ARROW - SEASON 8.10

REVIEW:  ARROW - SEASON 8, EP. 10:  "Fadeout"


Well, guys---here it is.  The last review EVER of our Emerald Archer.  Though I have only been writing reviews for this blog the last couple of seasons, I have been on this journey with Oliver Queen since the beginning.  And I have to tell you---it's bittersweet.  We say goodbye to the hero that started it all...gave us the Arrowverse...and cemented a legacy of superhero storytelling for years to come.  We know Ollie has gone---sacrificed his life as The Spectre to restart the universe after battling the Anti-Monitor in Crisis.  We now turn one more time to Star City...to see what has happened in his wake, post-Crisis.  So....for one final time---let's tell Ollie's tale.

We have a flashback to 2014 when it was still Starling City.  We're flashing back to when Slade Wilson had captured Ollie and Thea, and made them watch as he murdered their mother Moira right in front of them...or so WE remember it playing out.  However, in THIS flashback, Ollie breaks free, and attacks Slade, defeating him.  We then see a VERY much alive Moira Queen...discussing her son's sacrifice, discussing how, on another Earth, she had died.  But she is mourning her son, as is many who are being interviewed about Ollie's sacrifice in Crisis.  Dinah Drake talks about the world Oliver left behind...a better one.  Rene Ramirez talks about how Ollie ushered in an age of heroes.  Then we go to documentary filmmaker Marcia Pedowitz, who is directing a flim based on Ollie called Emerald Archer, and she didn't think she had to recut a movie about vigilantism into a memorial for a man who gave his life to save the universe.  We finally see her interviewing John Diggle, about how Oliver at first felt he had to go on his mission alone, only to find out he didn't need to.  Marcia ends the interview, and John, still grieving from losing a man he considered his brother, sees Rene, and they take off and chat alone.  They talk about how Oliver fixed things in Star City, and that crime has practically been eliminated since the universe was rebooted.  

The team has a celebratory drink at The Bunker.  Because Star City seems to be in such good shape, seems like there's no need for them anymore in a vigilante capacity.  Laurel, however, seems intent on getting smashed...she's really not taking it as well as everyone else.  Rene says that Quentin Lance is choosing him to replace him as Mayor once he steps down.  Two things Ollie apparently fixed, if you count Moira.  Dinah says that she was offered the job of Chief of Police.  Diggle says that it's only been a month since Oliver died, but he still feels the mission isn't over.  Diggle flashes back to a memory from 2012, when he's talking to Ollie, and trying to convince him to let him join him in the field, and Ollie refuses, saying he isn't ready.  It was at a time when Ollie was hunting down people on his father's list..and one of them, John Byrne, was a brewing company owner, using his business as a front for human trafficking.  Oliver said back then that his mission is never over.  

We flashback to the beginning, where we see Robert Queen in the raft with the crew member and Oliver.  And the scene plays out where Robert shoots the crew member, tells Ollie to survive, and shoots himself.  We then see Mia wake up...it was her dream she was having.  It's 2040, and Sara shows up...because, well, she's a time traveller, and is there to take Mia to her father's funeral back in 2020.  

At the Bunker again, and Roy is giving out tattoos to everyone, and Dinah asks what it is, Roy says "The Mark of Four".  Chatting with Dinah, he says he's nervous about seeing Thea.  Dinah asks because he doesn't want to see her, but he replies that he does.  He left because he needed to get his head straight.  But now he doesn't want to be apart from her.  Rene asks Diggle if he managed to get ahold of Felicity, but there's radio silence.  He feels that she might not want to show up to the funeral.  Diggle again goes back to another memory, when he's training, and asking Oliver to let him help him in the field.  

The team is assembled at the Bunker, with Roy trying to apologize to Thea for leaving, but she feels the timing is bad.  Dinah returns to the Bunker, only to see Mia there, checking on the computer, saying that Sara had dropped her off so she could be there for the funeral.  Sara also told Mia to be mindful as to not to reaveal too much about the future.  But she does tell Dinah about what happened recently, being that she remembered being drugged, and William being kidnapped.  She felt helpless to stop it.  Dinah reminds her that the hero business has a lot of setbacks, but Ollie would no doubt be proud of her that she's carrying on the legacy.  She fears that she's just not able to protect her family. An alert goes off, and a news report shows that William has been abducted. Felicity finally shows up, and Mia keeps to the background for now, as Felicity gets hugs, then gets right to work in trying to find WIlliam, knowing that his grandparents put a chip in him.  Diggle says that this is the reason the mission isn't over---they need to do this for Oliver...so suit up.

On the trail of William, Red Arrow and Speedy are teamed up, but haven't found him.  Their next stop is Kord Industries.  But before that, Roy wants to talk to Thea...and she understands why he left, but he says that he hated leaving, and doesn't want to be without her.  He proposes to her.  Rene and Ragman are also on the trail.  They catch up on old times, and he knew that Ollie and Rene went through a rough patch.  Ragman understood that---when Rene asks why, Ragman tells him it's because out of everyone, he's the one most like Ollie.  Spartan and Lyla are also on the search, but come up empty as everyone else has.  Lyla is upset, because she desperately wants to find him for Oliver's sake.  Diggle assures her that they will.  Mia, however, is out solo as the Green Arrow, and she happens to come across the man who kidnapped William.  She has him dead to rights, and asks who he is.  He responds by saying that she SHOULD know...she's wearing HIS hood.  

Mia has another memory, and it's of her dad fighting through a legion of soldiers through a factory in order to find the objective of his mission:   John Byrne.  We end the memory, with Byrne saying that Oliver Queen ruined his life because he got sent to prison at Iron Heights, and is planning to throw William over the side of the building in revenge.  Mia says she'll take him down where he stands.  He lets go of William, and says that he lost 8 years of his life, he has nothing left to lose, so go ahead and kill him.  Mia hesitates, then puts her bow down, puts her arrow back, and walks up to him.  She says she's not going to kill him, but he's going to back to jail.  

Returning to the Bunker, we see Mia bonding with her brother, showing him her bow and how it works, while Sara and Felicity look on.  Felicity can't believe that's her daughter.  Sara encourages her to say hello, but Felicity isn't sure she wants to do that.  She still has the younger Mia waiting at home with her, and she doesn't want to rush the memories she will have with her daughter.  Dinah pulls Mia aside to show her the news story on tv, and it shows footage of Mia saving William.  The newscaster saying that Oliver Queen has inspired a new generation of heroes.  We see Diggle yet again, having yet another flashback to training in the original Bunker, with Oliver giving him pointers.  Oliver says that with work, he'll take him out into the field one day.  They talk about Byrne's capture, and Ollie saying that people can be redeemed...even trusted.  

We shift to the Queen Estate, where Thea is taking a look at all the pictures with Ollie.  Roy comes in, comments how Moira has warmed up to him, and he talks to Thea about their future.  He's okay if she turns him down, but he says that she changed his life.  She says that the next time he freaks out, talk to her about it, and no taking off.  He agrees.  With that, Thea does accept Roy's marriage proposal.  

Laurel shows up at the SCPD, and Quentin just happens to be there.  He says he was looking for Dinah, but she wasn't there.  She wants to talk to him.  He asks what's wrong, and she says that while Ollie corrected some things in restarting the universe anew, with Quentin alive, Moira alive, Tommy...but not HIS Laurel.  She wonderes if it's because of her that his Laurel didn't return.  She feels bad about that.  He looks at her, and says there's nothing about her that needs to be fixed, and he hugs her...she is grateful. 

Diggle is lost in thought at the Bunker as Dinah and Rene show up.  Diggle realizes the mission is actually over.  That it's all said and done.  Sara said that in Ollie's final sacrifice, he became something else---and Diggle would like to think that he'll always be there with him.  But things change, and they need to move on.  He says that Lyla got a promotion, and they're moving to Metropolis.  They congratulate him, and Dinah makes her announcement that with Star City safe. she needs to spread her Canary wings and fly---she turned down the Chief of Police offer, and is leaving Star City as well, since she feels there's someplace out there that needs a hero.  Rene is bummed that they're leaving just as he's about to be sworn in as Mayor, but they know he's got this.  They know it's time to go, and they know they're going to miss this place, as they kill the lights and shut it down.  Team Arrow is over, and the Bunker is closed.  They all leave in the elevator.  

