This Sunday was the season 2 finale of Batwoman, and Black Mask makes a last-ditch effort to take over Gotham. In the middle of a city-wide blackout, the bat team continues the hunt for Black Mask and Circe. Read on to find out what happened in “Power.”
The episode begins as Black Mask broadcasts across every TV channel. He rants about who gets to dictate what’s justice and what isn’t, urging the citizens of Gotham to revolt against the GCPD and Batwoman. As he does, the bat team watches, and Circe gears up in the repurposed bat suit. As Black Mask finishes his speech, he tells the city that every street corner is equipped with masks that resemble his, and the city is struck by a blackout.
A little later, Ryan sits alone in the bat cave. She pens a letter meant for Gotham’s citizens. In it, she thanks them for helping her be Batwoman but goes on to say that she’s not the hero they need right now. She ends the letter by reminding Gotham that they have the power within them. Soon after, she heads to The Hold Up where Luke is re-watching Black Mask’s broadcast and Mary is making a bad guy to-do list. Ryan is frustrated that they may not be able to find Circe while the power is out, and even if they do, she’s doubtful they can pull Kate back. Mary gets frustrated, too, and decides to head to the clinic. Before she does, Luke gives her and Ryan walkie talkies. He replays the broadcast again, also frustrated because he can’t figure out Black Mask’s location. Ryan spots something in the mask’s reflection and thinks she knows.
Black Mask shows Circe the villain items as a nurse tends to Tavaroff, who’s hooked up to several tubes. Black Mask takes one of the vials of venom and injects it into Tavaroff, explaining the process it undergoes along with vaporized Snake Bite. As he tells Circe his plan to save Gotham, Tavaroff begins to seize and flatlines.
At The Hold Up, Sophie and Ryan prepare to go after Circe and Black Mask. Luke radios them and tells them about the TV station. Sophie is ready to jump into action, but Ryan reminds her that Circe is dangerous. Sophie reminds Ryan what happened in the bat cave, and Ryan does the same. Sophie brushes it off, saying that it will work out because Ryan is Batwoman. But Ryan feels anything but super, saying she’s only Ryan Wilder.
“Damn right you’re Ryan Wilder.”
Sophie
Alice comes downstairs, much to Sophie and Ryan’s surprise. Alice says she was looking for Kate and assures them that Safiyah won’t be a problem. The three hear a commotion outside. Sophie and Ryan go check it out and find the city in chaos. Sophie fights off people attacking a car while Ryan pulls out the driver… who happens to be a severely wounded Mayor Atkins. Sophie stays with him while Ryan goes back inside. She places two Black Mask masks on the bar, proposing that she and Alice should use them to infiltrate Black Mask’s operation and find Kate. Alice dances around an answer until Ryan admits that she needs Alice.
Luke looks through some files and knocks over a few papers. When he picks them up, he finds sketches his father was working on for a supersuit. As Luke puzzles over the drawings, he looks around the room and stumbles upon something large that’s covered. When he uncovers it, he finds the Batwing suit.
Mary is swamped at the clinic when someone rolls in a gurney with Tavaroff. Mary is annoyed but still tends to him, noticing everything connected to him. She begins to piece it together, and something clicks. She takes the Snake Bite part off and leaves.
Ryan and Alice head to the TV station. As Ryan drives, Alice attempts conversation, eventually leading into Ryan’s upcoming parole hearing. Ryan says she did her time, and Alice says she did too, but in a different way, thanks to Safiyah. When they arrive, Alice tries to empathize with a very annoyed Ryan. Alice apologizes but Ryan won’t forgive her. In response, Alice brings up how Ryan’s biological mother died in childbirth, using it against Ryan (what a low blow). Ryan says they will find Kate, but once they do, she will do everything she can to put Alice behind bars.
Mary rushes outside and radios Luke her idea to use the vaporized Snake Bite on Kate to help her remember. Meanwhile, inside, Tavaroff wakes up and begins acting wild looking for the Snake Bite Mary took. As Luke agrees to Mary’s idea, Tavaroff barges outside.
Ryan and Alice find the table with the villain items, and Ryan realizes that Black Mask is experimenting. Alice shouts a heads up just before Circe attacks Ryan. Alice briefly gets Circe’s attention before Circe turns back to Ryan. Shortly after, Black Mask begins shooting, and Ryan and Alice take cover while Circe escapes. Alice tells Ryan to go after Circe while she distracts Black Mask.
A family of four listens to a radio news report of someone reading Ryan’s letter to Gotham. One of the children is elsewhere in the apartment. He gets the rest of the family’s attention, showing them a Black Mask mask on his table that he wants to display in their window because their neighbors are doing it. The dad responds with an excited smile.
Tavaroff tears up the alley searching for Mary and the Snake Bite. She manages to push a dumpster against him just enough to free herself and run up the fire escape. He chases her and grabs her ankle. After she frees herself, she continues running, but he soon corners her. She threatens to drop the Snake Bite, and Tavaroff pushes her off. But before she can hit the ground, Batwing swoops in and catches her. The landing is … not great, but Mary is safe. The mask lifts to reveal Luke, much to Mary’s confusion.
