“Bad Territory”
What They Say:
Desperate for intel, Hunter and Wrecker track down a dangerous bounty hunter.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The two-part storyline we had previously is one that did a lot of things that I liked, especially with its echoes to the past of the Clones in some of the scene staging. It also laid some groundwork for the future with some of these Clones that will be bound together in Rebels but still have their ties to the Empire in various ways. Largely, it helped to shape where things stand with the Clones that are left and getting more of them to understand that the Empire can’t be trusted and that they need to be wary of their programming that’s putting them in that belief. It also served well to get the ‘Batch more on the same footing with Crosshair back in the fold and everyone now having a better idea of not just what he went through but the seeming authenticity of his changing side being more than just a way of getting out of prison.
This episode puts the M-count thing to the forefront in a way as it’s something that means Omega has to be kept sidelined for a bit until they know what it’s all about and why they’re after Omega. Luckily, they get some intel from Phee about how some bounty hunters are targeting M-count targets around the galaxy, though none are named here at the start. The decision comes down to try and find Fennec Shand for info since they know her but it’s just Hunter and Wrecker going. The need to keep Omega safe is paramount but there’s also concern from both of them over Crosshair’s hand and his ability. It’s a good split to operate and it has them suggesting to Omega to try and help Crosshair as the two have come to a kind of understanding. Plus, it’s just fun to get Hunter and Wrecker in full gear going off to find Fennec in the dive bars of the world. Fennec continues to be a favorite of mine and bringing her back in for the final season for even a bit is welcome as there’s a nice air of danger to her that works.
Amusingly, Fennec doesn’t have any details herself but she can direct them to someone who can – but only after they help her take down a bounty she’s after since their skillset is useful. The being in question, Sylar, certainly is presented as dangerous and Fennec using their skills to get to him makes sense. It’s a solid action storyline overall with some great new settings playing out and another round of great color design to create something interesting as they take on the job. Giving it a kind of hazy Everglades feeling and the hunt element is a lot of fun to watch unfold between the creatures, the mines, and the visual design overall. It’s not terribly engaging as a plot point because the target isn’t, but there’s a good fight to it overall and the tracking sequence, which is most of it, delivers some good stuff for Hunter and Wrecker.
In Summary:
The show touches a bit on trying to help Crosshair as they start to think that it’s psychological instead of physical that’s impacting his hand. Which isn’t a surprise after what he went through with the experiments from Hemlock. It’s a good subplot to work with and helps to show the bond with Omega as she’s trying to help him through it with some minor therapy. Getting Crosshair to process and move past what he went through is key to this and it’s brief but beautifully done in what we see of it. It’s a good contrast to the dark and murky work with Fennec and the job she brings the other two on, though the real thing they want is delayed a bit because Fennec is playing her own long game here. It’s intriguing to be sure and has me curious how far she’ll go in this season.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: Disney+
