Vidhi Narula
Created by Mark Boal for Apple TV+, ‘Echo 3’ is an action-thriller series that follows a personal rescue mission taken on by JSOC Delta Security members Prince and Bambi. The series features Michiel Huisman, Luke Evans, Jessica Ann Collins, and Elizabeth Anweis and is based on the Israeli drama serial ‘When Heroes Fly.‘
The lead characters embark on a mission to save Amber Chesborough, Prince’s wife and Bambi’s sister. Amber is a research scientist who goes to Colombia for an assignment and gets caught in a secret war entangling the government and a group of rebel troops. As the story unfolds, tensions rise, and the plot keeps us intrigued to the very end. Here is everything you need to know about the first three episodes and the ending of ‘Echo 3’ episode 3. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Echo 3 Episode 1, 2, and 3 Recap
‘Echo 3’ opens with a beautiful ceremony where Amber and Prince get married to each other. We are introduced to Bambi, Amber’s brother, and a few other unit members who serve in the military with Prince. Everyone is having a great time until the crew gets a command to fly away for a rescue mission to Afghanistan at dawn. They successfully get the hostages back, but Drifter, their lead member, gets killed in the crossfire, and Prince gets injured. After inquiring multiple times for Drifter to show any signs of movement, Bambi saves Prince and heads back.
Prince and Bambi share a complicated relationship and don’t always see eye to eye. Amber keeps them connected as one family. When Prince gets to know that Amber is going to Colombia for a research project, he gets anxious for her safety. He urges her to keep a beacon for tracking in case things go sideways, but she refuses. Prince is worried and wants to prioritize his wife’s safety. He hides the beacon in her bag and sows the pocket shut.
As Amber arrives in Colombia, we see her partaking in shaman rituals with a home tribe. We witness a couple of flashbacks of her childhood with Bambi and their mother. She also discovers various plants that can help in her anti-addiction study. She is ambitious and encourages her team to go farther than needed. Her team took adequate permissions and grants from the town officials before embarking on the research. But, a few rebel group members visit the researchers’ camp and inspect all materials and everyone’s bags.
Upon finding the hidden beacon, the guerilla troop members get suspicious of the foreign people’s motives and take the scientists hostage. Near a river, they execute two of them, leaving Amber alive. They suspect she is an American spy, keeping her alive as a valuable hostage. Meanwhile, Prince becomes wary as the beacon has not moved in the past 24 hours. He alerts Bambi, who in turn calls up Mitch at the CIA. In a shocking turn of events, Prince learns that his wife Amber has been working for the CIA as an informant. This worsens the situation for the Delta Duo as they contemplate their next steps.
Resolving on not trusting the CIA with their loved one’s safety, Prince and Bambi head to Colombia to save Amber. Prince’s father supplies weapons to the US government. Hence is a very powerful man. He calls the Matiz couple in Colombia and asks for assistance. Ernesto and Violeta Matiz explain the situation to Prince and Bambi and pledge to help them out. Violeta is a famous journalist in the country and has sources who get her important information. She learns that a new rebel group with no name or brand has taken Amber hostage to prove their power and strength to the Colombian government.
Prince and Bambi go to the US embassy in Colombia to get further information and meet with the Chief of Security and Colonel of the National Army. While the officials assure them that Amber will be extracted safely, Prince and Bambi are not convinced of their efforts. They venture into the neighborhood alone and search the house where Amber is kept. They find the house empty as the troops have taken Amber into a forest camp to stay away from the police.
Consequently, Prince appears on the news to comment on the situation and incite the officials into taking action. At the same time, Bambi goes on Violeta’s radio show to express his sadness over the situation. The rebel commandant calls Violeta into the jungle to have a chat. He sends her to Amber so that Violeta can figure out if she is a CIA agent or not. When Violeta comes back and confirms that Amber is not an official spy, they take her hostage too.
The Colombian Army, along with Prince and Bambi, prepare to extract the hostages. Just when they have the rebels surrounded, Graciela, one of the main rebels, makes a call to someone in the city and instructs an explosion in a civilian cafe. This makes the situation more complex for the military, and they ultimately retreat. But in a voluntary effort, a few soldiers go back and execute numerous rebellion members. They are able to get Violeta back, but unfortunately, Amber remains hostage with them. The ultimate confrontation between the army and the rebels crescendoes to a gruesome end as Prince gets shot.
Echo 3 Episode 3 Ending: Does Prince Die?
In the climax of episode 3, we see a few volunteering soldiers go back for the rescue mission to get Amber and Violeta back. They surround a point on the road and wait for the rebel trucks to arrive. Bambi secures the soldiers from an aerial perspective along with two other snipers. The Colonel and Prince, with the rest of the team, wait on the ground. After shooting the driver and stopping the caravan with a bomb, the crew takes out most of the rebel troop members.
