BATWOMAN - SEASON 1.3

REVIEW:  BATWOMAN - SEASON 1, EP. 3:  "Down, Down, Down"



Things start getting a little more interesting in Gotham, as our Dame Knight gets ready to REALLY take flight.  We have Alice toying with her father, Sophie being Mary's bodyguard, Tommy Elliot returns to Gotham City, looking to rub his new success into Bruce's face.  It seems like this IS Alice's Wonderland---and we're all playing in it.

Alice seems like THE most interesting person on this show.  She kind of has her own Joker/Harley Quinn essence, but is good at pulling strings, as well as getting inside the head of others.  While everyone else has a role and a place on the show---she's free to jump around and annoy EVERYBODY.  But that's what a good villain does---when written right.  I like Alice, and look forward to seeing more of her little mind games as the season progresses.  Kate is establishing herself as our hero...and finding her role.  Their father is a target as well as a predator, looking to bring down Alice at any cost.  He's the authority figure who really doesn't seem all that in charge.  Sophie now has to find her place in all this---split between her loyalties to Jacob Kane...and her still lingering feelings for Kate---whom she SUSPECTS is the new Batman on the scene...so to speak.  Mary may come off as semi-comic relief...but she's actually caught in the middle between keeping Kate's secret, and not wanting to get drawn into her world.  Then there's Mary's mother---a true wild card in this whole story.  She knows A LOT more than she's letting on---SHE is the one to watch.

Our episode this week focused on the continued relationships between the characters, and how they progress going forward.  Kate is still not sure she can fill Bruce's role as Batman or a Bat PERSON, per say.  She knows the city needs someone like Batman, but not sure she's 100% ready to BE the symbol Gotham needs.  Her path gets started as there had been a break in at Wayne Enterprises.  Luke is giving the lowdown to Kate on what was stolen, and they realize that whomever took the weapons KNEW Bruce Wayne is Batman.  As they work on finding the culprit, Kate is in Bruce's office when she sees someone from her's and Bruce's past:  Tommy Elliot.  Tommy had been Bruce's best friend growing up, and knew Kate as well.  Tommy is boasting about now having a business tower that is bigger than Bruce's, and he can look DOWN upon Wayne Enterprises, professing that his wealth is now greater than Bruce's.  Kate isn't impressed, and sees that Tommy is just bursting with his ego.  His give Kate an invite to his grand opening party.  And with that...Kate has a suspect in her case.  For those of you unaware---Tommy Elliot is the man they call HUSH, and he was featured prominently in the mini series BATMAN: HUSH that you can find at your local comic shop or bookstore.  

Alice is having nightmares from her childhood as we opened up the show.  She's reliving her past, and eventually prepares herself for a little night out.  She manages to get ahold of Kate in an unusual manner---the Batsignal.  Kate arrives, and the two have a chat about their father, and how Kate will handle being the new Bat person in town.  Kate tells Alice she never gave up on finding her.  Kate wants time to ultimately prove to their father that she's Beth, and asks her NOT to kill anyone for the next 24 hours.  Alice agrees...but breaks the Batsignal regardless.  They're setting up the eventual showdown for these two nicely.  No rush...take your time.  Let things play out.

Meanwhile, Kate's ex Sophie is sparring with her husband, when she's called into Jacob's office.  She's given a new assignment:  bodyguard for his stepdaughter Mary.  She finds Mary at school, as Mary is trying to study.  Mary isn't thrilled about it in the least.  She also wonders if this means Kate gets a bodyguard too.  Mary's deflecting, because she really doesn't WANT the protection, and she doesn't want anyone to know she's running an underground clinic.  So, she just does her best to play dumb.  She throws a lot of personal questions at Sophie regarding Kate, to simply test the waters to find out if she knows Kate is the one parading around as Batman.  Sophie doesn't know---though she suspects.

Luke and Kate DO manage to find out that Tommy knows Bruce is Batman for sure, and that he's behind the thefts of the weapons.  The one way to be sure is that Kate attends his party to get the answers.  Meanwhile, she realizes that she CAN'T be Bruce...she HAS to be her, if she's going to protect the city.  So, Luke gets to work on the suit to make it to her specifications.

