It looks more organic than what they had Uma Thurman in, that's for sure.
Spoilers Batwoman season 3
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I've caught up with the first seven episodes at UK pace and I've found it pretty good. The biggest problem is that it looks so cheap (especially compared to Stargirl and Superman & Lois) but I guess they can't help that.
Mary is by far the best character and Nicole Kang does a great job as her. It's pretty silly that Alice is still around but she's entertaining enough with Mary that they get away with it.
Mary is by far the best character and Nicole Kang does a great job as her. It's pretty silly that Alice is still around but she's entertaining enough with Mary that they get away with it.
Batwoman
Season 3, Episode 8 - "Trust Destiny" - Mid-season premiere
Luke Fox/Not-Batwing: Luke tries to extract a desiccation serum from the real Poison Ivy in the hope it can restore Mary, but there's a potential danger to her life, which he (and the others) are willing to take, operating under the belief that Mary would understand why they would take such a risk.
Alice & Ivy/Mary: Pissed off that Luke froze all of Mary's credit cards, Alice cons Mary into being so despicable (sure, that's going to be a real trial...) that BW and Luke will no longer attempt to save her, and Mary can continue to be Alice's lackey.
It must be said again, that the "sister" sub-plot has no rational foundation whatsoever; if Dries, et al., ever watched any of their own episodes, they would not push this Alice / Mary bonding nonsense based on some "family neglect / togetherness" issues, because it must be repeated that Alice--as of the end of season two--not only reconciled with Kate, but Jacob as well, with the latter affirming his care for his daughter to the media. Alice was finally recognized and accepted, no longer having any sort of abandonment / family issues, thus she cannot act as if that's still a thing for her which could be used to relate to Mary.
Wilder/BW: Wilder was on point putting Sophie in her place about her loyalties with Montoya the blackmailer.
Marquis the Discount Joker / BW / Luke: Calling Wilder to continue his rubbing-it-a-thon, he invites her to a party at Wayne's, but Wilder, Luke and Sophie use this opportunity to infiltrate the party in disguise, as a way to obtain Marquis' thumb-print and a sample of his retina eye pattern to gain access to the entrance to the Batcave. As Marquis bloviates about the new Wayne Enterprises and kills board room candidates, Wilder (in disguise) gets the scan, and turns the tables on Montoya, demanding her identity remain secret (while twisting the screws about her failure to keep tabs on Alice). After a poorly choreographed fight, Wilder and Company return to the Batcave. Gee, where's Luke? Nowhere to be seen where he would be needed the most, 'cause of all characters on the series, HE knows all about Wayne's/Batman's archived records, and where certain files might be located, so again, why didn't he go to the Batcave?? (SEE NOTES)
Anyway, Wilder and Sophie deduce that Ivy's body had to be buried in a place where she would not be exposed to even a drop of water, and that just so happens to be in a location beneath the Batcave.
Obtaining the Bat-suit, Wilder locates Ivy's body...
Meanwhile, Mary/Ivy shows up at the party, making some sort of offer to Marquis as Luke tries to monitor and delay her, but Mary gets the drop on Luke, informing Marquis that Fox is on the scene...
BW and Company find the rather dead-looking body of Ivy; seeing the condition of Ivy, BW still questions using the serum on Mary, since it will lead to the same result. BW returns to the party with the serum, leaving Sophie and Montoya with Ivy's body.
Luke is confronted by Marquis and his thugs; in a very rare moment, Luke tries to stand his ground, but is outnumbered. Underground, Sophie reasons that the fraud alert on her credit card (and where it was used) was the work of Alice--pretty much luring Sophie to her current location, while Montoya is left alone (conveniently) with Ivy.
BW tries to inject Mary with the serum, but is distracted by Marquis, who shows up, holding a gun to Luke's head, babbling on about being her "Joker". Before he can blow Luke's brains out, he's injected with the serum, instantly transforming him into a withered body. Mary escapes, and whines to Alice about how Wilder only acted to either save Luke or her secret I.D. Wasting no time at all, Alice pretends to comfort Mary (in other words, keeping her lackey around).
Wilder calls Jada as BW, telling her where to find the dying Marquis; Luke questions trying to save Marquis at all, since he now knows their secret identities, but BW is willing to risk being exposed to save him. Hopefully, his does not lead to some forced, syrupy "redemption" of Marquis who is a murderer, who deserves--at the very least--life in prison..
Sophie: Sophie locates Alice, who tells Sophie that Montoya had been using everyone, a charge which will be verified in Montoya's office file cabinet. Taking Alice's lead, Sophie breaks into Montoya's office and discovers something shocking:the Joker Joy Buzzer, which she (Montoya) claimed was still out in the wild, as part of her blackmail scheme, which was only designed to use the Bat-team to (ultimately) find and revive Ivy.
Let that one sink in.
Black Glove society: Hey, anyone remember this dreaded group?
Poison Ivy / Montoya: Soooo, ten years ago, Montoya was so wrapped up in her personal crap with Poison Ivy, she allowed the villain to nearly murder her partner. Stalwart officer of the law, that one (SEE NOTES).
Gotham's most unethical cop (and if you're that in Gotham, you must be the textbook example of a low life) still blackmails BW to do the job she's too incompetent to handle on her own, but where oh where is it all leading for Berlanti's Montoya?
NOTES:
The second half of the season begins, and in no surprise to anyone, Dries (along with the "writers" behind this series) cannot justify why Luke and Wilder still blame themselves for the self-imposed insecurities and general lunacy of Mary. Three seasons in, and Wilder's "friendship" with Mary was never believably established to the degree that Wilder would see some fault within for Mary's issues (which predate Wilder coming into contact with the Bat-world).
