Batwoman (2×05) Gore on Canvas Review

For our review of the last episode of Batwoman, click here.

Synopsis: Batwoman is approached by Commander Kane and Agent Moore to boost an infamous work of art that reveals the way to Coryana — and Kate; Alice discovers that she may not remember everything about her time on Coryana. (TVGuide)

This might be a minority opinion but I am so over the “search for Kate Kane”. Unless the CW truly plans on bringing Ruby Rose back at some point, what exactly is the point of dragging this storyline on so for so long? They could have taken the season in any other direction but this, but yet we’re five episodes in and we’re still harping on this mystery that likely has no feasible ending.

This week’s episode of Batwoman spends a lot of time around the acquisition of a Jack Napier (aka Joker) painting, which is the key to learning where Kate is. Everyone is in pursuit of this painting, but the task is easier said than done. Jacob Kane attempts to follow up on a lead from whom he learns that the painting is in the possession of a group known as the Collective, who share a connection with the C.R.O.W.S and their clients. Jacob’s meeting is cut short with the informant after one of Safiyah’s cronies kills the informant, which is followed up by Batwoman arriving and capturing the assassin. With all the things Ryan has gone through, she’s not exactly the biggest fan of the C.R.O.W.S., and so she refuses to hand over the assassin to Jacob. They are not friends, and even as Batwoman, she feels there is no chance they could ever team up.

During last week’s episode, we saw Ryan rekindling her romance with her ex, Angelique. The very same ex who Ryan went to jail for after being arrested for possession of drugs, drugs that were Angelique’s but Ryan took the blame for. It’s a complicated relationship but it seems to be on the mend now, future issues pending. Many of this season’s episodes have not only been about finding Kate, but Ryan trying to prove herself to Luke and Mary that she is up for the Batwoman job. Despite having a solid relationship with both, there is a lot of anxiety and vagueness there. More on that in a bit.

Ryan visits Mary due to a growing wound in her shoulder as a result of kryptonite. I’m not sure how she’s not more injured but there is hopefully a story there as to why she’s not reacting as strongly to it as one would think. With that said, her wound is looking pretty gnarly and Mary attempts to treat it with antibiotics.

Things get more complicated as Luke and Ryan continue to butt heads over the decision on what to do with the assassin from the start of the episode. The goal is to get to Coriana and get Kate back ASAP, and if it means killing the assassin per Safiyah’s orders then so be it. At least that’s how Luke feels anyway, but Ryan would rather they try to break the captive down instead.

While Luke and Ryan try to find a middle ground, Jacob Kane is trying to follow up with another lead in the form of Kate’s old friend, Evan. He’s a staple in the art community and most likely a part of the Collective as well. He’s not exactly responsive to Sophie or Jacob’s questioning and shuts down when they try to dig deeper.

When that route doesn’t go as planned, Sophie attempts to speak to Batwoman and talk her into helping the C.R.O.W.S. She tries to strike up a deal by offering to give Batwoman everything she has on Safiyah and Coriana in exchange for talking to the assassin. Ryan is completely against the idea but the Bat team feels differently and thinks they should give Sophie’s offer a chance. Upset over their lack of belief in her, Ryan goes out to get a breath of air with Luke closely following behind. He ultimately convinces her to go with Sophie’s plan after sharing that the C.R.O.W.S were responsible for his father’s murder. If he can give this plan a chance, then so can Ryan.

While interrogating the assassin, they learn that the Jack Napier painting may actually be a map of Coriana. But that’s about all they learn before the assassin kills himself with a cyanide capsule. Is it me or is this show getting more and more morbid?

The episode leads us to an auction being held by the Collective where the Napier painting is being auctioned off. The hope is for Ryan to change into her Batsuit and steal the painting so they can get one step closer to finding Kate. It’s a plan she’s not comfortable with but is going along with anyway. Unfortunately, the plan goes south when it’s stolen first by someone they have been referring to as Wolf Spider. Ryan tries to pursue the Wolf Spider to get the painting but her wound causes her to fall down in pain so the C.R.O.W.S. continue the pursuit. They manage to hit the Wolf Spider with their car, snag the painting, but then proceed to leave the guy behind so they don’t have to deal with him.

Ryan finally catches up and removes Wolf Spider’s mask to learn that it’s been Evan all along. She rushes him to Mary’s clinic as she grows frustrated with going along with the plan in the first place. She takes the opportunity to speak to Luke and Mary and put her foot down about the whole Batwoman thing. She needs them to trust her because she is putting herself in the line of danger, and she has some sense as to what is going on. Honestly, it was about time she gave them a talking to, they have been getting quite annoying over the last couple of weeks.

In other parts of the episode, Alice finally makes contact with Ocean only to realize that there is something weird going on with him and her. After she locates him, he realizes that she’s trying to wean more information out of him so he knocks her out and questions her once she awakens. It turns out they were both on the island of Coriana a few years ago, but can’t seem to remember much more than that about it. Before they can talk further, a group of assassins shows up to take them down so they work together to defeat them and run away. While in the car, Alice touches Ocean’s arm only to have a flashback of the two of them kissing back when they met. Not sure if there was a romance there or what their relationship was exactly, but hopefully we’ll learn more in the coming weeks as they figure out their missing memories.

The episode ends with the reveal that the Jack Napier painting everyone was after is a fake, and the real one is still out there somewhere. Unbeknownst to everyone else, the real painting is actually with Ocean.

Sure, that was a cool twist, but quite honestly, I’m so over this season already. Do you feel the same?

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Ariba Bhuvad