Another week, another jam-packed episode of Batwoman! We have a lot to cover so let’s jump right in, shall we?
There’s no “previously on” this week, but that’s okay, because it means we’re treated to the absolute joy of watching new roomies Alice and Sophie engage in the age-old roomie tradition of movie night. (Have we…seen Sophie’s place before? If we have, I surely don’t remember, but that exposed brick is to die for!) The two are in normie clothes watching a horror movie (incredible set-up for the rest of the episode if I do say so myself), and Alice is adorably terrified. They hear a noise on the balcony, grab empty bottles to attack the intruder, and quip about how Alice drank Sophie’s good wine that I assume she was saving for an eventual Wildmoore date night.
“Why do I feel like somebody’s watching me?”
Speaking of Wildmoore, the intruder is none other than Ryan, who seemingly got the memo about everyone in the CWDCTVLGBTQ universe traveling via balcony. She’s there to pick up Alice to investigate a lead from Montoya. I swear, this pairing of Alice and Sophie is already giving what it needs to give, and I really hope we get more of these two because Rachel and Meagan’s comedic chemistry is GOLD.
Alice and Ryan arrive at a crime scene where a man is wearing a pink feather boa and strung up by what Montoya believes to be Catwoman’s whip. Ryan thinks it’s fake because there’s no way a whip infused with Wayne tech could be destroyed by a mere pocket knife. Alice has no problem letting Montoya think it’s real because the faster they finish this assignment, the faster they can get on with their lives. Ryan intends to do just that though, because she entrusts the handling of the vic to Mary since homegirl has dinner plans with her mother!
At Wayne Enterprises, Ryan is on the phone attempting to calm investors when Mary comes in waving the dinner invitation from Jada around. As she runs down all the reasons this dinner would be a bad idea, including Jada possibly uncovering Ryan’s secret identity, she gets incredibly thirsty and chugs all the water she can find. Much like, I don’t know, one would water a plant???? I noticed that Mary’s wardrobe and makeup were both getting greener, but what I didn’t catch on first or second watch was that her fun buns were an homage to Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy! This show just gives and gives and gives. Despite Mary’s worries, Ryan informs her that she’s going to the dinner and plans to bug Jada’s office to get some dirt on her mother.
Surely Mary is just drinking water for completely normal and not at all plant-related reasons…
Back at Sophie’s loft, Alice is giving Sophie shit about being Ryan’s date to dinner tonight as Sophie frantically gets ready as if it is, in fact, a date. Ms. Moore is rocking a FLY orange dress, a pushup bra, and the nerves of someone presented with the very real possibility that the feelings they’ve been trying to push down just might find their way to the surface. And another thing, good luck trying to convince me that Sophie didn’t get all those plants as a way to have something other than Batdrama to talk to Ryan about. Who among us hasn’t developed a deep interest in our crush’s favorite hobbies?! Anyway, Alice is living her best life right now; her meds are working and she’s hallucination free, so the last thing she wants is to be dragged away from her “vacation”, but dragged away she becomes, because Montoya calls her in to the office.
“This is how I always get ready when I’m doing recon at my crush’s birth mother’s house.”
Ryan and Sophie arrive at Jet Manor and y’all, the way I gasped upon seeing these two beautiful Black women dressed to the nines, standing next to each other with a height difference that continues to attack me every week?!?! We deserve this. We truly do. Ryan is incredibly uncomfortable in the house with the butler and the chandelier and the winding staircase, and Sophie assures her that it’s just a power play to get in Ryan’s head. Both of these women are strong in their own right, and they both have these moments of vulnerability with the other. Recently, it’s been Ryan letting Sophie see through the cracks of her hero exterior where self-doubt and insecurity lie in wait. And every single time, Sophie is right there to reassure Ryan that she is enough, just the way she is. Meagan and Javicia are so good at subtly amplifying those small moments in ways that make this burgeoning relationship feel real and earned.
“What did I tell you on the way here?”
“You is kind, you is smart, you is important.”
Lady Jet struts down the stairs and is a bit taken aback by the presence of an uninvited guest. Before Ryan can introduce Sophie, Soph introduces herself AS RYAN’S GIRLFRIEND! THIS IS NOT A DRILL, FOLKS! WE HAVE FAKE DATING! I REPEAT, WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST FANFIC TROPES IN THE SHOW CANON! Fake dating leads to the discovery of real feelings leads to confessions of love leads to happiness and happy people just don’t kill their husbands! Huh, that one got away from me there, sorry y’all.
