REVIEW: Batwoman, Season 2 Episode 12 'Initiate Self-Destruct'

 REVIEW: Batwoman, Season 2 Episode 12 'Initiate Self-Destruct'

The previous episode of Batwoman ended with a shocker. Sophie (Meagan Tandy) had discovered the truth about Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) being Batwoman, and the Crows security had taken a sample of her blood, ready to search for a DNA match. It seemed her identity was on the fringe of being exposed, which is never a good moment for any vigilante with their real name hidden.

In this episode Sophie finds herself in a race against time trying to prevent the Crows matching the DNA sample, and it's a really interesting place to take her character, considering that in the first season she was largely against working with the Bat. It shows how far her character has progressed and evolved since; she's perhaps the one returning cast member who has developed the most out of any of the others in the show.

She really puts her career on the line to assist with securing Batwoman's identity too. To the point where she agrees to place a USB stick designed to wipe DNA data from the database systems, something which if she was found out would no doubt get her in some very serious trouble. We're essentially talking hacking here, which kind of makes Sophie's actions criminal in nature. She's no longer a clean agent of the Crows, this woman has gone rogue.

It's this episode that she also discovers how her boss Jacob (Dougray Scott) has been taking the drug known as snake bite. There's a lot of dramatic weight portrayed in this scene, as both character and audience know the significance of the drug, and it's a smart creative choice to have Sophie inform Mary (Nicole Kang) of her discovery. Mary, of course, is in complete denial, and looking for any rational explanation, because she doesn't want to believe her Dad would stoop that low. She's in for a shock when she sees it properly confirmed, and she loses any way of rationalisation for what is in reality the most obvious explanation for why he'd have it in his office.

The other major narrative of this episode is Batwoman and Alice (Rachel Skarsten) teaming up to find their respective lovers Angelique (Bevin Bru) and Ocean (Nathan Owens), and may I say these two are fun together. This is the best Alice has been all season, with her playing the hyperactive child to the increasingly exasperated Batwoman. The way she just wants to press every button in the Batmobile, to the point of nearly initiating a self destruct feature, is hilarious and finally a good use of Alice after her previous appearances have largely either repeated what we already known, or explored ideas we have already seen in other shows such as Arrow.

Out of the two of them you would be forgiven for assuming it would be Beth who would betray Ryan, which makes it all the more thrilling when it is the other way round. Ryan, it seems, just can't get over what Beth did to her Mum, and it's not hard to see why she therefore gives in to temptation, leaving Beth stranded with the False Face Society rather than helping her out. After all, as she says, 'You can't save everybody'. Is Alice even worthy of saving?

The fate that has befallen Kate (Wallis Day) feels particularly cruel. She has her memories wiped and is manipulated into believing she is the daughter of the Black Mask (Peter Outerbridge), which has to be up there with one of the most terrible things to happen to any character on this show. She's essentially been stripped of her entire identity, which nobody should have to go through,  and made to lose all her memories of who she was in the past. Whilst we may know she will get her memories back and become 'Kate Kane' once more, seeing as we know she's in the rest of the season, it doesn't make it feel any less tragic on the whole. 

Overall, 'Initiate Self-Destruct' is easily one of the finest episodes of Batwoman's second season. Finally Alice is utilised considerably well within the narrative, and finally we get our first proper tease at the new Kate Kane. It's also a clever decision to have Sophie on the side of Batwoman over the Crows, with her working to ensure her identity is not discovered. With Sophie's extreme efforts here, surely it can't be long before she properly joins the Bat family?   

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