“Kane, Kate” is episode seventeen of season two of Batwoman.
Ryan hits a guard through a ‘Rebirth’ display in a shop. Not the first one she’s taken down. She wants to know where Kate – who wandered off in the previous episode, “Rebirth” – and Black Mask are. And resorts to perfume torture. The guard says Black Mask has gone underground. He doesn’t know where Circe is. She has to believe him.
Returning to the Batcave, it seems she did. And the perfume smell is lingering. Luke and Mary can’t find any sign of Kate. Then Mary gets a text message; there’s a belligerent drunk at the bar acting as if she owns the place. Ryan heads there. She calls Mary. The reason is she does own the place; it’s Kate.
Kate is put to bed and Ryan, Sophie and Luke are talking about her. Mary thinks her dad may have been right. Kate needs her sister. Her other one. Mary finds Alice crying over Ocean’s dead body. Alice wants Mary to make him better. Ocean is beyond that. Mary knows exactly how Alice feels. Because of Alice. No, she didn’t come to gloat; Mary wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Alice asks why she’s there then. Just to thank Alice for saving Kate.
Luke is getting Kate’s journals from the Batcave; he thinks they might help. Ryan thinks Kate’s problems are more serious than that. Luke says Katye is resilient. He takes the Journals to her. Along with the bike keys.
Kate heads out. And ends up where Roman Sionis is. She wants to thank him for saving her from a life as Kate Kane. But the bar is cool; can she keep it? Black Mask will ensure it remains standing when they’re finished. Kate – really Circe – says the journals will help. They are a user manual to the Batcave. Safiyah praises her.
Ryan is packing when Sophie rolls up, clearly dressed looking for Kate. Ryan says Kate should have her loft back. Sophie offers a pull-out couch; Ryan has a place lined up by the river. Sophie says Ryan doesn’t have to give everything back just because Kate is back. Ryan says the suit is Kate’s; she was just keeping it warm. Sophie has some more bad news; Black Mask is recruiting ex-Crows. Seriously, what standards did the Crows use for hiring people? Did they bother to use any?
Roman is giving a speech to the ex-Crows, along with Tavaroff. He has weapons for them and will give them free reign. It’s time to take off the gloves, and put on the mask. Tavaroff is less impressed by the speech. He explains that it feels like he’s just being a cog in a different machine. Black Mask admires him for not wanting to be a cog. How about being the machine?
A man is working on a computer in a deserted office when the lights go off. And Ryan addresses him. It seems he’s Black Mask accountant. Ryan steals the laptop he was working on. Because all supervillains keep their accounts on unencrypted laptops being worked on by accountants with minimal security.
Ryan returns to the Batcave and finds it empty. Because Kate, Luke and Mary are talking in Kate’s office. Ryan heads for her place by the river – her van – and is working on the laptop when GCPD crash in, take the laptop and a bunch of empty Snakebite injectors.
So, Ryan is locked up. Everyone else thinks Circe is Kate, when she’s playing them. And, really, everyone from villains to heroes seems to have forgotten to take their smart pills.