IR TV Review: THE BAD BATCH - EPISODE 12 (“Juggernaut”) [Lucasfilm/Disney+]

The idea of new strategy in the face of uncertainty relies on the need to fix problems that have occurred or mistakes made. In Episode 12 ("Juggernaut") of the 3rd season of "The Bad Batch", the pivot involves understanding the reasoning of The Empire's interest in Omega. While the reason, even to Omega, remains elusive, the troopers with newly restored Crosshair find another ally from their past that gives them a greater possibility of success. Granted this involves a side trip as always to requisition information. Crosshair's concern for Omega seems legitimate but there could always be the possibility of a deep cover reveal.

Omega meanwhile arriving back to her former place of captivity (but with her eyes open) is taking in what is possible. The grip on power and the context of the experiments The Empire is conducting is still kept inevitably under wraps. Omega might have a possibly ally so the aspect of a redemption and rescue is definitely a possibility but not without sacrifice. When Tech was lost last season, it gave the stakes a little bit more oomph. Wrecker had a close call in a recent episode but sometimes this kind of loss is what is needed to shake up a narrative and give it infinitely more trajectory than it might otherwise have. Again this depends on where and what the narrative still needs to serve. With the final episodes of "The Clone Wars", Filoni was able to give a mythological context but that can only happen when one knows the finite endgame at least of characters in a smaller orbit. B

By Tim Wassberg