BATWOMAN - SEASON 1.14

REVIEW:  BATWOMAN - SEASON 1.14:  "Grinning From Ear to Ear"


After a tiny little break, we have made our way back to Gotham City, where our Lady Crusader had to deal with a woman who was as close to a vampire as their could be, the loss of her sister's doppleganger, and--of course--Alice herself, who continues to plan her ultimate revenge.  Meanwhile, Sophie is suspended by Kate's dad for collaborating with our resident superhero, and Mouse seems to have a problem:  his father, who has plans of his own.  What awaits our Female Dark Knight?  Let's find out...shall we?


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As we descend upon Gotham City yet again, we chance upon a young lady by the name of Duela Dent, who's applying makeup in the mirror, all the while listening to this voice telling her how to make it perfect.  She stares, and then sees the imperfection in the mirror, like her face is melting.  She then smashes the mirror, looking at the cracked image in the mirror, takes a big piece of the mirror, and begins to cut her face with it.  Her mother walks in, shrieking at what her daughter has done.

Sophie is at a coffee shop, getting her order, looking very happy, as she runs into Mary, who notices that Sophie seems lighter than air, and a huge smile on her face.  Meanwhile, Kate is back at Wayne Enterprises, asking Luke about the location of her cowel, to which he implies that he is making some improvements.  She seems a little light on her feet herself, which doesn't go unnoticed by Luke.  Mary is wondering why Sophie is so happy.  Sophie admits to a hot makeout session, as did Kate.  Mary is shocked that Sophie made out with Batwoman, and wonders if she knows who's under the cowel.  Sophie says she thought she did, but alas, she does not know.  Luke finds it interesting that Kate has allowed herself to get serious with Sophie.  He tries to make her understand why Bruce pushed so many away when he was Batman.  Because those he kept close, would've come to harm if they knew who he was.  Kate understands, and sends a text to Sophie, asking to meet her.  Mary wishes her luck, knowing that she's actually going to see Kate, but keeps that info to herself.

Alice is not a happy camper.  She is reading her "obituary" in the paper, and it honestly doesn't say much.  One of her lackeys show her a picture of Dr. Campbell, and she instantly recognizes the pipe.  She knows it so well, as Augustus.  

Jacob Kane has issues of his own.  He's dealing with a lawyer that represents the inmate that saved his life, Reggie Harris.  He wants Harris' court date moved up, and expects Jacob to do so, since he owes Reggie a debt.  Jacob replies that he killed Lucius Fox, and doesn't deserve anything.  The lawyer replies that he knows that the GCPD botched the investigation, and also knows that the Crows have dirty secrets of their own, and he isn't afraid to expose them should Jacob not get Harris' case moved up.  He'll take them down...just like he did the DA's office.

Sophie is back at her apartment, trying to look good for Batwoman for when she shows up.  The Lady Crusader arrives, and they have a heart to heart about this situation (but not before having yet another long kiss).  Batwoman asks her where she thinks this relationship is going.  That if she takes the cowl off, lets her know who she is, there is no going back.  She wonders if Sophie is ready to this kind of life, that she knows what she wants.  Sophie hesitates.  She then hears a noise coming from outside the apartment.  She goes to investigate, and she opens the door, and it's her mother.  Batwoman is long gone.  It appears dear old Mom came for a much needed visit, so-to-speak.

A young woman named Kimberly Wright is on the phone, griping about a photo shoot, and making sure her image is protected.  The lights go out, and she wonders what is going on.  She goes to see what's going on, and comes upon a woman in a hoodie with a surgical mask and a knife.She then hunts the young woman down.  Kimberly is a social media figure, where her face is her brand.  They find her with her face slashed.  Whomever is responsible for these attacks, it making it personal.  Kate then goes to get a lead on this case by going to see someone else who's had a social media presense---Mary.  Mary gives Kate the 4-1-1 on Kim and her other social buddies.  She informs Kate that since the death of her mother, her views have gone down, and she's all but stopped posting.  Kate shows her a picture of a young woman, but Mary doesn't recognize the face, but she says that a lot of her social buddies had gotten plastic surgery from Dr. Ethan Campbell.  Mary says she can be of some help if Kate needs it, but Kate says that she will handle it, but thanks her sister.  

