“Antifreeze” is episode four of season three of Batwoman.
Heat lamps are pointing at someone who looks frozen. A man watching says this is the final phase of the reanimation progress check. The other is free to go. They stand, their legs shatter and they fall to the ground partially shattered. The man says that reanimation was a failure. 24 hours to client deadline.
At the end of the previous episode, “Freeze”, Mary was dragged into the bushes of Gotham Park by what looked like Poison’s Ivy’s… poison ivy. Mary is sitting slumped on a bench as the ivy unwraps. When it’s all gone, she wakes up, looking around and finding a thorn in her arm.
Luke has arrived at the loft. Ryan has a framed newspaper article about her as one of the 30 under 30 to watch. Marquis wants to meet her at the gala. Luke recaps; she has a public date with the brother Ryan was told to stay away from otherwise Jada Jet comes after Ryan, Wayne Enterprises and maybe her secret identity. Ryan tried to ghost Marquis and Charlie Clarke, Wayne’s PR guy, says that reporters will be climbing the walls to see her if she doesn’t go. And Jordan will be there too.
Mary runs in; she wants to run something by them. Ryan asks if Mary went home with a boy last night. No; Mary’s pretty sure she spent the night asleep on a bench in Gotham Park. Luke, clearly not dealing well with Mary telling him and Ryan that he isn’t fit for the field due to PTSD, leaves. And Ryan doesn’t have much time to talk.
Alice jolts awake in Arkham, once again thinking she has, extremely large, nanobots under her skin. An orderly comes around and says she’s got mail. Alice hates she’s old enough to get that. The mail is from Alice’s father. Alice doubts that. She kills the guard and calls for another. The dead body vanishes. Alice wants to speak to Montoya.
Ryan is being photographed at the gala and Marquis is there as well. He just wanted to hang with his sis. Sophie is chatting to Jordan; Jordan has a 2-minute speech as a nominee in which she wants to ask for money. Sophie looks at Ryan. Both smile. Jordan starts egging Sophie on, especially after Sophie admits she had a dream about Ryan. Bringing her soup. Sophie decides to excuse herself. Jordan is sending a text message when a man says he’s from the Gazette. He’s actually the man from the beginning and he tranqs Jordan and carts her off.
Jada Jet is in her office. There’s a photo of Marquis with Ryan at the gala. Jada does not look happy. She calls Vesper Fairchild with details of a scoop.
Mary is playing with some plants; Alice, who has convinced Montoya to drop her off with Mary, wants her to explain her new hobby. And to call Montoya about the next item they’re tracking down.
Marquis is talking to Ryan when Sophie comes up and asks if Ryan’s seen Jordan. She’s late for an interview and her phone is off.
Luke is trying to get the suit’s AI to talk again, and starts telling it, to no response, that the failsafe is broken and almost got him killed when Ryan contacts him about Jordan. Luke tracks Jordan’s phone which is not with her but on the floor. He also says she didn’t appear on external security cameras so must still be at the hotel. Marquis says someone saw a man taking Jordan into a hotel room.
And Jordan is there. Frozen solid. Ryan recognises the gear as Mr Freeze’s. Sophie is panicking but Ryan says they can’t just warm Jordan up. Nora Fries aged at four times the normal rate when she was defrosted.
Somehow, they need to unfreeze Jordan safely. Alice realises they’re up against a group called the Black Glove Society. No-one else will call it the Bee Gees. She’s also losing her grip on reality. Jada’s scoop was money missing from Wayne Enterprises, which it looks like was siphoned off by the CEO. Aka, Batman’s operating budget. Jada is making a play for the company.