Gotham Knights Season 1 Episode 12 Review: City of Owls

Gotham Knights Season 1 Episode 12, “City of Owls,” sets the stage well for the season finale with a cliffhanger ending and exciting full villain reveal but is bogged down a bit by an underwhelming side story.

The episode sees the Knights prepare to gather evidence once and for all of the Court of Owl’s schemes, but they are foiled by Rebecca March’s ruthless antics. Meanwhile, Duela’s reunion with her mother ends in heartache.

Duela’s story arc in this episode isn’t particularly intriguing because of how predictable and rushed it feels.

Even though Duela is initially unaware that her mother drugged Turner and tried to turn him in to the police for a reward, it’s still very difficult to believe she doesn’t see through her mother.

It’s very uncharacteristic of her to not realize when she’s being played, especially considering how she has often misled and mistreated the Knights in a similar way as her mother has her.

Additionally, she doesn’t even seem remorseful for using Turner Hayes and betraying the Knights. She only has a change of heart when she realizes they’ve all been arrested.

It’s hard to see what the purpose of the storyline is.

It had the potential to dig deeper into Duela and explain how her dysfunctional upbringing attributed to some of her questionable behaviors, or it could’ve explored her convoluted feelings when she shockingly tried to murder Harvey Dent.

Instead, the story arc seems misplaced and rushed and ultimately doesn’t appear to contribute to her character development much.

Meanwhile, it distracts from the bigger story arc in which Rebecca’s full villain persona is unveiled.

Viewers already knew that Rebecca was deeply involved with the Court of Owls and was far more dangerous than her husband, Lincoln March. However, “City of Owls” manages to make her even more sinister.

After callously murdering her son, she murders her husband, the newly elected mayor of Gotham, and massacres a large number of her fellow Court members.

Her bloodlust is seemingly still not satisfied as she sends her new team of Talons to murder the Knights who are already imprisoned after being framed for her mass murder.

Lauren Stamile is wholly terrifying as Rebecca, showing there is no limit to her cruelty and desire to protect herself, even at the cost of dozens of lives.

Additionally, her criminal activity dates back 200 years, when she first infiltrated the Wayne family through a betrothal to Bruce Wayne’s ancestor, Alan Wayne.

Not only is she a female villain who is commanding, intimidating, and terrifying, but she’s also unbelievably brilliant.

She built up the Court of Owls from the very inside of Wayne Tower and went undetected for an unknown amount of time. She’s also the genius who discovered the coveted Electrum and unlocked the key to immortality.

It’s staggering to realize just how far back and how deep her villainy goes and that the events of Gotham Knights are actually the culmination of centuries of Rebecca’s hidden influence.

It was a slow build-up to Rebecca’s reveal, but this episode made it worth the wait as it depicts her as a thoroughly formidable and intriguing villain.

Meanwhile, the episode ends with the Knights taken into custody by the Gotham City Police Department and the media reports that the death penalty will be sought for the young fugitives.

With Harvey and Duela both decommissioned, it’s difficult to see how the Knights will possibly escape this situation. With Rebecca at the top of her game and the Knights in a desperate situation, the perfect foundation has been laid for an exciting and unpredictable finale.

What did you think of this episode of Gotham Knights? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Gotham Knights airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW.

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