In Dries' neverending soap opera obsessions, the audience is supposed to sympathize with a completely corrupt Montoya using the lives. safety and freedom of others all for her crush. You see, that's all-important to Caroline Dries and her "writing" staff, so instead of crafting compelling stories (heh), the series has yet another arc about an obsessive love life. Yes, I'm sure no one can forget this was the same motivator for Safiyah's plot with Alice as well.
I'm calling bullshit on the entire "we need to get Marquis' retina pattern and thumbprint to override the new security systems" sub-plot. As noted in 3A, thanks to Dries, Luke forgets that he was master of the Bat-tech and security systems (again, second only to Batman), which would place him on a level of ability to hack into any system, and since the script did not say Marquis was using some SHIELD-level security, getting back into Wayne should have been rather easy for him. Another point from 3A, Luke is the legitimate inheritor of the Wayne/Bat legacy, as he--on paper--should have been since the pilot, and yes, if Luke was the CEO instead of the still-inexplicable choice of Wilder, this forced "hostile takeover" plot would not be possible, as Jada and/or Discount Joker had no way in through emotional / personal ties.
Oh, how this series dearly misses the Ruby Rose era.
GRADE: C-.
Season 3, Episode 8 - "Trust Destiny" - Mid-season premiere
Luke Fox/Not-Batwing: Luke tries to extract a desiccation serum from the real Poison Ivy in the hope it can restore Mary, but there's a potential danger to her life, which he (and the others) are willing to take, operating under the belief that Mary would understand why they would take such a risk.
Alice & Ivy/Mary: Pissed off that Luke froze all of Mary's credit cards, Alice cons Mary into being so despicable (sure, that's going to be a real trial...) that BW and Luke will no longer attempt to save her, and Mary can continue to be Alice's lackey.
It must be said again, that the "sister" sub-plot has no rational foundation whatsoever; if Dries, et al., ever watched any of their own episodes, they would not push this Alice / Mary bonding nonsense based on some "family neglect / togetherness" issues, because it must be repeated that Alice--as of the end of season two--not only reconciled with Kate, but Jacob as well, with the latter affirming his care for his daughter to the media. Alice was finally recognized and accepted, no longer having any sort of abandonment / family issues, thus she cannot act as if that's still a thing for her which could be used to relate to Mary.
Wilder/BW: Wilder was on point putting Sophie in her place about her loyalties with Montoya the blackmailer.
Marquis the Discount Joker / BW / Luke: Calling Wilder to continue his rubbing-it-a-thon, he invites her to a party at Wayne's, but Wilder, Luke and Sophie use this opportunity to infiltrate the party in disguise, as a way to obtain Marquis' thumb-print and a sample of his retina eye pattern to gain access to the entrance to the Batcave. As Marquis bloviates about the new Wayne Enterprises and kills board room candidates, Wilder (in disguise) gets the scan, and turns the tables on Montoya, demanding her identity remain secret (while twisting the screws about her failure to keep tabs on Alice). After a poorly choreographed fight, Wilder and Company return to the Batcave. Gee, where's Luke? Nowhere to be seen where he would be needed the most, 'cause of all characters on the series, HE knows all about Wayne's/Batman's archived records, and where certain files might be located, so again, why didn't he go to the Batcave?? (SEE NOTES)
Anyway, Wilder and Sophie deduce that Ivy's body had to be buried in a place where she would not be exposed to even a drop of water, and that just so happens to be in a location beneath the Batcave.
Obtaining the Bat-suit, Wilder locates Ivy's body...
Meanwhile, Mary/Ivy shows up at the party, making some sort of offer to Marquis as Luke tries to monitor and delay her, but Mary gets the drop on Luke, informing Marquis that Fox is on the scene...
BW and Company find the rather dead-looking body of Ivy; seeing the condition of Ivy, BW still questions using the serum on Mary, since it will lead to the same result. BW returns to the party with the serum, leaving Sophie and Montoya with Ivy's body.
Luke is confronted by Marquis and his thugs; in a very rare moment, Luke tries to stand his ground, but is outnumbered. Underground, Sophie reasons that the fraud alert on her credit card (and where it was used) was the work of Alice--pretty much luring Sophie to her current location, while Montoya is left alone (conveniently) with Ivy.
BW tries to inject Mary with the serum, but is distracted by Marquis, who shows up, holding a gun to Luke's head, babbling on about being her "Joker". Before he can blow Luke's brains out, he's injected with the serum, instantly transforming him into a withered body. Mary escapes, and whines to Alice about how Wilder only acted to either save Luke or her secret I.D. Wasting no time at all, Alice pretends to comfort Mary (in other words, keeping her lackey around).
Wilder calls Jada as BW, telling her where to find the dying Marquis; Luke questions trying to save Marquis at all, since he now knows their secret identities, but BW is willing to risk being exposed to save him. Hopefully, his does not lead to some forced, syrupy "redemption" of Marquis who is a murderer, who deserves--at the very least--life in prison..
Sophie: Sophie locates Alice, who tells Sophie that Montoya had been using everyone, a charge which will be verified in Montoya's office file cabinet. Taking Alice's lead, Sophie breaks into Montoya's office and discovers something shocking:the Joker Joy Buzzer, which she (Montoya) claimed was still out in the wild, as part of her blackmail scheme, which was only designed to use the Bat-team to (ultimately) find and revive Ivy.
Let that one sink in.
Black Glove society: Hey, anyone remember this dreaded group?
Poison Ivy / Montoya: Soooo, ten years ago, Montoya was so wrapped up in her personal crap with Poison Ivy, she allowed the villain to nearly murder her partner. Stalwart officer of the law, that one (SEE NOTES).
