Welcome back to another Batwoman recap where I try to rein in the amount of all caps yelling I do because…professionalism.
Previously on Batwoman, Renee Montoya coerced Alice and Ryan into playing nice with each other, Luke injected Alice with tracking nanobites so she wouldn’t be able to leave Gotham, and Ryan came face-to-face with Jada Jet, the birth mother who abandoned her all those years ago.
We appear to be sticking with the “Batman trophy of the week” theme, and not gonna lie, I’m into it! This time it’s a canister of a liquid nitrogen-like concoction ending up in the unfortunate hands of an eighth grader who accidentally sets off the canister and freezes the entire back half of the bus they’re riding. (By the way, I love that this show is like, “I know, I know. Another white guy in a suit. But don’t worry, we will immediately show you how terrible he is.”) Thanks to Dana Dewitt, we know that freezing agent is linked to former Batman foe, Victor Fries.
At the Haus of Purple Hued Decor, Ryan meets with Jada for a meeting the latter apparently called. Jada makes it clear that she had no plans to ever meet her daughter, but she’s glad that Ryan has made a name for herself despite her circumstances. And Ryan, bless her heart, reassures Jada that she’s doing just fine and that she doesn’t judge Jada for choices she had to make almost 30 years ago. She’s so earnest and hopeful, and it makes Jada saying that she doesn’t want a relationship with Ryan that much harder to watch.
“I’ve been searching my whole life to find my own place”
One of Ryan’s greatest assets is her heart and how much she cares about people, and in this moment, she covers her hurt with anger toward Jada for covering up her birth in the first place. Jada warns Ryan to stop digging into the past and into her family, and threatens to take down Wayne Enterprises if she doesn’t comply. Our girl gets the last word in though, telling Jada that she finally realized her birth mother is someone who isn’t worth her time.
“I got this icebox where my heart used to be.”
Before Ryan leaves, a man looking fly in white and fresh kicks comes in and asks why they’re meeting without him. Turns out, this is Marquis Jet, the Executive Vice President of Jeturian Industries. Oh and also he’s Jada’s son.
Back at Wayne Tower, after Sophie and Ryan reenact their favorite Stay the Night elevator scene (Wait, what? Wrong show? My bad.), Sophie tells Ryan that yes she knew about Marquis but she kept that information from her because Ryan only wanted to know the bare minimum. Sophie keeps doing this thing where she changes her tone and body language before asking what Ryan needs. This time it’s about what she needs in this situation with her mom, and it simultaneously breaks and warms my heart.
“Please don’t shut me out again. Please don’t slam the door.”
Down in the Batcave, Mary and Luke comfort Ryan to the sweet sweet sounds of Alice fake coughing in the background. Big Karen from Mean Girls energy with this one. It is damn near impossible to do justice to Rachel Skarsten comedic timing in this episode, but I’m going to try. Alice going on about how everyone was so mad about her killing Ryan’s mom and now that she provided a new one, they’re still mad about it, but anyway, homegirl needs some water.
Alice has not met one chair she likes.
Luke explains the deal with the “freeze stuff” while Mary goes to get Alice the least amount of water needed to suppress her cough. I see you and that pettiness, Mary! Alice claims she can feel the nanobites crawling in her skin, but Mary insists that’s not a thing that happens. Alice asks for a sick day (I wonder what the Batteam benefits package looks like. Those out-of-pocket premiums must be outrageous) and Luke figures that would be better than Alice helping to break into the GCPD to find the canister.
When Ryan gets to the GCPD, she discovers the canister is missing. We quickly learn that it’s in possession of an older woman who is ready to finish what Victor started. Before we find out what that is, a very attractive woman in a sleeveless vest kicks down the door demanding answers to how Nora Fries was frozen for 20 years, yet sits right in front of her.
“I know, I’m cute but probably evil. It’s confusing.”
In the Batcave, Luke explains that the woman who stole the canister is Dee Smithy, Nora Fries’ sister. Nora was diagnosed with MacGregor syndrome decades ago when there was no cure, so Victor put his wife in a cryochamber until a cure was found. He died before that happened, and when Nora woke up, she was quite obviously confused about missing 20 years of her life, so instead of finding her the mental health resources she needed, they locked her up in Arkham. Real quick though, it seems hella easy to break out of Arkham. Like, I haven’t read every DC comic, but it seems like people are just always escaping?? Whatever, I’m anti-carceral anyway, carry on escapees!
