The Bad Batch Season 3 Premiere

The three episode premiere demonstrates once again these clones are "defective and effective."

Since "Revenge of the Sith" hit theaters in 2005, most of the best storytelling in the Star Wars universe has been through its animated series (except "Resistance"). Starting with "The Clone Wars" in 2008, animation has been the best example of Star Wars creator George Lucas's original vision for the universe, thanks in large part to Dave Filoni leading the way.

Filoni was hand-picked by Lucas to create "The Clone Wars," a series that set the standard for all that followed and he’s since served in some capacity with each series to keep the animation train rolling. So it's no surprise that the first three episodes of the third season of "The Bad Batch" completely blew me away.

The series was created by Filoni, but Supervisor Director Brad Rau and Lead Writer Jennifer Corbett led the way in creating one of the most dynamic series in the Star Wars franchise.

To anyone who hasn't been with the series from the beginning, "The Bad Batch" centers around Clone Force 99, a group of clone troopers whose genetic mutations have made them the best. The squad consists of Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, Tech, and Echo - each possessing a specific set of skills that make them unique and highly sought after on the battlefield. But when Order 66 is executed, Clone Force 99 is immune to the Emperor's order and becomes mercenaries for hire.

I won't go into depth for the previous two seasons of the series. If you're interested, they're on Disney+, so check them out yourself. I will tell you that they add a young, unaltered female clone named Omega, and she ends up turning their world upside down in the best way possible.

Confined: S3E1

The third series begins with a bang, but you would expect something else. An Imperial ship is shot down on approach to the lab on Mount Tantiss, and we get to see Dr. Hemlock (Jimmi Simpson) being as cold and calculating as ever. The opening scene is quickly followed by us catching up with Omega (Michelle Ang) as she reluctantly eases into her role at the lab, assisting her clone sister Emerie (Keisha Castle-Hughes) and Kaminoan doctor Nala Se (Gwendoline Yeo). But she quickly learns the work is far from what she and Nala Se were doing on Kamino.

The Empire now dictates the focus of the work, and it's clear their obsession is replicating the genetic M-count and finding suitable specimens for their experiments. For those counting at home, M-count is referencing Midi-chlorians, the tiny living lifeforms that allow folks to tap into the Force. Why would the Empire want to harness this technology? You'll find out more in just a bit.

Blood samples are taken from each of the captive clones, including Omega, but Nala Se is quick to toss out her samples each time, instructing Omega that it would put her in danger if they tested her blood. From the get-go, we've known something was special about Omega, and now we're slowly learning what that certain something might be.

It's also revealed that a mysterious vault under the lab houses something only a select few can see. It's implied that it's where the source of the Force is housed, but it's never revealed who that could be and I loved it. Could it be Snoke? Could it be Grogu? All I know is I want that mystery to linger for as long as possible.

Omega's pureness of good is refreshing for a character I didn't like at the beginning of the series. While practically a prisoner, she shows endless compassion to those deserving, even if it makes her journey harder. Her compassion causes a clash with Dr. Hemlock, resulting in her freedoms being stripped away even more, strengthening her resolve. This results in a moment of unexpected compassion shown to her by Emerie, which is a nice touch.

Paths Unknown: S3E2

After spending the first episode entirely at Mount Tantiss following Omega and her new life, "Paths Unknown" hooks us back up with Hunter and Wrecker and their quest to find Omega and bring her home. But as always, with Clone Force 99, nothing is easy.

After receiving coordinates to what they hope is Dr. Hemlock's lab from crime boss Lady Durand (voiced by Oscar winner Anjelica Huston), Hunter and Wreck set out but quickly find the lab has been abandoned and destroyed.

In the process, they stumble upon three young clone soldiers prisoner left behind when Dr. Hemlock left the planet and have been using their skills to survive. When informed of Hunter and Wrecker's mission, the trio admires their loyalty to each other after having been abandoned by their brotherhood.