Gotham's most unethical cop (and if you're that in Gotham, you must be the textbook example of a low life) still blackmails BW to do the job she's too incompetent to handle on her own, but where oh where is it all leading for Berlanti's Montoya?
NOTES:
The second half of the season begins, and in no surprise to anyone, Dries (along with the "writers" behind this series) cannot justify why Luke and Wilder still blame themselves for the self-imposed insecurities and general lunacy of Mary. Three seasons in, and Wilder's "friendship" with Mary was never believably established to the degree that Wilder would see some fault within for Mary's issues (which predate Wilder coming into contact with the Bat-world).
In Dries' neverending soap opera obsessions, the audience is supposed to sympathize with a completely corrupt Montoya using the lives. safety and freedom of others all for her crush. You see, that's all-important to Caroline Dries and her "writing" staff, so instead of crafting compelling stories (heh), the series has yet another arc about an obsessive love life. Yes, I'm sure no one can forget this was the same motivator for Safiyah's plot with Alice as well.
I'm calling bullshit on the entire "we need to get Marquis' retina pattern and thumbprint to override the new security systems" sub-plot. As noted in 3A, thanks to Dries, Luke forgets that he was master of the Bat-tech and security systems (again, second only to Batman), which would place him on a level of ability to hack into any system, and since the script did not say Marquis was using some SHIELD-level security, getting back into Wayne should have been rather easy for him. Another point from 3A, Luke is the legitimate inheritor of the Wayne/Bat legacy, as he--on paper--should have been since the pilot, and yes, if Luke was the CEO instead of the still-inexplicable choice of Wilder, this forced "hostile takeover" plot would not be possible, as Jada and/or Discount Joker had no way in through emotional / personal ties.
Oh, how this series dearly misses the Ruby Rose era.
GRADE: C-.
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A pretty effective episode, though I especially appreciated the chance to see so many lovely ladies getting glamorously dressed up. Sophie looked particularly stunning, as did Bridget Regan as Ivy.
I love the brick-joke payoff to the question raised a few episodes back -- "Why is there a tree in the Batcave?" I didn't expect that to have actual significance. Although really, it shouldn't have been so hard to figure out that Batman would keep Ivy contained in the Batcave itself. I mean, the whole driving arc of the season so far has been about the attempt to recover all the deadly villain paraphernalia he'd been storing in the Batcave for safekeeping, so it should've been obvious.
And I still can't believe there's only one entrance to the Batcave. Surely Bruce would've had contingencies and backups in case he was kept out of the building for some reason. Plus, maybe the Bat-team shouldn't have been so casual about letting Montoya in on Batman's secret identity.
Surprising that Marquis was dealt with so easily. They were really playing up the idea of him being Ryan's Joker, but then they short-circuited it. Was it just a misdirect, or will he get out of being desiccated somehow? Maybe Mary's lines about the serum degrading over time are setup for it wearing off.
I love the brick-joke payoff to the question raised a few episodes back -- "Why is there a tree in the Batcave?" I didn't expect that to have actual significance. Although really, it shouldn't have been so hard to figure out that Batman would keep Ivy contained in the Batcave itself. I mean, the whole driving arc of the season so far has been about the attempt to recover all the deadly villain paraphernalia he'd been storing in the Batcave for safekeeping, so it should've been obvious.
And I still can't believe there's only one entrance to the Batcave. Surely Bruce would've had contingencies and backups in case he was kept out of the building for some reason. Plus, maybe the Bat-team shouldn't have been so casual about letting Montoya in on Batman's secret identity.
Surprising that Marquis was dealt with so easily. They were really playing up the idea of him being Ryan's Joker, but then they short-circuited it. Was it just a misdirect, or will he get out of being desiccated somehow? Maybe Mary's lines about the serum degrading over time are setup for it wearing off.
Anyone find the idea of keeping a desiccated woman in your basement for ten years a bit disturbing? Any other bodies down there?
Isn't the Batmobile kept in the cave? Seems for sure there should be more than one way to get in there.
Isn't the Batmobile kept in the cave? Seems for sure there should be more than one way to get in there.
This one was a bit of a struggle for me to get through, in part due to a small computer issue, but perhaps also because I went back and looked at most of season two during the hiatus so perhaps, I was a bit Batwoman’d out.
I do think it worked to help set up the rest of the season, but I didn’t really love this episode. Like Mr. Adventure, I felt that it was very creepy that Bruce would bury Poison Ivy alive and underneath the Batcave no less, though I also was glad it finally explained why there was a tree in the Batcave. I’m glad it was more than an unfortunate creative design choice.
Didn’t really care for the idea of Marquis as the new Joker, so I’m glad they didn’t fully go there with that, and more so had Marquis making the comparison rather than donning a Joker-esque makeover. There was the slight hair color change, and the playing card motif but otherwise I’m glad they didn’t go full on there.
I liked where the episode started with Mary but not where it ended. I wanted to see evil Mary be well eviler, but I guess it’s more ‘realistic’ that she’s still the same Mary we know underneath, and that she still cares who or what Ryan cares about. I think it was strange that she was more concerned about Wilder’s feelings towards her instead of Luke's. Mary and Luke are closer, and there’s the hint of romantic feelings between them. I get that Ryan is the main character, but not everything has to hinge on her. It was also strange that Mary immediately thought of Batwoman (in a vulgar way) being the one to cancel her credit cards when it seems like that would’ve been a Luke move. I did like how Alice used credit card fraud to get Sophie’s attention-I wasn’t expecting that to factor into the story.
I also like how Alice comforted Mary too. And how she’s playing both sides in a way. But so far Poison Mary is a bit underwhelming and was a bit too whiny this episode.
I didn’t care for Sophie leaving an obviously emotionally distraught Montoya behind with Ivy. If anything, Sophie should’ve had Montoya check on Alice.
