“Down Down Down” is episode three of season one of Batwoman.
In the previous episode, “The Rabbit Hole”, someone made an attempt on Alice’s life after she as captured. Kate freed her before she could drown. Catherine was behind the stealing of Alice’s knife, which she asked to be destroyed. Now, why would she do that unless she thought analysing the DNA would reveal that Alice was Beth? And why would she want to avoid that?
The episode opens with Alice asleep, having nightmares it looks like. She heads downstairs somewhere, and there are knives and what look like surgical tools lying around. She goes through a door and goes to a container of liquid. Floating inside is what appears to be a flensed face.
Kate is writing in her journal to Bruce. She wore the suit to terrify Alice but Alice knows who she is and she’s lost that advantage. In the process, Gotham thought it had got its hero back. She can’t do that because she’s not him. Then the bat signal lands on the Wayne Enterprises building, complete with two shadow rabbit faces. Being made by Alice.
Kate arrives at the signal and Alice says it’s broken. It’s supposed to call Batman. Kate has blown a dog whistle she can’t unblow and now everyone wants Batman. Kate should put the suit back on – but being a hero is not her strong suit. After all, she gave up on Alice. And how is Alice’s boyfriend? Hanging in there, according to Kate; literally, likely, as when she captured Dodgson, she hung him up. But he’s badly damaged. Alice may want to get him back soon. Show Kate she can stop killing people for 24 hours. Kate would like her sister back. Alice agrees to no killing, but for Dodgson, not Beth. Beth has gone down the rabbit hole and is never coming back. Much like Batman.
A security guard is watching an ad in the entrance booth to Wayne Research & Development when a vehicle crashes through the gates and he gets shot.
Sophie is sparring, rather aggressively, with her husband, when she gets notification that Kane has arrived. She heads to the commander’s office, where he is watching the explosion that hit Alice’s vehicle. No one has taken responsibility, and who would want Alice dead? Sophie suggests most of Gotham. She wants the commander’s approval for a special assignment.
Mary is working in her clinic, then heads home, now wearing a party dress. Sophie is there. Mary does not tell the truth about where she was. Sophie, because Mary’s life is in danger, has been assigned to be Mary’s bodyguard. Mary protests, but she doesn’t give the real reason – having a bodyguard will cramp her ability to run an illegal clinic.
Kate enters Bruce’s office to find a man behind it. She recognises him, Tommy Elliot, as a childhood friend of Bruce – he was also on the ad the security guard was watching earlier. Tommy has just bought a building, five stories taller than Wayne Tower. Tommy talks about Batman, and how he failed to save Kate’s family. Kate reminds him that Batman saved Tommy’s mother. Tommy wants to invite Bruce to a party at his new building. Kate reminds him that Bruce has been away for three years. Tommy sees convinced he’s back. Now, why would he think that unless he knows Bruce is Batman?
Luke calls Kate to the R&D facility. Something bad has been taken, though he isn’t sure what. Luke also thinks that if anything will get Bruce’s attention, this will be it. As Kate is fiddling with a two-way grappling hook – until Luke removes it from her – the police get a call. A Batman effigy is in a pool of fake blood with a message for him to come out written on a wall. Kate is concerned, because by pretending to be Batman, she’s drawn out his enemies too.
Later, Luke lectures on the Batsuit, and shoots it with a Desert Eagle. There’s no effect. Kate mentions that it stings a little. What the thieves took was a railgun, and Luke has the protype. That goes straight through. It’s the only gun strong enough to pierce the suit and Bruce had it created in case the suit fell into the wrong hands. The gun is designed to kill Batman. Kate doesn’t think Alice took it, because she doesn’t know Bruce is Batman. Whoever stole the gun does. Kate mentions the invite; Luke does not think much of Tommy. She explains that Tommy was adamant that Bruce was back in town. But why would he want to kill Batman? Kate intends to ask. Luke suggests she could be Batman – despite having repeatedly said the suit was not for her.
Alice doesn’t do so well at keeping her promise; she kills a Crow whilst rummaging through things in the Kane penthouse. It’s definitely looking as if there’s something more to reveal regarding Catherine. Mary is not finding having a bodyguard useful, but she does end up accidentally revealing to Sophie that she isn’t the shallow ditz she acts like most of the time – Mary is likely a ditz to some degree, but she’s definitely not shallow. And Kate finally starts taking up the mantle, not just the suit.