We finally get to the memorial service for Oliver.  They gather at the park, where Quentin gives a speech about how his and Ollie's history, the good and bad.  But Quentin says that Ollie proved him wrong.  That he was a an honorable man, a hero.  And proof that anyone can change.  With that, the candlelight vigil unveils the statue of Green Arrow. 

We move to the actual funeral of Oliver Queen.  We see Moira and Thea talking, about why was it that of everything Ollie fixed in restarting the universe, he didn't brink back their father.  Moira says that Ollie could only fix the things that didn't change him.  We then see Emiko show up, and give her condolences.  Finally the two sisters meet, and Moira says that Emiko is welcome home anytime, to which she is grateful.   Tommy chats with Laurel, and the bit of awkwardness there is that his Laurel is gone, and they were married before she was killed, and she says he probably feels weird with her being there.  He says a little...but there's something nice about it.

Talia and Anyssa made the funeral as well to pay their respects.  They bicker a little about Anyssa's marriage to Ollie, which she said they annuled it, saying it was their father's idea she get hitched to begin with.  Sara comes up, and Anyssa introduces her to Talia.  Sara and Talia shake hands, and Anyssa refers to her as her "beloved".  Mia finally musters up the courage to actually talk to her mother.  Felicity says that Oliver would be so proud of her, and Mia says that he had trained and taught her how to be a hero.  And they finally have that Mother/Daughter moment.  Barry Allen shows up, and hugs Felicity, saying he was there at the end, and wishes he could've done more.  Felicity says she knows Barry did all he can.  Kara Danvers also shows up, and says she'd have the words, but she feels words are meaningless at this point.  We also see Anatole there to pay respects to his Bratva Brother.  Felicity decides that it should be Diggle that gives a speech for Oliver.  Diggle goes into a very heartfelt speech about how Oliver was a brother to him, and he to Oliver.  That Oliver inspired everyone around him, and that he gave his all for those he love most.  We then run through a montage whereas we see Diggle, Lyla, and the kids ready to leave for Metropolis, Mia in the park, looking at her Dad's statue, before opening a portal to the Waverider to head home to 2040, Diggle ready to take off, when he sees some kind of comet falling out of the sky and smashing into the ground, knocking him back against the van.  We see Dinah on her bike, taking off to parts unknown, driving past what is renamed Oliver Queen Highway.  Rene is looking upon preparations for his introduction as the new Mayor of Star City.  We then go back to Diggle...who goes to the hole left by whatever crashed, and he sees a container, and opens it, revealing a green glow.  

We then go back to Oliver's grave, where it's now dark, and we see the Monitor with Felicity in 2040, as she's ready to reunite with Oliver again.  She's been waiting 20 years.  So, through the portal she goes.  She is suddently in an office in Queen Consolidated.  Looking around at pictures, and she sees her red pen.  Ollie shows up, and asks if she likes it.  She runs up and kisses and hugs him.  Remembering everything.  He calls back to when he first met her, but she reminds him that they first met in the IT department 7 floors down.  Ollie asks if she's sure about that.  We have one final flashback...when Oliver was younger, in disguise, and he's watching Felicity fawn over a picture of him in his mother's office.  She says she'd like to hear that story.  Oliver says she will have plenty of time to hear it.  We pan back out of the office to the city itself....and the show ends.

The End.


******************************************************************************************************************


They certainly saved the best for last...didn't they?  This final episode gave us just enough bittersweet feels, and sends us out on a high note.  I enjoyed this final installment, and it puts a nice bow on 8 seasons of our Emerald Archer.

Well...we have seen thusfar what the Crisis fallout has done for Batwoman, Supergirl, and the Legends.  We've yet to know how post Crisis has effected The Flash yet, but we will shortly.  But it appears that, in restarting the universe, Oliver Queen managed to correct a few wrongs in the world.  The resurrection of Moira Queen, Quentin Lance, Tommy Merlyn to name a few.  These were people who truly had enough of an effect on his life, but wern't exaclty motivations for him as Green Arrow.  As Moira pointed out to Thea when she wondered why he didn't resurrect their father, it's because Robert Queen WAS the catalyst for Oliver to become Green Arrow...GAVE Oliver purpose for when he returned.  Moira, Tommy, and Quentin were "casualties of war" in a way.  While they effected Oliver greatly, they weren't the very people the DROVE him to be Green Arrow.  The interesting thing to note is the fact that the Laurel Lance of the former Earth 1 didn't get resurrected either.  This Laurel wondered about that.  I think Quentin tried to point out that this Laurel had perhaps been more of a help and ally to Oliver in her own way, and--perhaps--that since there was no Earth 2 anymore (little to they know), that THIS Laurel deserved a chance.  

It was pretty cool to see so many show up for guest appearances for Oliver's funeral.  Anatole,  Talia and Anyssa, Sara obviously, but was also nice to see Barry and Kara make their appearances as well.  It was cool they kept it fairly close knit to those REALLY close to Ollie.  Don't me wrong---but the rest of the Super Friends, Team Legends, and Team Flash weren't as close to Ollie as Barry and Kara, who had formed a tight bond with him (though, it WOULD'VE been nice to have AT LEAST seen Iris).  That being said, it was a nice way to give tribute to the 8 years worth of characters that have appeared on the show.  

We now know that Team Arrow scattered into the wind.  Rene is the only one staying behind as he is going to be the Mayor.  Not sure where Laurel will be, Dinah's riding the wind, and Mia...well, we know what she's up to.  What I thought was interesting was that Mia told Dinah about what happened to William in the future, and that it happened just recently.  So, she still hasn't found him as yet.  I feel that plotline will get picked back up when Green Arrow & The Canaries begins somewhere down the road.  And we got to see Roy with his new mechanical arm---and he and Thea are tying the knot.  Very cool.

Then there's Diggle.  This episode focused A LOT on him....with flashbacks with Oliver, and wondering when he'd be ready to join Ollie on the mission...feeling that mission wasn't over.  But the finality of Team Arrow's mission being over was something he couldn't reconcile with until after William was rescued.  With Lyla taking a job in Metropolis, they're off to new adventures.  And those adventures for Dig are going to start asap, because he just got "the call"  That comet FOUND HIM, because our suspicions for the last few seasons have NOW been confirmed.  That was a Green Lantern ring.  And, if it's true there's a series lit for the Green Lantern Corps on HBO Max...it had BETER DAMN WELL have Diggle.  But...I'm ALSO hoping that while Diggle, Lyla, and the family are heading to Metropolis...we get to see them still pop up and interact with Superman, Lois, Flash, and everyone else in the League.  Especially if John becomes Green Lantern.  Just wish we had gotten MORE, but they were only going to give us so much I guess.

Your easter egg of the show..one last one...was the man who abducted William:  John Byrne.  He is named after famed writer/artist John Byrne, who has worked on many chracters of both Marvel AND DC including the X-Men, Spider-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Fantastic Four, JLA, and was responsible for the 1986 reboot of Superman with his famous mini-series The Man of Steel.


Okay, guys.  That's it.  The final bow has been taken, and this is my last blog for Green Arrow.  BUT...lemme know what YOU guys thought of the series finale?  Continue to leave comments below.  The Arrowverse lives on with the other shows I still blog about, and we'll be back there.  So, make sure you still subscribe to the blog, and pass along the good word.

That's it, everyone.  Our arrows have found the bullseye.