Luke wasn’t too impressive this episode. He was dissed by Mary, but that was to be expected. It would’ve been nice if he had put up more of a fight against Marquis, but I guess Marquis just has his number. I’m iffy on Marquis getting desiccated (and I wonder how Jada is going to react to Ryan doing that), but I imagine he’ll be back before the season ends.
With him on ice, or in the dirt, it allows for Poison Ivy to be the big bad. Really liking Bridgett Regan so far. She has the look and the presence, and she’s the best live-action Poison Ivy I’ve seen already. I really liked Regan on Agent Carter and was hoping her Dottie would've gotten a nod of some sort in the Black Widow film. I also thought her Poison Ivy outfit was fine, it looked better than Mary’s (and I’m glad we didn’t see much of Mary’s outfit this week, though I did like her glittering green dress; and I think the makeup, hair, and contacts look good for her).
Looking back over Season 2, the season and the writing held up much better than I thought. There were some awkward and cringe moments but as the season went on, I think the writers got a better hold on Wilder’s character and what she could bring to the series. I thought they wasted Hush, and gave Mr. Zsasz and Enigma short shrift, but I liked a lot of what they did with Black Mask (just wish his mask has been better, but the actor and the take on the character I preferred over the Birds of Prey movie). The actress playing Safiyah was a better Ra’s Al Ghul than the one that was on Arrow. And the love story between Alice and Ocean was touching at times. And also it was interesting going back to see how rocky the relationship between Ryan and Sophie was in Season 2 compared to now (even though it’s shakier in a different way this season). And Wallis Day was good as Circe and Kate, and it would’ve been interesting if she had been cast as Kate from jump and how the series would’ve gone.
So, now with these two and a half seasons of looking at Batwoman it feels the closest to Arrow than any of the other Arrowverse series. Though I think it so far is like the middle quality IMO seasons (4, 6, 7) than Arrow’s best seasons (1,2). I thought Arrow Season 8 was the worst, but Season 3 was the most disappointing.
I do think it worked to help set up the rest of the season, but I didn’t really love this episode. Like Mr. Adventure, I felt that it was very creepy that Bruce would bury Poison Ivy alive and underneath the Batcave no less, though I also was glad it finally explained why there was a tree in the Batcave. I’m glad it was more than an unfortunate creative design choice.
Didn’t really care for the idea of Marquis as the new Joker, so I’m glad they didn’t fully go there with that, and more so had Marquis making the comparison rather than donning a Joker-esque makeover. There was the slight hair color change, and the playing card motif but otherwise I’m glad they didn’t go full on there.
I liked where the episode started with Mary but not where it ended. I wanted to see evil Mary be well eviler, but I guess it’s more ‘realistic’ that she’s still the same Mary we know underneath, and that she still cares who or what Ryan cares about. I think it was strange that she was more concerned about Wilder’s feelings towards her instead of Luke's. Mary and Luke are closer, and there’s the hint of romantic feelings between them. I get that Ryan is the main character, but not everything has to hinge on her. It was also strange that Mary immediately thought of Batwoman (in a vulgar way) being the one to cancel her credit cards when it seems like that would’ve been a Luke move. I did like how Alice used credit card fraud to get Sophie’s attention-I wasn’t expecting that to factor into the story.
I also like how Alice comforted Mary too. And how she’s playing both sides in a way. But so far Poison Mary is a bit underwhelming and was a bit too whiny this episode.
I didn’t care for Sophie leaving an obviously emotionally distraught Montoya behind with Ivy. If anything, Sophie should’ve had Montoya check on Alice.
Luke wasn’t too impressive this episode. He was dissed by Mary, but that was to be expected. It would’ve been nice if he had put up more of a fight against Marquis, but I guess Marquis just has his number. I’m iffy on Marquis getting desiccated (and I wonder how Jada is going to react to Ryan doing that), but I imagine he’ll be back before the season ends.
With him on ice, or in the dirt, it allows for Poison Ivy to be the big bad. Really liking Bridgett Regan so far. She has the look and the presence, and she’s the best live-action Poison Ivy I’ve seen already. I really liked Regan on Agent Carter and was hoping her Dottie would've gotten a nod of some sort in the Black Widow film. I also thought her Poison Ivy outfit was fine, it looked better than Mary’s (and I’m glad we didn’t see much of Mary’s outfit this week, though I did like her glittering green dress; and I think the makeup, hair, and contacts look good for her).
Looking back over Season 2, the season and the writing held up much better than I thought. There were some awkward and cringe moments but as the season went on, I think the writers got a better hold on Wilder’s character and what she could bring to the series. I thought they wasted Hush, and gave Mr. Zsasz and Enigma short shrift, but I liked a lot of what they did with Black Mask (just wish his mask has been better, but the actor and the take on the character I preferred over the Birds of Prey movie). The actress playing Safiyah was a better Ra’s Al Ghul than the one that was on Arrow. And the love story between Alice and Ocean was touching at times. And also it was interesting going back to see how rocky the relationship between Ryan and Sophie was in Season 2 compared to now (even though it’s shakier in a different way this season). And Wallis Day was good as Circe and Kate, and it would’ve been interesting if she had been cast as Kate from jump and how the series would’ve gone.
So, now with these two and a half seasons of looking at Batwoman it feels the closest to Arrow than any of the other Arrowverse series. Though I think it so far is like the middle quality IMO seasons (4, 6, 7) than Arrow’s best seasons (1,2). I thought Arrow Season 8 was the worst, but Season 3 was the most disappointing.
That reminds me, I figured the desiccant only worked on Ivy because of the plant thing but I guess anyone can be desiccated? Seems like it would be handy, Batman could go around shooting people with desiccant and then rehydrate them (or not I guess...) in Arkham.
