Candy, get your candy!  That’s what most of us think on Valentine’s Day. Gotham also had candy on the brain this week with a new villain-of-the-week.  While Ryan is hitting the streets to fight crime, she stumbles across a case that takes her and the viewers for a trip down memory lane.  Alice is still up to her usual untrustworthy escapades and Team Batwoman remains torn on trying to find the truth about Kate. Join me as I review the latest episode of Batwoman, titled “Fair Skin, Blue Eyes”.  Is Ryan the Batwoman Gotham needs? Will we see an unexpected alliance form?

A Voice For The Children

While the show continues to have a lot of political commentary about society, whether through diversity, feminism, or as a LGBTQIA+ ally, this season those topics also portrays the struggles for minorities and foster kids, or as Ryan calls them, “invisible” children.   The children who are lost to the system, and forgotten by many.  This topic comes fresh out of human trafficking awareness month. Ryan describes her encounter as a child being kidnapped by the villain known as The Candy Lady.  The Candy Lady preys on children who are in the foster system, particularly people of color.  You later learn that Ryan went missing at the same time as Alice/Beth did, and due to her being a person of color, no one came looking for her. Meanwhile, Alice/Beth, the person the title of this episode refers to, had the opposite experience.  

If you have been following my reviews, you know I do not comment too much on the political nature of this show, but this episode had important messages that I think we can learn something from.  Human trafficking is a massive problem worldwide and something that needs more attention.  I applaud Batwoman for taking the opportunity to introduce this storyline. 

A Potential New Ally?

Ryan was preyed on as a young child in foster care by a white woman who gives the child sixty days to see if anyone comes to search for them.  She does this to psychologically attack the child into thinking no one cares, and they are in fact invisible.  She gets her name from her using jellybeans to both countdown the days and get the children into her car.  After the jellybeans are gone from the jar, she begins searching for a buyer for the child. 

At first we wonder why this story is introduced but then learn that the same thing has happened to this young boy.  When Ryan arrives it is too late and he has been sold.  This is after Ryan shows up and is once again captured by The Candy Lady.  This is not all for naught, however.  Ryan gets her chance to confront the woman after what she did.  Then it is up for Batwoman to locate the missing boy who has been sold into a “family” of criminals, since she makes her captives believe that is all they are good for.  In this we see a potential ally form from Commander Kane.  Is he warming up to Batwoman, or will he continue to try and fight her?

Unable To Move On

Although a large portion of this episode was about Ryan and finding the child, we did get some outlook on Alice’s motives and shenanigans.  In the past, I have mentioned my dislike of not moving on from Kate’s story.  I do understand from a storytelling aspect that the fans need closure.  This week we see another reason as to why that story is in fact important.  Just as fans need closure, so does Kate’s family.  To them, they need answers.  I just wish they would give the show a chance without dwelling on Kate Kane. 

Not only this, but we as viewers know Ruby Rose left the show, so why keep making it look like she’s alive?  It is holding the story back, and feels like the show is holding onto the hope that maybe someday Ruby will come back. That’s not fair to the show, or Javicia Leslie who now portrays the caped crusader.  I wish they would just resolve that chapter and let the fans and characters get the closure that Mary mentions in this episode, and soon.

Breaking It Down

All in all, I give this episode a four out of five. It was probably my favorite episode to date of Batwoman, mainly due to having one story line be the main focus.  After all, this show is Batwoman, and we have not gotten enough of her storyline in most of this season.  To me, Ryan is a much more interesting character than Kate Kane because of her backstory and her past. We also saw the return of the Batmobile which is always a hype moment.  Congrats to the writer of this episode, Ebony Gilbert, for bringing a story that gives voices to those that often feel invisible or forgotten, and shedding light on that.  We also got to see the return of representation for the LGBTQIA+ community when they introduced us to one of Ryan’s past girlfriends. 

I think Batwoman is still trying to find their stride as both a second season, and with a recast of a lead character, but I’m optimistic of the journey this show is taking us on.  For all things Batwoman, join me every week while I review the season!  Till next time!

You can catch Batwoman on The CW every Sunday at 8 PM or Mondays via the app or CWTV.com.  Remember, not all heroes wear capes, but they do look pretty badass when they do!