Review: Star Wars: The Bad Batch “The Harbinger”

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

The Batch meet with Fennec’s contact, Asajj Ventress, former Padawan and former apprentice of Count Dooku during the Clone Wars, who would naturally know more about M-counts. She explains that M-counts were a way of determining if someone was Force Sensitive, so anyone with a high enough one is very likely a target of the Empire. Omega asks for training to find out if she can use The Force, which Ventress reluctantly provides. The rest quickly realize who Ventress is and try to take her down, but are easily dispatched. Omega decides to continue trusting her, leading to her final bit of training: reaching out to nature, which accidentally leads to a confrontation with a giant sea monster. They’re able to get away when Ventress connects to it through the Force, but she tells Omega she doesn’t have a high count, though she reveals after Omega leaves that it was a lie and warns the Clones to leave Pabu before the Empire arrives. Ventress then takes off, saying she’s still got a few lives left.

OUR TAKE

This was an episode a lot of people were looking forward to, and for good reason. Over eleven years since her last animated appearance, Asajj Ventress returns to Star Wars. The character (named after a town in Louisiana!) was first created for the 2003 Clone Wars Microseries before that was scrubbed from canon for the 2008 series, in which she got a much more elaborate character arc. First a Nightsister, then a Padawan, then Sith Acolyte, and eventually Bounty Hunter, the character has worn many hats over the course of her history but has remained a fan favorite in her 20+ years of existence. But between the initial cancellation of The Clone Wars and its conclusion, a book called Dark Disciple released, based on unfinished episodes of the cartoon, in which Ventress was killed by Dooku while she protected her then-love interest Quinlan Vos. So, for just about nine years, that was where Ventress’ story ended, until now, where her death apparently didn’t take, so now there’s plans to include her in future stories. Though if you never read that novel and only watched Clone Wars and The Bad Batch, you’d never know she was ever dead to begin with, so…I dunno, maybe it would be easier to just chuck that novel, even if I did like it. Not like we’re gonna see Quinlan Vos again, probably. Honestly, he had a way better story in the Legends comics anyway.

But okay, with the history lesson done, how was the episode itself? Well, already big points for bringing Ventress back. Most of the guest stars and cameos in this show have felt kinda fanservicey but this felt like a good use of the time period and available characters. Or maybe I am just more partial to seeing a character I remember from when I was eleven and seeing her have a more or less peaceful life. That said, as cool as it is to see her training Omega in some off-brand Jedi regiments, it does make me wonder where this thing with the M-counts is going. We do know that Omega is a target because of the M-count/Midichlorians and that Palpatine wants her because they’re trying to make him a clone body that has Force potential. But with the six remaining episodes of the series, where is that headed? I guess based on Ventress’ warning that the Clones will be targeted soon, which will lead into the climax of the series, but I really doubt that they’d kill Omega off. The other Clones I have less confidence in, but we’ll see. Now to speculate how Old Lady Ventress is somehow going to show up in the fourth season of The Mandalorian!