BLACK LIGHTNING - SEASON 3.11

REVIEW:  BLACK LIGHTNING - SEASON 3, EP. 11: "The Book of Markovia Chapter Two:  Lynn's Addiction"


The story is now beginning to pick up the pace on this show, as we see the Pierce family up against the wall.  The ASA is closing in, the Markovians are still lurking about, and there's also the personal turmoil that is within the family dynamic itself.  Sprinkle in a few new wrinkles into the fabric of what we know so far, and we've got a show running like a well oiled machine.  Action, drama, some humor, and a few twists are making this season of Black Lightning the best one yet....and we're only about halfway through.  



We find ourselves with Sgt. Grayle, who had helped out last week in setting Jennifer and Brandon free.  He's making a video, explaining the reasons he had joined the ASA--to protect the innocent, defend the Constitution, and so forth.  However, with what he's been witnessed to, he isn't on board anymore.  So, he's giving a full account of what Odell has been doing in Freeland, and should anything happen to him, they'll see this video.  

Jennifer and Brandon are hiding out in an abandoned house, when there's a knock at the door...it's Jefferson.  Jen introduces him to Brandon, and she pulls him aside for a private chat.  She says that Odell played them, and that he had her working for him.  He not only gave her a new suit, but gave her a phone to contact her with while her dad was in the Pit.  She also fesses up about him manipulating her with anti Markovian propaganda, and had her run missions for him, such a destroying a Markovian compound where they did cyberhacking.  Jeff wonders whether or not she killed anyone, and she says she might've.  He's upset at this, and she says she learned her lesson, but that she felt that he and her mother were holding her back.  He says they did it to protect her.  She says Odell let her USE her powers.  She is, however, convinced that Odell has to die.  Jeff tells her that he needs to be stopped...but not killed.  He said for her to lay low until he figures something out.  He also issues a VERY stern warning to Brandon about staying away from Jen.  She just rolls her eyes.  He leaves, and Brandon comments that he's intense, to which Jen tells him that he doesn't know the half of it.

Anissa and Grace are having some private time at the compound of the Peredi.  Grace wants to come home, but Anissa says that she needs to control her powers.  Grace says she's gotten ahold of them, and the reason they'd get out of control were because of her feelings of abandonment.  She's ready to be with Anissa.  Just then, Anissa gets a call from her dad, informing her she needs to come back to Freeland.  She's going to head out, and Grace tells her she's coming along.

Gambi finds Lynn, and comments that she looks terrible.  She says she's fine, just not getting enough rest.  He gets to the point---he needs a vial of her stabalizer to help a metahuman kid.  She says she's down to only one vial, but that's all he needs.  He says that he's and original pod kid, and Lynn is surprised, and asked how he got there.  Gambi says he put him in there.  He thought he was doing right by the kid, saving him as he did the others...so he thought.  But the metahuman experiments went wrong, and that's why he left the ASA.  He can't go back and change what happened, but at least he can save one kid's life.  Lynn gives him the vial and says to make it count.  However, she needs something from him:  She needs equipment to gain access into The Pit.  She needs to get access to the other kids in The Pit.  Get a chance to save them.  He offers his help, but she says she has it.

Odell is in his office, and for HIM, he's pissed off.  He's giving Major Grey the third degree about losing several metas from the Pit, having lost a good portion of her agents, and failed on getting Jennifer Pierce back to their side, and now he knows she's coming for him.  He says he can't go back to Gotham in failure.  Grey offers a solution:  chip the remaining kids, move Tobias up to the medical ward, where they can extract more of his marrow, make more of the stabalizer, and prep them.  He gives her the authorization.

Grayle shows up at Lynn's room, with her bag.  He said he would've looked through it, but didn't.  He says he'd ask how she managed to get ahold of him, but thought better of it.  She says she needs to get back to the Pit, and get Tobias out, that way they can't make more stabalizer without her.  He asks if she's got a plan, and she does.  Then excuses her self, so she can load up on Green Light.

Lala is back, as we check in on him, hanging on his turf, doing business.  He's got a huge henchmen who's been doing some work for him.  He talks about the guns they've been selling to the Resistance, among other things.  He tells Lala that he found a hacker to get into the suitcase he took off Tobias, but he tells the goon to park that job for now.  He's discovered that someone's set up shop on the East Side, and haven't paid him any respect.  He wants him to go find out who's in charge, so that he can get his cut.

Gambi is back with TC, and administers the stablizer to him.  TC is feeling better.  TC says why would he do this for him, and Gambi says that no one gets through this life alone.  He's just helping a young man out.  Jeff then burst in, and informs Gambi that Odell used Jen for murder against the Markovians.  In his rage, Jeff's powers are causing electrical issues in the Sanctum.  He mellows out, and sees TC, asking who he is.  Gambi tells him, and TC says hello.  Jeff then says he needs Gambi's help.  

Lynn has accessed her files from the ASA using Gambi's system to hack in.  She has managed to get the resources needed to take from the podkids, their powers, and inject it into someone.  Grayle offers himself up, and she says it's dangerous.  He's been with the ASA, so it doesn't bother him.  She administers the blood from a meta known as "Chameleon".  It takes a bit after injection, but it works.  Grayle begins to blend into his environment and seemingly disappear.  It succeeds.  

Anissa and Grace are enjoying time at home, when Shondra calls out to Anissa that her father has arrived.  Grace leaves to give them some privacy.  Anissa lets her father in, and he tells her that they're going after Odell.

Lynn checks up on Grayle, who is back to normal, all his vitals check out.  She says that the serum grants powers, but only for about an hour.  They then discuss how they're going to get Tobias out.  She says she's going to go in, and he's going to be there at the ready to escape.  She is going to give the serum to Tobais.

Jen is growing restless because she isn't able to do anything.  After awhile, she becomes fed up, and is going out there to help her dad.  Brandon offers to come with, but she says this isn't his fight.  He begs to differ, and says she still needs to help him find Jace, so he's coming with her.  However, she says that he's going to have to keep hush on some things when he finds out about her life.

TC is up and around...a tad weak, but better.  Gambi is about to run point on the Odell Operation with Jefferson.  TC says he wants to show Gambi who it was that paid for the hit on his life, by tracing the bitcoin trail.  He shows Gambi the picture of Lady Eve.  He tells TC that her goons took a year to get the funds from offshore and to find him and do the job.  TC wonders why, and Gambi tells him that she's dead.  Gambi then returns his attention to the mission, and gives Jefferson Odell's coordinates.

We see Odell's convoy heading down a highway, when Black Lightning lands, and fires at the lead humvee...bringing it to a halt.  the vehicle behind it slams into it.  Odell is stunned a bit.  The agents get out, and being attacking Black Lightning, but Thunder shows up, and the fight is over before it really starts.  Black Lightning rips off the door to Odell's vehicle and grabs him.  They have him in a remote place, and he's tied to a chair.  Gambi comes in, to which Odell calls him "Agent Esposito", and wonders what he's doing.  Gambi says he's going to tourture him...he should be familiar with it.  He's going to hammer a nail into his foot...and keep hammering until he talks.  Odell says they all made a mistake, and that they'll be locked up for what they're going.  Jefferson says that Odell made the mistake when he reneged on his deal, and took advantage of Jen, and turned her into a killer.  He then goes into this aria about being a patriot, a soldier, beings quoting Martin Luther King, to which Jefferson and Anissa aren't impressed by.  Jeff tells Gambit to hit him, and Odell stars quoting the 23rd Psalm...to which Jeff blasts him with his powers.  Odell keeps talking and fessing up to what he did.  He says to them to do their worst.  Jeff asks whether or not they got it, and Gambi said they did.  They recorded the entire conversation.  Just for good measure, Jeff zaps Odell agian...but isn't letting up until Odell is out, and Gambit calls him off.

Major Grey goes to Painkiller, and says that the Pierce family is a threat.  He says he's got Black Liighting's heat signautre in his memory.  She says that all of the Pierce family is to be killed, and they're going to rescue Agent Odell.  

