“Batwoman” Review: “Prior Criminal History”
Batwoman just aired its second episode of the season and finally seems to give the show some much-needed direction. It also elaborates on Ryan’s (Javicia Leslie) already existing relationships with the cast of characters we already know and love. This helps Ryan feel like an organic part of the world as opposed to someone random we shouldn’t care about. Ryan seems destined to become Batwoman and after her latest adventure, the rest of the team seems to be coming around to the idea as well. This episode only continues to prove that Batwoman can exist without Ruby Rose, even if she will always be missed. This is our Batwoman review for Prior Criminal History, and thanks for checking it out. If you need a refresher of what happened, we have a recap up too!
Ryan is continuing to grow as an organic member of the team, with relationships to previous characters that make sense. Of course, she knows Sophie, she’s been arrested. Her ties with Alice have already been made clear, so now even indirectly she has ties to most of the returning characters. It’s not just her connections though, it’s her as a character. She brings a levity to the role of Batwoman that Ruby Rose never really delivered on. She’s fun to watch and I love that her heart is always in the right place. In addition to that this season really seems to be playing with the characters in a more realistic way. Having Mary remind everyone about what happened with her mom was a reality check I think the cast needed.
Rachel Skarsten is still stealing the show though, somehow. I don’t know where her energy was in season 1 but she looks like she’s having a great time. Seeing her confront Ryan was great! I’m a little confused on where she learned to fight like that in-between seasons but I might just be forgetting if they dealt with her fighting prowess before. It’s obvious Alice will play a huge role this season and I’m all for it, especially if she keeps bringing her special brand of psychotic fun to the show.
What surprised me most about this episode is that we have yet to deal with the Kryptonite wound. It’s only a matter of time before that becomes an issue.
This episode was great if you ask me. The plot with the bats was a little weak, though I’ll admit it was clever on Alice’s part. That was really my only gripe with the episode though. They’re succeeding in making us WANT to see Ryan replace Kate and Batwoman’s focus remains the same. This is a show that does inclusivity and diversity right, as proven by how well Ryan fits into the role and episode. If anything, due to Ryan’s background and history she’s more inspirational than Kate ever could have hoped to be and I hope she sticks around a long, long time.
But it’s not all about me is it? What did you guys think about Batwoman? Are you loving Ryan as much as I am or do you wish Kate would come back? Let us know below and thanks for reading our review for Batwoman’s second episode of the season Prior Criminal History.
Batwoman airs Sundays (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) on The CW. You can also catch the episode the following day on the CW’s digital platforms!
Alexander is passionate about everything related to gaming, comics, television, and film. You can usually find him watching some kind of DC show and can also find his writing on Multiversal News, something he’s helping to build.
