TV REVIEWS: FTN Reviews Batwoman Season 1 Episode 8: A Mad Tea-Party

For the first eight episodes of the series, Batwoman has asked viewers to ponder one question, “How much of Beth is left in Alice?” Many characters would have Kate and us believe that she’s a full-blown monster, and we know that she’s capable of murder. Yet, there were times when it was clear she had love for Kate, and even saved her from Tommy Elliot. She even tried to go without killing someone for 24-hours. She failed…but at least she tried! But now, with “A Mad Tea-Party”…there’s nothing she can do to prove that she’s not just Alice.

Mind you, that’s not a bad thing, as this gives Kate a whole new motivation, as well as puts the series in a new direction after we get out of Crisis on Infinite Earths (which starts NEXT WEEK!!!).

The whole crux of “A Mad Tea-Party” was nice and simple, Alice was going to get revenge on the people who ruined her life. In this case, that was Catherine, Mary, and Jacob. Jacob had already been replaced by Mouse (though the kidnap scene would seem to indicate he was taken AFTER the switch…which was odd), and as for Catherine and Mary…she had special plans for them.

You often have to wonder just twisted these shows are willing to go to prove that these villains are evil. Yeah, killing people is bad, blowing up half a city is bad (Arrow Season 1), but the most evil are the ones who twist the knife. Like what Alice did with the dual-poison act.

Because just when you think that Alice got what she wanted, you saw Mary bleeding, and that there was only enough antidote for one of them. That hurt. And seeing Catherine redeem herself even slightly was nice by letting Mary live. Of course, Catherine was also forced to admit some of the very evil things that she did…so her reputation was shot as well as her dying…so that’s REALLY twisting the nice.

Oh, and Jacob? He was “freed”…only to be arrested and charged with the whole kidnapping situation at the Gala AND the death of his wife! Sure, he’ll get out, likely easily once Mary testifies that Jacob wasn’t really there and such, but still that was mean.

Seeing Kate lash out like she did after finding out what Alice did to Catherine was great. You almost wondered if she would kill Alice then and there, but she couldn’t. But Jacob has no such reservations, and Kate giving her blessing to kill Alice once and for all was just as chilling.

Guess she’s not an optimist anymore, huh?

The only real bad parts of the episode were not surprisingly the love issues with Sophie. I mean, seriously? They had to hash this out THEN, and then have the “ultimatum” dished out after Jacob had been CHARGED WITH MURDER?!!?!? Seriously, Tyler? Not cool man.

And while I loved the shocking twist of Pariah being Nash Wells (and not Reverse-Flash as we expected), it didn’t make sense that for many episodes he talked about The Monitor being a fake, and then stating that he “saved his life”. Was that just an act he put on? Guess we’ll find out.

In the end, “A Mad Tea-Party” set up a fun end to the first half of Batwoman’s inaugural season. Where things go from here is a bit murky, but that’s part of the fun.

Just remember, A Crisis Is Coming…