Jen arrives at the Sanctum, and goes to suit up.  Brandon looks around, and notices the suit designs for the team.  He discovers their secrets, and is surprised.  She tells him yes, her dad is Black Lightning.  She's finishing suiting up, and he looks at a monitor, asking Jen if that's the guy who they tried to take out the other night.  She's upset when she finds Odell on camera tied up.  She knows her dad was invovled, and is pissed.  She uses the tracker to pinpoint the location.  Meanwhile, Brandon is wondering when he can get his super suit, and thinks of a name...Geo-Force.  She stops the talk of that immediately, and tells him to stay put, while she goes after Odell.  And not to touch anything.  

Lala's henchman shows up at this very nice whorehouse, and pays the hostess for a couple of ladies.  He then pays them a tidy sum to get started without him.  While they go do their business, he goes and starts taking pics with his cellphone of the players that are involved.  he catches a couple of gentlemen having their fun, and he spots a lady talking to some of her employees.  She's a heavy set black woman.  He nabs a picture of her.  He goes back to Lala, and shows him what he took on recon, and mentions a woman.  Lala sees the pic and instantly recognizes her--it's LADY EVE!  Back from the dead.  He tells his man to pack up, they're going to pay a visit.  

Lynn and Grayle go over their plan one final time, making sure Lynn gets in undetetected to get to Tobias.  It's now showtime.

Gambi is working on a hologram of Odell himself, making sure it's used to order the ASA away.  Once that's done, they can take him in.  Jeff is impressed.  All of the sudden, Jen bursts in, pissed off that her dad didin't wait for her, and while he's trying to explain, she's saying she can't trust him, then a gas cansiter appears in the room, and everyone scatters.  The ASA with Major Grey and Painkiller show up to rescue Odell, and take out the Pierce family.  Once Jen sees Khalil, she's in shock...she can't believe he's alive.  Khalil and Black Lightning do battle, with Thunder warning him about not letting Painkiller touch him.  Black Lightning manages to put him down, but Lighting stops her dad and sister from doing anything else, having been very confused at what's going on.  She feels even more lied to.  Both her dad and sister tell her that Khalil is dead, and that's not him anymore.  While all this is happening, Major Grey is grabbing Odell, and taking him out of there.  Painkiller turns his attention to Lightning, and calls her a pain in the ass.  As he heads for her, she uses her powers to lay him out.  He unconscious...but alive.

Lynn makes her way into the medical lab, and Tobias is his usual manipulative self.  She gives Tobias the serum, and she says that he has to hold onto her at all times.  He professes that he isn't going anywhere, he's got Black Lightning's wife.  He feels that SHE is HIS meal ticket.  

Lala and his boys pay a visit to the whorehouse, and asks the hostess for Lady Eve.  She denies knowing a Lady Eve, and Lala isn't there to play games.  If she doesn't produce her in about a minute, things are going to get ugly.  Lady Eve does show up, and she and Lala go and have a talk.  He's impressed with her set up, and she figures he wants a cut.  Lala isn't having that.  He says he's taking over, and there isn't anything she can do about it.  She says you'd be amazed.  He's giving her 48 hours....it's deal or die.  He walks out with his men.  The hostess asks what Lady Eve wants to do about it.  She says that have to give in...for now.

TC is looking over Khalil as he was brought back to the Sanctum.  TC can hear the chip inside Khalil's head.  Meanwhile, Jeff knows that Odell is now making his way back to Gotham City.  Jen is still not going to forgive her dad and Anissa for keeping Khalil's being alive from her.  They felt they were trying to protect her, since he was manipulated and controlled by Odell.  TC then walks in and asks who Jen is.  When Jen speaks up, TC says that Khalil still loves her.  When asked how he knows, TC says that he told him.  

Lynn and Tobias make their way through the woods, escaping ASA detection.  They manage to make it to the highway, awaiting for Grayle to pick them up.  Tobias feels that now is the time to make good on his escape, as the powers wear off.  He goes to hit Lynn, but she shrugs off his blow.  She tells him does he honestly think she'd give him powers, and not give herself any...and promptly knocks him out cold.  She then sees Grayle pull up in a van, and looks at an unconscious Tobias.  Lynn says she had to resort to Plan B.  They load Tobias into the back of the van, and are about ready to shut it, when they're approached from behind by a man, who zaps them unconscious.  He then calls his bosses, saying that he's caputred three people, and they're ready for pickup.  He's speaking in Markovian.  


******************************************************************************************************************


I've said quite a few times, and I'll keep saying it:  The writers of this show are in a groove.  This story has been well paced, the acting superb, and the action has been awesome.  Plus some twists and turns we hadn't really seen coming.  

It took 11 episodes, but we FINALLY got to see an Agent Odell unnerved and visibly upset.  Bill Duke is an amazing actor, who can deliver a serious role with complete emotionless delivery.  Precisce and on point.  So, with Odell, he's calm, cool, and collected.  But when his plans are falling apart at the wayside, we have finally seen the cracks in the armor...and taking it out on Major Grey....who didn't seem to enjoy the ass chewing one bit.  Also...was NOT aware that he had come from Gotham City---interesting to know.  Makes me wonder what ties he as there?  And has he crossed paths with Batman?  And will he ever cross paths with Batwoman?  Something to think about.  And to see how he handles being a prisoner at the hands of the Pierce family and Gambi---he goes right back to being calm and collected.  Still trying to make them feel like he's got the upper hand.  It felt good to see Jefferson get a little payback by zapping him a couple of times.  

Jennifer was one unhappy camper this episode.  While she felt good getting off her chest the news of Odell's backstabbing and manipulating, but in telling her dad about that, she was upset that while HE and Lynn confined her to home, and not to use her powers, Odell let her explore her powers, and she felt free because of it.  Jeff said what they were doing was for protection, but often times with parents---it's a negative.  Can't shelter your kids all their lives.  When her and Brandon are in the Sanctum (you ever notice that with these shows?  All their hideouts or headquarters all have some kind of fancy name?  Flash has STAR Labs, and---on a couple of occaisions---the now Hall of Justice.  Arrow has had the Bunker, Supergirl has had the DEO, but NOW...thanks to J'Onn J'Onzz...The Tower, and the Legends have the Waverider, and formerly the Time Bureau), he saw the Pierce family secret.  He wondered if HE could get a super suit...which led to him looking for a cool superhero name like Geo-Force (see...what did I TELL you all?!  From the second I saw his powers, I KNEW there was going to be a Geo-Force on this show!).  She felt betrayed that her dad and Anissa went after Odell, and kept him out of the loop.  The final blow was when she saw Khalil, alive and well, and her family knew about it.  But she finally saw WHY they kept it a secret when he went to attack her.  Now, I thought at the end, TC was going to be able to extract the chip in Khalil's head, but he didn't.  However, he DID manage to talk to the tech inside Khalil, and found out that he does still love Jen.  This will make an interesting dynamic in the episodes to  come is what will happen with him.

Glad to see Grace back on the canvas, and that the writers didn't forget about her.  Was cool to see her and Anissa together.  They're a cute couple.  And also glad that Grace seems to have her powers under control.  I still have a feeling she might be useful to the team before the seaon is over with.

Sgt. Grayle is offically on the side of the good guys.  That was apparent last episode, and how Lynn managed to get ahold of him, we're unsure, but we know that he was VERY instrumental in executing Lynn's plan to get Tobias out of the Pit.  Tobias, as usual, thought he could be slick, but I'll give Lynn some love this episode---she thought and planned ahead.  Clocking Tobias, and putting his lights out had to feel good a LITTLE BIT to Lynn.  Sadly, though, Lynn and Grayle weren't smart enough to avoid the Markovians, who now have them in their custody.  Time to see how the other half lives--so-to-speak.  The other bad thing, though:  She ws going through withdrawls, and was sick...but it looked like she might kick the habit.  Grayle unbeknownst to him, however, got her purse, and she was RIGHT back on the Green Light.  THAT little issue is coming to a head, no doubt.  