Sophie starts having that long-awaited heart-to-heart with her mom.  Her mother wonders what happened in her marriage, and Sophie says she just fell out of love with him.  Her mother says that she had heard she got suspended.  She thinks that she can make it right, but Sophie says she can't work with the Crows anymore...she just can't agree with how they operate.  Her mother is shocked to hear all this, and asks who she aligns with...the GCPD?  She feels THEY can't be trusted.  Sophie says she likes the way Batwoman does things.  Sophie's mom is disgusted at the idea, saying that she is a criminal, and needs to be locked up.  Sophie wonders WHY her mother would think that way, considering she was a HUGE fan of Batman.  But then it hits Sohpie.  Her mother doesn't like Batwoman because she's a lesbian.  

Sophie later meets up with Batwoman, and she says that her whole life, she kept herself behind a mask, so that her family would be proud of her.  That she's been lying to herself, and that's not right.  She's been living a lie.  Batwoman fills her in on the Facial Slasher case, and wants to know if she can get some information from Dr. Campbell about his patients that got plastic surgery, as they might be potential targets.  Sophie says she doesn't have that kind of authority, but Batwoman reminds her that Dr. Campbell doesn't know that.  
Sophie goes to see Dr. Campbell, and inquires about a young lady named Mia Cortez, who was this slasher's last victim, and discuss the motives behind this slasher's motives.  Eventually, they come to the conclusion that the slasher isn't just ruining these women's faces...she's making copies of herself.  Sophie inquires about any patients Dr. Campbell had that kind of scarring.  He recalls a young woman---Duela Dent---who had given herself those scars.  She had just recently been released from Arkham.  

Batwoman is doing some investigating around the Dent home, when she comes across a yearbook and other pictures on Duela's bed.  She captures an image of one girl named Myrnis Dinker.  Batwoman sends the picture to Luke to find a match, and nothing comes up.  He hears a sound, and goes to check it out, finding a cellphone, and a blood trail going away from it.  She finds a woman, tied up, and her face slit.  She goes to help her out, but Duella shows up, looking to kill her mother.  She goes on to say that she gave herself those scars because she couldn't handle becoming something her mother wanted, that she felt she wasn't.  She then slits her mother's throat and escapes, as Batwoman desperately tries to save her.  

Alice is restless.  She is looking for a way to solve her little "Caterpillar" problem.  She is laying it all out to a shrink she's had captured.  Scared to death, he tries to help her.  She says she wants to kill him slowly, make him suffer for what he did to her.  The shrink analyzes her, and says that, in some ways, she's still that scared little girl, creating a shield, afraid that he might gain power over her again.  She then says he's right, and has her men carry him off, with him pleading to spare him, and that he'd tell NO ONE she's still alive.  She then reads about Duella, and her activities, and it has her curious.

We visit with Augustus, as he is setting something up for Mouse, who is wondering what's going on, and hoping Alice will come save him.  Augustus informs him that he killed Alice, and Mouse doesn't believe him.  He tells his son that all Alice did was use him for her own twisted agenda, whereas all HE has ever done was to try and protect him.  Mouse refuses to buy into it, but it doesn't matter, as Augustus places a gas mask over his son's face, and turns the gas on.  

Jacob is going over the Fox file, and calls in one of his agents to question him about it.  He goes over the incident where they caught Harris, who was robbing a covenience store.  But the security cameras were out at the time, according to the report.  Jacob finds that extremely convenient.  Turns out, any security footage was stolen.  This doesn't look good, but the agent warns Jacob not to go snooping.  He says that they did what they had to because Lucius Fox was a good man, and got him justice.  He then walks off, not regretting his actions.

