The Bad Batch season 3, episode 3 recap: Somehow, Palpatine returned...

The first two episodes of The Bad Batch kicked off with a bang, catching up with Omega, Crosshair, Hunter, and Wrecker. The 3-episode premiere comes to a close with “Shadows of Tantiss.” Let’s recap!

We open with Omega starting her day with Emerie and Crosshair under the watchful eye of the mysterious new soldier, CX-1. Omega notices there are far more troopers around. As she gets her blood drawn, Hemlock and Nala Se come in to inform them that a “special guest” is arriving at Mount Tantiss. Nala Se wants to get to Omega’s blood sample to destroy it but can’t act in the room with everyone. She warns Omega to flee the faculty before she can never leave. Nala Se tells Omega to get her datapad to help.

Omega sneaks to the lab just as Emerie is running her blood sample. She nabs the datapad and hurries away.

The special guest is arriving, and it’s Emperor Palpatine in all of his evil glory. Hemlock schmoozes Palpatine, but the Emperor wants to know about updates for Project Necromancer, AKA this is more than likely how he comes back in The Rise of Skywalker.

Omega hurries to Crosshair, where he causes a distraction while she frees him. They slink through the hallways, overhearing that the Emperor is there. Because of that, all shuttles are grounded until Palpatine leaves. Omega wants to use the crashed shuttle from Season 3, Episode 1, “Confined,” to contact Hunter and Wrecker to pick them up.

Hemlock and Nala Se take Palpatine to the Vault, teased back in episode 1. They show one of the specimens to Palpatine, but the audience can’t see who it is. Meanwhile, Emerie checks on Omega and sees the young clone isn’t in her cell.

Omega takes Crosshair to the hound pound to escape through her friend pup’s empty kennel. But just as they’re about to leave, Emerie stops them. When Omega’s pleading fails, Crosshair stuns Emerie, and they flee.

Palpatine compliments Hemlock on his work. The sleazy scientist wants a promotion, but of course, Palpatine dangles the carrot of a promotion in front of him, denying that. As the Emperor heads on his way, the commandos tell Hemlock of Omega’s escape.

Omega and Crosshair get out of there just in time before they’re sealed off. Hemlock sends out the lurcas hounds and a patrol after the escapees. Emerie tries to reason with Hemlock, because the hounds will kill Omega and Crosshair. Hemlock dismisses her. Hemlock confronts Nala Se about Omega’s escape and imprisons her as the patrols head out to seek the escapees.

Hearing something behind them in the jungle, Omega and Crosshair see a much bigger beast that is not the hounds. It’s a massive beast called a dryax, and it is very hungry. Thankfully, in a stroke of luck, the hounds and the dryax start to fight, letting the clones sneak away. Omega and Crosshair get to the crashed shuttle and power it up.

But the comms are dead and the Imperial patrols are moving in. Omega is crushed at her failed plan and getting Crosshair into this mess. Crosshair isn’t ready to give up yet.

They attack the stormtroopers, and Omega’s pup she released in episode 1, Batcher, joins in with a timely arrival. Omega sneaks on the ship while Crosshair works on taking out stormtroopers. She steals the shuttle, and he hops on to join her just as more patrols are sent out. Batcher jumps on the ship, too, as the heroes make their escape! But the Imperial’s guns and ships are targeting them.

Thankfully (or maybe not so thankfully), Emerie gets the results from Omega’s blood test and sees that her blood has the results they’ve been looking for. It’s why Nala Se has been destroying her samples. Hemlock calls off the attack to save Omega’s life. They need Omega alive.

With that, Omega and Crosshair jump to the safety of hyperspace and get away. But Dr. Hemlock won’t be deterred as he has all the resources of the Empire at his disposal to find Omega.