I imagine the reference to serum having aged will result in Marquis rehydrating with his face all clowny and weird.
God, I'm so intensely frustrated with the Mary plotline. "Oh, Alice, my only friend, at least you cared enough to murder my mother in a baroque plot so my suffering would indirectly hurt Bat(wo)man and my (step-)father, in the finest tradition of Batman villains. Meanwhile, my workaholic friends never have time for me, the only person in our circle with a life and interests outside of crime-fighting. They don't even respect me enough to inject me with suspicious drugs when someone else is clearly about to be murdered after I've already been subdued." I know meeting anger with anger is unproductive, but I'm really ready for Ryan or Sophie to get fed up and start cracking heads.
God, I'm so intensely frustrated with the Mary plotline. "Oh, Alice, my only friend, at least you cared enough to murder my mother in a baroque plot so my suffering would indirectly hurt Bat(wo)man and my (step-)father, in the finest tradition of Batman villains. Meanwhile, my workaholic friends never have time for me, the only person in our circle with a life and interests outside of crime-fighting. They don't even respect me enough to inject me with suspicious drugs when someone else is clearly about to be murdered after I've already been subdued." I know meeting anger with anger is unproductive, but I'm really ready for Ryan or Sophie to get fed up and start cracking heads.
I enjoyed all of the twists and turns of this episode. I wonder if they are “saving” Marquis to be the big bad in season 4 and he will re-animate during the season finale.
It was overkill with the "weird Batman" some "writers" like to explore. One would think that with all of the tech at Wayne's fingertips, he could have placed Ivy in suspended animation, locked her in a cell and fed her intravenously, or just go the Joker route, since she was a major criminal. But no, Batman needed to bury her in the trunk of a tree.
Same here. Actor Nick Creegan is over the top...in a bad way, with the "Look how evil and calculating I am" routine that takes performance cues from bad 1980s cartoon villains. Hopefully, the implications of his "Batman had the Joker, and you have me" line died right there. We will see if Marquis--knowing Batwoman and Luke saved his life--will play the generally naive Wilder into believing his near-death experience has brought about a change in him, only for Marquis to turn the tables on her yet again.
Welcome to Caroline Dries' 40-minute Guide to Marginalizing Black Male Characters, where Mary--who has a friendship with Luke predating Wilder's arrival--would focus all of her whining/longing on Wilder. Nevermind what was set up since season one, nope--its all about getting Wilder's attention, and shoveling Luke into his monogramed corner.
Yes, it would be a Luke move, as he's the only character ever recognized as having a wide range of technical knowledge that would--above all others--make him the most likely candidate to cancel the cards.
Mary/Ivy will ever be underwhelming as a villain, because her call to action is...whining about others not recognizing her. Not a great villain.
Well, Dries' aforementioned guide also has a chapter on Luke being incapable of physically defending himself...
Batwoman
Season 3, Episode 9 - "Meet Your Maker"
Luke Fox/Not-Batwing: Luke's training scene was long overdue, and although he told Sophie his aggression has nothing to do with Marquis, you might guess he will refer to being shot (too little, too late, "writers" who do not know a thing about that subject). Luke blames himself for the failure of the Batwing suit, Mary being a criminal, etc. (yeah, none of those "failures" were his fault - SEE NOTES). He believes he's not ready to be a hero, but his self-doubt is turned into a freaking joke as Wilder lists Sophie's failings, with Sophie doing the same to Wilder, all to convince Luke that they are all screw-ups. ...and yeah, yeah, yeah...when a hunter's child is standing too close to a truck Sophie destroys, Luke saves the child, with the boy's acknowledgement giving Luke some validation, after his expressed doubts.
At the end of it all, Luke visits his father's grave, affirming his being ready to be a hero, and not loner being concerned with what he believes his father wanted.
Alice & Ivy/Mary: "Despite all our baggage, we both found the sister we've always wanted." More bullshit, since--and I will say it again--Alice fully reconciled with Kate in the season 2 finale. Once again, this series craps on any sense of continuity all to justify the self-centered, whining mess that is Mary.
Montoya shoots Mary with what appeared to be a tranquilizer dart, not to specifically save Mary, but to express how Ivy is not living up to Montoya's expectations (SEE NOTES).
Wilder/BW: Wilder choosing to use a rifle was about the most rational decision she's made since joining the Bat-team, but I knew she would not do what was necessary, and take no prisoners or interference (namely Montoya) in the attempt to create another serum from Ivy.
Searching for Ivy in the woods, Wilder, Luke and Sophie are forced to hide in an abandoned cabin when Ivy sends vines to destroy their car and kill the remaining fisherman. Like a scene out of Stranger Things' third season, Eleven--i mean Sophie is nearly killed by the "monster".
Jada Jet / Marquis the Discount Joker / Random Crap Dropped into the Series Department: Diggle having some sort of past with Jada...sure.
...and just how would he know what Montoya's Bat-related job was at the GCPD, or where she was storing the villains' weapons? All to conveniently, Marquis needs another jolt from the joy buzzer to restore his empathy, so now we have a convoluted, forced intersection of Jada with the Bat-team. Oh, joy.
Diggle suggesting Jada opening up to Wilder might be the "best thing that ever happened" to her only means Robin Givens will be around (at least) for the rest of the season. Eh.
Diggle's magical little box was an obvious tease, but he's so uninteresting that his obtaining what's in the box is not really inspiring cheers.
