega alive at any cost.
The episode ends with Omega having an emotional reunion with Wrecker and Hunter after many months apart. Wrecker and Hunter also reunite with Crosshair, whom they have not 100% forgiven for his betrayal on Kamino as an Imperial loyalist. Nevertheless, with Crosshair saved from the clutches of the Empire, Tech’s sacrifice has not been in vain. However, the future of the story is unclear as there are many clones still captive in the Weyland Facility in Mount Tantiss, many who need the help of the Bad Batch and those who joined Captain Rex and Echo’s clone rebellion.
Omega Uses her Strategic Skills to become a Great Gambler.
In Season 3, Episode 4 of The Bad Batch, titled “A Different Approach,” directed by Saul Ruiz and written by Ezra Nachman, the series delves deeper into the intricacies of life under the Galactic Empire’s rule, shedding light on the grim realities faced by those living in its shadow.
This episode not only serves as another riveting escape narrative featuring Omega and Crosshair, but also provides a poignant glimpse into the oppressive regime’s impact on a planetary scale. Lau, the setting for this installment, emerges as a microcosm of the Empire’s tyranny, characterized by pervasive corruption and the exploitation of its inhabitants.
The portrayal of Lau under Imperial control starkly contrasts with the Empire’s purported mission of bringing peace and order to the galaxy. Through the lens of this beleaguered planet, the hypocrisy of Imperial rhetoric becomes glaringly evident. Despite the Empire’s claims of noble intentions, its actions paint a starkly different picture, revealing a regime rife with corruption and injustice.
The presence of a corrupt Imperial captain, epitomized by Captain Mann, underscores the pervasive moral decay festering within the Empire’s ranks. Mann’s illicit gambling ventures and arbitrary fines levied upon citizens exemplify the systemic corruption that permeates every facet of Imperial rule. Lau’s inhabitants, struggling under the weight of oppression, are driven to desperate measures, resorting to gambling and coercion to eke out a meager existence in the shadow of the Empire’s iron fist.
Moreover, the episode sheds light on the insidious machinations of the Empire, exemplified by Project Necromancer—a sinister endeavor aimed at prolonging Emperor Palpatine’s grip on power through the pursuit of immortality. The revelation of Palpatine’s ultimate ambition to transcend mortality further underscores the Empire’s descent into darkness, revealing the depths of depravity to which it is willing to sink in its quest for dominance.
Ultimately, “A Different Approach” serves as a chilling reminder of the Empire’s true nature—a ruthless regime driven by greed, corruption, and the relentless pursuit of power at any cost. As Omega and Crosshair navigate the treacherous landscape of Lau, their struggle for survival becomes emblematic of the broader resistance against Imperial oppression, setting the stage for future confrontations and revelations in the ongoing battle for freedom and justice in a galaxy gripped by tyranny.
Rating: 9/10