While Tommy is prepping for his big gala opening, Alice calls up the Commander, and has a little fun with him...after she's killed the guard at his penthouse.  She plays a tune she remembers as a child that was "their song" to him.  She reminds him that she's going to ruin him and take him down, for being forgotten...for having given up on looking for her.  This alarms the Commander as he tells his wife that Alice is at the penthouse.  She's putting on the face and playing the part...wondering WHY Alice is there, though we know damn well she DOES know why she's there.  They head for the elevator to go and confront her.

Mary and Sophie, and Sophie's husband are at the gala as well...Mary making an appearance for the family's sake.  They run into Kate, and her and Sophie put on their own faces to avoid the awkwardness, though Kate DOES feel bad that Mary has to have a bodyguard, knowing for sure Mary can handle herself.  Once the Commander got word about Alice, he wanted everyone into the elevators...especially Mary for her protection,.

Kate eventually confronts Tommy, and he admits that he did, in fact, steal the weapons.  Kate is wondering WHY, considering Bruce is his friend, and saved Tommy's mother from death.  Tommy reiterates that it wasn't BRUCE who ruined his life...it was BATMAN.  Because Batman SAVED Tommy's mother---he missed out on his inheritance.  He indicates that he tried to kill his mother to get the money, but as much as he loved Bruce as a friend, he hates Batman from stopping his plan.  He wanted to hurt Bruce, and confront him personally.  He has rigged the building's elevators to break, and make sure that everyone in them collapses to their death---to teach Batman a lesson.  He sets off the boobytraps, and everyone in the elevators (including Kate's family) are trapped and close to plunging to thier deaths.  He gives Kate time to make sure Batman shows up on the roof...so that he can confront him.  

The Commander manages to get him and his wife out of the trapped elevator, but one elevator doesn't make it and falls, critically injuring the passengers inside.  Mary, Sophie, and her husband manage to escape as well, as Mary begins to tend to those injured in the elevator crashing.  Kate shows up, tells them to help the others, while she heads back to the Batcave to suit up.

Batwoman finally arrives, and her and Tommy duke it out.  Kate comes out on top, and Tommy is arrested.  

Alice and Kate see each other once again, and Alice went back on her word about killing everybody.  Kate says if she heads down this path, she will have lost her sister.  Alice WANTS it that way, and she bails.

Back at the Kane Penthouse, we see Cathering, Jacob's wife, notice 3 playing cards on the table---a "calling card" from Alice.  A 2, 3, and 8 card.  The significance is not made clear, but Catherine quickly scurries them into the drawer before Jacob walks into the room.  Apparently, Alice is sending a message to Catherine.

During all this chaos, Kate meets the bartender at Tommy's shindig named Regan.  They hit off so well, that we can expect her to be Kate's new love interest.  Regan tells her to call her sometime.  They got numbers THAT quickly?  How was there time?  

As Vesper is yapping on the air about who the knew mysterious batperson is, we see Sophie looking up at Wayne Enterprises...and dubs her "Batwoman"...thus, the name is born, as our new Caped Crusader looks upon the city from the top of the building.

This was easily the best episode so far.  We're starting to see the deep connections with certain characters, and finally seeing Kate embrace the role and legacy, but in her own way.  Luke is getting better and handling things back at the cave, and now---hopefully---we'll see Batwoman kick some serious ass.  I'm wondering when and where Mary will get pulled into Kate's world, and a sisterly bond form.  It may take Alice kidnapping and attempting to kill Mary for that to happen.  Jacob's still not believing about Alice's identity, even though she has dropped every hint you could think of.  The cello playing was yet another clue to him, but he won't buy it.  Deep down, we know he HAS belief that Alice IS Beth, but NOT wanting to believe that she's become an evil psychopath.  But Alice wants to destroy him in every way possible---for leaving her to die.  For forgetting her, and giving up and finding her.  

Sophie's marriage will be tested because of Kate's presence in Gotham.  She's going to struggle all season with her emotions.  It will put a strain on her marriage---especially when her husband finds out the truth about her and Kate's past.

Catherine has some big skeleton in her closet---and it directly ties to Alice.  Since SHE was the lead investigator on Alice's disappearance, I have a feeling that Catherine found her, but left her for dead.  It's really hard to speculate at this juncture, but ONE thing is for sure:  Alice and Catherine are tied to the hip, and when the truth comes out, it's going to be HUGE.

That's it for this week.  Thanks for all of your views, and please subscribe and pass the blog along.

Until next week...the Signal is Off!