BATWOMAN - SEASON 1.7

REVIEW:  BATWOMAN - SEASON 1, EP. 7:  "Tell Me The Truth"


Honesty is not something that goes hand in hand with our Lady Crusader, whether it be lying to her family and ex-girlfriend about her life as Batwoman, to Alice stringing her family along for awhile, Catherine lying to the family about Alice/Beth, and Sophie lying to Kate about her feelings.  It all makes the car crash of truth that much more painful when it happens...for the most part.  This week's episode takes us on a journey into WHEN to tell those you love and close to the truth---or whether or not you can trust them enough WITH the truth.

The episode descends upon us with a gunman looking at a restaurant, seeking his target.  He finds him in a young man having dinner.  As readies himself to take out his target, he's wrapped up by Batwoman, and he's hung upside down, and shooting at her, and gunshots are fired at the restaurant as well.  The young man escapes the melee.  She leaves him hanging and bails, as she runs into Sophie, who's on the scene.  They have a brief convo, where Sophie reveals to Batwoman that she knows she's Kate.  She informs her that she either fesses up to her father about who she is, or she's going to get hurt.  With that, Batwoman is off.  However, the gunman has been forgotten and makes his escape.  

We hear Vesper recapping the evening's activities, talking about how Batwoman thwarted the assassin's agenda.  Luke walks into the cave while Kate is practicing, informing her about the shooter's target, who happened to work for Catherine, and also discusses her father's recent divorce proceedings with Catherine as well.  He's on a case upstate, so he's not around at the moment.  They know they need to protect this scientist before the shooter finds him again.

Sophie is at headquarters, and wanted to talk to Jacob about a private matter (we know she wants to tell him about Kate/Batwoman), and her husband Tyler inquires about whether or ot she knows who Batwoman is---she denies it, but he shows her the security footage of their conversation.  She still lies to him about what she knows, and he doesn't press further.  She said she'll tell him later.

Mary is with her mother Catherine, as they are driving to Hamilton Industries.  Mary is upset with her mother still, and discussing about how she's losing out on having a relationship with her sister Kate because of what Catherine did involving Beth/Alice.  Catherine tries to reason with her, but gets a call from work about the missing weapon that was taken.  She can't understand, considering it was in "Level Five" security.  She wants Deveraux questioned, but she's told he's dead.  She needs to investigate.

Batwoman is on stakeout for the scientist who's been threatened, when the shooter shows up again, looking to finish the job.  She takes him down again, only to be met by a hooded female looking for the shooter as well.  They both fight, and the shooter once again escapes, as well as the scientist.  Batwoman takes down the woman, only for the woman to reveal that she knows she's Kate.  Kate knows her as Julia Pennyworth---Alfred's daughter.  Sadly, the young scientist doesn't get far, as he's met up by Mouse, who promptly stabs him to death.  Alice applauds him for his first real hands on kill.  He inquires why she ordered him dead, and she says that he was the only other man besides Deveraux that knew about how the weapon was made and what it could do.

Kate and Julia catch up, and there's some tension between the two.  Julia had worked with Kate awhile back, and lied to her about what she did.  Apparently, they had some sort of romantic relationship.  Luke also arrives, and catches up with Julia (though he had no idea Kate and Julia were familiar with each other).  Julia informs Kate and Luke that the shooter is a man who goes by the name The Rifle---and she has been chasing him all over the globe.  They decide to team up and figure out just what he's up to, and what's his connection to Hamilton employees (or former employees in the case of this kid that just got gutted).  

Kate has flashbacks of her relationship with Sophie, as she chats with Luke about whether or not to confirm Sophie's suspicions.  We see how they were happy, but violated the military school's laws.  Sophie never revealed her bisexuality to her mother.  Sophie is at headquarters when she gets a text from Kate, asking to meet her.  Sophie goes, much to her husband's suspicion.  They meet at the restaurant that was shot up earlier in the episode (and, ironically enough, the owner said Batwoman could eat there for free), and the same owner is upset that Kate is there with Sophie...seeing that they were indeed close.  He uses the excuse of the dress code.  Kate is willing to reveal her ID, but with the owner showing his prejudice, and Kate leaves.  Sophie tries to console her, but Kate isn't having it.  Sophie then reveals the real reason why she didn't leave the school---she got a second her opinion from Jacob.  In flashback, we see how Jacob reveals that Kate is rebellious, and will do her thing, but Sophie has a choice...considering she never told her mother about Kate.  He says she will lose everything.  That's when Sophie decided that instead of running off with Kate as planned, she didn't want to risk all she worked for to be with Kate.  Kate takes offense to that and walks off.  

We see Sophie then fess up to her husband about her relationship with Kate.  He's not happy she kept that from him, and she said that it was a long time ago, and wanted it to go away,  He asks her is that really true.

Kate, Julia, and Luke formulate a plan to stop The Rifle from using the weapon.  Just as they're about to brainstorm into the cave, Mary walks in, visibly upset, and complaining to Kate about the dissolution of their family.  At this time, Catherine goes to talk to Jacob, who had apparently just returned from his case up north.  He tells her he can talk to his lawyer, but she reveals to him about the stolen weapon, and what it was designed for---to pierce Batman's suit, but they shelved it once he disappeared, only to re-light the project when Batwoman appeared.  She says it's got a chip that can be tracked, but he says they don't have that kind of technology.  Sophie interrupts and says that they do thanks to ARGUS.  They go about trying to find The Rifle and the weapon as well.  As Catherine leaves, Jacob is told by Sophie that it can kill Batwoman, to which he can care less---until Sophie tells him that Kate is Batwoman.