As if the show could sense I was becoming unhinged, they bring us back back to earth with a jarring scene of the chef creepily getting dinner ready by chopping the head off a pig and laughing maniacally. Casual.
Meanwhile, Sophie and Ryan are regaling Jada with the tale of how they got together, and they’re scarily on the same page. It was obviously a Taco Tuesday (GAY), and it involved Sophie saving Ryan from choking on chips, or something.
They finish each other’s…sandwiches.
Jada, playing the role of caring mother, remarks on how beautiful their story is, and Ryan agrees that it’s so special when you find that person, and she knows that she can always count on Sophie to be there for her. You know, like if Ryan was dying and Sophie wrapped her arms around her and reassured her everything would be okay. Hypothetically, of course. Sophie excuses herself to find the bathroom and I assume releases the breath she’s been holding since Ryan looked her in those gorgeous brown eyes.
When the fake dating gets a little too real…
Ryan’s done playing nice with Jada and wants to know exactly why they’re having this dinner. Jada doesn’t pull any punches and warns Ryan to shut down whatever she has going on with Marquis or she and everyone she cares about will suffer. And speaking of Marquis, he suddenly shows up to the house with a guest of his own, and he’s furious with Ryan for not telling him about the dinner.
This is also how I look at men who question me.
Meanwhile, Sophie’s snooping upstairs to find Jada’s study and plant the bug. She has Luke on comms and gets everything set up, before taking an extra minute to examine a photo of Jada and Marquis that’s on her desk. She discovers the hidden part of the picture showing Jada’s ex-husband, and before she can get Luke his photo to run through facial rec, the comms feed goes offline. Sophie rushes out, but not before Jada catches her in what is very clearly not the bathroom.
At City Hall, Alice and Montoya talk through the situation with Catwoman’s fake whip and, well, Montoya talks about it. Alice wants to dig into Batman and Catwoman’s sex life, including the most perfect burn about not thinking heroes did things like that (IYKYK). Montoya’s frustrated about the fake whip so she cracks a beer and puts Alice to work sorting through files to find the culprit. No one seems to fit the bill (though there are some nice Easter eggs, like Talia al Ghul), until Alice notices a file much larger than the rest; a file belonging to one, Poison Ivy. She calls out Montoya on their actual mission being to find the viny vixen.
“Damn, I thought I was so subtle…”
Back at the most awkward dinner to ever dinner, Miss Zoey takes it upon her (white) self to give everyone at the table a lesson on modern family dynamics, per her dissertation, because of course she does. It’s the caucasity for me, your Honor. She excuses herself, and Jada and her kids get into it about trust and the fact that Sophie was snooping around upstairs. Ryan takes this moment to thank Jada for giving her up because even though she wasn’t rich, she traded in that silver spoon for a home and love and a real mother. And whew, that one looked like it might have actually punctured Jada’s ice cold exterior.
Every single one of them is like, “did this yt girl really just…?”
Meanwhile, Zoey’s in the bathroom and can’t feel or move her arms. Suddenly, a man in a pig mask appears behind her and in a twist from classic horror tropes, random white Zoey is the first to die. I love that these writers are like, enemies to lovers? Yes; fake dating to real dating? Yes; a Black person dies first in the horror episode? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
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Yes, we’ve Sophie’s apartment, in the episode where she comes out to her mother. Not to the extent they showed it last night but it was there.
This episode was EVERYTHING!
The combination of my love/interest of the Horror Genre + Batwoman gave me UNEXPECTED thrills and chills! I got the vibe in 302 that this season be like a “Horror-Action-Thriller-Superhero” because K.C. 2.0 was, let’s face it, pretty frightful. But Pyg? *shivers*
However, I think we haven’t seen ANYTHING YET! Something tells me that Marquis will be a Joker JR/ Joker 2.0 type, if you will, to Batwoman’s enemy (similar to Kate & Alice with the sibling dynamic which is comic cannon for BW and TBH, I’m here for it!). So the Horror will keep rising between Marquis and the upcoming Poison Ivy.
I know this is only the 5th episode of the season but, it’s my FAVORITE! Usually I’m not a fan of “Villain Of The Week” formula but, the writers are doing it a bit differently AND interestingly. It serves to a “Bigger Story”, I think. Can’t wait for IVY! 💚
WildMoore is LITERALLY on the horizon, and they keep stepping on our necks! Mary being under the influence of The Green (poor girl!) but seeing her alliance with Ivy going toe to toe with the Bat Team would be mind blowing!
