The Bad Batch season 3, episode 4 review: A Different Approach

This review contains full spoilers for The Bad Batch episode Season 3, Episode 4 "A Different Approach."

I wouldn't call The Bad Batch's 4th episode of Season 3, "A Different Approach," a breather episode, but it was a nice, slightly slower pace entree compared to last week's 3-episode premiere. It was needed to help build the budding familial relationship between its main characters.

The heart of the episode was Omega and Crosshair (and the lovable Batcher), picking up right where we left on in "Shadows of Tantiss." The two sides of their story all come down to one word: Compromise. They are learning about each other and how to work together as a team.

It's a joy to watch Omega show off all the skills she's learned over the last two seasons, not just from the Batch but also from Cid. These aren't abilities that she magically had. Everything Omega does in this episode comes from lessons, hard work, practice, and training. Now, she gets to showcase her skills as a vital member of this duo with Crosshair, who is learning how capable she actually is.

On the reverse, Crosshair's redemption arc is continuing. His hand tremor is the catalyst for massive character development, forcing him to learn new ways to essentially exist as a normal person. He hasn't done what the Batch has done over the last two seasons, learning to function with a new purpose in the galaxy. The sharpshooter is getting a crash course, which is why it's so rewarding to see him compromise with Omega. While he voices his concerns and essentially complains the whole way, he's open to learning a new path, which is an incredibly massive breakthrough for the normally stubborn man. And when all of Omega's options ran out, she was willing to do things Crosshair's way so he could use his waning skills. The episode truly lived up to its "A Different Approach" title, as its focus was on Crosshair doing just that.

While I could see some thinking the reunion of the Batch a bit quick, it didn't bother me how fast they found each other. The point of the episode was to show Omega's growth over the course of the show and that she's capable. With Crosshair's help, the two didn't need cavalry from Hunter and Wrecker.
Hopefully, next week's episode picks up right where this one left off and doesn't skip this first conversation between the brothers. The Kiners' music continues to be amazing as Kevin, Sean, and Deana show off why they're some of the best in the business.

Season 3 also helps set up Hunter's character arc. In "A Different Approach," we see how badly Omega wants to return to Tantiss to rescue the other clones. Crosshair has no interest in that. However, Hunter's entire character arc for two seasons has not only been about getting into the fight against the Empire but also about wanting to protect the regular clones. We saw this in episode 2, "Paths Unknown," with him caring for the clone cadets. As soon as he finds out about the clones on Tantiss, I can almost guarantee that's what will call Echo and Rex back into the show, as we saw them in the season trailer. Hunter will want to save those regular clones as a way to cap off his character arc.

And Crosshair will go along kicking and screaming the entire way.

It's also nice to see another callback to earlier seasons with the Batch reuniting on Ryloth's moon. In a show that's often been complained about for having too many "filler" episodes, Season 3 has proven that wrong by constantly giving more weight to the so-called "fillers." After so many years, I'm always surprised how fast people forget the lessons of Star Wars Rebels' "The Call." That episode was notoriously called filler, only for the purrgil to become one of the most important story elements in the Star Wars franchise ever since. Also, it's important to remember that character development and world-building are plot elements, building the narrative for more heavy-hitting episodes later on. There have been many complaints about shows like Ahsoka being too short and needing more episodes. So, let's enjoy the only Star Wars show at the moment that has a 15 episode season.

The only weak part of the episode is one massive dangling question I've had so far this season:

Does Crosshair know about Tech's death?

It will be a massive disappointment if Tech's death is something that Crosshair not only learned off-screen but has processed emotionally off-screen, too. His brother died, and Crosshair had sided with the government that had a hand in that death. This could be a huge source of guilt to grapple with, and it shouldn't be something glossed over. This guilt could either propel his character development or make him backslide. Tech's death could be a middle-ground source of healing for Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair as they mourn their lost member. If next week's episode rolls around and Tech's death is glossed over or it's something that Crosshair already knows about, it'll be one of the biggest disappointments in the show. It's such a massive emotional wound that needs to be addressed on screen. We'll have to see what happens.

"A Different Approach" was a much-needed episode to help develop more of the relationship between Omega and Crosshair. It moved everyone back into place as the Batch came together again while showing Dr. Hemlock on their trail. It was a solid episode overall.