Batwoman Review: Rebirth (Season 2 Episode 16)
Truths are revealed, and familiar faces return on Batwoman Season 2 Episode 16, “Rebirth.”
Coming off the emotional police shooting of Luke, Batwoman has a lot to handle before the Season 2 finale.
This is a well-balanced episode, featuring several characters heading toward their own personal endgame while allowing all their stories to finally interconnect.
It’s essentially the setup before the blockbuster ending; not quite filler, but not game-changing either.
Luke is still struggling with the aftermath of being shot and nearly choosing death. He’s suffering through a literal death wish. Luckily for him, he runs into someone who knows how to deal with superhero trauma — Diggle.
David Ramsey is set to appear across the Arrowverse, including The Flash, Superman & Lois, and Legends of Tomorrow, which he’ll also direct.
As far as we’re concerned, the more Diggle the better. He’s the heart and soul of the Arrowverse.
His conversation with Luke doesn’t just come from a place of understanding as someone who lost his father young, it’s also as a Black man, and a soldier with years of experience. It’s a beautiful moment that pulls Luke back from the brink.
Alice and Jacob kidnap Circe, planning to bring back Kate. Without Enigma, they must use her personal items to trigger memories. During the process, Jacob realizes that this is what happened to Beth, making her into Alice.
It’s no secret Jacob is not one of our favorite characters. However, between disbanding the Crows and developing a new understanding for Alice, he’s finally becoming a real person and not an unrealistic caricature.
Roman has him arrested for covering up Alice’s crimes, and he’s sent to Metropolis to await trial. We don’t know what the future holds for Jacob, but these sort of character epiphanies are usually followed by a noble death while saving the day.
Speaking of villains, Roman and Safiyah are working together. This is interesting, yet unbalanced. Roman is basically a crazy drug dealer, while Safiyah is the queen of a magical island.
One of them is definitely going to turn on the other, it’s just a question of who.
Safiyah is essentially Batwoman’s Ra’s al Ghul, so we doubt Roman will get one over on her. She’s a fascinating character who we can see Batwoman and other heroes battling for years. There’s still a lot of story left for Safiyah and Coryana.
Despite being a well-known Batman villain, Roman Sionis hasn’t worked in this world. The nonsensical motivation behind his kidnapping of Kate hasn’t helped his intimidation factor.
There’s nothing about him that feels like an exceptional villain.
We understand why people like Damien Darhk, Lex Luthor, and Reverse Flash are hard to defeat. Roman Sionis feels more like a rogue of the week who’s overstayed his welcome.
Like a lot of shows, Batwoman Season 2 has allowed the show to really find itself and hit the right balance between real-world problems and comic book storytelling.
As we head toward the end, we need definitive closure to the Circe is Kate story. While it’s a clever way to recast Kate and keep her around, it’s been uncomfortable to watch as the storyline struggles to find its footing.
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Batwoman airs Sundays at 9/8c on The CW.
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Stephanie Holland
Stephanie Holland is a nerdy lover of Star Wars, Disney, Doctor Who, Arrowverse, Star Trek and WWE. Is living the dream of turning a lifelong obsession with TV into an actual job. Still waiting for a reboot of the '80s classic Small Wonder.