Batwoman Season 2 Episode 12 Review: Initiate Self-Destruct

Certain characters in this Gotham seem to get a concentrated dose of specific plot elements, and on Batwoman Season 2 Episode 12, the lucky winner is Agent Sophie Moore.

While we’ve seen Jacob cast as the Poor Schmuck, with episode after episode of being blindsided with truths about his family, Sophie’s become the Carrier of Secrets ever since finding out that Ryan is Batwoman on Batwoman Season 2 Episode 11.

Here, she also discovers that Mary Hamilton has been working with the Bat Team AND that Jacob is a Snakebite user.

That’s a lot of information to sit on for a character who spent all of Season One insisting on holding everyone (except herself) to a ridiculous standard of transparency.

I’ll get the Dumb Points out of the way first.

Dumb Point #1: Jacob not only disposes of a Snakebite syringe in his own trash can, but he also keeps the empty Snakebite box in his safe.

Yes, I get he’s not in his right head but he’s still (supposedly) a security expert and he must know that other people have access to his office and his safe.

If he didn’t know that Sophie had his safe combo, it means he left it open (and his office unlocked) which would be Dumb Points 1.1 & 1.2.

Also — and I think I’ve asked this before — does he not have a home anymore? Why does he continue to do Snakebite while at work?

Dumb Point #2: Considering how Jacob’s office is literally in everyone’s line of sight, how does Sophie zipping in just as Jacob leaves and immediately shutting out the windows not get everyone’s attention?

Dumb Point #3: How did Luke not come up with the idea of wiping (or at least editing) Ryan’s record first?

Dumb Point #4: A fax machine? Seriously?

Alice: Angelique and Ocean are apparently being held at a place that is more fortified than this one and, quite frankly, I need back-up. By which I mean someone to stand behind so that the bullets don’t hit my visage.
Batwoman: Damn. You’re crazier than everyone already thinks.

Alice with a purpose is always entertaining and, despite her intention to disappear in the early morning light, it was endearing that she took the FFS goons kidnapping Ocean quite personally.

I felt there was a parallelism between her team-up vibe with Ryan and when she and Kate had to work together on Batwoman Season 1 Episode 16.

Alice does well when she has a Batwoman as her straight woman. Um, in the comedic sense, of course.

Batwoman: Don’t make me hit the ejector seat.
Alice: It exists.
Batwoman: You want to find out?
Alice: Kinda

I’ll admit to being surprised by Ryan walking away and leaving Alice to Kate/Circe’s psychotic intentions. That’s treading a little close to the edge of the code.

Now, Kate/Circe is a fascinating development. What do we know so far?

Roman blames Batwoman for his daughter’s death. We know that Kate Kane only ever killed August Cartwright and that wasn’t as Batwoman.

We now know that Circe was in Arkham. So we can assume she’s as nutty as her dad.

BTW, comic canon has Circe as part of the False Face Society but not as Roman’s daughter. Rather, she was a model who convinced him to kill his parents for their fortune and then became his victim when he went mad.

His plan to “recast” his daughter is a little on the nose considering the behind-the-scenes recasting going on.

Also, did anyone else get a Groot impression from Circe’s mask?

It’s a trainwreck of crazy but, like most trainwrecks, it’s nearly impossible to look away.

Masks have taken on various meanings over time. Deceit. Disguise. Cheap entertainment. But as Jung once said, we all wear masks, both to create an impression upon others, but also to hide our own true natures.

Black Mask

Circe, as played by Kate, has fighting skills that outmatch both Ryan and Alice, which is a little concerning.

In fact, we saw a lot of our well-seasoned fighters taken out by the baddies pretty easily.

What would Safiyah say to see two of her best minions taken out so easily by a team of thugs like the False Face Society?

To be fair, neither Alice nor Ocean was in defense mode, considering their activities from the night before.

And, we have seen Batwoman beaten before. After all, she’s a superhero, not superhuman.

The sore thumb in the dialogue was Ryan (as Batwoman) and Alice psychoanalyzing each other while waiting to rescue Ocean and Angelique.

Just a little piece of advice, from an anti-hero to a hero, you can’t save everyone. Not without losing who you are.

Alice

Maybe because of all the time with Enigma, it feels like there’s a lot of therapy happening at rather inappropriate times.

Furthermore, when did Alice become an “anti-hero”? Has she always seen herself that way?

There’s an interesting on-ramp built here for Mary and Jacob.

Jacob’s preoccupation due to his Snakebite addiction actually makes him nicer in some respects. For example, his seemingly okay-ness with Mary not reporting on her patients.

This makes Mary less likely to look closely at the Snakebite addiction suspicions that Sophie brings to her.

As a sort-of physician, this will put Mary in an ethical quandary.

It also endangers Jacob’s relationship with the only daughter he’s able to call by name anymore.

Uh-oh. Did someone send out invites to a party before they find out if there was a party?

Sophie

With the dead end on the DNA trail, will this be the last we see of Agent Tavaroff?

Or will Sophie’s little dig at his over-confidence raise his hackles and put him into the role of Crow antagonist now that Sophie appears to have gone all stealth Team Batwoman?

Tavaroff has the potential to be a real thorn in the side of Sophie and the Bat Team.

And they gave him both a first and last name. That’s usually a clue that a character will be around for a while.

As you watch Batwoman online, see if you can predict whether Enigma’s programming is going to stick the landing.

If so, there’s a chance Alice’s plan for a father-daughter fatality may still work out. And no one but Roman and Enigma will know.

Were you intrigued by the developments here?

With Cluemaster on deck as our next VotW, how do you think he will play into our long arc storylines?

Hit the comments with your best guesses!

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Diana Keng is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.

You can view the original article HERE.