The Bad Batch season 3, episode 2 recap: The tragedy of the cadets

The Bad Batch Season 3 continues to roll out. After catching up with Omega and Crosshair, we jump back to the other members of the Batch in episode 2, “Paths Unknown.” Let’s recap!

We open not with the Batch, though, but with Roland Durand. If you need a refresher, the Devaronian son of a crime boss tried to take Cid’s parlor in Season 1. However, he also crossed the Pykes. Thanks to the Batch, they talked the Pykes into sparing Roland’s life. So he has a big. I.O.U. to the Batch. Now that we’re caught up, back to the episode.

Roland is calling into question one of his soldiers in his mother’s syndicate. His mother has the soldier executed. The next ones in are Hunter and Wrecker, bringing in a Pyke. It’s the one who cut off Roland’s horn in Season 1. In exchange, they want the Durands to give them intel where Dr. Hemlock, who has Omega, is. They give the Batch possible coordinates and sends them on their way.

On their ship, the Marauder, Hunter is antsy to get going and doesn’t want to wait for Echo and Rex. Wrecker reminds him not be hasty, but Hunter isn’t willing to wait.

They get to an unknown planet, landing in the jungle and move out. They find the wreckage of an old lab that’s been decimated. They don’t know if Omega was there or if the Durands’ intel was wrong. They move in to check it out.

Suddenly, they’re surrounded by two boys. Turns out, they are clone cadets that were taken off Kamino before it shut down. The young boys decide to take them to someone named Mox, but warns them not to touch the vines as they move through the jungle. The two fill in Hunter and Wrecker at least a little bit on them being experimented on.

Wrecker accidentally touches a vine which sets off some kind of creature. They sprint into the jungle to escape. They’re called Slither Vines, and it was a biological weapon from the Empire until they lost control of it.

They make it to Mox, and they get more of the story about Hemlock. The clone troopers left all the cadets to die because “they were following orders.” These three cadets were the only survivors.

The cadets say there was an intact control panel that survived the destruction of the lab, but it has no power and covered in Slither Vines. It’s a suicide mission. One of the cadets, Deke, agrees to take the Batch against Mox’s orders.

The cadet is impressed by their ship. He laments that he never had his purpose fighting for the Republic during the Clone Wars. Wrecker comes out with Gonky, and they head towards the destroyed lab.

Inside, it quickly becomes a horror show as the Slither Vines grow little legs and teeth, skittering around and attacking! They flee deeper into the facility.

The other two cadets, Mox and Stak, debate about taking the Batch’s ship to get off the planet. But Mox says that if they do, they’re no better than the clones who left them to die. Mox respects the Batch looking for Omega. They decide to move out to the Marauder.

Hunter, Wrecker, and Deke make it to the console and hook Gonky up to it. Time is of the essence, because Hunter senses something much bigger coming for them. The creature attacks. While Hunter and Wrecker keep it at bay, Deke starts looking for the information on Omega.

Mox and Stak break into the Marauder, marveling at the ship. Deke calls them in a panic for help.

The two cadets arrive just in time to save the Batch and Deke as they’re surrounded by Slither Vine creatures. The big monster shows itself, its vines wrapping around the Marauder. The Batch and the cadets work together to drop explosives into the mouth to free them.

On the ship, as Wrecker bonds with the cadets, Hunter sees that Hemlock’s base is on another planet. All they have is the sector, but it’s the best lead to find Omega. Hunter will take them to Pabu, and tells the cadets the same advice Cut Lawquane told him in Season 1:

It’s time for the clones to make their own paths outside of being soldiers.