Batwoman shows up at Mary's clinic, and asks if she knows the woman in the high school picture, who is potentially Duella's last victim.  Mary says she doesn't recognize the face at first, but then remembers the name---Myrnis Dinker.  She changed her name to Veronica May, and she has a pink, gaudy, cosmetics van.  Batwoman then has Luke triangulate the location of the van.  He finds the location, and Batwoman is off, eventually finding it near the factory where the cosmetics are made.  She finds the driver dead, throat slit.  Sophie shows up, and gives Batwoman the information she needs.  She also tells her the Crows are looking for her.  The Crows stumble upon her, and they both take off on Batwoman's bike.  

Mary enters her clinic, to find Alice ransacking it, looking for something.  Mary is not happy, and Alice says she should be thankful...had it not been for her, she'd be dead.  She said she did everything to get Batwoman's attention...it was NEVER about Mary.  Mary asks if she knows who Batwoman is, and Alice replies that of course she does----but rubs it in Mary's face that she doesn't (little does Alice know).  

Duella has Veronica tied up to a hook, and below her, a vat of acid.  Veronica said that she was always afraid of Duella because of how she looked.  Duella wants to show the world Veronica's TRUE face.  She sets the machine in motion, and goes to take off.  As she tries to make her escape, she runs into Sophie, and the two begin to tussle.  Meanwhile, Batwoman shows up to try and rescue Veronica.  She tosses a batarang into the machinery, and it stops it temporarily, but then the batarang gets crushed, and the wheels keep moving.  Sophie and Duella continue to fight, but Sophie gets the best of her, and knocks her out.  She then ties her up.  Batwoman then swings over the vat in order to save Veronica.  The day is once again saved.

Sophie and Batwoman have their last chat, and Sophie realizes that she's been running away and hiding from her true self all this time, and she needs to confront it.  Batwoman has finally gotten her to understand WHY they can't be together.  Sophie says she'll call GCPD, and that Batwoman needs to bail.  As she rides off, Sophie sheds some tears...feeling heartbroken.  While the police are on their way, Alice has managed to make it to the plant unnoticed, and finds dear Duella all tied up, and says she needs a favor from her.  The police arrive, and they can't seem to find her at first

Jacob has the Fox file, and comes up to the agent yet again, this time showing him varioius bank statements with large sums of money depositied.  The agent, still defiant, says that no Crow would ever tamper with security footage...and walks off again.  Jacob has quite the pickle on his hands.

As the cops continue to look for Duella, we see she has shown up at Dr. Campbell's office.  At the same time, however, they manage to find Duella, and when she turns her face around, we see that her face has been cut off, all we see is the muscle tissue underneath, with her saying that she's "finally perfect".  As "Duella" is talking to Dr. Campbell in his office, however, she reveals herself to be noneother than Alice herself.  She comments that she knows who he really is, and that he hasn't seemed to change---still taking things from little girls.  She then grabs his laptop, and nails him with it.  

Sophie is at home, and gets a text from Commander Kane, letting her know that there is a possible leak in the Crows.  She puts aside the text, and talks to her mother.  She fesses up that she didn't fall out of love with her husband, because she was never IN love with him.  She explains to her mother that she met someone when she was in military school.  Her mother tries to understand, and seems to, and says that she needs to go after HIM, if that's what makes her happy.  But Sophie says it's not a HIM...it's a HER.  Sophie admits to her mother that she is a lesbian.  And, true to form, her mother is upset, and ends up walking out on her, disappointed in her life choices.  Sophie cries.

Kate's at her bar, when Mary shows up, seeing the long face on her sister.  She asks what's up, and Kate---faking yet another story---says that a real estate deal fell through.  She says that if she ever wants to chat, she can trust her.  Mary then tells her that when Kate came back, she kept Mary's double life as a doctor a secret from their family.  But if there's anything Kate ever wants to talk about...she'll be there.  

Alice has captured Augustus, and she reminds him of the trauma he caused her.  She still has nightmares about it daily, and that she is going to make him pay eventually.  But right now, she knows he has Mouse, and she wants him back.  Augustus laughs, and says that he'll take her to him.  When we see Mouse, he's freaking out, with the gas mask still on, breathing in the heavy dose of what we finally discover is fear gas.