BIG Thanks to Nic, I love your recaps and following up you on Twitter!!
Until next week…
Mary is a precious bean (I see what I did there) but when Mary said what she said to Alice a part of me wanted to fight her. I have grown to like Alice so much that I hate seeing her hurt and am not all that bothered that she did and continues to still merc people. Hmmm…something might be wrong with me too huh?
That final scene with Ryan and Sophie literally (yes literally) had me holding my breath because I half thought Ryan was going to kiss Sophie when she wrapped the blanket around her. On the cheek or the lips likely would’ve taken me out. That’s how invested I am.
I swear I spent all of last season yelling about how Alice needed to be locked up, but Arkham is so bad and she’s just so lonely and she needs help. I hope that she and Mary can both come to terms with being the last of each other’s family, even if neither was the other’s top choice.
I feel like Mary’s response to Nora Fries suggesting that she and Alice bicker like sisters means that, when she’s feeling like herself, Mary will be turning that over in her head. After half her life spent desperately trying to be acknowledged as Kate’s sister, I don’t think she’ll be okay with treating Alice like they aren’t sisters too.
THIS EPISODE!!! I was not prepared for the angst, the anxiety, the reveals!! Wow wow wow. Cannot wait for next week.
Fake dating?? I gotta get back into this show.
Another great recap! Although it looks like there are a couple sections missing from this one
Ah, thank you! Good catch!
I’m pretty sure this is the first time we’ve seen Alice in anything other than her Arkham jumpsuit or her usual costume and it is adorable.
So we’re on route to “Enemies to Lovers” and we just had “Fake Dating”. Who wants to make a WildMoore Fanfic Trope Bingo Card?
I hope “oh no, there’s only one bed!” is next on the list!!!!
This show always delivers, and this episode was so wild and fun. Just about every little thing that happened between Ryan and Sophie had me letting out almost inhuman sounds of delight.
All the stuff with Jada and Marquis is already so fascinating, but I’m not tryna see Ryan only narrowly avoid being the Abel to Marquis’ Cain. She better let Jada use that lil freeze gun before he buys a bigger magnifying glass.
I don’t love Mary clearly changing without her friends noticing, but I’m so excited to see where this story goes, and I keep being pleasantly suprised by Alice being so tuned in to Mary, even if Mary’s friends aren’t.
I hope Alice realizes that Mary, at least the real, non-Ivy-touched Mary did begrudgingly care that Alice was getting the help that she needed. And she grumbled, but Mary visited Alice at Arkham, and she was the first to agree when Sophie proposed a work release option for Alice’s wellbeing.
I hope Alice wants that little glimmer of sisterhood back enough to help save Mary when the time comes. They kinda need each other.
There was actual screaming in my house when Sophie introduced herself as Ryan’s girlfriend!!!!!!!!!!! And then when Ryan put the fucking blanket around her shoulders…. I could not even!!!!!!!
I’ve been trying to write a fanfic about Ryan and Sophie pretending to be in a relationship and I might just have to hang up my hat cause the show went there before I could!
I was not ready for this episode!! (Also, I was SO ready for this episode.) I’d been looking forward to Sophie and Alice as roommates, and the show did not disappoint. From that first incredible scene to Sophie getting ready for her date to that little moment when Alice’s phone buzzed and she was once again hilarious and amazing.
And when Sophie said girlfriend! My heart. Like Nic, I cannot get enough of the height difference between these two. And I loved how they put Ryan on the stairs when she wrapped Sophie in that blanket.
I don’t know how to feel about this Mary and marquis stuff coming up, but I’m just going to bask in the joy of this episode and this recap and not think about it.
Well, sure, put the only two lesbians on this show together… why introduce more queer characters? That would require actual effort and imagination.
And so the CW’s tradition of having only one wlw couple per show continues. Great job, Batwoman. Feels like an illusion when this show had a lesbian love triangle once.
Montoya and Poison Ivy: two queer characters introduced this season. Angelique and Imani: two queer characters introduced last season, not to mention Evan (Wolf Spider) but I know they’re not relevant to your point. I can’t speak on the first season because I didn’t watch it, but from what I understand the only other recurring queer character was Julia. So the pattern has been pretty consistent. Did you have these same feelings when it was Kate/Sophie? What are you really complaining about here?