Deke (Julian Dennison) joins our two remaining members for Clone Force 99 to enter the lab and extract any info that could help with finding Omega, but when the group is overtaken by slither vines, Mox (Daniel Logan) and Stak (Dennison) swoop in piloting the Marauder and save the day.

With a lead on Omega's possible location, Hunter and Wrecker let the trio of regs know they will drop them off on Pabu and they'll be taken care of. And once again, we see that Hunter is thinking of distancing himself from his past as he tells the younger clones that they can make their own path and need to be something more than just soldiers.

This episode is filled with action, but more importantly, character development, which is something I feel "The Bad Batch" has done a great job with during the run of the series. We get the explosions and fighting that makes it exciting, but we also get to see each character evolve and become something more than what they started being.

It's also great to see Daniel Logan back in the fold, although I would have rather seen him in a different capacity, but I'll take what I can get. Logan has been a fan favorite for many years, and all feel his love of the franchise.

Shadows of Tantiss: S3E3

The only thing I can say about "Shadows of Tantiss" is that this is one of the best episodes of "The Bad Batch" there's been and I have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg for the remaining episodes in the series. It's another low-key episode that explores the motivations of the Empire and, most importantly, the Emperor himself and why the work by Dr. Hemlock is of utmost importance to the Empire.

So far, Nala Se has served as Omega's protector on Mount Tantiss, but when an unexpected visit from Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) pulls her away from her duties, it's left to Emerie to test the collected blood samples. Due to this, Nala Se instructs Omega to flee the facility, but as we've seen in "Confined," she won't leave without Crosshair at her side.

As Omega navigates her way through Mount Tantiss, Dr. Hemlock and the Emperor navigate their way to the mysterious vault below and discuss the work's importance. Then we hear two little words clarifying what is happening at Mount Tantiss - Project Necromancer.

We already knew what was happening, but it's nice to hear it confirmed. First mentioned in Chapter 23 of "The Mandalorian," Project Necromancer is simply the plan to grant Emperor Palpatine immortality through cloning. We saw the semi-successful result in "The Rise of Skywalker," with the Emperor making his crusty return but requiring a life support hook-up to keep him alive.

With Nala Se, Dr. Hemlock and the Emperor preoccupied, Omega springs Crosshair from his cell, but before they can flee, they are found by Emerie. She sounds an alarm, and our duo flees into the jungle in hopes of finding the downed Imperial ship that crashed in "Confined" and finding a way off the planet.

As they traverse the jungle as the Emperor departs, Emerie discovers Omega's blood sample will hold the M-count transfer with no decline in power and sets out to find Dr. Hemlock. Meanwhile, Omega and Crosshair find the ship unable to power up but make alternative plans to get a ship in a fun action sequence that helps close the episode.

As they make a run for it in their newly acquired ship, Dr. Hemlock has had enough and orders them to be neutralized until Emerie bursts in with the news of Omega's potential. Now he faces the choice - let her escape or kill the best shot to fulfill Project Necromancer he has.

If the first three episodes of season three are any indication, "The Bad Batch" could position itself to be considered one of the best animated series right next to "The Clone Wars" and "Rebels.” The storytelling is top-notch, some of the best we've had. I love how they fully explored each character's arc and showed that we all can rise above our programming.

You'll also notice that I never mentioned who voiced each of the Bad Batch (and a slew of other characters) and that's because it's one man - Dee Bradley Baker. He's one of the most talented actors in the Star Wars franchise, not just voice actors. Each character he voices is unique, and his range during "The Bad Batch" only highlights mastery. The Star Wars universe is filled with talent, and Baker is among the elite. No one eclipses Baker’s talent.

Season three of "The Bad Batch is shaping up to be something special, and I can't wait to see what they have in store for us. As Wrecker says, Clone Force 99 is "defective and effective," and their journey is one of the best tales in the Star Wars universe.