After “Cornered“, the next mention The Bad Batch made of Fennec Shand occurred in the fifth episode, “Rampage”; it also marked the first time the show referred to her by name.  After the Batch agreed to help former Jedi informant Cid (Rhea Perlman) complete a favor for Jabba the Hutt, she helped them learn Fennec’s identity, realizing in her research that the mercenary hadn’t taken long to develop a fearsome reputation.  By the next time anyone from the Bad Batch would encounter Fennec, the team discovered first-hand that more than one bounty hunter desired Omega.

Bounty Lost

Airdate: June 25, 2021 (#9)
Writer: Matt Michnovetz
Directors: Brad Rau and Nathaniel Villanueva

The only person you can rely on is yourself.

-Fennec Shand

Omega learns that Cad Bane (Corey Burton), the bounty hunter who captured her at the end of the previous episode, has an assignment to deliver her to Kaminoan Prime Minister Lama Su (Bob Bergen)’s aide Taun We (Rena Owen).  When Bane and Omega reach the assigned rendezvous point on Bora Vio, Fennec Shand intervenes with his chances of collecting the reward.  As Omega remotely assists with the rest of the Bad Batch’s efforts to find her, they also learn what makes her genetically unique from Jango Fett’s other clones.

With Omega greatly separated from the rest of the Bad Batch for almost all of this episode, her efforts to escape Cad Bane’s grasp demonstrate ingenious survival skills.  She frequently contributes to her own rescue, from talking Bane’s droid Todo 360 (Seth Green) into opening her cell door, to piloting a flight pod on Bora Vio.  Her fear prohibits her from proudly relishing in her accomplishments, but one shouldn’t blame her; the kid witnesses some truly frightening sights while evading the creepy Bane and the shady Fennec.

The strengthening of Omega’s connections to Jango Fett – complete with a Boba Fett name-drop – marks one of the less frustrating examples I know of Star Wars revealing someone as a famous character’s long-lost relative.  Firstly, the Bad Batch pilot already introduced her as a Fett clone.  Additionally, the sixth episode, “Decommissioned”, clarified during her crossbow-practice sequences that her combat skills come from training and hard work; giving a child Jango Fett DNA apparently doesn’t automatically turn her into a battle expert.

Considering Fennec Shand will kidnap or kill for money, a viewer might assume that her desire for cash overrides her morality.  However, she demonstrates an unwillingness to keep money she didn’t earn.  After she kills Taun We offscreen, she also collects Bane’s wages for catching Omega.  Instead of fleeing Bora Vio with the credits, she willingly offers them to Bane in exchange for letting Omega go.  Fennec proceeds to further prove her dedication to preventing Bane from reclaiming Omega, even if it results in the girl eluding her clutches as well.  “Bounty Lost” provides gripping suspense and intrigue, without any seriously distracting flaws in the script.

Spoilers

The last shown of Fennec Shand in this episode reveals that Kaminoan Chief Medical Scientist Nala Se (Singapore-born Gwendoline Yeo) hired her to protect Omega from Lama Su.  By ensuring Omega’s safe return to her surrogate family, Fennec delayed the prime minister’s schemes to extract Omega’s unaltered Fett DNA for experiments, then terminate the girl.  The mercenary’s role in Nala Se’s plans to prevent the termination supports my impressions that she doesn’t have a purely evil personality, even if she only accepted the assignment as an opportunity to earn money.  Since Nala Se holds off tasking her with another mission while paying her, I find it uncertain if she’ll appear yet again during this season of The Bad Batch.  Either way, “Bounty Lost” allows a fascinating look at Fennec’s endeavors to remain noble even while working a questionably ethical job.

Plugs

• If you’d like a non-toxic place to further discuss Star Wars, join the Star Wars Television Discord server, which I help moderate: https://discord.gg/7cGUdCz
• Violence towards Asian-Americans has reached alarming levels.  I’ve donated to charities dedicated to eliminating hate crimes towards AAPI people, and would like my readers to do the same, even if I personally take no share of the funds:
  • The AAPI Community Fund
  • Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta

NJ

Filipino-American nerd who reviews works from talented Asian, Hispanic, and/or Latin American entertainers.

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