The CW's Batwoman - Episode 1.20 "O, Mouse!"
When one of Gotham's former heroes returns to his old stomping grounds to settle a score, both Batwoman and Commander Kane find themselves on the defensive. Alice is losing her hold on her henchman Mouse and Hush, sending her spiraling into her most wicked self. Luke focuses on finding a way to protect Batwoman from Alice. Mary has a chance to be the sister Kate has needed all along. When Commander Kane refuses to retreat from his war on Batwoman, Kate finds herself more than heartbroken by her father's choices.
In 2019, the television industry aired 532 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the season finale of The CW's Batwoman.
"O, Mouse!" was written by Holly Henderson & Don Whitehead and directed by Amanda Tapping
Kate believes she knows exactly what her father is capable of. She isn't worried following Commander Kane's declaration of war against Batwoman in the previous episode. He is full of anger because Alice and countless villains have been released from Arkham. He blames Batwoman for that breech. She was simply trying to protect herself. Of course, Alice was actually running the asylum. She hadn't been stopped as the mastermind pulling the strings behind the criminal endeavors of this city. That won't stop for the foreseeable future either. Right now though, Kate and the Crows are focused on one villain in particular. He presents as a superhuman beast who is impervious to any kind of weapons they have. That makes him incredibly dangerous. Kate believes she can call a truce between Batwoman and the Crows. There is a way for them to work together in this case. She remains hopeful in that regard. Mary can rattle off a ton of examples that prove how her sister isn't as capable of sneaking around her father as she believes she is. Mary still helps Kate make all of this happen though. But again, it still ends in disaster. Kate hasn't yet accepted that there is a difference between Jacob Kane her father and Jacob Kane the commander of the Crows. She does idolize him. She believes that he would never hurt her. And yet, he doesn't know who is under the Batwoman mask. He just sees a vigilante who continually creates chaos in the city. He doesn't see a hero who is a pillar of strength and courage for everyone in this community. He believes he already provides that service through the Crows. This season has called him out on his privilege and elitism. At one point, Sophie was the only agent he could trust. That has changed now. He thinks he has made all the reforms that this organization needs. He hasn't. This finale introduces an app where anyone can call the Crows for help. That does a little bit to bridge the gap between the wealthy who can pay for the services and the average citizens who still need protection from the numerous villains. However, Jacob still orders his men to shoot to kill the enemies they face. They kill the former star football player. Kate could reach out to his humanity. It wasn't gone. He was abused by many. He sought his revenge. He came across as a monster and nothing more. That's all the Crows wanted to see. That proves that Kate still has so much more work to do to reform the soul of the city. That includes her own father. She feels betrayed and stunned by his actions. She is protected because her suit is bulletproof. Jacob still wants an even stronger weapon though. Right now, Alice is the only one who knows of a substance that can penetrate the Batsuit. Kryptonite won't cause a physical reaction like it does for Superman and Supergirl. However, it's indestructible. Luke believes he has eliminated all traces of the substance on Earth. That isn't the case. Kate still has some from her time with Supergirl. She will only destroy it after having a conversation with Kara. Moreover, Supergirl turns up the mineral with such frequency. It's out there. There is no ability to contain this threat to Batwoman. Alice has essentially gone blind in her quest for revenge against her family. She will even kill Mouse because he stands in her way. That pains her but she views it as an action that must be done. It's not good enough for them to escape to their Wonderland. She has to get her retribution. That's what makes Tommy Elliot the more appealing henchman. And that creates a fairly stunning and exciting twist at the end of the finale. The show has actually cast an actor to play Bruce Wayne aka Batman. Sure, that character hasn't exactly appeared yet. But his face has been transferred to Tommy's body. It's a trick Alice has pulled once before. Hopefully, Kate can see through the illusion. There is no guarantee though because she is in such a fragile state after realizing that she doesn't understand who her father is anymore. She has support from Luke and Mary. That is always rewarding. But the Kane family may exist at this point to constantly betray and hurt one another.
