‘Batwoman’ S1E10 recap: “How Queer Everything is Today!”
Batwoman has returned and, oh boy, there are changes aplenty in Kate’s (Ruby Rose) world. With Crisis on Infinite Earths over, we don’t know how much has changed in the new Earth-Prime’s Gotham. Just to recap the end of the crossover, Earth-1, Earth-38, and whatever Earth Black Lightning is on has combined into Earth-Prime. Not only that but, presumably, the timeline of this Earth-Prime probably looks very different.
We’re going to presume, however, that things in Gotham were left intact by these events. By that, we mean that Cathrine (Elizabeth Anweis) is dead by Alice’s (Rachel Skarsten) hand with Jacob (Dougray Scott) framed for her murder.
Kate and Mary’s (Nicole Kang) relationship is shattered due to Kate defending Alice in the path. So Kate has to figure out how to clear her father’s name and take Alice down once and for all.
Adjustments
Someone has taken over the Gotham subway system, creating a runaway train. While the passengers brace for impact, Kate rides her shiny new bike to go and stop the train before people get seriously hurt. Using the bike, she’s able to stop the train in its tracks.
But an overeager officer pushes Kate all the way and it is all over social media. Vesper Fairchild (Rachel Maddow) gushes over Kate and Officer Bradley. Luke (Camrus Johnson) and Kate talk about Batwoman’s perception as “straight” to the media. Luke just says Gotham wants to see Kate, but she’s not.
Her dad is still framed for murder, after all.
Meanwhile, Alice has a tea party with Mouse (Sam Littlefield) on Catherine’s grave. Well, it beats the oh-so gauche dancing on the grave. Mouse tries to break it to Alice that Kate is not going to come running into Alice’s arms for killing Catherine. As long as Kate is Batwoman, Alice will never bring her into the family.
Mary makes a post to her followers, who have been trolling her and being awful, saying she is signing off the internet. Mary, Jacob, and Sophie (Meagan Tandy) are handling it and Mary makes it clear she doesn’t want or need Kate’s help. Which, y’know, fair.
Luke and Kate go to investigate the runaway train while undercover. Kate turns off the power, finding what looks like some device that took over the train with the lines off. A hacker sends a mass message to Gotham saying that it’s time for the city to crowdfund their escape or else things will get much worse.
Runaway
The mayor tries to reassure the city about everything is going to be fine, but the hacker flashes the mayor’s credit card numbers across the screen. Luke turns off the power in the Batcave because if the hacker is getting in everywhere. He’s getting in here, but they need the Batcave’s capabilities to track them. Real catch-22.
Mary talks with Jacob over mounting his defense. (Why is everyone not saying face-swapping is a thing? Look at the world you live in!) Jacob broaches the subject of Mary going into therapy, but Mary is not having it.
Kate goes hunting for the hacker to where Luke’s trail led her. Sophie, however, is already there, questioning away. The hackers there say that they had nothing to do with the subway, but Sophie puts a gun to his head to threaten him. Damn, Sophie, torturing suspects?
Kate, as Batwoman, goes to talk with Sophie, who confesses that her husband left her. Batwoman tells her that they all “wear a mask”, but maybe Sophie should take hers off.
Mary goes to ask for help from one of her professors, who says he can’t testify for her. (Again, look at the world you live in! Shapeshifting aliens exist here!)
Kate is trying to reconcile her mask with her Paragon of Courage status. Luke reassures her that she’s a hero. He presents Kate with a device that can knock out power. He keeps calling the hacker “her”, which she is. Kate recognizes the sound in the background as being from Gotham Prep, her old high school.
Crime & Punishment
Sophie and Mary talk about Kate and finding an expert witness for Jacob’s trial. Mary sees Alice head inside the building, and goes to follow her despite Sophie saying otherwise.
Kate crashes a dance at Gotham Prep to look for the hacker. She uses the device and finds what she needs, going to confront the hacker, Parker Torres, in the bathroom. Parker said she did the train crash as a “prank”. She tried to crash the train in order to scare her parents into accepting her for being gay. Parker unloads on Kate, saying that she doesn’t get what she’s going through and to leave her alone.
Sophie and the Crows head after Alice, but go into the wrong room. Alice, however, is at Gotham Prep, looking for Parker. She and Kate fight, but Alice knocks Kate out and takes Parker. Looks like Alice is about to have Kate forcibly outed.
Unmasked
Alice holds Parker captive. When Kate comes over, Alice tells her sister she needs to learn that she’s not the hero. Alice wants Kate to take off the mask.
Sophie finds Mary packing the clinic in preparation to shut it down. She encourages Mary to take some time to grieve, offering her own recent failures as proof of her sympathy. Mary said she’s not imagining things, but Sophie gently points out that finding Alice will not bring Catherine.
Alice threatens Parker in order for Kate to take off the mask. This means Parker knows who she is now. Parker feels bad for how she talked to Kate, who admits she’s still trying to figure out how honest she wants to be with others. Alice wants Parker to out Kate to the world, so to speak.
Alice isn’t going to kill Parker, but she will kill everyone at the school if Parker doesn’t out Kate to Gotham. Parker refuses to take away Gotham’s hope, but Kate insists she does so. Sophie gathers the Alpha team and Alice frees Parker. Kate punches Alice and wants to know how to stop the bomb. Kate tells Alice that Beth died and the world would have been better otherwise if Beth had stayed dead.
The Crows and Gotham PD arrive and Kate shows Alice what Parker did. She sent a mass text about the bomb in high school. Alice said that Parker saved most of their lives, showing Mouse with the detonator.
Kate saves the Officer from earlier, but when the crowd chants that they should kiss, Kate shuts it right down. Fight against the heteronormative storylines, Kate! Find a cute lady GPD officer to kiss instead!
Deals
Kate delivers Parker with her community service in exchange for her promise to not hack again. She tells Parker that it will get better and offers an ear if Parker ever needs it. Parker tells Kate that she’s glad someone like her is under the Bat mask.
Alice is in Crow’s custody when Sophie goes in to question her. Sophie says that Alice will be trapped in this room until she finds Mouse.
Luke brings Kate a cupcake for her birthday. Kate says that she doesn’t want him to leave her alone like that again. Kate looks at a Catco article that unveils her status as a lesbian (written by Kara Danvers! SuperBat friendship for the win, y’all!).
Kate goes to see Mary, who heads into her arms and starts crying. Jacob tells Kate a happy birthday. Alice, or someone like her, shows up. Kate freaks out, demanding to know who she is. She says that she’s Beth.
