It says a lot about Season 2 of Batwoman when the villains that are popping up to make a splash are much more interesting and impactful than the main character that is supposed to be winning everyone over. Because that’s still where I’m at, and I know I’m not alone in that.
“Bat Girl Magic!” was at its best when it was focusing on characters like the Arrowverse-version of Zsasz, the debuting Safaiyah, and Alice. Everything that had to do with Ryan…just didn’t work, again. Like how she still isn’t used to the Batsuit and its gadgets despite having done fights in them at this point. Furthermore, she keeps treating things like she’s “owed them” and whatnot. Such as when she JUST NOW REALIZES that Mary is rich, and demands to know why she’s making minimum wage at the bar that she had to con her way into a job of. Classy.
Then, there’s the very convenient fact that she and not Luke knew about Victor Zsasz despite Victor himself noting that he knew Batman…and thus Luke should know about him too. And what is it with everyone trying to alter the Batsuit to their needs? And how did she know how to alter a high-tech piece of equipment like that? If you recall, Kate had Luke alter it in season 1.
It also didn’t help that Mary was all but giving into Ryan’s every whim as if she needed Ryan to like her for one reason or another. She’s acting like she lost a puppy and Ryan is the new one that she’s desperate to keep.
Furthermore, you notice how they skated around how/why we need Ryan? Before it was because Julia was injured and couldn’t don the suit. Where is she now? We know she’s healed up at least a little, and she’s former SAS, you telling me she can’t fight injured with a suit like that protecting her? Exactly.
Thankfully, the villains made up for this episode with sheer style and performance. The Arroverse Zsasz was definitely something special. Equal parts calm, ruthless and yet insightful. That opening bit had me sold on him right off the bat. Safaiyah was pretty good too. Her playing with Alice in a long-con kind of way was fun. Though I do think it was odd that they had the whole story being that she tried to convince Alice she DIDN’T blow up Kate’s plane…only to admit that she did…and that Kate is “shockingly” alive.
Which creates another conundrum. Because if she is alive and isn’t shown, then it’s just a tease. If she lives and passes on the mantle to Ryan, that’s a copout. If we see Kate and then she well and truly dies, then all of this “mystery” was pointless.
In the end, “Bat Girl Magic” was carried by the “B-plots” and characters and if things don’t pick up things won’t go well for the show.
Todd Black
Todd Black is reader of comics, a watch of TV (a LOT of TV), and a writer of many different mediums. He's written teleplays, fan-fictions, and currently writes a comic book called Guardians (guardians-comic.com). He dreams of working at Nintendo, writing a SHAZAM! TV series, and working on Guardians for a very long time!
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