Batwoman‘s “Rebirth” was honestly chock-full of moments I never thought would happen but here we are. From Circe getting back some of her memories as Kate to Ryan giving up the last thing that connected her to her mother by giving up the Desert Rose for Alice. Then there was Luke turning all brooding and dangerous, which, who wouldn’t after everything that’s happened to him. And finally Diggle making an appearance because…reasons?
My favorite part of Circe/Kate getting back her memories was Sophie playing a key roll in it. Of course the power of gay love would help. Have I learned nothing in many years of watching TV? Love has the power to break down barriers that others think are unbreakable. And for a moment there, Sophie had Kate back. And Kate, well, she felt a Gods-honest connection with someone grounded in love. That’s got to mean something and I can’t wait to see what remains of their connection and where they go from here.
That same love applied to the memories that are tied up with Alice. Enigma went and twisted Kate up so badly that the only thing to bring her back, to really dislodge the bit of Circe that is inside of her is her love for her sister. And Alice was so close. If only they’d had a little more time, maybe more memories would’ve been shaken free. But from what we saw at the end of “Rebirth” Kate is starting to understand who she is and that person most certainly isn’t Circe.
Ryan giving up the last connection to her mom for Alice’s freedom had nothing to do with the latter. Ryan doesn’t believe in Alice. But that’s ok and totally expected. Alice was involved in the death of her mother and we can never expect her to forgive Alice. No, the only thing that Alice needed and didn’t know was within her grasp was her father believing in her. It’s been a journey to get here but the point stands that Alice saw someone she loves and who loves her in return, no matter how twisted it is, actually believing in her.
Of course, it’s all going tits up now that Safiyah killed Ocean in “Rebirth.” But the moment happened and it was real. So was Alice’s relationship with Ocean. He believed in her and loved her. Alice isn’t going to take Ocean’s passing lightly. Once again, something that she loved was taken away from her because someone wanted to teach Alice a lesson. What they’re not going to expect is that Alice already burned it all to the ground and what comes after that is total destruction. And hopefully the return of her sister Kate will help her through this pain and pull her back.
Because Alice…well, she needs to feel it. She’s always run from so much; from pain, joy, sadness. But she needs to feel the pain of Ocean’s loss and decide to do something else with what she’s feeling inside. Because he may be gone, but her father and sister aren’t. There’s still a chance at creating something new and not falling into the pitfalls of her past. Maybe not happiness and maybe it won’t be perfect. But it’s better than the rage that I know Alice is feeling right now.
Talking about simmering rage, let’s break down everything that happened with Luke in “Rebirth.” He contained himself in a manner I would’ve never been able to. He was cocky, he was calculated, and he knew which buttons to push on that asshole that shot him. But it was clear to anyone watching, Luke has rage in him and who the hell wouldn’t. He was shot and then this asshole has the nerve to taunt him and make Luke feel like his shooter is going to get away with it.
I think meeting with Diggle gave Luke some direction and grounded him in a manner of speaking. Do I wish we had more of John? Yes, I miss my Arrow days, despite all the ugly that came with fandom when I was in it. But it was nice to see him giving this young hero some pointers that will hopefully guide Luke in the right direction. And since we’ve already seen a sneak peek of him suiting up, he’s about to start on something completely new.
While still talking about Luke, I really love his interactions with Ryan. I understand both sides. I understand Luke wanting to be with his dad and be free from the pain of living. And I understand Ryan telling him that she doesn’t regret bringing him back. They’re family. Yes, things started out messy in the beginning there. But they’ve found their way to each other and there’s no turning back when you’ve bonded in the way these two have.
Because at the end of the day, Batwoman is about found family. It always has been and always will be. From Kate to Ryan and Mary and Luke. Family.
Batwoman airs Sundays at 9/8c on The CW.
