Batwoman season 1, episode 18 review: If You Believe in Me, I’ll Believe in You

Batwoman season 1 returns and Kate needs to believe in others in order to to steal back a book of secrets.

After a weeks-long hiatus driven by shutdowns, Batwoman season 1 returned to break the one rule she didn’t know was already broken years ago by her dear revered cousin. As shocking as the revelation was, the Arrowverse show don’t bring it up again and could be running from it since it made headlines last week.

Villains from earlier in Batwoman season 1 also came back, namely Tommy Elliot and Magpie, who figure in this week. Elliot turns out to be responsible for the (apparently) accidental assassination of Lucius Fox caused by the strongarming search for Fox’s journal full of secrets exposing the Batman.

Batman’s Book of Secrets

Why did Lucius Fox feel the need to write a journal containing all of Batman’s secrets or didn’t put it all in an encrypted file instead, who knows? It’s not important, they have a dramatic object that everyone is after and ties everything together for the week. That’s all that matters.

Everybody wants it and Alice really does so she and Mouse plot with Tommy to get it. The journal is locked in a safe at a club which groovily inspires Kate to take Julia Pennyworth clubbing – and that must be code for reconnaissance and infiltration by now.

The mission goes about as well as you can imagine if you’ve been watching.

Sometimes Counting on Others is the Only Way to Win

Kate puts on the costume – no signs of PTSD – but she walks into a trap and Julia is captured too. Mary, who originally was denied permission to come along due to the fact she is no crimefighter, has to go in and bail them out. Then Kate and Julia, of course, helpless until it’s no longer convenient, pummel and walk through the goons like it’s nothing.

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Mary thusly wins a slot on Batwoman’s version of Team Arrow/Batman INC. It was bound to happen anyway (Mary already knows most everything) but they are speeding up the process and it shows.

Kate isn’t the only one who has to rely on others. Alice, Mouse, and Tommy spring Magpie from Arkham and send her in to do their dirty work. She’s really good at stealing shiny things, remember. And it would be dumb to tease her in the last episode and not use her.

Magpie does her thing: fights Batwoman then pulls the disappearing act and doesn’t overstay the welcome. Look forward to seeing her again, though; she is written out but with the door open to another crack at thievery.

Guest Stars Galore

The makers of Batwoman like their guest spots and callbacks. Kate’s ex Regan shows up again as a bartender and she has her own agenda accompanied by designs on Fox’s journal. It’s whatever, serves a purpose.

Guest appearances from old friends and enemies are cool and add a sense of continuity, but they come with problems. Makers of the comics, movies, and shows often rely on surprises and guest-starring villains to show up for an ep/issue or two when they have nothing else. They put a character in hoping people will read or watch without really working on the story.

That was the trouble with comics in the ‘90s; how many books were Spider-Man, Venom, and Hobgoblin in, for example, just to boost interest and sales?

Hush, HUSH

We’re brought to the second Big Bad of the season and the setup for next week. Tommy Elliot finally gets those bandages he is so well-known for and looks to strike fear in Gotham. It’s why he needs the bandages that’s the weird part. Alice wanted to give him a new face, any face.

What’s really amazing is in prime time nowadays they can get away with stuff that slapped an R rating on films like Face/Off and Hellraiser decades ago. Find out how much further they push the envelope next week.

Batwoman season 1 airs Sundays at 8 pm ET. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, tell us down below.