Batwoman’s “Down, Down, Down” was a reminder of a lot of things. One, it was a reminder to us as the audience that Alice is a liar. No matter how much she pushes back on her sister, the truth is there. She wants her sister in her life. Two, it was a reminder of how much we love Mary to the moon and back. And three, that Kate is hitting her superhero milestones with every episode that passes.
Mary is My Favorite and I Regret Nothing
Every moment spent with Mary just makes me fall in love with her more. Let’s count the reasons why, shall we? First of all, she has Kate’s back. No matter what or how much time has passed, she speaks the truth and doesn’t let people half ass things around her. Mary didn’t let Sophie off the hook either when Sophie asked about Kate. The former told Kate to move on and Mary is here to remind her of that.
Then there’s Mary and Kate. Their relationship is growing by leaps and bounds. That was clearly evident when they were both in the elevator. Kate knows Mary’s secret and is genuinely sorry that she’s stuck with Sophie via guard duty. Also, that little sticking out the tongue bit. That matters. That’s playful, that’s funny, and that’s exactly something sisters would do at each other. And imagine when Kate hears about the way that Mary has been having her back? Then they’ll really be on track to becoming full fledged sisters.
On a side note, all of this is going to put a bee in Alice’s bonnet. She said she wants Kate to forget her being her sister but she doesn’t. And a huge part of that is because of Kate’s relationship with Mary. Alice attacked Mary once and she’s gotta have more people spying on Kate and Mary in case she needs to attack her again. That’s why she crushed that portrait. Someone is taking her place and she doesn’t like it one bit.
Back to the reasons we love Mary. I love how she jumped into action and saved that woman’s life by the elevators. It didn’t matter that she just went through something scary or that she needs to hide her mad medical skills from everyone while in a short dress and heels. None of that mattered because a life was on the life and she immediately jumped into doctor mode.That’s what we call a BAMF. That’s what we call a hero. And that’s who Mary is.
Kate’s Journey to Being Batwoman
Kate spent this episode doing what all other superheroes have done since the beginning of time: doubting herself and doubling down on the fact that she isn’t a hero when she really is. There was also a nice side serving of brooding and meeting a new side piece that added that extra zest. And even though this phase in the superhero handbook bothers me sometimes with its repetitive nature, it’s something all heroes HAVE to deal with.
The main crux of it all is that Kate just put on the Batman suit as a means of saving Sophie. There were no long term plans to stay and start gallivanting around Gotham all clad in black. Spray painting the symbol and adding the wig was exactly what she needed to realize that she can’t be Batman. But she can be something more. Something that she needs. Something that Gotham needs. And something her family needs as they try to survive the chaos around them.
And that all matters when it comes to Kate and why she’s staying Gotham. Because it can’t be for Sophie. That ship has sailed. It can’t be for the new fling she just met because..they just met. It can’t be for her father who she can barely stand to be around because of this Beth/Alice business. And she can’t stay because she found Bruce’s secret lair with all those fun gadgets. Kate has to stay for herself. Personally, I think she’s on the right track to do just that.
Alice is So Damn Complicated and I Love It
If there’s one thing that we should all know and be aware of, it’s that Alice is a liar. She lied when she said that she wouldn’t kill anyone else in this episode. And she lied when she told Kate that breaking their bonds as sisters is exactly what Alice wants. That can’t be farther from the truth.
Alice wants her sister back. She wants her by her side, ruling Gotham like she’s been planning from the beginning aka episode one of Batwoman. Alice wants love, understanding, family. She wants it all and the harder she fights to tell us, the audience, that she doesn’t want that, the more I call bullshit with a side of “you’re lying.”
It’s the reason why she hasn’t killed Kate yet. Not because you can’t torture a corpse like she so eloquently said. And it’s not even about having a big bad to fight against. It’s all about keeping family close while Alice tries to figure out what else she wants in life and in Gotham. If it means she gets to play her mind games along the way then Alice is here for it even more so!
So, keep on with your bad self, Alice. Keep trying to convince people that you want to be alone when you really don’t. And keep trying to push Kate away when all you want to do is pull her closer. We see it. We see you.
Batwoman airs Sundays at 8/7c on The CW.
