On Batwoman season 2, episode 12, Black Mask puts his plan for Kate Kane in motion, which is an entirely shocking development. Meanwhile, Ryan and Alice are forced to team up to save Ocean and Angelique’s lives.

Batwoman season 2, episode 12 is another game-changing episode with the official introduction of Wallis Day’s Kate Kane… or Circe Sionis, as she’s been brainwashed into believing she is by the mysterious Enigma.

Meanwhile, Ryan and Alice reluctantly team up to save Ocean and Angelique from the False Face Society and Black Mask, leading to an event that will change their interactions evermore.

‘Batwoman’ season 2, episode 12 review

Batwoman season 2, episode 12 proves exactly why this show is in a league of its own, especially on The CW. Wallis Day’s introduction is just one completely marvelous aspect of the episode, and boy does she deliver. It’s so wonderful to have Kate Kane back, but to first see Kate as Circe Sionis is incredibly disturbing and absolutely brilliant.

Even with a mask, Day gave such a chilling performance and captured this new character with such ease, still teasing bits of Kate Kane beneath the surface. Now that Alice and Kate are near one another again, I wonder how long it’ll be before the two begin to understand what’s going on.

Even with moments that I wasn’t particularly fond of (looking at you, Jacob Kane), Batwoman season 2, episode 12 is unarguably one of the series’ best episodes. Such strong moments delivered by such talented folks that capture the soul of Batwoman and just how good this show is.

Now that we’re in the back half of the season, the story is going to pick up quickly, and I could not be more excited to see how everything (actually, everything) plays out. As we saw last season, the Batwoman writers plant seeds early on to harvest in the most unexpected ways when the time comes, which is such a beautiful experience to watch.

(Obviously, I love this show.)

Ryan doesn’t forget

Honestly, Batwoman season 2, episode 12 is, by far, my least favorite episode for Ryan Wilder. If there’s one thing this episode proved, it’s that her refusal to make peace with her past is impacting how she carries herself as a hero in the present day.

For instance, the interaction between Ryan and Sophie was incredibly hard to watch because of how terribly Ryan treats her. I get that it’s a complicated relationship given Sophie’s role in Ryan’s past incarceration and arrests, but Ryan’s grudge against Sophie is blinding her to everything that Sophie has done to help her (both as Batwoman and herself).

The way she spoke to Sophie, as Sophie warned her about the Crows having her blood, was unsettling. And, honestly, Sophie didn’t deserve that. Sophie didn’t owe it to Ryan to do what she did to protect her, yet that’s exactly what Ryan implied during their conversation.

As for Alice, that is obviously much more complicated, but how Ryan ended things didn’t feel right. I cannot think of another hero in the Arrowverse that would leave anyone to die, even if it is one of their greatest enemies. That’s crossing a line, even if Ryan’s reasoning is partially justified.

Though Alice is not directly responsible for Ryan’s mother’s death, she played a part, at least in creating the Wonderland gang in the first place. On the other hand, it’s now twice that Alice has stopped others from killing Ryan (for whatever reason). It’s much more difficult to say whether Ryan’s decision was right or wrong but, to me, it didn’t feel like something a self-proclaimed hero would do.

But with Alice and Sophie, Ryan’s feelings and clouded judgment are more understandable. However, yet again we see Ryan ignoring her fellow members of the “Bat Team” and doing whatever she felt like doing, despite them agreeing just a couple of episodes ago to work as a team.

This time, however, was due to Ryan being blinded by her feelings and guilt over Angelique. She couldn’t see past that, and as a result, made unilateral decisions that led to her nearly dying and leaving someone to be murdered.

I love Ryan, and it’s clear she has the heart of a hero, but it’s disappointing to see her inability to move forward from what has happened in her past influencing every decision she makes as Batwoman. She’s not thinking like Batwoman, she’s thinking like Ryan, which is a distinction every hero has to make at some point.

I want to see Ryan make peace with these things, at least as much as she can, so she can move forward. Being Batwoman is a chance she wouldn’t have ever expected to have to make a difference, but also to take her power back and not let her past continue to control her life.

With Angelique going into witness protection (and hopefully being gone for a long, long time), Ryan has a chance to use her new role in life to put the pieces back together again herself, that she has always counted on Angelique for. She has a chance to let the broken-hearted child inside of her go and begin anew. I want to see Ryan finally and truly happy, even amidst the chaos that comes with being Batwoman.

