WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for "Time Off For Good Behavior," the latest episode of Batwoman, which aired Sunday on The CW.
Batwoman's mission to stop Black Mask just got personal. In "Time Off For Good Behavior," the latest episode, the leader of the False Face Society kidnapped her on-again, off-again girlfriend Angelique, which means the Scarlet Knight will stop at nothing to get her back.
The episode opened with Ryan launching an assault against the False Face Society, still furious that Black Mask had blackmailed Angelique into taking the fall for him. This particular scuffle was caught on camera by Gotham's local news station, which led her to make her intentions clear. "You hear that, Black Mask? You can hide your face, but you can't hide from me," she announced on live television. "I am coming for you."
Outside of her alter ego, Ryan continued to try and convince Angelique to confess the truth. She went to see Angelique at Edgewater Prison during visiting hours, where she hoped to break through to her ex. "You could walk right out of here if you just give up the ones who actually pulled the trigger on Commissioner Forbes," Ryan insisted. "I know you took the fall to keep me safe from False Face, but I can protect myself."
Nevertheless, Angelique deflected, accusing Ryan of taking romantic interest in Batwoman. Without addressing Ryan's point, Angelique hung up the phone and ended the visit early rather than face the possibility Ryan was moving on without her. "I'm late for my seven cents an hour," she said, referring to the prison work she did pressing blue jeans, and left Ryan looking sad and frustrated.
Ryan didn't have long to dwell on Angelique's comment. As a donor to the Sheldon Park Community Center, she had been invited to attend the grand opening. However, the joy and hope promised by the center soon turned to terror, as a man wielding a lightning gun attacked the reception. In response, donors fled and abandoned the project, threatening the center's very existence.
Of course, Ryan wouldn't let this stand. The center held some personal significance for her, particularly as a child of the foster care system who would have benefited from such a place, and she wouldn't give up on it without a fight. As such, Team Batwoman put their Black Mask hunt on hold while they pursued the attacker and the man who hired him.
As it turned out, the Sheldon Park Community Center attacker was tied to Edgewater, one of Gotham's for-profit prisons. He was a prisoner there -- and had been for two years, including the night of the attack. So Ryan paid the place another visit to see Mickey K., the alleged assailant, which confirmed their suspicions and opened up another conversation with Angelique.
Still, Angelique resisted Ryan's push to tell the truth. "If I tell you their names, I'll be the next one Black Mask puts a bullet in," she snapped. "Batwoman can't be around to protect me 24 hours a day."
"But I can," Ryan shot back. "It's just you and me against the world, like always. I will never let Black Mask hurt you." That seemed to be exactly what Angelique needed to hear, as she finally gave up the names to Ryan. Ryan rushed them back to Crow Agent Sophie Moore, who promised to get Angelique out of prison if the story checked out.
While she waited, Ryan continued her Edgewater investigation, which went from bad to worse when they realized Mickey K. hadn't escaped -- he had been released. In fact, a list of Edgewater prisoners who suddenly found themselves released early synced up with random attacks on community centers throughout Gotham, indicating a connection between all of the crimes.
Using deductive reasoning, they narrowed the mastermind down to one person: Edgewater Correctional CEO Ellis O'Brien. "He personally intervened and signed off on each early release, all under the guise of 'time off for good behavior,'" Luke revealed.
When Mary wondered out loud why O'Brien would want to hurt community programs, Ryan pointed out, "It's exactly what Imani said: these programs keep kids from falling through the cracks, but you know who profits from the kids who do? Prisons."
With all the evidence they needed in hand, Ryan went to confront O'Brien as Batwoman. She pointed out how much money the city gave him per prisoner, he insisted there was nothing illegal about his actions. "All that money means you'll be willing to do anything to keep your cells filled," she pointed out. "That's why you sent Kilovolt to fry the community center. Any programs that kept at-risk kids from ending up in one of your prisons cut into your bottom line, so you took them out."
"All right, all right, you've got me," he acquiesced with a chuckle, then admitted he had only been stalling for time. She suddenly found herself under siege by O'Brien's guards and O'Brien himself. With a little help from Luke, she overcame them and turned him into the authorities, effectively putting an end to the attacks and saving the Sheldon Community Center.
As the episode wound down, Sophie paid Ryan a visit at the bar where she worked. She came with glad tidings: Angelique's story had checked out, and D.A. had signed off on her deal. In fact, by the time of Sophie's visit, Angelique was on her way into a witness protection program until such time that Black Mask was apprehended. Although disappointed she wouldn't be able to see or talk to Angelique for a while, Ryan was happy nonetheless -- until Black Mask struck.
On her way to a safe house, Angelique and the Crows chauffeuring her were ambushed by the False Face Society. The gang members killed the Crows, then dragged Angelique out of the car kicking and screaming. Ryan heard the whole thing happen over the phone, helpless to stop it.
Although he may not know it just yet, Black Mask just pissed off Batwoman. After all, his actions here were purely selfish. For one, he wanted to punish Angelique for not only giving up her fellow False Face members, but also for trying to leave the gang. For another, Angelique worked closely with Ocean on the Snakebite drug, which means she's one of the few people left alive who know how to make it. In the process, though, he made Batwoman's mission to stop him extremely personal, because she will likely stop at nothing to save the woman she loves.
Batwoman stars Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder, Rachel Skarsten as Alice, Meagan Tandy as Sophie Moore, Camrus Johnson as Luke Fox, Dougray Scott as Jacob Kane, Nicole Kang as Mary Hamilton-Kane and Wallis Day as Kate Kane. New episodes air Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
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