It appears there is a new villain in Gotham and it is up to Batwoman to save the day in a new suit and wig! Fresh off of deciding to fill in for Kate Kate in her absence, Ryan Wilder is still getting used to the Batsuit and the high combat nature of being Batwoman all while trying to also deal with life on parole. Alice and Sophie got some surprising news from their kidnapper and Team Batwoman has some disagreements on what to do since Kate’s disappearance. All this and more happened in Sunday’s episode of The CW’s, Batwoman, episode 3 titled, “Bat Girl Magic”. Although there is hope on the horizon, there is plenty of darkness too, after all it is Gotham.
*MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD”
A NEW BAD
Things were off to a bloody start when a new villain, known as Victor Zsasz (Alex Morf) a hitman, is violently killing Gotham City residents. What appears to be random upon first look, is later learned to not be once Team Batwoman learns of the hitlist. They come across the list when Ryan manages an encounter with Victor, upon revealing that she knows of him due to being in the same circle as him in her past.
A DOUBLE LIFE
When not casually meeting up with hitmen to get information and saving Gotham, Ryan must find a new cover when her parole officer comes knocking. For risk of the consequences for being late to her meeting, she quickly lies and tells her parole officer that she got a job bartending at The Holdup. Although getting a job is good news her PO is not letting her off that easy, and also tells her she must find a permanent place to live as well. Will she be here to stay, and be able to plant some roots? Only time will tell for Ryan Wilder. She also decides to give the suit some much needed revamping, including a brand new wig.
WHERE IS KATE KANE?
In a post Oliver Queen world, we get a new storyline to fill the void, enter Safiyah. Last week, Alice and Sophie were kidnapped, and this week we finally met Safiyah. Without spoiling too much, as this storyline is one of the biggest of the episode, Alice must confront Safiyah in person about Kate and both her and Sophie get some shocking information about the plane crash. We also learn more about the cure for the toxin Alice unleashed on Gotham. The conversation with Safiyah makes me think, is Alice the greater evil or is there a bigger bad out there? This part of the episode felt very reminiscent of Arrow in both its tone and plot, so it will be interesting to see how this pans out.
Back in the Batcave Mary and Luke disagree on how involved they should be in supporting Ryan as the new Batwoman. Luke does not want to give up hope that Kate Kane is still out there, while Mary is trying to move on as if she is not. While they deal with their own grief and what to do next, Mary also learns more about the miracle cure that the people of Gotham received from Alice upon her poisoning them. The cure is much bigger than she originally thought.
Wrapping This Episode Up
As far as my thoughts? This episode gets a 3 out of 5. I felt there were quite a few different plots to follow and that caused certain characters to not get enough screen time. I know they are setting up events for the entire season, and they will most likely connect, but right now it is a lot of information to try and process. Another flaw about this episode and this season in general is how much emphasis they are putting on Kate’s disappearance. I understand they need to include this to give her character closure, and wrap up that story, but it feels like it is taking away from letting the show shine without Kate.
How can a new Batwoman truly shine if you are still focusing so much on the past? All these thoughts aside, in a world of darkness, despair and uncertainty, Batwoman has some powerful things to teach us this season about life. One of the topics that I found so powerful and necessary is their portrayal of grief.
Team Batwoman is showing audiences that not everyone grieves the same. We see Mary, who is telling herself that Kate is dead because of the realities of the situation while Luke tries to have hope and believe that Kate is coming back. This show also gives people of color, women, and people in the LGBTQIA+ community a show to give them comfort and recognition. Well done Batwoman, keep up the good work in having conversations some shows and networks do not try to tell.
You can catch Batwoman every Sunday night at 8 pm on The CW and on Mondays via the CW app or CWTV.com and join me as I continue to review this season!