Haha, of course you’d immediately jump to accusing me of racism, lol. So predictable. You don’t even know me.
What I would like is two or more lesbian couples instead of one. How is that too much to ask for from a show that praises itself on its diversity? But instead of establishing a love interest for Ryan and one for Sophie, like for example one of them could have had a thing with Renee, the showrunner decided to do the laziest thing and just get the two lesbian main characters together. That’s what I’m complaining about. As for queer characters on the show, how does their queerness has any relevance if they are not actual love interest for anyone. But sure, make any critic of your favorite ship about the color of their skin.
First of all… I didn’t accuse you of racism, because you’re right that I don’t know you and I don’t have all the facts. I notice you didn’t answer the Kate/Sophie question though.
Second of all, there is going to be two lesbian couples on the show: Ryan/Sophie and Montoya/Ivy. And again, last season Ryan had love interests in both Angelique and Imani.
Thirdly, your original post said you had a problem with the lack of introduction of queer characters. I knew what you were implying and the point you were trying to make though, that’s why I was hesitant to even include Evan. But regardless of whether or not they’re considered a love interest, their queerness and representation will always be relevant.
First of all, you don’t have to play coy, weboth know what you insinuated with your question “What are you really complaining about here?”
About Kate/Sophie, it never really was them though in the first season (which you wouldn’t know because you haven’t seen it). There was always something or someone keeping them apart and they were both with other people throughout the season. Kate had another gf for the first half of the season, but still loved Sophie. And after a short bit where Batwoman and Sophie were together (without Sophie knowing it’s Kate), Sophie got together with Julia who was also Kate’s ex. Anyway what I’m saying is in season one there was lots of wlw love drama too. They dialed it back a bit in season 2, which was understandable seeing that Sophie was grieving. But as you said, Ryan and Angelique had their fair amount of lesbian drama. And there were possible other love interests, like Imani. My critic is about this season though, and pointing out all the lesbian dating drama going on in the other two seasons, you’re actually making my point.
This season we only have Ryan and Sophie, and it looks like they don’t even try to have them seriously dating other people.
Second, how do you know Renee and Ivy will get together? You may hope for it, but it’s not like that’s a fact.
Third, in my first comment I think it was pretty clear that I meant they should introduce new queer characters that are possible love interests for Sophie and Ryan. But that introducing new characters that the audience likes and deems worthy of dating the main characters takes serious effort. It isn’t enough to have minor side characters, you have to make them relevant for the story as a whole so that them getting together with the lead feels organic and worth investing in. The writers don’t have to do all of that, because with Sophie they already have a fully fleshed out character that the audience loves. So,yeah,they do the lazy thing and couple her up with the lead character.
Also, in my first comment I stated that only one wlw couple per show is the CW’s standard. At this point it seems like it’s their rule or something. I mean look at Legends of tomorrow, there’s Avalance and that’s it. Every other woman is just randomly coupled up with some dude, Zari/Nate, Zari 2.0/John, Astra/Behrad. Why not give us Zari/Charlie or Astra/Spooner.
So, yeah, I thought Batwoman were better, but this seasons it looks like they do the same as all the other CW shows. Give the gays one couple to make them stop complaining.
The really stupid thing about all of this is that I agree with a lot of what you’re saying. And I apologize for the implication that you are racist.
Batwoman is just doing what shows have done since the beginning of tv and throwing the two leads together. Mary and Luke will probably end up together too. Despite all the CW politics and history, I really don’t think it’s any deeper than that. Maybe someday the cliché will be broken, but honestly I do ship WildMoore so I’m part of the problem not the solution in this instance lol.
I also wonder if the speed it seems to be happening and lack of other love interest drama is because they really don’t know how many more seasons they’re going to be given. There are a lot of external factors, and honestly I will be both surprised and thrilled if they make it to five.
Just as a side note: true it’s not a fact that Renee and Ivy will get together. It might not happen. It’s also not a fact yet that Ryan and Sophie will, nor Astra and Behrad since you brought them up as well. Those might not happen either, so that basically negates your argument. We’re completely going in circles here and I’ve lost the plot lol. But yeah… Astra/Spooner is where it’s at.
I hope you have a beautiful weekend.
Thank you, I accept your apology.
I also want to apologize that what I said came across as completely being against Ryan/Sophie as a couple. I love both characters and while I’d prefer them each getting their own love interest, I could get on board with them getting together. My frustration is more about how fast the show pushes them together this season and how it looks like we’ll get less wlw relationships that stand in the center of the show because of it.
