This week’s episode picks up where the last one left off – a Kane family group activity: burying Cartwright. Kate is a withdrawn mess. Alice is jubilant. Jacob lets her dig a hole while consoling Kate, saying he’s not worth her guilt. In the midst of this, Alice pickpockets Jacob’s gun and has leverage to walk away into the night. The Bat Signal appears overhead. Kate takes a deep breath. C’mon bb, get back in the game!
She does that by twisting a guy’s ankle like it’s Velcro, which made me shout oh shit to myself. In an alley, she threatens the perp that she better never see him again. He pushes back. She chokes him, eyes bugging out comically. She finally lets go. Was she about to go too far? She stares at her shaking hands and has a panic attack, ripping off her mask to breath. The show is painting her as a loose canon, but honey just needs some freakin’ down time — a good hug from Mary and a hot bath.
In Kate’s voiceover diary, she laments:
“My dad wants me to put Cartwright behind me. But it’s not that easy. I went to a dark place, Bruce, to avenge Beth, Alice, my mom. But in saving my sister I became more like her, and in taking out a killer I became one myself. What does that make me now?”She lies to Luke about what she was up to last night. Baby no! Rookie mistake and major TV trope. The topic changes quickly though – his dad’s killer might get out of jail. The hearing got moved up to today.
Little do they know that Jacob is behind that, and investigating suspicious actions by the Crows that lead him to suspect a set-up. He recruits Sophie to look into it. As the only person he can trust. Which is ironic because he suspended her for affiliations with Batwoman. She makes it clear she still is on the vigilante’s side. But she has his back. After their rendezvous, Sophie takes a moment to call Kate and check in with her. It’s sweet. But Kate, in her mournful emo hoodie, declines.
Then whoopsie daisy! Alice pops in and asks Kate for help finding Mouse. As payment, Alice promises to leave Gotham for good. Seems too good to be true. Turns out, someone killed all of Alice’s henchmen. Someone Alice seriously wronged. Time to get out of town. “Who?” Kate asks. “Careful, Kate, you’re starting to sound interested,” Alice jests.
They figure out that fear-toxin fueled Mouse is attacking Arkham mental hospital staff. Alice borrows one of Kate’s gorgeous leather jacks to blend in. They’re invited into one of his frumpy old care homes to stake it out. Brownies and all. But the old caretaker calls the Crows while they’re having munchies and Mouse is nabbed before they can help him.
At the court hearing, Luke is a nervous mess. Until MVP Mary shows up, and stills his shaking knee. In her infinite wisdom she says, “I appreciate the whole I need to be alone thing, but as someone whose parent was just murdered and the killer was never brought to justice, alone is not what you need to be right now.” Yes sis! Reggie is freed from incarceration until further evidence can be found. Luke is stunned.
Later, Luke confronts Reggie on the street who gives a heartfelt apology and explanation. Luke is almost convinced it was a set up when suddenly a sniper takes out Reggie. Someone is sloppily covering up their tracks.
Sophie follows a lead with the case only to find the witness shot in their apartment. As she bends down to check a pulse she notices a sniper light on her chest. Yikes! Before she can react, the shooter fires. But not before a hooded friend pushes her out of the way. It’s Julia Payworth with the Special Reconnaissance Regiment. She’s all easy breezy jokes and flirtation. All with a charming British accent and ending each sentence with luv. Sophie asks why she came to protect her from a bounty hunter. Her answer? “You’re Kate Kane’s ex, right? Well, so am I.” She’s smiling when she reveals she was shot in the arm.
At this point in the day, Alice reveals that she planned on Kate killing Cartwright, and put everything in motion to put her over the edge. So that Kate would be like her. Ruh-roh. Kate rage tackles her and chokes her until collapsing and sheds a small tear, confessing that she’s become a monster. To that, Alice is serious for once, thanking Kate sincerely for killing her tormentor.
“I’m guilty I don’t feel guilty,” Kate whispers. After more sisterly chat, Kate agrees to help break Mouse out of prison for Alice, as long as no one gets killed in the process. “You can trust me,” Alice says begrudgingly. Famous last words. I know Kate still feels like she owes her something but this woman has murdered hundreds of people. When do you draw the line? Classic female socialization. If this was your twin sister, what would you do?
Commence prison break. Kate karate chops some guards like a badass. Then kick flips some more guards. Then in moves I don’t have words to, takes out even more guards. It’s awesome. Alice finds Dr. Butler for his key and… doesn’t kill him. They work as a team to get into Mouse’s secret vault. That is, until Kate locks Alice in. Jacob appears. It was a set-up. Alice screams, “don’t leave me!” But Kate walks away. I don’t know about you, but I was not expecting that!
Later, Kate has some decompression time on the frickin’ ledge of a building. Seems her style. Julia joins her and encourages her saying, “you are NOTHING like your sister.” Kate, a little drunk and a lot thankful, kisses her slowly. Honestly, that’s the best thing she could do right now. Get some sweet lady touch, bat bb, and feel better soon.