However, a few smart ones try to escape with a blanket on their bodies. This confuses the soldiers as they are unsure who is underneath. It could be the hostages they are there to save. Bambi urges Prince to go on the field and take action as he spots more vehicles with rebels approaching. Hesitantly, Prince approaches the masked rebels and kills more members. He saves Violeta and ultimately comes face to face with Amber as well. As they thank their stars and embrace each other in a moment of love, Prince gets shot in the back by one of the rebels.
As he falls to the ground, Amber is taken hostage yet again by incoming rebel troops. She is forced into a car but she keeps kicking, punching, and yelling. Bambi rushes to the ground to save Prince as the trucks retreat. We see Prince gasping for breath as the scene fades away.
Considering how important Prince is to the story, he is unlikely to die just yet. A bullet cannot possibly spell death for a strong protagonist like Prince, who has extensive military training and experience. His previous rescue ops add to his resilience and courage. He still needs to save his wife from the perils of the insurgent troops, and Bambi needs his valiant partner by his side. He is a strong leader, and his contribution to the plot’s narrative will most likely require him to come back stronger.
Why Does The Military Go Back For The Operation After They Get Orders To Retreat?
The Colombian National Army led by Colonel Pereira surrounds the insurgent troops in the forest and demands the release of hostages Amber and Violeta. This makes the troops squirm as they realize death is near. Eventually, in a last-second effort, Graciela calls a rebel member in the city. The unknown rebel detonates a bomb in a cafe to divert the attention of the security personnel and force them to back down.
Colonel Pereira receives the General’s command to get out of the jungle and get back to base. After coming back, the Colonel argues that they need one more chance to execute the mission and get the hostages back. The General explains that he has orders from the White House and CIA, and they want minimal civilian casualties. This reflects how helpless the army personnel is in front of political pressure. The officials in the government have no idea of the difficulties and risks taken on by soldiers, but they expect them to follow orders blindly.
Off the record, the General encourages the Colonel to take necessary measures voluntarily. By doing so, he trusts the National Army soldiers and proves they can get the job done. When Colonel asks the soldiers to volunteer, everyone comes forward and offers their assistance. A team of soldiers with Prince and Bambi head back to the forest near the Colombia-Venezuela border to complete the rescue operation.
This action instills a sense of belief as we see soldiers coming forward to save their people and bring real justice to the civilians. Despite Prince and Bambi belonging to another country, the Colombian military helps them to the best of their abilities and stands tall with them. It shows how both countries mutually work towards peaceful relations and choose to be friends rather than foes.
How Does The Military Find The Guerilla Camp?
At the end of Bambi’s interview with Violeta on the radio, she claims that she wants to negotiate with the rebels and even write a glorious story for the group. This induces the rebel commandant to call her to the camp in the jungle. Violeta arrives at the camp in blindfolds, hence does not know the camp’s exact location.
When she meets with Amber, she gets to know that Bambi is about to surround the place, and everyone at the camp will die. Violeta urges her not to fantasize, but Amber knows her brother and claims that Prince and Bambi must have tracked Violeta to the camp. She also suggests that it is the only plausible explanation for why Bambi chose to be on the show. Amber has known Bambi all their life, and she knows Bambi is not a person who appears on radio shows and gives statements for no reason. He is not very expressive about his feelings either.
Unsurprisingly, Amber is right, and the Delta Duo follows Violeta into the jungle. They successfully find the rebel base in the wilderness and alert the Colombian military as they approach. Soon after, the soldiers from the Colombian National Army surround the place and trap the insurgents in the jungle.
How Do Prince And Bambi Go On The Operation After The General Denies Their Request?
When the General does not agree to Prince and Bambi accompanying the Colombian soldiers on their rescue operation, Prince tells Bambi that they will have to meet him outside his office and bribe him. The General denies permission because Prince calls out the Colombian Government and the Military for not taking adequate action to save his wife. In the news segment, Prince does not say all of this explicitly, but the anchor suggestively puts forth statements that Prince does not refute. This angers the General as this puts his image in jeopardy in front of the country’s people.
Ultimately at the Walasa Fundraiser, Prince talks to the General and offers a seat at Haas Industries as a favor in return for letting them go on the mission. He persuades the General to grant them this favor, which will benefit him as the position is paid. This can keep the General happy as he gets a good return from the transaction.
Openly bribing officials and churning out business deals to get work done is common in most parts of the country. It focuses on how corrupt and underhanded such people can be. They will do anything to get a favorable return and walk out loaded with cash. As the Chief of Security at the embassy also tells them, even kidnapping is like a business deal in Colombia. They must be very careful in how they manage and neutralize the conflict.
Read More: Is Echo 3 Based on a True Story?