I have to admit---it's been faaaar too long since we had a Lala appearance.  He's still looking to run Tobias' turf as his own, and now has to deal with a VERY much alive Lady Eve...which I didn't see coming...but I have to admit---the thought DID percolate in my head a little bit once we discovered last episode that the bitcoin trail to the private account to payoff whomever it was that tried to kill Gambi led to her.  WIth her back, Tobias, Lala, the Markovians...and not ruling out the ASA either...Freeland is about to become a war zone.  And the Pierce family is going to be in the thick of it.  Wonder if we can have some Justice League cameos in the season finale?  Let's make it happen, CW!!  

Overall, this show just flat out kicks ass.  They're doing it right, and I love it.  

That's it for this week.  If ya got questions, comments, ideas, theories, whatever...please keep it respectful, tasteful and cool with one another.  Please also subscribe and tell your friends about this little place...nothing to fear here.

Until next time...the power is OUT!

SUPERGIRL - SEASON 5.11

REVIEW:  SUPERGIRL - SEASON 5, EP. 11:  "Back From the Future, Part 1"


The Girl of Steel has been facing a new challenge post Crisis:  Trying to prove to the new and improved world at large that Lex Luthor is NOT who he makes himself out to be:  a hero of the people.  He's got his sister Lena roped into his plan, unbeknownst to her, by giving her the means to manipulate people's minds into what she wants them to be:  dolice little honest people.  She is also coping with adjusting to the new world.  Meanwhile, we now have a Brainiac 5 working with Luthor in order to "save" the world, but by doing so, is betraying his friends, and breaking Nia's heart in the process.  And now...we get the return of one of our old friends with a VERY tricky issue to resolve...

We open up this episode with Braniac 5 on a highway at nighttime.  He's apparently setting something up, as we see a bus coming along towards him.  He lays in wait, as the trap he set is a piece of a tree or something, that gets tripped, and nails the driver through the windshield.  The bus crashes, and it turns out it's a prison bus from National City.  A man crawls out, and we discover that it's Winn Schott...son of the Toyman, and one of Supergirl's allies who had left to join the Legion of Superheroes in the future.  Briany is there to meet him with his helmet on, telling him to go with him.

Kara is having a friendly gathering at her place, as they try and soothe Nia's feelings over being dumped by Brainy.  Nia assures them she's fine, but Alex has been a little worried about him.  He seems different.  Somehow, the subject changes to Lex, and whatever scheme he has up his sleeve.

This Winn meets up with Lex, who comments that it didn't take long for him to get arrested 16 hours after arriving on Earth.  Winn has no idea who Lex is, and Lex fills in the story about his father being the best toymaker in the world until his partners stole his patents.  Lex wants to help Winn restore his father's legacy, by helping him become the biggest toymaker in the world.  Winn seems interested, and Lex hands him a pamphlet for a toy show that is featuring an old enemy of Winslow Schott - Chester Dunholtz.  Lex tells him that whatever he's going to do...make it splashy.

Lex then takes in a meeting with Lena, who is frustrated that she can't get her project going forward, because this newly created universe shifted the Q-Waves, and she can't harness them.  Lex is more concerned with obtaining more information about Leviathan.  He feels that if his sister helps him out, he can find a way to get the Q-Waves she needs to start her project back up, and that means cozying up to Andrea.  Lena doesn't want to for personal reasons, mostly betrayal.  But Lex strokes her ego by saying that she shouldn't let personal issues get in the way of her getting what she wants.  Lex says that by the end of tomorrow, he'll have the answer to her Q-Wave problem.  But he has to crash---gotta attend the toy fair tomorrow as they unveil his action figure.

Kara and William Day are talking about Lex and his dirty dealings when they come upon him admiring his new action figure.  Kara is trying to keep the peace, and put up a good front interviewing him, passing off the fake smile.  But William puts a wet blanket on it, by asking Lex about his dealings with Rogers Engineering--his friend's company--and how his friend refused to work with Lex and let him take over the company, and then suddenly disappeared.  Lex calmly deflects and ends the interview, and then pulls Kara aside.  He immediately tells her that if William goes digging into his dealings, William is going to get hurt...and he'll expose her secret ID.  This forces Kara to crush her recording device in anger and frustration.

However, Kara has little time to ponder on it, because Alex contacts her, and says there's a shooter at the fair.  Kara switches to Supergirl and joins Alex in the hunt for him.  They come upon a group of toy monkeys with cymbals.  Supergirl discovers that they're all linked together, and it's a bomb.  She races over, and covers them with her body and cape.  The bomb goes off in Supergirl's face, but there's no real threat, as it detonates harmlessly in front of her, thanks to her shielding it.  They eventually spot the shooter, who is Winn, as he's got his laser sights on Chester Dunholtz.  As Winn takes the shot, and the bullet is headed towards its target, Supergirl leaps into action to stop it, but it's suddently stopped the incoming of a spaceship that lands.  Out of the ship comes a man dressed in a suit with a mask---it's the REAL Winn!  He asks where the shooter is, and Supergirl goes after him.  The evil Winn makes a beeline for safety, and Supergirl gives chase, only to catch up to a mannequin dressed like him, laughing as the head pops off.  

Winn is doing an immediate scan of the area, trying to find this evil doppleganger, and wants Brainy to help in the search.  Brainy comes off as hesitant.  Winn is desperate to find this evil version of him.  If he doesn't, his life will be over.  Supergirl asks why, and he says he will lose his wife and kid.  He shows them a picture of his wife Ila, and is daugher Mary.  Winn goes on to say that he was at home when there was a knock at the door, and the time cops had come for him, and she was arguing with them, saying that he had killed Dunholtz on this day, and discovered it was him using his DNA.  If this version of him kills Dunholtz, then he will go to jail, and he'll have never met his wife.  Alex spots someone in a hood on the security camera, but it's not clear as to who it is.  They give it Brainy to see if he can clean up the image, and they can get an idea.  Brainy reluctantly takes it, and says he'll be at the DEO trying to do what he can to get a better image of Schott's accomplice.  He also says he'll take the Legion ship to the DEO as well, but Alex says she's actually going to have it stashed elsewhere.  Winn reunites with his friends, and is not aware as to what Lex is up to.

Lena meets up with Andrea, who is all to happy to see her.  Lena puts her act into place by saying that she's sorry for how things happened, and that she'd like to be friends again, and that Andrea can tell her anything.  She asks about Leviathan, and Andrea fesses up about knowing about them, and apologizes for not being upfront with her, but she says Leviathan hasn't contacted her.  Lena says that IF they do, she'll be there for her, and for Andrea to let her know.  Andrea has to take off, as does Lena, but Lena contacts Lex to let him know they haven't activated Andrea as yet, so she knows pretty much nothing. 

Team Supergirl arrives at J'Onn's, where they find him in a secret room, one that he has set up away from where he, Barry, Kara, and the other heroes meet.  Winn says he's heard of it, and in the future, they call it the Hall of Justice, which Kara likes.  J'Onn has set up a new HQ for his Super Friends, dubbing it "The Tower".  He then gets Winn caught up on what's going on, and Winn doesn't respond well to the mid zap, throwing up in the process.  

Brainy is at the DEO getting a better picture of the Toyman's accomplice, but he knows what we suspect:  the hooded figure was him.  He goes to Lex, and says they SHOULD'VE caught the Toyman, but Lex can't be bothered with that at the moment.  Lex wants to know where the Legion ship is, and Brainy tells him it's at a government black site 3 miles out of National City.  He needs to know HOW to gain access, and Brainy tells him he has Winn's hair, so he has a DNA sample.  He again inquires about the Toyman, and Lex says for him and is super buddies to take care of it themselves.

We see that Toyman has managed to capture a live video feed, and is welcoming people to subscribe to his channel.  He's looking to get one million subscribers, so he can blow up the city.  The Super Friends are trying to pinpoint a location, but it's no use.  J'Onn decides to start looking for him physically by patrolling the city.  This worries Winn, because he checks his wrist monitor, and it shows what used to be a picture of his wife and kid, to a wanted poster offering a reward for his capture.  The fans, meanwhile, are eating Toyman's plan up, and commenting on him to go forward and doing it...gaining subscribers at an alarming rate.  Brainy shows up at the Tower, and when they ask if he found Toyman's accomplice, he lies and says he couldn't get a decent shot, but he understands Toynman's tech, and he will try to locate him.  Kara is called to CatCo, and she tells them to keep working on finding Toyman quickly.