Ryan arrives, and Mary hands her the Snake Bite. Ryan is feeling hopeless, thinking she can’t stop Circe, but Mary disagrees. Ryan continues that she can’t if she doesn’t have the suit. Mary indicates something to Ryan. When she gets out of the car, Ryan sees several Black Mask masks sitting in windows, all lit up with Batwoman’s symbol.
“You don’t need the suit to be Batwoman. She’s already in you.”
Mary
Tavaroff continues to destroy the alley. He stops when he notices Batwing standing at the opposite end. He charges at Batwing, who’s tired of his nonsense (same) and subdues Tavaroff with one swift and powerful kick to the chest.
Back at the TV station, Black Mask knocks Alice to the ground. He unmasks and attempts to taunt her by asking if she wants to know why she failed as a villain. She humors him and says yes. Roman monologues about how she sends a confusing message. She tries to turn his words against him, but he’s unaffected. Alice mentions the Joker and proceeds to use his acid flower to incapacitate Roman.
Ryan, in the batmobile, pursues Circe with Sophie navigating. Ryan and Circe alternate using mild weapons against each other. Using a strong rope, Ryan knocks Circe off her motorcycle as they approach a bridge. Ryan goes to her, and they begin to fight. Alice arrives, and as Ryan pins Circe to the bridge railing, Alice sprays Circe with the Snake Bite. As they begin to fight, they go over the side of the bridge.
Alice and Circe float unconscious in the water. Alice hallucinates being on the train with a now-alive Ocean, who’s booking a camper for them. Alice is upset that that’s why he was killed — because he was busy booking a vacation. He tells her he was looking for a way out. Alice mentions that Safiyah made her choose. Ocean says Safiyah chose for her, prompting Alice to realize this is goodbye. She kisses and embraces him one last time.
Next is Circe, who remembers when Kate almost found Beth. This time, Kate opens the door and reunites with her sister. Alice regains consciousness and pulls Circe to shore. Ryan joins them and begins CPR with help from Alice. Circe finally coughs up water. She spots Alice, and after a moment, says, “Beth?” Kate is back. Soon, GCPD arrives on scene and hauls Alice away.
The next day, a radio broadcast reveals that Gotham rejected Black Mask’s call for rebellion as they showed solidarity for Batwoman. Elsewhere, Ryan is at her parole hearing. They ask the standard “have you changed” question, and Ryan gives them two answers. First, she tells them that she hasn’t; she defends her honor and says she’s the same woman who was falsely accused. Then, she gives them the answer they want to hear — the one that further solidifies her freedom from parole.
“Yes, I’ve changed. I’ve changed because I stopped seeing myself the way you see me. and started seeing myself for who I am — a woman who has found her power.”
Ryan
Kate, Luke, and Mary catch up at Wayne. Mary fills Kate in about Cluemaster. Kate then asks Luke how Batwing happened. He tells hers that when he was a kid, he used to imagine what a Black Batman would be like. His father began to turn it into reality. He turns the conversation back to Kate, saying whatever her plans are, he and Mary support her. Mary asks how Alice fits in. Kate says Alice will always be her twin, but she can’t help her if she doesn’t want to be Beth.
Ryan enters, and Kate asks Luke and Mary to give them a minute. Ryan thanks Kate for the honor to wear the suit. Kate responds that she wore it to defend Gotham, but Ryan wore it for survival; the suit — and the title of Batwoman — belongs to her now. Kate starts to mention Luke and Mary. Ryan says they’re her family, and she’ll take good care of them.
Kate meets Sophie at The Hold Up. Sophie jokes about Kate not trying to kill her. Kate says Sophie may want to, and Sophie realizes that Kate is leaving Gotham. She plans to go see Jacob and then find Bruce. When Sophie asks why, Kate says that maybe finding him will help her forgive herself for not finding Beth. She segues into how she and Sophie probably weren’t meant to be together in this life — they both deserve something easier. Sophie makes a remark in response and kisses Kate.
The bat team returns (almost) everything to the bat cave. Lukes asks what’s next, and Ryan says they need to find the villain items Circe stole. She’s also excited that she has a new partner. She adds that she wants to build the community center on top of Mary’s clinic with Mary running point. Ryan begins to walk out. Luke asks where she’s going, and she says she needs to tie up loose ends.
At Arkham Asylum, a guard leads Ryan to a cell. We see Black Mask fighting with his mask that was fused to his face thanks to Alice. The guard opens the door, and Ryan steps into Alice’s cell. She’s satisfied that for once the system worked how it was supposed to. She got justice for Cora. She turns to leave, but Alice isn’t done with the conversation. She drops a major bomb on Ryan — her birth mother is still alive.
The episode ends as we see the villain items floating down the river. The final shot focuses on Poison Ivy’s vines stretching across the land. Do we have our season 3 villain?
Batwoman will return with season 3 on Wednesday, October 13 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on The CW. Catch up now on cwtv.com and The CW app. Find the rest of our recaps and other coverage on the show here.