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This was something of a semi-creepy episode, and another one with some heavy exposition in it.  We're now seeing the psychological imprints of our various characters in play, and it's making for some interesting television.  

Yes, we DO get our "villain of the week" in Duela Dent.  Interesting that they bring in a character who was origiinally known in the comics as "Joker's Daughter" in Duela Dent.  Here, she is STILL the daugher of Evelyn Dent, but that her UNCLE is Harvey Dent.  It's interesting that they have taken part of the New 52, and Post-52 version of her for this series.  It DOES give Batwoman a roster of villains of her own, that aren't established Gotham crazies like Joker, Riddler, and the Penguin.  Alice is as close to The Joker we're going to get in this series, and Duela, now without a face, will probably be the new Two-Face, of sorts.  Since Duela was captured alive, will probably have SOME kind of surgery to restore some semblance of her face, she'll go right back into Arkham.  Her character also painted an interesting allegory about some of the young women on social media, who use their looks to create a "brand", and thus, get famouse that way...almost like what reality television did for Paris Hilton and the Kardashians.  Duela NEVER felt perfect, no matter how much her mother drove her to it, and thus snapped.  But, in doing so, she also saw the imperfections in those who tried to BE perfect, and was her motiviation to disfigure them.  Especially since Dr. Campbell didn't exactly do a great job with her.  

With Dr. Campbell being a tie in with the villain, it also gave Alice a chance to jump at the opportunity to find him, and capture him.  She has A LOT of bagge when it comes to him, and her being trapped BY him, only lead to Alice ever existing to begin with.  We see that she's still traumitized by him, and needs her revenge.  But, in the same go, she also knows he has Mouse, and she wants Mouse back.  She can't carry out her final plan until she does.  We also get yet another interaction between Alice and Mary, and I find it interesting that while Mary hates Alice with every ounce of her being, Alice doesn't show quite as much hatred.  Don't get me wrong, she finds Mary annoying, and maybe SOMETHING of an obstacle in her plan, but she also feels she can always use Mary as bait to get to Kate.  And if Alice only knew that Mary had found out Kate is Batwoman.

Speaking of THAT tidbit of information, I like how Mary tries to drop some NOT so subtle hints to Kate about trying to talk to her and open up---especially that part about Kate not telling on her about her double life as a doctor in an underground clinic.  Mary feels she can be QUITE an asset to Kate---especially should Kate get HURT at any point in time.  Kate seemed so oblivious to it, but we know the truth WILL come out before the season ends.  

Speaking of truths, we finally have Sophie coming to grips with who and what she really is.  It's about damn time.  I have NOT wanted to hate her during this season, but there have been times she's driven me nuts.   But, we're seeing traction here now, and it will help in the long run.  While her mother chooses ignorance and disappointment, and Sophie herself feels heartbroken that she lost Batwoman, I think in the long run, she'll be the better for it.  Her and Batwoman DO work well together, and Sophie will have to choose as to whether or not to return to the Crows...now that Jacob is reaching out, needing her help in finding a leak in the company.  What is in store for her?  And will she ever fess up to Kate that she hasn't stopped loving her?  It's going to complicate Kate's life more...until Sophie realizes she was right all this time about Kate.  Wheels within wheels.

And finally---well, there's Mouse.  Poor guy hasn't caught a break since dear old dad captured him.  Now, Augustus has him believing that Alice is dead, because he killed her (and boy did HE get a surprise when she showed up at his office).  And now, we see that he's gotten a tank full of FEAR GAS, and is having his son breath in a HUGE dose of it.  Is Augustus becoming a new Scarecrow?  What is is his ulimate plan?  Especially now that he realizes that he did NOT kill Alice?  

We got into the psyche of a few people this installment, and that seems to be the M.O. for any Bat-related story.  All the characters are damaged in some way...even the hero.  But it makes for compelling television, and this story is just picking up steam.  

Okay, that'll do for now, children of the Bat.  Do me a solid, and subscribe to this page, tell all your friends about it, and leave a comment.  What do YOU think?

Until next time...The Signal is OFF!