Star Wars The Bad Batch Final Season Premiere Recap & Review

Star Wars: The Bad Batch™ season 3 — the final season — premiered with three episodes on February 21! And we’ve got the detailed breakdown you’re looking for. Below, join us for a recap and review of The Bad Batch’s newest episodes: “Confined,” “Paths Unknown,” and “Shadows of Tantiss.”

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Episode 1: “Confined”

Stormy Weather

Season 3 opens with a shuttle flying through a storm on the planet Tantiss™. It crashes, and the emotionless Dr. Hemlock™ declines to send a rescue party. Next, we cut to Omega™ staring at the mountain range outside her window. She’s only recently arrived at the facility, which means we’re picking up just a little bit after the season 2 finale.

Blood is Thicker…

The other female clone, Dr. Emerie Karr™, visits Omega in her locked room. Emerie insists that Omega isn’t a prisoner, but Omega’s movements are limited to supervised tasks and stints in the lab. On the way to her duties, Omega sees her downtrodden brother Crosshair™. Crosshair doesn’t even look at her. We’re not sure why, and we ponder this heartbreaking moment while Omega gets her blood drawn.

After she delivers the blood samples to the Kaminoan™ scientist Nala Se™, the mood shifts. Nala Se discards Omega’s sample and tells her to keep it a secret. In a reveal we all saw coming, Nala Se explains that the Empire is looking for the replication of a genetic m-count. Also, the “specimens” are not clones. Are they captive or dead Jedi™? Replicants of the Emperor?

Captive Clones

We’re given more time to consider this mystery while Omega feeds the lurca hounds™. She has taken a special interest in a volatile one called Batcher. This draws an instant parallel to clones in captivity, who are shown in a row of prison cells very much akin to the kennels. And then, yay, finally! We get an Omega and Crosshair conversation. It turns out Crosshair ignored her for strategic reasons, because they’re planning to escape.

Showing us she still hasn’t lost hope, Omega makes a straw Lola — just like Wrecker’s™ big plush. In a cool transition cut, the lab’s centrifuge revolves and blood drips into the vials in tandem with the water dripping in her solitary room.

What Goes Around

When we see Omega next, her hair is getting much longer. Time passes in a circular montage. It’s the same routine: collecting samples, deleting Omega’s, feeding the hounds. The only break in the routine is with Omega healing Batcher, gaining her full trust. Right after we’re treated to another Crosshair parallel when he asks, “What is your primary objective?” and he tells Omega to “Stop wasting time on lost causes.”

Meanwhile, Nala Se manages a successful transfer … but the m-count is severely diminished in the process. They need to match or exceed the specimen’s original count — this gives more credence to the theory of the captive Jedi. But we still can’t be sure.

Actions and Consequences

Later, with Batcher slated for disposal, Omega frees her. Hemlock and Omega argue, and Hemlock threatens Crosshair as punishment for Omega’s insubordination. Either to placate or comfort her, Emerie brings the straw Lola back to Omega while Batcher howls in the distance.

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Episode 2: “Paths Unknown”

Mercy for Mercenaries

“Paths Unknown” opens with a court martial of some sort, led by a syndicate controlled by Lady Durand™. After she sends a captain to his doom down a dark pit, Hunter™ and Wrecker walk in. They’re acting as mercenaries, and they’ve brought a Pyke™ prisoner in exchange for information about the Imperial base. They get it, and the audience gets some info, as well. It turns out Echo™ and Rex™ are still separated from the crew. So just the two clones travel to a jungle planet and find an abandoned base.

Defective and Effective

While exploring, Hunter and Wrecker encounter young “regs” in the wild. They also fight hostile, semi-sentient “slither vines” — the Empire’s abandoned biological weapon experiment. These problematic plants provide some light botanical horror in the ruins. Meanwhile, the clone kids consider stealing the ship to escape the planet on their own.

Oh Ship

Well, the kiddos do take the ship … but it’s to rescue their allies from the bog. In an image extremely reminiscent of the saarlac™, they drop a bunch of explosives into its mouth. This is all very exciting for Wrecker. And also for us, since we may have just discovered the origin of the creature that swallowed Boba Fett™.

Make Your Own Path

In the end, Hunter and Wrecker promise to drop the cadets to the island where they can become something other than soldiers. The episode’s final shot lingers on Wrecker and Omega’s shared Lola Loth-cat™ plushie.

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Episode 3: “Shadows of Tantiss”

High Alert

“Shadows of Tantiss” brings us back to Omega. Things are different at the base. We don’t see the clones in the hallway and there are more troopers around. Why? Because there’s an important guest visiting. Unfortunately, Nala Se can’t dispose of Omega’s latest blood sample because she has to greet the guest alongside Dr. Hemlock. Aware of the impending danger, Nala Se implores Omega to flee the facility before the sample is tested. Omega steals Nala Se’s data pad.

Project Necromancer

Of course, unsurprisingly the guest is Emperor Palpatine™.  He’s here to see “Project Necromancer” — a fittingly spooky moniker considering his reanimated state in The Rise of Skywalker™. So on possibly the worst day to do it, Omega is totally improvising an escape plan. She retrieves Crosshair, who stuns some stromtroopers™ before taking their blasters. While his aim is still pretty true, Crosshair’s hand tremors are worsening.

Science and Subterfuge

Now that the Emperor’s around, we finally get to see inside the specimen room. It looks a lot like Mustafar’s™ Inquisitor™ tomb/dungeon/torture chamber. We’re also seeing Malachor™/Sith™ Temple vibes. Point is, it’s scary. And we don’t even get to see the specimens themselves. Still, the Emperor seems satisfied. So who and what are they? The suspense is killing us.

While everyone else is mega distracted, Omega and Crosshair use the kennels to escape. Sadly, Emerie triggers the alarm. They still get out just in time before the ray shields come down. In retaliation, Hemlock dispatches lurcas and recovery team patrols. He also imprisons Nala Se despite no proof of her betrayal.

Plan 72

Deep in the jungle, a dryax™ appears, but a wild lurca pack attacks it. Omega and Crosshair make it to the crashed shuttle from episode 1 only to discover that the comms are completely dead. All hope seems lost in a shootout in which the pair are outnumbered, but Batcher defends a cornered Omega while Crosshair shoots to kill. Then, Omega infiltrates and hijacks the patrol shuttle. Crosshair pilots, Omega calls Batcher, and they make it to the atmosphere! Everybody cheers!

Breakthrough

Back at the lab, Omega’s blood sample supports an m-count transfer with no degradation. Since they need Omega alive, Hemlock revokes his order to shoot the shuttle. Omega and Crosshair jump to hyperspace in a narrow and bold escape.

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What’s Next?

We can ascertain and predict a little bit based on The Bad Batch season 3 trailer. Obviously Dr. Hemlock needs to find Omega in order for his project to work. We anticipate most of this season will yet again focus on the clones on the run. There’s a catch, however, since this is a prequel series. We know Emperor Palpatine successfully clones himself. So is Omega’s escape in vain? Is that small vial of blood enough for the experiment? Or, is there a secret third option such as the use of another clone that we aren’t quite seeing yet?

Finally, how, when, and where will the Bad Batch reunite? With all of the members split into separate sectors on different missions, it’s unlikely we’ll see a full family reunion in the next episode. But we can hope for a relaxing, Empire-free barbecue at the beach way down the line.

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What did you think of The Bad Batch’s three-episode season 3 premiere? Share your thoughts with other fans at side.show/geekgroup or in the Sideshow Social Network, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!