Rifle returns to Alice's hideout with what she wanted.  She gives him the weapon to which to destroy Batwoman with.  He heads out to complete the job, and Sophie is also looking to find Batwoman to warn her.  We see yet another flashback of Sophie going through the halls of the school, and seeing one of the soldiers taking the sharpshooter award Kate won out of the display case, saying she isn't here anymore, and it's like she didn't exist.  She rips into the guy, saying how Kate was hammered when she won it.  Kate had been intoxicated, and STILL hit the target with pinpoint accuracy.  She tells him that while they can remove Kate's accomplishments from their records, they can't erase what she did for the school, and snatches Kate's medal.

Catherine and Jacob meet again...and she says that she feels guilty about what she did, but she thought she was doing it for his sake and Kate's.  She reminds them that they've been through worse, and that they can get through this together.  

Sophie meets up with Batwoman, and admits to her that she told Jacob about her secret ID.  At that moment, Kate shows up, giving Sophie instant doubts as to who Batwoman is.  Just then, a shot is fired at Batwoman, and she crashes through a wall to the street.  Kate and Sophie go to see if she is okay, but the Crows take her into custody.  Jacob is informed, and wants to see Batwoman for himself.  Kate takes Sophie's gun, and goes after Batwoman.  She manages to shoot out the tires on the wagon, and cause it to crash.  The guards are promptly taken out, and Kate rescues Batwoman---who is just Julia under the hood.  

Rifle returns to Alice, pissed off that she played him.  He thought the Coil Accelerator was supposed to kill Batwoman, but Alice took the cartridge out before he took it and used it.  She has a plan for Batwoman, and he's had his fill.  She doesn't like her orders questioned, and he's done, so she gives him the weapon, and he's off.  

Julia and Kate have another chat, as Kate bandages Julia up.  Julia apologizes to Kate about how she mistreated her, and Kate is cool with it.  They talk about how Bruce trusted no one outside of Lucius and Julia's father...but tells Kate to be her own person.  Luke informs them that The Rifle is gone from Gotham, and that he's on the move.  Julia takes that as her sign to take off, as she goes to hunt him down.  She and Kate wish each other luck.

Kate walks into an abandoned building, lamenting in voice over to Bruce about relationships and trust with those closest to him.  Bruce never showed the "human" side of him...the Bruce Wayne side.  She realizes that she might not be able to do that with everyone.  Sophie walks in, and Kate shows off her new acquisition for her new "company".  She plans on turning it into a gay bar, since it's right across the street from the restaurant.  Sophie and her talk, and Kate reveals that she still loves her.  Sophie says they can't go back, and gives Kate her medal.  She leaves, and Kate ends up crying over finally having lost Sophie.  Sophie returns to Tyler, and says that her life with Kate is long over---it's him that she loves.

Mary shows up at Kate's new building, and they chat, as she decides to help Kate get her new bar established.  While upstate, Jacob is driving and gets off the phone with Catherine, assuring her that things will be okay.  We later see him meet up with Alice---only to find out that, once again, it's Mouse in disguise, laying yet another layer to Alice's plan---her ultimate "Tea Party" for Gotham.  By making sure Catherine, Jacob, and Batwoman are all present.


Another solid installment of the Lady Crusader, as things are now settling in for Alice's master plan.  We also see that Kate is finally done struggling with her identity.  It was good we got Sophie and Kate's relationship out of the way.  I think that the less people know that Kate is Batwoman, the better.  Luke is one thing---he's her voice of reason.  I feel at some point, Mary will get involved as well, but having Sophie out of the loop, or at least her being fooled about Kate's secret, ID is good.  While supportive of Batwoman, she doesn't have to know that it's really Kate.  It allows Kate to move freely, and do what she does without Sophie tailing her all the time, trying to figure out who she is.  Kate now can keep an emotional distance...something Bruce was an expert on.  While she's made some headway with her father, she still feels the need to be her own person, and not attatched to him, either.

I get that Lucius Fox had time to have a kid in Luke---but I have to ask:  when and where in the hell did ALFRED have time to have kids?!  Don't get me wrong---having a Bat-related superhero show WITH a Pennyworth involved--even in a guest capacity---is good.  HOWEVER...just when in the hell did Alfred EVER have the time to hook up with ANYONE...much less get them pregnant, and have an offspring.

The Rifle was a "meh" kind of villain, and another one of those "one and done" guys.  He seems to be more Julia's problem.  But him having the weapon IS a problem, and something that Julia will have to deal with.  Alice, on the other hand, is still keeping HER cards close to the vest, but we see her manipulating her father even moreso now, what with Mouse's abililty to be disguised and use his abilities to fool Catherine into a reconciliation, thus making sure the family stays close knit, until Alice can execute her master plan for them AND Gotham.  

I do enjoy Kate's voice-overs.  It gives perspective from our heroine's point of view, and can set the tone for the show.  Also with the flashbacks, we finally have those gaps filled as far as what happened between Kate and Sophie, while in military school.  There's conflict there, and Sophie reminisces in order to put the past to bed...and Kate feels betrayed when she finds out WHY Sophie backed out of their deal.  It was selfish on Sophie's part, and I think now it can finally allow Kate to move on, and focus on the mission at hand.  I know it will still be a line of contention throughout the show, but this is the start of Kate's healing...and ability to shift focus and move on.  I would like to see Kate's relationship with Mary improve...I like that dynamic.

That does it for this week.  Subscribe, comment, and tell everybody I'm here!  

Until next time...the Signal is OFF!