The Bad Batch: S3E11: Point of No Return

There's no turning back for Omega and Clone Force 99.

If you love being on the edge of your seat, "Point of No Return", the 11th episode of this season of "The Bad Batch" is right up your alley. Brimming with nonstop action, this episode pushes our heroes to their limits, culminating in one member making a sacrifice for the greater good while the others watch helplessly.

This is the kind of Star Wars story I love. It's an "The Empire Strikes Back" moment when the good guys experience a defining defeat and must rise from the proverbial ashes.

In "Point of No Return," Phee (Wanda Sykes) has her ship hacked by the Shadow Agent (Dee Bradley Baker) and, after examining the data, blasts off for Pabu. Meanwhile, Pabu Clone Force 99 follows Asajj Ventress's (Nika Futterman) advice and prepares to leave their sanctuary, thinking they'll continue blending in among the stars and evading the Empire.

Following in Ventress's footsteps, the Shadow Agent parks his ship in the same cave as she did and after some quick reconnaissance, discovers that The Bad Batch and Omega are on Pabu. He quickly informs Clone Commando Scorch (Baker) that the window of opportunity for Clone Force 99 has officially closed.

Not knowing that the walls are closing on her, Omega (Michelle Ang) is saying her goodbyes and leaving one of her priceless possessions among her friend's shelf of special treasures - Tech's broken goggles. Sensing something is off, Hunter (Baker) tries to rally his group to get off the world, but before he can, the Marauder is destroyed by the Shadow Agent, injuring Wrecker (Baker). The Scorch and his crew arrive shortly after.

As Clone Force 99 goes into hiding, the Imperials make their way through the village, destroying homes, roughing up residents, and destroying any means of escape that remain. Omega and Crosshair (Baker) visit her friend hiding the injured Wrecker to check on him. When Omega realizes there's no way out, she proposes surrendering herself so they can track her to Mount Tantiss and complete their mission.

After objecting and eventually pleading from Crosshair, Omega informs him that it's her decision and sometimes you must focus on the bigger mission. This will give them their best chance to find Mount Tantiss, and she won't pass it up. He respects her choice, but it doesn't make letting her go any easier.

She gives herself up, but the Shadow Agent finds the tracker she's carrying. Crosshair tries to shoot another tracker onto their ship, but Stormtroopers delay him. By the time he gets the shot off, the tracker falls short of the ship and clanks helplessly to the ground. On board the ship, Omega removes her helmet and begins to meditate as they jump to hyperspace.

This was an excellent episode with tons of cool things happening. I love it when characters have their backs against the wall, and we see what they're made of. We've seen Clone Force 99 pull off some impossible feats, but I think what we'll see down the stretch will blow our minds.

I've said I think the Shadow Agent is Tech, and this episode didn't do anything to sway me in that direction. It would be a great beat in the story that could take this tale to another level.

Obviously Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair will be in pursuit of Omega, but I think it's going to be Asajj who comes to help save the day. I think Omega meditating at the end is her calling out to Ventress, and maybe all of this was part of the plan since Ventress did inform The Bad Batch that they weren't as safe as they thought they were.

With the numerous female characters in the Star Wars universe, she is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Much like Ahsoka Tano, I started out not liking the character, but as her story progresses, I've loved getting to watch her story unfold.

"Point of No Return" is precisely that - at this point, there is no turning back, with Omega willing to sacrifice herself to help the multitude of other clones imprisoned at Mount Tantiss. I can't recommend this episode highly enough.