Kara arrives at CatCo, and she is immediately met by William, who starts giving his theory about Lex working with the Toyman.  Kara is urging him caution.  If he goes after Lex too hard, there will be trouble and retaliation.  William says this is what they do, report the truth.  They are interrupted by Andrea, who scolds Kara for not heading to her office immediately.  She then wants William to join her at her alma mater at the university, because she is accepting an award for the tech advancements that her family's company as accomplished.  She is also planning the launch of the second phase of the Obsidian lenses.  He is to write a report on that.  She wants Kara to report on the Toyman, and get an exclusive so she can drive up internet traffic to the site.  Kara tries to get out of it, but Andrea will hear no excuses.  She wants a splashy headline.  Kara says even if it involves bloodshed, and Andrea can care less.

While the Toyman is plotting his revenge, Kara takes Nia to the Tower, who is very impressed.  Winn finally meets her, and says that he is friends with her descentdent.  He tells her that she is a great Legionnaire.  Brainy then comes in, and says that they will have to work fast to find Toyman.  Nia goes to work using her powers, but in her dream, she sees Brainy, who then turns into a white tiger.  She wakes up, and reveals what she saw, and when she does, she walks by Brainy, making sure she gives him the nasty brush as she walks out of the room.  Winn goes to talk to her, and says that her descendent in the future and him got to talk about her powers.  He even adapted some of her powers when he got his Legion flight ring.  He's also good at being able to decipher dreams.  She tells him that she saw a white tiger...which is her nickname for Brainy.  She hates that he is in her head.  Winn tries to assure her that she is a powerful woman, and to never question her own worth. 

Winn and Kara catch up, and he says he almost named his daughter Kara.  Says it's a fairly common name, which Kara is surprised.  He says that Supergirl is such a legend in the future.  She talks about working with William, and how Lex threatened him.  She is worried for his safety if he keeps digging.  Winn talks about all the times HIS life was in danger being around her.  He says that just being in her orbit is inspiring.  Talking about his late father and his work, Winn figures out where the Toyman might be.  They find the location where Toyman's target will be.  Turns out, that not only was Dunholtz one of the people on Toyman's hit list---but Andrea Rojas and her father.  They see the counter, and the Toyman has his one million viewers.  

Lex has made his way to the black site, Fort Hanson, and gets in to see the Legion ship.  He gains access, and finds a cube with all the information about Leviathan he needs to go...but remembers one person from there...Jemma Cooper.

Andrea is giving her speech at the university, thanking them for the honor, and she begins to talk about the new Obsidian Platinum lenses.  It allows you to live your dreams.  The University's mascot, a white tiger, shows up, and unleashes robotic white tigers upon the crowd.  It's Toyman.  The Super Friends show up to save the day, and begin battling the robot tigers.  Winn shows Dreamer a new way to use her powers to beat the tigers back.  Supergirl assits with the tigers, as Winn goes after Toyman.  Winn does everything he can to reason with Toyman, but Toyman says that he is eternal.  He sets off the dead man's switch.  Winn shields up just as the bomb goes off.  Supergirl sees this, and goes into super speed rescue mode.  She gets everyone to safety.  They can't find William, who didn't even show up apparently when accounting for able bodies.  The one good that comes out of it, is that Winn is no longer responsible for Dunholtz's death, they averted disaster, and Winn's future is intact.  

Kara finds William digging through information he got while following Lex.  She agrees to a teamup and share information, but they have to be low key about it.  He agrees, and shows her that Lex paid off the guards at the Fort to gain access to the Legion ship.  She invites him over for game night, but he passes.  She encourages him after having a moment.

Winn is talking with Brainy about the fight they just won, and notices that Brainy looks like he lost something he loved.  Brainy then confesses that he betrayed the team.  It was him that helped Toyman because he was working with Lex.  He brought Winn here, and risked his future in order to Lex to get information from the Legion's ship computer.  He's breaking down emotionally, because he pushed Nia away, and that kills him, but the other Brainiacs told him he needed to work with Lex or it will mean the end of the world.  Brainy is begging for forgiveness, and Winn lays into him a little bit, not happy that his friend put his life on the line.  Brainy asks if he hates him.  Winn says he SHOULD, but since things turned out, no.  He talks about being in the future,and stopping Brainy's cousin.  Winn takes off to Kara's for game night, and asks Brainy to go, but Brainy says he has work to do at the Tower.

Lex arrives at Lena's office with the box from the Legion ship, and gives it to her, whereas she connects with it, and finds out that there are Q-Waves she can obtain.  Shifting to Kara's, we see the Super Friends having a game night, and relaxing, and William has joined in on the fun.  Moving back to the DEO, we see agents putting away all of Toyman's equipment, and locking it up.  However, the computer springs to life, with the image of the Toyman, saying that it's time to have some fun.  


******************************************************************************************************************


Was it or was it not GREAT to see Jeremy Jordan back as Winn?!  And for him to pull double duty in this episode---fantastic!  A chance to see the Winn we've missed since taking off for the future to train and be with the Legion, and for him to dabble as the Toyman. Kudos to him this episode.  We also got to see a more mature Winn, a smarter Winn.  A FAMILY MAN Winn..which is a new twist.  AND...he's best friends with Nia's ancestor.  Overall, it was fun to have one of the OG's back for a storyline.

Lex is once again a few steps ahead of everyone else, including Lena.  He manages to pull HER strings yet again, by getting her to work Andrea over for info on Leviathan.  What's interesting here, is that in the wake of Crisis, and the universe reborn...Andrea hasn't been tapped by Leviathan yet.  That's curious, and makes me wonder what's in store with HER down the road.  Will she be used if Leviathan finds out that Lex is digging into their business?  We DO know that Lex KNOWS who Jemma Cooper is, so I'm sure he's working overtime to find a way to get to her as well.  Either way, Lex has managed to plan and scheme well ahead.  He also feels he holds the key over Supergirl, as he threatens William's well being to her if he continues to dig into Lex's dealings....and expose her secret ID.  

Lena now has a chance to restart her program with the Q-Waves...again, looking to questionable means to meet, what SHE feels, is an acceptable and perfect world.  She will learn the hard way.

What in the hell did we see between William and Kara?  Did they share a "moment"?  I get them working together to expose Lex in some kind of "His Girl Friday" manner....but are the show runners tossing hints about SHIPPING these two?  Not sure I like that.

Thank you to Winn for letting us know that the League officially referred to their HQ as the Hall of Justice.  Hopefully, Supergirl helps that catch on.  And now that Lex controls the DEO...the team needed a new HQ themselves---and J'Onn creates the Tower (which,for the newbies, the Tower is in reference to the Justice League HQ in space called The Watchtower).  I guess we're now officially renaming Team Supergirl the Super Friends...okay, I'm cool with it.  Also dug the part where J'Onn was leaving on patrol, and he said if they need to get ahold of him, contact him, tapping on the various hero logos on the wall.  I guess those are signals for the League.  Again, things are looking more and more connected.  I love it!

That's about all I got for this episode.  If you have any thoughts or questions or theories of your own, leave 'em in the comments below!  Also...don't forget to subscribe to the page, and pass along the good word.

This, obviously, is Part 1 of our Toyman arc, with the next episode airing February 16th....no doubt a Valentie's Day episode (yeesh!).  

Until then, kids----Up, up, and away!

