REVIEW: Batwoman, Season 2 Episode Seventeen 'Kane, Kate'

 REVIEW: Batwoman, Season 2 Episode Seventeen 'Kane, Kate'

One of the most prominent casting choices of Batwoman's second season is Wallis Day as Kate Kane. After Ruby Rose opted not to return to the role, showrunner Caroline Dries opted to create a new character to take on the mantle of Batwoman, Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie), and turn Ruby Rose's behind the scenes exit from the show into the central storyline, concerning the mysterious disappearance of Kate Kane. Hence, Wallis Day would now be cast in the part of Kate, for when Kate would be found, bringing us a whole new interpretation on the character.

This episode, more so than any of the others, is the one that most focuses on this new Kate Kane. In the previous episode, we saw Kate and her new identity of 'Circe' were engaging in a constant battle within Kate's mind. Well now we discover that Circe has won this battle, and fully taken over. I really like this element, as it means we get to see a new side to Kate's character that we never saw with Ruby Rose's interpretation. We get to see what happens when Kate turns bad, and the danger that situation poses. What do you do when the original Batwoman is not on your side? 

If that sounds similar to the Doctor Who story arc 'The Trial of a Time Lord', then that's because it is. There's definitely a lot of parallels between the former's serial 'Mindwarp' and Batwoman's brainwashed Kate/Circe. Like the Sixth Doctor in Mindwarp, Kate is  acting noticeably out of character after her mind has having been tampered with, and she's also entrapping and torturing the people who are supposed to be her friends. It's not all that surprising to see this trope be used multiple times, as it's very compelling to watch, but you do have to wonder if the writing team watched Mindwarp before writing this episode.

If they're not Whovians, however, they certainly have an interest in Batman. There are a lot of allusions to Bruce Wayne's vigilantism here, with Kate/Circe delivering to Roman Sionis (Peter Outerbridge) everything from the Joker's poisonous petal to the Mad Hatter's hat. I could imagine people who consider themselves Batman fans probably having a field day with this episode, pausing the frame to see how many items there are from members of Batman's rogues gallery. I couldn't possibly tell you most of what Kate collected as I'm more of an occasional viewer than any sort of fan of the Caped Crusader, but I still appreciate when these shows or films do include easter eggs to their respective franchises. 

If Ryan thought the Crows were corrupt before this point, they certainly are now. Roman is literally recruiting them for his nefarious means; not only that, but he's also in charge of the GCPD, bringing full scale corruption to Gotham City. This gives scenes a real sense of hopelessness, as it feels like everything is against Ryan/Batwoman right now. The city she is trying to protect is being run by the very criminal mastermind she is trying to stop which is a really neat way within the story to bring the hero to her lowest point, ready for the part of the narrative in all forms of storytelling when the hero rises when all hope is lost, and triumphs against the odds. It takes Ryan to a place where she's essentially lost everything, including her home, her livelihood and potentially her friends now Kate has returned, and she feels at her most lost.

Speaking of characters who are lost, the same could be said for Alice (Rachel Skarsten). She's just lost the man that she loved, Ocean and for once in her life, Alice is the one grieving. This leads to one of the best scenes in the episode, when Mary (Nicole Kang) pays Alice a visit and offers her words of comfort. This scene is beautifully acted by the pair, with both bring real nuances to their performance. The writing is great too; in particular, I like how Mary simply states that she's not there to gloat, and how she wouldn't wish the loss of  a loved one to anybody - even Alice. She's been there, and she knows what it's like. Alice and Mary now have this shared experience of emotional pain, and I hope this is something that will be explored to a greater extent in future episodes, as it would be interesting to see more of a Mary and Alice who have found a common ground. 

Somebody who Alice will never be on good terms with is Safiyah (Shivanni Ghai). The confrontation in this episode is really gripping to watch, as Alice makes her believe she will go back with her to the island, before stabbing her in the heart with Safiyah's desert rose knife. As Alice says, stabbing her with a normal knife would be too easy; it's much better to temporarily kill her, and then remove the knife so she can torture her later. It's great seeing Alice more as an anti-hero now, as we saw plenty of her as a villain in the first season. A new direction rather than rehashing the same ground always provides for more interesting plot points.

Overall, 'Kane, Kate' is a fantastic penultimate episode to Batwoman's second season. It offers some truly entertaining action regarding Kate/Circe which leaves you hooked throughout, whilst also fully delivering on the promise posed by the Alice anti-hero direction. So far, Season Two has been something of a strange season in terms of the creative choices in parts, but hopefully the finale will prove as strong as this episode.

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