Sophie: After discovering Montoya flat out blackmailed everyone (re: the Joker Joy Buzzer) for her personal bullshit, you'd think Sophie would turn Montoya in to her superiors ASAP--Batwoman secret be damned. Well, that's how it would work in real life, but being a Caroline Dries show, everyone is either stupid (like leaving the buzzer in Montoya's office, instead of holding on to it as evidence) or easily conned / coerced into being an all-day sucker...
...and its back to Wilder and Sophie arguing over what Wilder wants from her (are the showrunners kidding? Who does not know what that means?) but Sophie is nearly killed by an Ivy vine, but is saved by Luke using some vaporous concoction.
Poison Ivy / Montoya: Montoya is an accessory to murder; she knew Ivy killed the fishermen, and allowed Ivy to do whatever the Hell she was doing with Mary and that "awakening" BS. Legally, there's no way Montoya would be able to talk her way out of a date in court--and beyond, and all because she only cared about her obsession...with a known murderer. Well, this is a Caroline Dries series, so no one can claim to be surprised by that. Very unimpressive Poison Ivy; there's a terrible sameness in the characterization of most of this series' villains--no one (except Alice) is a standout, or unique.
NOTES:
Montoya said: "Batwoman is not Batman" Damn. if that's not the statement of the series, I do not know what is.
Luke blamed himself for a number of things, such as Mary's situation and the Batwing suit failing. More BS; Mary placed herself in the situation she's in, while the entire fail-safe program in the suit makes no sense at all, since his father could not know how his son would act or react once in the suit, or know his motivations at any given moment. Fake, super A.I. is just poor "writing" to create a false dilemma to stretch out across two seasons, and if the Tavaroff incident is used as an excuse, the utter lack of believable reactions or an understanding of how a black man would find himself in such an confrontation already killed it as a would-be major developmental plotline for Luke.
Montoya is supposed to be a protagonist? She is so obsessed with Ivy and some half-assed, underdeveloped romance that she stands by as Ivy murders innocent people and attempts to kill Batwoman. Eh. In Caroline Dries-land, there's no such thing as characters having ethical lines they will not cross. Its all about high school-level emotionalism in supposedly serious situations.
Oh, and Mary murdered the hunter, but somehow, this series will never have her end up in court to answer for her crimes, since the entire "Ivy" infection/tech would be a defense attorney spinning fairy tales a prosecutor would rip to shreds....and it would be bye-bye Mary.
Next week, Alice runs to the Bat-team seeking help in the Mary situation.
Yes, this series dearly misses the Ruby Rose era.
GRADE: D.
Season 3, Episode 9 - "Meet Your Maker"
Luke Fox/Not-Batwing: Luke's training scene was long overdue, and although he told Sophie his aggression has nothing to do with Marquis, you might guess he will refer to being shot (too little, too late, "writers" who do not know a thing about that subject). Luke blames himself for the failure of the Batwing suit, Mary being a criminal, etc. (yeah, none of those "failures" were his fault - SEE NOTES). He believes he's not ready to be a hero, but his self-doubt is turned into a freaking joke as Wilder lists Sophie's failings, with Sophie doing the same to Wilder, all to convince Luke that they are all screw-ups. ...and yeah, yeah, yeah...when a hunter's child is standing too close to a truck Sophie destroys, Luke saves the child, with the boy's acknowledgement giving Luke some validation, after his expressed doubts.
At the end of it all, Luke visits his father's grave, affirming his being ready to be a hero, and not loner being concerned with what he believes his father wanted.
Alice & Ivy/Mary: "Despite all our baggage, we both found the sister we've always wanted." More bullshit, since--and I will say it again--Alice fully reconciled with Kate in the season 2 finale. Once again, this series craps on any sense of continuity all to justify the self-centered, whining mess that is Mary.
Montoya shoots Mary with what appeared to be a tranquilizer dart, not to specifically save Mary, but to express how Ivy is not living up to Montoya's expectations (SEE NOTES).
Wilder/BW: Wilder choosing to use a rifle was about the most rational decision she's made since joining the Bat-team, but I knew she would not do what was necessary, and take no prisoners or interference (namely Montoya) in the attempt to create another serum from Ivy.
Searching for Ivy in the woods, Wilder, Luke and Sophie are forced to hide in an abandoned cabin when Ivy sends vines to destroy their car and kill the remaining fisherman. Like a scene out of Stranger Things' third season, Eleven--i mean Sophie is nearly killed by the "monster".
Jada Jet / Marquis the Discount Joker / Random Crap Dropped into the Series Department: Diggle having some sort of past with Jada...sure.
...and just how would he know what Montoya's Bat-related job was at the GCPD, or where she was storing the villains' weapons? All to conveniently, Marquis needs another jolt from the joy buzzer to restore his empathy, so now we have a convoluted, forced intersection of Jada with the Bat-team. Oh, joy.
Diggle suggesting Jada opening up to Wilder might be the "best thing that ever happened" to her only means Robin Givens will be around (at least) for the rest of the season. Eh.
Diggle's magical little box was an obvious tease, but he's so uninteresting that his obtaining what's in the box is not really inspiring cheers.
Sophie: After discovering Montoya flat out blackmailed everyone (re: the Joker Joy Buzzer) for her personal bullshit, you'd think Sophie would turn Montoya in to her superiors ASAP--Batwoman secret be damned. Well, that's how it would work in real life, but being a Caroline Dries show, everyone is either stupid (like leaving the buzzer in Montoya's office, instead of holding on to it as evidence) or easily conned / coerced into being an all-day sucker...
...and its back to Wilder and Sophie arguing over what Wilder wants from her (are the showrunners kidding? Who does not know what that means?) but Sophie is nearly killed by an Ivy vine, but is saved by Luke using some vaporous concoction.
