The wait is over. The Bad Batch is back, and let’s recap the Season 3, episode 1 “Confined.”
We open with a shuttle arriving back to Mount Tantiss. In the midst of a storm, the shuttle goes down with the TK stormtroopers on it. Doctor Royce Hemlock decides to leave the troopers to die since they’re out in the wild and getting attacked by an unknown creature.
Hopping over to Omega, she is greeted by her other clone sister, Emerie Karr. Emerie says that Omega is not a prisoner and she’s being kept safe there. They leave to work for the day, and Omega spots Crosshair in passing.
Throughout the day, Omega witnesses Emerie taking blood samples from clones. As Omega gets her own blood drawn, she asks why she never saw Emerie on Kamino. Emerie is very vague in her answer, but does say Hemlock found her and took her under his wing.
Omega meets the Kaminoan doctor Nala Se in a lab. To Omega’s surprise, Nala Se tosses out Omega’s sample and wants Omega to tell no one. Omega realizes this research is far more dangerous than what they did on Kamino.
In a connection to The Mandalorian, Nala Se says the Empire wants to genetically clone M-counts, which was what Dr. Pershing was doing with Grogu in Season 1. There are “specimens” at the lab, heavily hinting that someone who is Force-sensitive is there. Could it be Grogu like we theorized? They’re interrupted by Dr. Hemlock, where Nala Se has to get something from “The Vault,” which is heavily fortified.
While doing her tasks around Mount Tantiss like feeding the hounds that hunt down runaways, she has befriended on hound that she’s named “Batcher,” which is very cute. And surely, this hound will come into play at some point.
She moves through the hallways where the clones are kept and finally finds Crosshair. She wants to make an escape plan, but Crosshair has all but given up. Omega isn’t ready to give up yet.
The day ends, and it’s revealed that the items Omega has been picking up throughout the day to hide in her box allowed her to make a Lula, Wrecker’s Tooka doll that he gave her in Season 1.
We get a time jump, and Omega’s animation model has changed with her having longer hair now. The day repeats all the same events down to Nala Se still destroying her blood sample. The biggest change is that Batcher is hurt. The droid refuses to help, so Omega takes it upon herself to heal the hound.
Another change is Crosshair is now at least talking to Omega. Though, he’s still cold, telling her not to waste time on Batcher or him. He’d leave her behind if he got the chance. She calls him out, but he says he’s not the rest of the Batch. Before she leaves, he tells her not to risk herself for him, that he belongs there. Which is the first true brotherly thing he’s said to her, looking out for her safety. She slaps back with:
“None of us (the clones) belong in here.”
Another day, and Omega is awakened by a surprise inspection. They find her Lula and take it from her.
Back with Nala Se and Hemlock, they have successfully done a transfer. However, Hemlock is not happy because it’s not the same number of M-counts of the original specimen. He threatens her by threatening Omega.
Back in the hound pound, Batcher is doing better. But the droid in charge says that Omega making her domesticated is a liability and they’re putting Batcher down. Omega fights back and crushes the droid. She frees Batcher, but stays behind refusing to leave without Crosshair.
Hemlock and Emerie arrive, and Hemlock creepily calls out Omega’s sentiment and emotions. Omega is not taking any of his stuff, and sasses right back at him. Instead, he threatens to hurt Crosshair if Omega does not cooperate.
In a surprise, though, Emerie brings her back her Lula as a hound cries in the distance, symbolizing Batcher’s freedom.