Alpha and Omega: The Bad Batch

I have been thinking a lot about the newest character introduced to the Star Wars galaxy in The Bad Batch, Omega.  We learned in the first half of the season, that Omega is a likable character who is curious, charming and quick to learn the ways of the galaxy.  While she is wise for her age and follows the lead of the members of Clone Force 99, she is still a kid.  Omega comes from Kamino where she was being raised by Nala Se.  She joins Clone Force 99 after one of its members, Crosshair, loses his independence to the inhibitor chip and follows the directive of Order 66.  Tech informs us in an early episode that Omega is indeed a clone just like they are.  What has captured my curiosity is her name.  Does it mean more than we might think?  

Why Omega?  Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet and often referred to as the end of something, commonly paired with Alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet.  What kept running through my head was that maybe she was the last clone grown which would explain her young age.  That didn't seem quite right as Lama Su, the Prime Minister of Kamino, continued to promote cloning with Tarkin and Rampart of the Empire, so surely the Kaminoans were still developing clones in hopes that the newly formed Empire would continue purchasing them for troops.  

Episode nine gives a little more insight on who Omega is that may lead to an understanding of why her name may mean more than we might know.  Tech explains that he did more DNA testing, and he discovered that she is a pure, unaltered clone from the original host, Jango Fett.  His research found that there is only one other pure clone named Alpha also known as Boba.  Tech goes on to explain that Boba went missing during the war, so now Omega is highly valuable and sought out because of the purity of her DNA to the original host.  

It seems that this gives a bit more meaning to her name.  Omega is the second and last pure, unaltered clone from Jango Fett. Boba is the first, Alpha, and the last pure clone from Jango Fett is Omega.  It explains why Omega remains a child and did not grow like the rest of the clones.  I still feel that there is more to the name that will be revealed as this story unfolds.  Will Alpha play any kind of role in this story?  There is a heavy sense of bounty hunting going on in regards to Omega, will the team that Boba was with last, get the call?  What would happen if Alpha and Omega came face-to-face?  This is speculation that will likely not happen, but it is interesting to consider. 

What are your thoughts on the meaning of Omega's name?  What clues did I miss?  Comment here or on Twitter and tag me @draftline

The Krayt Dragon

I have been wanting to share some of my thoughts on season two of The Mandalorian, but I have had a difficult time wrapping my brain around on where to begin.  So, I would like to start with a little monster fun and the Krayt Dragon.  The Mandalorian dons his armor and gathers his "army" to battle with one of the greatest monsters in Star Wars Universe.   

To succeed in this task, Din Djarin needs some help.  He finds an ally in The Marshal of Mos Pelgo, Cobb Vance.  Vance has a suit of Mandalorian armor that appears to be formerly owned by the famous bounty hunter Boba Fett, that The Mandalorian wants to return to its rightful owners.  Cobb Vance offers the armor as a reward if the Mandalorian helps to defeat the dragon. In addition, Din Djarin uses his knowledge of the Sandpeople culture and language to recruit a tribe of Tuskin Raiders to assist in this battle.  Everyone wins if the dragon is defeated, Din Djarin gains a suit of Mandalorian armor, Cobb Vance and the people of Mos Pelgo get peace from the dragon and a newfound truce with the Tuskin Raiders, and the Tuskin Raiders in addition to territorial peace, get a huge supply of meat.  The stakes are high for this epic battle.  

 

We as fans, finally, get to see the lair of this creature and it's massive size.  I was surprised at how quickly the dragon could travel underground during the battle to come at its attackers from different angles.  It even burrows up into the hill to emerge from above where it sprays some sort of bile acid onto the attackers, a breath weapon, I suppose.  This was unexpected if not a little gross!  I enjoyed the "scream" of the creature.  Now I finally understand why the Tuskin Raiders, who were rummaging through Luke Skywalkers landspeeder, ran so suddenly from the mock Krayt Dragon call that Obi Wan Kenobi created in Star Wars: A New Hope.  In the end, Din Djarin makes a sacrafice to save "his people" as he lures the Krayt Dragon to swallow himself and a Bantha loaded with  explosives.  A few moments later, Din Djarin uses his jetpack to fly out of the mouth of the dragon to remotely set off the explosives to slay the dragon in a dramatic fashion.  The battle is won; the hero saves the day.  We also get a quick peek at a celbratory discovery by one of the Sandpeople as they are harvesting the meat of the dragon.  Was that a legendary Krayt Dragon pearl that we learned about in the Knights of the Old Republic stories?   

This was a cinematic monster episode that portrays as Din Djarin as the brave knight, literally, in shining armor.  I like this image.  So far we have seen the Mandalorian as a bounty hunter, a gun fighter, a shadowy infiltrator, but this is a keystone battle as a knight for the good of a society.  I have to wonder if this is a change for Din Djarin.  Has picking up and caring for The Child changed his thoughts on what the galaxy has in store for its people?  I don't know, it is something to think about, but for this experience, we need a mythical creature like the Krayt Dragon.  Monsters play such an important role in storytelling.  They give us the antagonist we need to bring out the best in our hero.  Here it seems this monster helps to highlight the heroic qualities of the Mandalorian.  

What are some of your favorite monsters of Star Wars and what do they add to the story of our heroes in a galaxy far, far away?