Poison Ivy / Montoya: Montoya is an accessory to murder; she knew Ivy killed the fishermen, and allowed Ivy to do whatever the Hell she was doing with Mary and that "awakening" BS. Legally, there's no way Montoya would be able to talk her way out of a date in court--and beyond, and all because she only cared about her obsession...with a known murderer. Well, this is a Caroline Dries series, so no one can claim to be surprised by that. Very unimpressive Poison Ivy; there's a terrible sameness in the characterization of most of this series' villains--no one (except Alice) is a standout, or unique.
NOTES:
Montoya said: "Batwoman is not Batman" Damn. if that's not the statement of the series, I do not know what is.
Luke blamed himself for a number of things, such as Mary's situation and the Batwing suit failing. More BS; Mary placed herself in the situation she's in, while the entire fail-safe program in the suit makes no sense at all, since his father could not know how his son would act or react once in the suit, or know his motivations at any given moment. Fake, super A.I. is just poor "writing" to create a false dilemma to stretch out across two seasons, and if the Tavaroff incident is used as an excuse, the utter lack of believable reactions or an understanding of how a black man would find himself in such an confrontation already killed it as a would-be major developmental plotline for Luke.
Montoya is supposed to be a protagonist? She is so obsessed with Ivy and some half-assed, underdeveloped romance that she stands by as Ivy murders innocent people and attempts to kill Batwoman. Eh. In Caroline Dries-land, there's no such thing as characters having ethical lines they will not cross. Its all about high school-level emotionalism in supposedly serious situations.
Oh, and Mary murdered the hunter, but somehow, this series will never have her end up in court to answer for her crimes, since the entire "Ivy" infection/tech would be a defense attorney spinning fairy tales a prosecutor would rip to shreds....and it would be bye-bye Mary.
Next week, Alice runs to the Bat-team seeking help in the Mary situation.
Yes, this series dearly misses the Ruby Rose era.
GRADE: D.
I thought that was a pretty decent episode. I looked up the director and it's his second credit but he has many as cinematographer and it shows, it really looked fantastic. Even the FX work was rather decent. The wind coming over the lake was nicely done.
Diggle knowing Jada is unlikely but their interplay worked well. I thought the interactions with Team Wilder and Alice and Mary were a step up from usual. Personally, I liked the scenes with Luke as well.
I have to say Ivy's costume looks so much better than Mary's getup. Her pale look was haunting. And c'mon, the sign says catch and release, what did you think was going to happen? Speaking of getups, I liked Alice's silver jacket and Diggle's facial hair.
No real complaints from me for once (though I'm not sure where Ryan was stashing the batsuit...).
Diggle knowing Jada is unlikely but their interplay worked well. I thought the interactions with Team Wilder and Alice and Mary were a step up from usual. Personally, I liked the scenes with Luke as well.
I have to say Ivy's costume looks so much better than Mary's getup. Her pale look was haunting. And c'mon, the sign says catch and release, what did you think was going to happen? Speaking of getups, I liked Alice's silver jacket and Diggle's facial hair.
No real complaints from me for once (though I'm not sure where Ryan was stashing the batsuit...).
Pretty good episode! I also thought this was Diggle’s best appearance in a while (better than all of his guest starring roles last year). Interesting that they’re keeping the Green Lantern plot going.. maybe that means there will be a Green Lantern element in his new show?
The current set of plotlines can't be resolved fast enough. We've got, what, four characters who are like shitty kids who have their parents wrapped around their fingers. "Now, I said no more murders, and I meant it. Okay, maybe just this one murder, as a treat, but you know how bad it makes me feel to stop you from murdering, so I need you to stop yourself or I'll stop you... but I'd rather not, and let you keep going." I mean, Christ, Montoya, how much patience can one person have? "Oh, boo-hoo, I was buried alive, and now I have I second chance." Gee, Pam, why don't we find some of the people you put underground and see how they react to coming back up? Probably won't smell great, but at least they'll whine less about only being able to murder with half their normal efficiency.
The catch-and-release sign mounted to the gutting-table (there's got to be a real name for those) is a bit of a mixed message on the part of the Gotham Fish & Wildlife department. Also, two purifying human corpses probably isn't great for the river, either.
I'd seriously consider dropping the show here and now, but I watch on iTunes and paid for the whole season in advance, so I may as well stick with it and see if their inept handling of this constellation of self-destruction is limited to the middle part, and they're actually going to realize, hey, hurting all your friends and ruining strangers' lives isn't fun and glamorous, after all. Mary's plotline, in particular, is reminding me of the new Joss Whedon interview that's a horribly inept attempt on his part on trying to repair his reputation, but unlike the show, the world seems to realize "I was treated like dirt, and then I got a bunch of money and power, and I felt like if I didn't exploit it to get all the hot sex and petty revenge I craved, I'd regret it" is not something to be celebrated as finding your true strength or whatever.
The catch-and-release sign mounted to the gutting-table (there's got to be a real name for those) is a bit of a mixed message on the part of the Gotham Fish & Wildlife department. Also, two purifying human corpses probably isn't great for the river, either.
I'd seriously consider dropping the show here and now, but I watch on iTunes and paid for the whole season in advance, so I may as well stick with it and see if their inept handling of this constellation of self-destruction is limited to the middle part, and they're actually going to realize, hey, hurting all your friends and ruining strangers' lives isn't fun and glamorous, after all. Mary's plotline, in particular, is reminding me of the new Joss Whedon interview that's a horribly inept attempt on his part on trying to repair his reputation, but unlike the show, the world seems to realize "I was treated like dirt, and then I got a bunch of money and power, and I felt like if I didn't exploit it to get all the hot sex and petty revenge I craved, I'd regret it" is not something to be celebrated as finding your true strength or whatever.
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The way Diggle gets used on this show is weird -- he's always on the periphery. I was wondering if he'd have any interaction with the Bat-team at all, until that scene with Luke at the end.
