Batwoman - Through the Looking-Glass

Let's start on a positive note. "Through the Looking-Glass" does include the series best action sequence to date, with Kate (Ruby Rose) out of the Bat-suit kicking the ass of several security guards while helping Alice Rachel Skarsten) break into Arkham Aylumn. The episode also marks the return of Julia Pennyworth (Christina Wolfe) who has been one of the few bright spots for the series outside of its star. The rest of the episode? Pretty much the same shitshow we've come to expect from Batwoman on a weekly basis although the episode does earn points for hitting emotional marks better than it has at times this season and letting Alice come off more human (and less cartoonish) than we've seen.

While the sisters are apparently working together to free Mouse (Sam Littlefield) the episode's twist of Kate locking Alice up with her crazy friend is pretty obvious to see coming. Kate may be conflicted and traumatized over recent events, but "Through the Looking-Glass" fails to sell the idea that Batwoman would help reunite Mouse and Alice given what future trouble they could make for Gotham City. Kate's deception, which relies on the help of Jacob Kane (Dougray Scott) certainly doesn't feel heroic even if it might be right for the city in the short-term (and apparently no one is looking into the mad scientist experimenting on his patients in Arkham?). Which is the good sister, again?

The other thread of the episode continues the mystery of what really happened to Lucius Fox as Luke (Camrus Johnson) watches the man convicted of his father's murder be released from jail only to die in the streets a day later along with another witness who obviously knew information someone wants to silence. I have no real confidence that the show will know what to do with the slow burn of such a plot thread, but sooner or later the writers have to stumble across something they do well. Even if only by dumb luck they have to eventually get something right? Right? And the subplot offers something for Mary (Nicole Kang) to do as she still hasn't been let into the Bat-Club yet.