Before Ryan can investigate further, Marquis Jet shows up with a basketball for some reason. This is absolutely not the point, but can we talk about Javicia’s stellar chest pass for a second? I mean, WHEW! Ahem. Back to Marquis who is listing off everything he knows about Ryan, including the fact that she’s his sister. Apparently, nannies talk, and Child Marquis figured that a sibling from an affair was the reason his parents stopped talking to each other. Adult Marquis saw right through all of Jada’s secret meetings and wants to prove himself to his mother. And what better way to do that than partnering with the person who managed to ruffle Jada’s feathers. He offers Ryan the chance to show Jada what she missed out on by not claiming Ryan as her daughter. So she decides to think about it.
“Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know.”
At Dee’s house, Batwoman investigates the scene of the break-in and notices all of the medications. She and Luke assume Dee wants to put Nora back in stasis, and they’re probably going to use the cryo chamber at ACE Chemicals because OF COURSE there’s a cryo chamber at ACE Chemicals.
Meanwhile at ACE, Dee and Nora give the hot lady notes on cryogenesis and listen, I know she’s a “villain” or whatever, but LOOK AT HER.
Back at the clinic, Mary is checking Alice vitals as part of her sick day routine, but everything looks normal. Nicole Kang and Rachel Skarsten have some of the best non-romantic chemistry I’ve ever seen. They banter and play off each other in a way that most sisters would, and it is absolutely delicious to watch.
Whatever Dr. Mary Hamilton gets paid, it’s not enough.
Mary suggests that while Alice is physically okay, there might be something else at play here, and asks if this fake sickness is a cry for help. Sadly, Alice says that she’s learned cries for help don’t actually work. There’s been some dancing around mental health lines this season (the Mad Hatter, Luke, Alice), and so far I think they’re doing a good job of playing on the surface. I just hope as the season progresses and they get deeper, they address Alice and Luke’s trauma in a real way.
Mary genuinely asks Alice if she needs help, but Alice deflects to the Luke situation and the fact that Mary is in between telling Ryan about Luke’s PTSD, and staying loyal to Luke who she LOOOOOOVES. Again, Rachel Skarsten…HOW?! Alice keeps trying to get into Mary’s head by suggesting the Batteam only sees the doctor when they need something from her.
“Love can melt a frozen heart.”
Back at ACE, we get confirmation that putting Nora back in the cryo chamber is the only way to save her. Then Batwoman drops in and takes out several goons before having a very hot fight with the lady whose name we may never know. The woman knocks out Ryan who comes to inside the cryo chamber.
“Here I stand, and here I stay.”
Ryan contacts the Batcave and Luke realizes that her vitals are super concerns and she needs to stay awake before hypothermia sets in. Ryan begs him to suit up because it’s the only way to save her.
Pages: 1 2See entire article on one page
Was sooo looking forward to this episode recap, yay! … oh and btw, the actress playing “Hot Vest Lady Villain” also played Jacqueline (Jack) Van Helsing’s ex-vampire girlfriend in the latter seasons of the Netflix series ‘Van Helsing’.
Basically it’s gay turtles all the way down.
Nora was frozen for 20 years and so a bunch of the captions are just Frozen quotes. That’s pretty…cool
I stopped watching this show I think end of Season 1 but when I saw that there would be 2 black women as potential love interests, I jumped back on board. As of last night, I’m completely caught up. In film and tv, if there is a queer POC, 99% of the time they are paired with a white person or with another POC of a different race who is always much lighter skinned. These two women look like me and many of my friends/women I date so I’m completely on the WildMoore ship, ready to woman the sails.
By the way, Alice is the best villain in the DCEU and MCU. She must be protected at all costs. I said what I said.
AMEN to that sis
#FreeAlice
I, too, kept thinking about how attractive our villain was this episode!! I hope we see her again. She escaped with the plans, so I wouldn’t be surprised!
Am I the only one who noticed and laughed at how small the glass of water was that Mary gave Alice? It was only like a quarter full hahaha.
Hate that they keep putting Alice back in jail between bat trophies. It is cruel and doesn’t make sense from a practical perspective–you don’t want to motivate someone to NOT find the trophy quickly. Give the girl a break!
“Woman, you are hard to please” was so sexy! So excited about Wildmoore and hoping they keep developing it well.
Nic, a great recap as always. “She keeps me warm” made me snort laugh.
I laughed so hard when I saw that glass of water. Couldn’t even quench my hamster’s thirst lmfao
Nic, I so look forward to your recaps every week. They are on point and entertaining. I enjoy them thoroughly. I’m also enjoying this slow burn between Sophie and Ryan. Cant wait to see how it pans out. Next week should be pretty interesting. I think I’ve replayed the preview at least 20 times now.
Mary giving Alice like 2 ounces of water and then getting annoyed when she finishes it has enormous sibling energy and I love watching the two of them together.