Bridget Regan is terrific as Ivy -- she really looks the part and is a striking presence.
It was obvious that Ryan and Sophie's bickering was going to lead to a kiss, but I still like the way it played out, with them never quite losing the attitude.
When it was established that Diggle and Jada were old flames, and then Diggle brought up her daughter, I wondered -- do we know who Ryan's father was? Although I checked the wiki, and Diggle would've only been 17 when Ryan was conceived, so it seems unlikely.
It occurs to me that it was hypocritical of Ivy to defend the catch and release policy by catching the men and not releasing them.
In the backpack that we saw Sophie grab before she jumped out of the truck. Ryan specifically thanked her for grabbing the Batsuit before she got out.
They're kind of walking things back now, since his Supergirl appearance implied that he'd already gotten his "job offer" from the Guardians and understood it, and his "Worlds await" line when he left implied that he'd accepted it. So it's a reversion if the box is closed again now. Maybe they've decided to retcon it into something different in order to set up Diggle's spinoff.
They aren't celebrating it -- she's a villain. That's the thing about Batman villains -- you can empathize with the things that drive them while still deploring how they choose to act on them. It's that ambiguity that makes them worthwhile. Fiction does not necessarily ask us to approve of or celebrate the things its characters do, only to understand the emotions behind them.
Bridget Regan is terrific as Ivy -- she really looks the part and is a striking presence.
It was obvious that Ryan and Sophie's bickering was going to lead to a kiss, but I still like the way it played out, with them never quite losing the attitude.
When it was established that Diggle and Jada were old flames, and then Diggle brought up her daughter, I wondered -- do we know who Ryan's father was? Although I checked the wiki, and Diggle would've only been 17 when Ryan was conceived, so it seems unlikely.
It occurs to me that it was hypocritical of Ivy to defend the catch and release policy by catching the men and not releasing them.
In the backpack that we saw Sophie grab before she jumped out of the truck. Ryan specifically thanked her for grabbing the Batsuit before she got out.
They're kind of walking things back now, since his Supergirl appearance implied that he'd already gotten his "job offer" from the Guardians and understood it, and his "Worlds await" line when he left implied that he'd accepted it. So it's a reversion if the box is closed again now. Maybe they've decided to retcon it into something different in order to set up Diggle's spinoff.
They aren't celebrating it -- she's a villain. That's the thing about Batman villains -- you can empathize with the things that drive them while still deploring how they choose to act on them. It's that ambiguity that makes them worthwhile. Fiction does not necessarily ask us to approve of or celebrate the things its characters do, only to understand the emotions behind them.
You are not kidding.
Somehow, the showrunners want the audience to empathize with a murderer who was planning to commit mass murder as part of her assbrained agenda.
Well, you'd think anyone concerned about the environment would think twice before pulling dead bodies into the river, but contradictory or flat-out irrational behavior is the on the IDs of almost every character on this show, so that explains why Ivy did the same thing she accuses others of committing.
Chalk that up to the immaturity of the "writers"/showrunners, who have all other characters blame themselves for the self-obsessed, whining problems of Mary, as if they did not have their own serious issues to deal with, and should have dropped everything to apply psychological pampering to the rich girl with no problems. Add the forced, completely unbelievable concern Alice has for Mary, and this season has easily turned out to be the worst so far, as every bit of character development gained by the end of the previous season has been jettisoned in favor of everyone chasing after a petulant woman-baby...who is a murderer.
DC has announced a canon comic tie-in crossover for this season of the CW shows. Six issues over three months, with one each for Batwoman, Superman & Lois, Legends of Tomorrow, Stargirl, and The Flash, with the final issue being the actual cross-over incorporating all the characters.
I'm putting the description for the Batwoman issue into spoiler tags, because it seems to take place later in the season than we are. No spoilers in the cover-art, though.
I'm putting the description for the Batwoman issue into spoiler tags, because it seems to take place later in the season than we are. No spoilers in the cover-art, though.
Ryan Wilder, aka Batwoman, makes her costumed comic book debut in a story co-written by series writers Natalie Abrams and Kelley Larson, plus series cast member Camrus Johnson (Luke Fox/Batwing), with art by Clayton Henry.
Ever since the tech that created many of Batman’s rogues hit the streets, Ryan Wilder has been running herself ragged trying to contain the new villains popping up around Gotham City. But when Clayface’s (making his CW debut) mud binds itself to a local high schooler, Batwoman will need help from an unexpected source to contain this muddy foe! Also, follow how Luke Fox balances his life as a super hero and a boyfriend!
Ever since the tech that created many of Batman’s rogues hit the streets, Ryan Wilder has been running herself ragged trying to contain the new villains popping up around Gotham City. But when Clayface’s (making his CW debut) mud binds itself to a local high schooler, Batwoman will need help from an unexpected source to contain this muddy foe! Also, follow how Luke Fox balances his life as a super hero and a boyfriend!
I'm assuming the "Luke Fox is a hero and also a boyfriend" thing places this later in the season, since there hasn't been much daylight between his repeated attemps to be Batwing and to give up at being Batwing before deciding to be Batwing again, and they were teasing a potential relationship between him and Mary earlier in the season, so it makes more sense for this to be after they get together rather than to try and shoehorn in a girlfriend-of-the-week into a subplot of a single-issue comic (though I suppose they could split the difference and say he'd been dating, for instance, the Cluemaster's daughter off-screen and never mentioned it).
Let's hope so. A Green Lantern seems like a much better super hero teacher than a guy who used to wear a helmet.
Batman wore a helmet with pointy ears. He's a pretty good mentor to heroes. It's the person that matters, not the gear.
