Kate and Julia go undercover to try to recover Lucius’ journal, but they aren’t the only ones with an interest. Mary tries her best to convince Kate and Luke that she has what it takes to be on Team Bat. Alice continues to spin her own plans from within the walls of Arkham.

With Kate apparently well and truly over her demons (and Luke apparently not all that fussed that she killed a guy – after all, so did Bruce, in this continuity) it’s back to normal service this time out for Team Bat, emphasised by an opening scene where Batwoman takes down some seriously bad guys who the show makes sure to let us know are the absolute worst. It’s slightly jarring to have a scarlet wig-bedecked comic book hero dealing with criminals of this particular stripe, but then Batwoman has never been about fulfilling expectations attached to the medium.

However, what’s really preoccupying our heroes this week is the location of Lucius Fox’s journal, and wouldn’t you know it, the guy locked in Arkham Asylum who thinks he’s Bruce’s best friend is the key to unlocking the particular mystery. This means that Kate isn’t the only one taking an interest. It also throws up the question – if Tommy Elliot knows the real identity of Batman, why doesn’t everyone else?

Still, that’s not what we are here for – Kate and Julia team up to try to infiltrate a mob-boss’ club to retrieve the journal, and they run into trouble on the way, and that’s before they even get to dealing with the bad guys. Turns out that Julia and Sophie’s recent increased closeness isn’t sitting well with Kate – well why would it? Who wants to hear that the ex you’re over but recently slept with as a one-off is getting closer to the ex you definitely aren’t over?

Aside from the domestic drama, there’s the real physical danger of the pair of them underestimating what they’re up against, which leads to the need for an intervention from Mary, who’s been excitedly jumping up and down wanting to be a part of the team now she’s in on the secret. For all of Kate and Luke’s insistence that she’s not ready, this is a girl who’s successfully led a triple life as an Instagram socialite, medical student and operator of a backstreet surgery for those not fortunate enough to have medical insurance. Of course she’s ready, and it’s no surprise that she accounts for herself well here, even as everyone else is busy being caught.

As if all this weren’t enough, an additional complication presents itself when not one but two faces from the show’s past reappear, causing issues for Kate in a personal and professional capacity. And as the show winds down towards the closing credits, it becomes clear to the viewer that Kate can’t trust nearly as many folks as she might think she can.

Verdict: Deals with some surprisingly dark issues and has more twists than the average roller coaster. Things really are ramping up as we head towards the season finale. 8/10

Greg D. Smith