BATWOMAN 2.3

 

RECAP - BATWOMAN 2.3:  "Bat Girl Magic!"

I can honestly say that THIS season of Batwoman has given us some serious intrigue.  Now, we all know that trying to figure out HOW to write Kate Kane off the show (and thus, not have to use Ruby Rose, because they were NOT going to get her back), was going to be a task....but they did it in the only logical way possible.  And I have to admit...they had wrapped a decent mystery around it...for about two episodes.  But even THEN...with the mysterious Safiyah now making her appearance on the show this week, we got more answers....and yet, more questions.  Meanwhile, Ryan is now trying to adjust to the role as the new Batwoman, while also still having to report to her Parole Officer (which I DO like logic like that being written into the show), and needing Mary's help to get a job.  And on top of ALL of this....we got an old Bats villain running around Gotham killing people:  Victor Zsasz.  

We're introduced pretty quickly to Zsasz, as he is right in the middle of a job:  killing a rich man and his mistress in their hotel room for his vengeful wife.  Once he lays them out on the bed, holding hands, he proceeds to undress...and carve into his skin with a knife.  You see....Vic here keeps track of EVERYONE he has killed by cutting into his skin, and leaving a mark...and his body is FULL of them.  He then gets a call for another job.  It's here that he then slaughters scientists at Hamilton Dynamics for some reason, and it's up to Team Batwoman to find out what it is.  That's where Mary comes in, as she goes to ask around to find out what it was he was after. Turns out, HE was hired to find out who got ahold of the Desert Rose - the rare plant that Alice used for the antidote to Mary's poison...of which there was STILL traces of it in the blood that Alice gave Mary to save the people of Gotham from the poisoned bats SHE herself unleashed.  Mary's blood was used as a vaccine, and that exposure was what drew the assassin to Mary's doorstep.  Which, in turn, drew Batwoman to him.  Ryan had met him as Batwoman before, and he commented that she didn't feel comfortable in the suit, as she is still trying to adjust being a superhero.  

The next time they meet, the team tries a different approach, as Ryan meets him as herself, and he recognizes her.  She tries to offer him a job, but he turns it down.  But we soon find out that the money had a device to copy his phone, and Luke discovers WHO his mysterious benefactor is:  Safiyah.  

We finally get to meet this mysterious crimelord Safiyah, as she had Alice and Sophie captured back in Gotham.  Tatiyana, her hired killer, keeps an eye on Sophie on the beach, while Alice and Safiyah have a chat.  Safiyah is the keeper of the Desert Rose, and did NOT want it exposed to the outside world.  She has kept it on the island for years, but Alice's little play in Gotham turned that around.  She is disappointed in Alice, as it turns out these two are familiar with each other.  When Alice finally got away from Mouse's dad, she ended up a stowaway on a boat, and was rescued by Safiyah.  Safiyah, in turn, then trained Alice on how to kill, but is sad to learn that all Alice did with her gifts, is turn them into revenge against her family.  Alice is ticked off that Safiyah had Kate killed, and Safiyah said she hasn't thought about Kate in years....until she showed up on Gotham as Batwoman.  Alice and Safiyah mix it up a little, with Safiyah getting the best of her...and then tells Alice that if she wanted Kate dead, she would've done it...but why would she have her necklace...which Alice recognizes.

While Sophie shows some grit and fight against Tatiyana, it turns out that there is more for Safiyah to plan.  She has Kate, and won't return her until Alice is off the island.  So, both women are drugged, and sent back to Gotham.  Sophie has every intention of arresting Alice, but Alice informs her that if she doesn't stay free...they'll never get Kate back.  Sophie is shocked Kate is alive.

Luke still shares that sentiment with Sophie, and won't give up on Kate's return.  However, he's also giving Ryan a hard time about her role, insisting that it's temporary.  Meanwhile, Mary has started to lose the faith in Kate being alive, and feels that she's dead.  Ryan does what she can to console her, and Ryan also takes over as a bartender at Kate's bar...as she needed a job to satisfy her PO, and kind of dragged Mary into the lie, but Mary's okay with it (and underpaying Ryan in the process).  Ryan ends up saving Mary from Victor Zsasz, as he found out it was HER blood that had the Desert Rose in it (and was tossed under the bus by Alice, of course).  However, Ryan made a few adjustments to the Batsuit, to make it more 'her'.  In the end, she beat Victor rather cheesily, but if was effective...and she didn't kill him.  They don't get much more out of him other than "Villain of the Week", but it gives Ryan her first victory against a bad guy as Batwoman.  Luke even gives props to Ryan, and makes new Batarangs for her...and she promises to work on her skills.  

One other side story that was not really mentioned again except at the beginning was the fact that the Crows know there's a new drug flowing into the streets of Gotham, and they discover that the Head of the False Face Society is Black Mask.  So, we got the OTHER new villain arriving in Gotham, looking to take it over.  Safe to say, Team Batwoman will have its hand's full this season.

I am liking what is happening so far, and VERY interested in seeing how they do Black Mask.  I just hope they find a way to PROPERLY balance this upcoming Gang War stuff between Alice, Black Mask, and whatever the hell Safiyah has planned.  They're doing a good job in helping build up Ryan, by having her struggle, as she becomes more comfortable in her role as Batwoman.  Mary and Luke backing her goes a long way in helping the team solidify.  Especially Mary and Luke, who were at odds this episode in regards to Kate's status as either dead or alive.  Alice, I feel, is now going to be tasked with handling Black Mask quite possibly if he steps on Safiyah's toes, all the while still remaining the proverbial wild card.  Sophie realizes that---like it or not---Alice HAS to be free in order to get Kate back, and that might come back to bite her in the ass later this season if Jacob finds out.  He's still essentially by the book.  And what of Julia?  Will she stick around?  And now that he's gotten into Kate's phone, how will Sophie's information that Kate is possibly alive play out as well as far as he goes.

By the way....niiiiiice little nod to the original Tim Burton Batman movie, with the Jack Napier name drop this week.  Oh...and Vesper Fairchild still at her gossip best.  The episodes are improving, and I'm on Ryan's journey....so, I'm willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt, and hope the writing holds up and is consistent. 

What did YOU guys think of this episode?  Subscribe and leave me a comment below!  

Until next time.....the Batsignal is OFF!