The somber tone in “Confined” is not entirely lost as the POV shifts to Hunter and Wrecker’s desperate search for a lead on Omega’s location. Wrecker’s unintentional comedic relief is more subtle at the start of this season, and he reminds Hunter of the dangers of going into a situation without backup.

But just as Omega is desperate to escape Tantiss, Hunter is desperate for a lead on Omega, so he sets the two on a dangerous mission. Luckily, while not bearing the fruit intended, Hunter and Wrecker still come through for those in need.

The Ties That Bind

Small but significant payoffs are starting to come to fruition from season one. The beginning of “Path’s Unknown” is in a new location that looks unlike anything we have seen. This is the Durand syndicate where Hunter and Wrecker have tracked down the Pyke who cut off Roland Durand’s horns from season one, “Infested.” Omega saved Roland’s life, and it appears the Devaronian has not forgotten, allowing Hunter and Wrecker an audience with his mother to retrieve crucial intel in their search for Omega.

They take their intel to the planet Sentron and discover an abandoned research center covered in vines that an Imperial orbital assault has bombarded.

Then they run into the only survivors from that bombardment, three Clone cadets named Deke, Stak, and Mox. While it is never confirmed, I believe these are the exact Clones we saw being transferred off of Kamino in the episode “War-Mantle” during season one. If so, this episode pulls double duty by continuing their story and explaining what happened to most of the younger Clones created near the end of the Clone Wars and never saw battle.

The establishing shot of the Durand syndicate’s headquarters looks like a 2-D painting, beautiful but does not quite fit in the space. The Maurader takes off from the landing pad, which is the only animation in the same frame as the castle. We also see very few new Davorian models besides Isa and the Captain sent to his death. It will not be noticeable to most viewers, but it is the first indication of possible budget limitations for this season.

But Isa, voiced by legend Angelica Huston, is almost worth it in her short appearance. The future of The Clone Wars style animation is uncertain, but we may see her again in Tales of the Jedi as the Durand Syndicate.

The other characters from season one are the Clone cadets Hunter and Wrecker find on Setron. Mox, Deke, and Stak are likely the young Clones briefly shown in “War-Mantle,” asking Nala Se why they are being transferred off Kamino. One of the Clones asks Nala Se if they will still be soldiers. Shortly after, Lama Su informs Nala that the Empire has canceled their contract with the Kaminoans. 

Where the Empire sent the Clones was not a question expected to get an answer, but it is a sign that every scene in this series has been thought through. Even though The Bad Batch is an animated series that has appealed to Star Wars fans of all ages, some adult fans can forget that more lighthearted episodes or ones that seemingly have nothing to do with the overarching story either progress something or someone. Through their interaction with Hunter and Wrecker, the Clone cadets finally accept that they have to carve a path for themselves  

The Durand episode in season one faced such criticisms, and “Paths Unknown” feels like another episode unjustly labeled “filler.” But remember, while the Bad Batch has made plenty of enemies, they have also accumulated a lot of goodwill in the past two seasons. And they will undoubtedly need all the help they can get this season.

Soldiers Nevermore

Even though the Clone cadet’s struggles were not subtly conveyed, “Paths Unknown” highlighted the individuality of each. Mox, Stak, and Deke were on different pages regarding helping Hunter and Wrecker get intel from the toxic facility. Deke was the most honorable, risking his life to guide them to the control room, but Mox was halfway there (coming around fully when he saw Omega’s doll on the ship). Stak wanted to abandon them completely (including Deke!) and steal the Marauder to escape. 

The interaction is reminiscent of the Bad Batch’s argument in the first episodes of season one when they debate about helping Omega. Stak would have fit right in with Crosshair, who told Omega he would leave her on Tantiss if he had the opportunity in the previous episode (although whether he was truthful is debatable). Mox feels like Hunter (he is also the cadets’ leader), cautious but honorable. Deke is most similar to Omega: she sees someone in need, and she helps them.

Ultimately, Mox and Stak save Hunter, Wrecker, and Deke from a mutant Sarlacc pit, and the three Clone cadets are off to Pabu. While they may not have the life they were created for, they can enjoy being kids on Pabu. And the way things always go in Star Wars, their skills might come in handy later in the season if Pabu needs soldiers to fight the Empire.

Nasty Work

The slither vines might be the most disturbing creature since the brain worms arc in The Clone Wars season two.

It’s not clear if it is one creature that has just evolved or many, but there is a hive mind. If it was a hive mind, hopefully, it was destroyed (taking all of Wrecker’s explosives down with it). However, if it is not a hive mind, then won’t other slither vines continue to evolve? 

If this was an experiment that Hemlock and his scientists lost control over, it makes one wonder what other horrors lie on Mount Tantiss. 

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The use of objects to represent missing Bad Batch members was a touching show, don’t tell moment this episode. The Tooka doll in Omega’s perch on the Maurader and Tech’s goggles near the computer terminal made the ship feel emptier. Fortunately, it looks like Echo will return soon (at least briefly) after his mission with Rex, so more Clone reunions are to come.