Batwoman‘s “Arrive Alive” saw Sophie finding out about Ryan’s secret, Alice reuniting with Ocean, and Ryan trying everything she can to save and protect Angelique. It was an episode that felt filler like in the beginning, if we’re being honest, before you understood that this was an episode of essential revelations that sets the stage for the rest of the season.
First up, Sophie finding out about Ryan’s secret. It’s about time that Sophie knows. It was the next logical step and makes it so that Sophie’s character doesn’t suffer because she “can’t find out about Batwoman yet because reasons.” Sophie is a smart woman and I’m glad they gave her the benefit of the doubt that she could handle the Batwoman secret.
With everything that is happening with the Crows, we honestly thing that Sophie is going to be working with Ryan and Batwoman more than she probably expected. And you know our girl is going to drop hints and there and not spent the rest of the season trying to figure out how to tell Ryan that she knows about her secret.
Before we dive into Alice, I wanted to talk about hair. Sophie’s braids were so on point and she looked absolutely stunning with them. It makes us wonder what kind of stylist is on hand to handle and prep Black hair, something extremely important that the movie/TV industry is severely lacking in and a conversation worth stopping and thinking about.
Now onto Alice, it kind of hurt when Enigma called Alice a monster in “Arrive Alive.” Yes, she’s unhinged and just killed Enigma’s latest patient, but there’s still something about Alice that pulls at our heartstrings and makes us feel like we should give her a chance to change and prove herself. Are we the only one feeling these things because we feel like we are.
Alice has done insurmountable damage to Gotham. She’s killed, destroyed, and changed the lives of so many people in such a short amount of time. And I shouldn’t be cheering her on after what she did to Mary’s mom and what her gang did to Ryan’s mom. But here we are, invested in that kiss with Ocean and what it means next in their fight against Safiyah.
We think it ultimately comes down to the fact that Alice was created. She was ready to move on, ready to start a new life, and someone came in and snatched her future away with her. And we’re interested in what this woman will do next, now that she knows that she’s a monster of someone else’s creation. That makes for interesting content that we want to see.
Lastly, but not least, is Ryan and her role as Batwoman. We’re impressed with her drive, her ingenuity, and her ability to think on her feet. Seriously, this episode reminded us that she’s got this in the bag. Yes, there might be some bumps along the way, but Ryan is doing and trying to change Gotham for the better. And we’re kind of ridiculously proud.
While we missed Mary big time this episode, it was also really nice to see Ryan working as a team with Luke. There was no, “I don’t trust you.” or hesitation on anyone’s part, something that Batwoman has done over and over when it comes to these two. And without Mary there to mediate, they found their way and worked as a team instead of hesitant allies.
Ryan’s continued fighting to save Angelique is something to be admired as well. She trusts Angelique and only wishes the best for her. That’s why she’s fighting so hard to free her from Black Mask. She believes that her ex deserves a life free of drugs and street gangs, and she will do whatever she can to help her. Why? Because she’s Batwoman and that’s what heroes do.
Batwoman airs Sundays at 8/7c on The CW.