BATWOMAN - SEASON 1.11

REVIEW:  BATWOMAN - SEASON 1, EP. 11:  "An Un-Birthday Present"

Since the end of Crisis, Kate Kane's life has dramatically changed.  The world at large is mostly unaware that there was (and, to an extent, STILL), a multiverse.  So, they are oblivious to the changes to the norm.  However, since the end of Crisis, we have seen things different on Supergirl, such as different versions of Brainiac 5, as well as different beings that managed to survive the antimatter wave and escaped to an alternate dimension that wasn't consumed, or have managed to find themselves now on Earth-Prime.  One of those beings just happens to be Beth Kane---Kate's sister.  Only, she's the Beth we saw in the picture with Kate from Earth 99...but that Beth is dead.  So, where did this one come from, and how did she get here?  Our Lady Crusader has lots to figure out...all while having to deal with the next phase of Alice's devious plans.  



When last we left Kate, she had returned to her office at Wayne Enterprises, only to be shocked to discover that there was Beth Kane, alive and well, awaiting her.  This unnerved Kate, who thought she was an imposter, and attacked her.  We see her still attacking her as we start this installment, as Beth tries to explain that she is who she is, but---in order to defend herself, whips out pepper spray, nails Kate in the eyes, and makes a break for it.  By the time Kate recovers, Beth is gone.

Alice is in Crow custody, and she hears a knock at the door, and is reminded of the secret knock her and Johnathan--Mouse to us--used to let them know that they were safe.  She flashes back to her past, when they had that knock, and he showed up with a gift for her bithday - a cat.   She called it her Cheshire Cat, since she was reading Alice In Wonderland at the time.  John's father arrives, and they quickly hide the cat from him.  He knows it's her birthday, so he lights the candle on the cupcake John brought, and asks her to make a wish.  She says out loud she wants to be with her dad and sister again, and blows out the candle.  John's dad says that if you say the wish out loud, it'll never come true.  

Sophie is talking to Jacob about Alice, and Jacob warns her to NOT interrogate her.  It will give Alice a chance to get into her head, and play mind games.  He tells her to get Alice to Arkham, and then she'll become THEIR problem.  After they finish chatting, Kate shows up, and is looking to find if Alice is still in custody.  Sophie shows her that she's under surveillance.  Kate then tells Sophie she saw Beth.  Sophie isn't surprised, and tells her that Mary said she saw her too.  

Back at the office, Luke has run a series of tests to discover that Beth is exactly who she says she is.  She left her cellphone behind, and Luke says it will take some time to  hack into it, too see if she's on the level, but Kate--knowing her sister--knows her password (since it's the only one Beth could remember, which is 'breakfast'), and gets into her phone.  They see pictures of what Beth is working on, which is astrophysics, and pictures of her and Kate.  Mary says she's going to the college to talk to anyone in the astrophysics department to see if they have heard or seen Beth.  Kate then tells Luke about the possibility of this Beth being from a different Earth, and managed to wind up here after the universe was reshaped.  Either way, Kate needs to find her.  Luke isn't sure where to start, but Kate has an idea.  We find Beth at the same place that Kate and Alice met---the waffle stand. Beth is leery of Kate, and Kate immediately apologizes.  Beth says she wandered around, she feels at home, but no one knows her, and she has no idea what's going on.  She looks at Kate, and asks what's going on, and Kate simply says she got her wish, and the two women embrace.  

Sophie, going against Jacob's orders, begins to interrogate Alice.  Alice has a request for her book of Alice In Wonderland, but Sophie isn't into granting requests.  Alice is offended, and says that's not a way to treat someone on their birthday.  Sophie isn't into giving a party, either.  Alice comments that Kate hates surprises, but she absolutely LOVES them.  Sophie inquires what she means about that, and Alice simply doesn't answer.

We then see a video feed from Mouse, who happens to have kidnapped the Mayor's son, as well as the Commissioner's son.  Mouse says that if Alice isn't freed by 9 pm, the boys are as good as dead.  

Kate and Beth talk about the multiverse, and how she got there.  Beth recounts that Kate was her hero, having rescued her from the car going off the bridge, that did eventually kill their mother.  Kate is surprised to hear this story.  Just then, Luke calls, and tells Kate to check out the TV.  We see a news report about the Mayor and Commissioner's sons being kidnapped.  At the same time, Sophie is watching the same news report.  The reporter wants to know WHY the Commissioner hasn't called upon Batwoman, and wonders if it has something to do with her being a lesbian.  The Commissioner, to his credit, says they need to park the political angle, so he can find the boys.  

Sophie brings Alice her copy of her book.  And she wants information.  Alice knows what she wants, and then goes into another flashback of her time with Johnathan and being held captive.  The book kept her sane.  She watches John's father work on making a new skin graft for his face, while smoking a pipe.  Alice likens him to the Caterpillar from the book.  She sees him walk off in frustration at his failure to fix John's face.  Sophie comments how horrible it must have been being trapped there.  Alice, beginning to pull her string, says it was hell for BOTH of them.  But Alice begins to twist the knife by commenting to Sophie about knowing what it's like to be trapped...having hid her TRUE self from the world, and not being able to come out as lesbian.  This begins to work on Sophie's defenses.  

Kate is walking towards her bike, talking to Luke about how to save the boys.  Luke asks why she doesn't suit up as Batwoman, and she says that Batwoman is a political liability right now.  He calls her out on it, and says it's a cop out.  She hops on her bike and says she's going to save the boys, anyway.  Luke says she sounds like Bruce.  She then comments to Luke that she could've saved Beth.  Luke says she doesn't need saving...you HAVE Beth.  Kate fires up the bike, and is off to save the boys.  As she's en route, a van comes up and hits her.  She goes flying and lands roughly on the ground, banged up.  Mouse then comes up to her and kicks her unconcious.  When she awakes, she finds she is ziptied to the steering wheel of a car, with the boys ziptied in the back seat.  Mouse approaches them, and said that he had to nab her before she got all suited up to come to their rescue.  He uses Kate's phone to call Sophie, and Alice answers.  She's tapping on the table, as Mouse asks about her.  He then hands the phone to Kate, to tell Sophie to release Alice.  Kate tells Sophie to release Alice....twice.  Sophie reluctantly agrees.

Beth has been searching for Kate, and bumps into Luke.  Luke then drops the bomb that Kate has been kidnapped by Alice---Beth's "evil twin" so-to-speak. Beth is shocked to hear the news.

Alice is still in custody, and wondering why she has not been freed as yet.  Sophie reveals that Kate's response was code from their survival training.  Repeating a request means the opposite.  So, when Kate repeated to Sophie to release Alice twice, it meant for Sophie to keep Alice in custody.  Alice comments on their cleverness, but Alice reveals that she too, as a code with Mouse.  They used it a lot to hide their activities and to communicate with each other from the Caterpillar.  She flashes back again to when he got her the cat, and they tried to hide it from the Caterpillar.  He discovered it, and disapproved of her having it, and ended up killing it, despite their protests. He also ruins her book in the process. Alice then puts another twist of the knife in Sophie by asking her what would she do if she loses the one thing she loves most.

Luke is trying to pinpoint Kate's location, and Beth asks him to contact her Dad, since he's the head of the Crows, but Luke informs her that he is in prison for killing his wife.  She inquires about the police, but Luke says they're useless as well.  He says that Mouse is going to kill her.  Beth then comes up with a crazy idea:  if Mouse wants Alice, they'll give her Alice.  She offers to become Alice to rescue Kate, but Luke flat out refuses it.  She says that Kate saved her life on her world, it's time to save Kate in this one, and return the favor.

We're back at the car, where Kate is fidgeting with the wheel, trying to find a way to escape.  Meanwhile, the boys in the back are hoping she can save them, and the Commissioner's son is pissed off at dear old Dad for not turning on the batsignal and calling out to Batwoman.  

Alice continues to work her way into Sophie's head.  Sophie wants to see what Kate did:  a scared little girl still inside her.  Alice says Kate used to think that way.  She says Beth used to think that way...but the truth is, Alice remarks, is that Beth NEVER made it out of that basement.  We flashback once again to when Caterpillar approached her about the sweater she made the cat.  She says that her father will kill him, to which Caterpillar shows her a paper, with news of Jacob's marriage to Catherine, with Mary and Kate in the picture.  He tells her that she's been replaced.  He asks her again about the knitted sweater.  She says she did make it, and he says he admires it...she has steady and precise hands.  He wants to use her skills to help him make the faces for John.  She says that's how she became good at making faces using human flesh.  She knew escape was never going to happen.  

