Batwoman season 1, episode 11 review: An Un-Birthday Present

This week finds Batwoman aka Kate Kane dealing with the fallout of her sister Beth suddenly popping out of nowhere! Who is she? Is this a trick of Alice? Is she going mad? There are many questions and thankfully some answers in this episode! 

The first season of Batwoman has been addressing the idea of family and identity in a very upfront way, its also been a show that discusses masks, both in a literal and metaphorical way.

Being true to who you are even in the face of adversity is a strong theme that has been playing out across not only this show but the Arrowverse at large. For the most part, this has worked, with only a few deviations of the narrative.

Sisters, Sisters…

This episode strongly digs deep into the relationship between Beth and Kate Kane, as Kate tries to figure out just who the “Real” Beth is.  Alas for those hoping for a big twist, the truth is that the real Beth is one who came from another earth when the crisis took place.  In the world Beth came from, Kate saved her from the car wreck, this creates the question in Kate about if she could of or should have done more in her world to save her sister from the terrible fate that awaited her and the transformation into Alice.

Holy Prejudice, Batman!

Homophobia is a theme that has been explored from the start of this show, and rightly so as the main character is a member of the LGBTQ community. This has played into the idea of being true to yourself as we have seen Kate Kane give up things in her life rather than betray who she is. When Mouse kidnaps two children it’s up to Batwoman to save them. However, it’s revealed that due to Batwoman coming out as a Lesbian in the previous episode the GCPD refuses to light the Bat-signal.

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This felt a bit weird and off, as the Government has many protections for minority members. This also raises another issue that this show has had for many episodes. That at times it feels like a show that was made in a different decade, as it showcases a very prejudicial world when stats and polls indicate that our society is the most accepting its ever been.

This feels odd as comic books tend to mirror our world and show us flaws, and this show feels like it is mirroring our world from a few decades past. Not to mention the fact that the kidnapped children’s lives were at stake!

Redemption and Healing of the past

As mentioned above, this episode dealt a lot with Kate Kane’s guilt for failing to save her sister all those years before. When Beth disguises herself as Alice to try and save the kidnapped children, things go wrong and Beth finds herself trapped in a car on fire. Kate is able to save her, and in a way redeem herself from the guilt of being unable to save her worlds Beth, later on we see both Beth and Alice double over in pain, does this have something to do with the new rules of the world? Sadly we will have to wait for answers!

The episode ends with Alice relating how the trauma of her past being abused mentally, emotionally and physically by Mouse’s father made her withdraw into a fantasy world of Alice in Wonderland. Just as we are starting to feel sorry for her again, she breaks free from prison murdering several guards in the process.

Overall this was a strong episode, seeing Kate Kane interact with a normal Beth and face the guilt she carried from the past was powerful. That being said, we have done about as far as we can go with the sister narrative and the tale will need some more twists to keep it interesting. However, surprises are something the writers know how to keep delivering!

7/10 Batarangs

What did you think of Batwoman‘s 11th episode? Let us know in the comments below!