When members of Gotham's intelligentsia begin disappearing, Commander Kane and the Crows go searching for the newest homicidal threat to the city. In the meantime, Kate is consumed with someone's betrayal and starts questioning the loyalty of everyone around her just when she needs them most. So when Luke and Julia go missing, Batwoman must rely on Mary and a former foe to deploy her rescue mission.
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 next episode of
"A Secret Kept From All the Rest" was written by Jerry Shandy & Kelly Larson and directed by Greg Beeman
Kate fears that she can no longer trust anyone around her. Reagan stole Lucius Fox's journal right after Kate retrieved it. Julia lies about wanting the journal for her own reasons. Kate clashes with Luke about who to believe. It's a lot for her to handle. It mostly proves just how much she has grown accustomed to Luke's assistance in the field. She struggles when it comes to tracking down the latest villain causing a panic in Gotham. Hush is the new villainous form of Tommy Elliot. He is working with Alice now. He is mostly just the assassin sent out into the field to retrieve people with valuable skills she needs. She has a problem and aims to solve it no matter what. She doesn't care if it disrupts the perfect life she is now living. Mouse has fallen in love with the wonderland at Arkham Asylum. They are effectively running the place. He has taken ownership over a new persona. He has embodied that life. He doesn't want it to end. He feels protected here. Sure, he and his fellow villains are causing so much harm. They are using the electroshock therapy in order to torture people into compliance. They want a codebreaker to figure out the mysteries of the journal. Only then does Alice believe she can have true power. She operates with one certainty at the moment. She needs to kill Kate. She has to make her sister suffer and feel betrayed just like she has so many times this season. She no longer holds onto the potential of possibly converting her sister to her world. That theory is completely lost. Similarly, Alice never buys into the idea that Arkham can be a peaceful resort for her to be safe and protected. There are threats in the world that she fears. She doesn't particularly care about those right now though. She is only looking for personal revenge. She may actually achieve that after unlocking the secrets of the journal. She needs Luke to decode it. He doesn't because he is just as brilliant as his father was. However, he receives that recognition here by being able to understand this code in a way that no one else could. And yet, he knows these secrets can't be trusted in the wrong hands. He can't let one friend die just so he and Julia can live. He isn't selfish in that way. He makes peace with that. Kate is still willing to negotiate though. She offers Alice a simpler tool. A pair of glasses can translate the journal automatically. No hard work is actually needed. That means Alice has everything she needs in order to exploit Batwoman's weaknesses. Sure, it's unclear how Kryptonite will play into it. However, that is an exciting tease for what's to come. It suggests something out-of-this-world is also powering the heroics of Kate's life. She is the savior that Gotham needs. She will defend the city no matter what. But Jacob tries to reality check her by saying her obsession with Alice is actually putting more people in harm's way. Sure, Jacob isn't innocent in all of this. He has conflicting feelings about Alice as well. Moreover, the Crows still largely serve as a personal protective service for those who can pay for it. Kate is the only one actively trying to do something for the poor and unfortunate in this city. She does so with her real estate business and bar. Batwoman is the priority for her though. As such, it's tragic when she feels that she can't trust the people close to her. She closes herself off too. She doesn't want to embrace something potentially more because she fears letting herself be hurt again. That may already be happening though with Jacob threatening war with Batwoman. These clashes sting. They are personal even though the family members don't always realize it. The future of Gotham is at stake. Kate tries to do the right thing. Her best succeeds sometimes. It fails in other ways too. Alice, Mouse and Tommy Elliot are free in the city once more. Tommy may have a new look. The other villains do not. They will be more lethal than ever before. Kate has to trust that her friends will always have her best interests at heart even though they have personal agency too.
