Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (August 9, 2022)
After three years, the CW Network’s Batwoman comes to a close. The series underwent a big shift from Season One to Season Two, as it changed lead actors.
Would Batwoman have lasted longer with more stability? Perhaps, but we’ll never know.
All 13 Season Three episodes appear on this three-disc set. The plot synopses come from IMDB.
Mad as a Hatter: “Alice's (Rachel Skarsten) biggest fan gets his hands on Mad Hatter's (Amitai Marmorstein) mind-control top hat, and goes on a crime spree.”
On the negative side, we find ourselves stuck with some of the same soap opera nonsense that bogged down the first two seasons. On the positive side, we get a new hero and some actual villains who show potential. “Hatter” doesn’t impress, but it shows S3 comes with promise.
Loose Tooth: “Batwoman (Javicia Leslie) is forced to team up with Alice to hunt down the new Killer Croc. Meanwhile, Ryan meets her birth mother Jada Jet (Robin Givens).”
Remember my hopes we might avoid too much soap opera nonsense? The involvement of Ryan’s bio mom flushes those dreams down the toilet.
Not that I don’t want some character development and interpersonal intrigue from Batwoman, but through the first two seasons, we spent too much time with dull family dynamics and not enough with the action and excitement a superhero series promises. Perhaps the presence of Jada will pay off down the road, but as executed here, I find myself less than enchanted.
That said, the Croc side of things offers some intrigue, and Givens – now pushing 60 – looks damned amazing. Still, I can’t help but fear that the mommy issues will drag down S3.
Freeze: “Ryan confronts her biological mother and get a surprising offer from her new brother Marquis (Nick Creegan). Meanwhile, the Bat Team searches for a canister containing Mr. Freeze's cold agent.”
S3 of Batwoman seems desperate to milk Batman’s rogues gallery as much as possible. While that means the series struggles to form its own identity, at least it gives S3 some charge.
The first two seasons focused heavily on Alice, and that grew old. The use of Batman villains may feel like a cheap attempt to revive the series, but it creates some interesting themes and opportunities.
Antifreeze: “The Bat Team discovers that someone is using a variation of Mr. Freeze's freezing compound to experiment on freezing kidnapped people and reviving them - and Sophie's (Meagan Tandy) sister Jordan (Keeya King) is the next target.”
The soap opera drama dominates “Antifreeze”, and the villain plot feels lackluster at best. After a few shows with promise, the fourth episode drags.
A Lesson from Professor Pyg: “Ryan asks Sophie to accompany her to a dinner at Jada's to do recon on what her estranged mother knows about Wayne Enterprises. As the terrifying evening unfolds, Ryan witnesses another side of Marquis and her mother.”
Expect the S3 pattern to continue here, as “Lesson” mixes more of Ryan’s family goo with another Batman rogue. The Professor always seemed like a lame villain, and “Lesson” doesn’t change my mind. This turns into a mediocre show.
How Does Your Garden Grow?: “An unnerving discovery in a garden shed sends Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartagena) to ensure the city is on high alert. Alice is suspiciously eager to help the Bat Team and Sophie seeks vengeance involving her sister.”
“Grow” manages to expand some rogues’ domains in a fairly involving manner. While it doesn’t quite redeem the draggier parts of S3 to date, it gives the year a shot in the arm.
Pick Your Poison: “As Ryan's family dynamic grows more complicated, she also finds herself in the middle of a Bat Team stand-off between Luke and Mary (Nicole Kang). Alice finds a new sidekick to do her bidding.”
Inevitably, that “family dynamic” means soap opera and a somewhat melodramatic episode. The Alice/Mary moments manage some intrigue – even though Kang seems too inherently sweet to pull off her super-villain push – but this becomes a semi-blah episode overall.
Trust Destiny: “While Mary and Alice continue their sisterly bonding, Ryan, Luke (Camrus Johnson) and Sophie are willing to do almost anything to stop them. Renee is forced to revisit her heartbreaking past.”
S3 continues to spin its heels with “Destiny”. It brings some decent narrative expansions but it never quite engages, so it ends up as another mediocre show.
Meet Your Maker: “Ryan, Sophie and Luke attempt to track down the original Poison Ivy when all signs point to Pamela Isley's (Bridget Regan) reappearance in Gotham. Mary feels drawn by a powerful force. Alice suddenly feels very protective for her stepsister.”
The emergence of the real Poison Ivy adds some charge here, but not enough to make this a good episode. It mixes positives and negatives to wind up as another spotty episode.
Toxic: “Batwoman's hands are full as she juggles Jada's demands, Mary's ever-increasing power and a new romantic entanglement. Batwoman races against the clock to once again save the city and those closest to her.”
Does two Poison Ivys mean twice the fun? Not really, but the concept does come with some intrigue, especially since Ivy always seemed like one of the more sympathetic Bat-villains – and she becomes even more so given the declining situation with the environment. “Toxic” doesn’t soar but the double Ivy concept manages to keep it afloat.
Broken Toys: “Just when it seems things can't get worse, Batwoman's identity is once again at risk of being exposed. Some of Gotham's most villainous baddies unite. Sophie joins Luke on a mission. Alice gets into Mary's head.”
Marquis has seemed like a bland role so far, but I admit I like his push toward New Joker status. Other aspects of the episode seem forgettable, but that side adds spice.
We’re All Mad Here: “Ryan, Sophie and Jada come together to formulate a plan to stop Marquis. Mary seeks to make amends for the harm she did as Poison Ivy. Alice continues to spiral out of control and contends with her mental demons.”
Joker’s joy buzzer becomes S3’s MacGuffin, and the drama of “Mad” largely revolves around it. We find some revelations and enough action to mean “Mad” pushes toward the season – and series – finale fairly well.
We Having Fun Yet?: “Batwoman and a panicked Bat Team must race against the clock as Marquis' nefarious plan balloons into something Gotham would never have suspected. A final stand-off between brother and sister puts Ryan's life and new love on the line.”
Batwoman concludes with a Big Action Finale – and it actually works pretty well. Indeed, “Fun” makes one wish that Seasons One and Two had managed to find some of the same excitement and life.
Better late than never, though obviously I can’t express hope Season Four will continue this upward swing since S3 becomes the series’ finale. Still, at least Batwoman goes out on a reasonably high note.
