In Review: Batwoman Episode 7 “Tell Me the Truth”

The Story:

The seventh episode of CW’s first season of Batwoman entitled, “Tell Me the Truth“, showed very good signs of the at times struggling Bat-series, beginning to get it’s feet under it, as this episode was emotional, had a good deal of Bat-action in it and packed an important and timely social justice punch against bigotry and intolerance.

The episode focused on stopping an assassin named The Rifle (Garfield Wilson), who is loose in Gotham City and killing off research scientists responsible for creating a weapon that can shoot through Bat-armor. The episode also introduced Julia Pennyworth (Christina Wolfe) to the supporting cast, who is the daughter of DC Comics legend and original Batman alumni, Alfred Pennyworth.

The episode’s underlying thread featured “Truth” as the metaphor being epitomized by many of the show’s characters, as Batwoman (Ruby Rose) must primarily deal with her secret identity being discovered and divulged by her former lover Sophie (Meagan Tandy) to her Father Col. Jacob Kane (Dougray Scott).

Likewise, Sophie comes to terms with  the real reason why she chose to deny her feelings for Kate in military school, admitting this truth to Batwoman, believing it to be Kate. Ultimately concerned and trying to save Kate from an uncertain Bat-death, Sophie also revealed Batwoman’s secret identity to Colonel Kane, while also finally admitting her love affair to her co-worker and husband Tyler (Greyston Holt).

Interestingly, we also find out that Julia and Kate have an unrevealed secret past in which Julia reveals that she is a bad ass secret agent, following the Rifle; who just happened to train and sleep with Kate after her departure from the Military academy. While it turns out that Kate’s cousin Bruce Wayne (Batman), sent Julia Pennyworth to secretly check up on and train Kate, Kate didn’t know that Julia’s feelings for her were in fact real. A heated truth that was very apparent to Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson) and clearly raised the temperature in the Bat-Lair within the catacombs beneath Wayne Tower.

Likewise Alice (Rachel Skarsten) hides the truth behind the secret military grade weapon, which can pierce Bat-armor in a twisted attempt to protect her long lost Bat-sister. But Kate’s secret bat-identity was ultimately safeguarded as Luke, Kate and Julia, posing as Batwoman, convince Sophie that Kate is not in fact Batwoman as she feared.

The Acting:

The award for best bat-acting in the seventh episode of Batwoman’s first season goes to Meagan Tandy, as the depth of Sophie’s suppressed feelings and true love for Kate is clearly apparent as the episode takes us through the history of the tortured love affair between Kate and Sophie.

Overall:

But the most compelling and significant aspect worth pointing out within this episode was Kate’s heroic tackling of the bigotry that many members of the GLBTQ Community must face in today’s world.

As Kate and Sophie meet for dinner in order for Kate to tell Sophie the truth behind her secret bat-identity, Kate is forced to take a strong stand in the restaurant that early on praised Batwoman for saving one of its patrons, while later asking Kate and Sophie to leave because of their apparent and public lesbian display of affection, as the two held hands while talking.

Kate’s passionate response to the restaurant manager’s intolerance and refusal to allow small minds to win the day for equality in Gotham, was a win for everyone and was cemented as Kate later decides to open up a gay bar right across the street from the intolerant restaurant. Well done Kate, and she didn’t even need to use the cape and cowl to win this battle in the ongoing war that will ultimately be won!