* Warning: the following article contains spoilers for episode four of Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 3* With its fourth episode, Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 3 continues its dark atmosphere as it follows Omega (Michelle Ang) and Crosshair (Dee Bradley Baker), as they attempt to escape the Empire to reunite with Hunter (Dee Bradley Baker) and Wrecker (Dee Bradley Baker). The two crash-land their ship on Lau, ruled by an iron fist by an Imperial commander who has placed his troops on high alert after their ship was found.  It’s a relatively straightforward episode, one rife with clichés – particularly when Omega confronts the commander in a high-stakes game of cards. Of course, Omega wins, but what comes after shows the Empire’s brutal rule over its population better than its first two seasons did, amplifying the dread and tension in the show’s first three episodes. The episode also showcases a complex dynamic between Omega and Crosshair. The former wants to obtain a ship peacefully and leave the planet with no suspicions raised and injuries inflicted upon the troopers, while the latter wants to wreak havoc and get to a ship as fast as possible. Crosshair reluctantly accepts Omega’s plan, which seems to work for a while. However, the clone’s temperament erodes their mission, as Omega’s strategy could backfire if the Empire finds their ship….which they predictably do. Once that occurs, the episode turns into a conventional shoot-’em-up, but I’d be lying if I said the action isn’t exciting. The action is straightforward and lean enough that it is, in turn, exciting, even if shootouts in Star Wars aren’t entirely new. There’s a real sense of kinetic energy here that was severely lacking in its first two seasons. Of course, the animation is a massive improvement this time, but I’m certainly more enticed to see where this story goes next than forcing myself to sit through The Bad Batch weekly.  The episode does leave on a rather interesting note, with Omega finally reuniting with Hunter and Wrecker. For once, it’s great that the crux of the season won’t cut between Hunter/Wrecker and Crosshair/Omega and has reunited them quite swiftly. However, that’s not the most important part of the reunion. After betraying them in the first season and seemingly having a change of heart in the second season, Crosshair has also made his way back to The Bad Batch – but the episode cuts to black before we get a chance to see how this reunion went down. That’s how you do a cliffhanger. Leave just a bit more for audiences to tune in next week. And while I struggled to stay engaged for most of Star Wars: The Bad Batch , the show is starting to pick itself up swiftly. I’m looking forward to tuning in next week to see how the reunion between the three has played out.  The fourth episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 3 is now available to stream on Disney+.