Mary has poured so much into her family members and it’s both bonkers and sort of fitting that Alice seems the most capable of seeing and appreciating her efforts, even if she won’t yet take her up on the sincere offer to do the same for her. Alice is the only Kane who fully sees Mary, and Mary is the only one who can see Alice and have empathy for her without also expecting or requiring her to be Beth again.
I love Luke and Ryan’s friendship, and I can’t wait until she notices him and Mary dancing around their feelings for each other and gets him back for teasing her about Sophie.
I love this show specifically because pretty much every time that I’ve expected a secret or conflict to drag on forever before getting good, they just…bring it up directly in an episode or two. I did think I wanted several more episodes or at least a montage of Sophie working through a heauxtation, but the two of them openly flirting and processing and becoming confidants this early is a delight.
Also, why was that nameless villain so fine??? And Jada Jett, too? I will root for the Bat Fam to the death of me, but uhhh, idk if I’m capable of rooting against Mommi Jett. And Poison Ivy is on her way? I’m so used to giving and now I get to receive. It’s almost too much.
That scene between Ryan and Sophie when Ryan was in the cryo-freezer had strong fanfic energy. AND we have open flirting now!!!! All aboard the Wildmoore train cause it is leaving the station!!!
Was I the only one who thought Robin Givens’ face showed real regret when Ryan said “I don’t want to know you” in the Jada/Ryan scene? It made me think that Jada covered up Ryan’s birth and gave Ryan away to protect her and that Jada actually cares fiercely about Ryan. It’s really making me wonder who Ryan’s father is!!!
I’ve been wondering what Alice’s motives were for telling Ryan that her birth mother was still alive, and as of this ep, it seems like Alice told Ryan because she’s trying to make amends (in her backwards way) for causing the death of Ryan’s adopted mother! This girl has LAYERS.
So very excited for Poison Ivy next episode (apparently)!! Hope this Poison Ivy has just as much high camp as she did in the 90s Batman movie version.
Seconding everyone’s thirst for Hot Vest Lady Villain. Will be waiting eagerly to learn her name.
I snort laughed multiple times through this recap. It was as good as the episode, and I loved the episode. Apparently my joy at your Spice Bus comment revealed a previously unknown side of me to my partner. (But that was a great scene in what I recall as a solidly entertaining movie. I wonder how it holds up.)
While watching this episode, I couldn’t help thinking of Ruby rose claiming that the cw(?) ”destroyed Batwoman”. I liked the first season of Batwoman. I appreciated seeing a Kate Kane with my haircut. But I don’t know that I’ve enjoyed any show as much as I have this season of Batwoman. Batwoman has been reborn into a more incredible show than I could have imagined. This cast and the writers have outdone themselves.
So, a confession: while I knew, intellectually, that Ryan and Sophie were going to start openly flirting, I was not prepared, in my heart, for Ryan’s flirting style to be that dead sexy.
Like, damn.
Seriously. She plays with such earnest youthful sincerity and she had so much initial Batwoman insecurity. I was unprepared for the dead sexy confident flirting!
THE FLIRTING ALMOST KILLED ME THEN LUKE REAL LIFE SAID IT OUT LOUD AND I WAS GONE. OH WAIT SOPHIE’S SMILE!!!!!!! PEOPLEEEE
These recaps are always amazing. I’m so happy that we’re back in Batwoman Season because I get to laugh out loud with joy both at this show (Luke directly calling Ryan out for flirting with Sophie, and SOPHIE’S FACE in every interaction with Ryan) and these recaps (so many times but especially Spice Bus this situation), so thanks Nic for all that you do!! I can’t wait for next week
nothing to add to this brilliant recap except for this: when they introduced the brother, i had this sinking feeling in my chest. oh no, it said, just when ryan and sophie were starting to flirt, they brought in this male love interest to break them up. and then i realized: NO! this show is letting them be fucking LESBIANS. that sinking feeling that i’m so used to, from being treated like such trash forever, i don’t have to have that here? they can let wildmoore rise without injecting some dude bro? we can have fun chemistry between a man and a woman without it derailing the queer romance quietly unfolding before us?? honestly the brightest spark of joy i’ve had in a long time.
R E V O L U T I O N A R Y
The villain chick (Jennifer Cheon Garcia) was indeed FINE and i liked that she put down her gun to see Batwoman on the up and up. So, it wasn’t just me that NOTICED Ryan and Sophie kindling a little playfulness. i also went 😳 when Ryan said “Woman, you are hard to please.” Every second Ryan and Sophie interact i want to scream. Can i also say i’m glad this season Ryan gets to explore her attractions. The ‘woo, is me. I’m a hero so I can’t get close to anyone’ theme is tired. Ryan and Sophie can work.