REVIEW: Batwoman, Season 2 Episode Nine 'Rule #1'

 REVIEW: Batwoman, Season 2 Episode Nine 'Rule #1'

Watching a TV episode dealing with a character's death despite knowing they will return is an odd feeling, to say the least. Essentially it's like the equivalent of visiting somebody's grave knowing full well that they faked their death. You know this death isn't exactly final, and yet their death is treated as a 'fact' rather than a temporary arrangement. But then I guess this is a common theme with comic-book stories in general, which have killed characters only to bring them back to life many times before.

It's this prior knowledge that makes the opening funeral for Kate Kane rather bittersweet. Whilst seeing Sophie (Meagan Tandy), Jacob (Dougray Scott) and Luke (Camrus Johnson) mourning her passing is full of heart and emotion, and Ryan's (Javicia Leslie) monologue underscoring it is a lovely touch, it can't help but feel ultimately pointless. It's hard to feel sad about somebody who has already been recast in the show. Their grief could literally be flicked off like a light switch at any moment, depending on when the creative team decide to have Kate show up to her friends and family. 

It's not helped by the fact that it's immediately undermined by the very next scene, where Black Mask (Peter Outerbridge) talks of how he's going to make them believe Kate has come back from the dead. It's a strange creative decision for sure, as it means the episode barely lets the emotional resonance from the funeral scene sink in before we're immediately reminded about Kate's imminent return. The episode would have ultimately been much stronger had they cut this sequence from the story and instead left the scene with the kidnapped Kate at the end as the only one regarding her comeback. This would have allowed the grief from our lead and supporting characters to play out, rather than completely underplaying it in this manner.

Thankfully the rest of the episode is much stronger, largely revolving around Ryan's girlfriend Angelique (Bevin Bru). She rocks up at Ryan and Mary's (Nicole Kang) flat, declaring her wish to leave the drugs business and to rekindle her romance with Ryan Wilder. Their romance is without a doubt one of the most believable relationships in the show. The actors have oodles of chemistry, and the characters feel like a natural fit for one another, given that they are both damaged individuals. Angelique has fallen into a life of drug dealing, which Ryan was wrongly arrested for; life has not been kind to either of them. They both know what it is like to become embroiled in these grim situations, given that Ryan was  kidnapped as a child and Angelique was taken captive by the same woman in the process of trying to rescue Ryan. They have these shared experiences that give them so much in common.

Of course, it wouldn't be a superhero drama without a crime to investigate. This week in Batwoman, it's the mysterious shooting of Commissioner Forbes (Cameron McDonald). Angelique, it turns out, is the answer to finding out the identity of the woman who shot the commissioner. I really like the decision to make Angelique the getaway driver for the woman responsible, as it adds a personal conflict for Ryan/Batwoman. We've seen this dilemma before in the series, with Kate Kane frequently covering for her sister Alice's (Rachel Skarsten) murders, but it doesn't make it any less interesting. It adds a further dimension to proceedings rather than simply having the getaway driver being a random character we have never met, as it puts our protagonist in a tricky spot. Does she cover for her girlfriend despite possessing the knowledge of her involvement, or does she let her face justice as she would with any of the other criminals she faces on a daily basis?

It ends in a rather cynical way that's fitting for the grim and murky world of Gotham, as Angilique lies to the Crows that she shot the Commissioner because the real culprit threatened to kill Ryan if she told them the truth. There's a real tragedy to this, as Angilique is forced to give up her life in order to protect her lover. In this harsh world of crime, injustice has failed to be delivered, and instead a woman innocent of the crimes has been forced to serve the time, which is a neat direct mirror of Ryan's story.

As one story ends (for now) another begins, as we're introduced to Sophie's sister Jordan (Keeya King). Keeya King is perfectly cast in this role, as she gives the part a really endearing quality as well as possessing a similar resemblance to Meagan Tandy. It's not hard to buy her as Sophie's sister, especially as she carries the same disdain for Batwoman as Sophie initially did before she got to know both Batwomen properly and came to the realisation that they were both merely trying to help protect the city. Her introduction also sees the show follow recent popular topics concerning the treatment of black people within the police, which allows the show to feel topical as well as exploring an issue that is relevant to the show. Batwoman is a programme that's all about crime, and as such people like the GCPD often have a level of involvement in the plots. It makes sense therefore for this show to cover a topic like this, and to feature a character who voices a desire for the police to be defunded. 

Overall, 'Rule #1' is a decent episode of the show. It starts off weak, with a funeral that ultimately cannot help but feel like a waste of time, but deviates into a stronger and much more exciting plot regarding Ryan Wilder in a situation where she has to make a personal judgement as Batwoman. It's an episode that explores some very important topical issues, but without losing its focus on character. You do have to wonder though how long it will be before Kate Kane shows up, because you can feel her presence looming as the season continues on ahead. 

What are your thoughts on episode nine of Batwoman's second season? Let me know in the comments.