At Wayne Enterprises, we see Mary doing Beth's makeup, trying to get her to look like Alice.  Once she's done, Mary is unnerved by her work.  Beth asks if she's okay, and Mary says that she just reminds her of Alice.  Beth apologizes, and says that it's her fault, to which Mary denies it.  She says that Beth is NOTHING like Alice.  She also comments on why Kate tried so hard to save Alice in the first place.  She then goes on to coach Beth on how to act like Alice, and use Alice's references to the book in order to play the part.

Beth shows up in disguise, finally seeing Mouse, who is happy she is free.  He asks if she was followed by referring to whether or not there are any lions and tigers about.  She says no, but he smells the ruse.  He pulls off the wig, and Beth is exposed.  Kate begins to work faster as she witnesses Beth being tossed into the car, which they're going to set on fire after Mouse doused it with gasoline.  Kate managees to escape, and starts taking down gang members.  She fights Mouse, and kicks him back, and he's impaled on a piece of junk.  However, he's still able to light a lighter and toss it at the car, causing it to catch on fire.  Kate frantically opens the doors to cut the two boys out, and they make a break for it.  She then goes back for Beth, who is trapped in the trunk.  Kate can't open the trunk lid, so she goes into the back seat, and tears out the upholstry to get to Beth.  The smoke is getting worse, and the fire is raging, and Kate is racing against the clock to save her....and she manages to get the frame off the back of the seat enough to grab Beth and pull her to safety.  

Sophie is giving Alice one last chance to spill the location of the boys.  She has one last flashback, where she is sitting alone, and John thanks her for his new face, and gives her fishing wire to fix the spine, and put the pages back togther for her book.  She sits, eyes closed, as if she is going to break down...but she ends up having a psychotic break.  She opens her eyes, and says that from now on, he is her little Mouse, and she is called Alice.  He asks if she'd like some tea, as the flashback ends.  Alice is then taken into custody, and headed towards Arkham.  Sophie notices she's left the book behind, and picks it up, only to have the pages begin to fall out.  At that moment, Alice begins to unravel the fishing wire she took from the spine of the book, and uses it to incapacitate the guards and make her escape.  Having remembered the fishing wire from her story, Sophie is hot on her trail.  Sophie tries to find her, but Alice gets the jump on her, and has a gun pointed at her head.  Alice reminds her that while SHE is free from HER cage, Sophie is NOT free of HERS...and that is a prison of her OWN doing.  Sophie is shaken up, as Alice takes off.  

In the aftermath, we hear from Vesper Fairchild again about Alice being on the loose, and the GCPD's unwillingness to call for Batwoman's help.  Kate checks in with Sophie, and Sophie is beating herself to death about being manipulated by Alice.  They watch a news report on TV about the citizens storming the GCPD, demanding them to turn on the signal and bring Batwoman back.  They eventually relent, and the signal goes out, as Batwoman arrives, to thunderous applause.  

Sophie pays Jacob a visit in prison, and she again chastises herself for letting Alice get to her.  Jacob says it's okay, because now they can use excessive force on Alice, with extreme prejudice.  The gloves have come off.

At Kate's bar, Mary talks with Kate, and finally understands what the reason was for why Kate fought so hard to save Alice.  Mary, obviously inebriated, discusses her theories of the multiverse to Kate, who is taking this all in stride.  Beth comes over with Luke with a cake, and wishes them both a Happy Birthday.  Beth asks Kate to make a wish and blow out the candles.  Kate reiterates that she got her wish, and blows it out.  Beth makes hers, and blows hers out, but out of nowhere, she starts having some kind of mental attack, as if her brain is on fire and in extreme pain, kind of like an anuerysm.  At the same time, we see Alice suffering the safe effects as the episode comes to a close.   


*******************************************************************************************************************

Things are getting stranger and stranger.  The end catches us a little off guard, and it will be interesting to see what happens when the show picks up again the Sunday following Super Bowl Sunday.  But we DID get to fill in more gaps to Alice's story, we see that Sophie is not as smart as she makes herself out to be, and Mary and Kate move a little closer as sisters.  Mouse can prove to be a threat on his own WITHOUT Alice, and we see the results when the GCPD is unwilling to call upon the Lady Crusader because of her sexuality.  

Kate and this alternate universe Beth start off the show in a bad way, but you'd be freaked out too if your twin sister showed up as you saw her in a picture on said alternate world, and not wondering whether or not is your ACTUAL sister playing mind games with you.  So, Kate reacts the only way she knows how:  attack.  However, thanks to tests that Luke runs, it's an actual GOOD Beth Kane.  One who, apparently, graduated college with a degree in astrophysics...so she is QUITE versed in the theories of the multiverse, and knows that she is from another Earth....an Earth where Kate had saved her, and became her biggest hero.  So, these two are connecting pretty quickly on a sisterly level that Kate has dreamed of.  Of course, like the Caterpillar said to Alice all those years ago...you make a wish out loud, it never comes true.  So the little brain anuerysm attack Beth has at the end of the episode is NOT good for Kate.  It's also NOT good for Alice, apparently.  It seems as though that these two CANNOT exist in the same time and space.  I have a feeling that next episode is going to be a HUGE one for Kate.  Credit to Rachel Skarsten for her acting chops in this episode...playing the sweet, smart, and loving sister Beth, while still killing it as Alice.

Speaking of Alice----it seems people never learn around her.  Sophie is the latest victim to fall prey to her manipulations--DESPITE, mind you, Jacob's reminder of such.  He WARNED Sophie NOT to interrogate her, because she would just mess with her head, and that's EXACTLY what Alice did.  Weaving more of her backstory about her entrapment with Mouse and his father, whom she dubs The Caterpillear from the novel, and how he ended up causing her to finally snap, and come to grips with her reality.  Hence, she let Beth die, and Alice be born.  And the neat trick with keeping the fishing wire in the book, holding it together, and getting it when she needed it....keeping herself one step ahead of our heroes.  Alice didn't really have to do much in regards to Sophie---she just reminded Sophie how free she herself was, and how Sophie continues to live in a her own cage of lies---having a husband she truly doesn't love to save her career, while she can't live the life she KNOWS is right:  being OUT as a lesbian, and hiding her feelings for Kate.  Sohpie is in her own prison...and only SHE has the key to let herself out.  Alice knew that, and played on Sophie's insecurities just enough to get what she wanted.  Now, what will Sophie do?  We know that's going to stick on her mind now.  One thing we DO know, however...Jacob has pretty much taken the gloves off, and is now ready to use lethal force to end Alice's terror once and for all.  It will be curious to see if it comes to that, will it be Sophie or Jacob himself (providing he gets out of prison), that pulls the trigger.

So...with both Beth and Alice having this weird brain anuerysm happening, we're starting to see more fallout from Crisis.  What this means for both of them, we'll find out soon enough. I'm also glad that the city of Gotham realizes that it needs its hero, and uses public protest to get the Commissioner to make a call out to Batwoman again.  They need her, and they know it.

Another quality episode.  The show is finding it's way, and the story is starting to pick up the pace.  We're seeing lots of progress, and we're getting some interesting twists along the way.  I love, love, LOVE Alice as a villain---she certainly fits the motif of The Mad Hatter, with just a tiny dose of Joker mixed in.  As with most Bat-villains, they all seem to be off-center, and mentally disturbed.  But I truly do like her a lot.  

Okay, children, that's all for now!  We'll be back after Super Bowl Sunday AND the Oscars with another installment.  But until then, subscribe, pass along the good word, and leave a comment or two, huh?  Cheaper than gas for your car.

Until February 16...the Bat Signal is OFF!