Batwoman finally delivered on an episode that left me wanting more of everything and then some in “Grinning from Ear to Ear.” And it isn’t just because the villain wasn’t Alice this week. She was still around but not so much that she was making it the Alice show. I loved this episode because it made me see everyone in a new light.
I could finally sympathize and connect with Sophie’s character and I felt like we got to see a different side of Kate that’s been dearly missed since she dated that girl in the beginning of the series. Point is, I got a little bit of everything that has been missing from this show and then some.
I like this Batwoman. I want to see more of her and not just in “Grinning from Ear to Ear.”
I Love This Kate
I feel like this Kate has been missing ever since she dated that girl in the beginning of the series for 2. 5 seconds. The Kate that is fun and flirty and can’t help but smiling when thinking about the girl that she likes and can’t stop smooching or thinking about smooching her the very moment she sees her.
And look, I understand that this is Gotham, the land of the dark and brooding. But that doesn’t mean I have to be with that Kate all the time and twice on Sundays. Kate has dimensions and I feel like I’ve been missing out on key Kate time because the show is obsessed with showing how dark and broody it can be.
Fuck that. Give me more of this, please. Especially give me more of this Kate if I can see more of what attracted her to Sophie in the first place. I’ve been told about the relationship between them and the bond that they had. But I feel like I haven’t been shown until this very episode and that matters big time!
So, bring it on Batwoman. Give me more smiling Kate. Give me more conflicted Kate. Give me more introspective Kate. I want it all and after seeing a glimpse of it I want it even more!
Finally a Sophie That I Like
Anyone familiar with my reviews knows that I’ve been a bit hard on Sophie. It isn’t without reason. Her character has been blander than a bag of white rice with no salt. Seriously, not over-exaggerating here. She’s been plain and it’s like Batwoman had no idea what to do with her and that sucks because we’re on episode 14 out of 22.
“Grinning From Ear to Ear” was the moment that all changed. I can see Sophie now. Like, I understand her motivations better. I understand who she is as a woman, as a hero, and as a queer woman. And it feels fantastic and like what her character deserved from the very start of this series.
And just to clarify. It isn’t easier to understand Sophie just because she’s smooching Batwoman. No, that’s not it at all. It’s easier to understand Sophie because I see her inner conflict. I see her trying to figure out who she is in this big and wild world. And it fills out her character in a way nothing has ever done before.
This Sophie is the kind of character I want to get to know more about. This Sophie is the one with inner conflict that feels warranted and like I could relate to because figuring out who you are in this big and queer world isn’t an easy thing. It’s full of ups, downs, turns, and twists, and it’s a journey I want to take part in.
What Are They Doing with Mary
Not going to lie, I’m a little confused as to what they’re doing with Mary. Her mom dying was a huge part of her arc that seemed to be put to rest when good Beth made her rounds before dying. Also put to rest is where Mary stood in relation to Alice in Kate’s life. There was zero doubt that Kate chose the good people in her life.
Now it seems like we’re going backwards.
Watching Mary have this moment with Alice about Kate’s secret identity felt like the tease I don’t want and seriously don’t need in my life. Why go backwards into territory where Mary is like, “Is Kate choosing Alice, the bad sister, over me? The good sister? Again?” I hated that territory and don’t feel like entering that land ever again.
Instead I want to see more of Mary’s clinic. I want to see the help and change that she brings to Gotham day in and day out. In fact, I want Kate to experience and see more of what Mary does. Maybe a day at the clinic protecting Mary as Batwoman and then seeing what she does? No secrets.
No take backsies.
Just honesty and love between two sisters that I’d love to see more bonding between.
Batwoman airs Sundays at 9/8c on The CW.
