Another missing part of Batman’s collection makes its way into the wrong hands, sparking off a search that will lead Team Bat into some dark places.

I was massively impressed with the previous episode of Batwoman, and whereas this one doesn’t quite hit the same heights, it definitely delivers more smart decisions by the writers, some of which are things I didn’t even know I needed until I got them.

The accidental setting off of a canister of Super Liquid Nitrogen on a school bus alerts Team Bat to the fact that another item from the missing treasure trove of Bat Villain artefacts has found its way into the wrong hands, and, absent the help of Alice, who claims to be unwell, Ryan sets off to retrieve it, only to find herself at the start of a deeper mystery.

Alice of course, must be faking. Right? Well, it’s unclear. To the credit of the show, it keeps you guessing about this right up until the final scene, but obviously even if Alice were to be unwell, it seems unlikely she’d admit as much to the very people in front of whom she never wants to appear weak. Rachel Skarsten once again has great fun with the character, portraying her lead-swinging with great aplomb while also giving her best as the character does what she always does, messing around with the heads of those around her. Now that Alice is tagged with nanobots tracing her every move, you might have been forgiven for thinking that would make her easier to control – nothing could be further from the truth.

As for Ryan, aside from fighting the good fight as Batwoman, she also has her newly discovered birth mother to deal with. Turns out Jada Jett doesn’t take too kindly to Ryan’s revelation, not least because she already has a son who is Executive VP of her company and she’s not interested in getting to know the daughter she abandoned. Turns out though, that smarts run in the genes of this bloodline, meaning that Jada might not get the clean break she wants after all.

As for Luke and Mary, well that’s all sort of on the back burner due to a number of factors, not the least of which is Alice’s meddling but also Luke’s own recklessness and Mary’s first and most sacred oath as a doctor. There are ructions coming in Team Bat for sure, and it won’t likely be pretty when they happen.

On the other hand, Sophie and Ryan certainly seem to be getting on a lot better these days, and some flirting at a very inappropriate time signals what I’ve suspected would turn out to be the case for a while – these two are far too similar not to feel some hint of a mutual attraction, but as to where that might lead (if anywhere) who knows?

And all that on top of the actual plot of the week, involving the wife and sister in law of Mister Freeze. The former is suffering from the effects of having been ‘on ice’ for twenty years and the latter is trying everything she can to fix it. It’s a classic case of sisterly relationships with poor communication, and misguided actions based on the best intentions. The writers very cleverly utilise the pair of them to move forward the various internal sub-narratives of Team Bat rather than trying to make it a thing in and of itself, and throw in a shadowy set of characters looking to harness Freeze’s tech for their own reasons to boot – clearly there’s going to be more for Ryan and the gang to do than play fetch for Montoya before the season ends.

Verdict: Great action, even better quiet moments and quite superb use of all the characters. 9/10

Greg D. Smith