Alice’s chance at redemption

As Alice said herself on Batwoman season 2, episode 12, she’s more of an antihero now than a villain. She’s been on quite a ride this season, and getting her feelings back is only a small part of that.

Losing Kate showed Alice another side of herself, and finding Ocean opened up a forgotten side. There’s no doubt she’s a different person now, and she seems to be genuinely trying to do better (in her own, misguided ways). I mean, could anyone have expected Alice to save Ryan even five episodes ago?

It’s also interesting to see Alice admit to knowing Ryan’s mother’s name. Even if that was information she learned recently, though I don’t believe it was, it shows that she’s much deeper than anyone expected. It shows that she has weakness, which is why I believe she has never admitted anything like that before. Alice’s actions have taken a toll on her, despite her always acting indifferent to the pain she’s caused.

After being left to die, there’s sure to be some sort of rivalry heating up between Alice and Ryan in the near future. Alice doesn’t forget either (unless she’s forced to), and these two are not going to let things go, so there could be some trouble arising soon.

Lastly, it’s frustrating to see Alice working to do better and not betray someone, just to have the same happen to her. Last season, it was Kate locking Alice up in Arkham. Now, it’s Ryan leaving Alice to die. On any show, when the villain tries to do better, they are inevitably given the finger by the hero of the story, setting them back and making them question why they even try. Not a good way to encourage them.

Sophie’s growth and Jacob’s decline

Sophie has surprisingly come so far this season. Batwoman season 2, episode 12 sees her risking her career and reputation to help cover for Ryan, after figuring out the secret, despite Ryan’s condescension during their meeting.

Sophie’s story with the Crows this season is actually getting to be interesting, as it seems like Sophie is going to find her way out of this corrupt organization to do the right thing in the near future. I mean, it’s only a matter of time before someone realizes that she screwed with their DNA test, right?

I like that her relationships with the Bat Team are growing because, hopefully, she’s be a fully-fledged member by the middle of Batwoman season 3. She has valuable information, and if there’s a story about finally taking the Crows down, Sophie is going to be necessary to do so.

I’m really impressed with how Sophie’s story has played out, and since Kate’s “death,” she feels like one of the main characters (as she should) instead of Kate’s love interest. There’s so much do to with Sophie, and it’s fun to see how much she’s grown.

Jacob Kane, as the show’s most unbearable character already, is swiftly declining now that he has become addicted to Snakebite. Batwoman season 2, episode 12 only makes it worse.

First of all, how foolish is this man to leave evidence of his drug use in a tiny office trash can? He had to know someone would find it, right? I guess if anyone else had found it, they probably wouldn’t have questioned it.

Now that Sophie has clued Mary in, it’s only a matter of time before the realization that it took a drug addiction for him to finally pay any attention to her. It’s absolutely devastating, and Mary deserves so much better than this. At least her clinic is getting up and running, so she’ll have something good to take her mind off of that when the time comes.

(Side note: It is absolutely despicable and unforgivable that he pushed off finding sexual predators and murderers to identify Batwoman, who has done nothing but protect Gotham. His vendetta against her is absolutely ridiculous, especially after he learned that it was Kate to begin with. This man needs to leave this show, immediately.)

‘Batwoman’ season 2, episode 12 final thoughts

It feels like Batwoman season 2, episode 12 is the beginning of setting up the conflict between Ryan and the Bat Team over who should be Batwoman when Kate inevitably returns (as herself). Ryan is making decisions that negatively impact herself, the team, and the legacy of the Bat, and I expect this to continue.

Kate did things during her time as Batwoman that she wasn’t proud of and weren’t a reflection of who she was (like killing Cartwright), and now Ryan is doing things that will likely make her question whether she has what it takes to keep being Gotham’s Crimson Knight. There will be plenty of internal conflict, and conflict between those closest to Batwoman, over who should don the cowl.

(Though we know it’ll be Ryan as Javicia Leslie is the star, so let’s just see why Ryan is better suited to be Batwoman than Kate now, yeah?)

Everything about the remainder of Batwoman season 2 seems exciting, and I simply cannot wait. Now that Kate is back in play, who knows what’s going to happen.

Is it time for the next episode yet?

Batwoman season 2 continues Sundays at 9 p.m. on The CW!