At the clinic, we see that Nora successfully made it out of ACE and is in the care of Dr. Hamilton while Alice putzes around in the background. The putzing doesn’t last though, but Alice appears next to Nora and threatens to slit her throat if Mary doesn’t take the nanobites out of her. Nora throws a wrench into Alice’s plan and doesn’t care if she kills her because the last thing she wants is to be trapped again.
“Have you…never been a hostage before…?”
Once Alice leaves, Mary apologizes for her, but Nora sees Alice and understands better than anyone that Alice has been trapped for her entire life and just wants her freedom. We’ve seen Alice physically held hostage by her captor and by the GCPD, and now we’re seeing her held prisoner by her mind. All she wants is to exist on her own terms for the first time since she was 13 years old, and I really hope that happens for her. Try as you might, show, I refuse to see Alice as the villain!
Back in the Batcave, Sophie is on comms!! She’s checking on Ryan and begs her to stay awake. Her tactic? Queer processing, obviously. Y’all, the way I leaped off my couch when Sophie said, “Where do we stand? You and me.” Like oh, we’re doing doing this right now as Ryan freezes to death. Cool cool cool. Sophie’s hurt because when Ryan needed tactical help finding her mother, Sophie was right there for her doing the dirty work, but when it came to the emotional part, Ryan went right to the Batteam instead. Sophie has layers, y’all, and she wants Ryan to peel back each and every one to learn exactly who she is. Meanwhile, Ryan is literally dying of hypothermia but is upset to learn that she hurt Sophie’s feelings. This is the gayest shit, I swear…
“She keeps me warm…”
Ryan starts to ask what Sophie wants her to know, but starts to drift off. Batwing shows up just in time to save Ryan while Sophie screams at literally anyone to give her an update. This woman is going THROUGH it, but she physically relaxes as soon as she learns Ryan is okay.
You can tell Sophie is more relaxed because as Batwoman and Batwing chase the goons in the Batmobile, she’s chillin’ in the Batcave without her jacket on. Guns out. Just…looking like that. Ryan calls Sophie clever for the tactics she used to keep her awake and talking, and Luke ASKS RYAN OUT LOUD IF SHE’S FLIRTING WITH SOPHIE. Ryan tries to deny it and Sophie reminds them that the comms are still on, but she looks genuinely SO HAPPY about the conversation happening in that car.
“Show yourself, I’m dying to meet you.”
And then the bad guys blow up a section of the bridge, and I assume Ryan is going to have to Spice Bus this situation, but instead Luke freezes the open area and Ryan drives right through. She tries to get Sophie to admit that was a badass move, but all Sophie gives back is, “it was interesting.” Ryan smirks and delivers one of the sexiest lines I’ve ever heard on this show: “Woman, you are hard to please.” And what goes unsaid is that despite that, Ryan is going to keep trying to please her. THE SMIRK ON SOPHIE’S FACE, Y’ALL.
“You are the answer I’ve waited for, all of my life.”
I know I say this a lot, but I’ve been watching TV for a very long time. It wasn’t until very recently that I started seeing myself represented in that TV. And I don’t just mean shows inserting queerness and Blackness as it suits them. I’m talking about those small moments that capture what it means to be Black and to be queer. There’s a scene in the movie Girls Trip that I think back on a lot, where the four friends are in their hotel room getting ready for bed, and during the process they’re all wrapping up their hair. But it’s not a conversation; it just happens. Supergirl did something similar, in an episode directed by Azie Tesfai, where Kelly spent several minutes quietly just existing as a Black woman in her space.
And now, we get Ryan and Sophie overtly flirting with each other and it almost seems silly to give this much time and space in a recap to what amounted to maybe 60 seconds of on-screen interaction. But I remember a time when we’d look for every crumb of evidence to prove that Brittany and Santana were into each other. And even when queerness on network TV became more overt, it rarely involved Blackness in a way that wasn’t tragic or painful. Ryan didn’t hesitate before flirting with Sophie even after Luke called her out. It was smooth and deliberate and like I said, sexy as all hell. This might be hella corny, but I’m just glad we get to have a show that celebrates and showcases multiple parts of Blackness and queerness; it matters.
Also the team saves Dee and the bad guys get away.
For some reason, Alice is seemingly back in Arkham or at least hallucinating being back in Arkham? She sees the nanobites crawling under her skin and wonders what the heck is going on with her.
“For the first time in forever, I won’t be alone…oh wait..”
Back in the Batcave, Ryan’s shelving the freeze canister when Mary comes in and tells her the truth about why Luke seems to have figured out the Batwing suit. She admits she shouldn’t have cleared him because he’s showing signs of PTSD from being shot. Ryan confronts Luke, but he insists he’s okay before walking out, clearly pissed at Mary.
At The Hold Up, Sophie is in a Black hoodie with the sleeves rolled up and I am super duper gay. She goes over to where Ryan is sitting, and Ryan tells her about Marquis’ plan to work together. Again, Sophie asks Ryan what it is that she wants. And because Ryan paid attention to what Sophie said earlier, she opens up. She admits that she wants all of the little things that come with having a mom. Sophie reminds her that it’s Jada’s loss. Ryan knows that having Jada as an enemy will put everyone she cares about at risk, and she has to put the team first.
“This next choice is one that I can make…to do the next right thing.”
“I will follow you into the unknown.”
Meanwhile, Dee and Nora are in the park and Mary gives Nora meds to get her through the next few days. Despite Dee’s feelings, Nora is perfectly content experiencing her life in the moment, no matter how much time she has left.
As Mary walks away though, a curious set of vines snake toward her, wrap around her ankles and pull her into the hedges! Me thinks Poison Ivy is afoot, y’all!!!!!
Afoot…see what I did there…?
Next week, Sophie maybe comes to terms with her feelings for Ryan?!?! WILDMOORE HIVE, WE RIDE AT 9PM NEXT WEDNESDAY!
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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.