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Batwoman Recap 1.14 – Grinning From Ear to Ear

The show opens to the year 2011, where a pretty blonde woman meticulously applies foundation. At first I thought I was watching a makeup commercial before the episode started. That is, until it became apparent there was something unhinged about her as she caked on more and more powder, making the butch in me cringe. Eventually the camera turns to show us her reflection in the mirror – distorted and melting as if in a funhouse mirror. Poor woman has a case of the patriarchy. She smashes the mirror and cuts up her face with a shard.

Flashing back to today, Sophie jubilantly gets coffee from Kate’s new cafe/bar. She spots Mary in line, who notices her good mood. Hmmm… did some sweet, sweet Bat Kisses have something to do with it? Sophie confesses the encounter and Mary’s jaw drops. Sophie admits she has no idea who Batwoman is…. But Mary does. And because she’s the wisest and kindest character in the show, says sincerely, “I’m happy for you.”

Cut to Kate talking with Luke. He notices the pep in her step and asks what’s up. She’s basically giggling. “It was a peck,” she says. “That lasted several minutes.” Luke is stern, making it clear that this puts a target on Sophie’s back, and Batwoman has a duty to push people away for their own safety. Her face falls.

Alice reads a newspaper obituary for herself (or rather Beth) and isn’t impressed. Turns out, no one cares about her. She starts tracking Mouse’s dad / her captor. It’s about time to get revenge on someone who actually deserves it.

Jacob Kane meets with the lawyer of the man Reggie who saved his life in jail. Jacob is told that Reggie was falsely coerced into confessing to the murder of Lucius Fox (Luke’s dad), and owes it to him to move up the court date. Hesitant at first, Jacob does some digging and finds The Crows may be corrupt after all.

Batwoman asks to meet at Sophie’s place. Sophie is literally hyperventilating and changing outfits. Batwoman appears on the balcony, looking nervous too, saying they need to stop and walk away. Sophie gets closer teasing, “Fine, walk away.” And of course they kiss. And keep kissing. Until there’s a sound of an intruder… Sophie’s mom!

The blonde woman from the beginning shows up wearing a germ mask. She attacks a model with a boxcutter. Well that wasn’t nice.

Kate meets up with Mary who explains the whole model / influencer scene, and eagerly offers to help. She all but asks to be Batwoman’s sidekick, but Kate says no thanks.

Sophie’s mom who harangues her for leaving her husband and The Crows. Sophie explains that she wants to do work that she believes in again, the way Batwoman does. Her mom calls Batwoman a criminal but Sophie points out that she never had a problem with Batman. “He represented values I actually believe in,” she retorts. Sophie sees right through it. “You mean, he’s not gay.”

Batwoman asks Sophie to interview plastic surgeon Dr. Campbell (Mouse’s dad…. small world). They figure out he treated a teenage client with self-inflicted scars against her will. Batwoman goes to her childhood home and finds a yearbook-scribbled hit list. Then she hears a sound downstairs. It’s our villain (victim?) cutting at her mom’s face. A mom that forced her into these impossible beauty rituals. Batwoman holds a towel to her wounds as our female-joker escapes.

They figure out the next target just before the Crows appear… and Sophie hops on the Bat Bike for a quick getaway (and booty snug) to a nearby warehouse where the next cosmetically-enhanced model is being lowered into a babbling vat of acid. Our baddie says to her once friend, “my mom wanted me to be you. The only difference between me and you is that I got institutionalized and you got famous.” Honey, when you’re right you’re right. But you don’t need to deep fry women to prove your point. Start a workshop for girls to improve healthy body image. Or get a freaking cat who will love you for you.

Sophie and Batwoman have a heart to heart.

Batwoman: How do you see this playing out? Dinner, movie, I take you back to my cave?

Sophie: You live in a cave? [laughs] I dunno I haven’t really thought about it.

B: If I were to tell you who I am right now would you want to know? Because once that happens I’m no longer a secret. I’m a face, I’m a person, a woman. And bring all the complications that come with that. So do you want to be in a real relationship or do you want to be with someone you can keep secret? Because we can never be more than this. And that shouldn’t be enough.

S: You’re right. As long as I’m with the woman who wears the mask, I’ll always be wearing one myself. I think I have some things I need to figure out.

Somehow before the authorities arrive, Alice saunters into the warehouse and scoops up our Jokerette to tag team revenge. Or at least that’s what I thought at first. But nope! Since we’re operating with kooky Alice-logic, her plan is to CUT OFF HER FREAKING SKIN AND WEAR IT. Our unhinged baddie with a blood soak face smiles, “I’m finally perfect.” Alice wears this face-mask and walks into the cosmetic surgeon’s office. He’s spooked AF (remember he shot Beth and thinks Alice is dead). She knocks him the eff out.

Sophie comes out to her mom. It goes exactly how she always thought. Mama Moore is disappointed and disgusted, saying that as a woman of color who came from nothing why would you want to make it harder on yourself. But it’s clear that Sophie is ready to stop lying to herself and others, and embrace exactly who she is. I couldn’t be prouder!

Mary meets Kate at the bar and alludes that she knows the truth about her secret identity. But instead of forcing Kate to say it, she reminds Kate that she always trusted her to keep her underground clinic a secret and to never judge her. And that Mary hopes one day Kate can trust her the same way.

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