Gotham's baddies are such a weird bunch. You'd think Batwoman Season 1 Episode 18 would be the moment Batwoman's identity was blown since Sabatino literally has her tied up on a wheeled dolly.

But, no, his business instinct is to first auction off the right to kill her, and THEN reveal her identity to all present.

Of course, this is the same business sense that led him to betray Tommy Elliot and accept Mary Hamilton-Kane's story that she's there to buy the Bat Suit.

And then there's the sad news that both my preferred Bat-Girlfriend candidates have their own agendas.

Boo-urns. I really liked Reagan when we met her on Batwoman Season 1 Episode 4 but I guess that's the whole point.

It did twig on me a little that she seemed to pop up whenever we get a Magpie appearance but there was no hint ever given before the reveal that they were sisters.

Actually, she also crops up on Tommy-heavy episodes too. That, I think, actually is a coincidence.

The sister thing plays up an interesting parallel between Reagan and Kate in that they both have insane biological sisters.

After all, Alice is obviously gearing up for some truly spectacular retribution-raining on Kate and Jacob and Gotham in general.

Her outlook on the world has, in her own words, been clarified by the ECT treatments in Arkham.

And it all tracks back to her problematic relationship with Kate.

Clearly, you are an only child. Otherwise, you'd know that our dear siblings are the ones most predisposed to betray us.

Alice

• Permalink: Clearly, you are an only child. Otherwise, you'd know that our dear siblings are the ones...

Meanwhile, how awesome was Mary?

No, seriously, this may have been the heroine's journey arc we have been most heavily invested in.

How the thirsty little sister just wants to hang out with her cool, motorcycle-riding, tattooed, bad-ass step-sister, and instead she becomes an integral part of the Bat Team.

She's always had the skills and connections that Luke and Kate were lacking. Also, I'd like to think as flighty as she gets, even Mary would've sensed the TRAP of having that journal just sitting out on the desk like that.

There were two scenes, in particular, that had my cup overflowing with the good vibes

First, outside The Lookout when Kate offers Mary the choice of getting a thank-you or an apology first. Mary plays it so cool when every fiber was obviously strung tight as to whether she'd won her place or not.

She was trying so hard in that first scene in Wayne Tower. Champagne at the ready, just to be denied the expected victory lap.

Mary: Congratulations! On behalf of the medical profession, both licensed and unlicensed, I'd like to offer my sincerest 'WHATUP!' on shutting down that chop shop. I wasn't sure how you guys celebrated.
Kate: Usually by icing my knuckles.

• Permalink: Usually by icing my knuckles.

Kate's thanks, apology, and acceptance feel long overdue (because we're all Team Mary, right?) and yet, it was worth waiting for just to see the look on her face at being made an "associate."

And, of course, her initial reaction to the Bat Cave was the Oh-So-Mary moment of the show. Obv, she was going to IG her first visit to the Bat Cave, duh?

She is going to make Luke's life so freakin' interesting.

Within seconds of stopping her from announcing the existence of the Bat Cave on social media, he's already spilled the beans on the Batman-Bruce Wayne connection.

He's going to be reliving that moment of giving into her over and over again forever.

You're going to need some Bat Accessories. Don't worry, they go with everything.

Luke

• Permalink: You're going to need some Bat Accessories. Don't worry, they go with everything.

Now, Julia's reveal cut even deeper than Reagan's. She's so intimately involved with the team. Kate's ex. Lucius's goddaughter. Whatever the heck she's doing with Sophie.

Knowing that the SRR has disavowed her makes everything we've seen her do suspect.

Six months predates her appearance on Batwoman Season 1 Episode 7 so she could've been involved with the team from Coryana instead of tracking them as she had claimed.

Cozying up to Sophie might be a part of her mission. After all, her original relationship with Kate began under false pretenses as well.

Dang it. I really like Julia. Even if she's tossing puppy eyes at Sophie.

Of course, knowing secret organizations, her disavowment by the SRR could very well be part of her cover.

Ouch, my head's starting to hurt thinking about this.

In fact, all the betrayal in the A-Plotline here strongly echoes Alice's sentiments about trust to Tommy.

Alice: You should be more careful who you trust.
Tommy: If you can't trust your money launderer, who can you trust?
Alice: Hm, no one. I only trust in the fact people can't be trusted.

• Permalink: Hm, no one. I only trust in the fact people can't be trusted.

She probably would've predicted Julia's subterfuge.

She would've been far savvier to Reagan's convenient reappearance in Kate's life too.

How she didn't EXPECT Lucius's journal to be encrypted, I'll never understand.

The fact that he physically wrote it down in a book emblazoned with his initials already boggles my mind. One would think he'd be a bit less obvious with something so dangerous.

Regarding secret identities, if you're keeping track, Batman's been outed to Alice, Mouse, AND Mary.

Meanwhile, the Reagan reveal means that both she and Magpie knew about Kate being Batwoman the whole time.

And yet, poor old Johnny Sabatino is still in the dark somehow.

I applaud the showrunner's ambitious bookending of this premiere season.

One by one, all the VotW's that Batwoman put away in her earliest forays into vigilanteism are being let loose by Alice from inside Arkham.

Magpie's flown the coop. Tommy's faceless but free.

Who's next? Nocturna?

We're also waiting on the crew from Coryana and Julia's mysterious puppetmaster who may or may not be one and the same.

Which path are you leaning towards?

Whose betrayal hit you the hardest?

Where will the key to Lucius's code be found?

After you watch Batwoman online, speculate away in the comments! 

We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Diana Keng was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lifelong fan of smart sci-fi and fantasy media, an upstanding citizen of the United Federation of Planets, and a supporter of AFC Richmond 'til she dies. Her guilty pleasures include female-led procedurals, old-school sitcoms, and Bluey. She teaches, knits, and dreams big. Follow her on X.