Maybe you’re right and the reason is that the showrunners fear an early cancellation (which wouldn’t be an unreasonable fear when you consider what they did with Black Lightening) and therefore don’t want to drag wildmoore out.
Anyway, we (the queer fans) have been led down by the CW more often than not, we probably shouldn’t put our trust in any of their shows.
(And yet, I’m clowning and still holding out hope for Esperastra…) I guess, we’ll see what happens.
Have a great weekend!
And that’s where you are 100% wrong. With Sophie we don’t have a fully fleshed out character. Sophie spent 2 seasons as Kate’s flashback college girlfriend with a gun. Were just getting to see the softer/vulnerable side of Sophie and that’s from her interactions & conflicts with Ryan.
As far as it being lazy to write Sophie and Ryan together. It’s literally never been done. Two black female LEADS of a show together!? Never been done. Think about that. For it to be 2021 having never seen two black females leads on air in love before. Never seeing a story from their perspective. So yes people are really excited. This might not be a pairing you want or enjoy but don’t remotely try to downgrade it as lazy writing because you’re not interested in actually getting to know FULLY fleshed out characters. Just say you don’t like them and move on.
The writers found two characters that actually have chemistry, have a ton of story that can be explored, from a perspective that hasn’t been done and with two actresses that are looking forward to this journey. What more could a viewer ask for? A new random person for Ryan….no thank you. A new random person so we can have two sets of lesbian couples because your other shows let you down? No one cares. Take that Supercorp Zari/Charlie mentality/toxicity somewhere else. We’re on new territory right now.
No one cares about your CW Legends comparisons. This is Batwoman.
“Have we…seen Sophie’s place before? If we have, I surely don’t remember, but that exposed brick is to die for!”
Yes, here: https://www.autostraddle.com/batwoman-episode-204-recap-the-girl-you-couldnt-break/ Wherein it was noted (admittedly not by you, Nic: you were having a downtime), “Sophie and Alice, meanwhile, are galavanting around town and staring at each other very intently and getting their faces awfully close together”
“Miss Zoey takes it upon her (white) self”
And Red Shirt.
“It’s not lost on me that Alice is both the one who planted the “the Bat team doesn’t care about you” seed with Mary and the only one who actually notices that there’s something off with her.”
Very well-said.
“We end on Marquis staring at his reflection and painting a frown on his face with Lazlo’s blood.”
Frown? Or Jokeresque smile? (Jokeresque something)
So . . . I’ve been away from these threads. Mainly, because while S3 of Batwoman started, I have been approx. 6229% invested in the end of Supergirl (My Obsessions Cannot Be Divided!) But, Le Sigh, now that that’s over (and Supercorp is REALLY Over 😭), trying to get back into “B-Dubz”. Not gonna lie, hasn’t been easy…
…until THIS episode was enough to pull me back. Montoya and P.I.? Yes please! Mary “lamb, be-Ivy”? (See what I did there?) Yes please! Ryan’s brother Going Joker? Yes please! Alice Shennanigans w/ Sophie, Mary, and Ryan? ALWAYS!!!
Sigh, I’m always gonna be That Person who ships non-canon ships—it’s just my fate. I don’t expect anyone here to give the slight f%ck about that, but it’s just difficult when you see people partying, and you’d like to join the party, it’s that you personally, subjectively find the particular party boring. [It’s the conundrum about “bait”: props to “Batwoman” to recognize they were baiting Mary&Ryan (early in S2), and then putting a stop to it—that shows integrity (unlike that CW show which just ended). But if you stop doing it, then you run the risk of losing a viewer (or one barely hanging on {raises hand})
At any rate, this episode showed significant improvement, and so I’m sticking around another week (at least).
what a good episode!!! the plot, the wildmoore, the clothes. only good things to say at this point.
Did anyone else notice that after Sophie complained about Alice’s feet on ‘her side of the couch’ the shot then pulled back and you could see Sophie’s foot STRETCHED CLEAR ACROSS THE COUCH!!!! 😂🤣
I’m sorry, that scene was just to die for. I’m behind in my BW catch up but i hope we get many more roomie shenanigans.
Also WildMoore has begun and I’m just waiting for someone to call Sophie out for being attracted to another Bat… 😄
Dude I am freaking CRYING at these captions youre a genius lol